The construction industry is currently experiencing accelerating developments concerning societal demands along with project complexity, internationalization and digitalization. In an attempt to grasp the consequences of these demands on productivity and innovation, this edited book addresses how innovation is likely to take place with a more long-term perspective on the construction sector. While existing literature focuses on organizational discontinuity and fragmentation as the main reasons for the apparent lack of innovation in the industry, this book highlights the connectivity of construction actors, resources and activities as fundamental for understanding how innovation takes place.Through 15 empirically grounded chapters, the book shows how innovation is part of construction processes on various levels, including project, firm and industry, and that these innovation processes are characterized by organizational and technological connectivity over time. Written by European business management scholars, the chapters cover empirical cases and examples from both a multi-organizational and a multi-international perspective in terms of covering the viewpoints of different industry actors and the contexts of several different European countries including: Sweden, Norway, the UK, Italy, France, Hungary and Poland. By illustrating how connectivity is part of innovation processes in the creation of single-product innovations, of various innovations within and across projects, as well as a fundamental aspect of the processes in which innovations cross nations, the book provides a new angle on how to understand construction innovation and where the industry might (or needs to) be heading next. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in construction management, project management, engineering management, innovation studies, business and management studies.

The construction industry is a microcosm of the economy as a whole, and as such the economics of the sector contains many of the aspects of the economy in general, albeit with fascinating and unique features. What are the implications of economic theory for the future of UK construction? How does the industry ensure innovation, quality and efficiency? What priorities might best serve the construction industry, those working in it and their customers? In seeking answers to these and other questions, the UK government has commissioned a number of reports on the construction industry including the Latham and Egan reports and more recently Construction 2025. These have invariably proposed time and cost targets for the construction industry. In this new book, Stephen Gruneberg stands in stark contrast to those reports and presents the relevant theoretical aspects of construction economics to account for the behaviour of construction firms and suggest a strategy for future growth and sustainability. He discusses the theory and data relating to the output of firms in relation to the type of firm, the market and how these firms behave as a result. The purpose of this book is to advocate the measures needed to create the kind of industry that must be fostered to ensure the quality of its output, sustainability and the fair terms and conditions of employment for its workforce. Gruneberg's new book is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the economic forces that determine industry outcomes and who has a stake in the success of the UK construction sector.

First useful book for professionals to be published in the wake of the Grenfell Fire Reforms will bring in much change to the industry and construction professionals will need guidance

First useful book for professionals to be published in the wake of the Grenfell Fire Reforms will bring in much change to the industry and construction professionals will need guidance

The construction industry is vital to any national economy; it is also one of the industries most susceptible to workplace incidents. The unacceptably high rates of incidents in construction have huge socio-economic consequences for the victims, their families and friends, co-workers, employers and society at large. Construction safety researchers have introduced numerous strategies, models and tools through scientific inquiries involving primary data collection and analyses. While these efforts are commendable, there is a huge potential to create new knowledge and predictive models to improve construction safety by utilising already existing data about workplace incidents. In this new book, Imriyas Kamardeen argues that more sophisticated approaches need to be deployed to enable improved analyses of incident data sets and the extraction of more valuable insights, patterns and knowledge to prevent work injuries and illnesses. The book aims to apply data mining and analytic techniques to past workplace incident data to discover patterns that facilitate the development of innovative models and strategies, thereby improving work health, safety and well-being in construction, and curtailing the high rate of incidents. It is essential reading for researchers and professionals in construction, health and safety and anyone interested in data analytics.

Claims involving disruption are commonly accepted to be the most difficult to quantify. Disruptions that occur during a working day can lead to productivity loss which, in turn, can lead to time and cost overruns. The solution proposed in this book integrates cost and time in order to develop a site labour productivity measurement system whereby claims involving disruption can be objectively and automatically quantified.

China today produces nearly half of the world's steel and is the world's largest importer of iron ore. Steel has been a central part of China's rapid growth story, but it is also a source of many problems that range from the Chinese industry s environmental impact to the problems associated with the continued dominance the sector's state owned enterprises. This book of chapters edited by Ligang Song and Haimin Liu is a major and comprehensive contribution to this important topic.' - Dwight Perkins, Harvard University, Department of Economics, US'Chinese economic reform and opening to the international economy since the late 1970s have changed the country and the world. The developments in the steel industry through the reform period are central to those changes, illuminative of them, and of immense significance in themselves. This book throws new light on these historic changes for Chinese and foreign readers alike.' - From the foreword by Ross Garnaut, University of Melbourne, Australia This unique and informative book provides a central reference work on the Chinese steel industry and discusses China s increasing demand on metals from both macroeconomic and regional perspectives. It includes macroeconomic studies of developments in Chinese resource demand with particular reference to the ferrous metals and microeconomic studies that utilize comprehensive firm-level data to evince new knowledge of both firm and industry performance with respect to their productivity, the technical efficiency, and industrial linkages. The book also discusses trade in steel products and the impact of the restructuring of the industry on the environment. This detailed and analytical study will appeal to academics, students and researchers in Chinese studies, government agencies and private sectors - such as the mining industry, as well as financial agencies analyzing the Chinese demand on global resources. Contributors include: G. Dai, J. Golley, H. Liu, H. McKay, Y. Sheng, L. Song, Y. Zheng

This book offers a new understanding of innovation in the built environment. The ways meaning of innovation is constructed has important implications for policymakers, project managers, academics and students. Through a longitudinal research study into innovation in firms and projects, the book addresses some key themes, challenges and concerns that practitioners face when managing innovation in the built environment. It examines the key drivers for innovation in the construction, engineering and infrastructure firms and projects. In particular, the questions of how and why innovation becomes recognised and sustained over time are explored. Different theoretical perspectives are considered to explain different aspects of innovation. This includes sensemaking, organisational and individual identity, storytelling and narration. The book has practical implications for how organisational activities become labelled as 'innovation' and for what purpose. It shares some lived stories of innovation as mobilised by practising managers. The connectivity between the formal narratives of innovation at the policy level and the lived narratives of innovation articulated by practitioners is explored. Combining the theory with practice, this book presents an insightful view on the implications of innovation in the business world today.

This book covers all aspects and elements of rolling technology in one volume with even the most technical jargon being communicated in an easy to understand language. The book is exhaustive as topics ranging from rolls, rolls cooling, roll turning, roll reclamation, investigation of roll breakage, roll management and roll bearing all have been dealt in detail as these constitute the most important element of production cost. A separate chapter has been dedicated to operational management of a rolling mill, which includes safety and inventory. Packaging of the finished products and modern operating mill practices and technologies are also discussed in detail. This book will be a useful tool for shop floor personnel and for all senior management operating in the rolling mill industry; it is also a must read for all polytechnic / engineering students of metallurgical / mechanical / process engineering. This book may also be useful as reference book for students/professionals of rolling technology. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The aim of this book is to provide a single source of information to support continuing professional development (CPD) in the built environment sector. The book offers a comprehensive introduction to the concept of CPD and provides robust guidance on the methods and benefits of identifying, planning, monitoring, actioning, and recording CPD activities. It brings together theories, standards, professional and industry requirements, and contemporary arguments around individual personal and professional development. Practical techniques and real-life best practice examples outlined from within and outside of the industry empower the reader to take control of their own built environment-related development, whilst also providing information on how to develop fellow staff members. The contents covered in this book align with the requirements of numerous professional bodies, such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), and the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB). The chapters are supported by case studies, templates, practical advice, and guidance. The book is designed to help all current and future built environment professionals manage their own CPD as well as managing the CPD of others. This includes helping undergraduate and postgraduate students complete CPD requirements for modules as part of a wide range of built environment university degree courses and current built environment professionals of all levels and disciplines who wish to enhance their careers through personal and professional development, whether due to professional body requirements or by taking control of identifying and achieving their own educational needs.

Construction Cost Estimating equips a new generation of students and early-career professionals with the skills they need to bid successfully on projects. From developing bid strategies to submitting a completed bid, this innovative textbook introduces the fundamentals of construction estimating through a real-life case study that unfolds across its 24 chapters. Exercises at the end of each chapter offer hands-on practice with core concepts such as quantity take-offs, pricing, and estimating for subcontractor work. Online resources provide instant access to examples of authentic construction documents, including complete, detailed direct work estimates, subcontractor work estimates, general conditions estimates, markups, and summary schedules. Through its unique mix of real-world examples and classroom-tested insights, Construction Cost Estimating ensures that readers are familiar with the entire estimating process even before setting foot on the jobsite.

This book is a wide-ranging exploration of PR and communication in the construction industry, with a strong emphasis on communications theory, strategy and technique. The editors begin with an introduction to the UK construction industry and its supply chains, as well as various elements of PR in relation to the construction process. Subsequent chapters provide a strategic overview, practical examples, success stories, case studies and personal perspectives on PR for different parts of the built environment and reputational issues in construction. Chapters include expert advice on communications for architecture, planning, building consultancy, building products and manufacturers, general and specialist contractors, construction technology, infrastructure and communicating sustainability in the built environment. The conclusion looks at the current and upcoming reputational priorities for communicators in construction, as well as the top ten priorities for implementing PR as a strategic management discipline in the industry. This book is essential reading for all construction PR teams, students studying both for built environment and PR/marketing degrees and CPD courses, and anyone working in the built environment sector who needs to consider PR and marketing as part of their role.

This book explores China's global competitiveness in the building of infrastructures with a particular interest in the resource-rich African countries. The book begins with a comprehensive literature review on total quality management (TQM) and national culture, followed by reviews of the construction industries in China and Nigeria. This provides better understanding of the linkages between TQM, based on the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 9000 quality management systems (QMS), and national culture, based on Emeritus Professor Geert Hofstede's national cultural dimensions. Premised on the culture-specificity and bi-directionality relationships between TQM and national culture, this book investigates the construction industries in China and Nigeria including their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) as well as an appraisal of their historical and emerging relationships. In its conceptual approach, this book presents different models in the lead up to its primary theoretical contribution of a quality management assessment model (QMAM) that was adopted during the study's field work. The book also presents relevant lessons relating to cross cultural management and quality performance not only to the Nigerians but also other foreign players in Nigeria's construction industry.

The need for a skilled, motivated and effective workforce is fundamental to the creation of the built environment across the world. Known in so many places for a tendency to informal and casual working practices, for the sometimes abusive use of migrant labor, for gendered male employment and for a neglect of the essentials of health and safety, the industry, its managers and its workforce face multiple challenges. This book brings an international lens to address those challenges, looking particularly at the diverse ways in which answers have been found to manage safe and productive employment practices and effective employment relations within the framework of client demands for timely and cost-effective project completions. Whilst context, history and contractual frameworks may all militate against a careful attention to human resource issues this makes them even more deserving of attention. Work and Labor Relations in Construction aims to share understanding of best practice in the industries associated with construction and related activities, recognizing that effective work organization and good standards of employee relations will vary from one location to another. It acknowledges the real difficulties encountered by workers in parts of the developing world and the quest for improvement and awareness of some of the worst hazards and current practices. This book is both critical and analytical in approach and seeks to alert readers to the need for change. Aimed at addressing practical issues within the construction industry from a theoretical and empirical standpoint, it will be of value to those interested in the built environment, employment relations and human resource management.

• Major overhaul and restructure since previous edition • New coverage of hot topics including ethics, modern slavery and digital construction

This book is an introductory text on building measurement and estimating for simple buildings in Hong Kong, based on the Hong Kong Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works 4th Edition Revised 2018 (HKSMM4 Rev 2018). It provides a toolkit for students and surveying technicians who are new to the subject. This second edition updates the contents in line with the HKSMM4 Rev 2018 and incorporates the latest industry developments such as BIM. The main text is divided into five parts following the development of a typical project. Part 1, Building the project team, introduces the team setup for a typical project. Part 2, Deciding the procurement strategy, explains the various procurement decisions to be made by an employer before any cost estimating and measurement work takes place. Part 3, Preparing for tender, covers the tendering methods, tender documentation and approximate estimating techniques used by Quantity Surveyors. Part 4, Measuring quantities, introduces measurement principles and HKSMM4 Rev 2018, followed by a detailed review of the measurement methods for each major trade, with worked examples. Part 5, Estimating unit rates, explores the basic techniques for unit rate preparation. The book contains worked examples from real Hong Kong building projects, self-assessment questions, reminders and points of note. It is essential reading for Hong Kong construction and surveying students, international Quantity Surveyors working in the local area and those wanting international examples of Quantity Surveryors practice.

In an increasingly globalised built environment industry, achieving higher levels of integration across organisational and software boundaries can lead to improved economic, social and environmental outcomes. This book is the direct result of a collaborative global network of industry and academic researchers spread across nine countries as part of CIB's (International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction) Task Group 90 (TG90) Information Integration in Construction (IICON). The book provides a broad view of some of the opportunities and challenges brought by integrating information across organisational and system boundaries in the built environment industry. Chapters cover a large range of topics and are separated into three sections: resources, processes and added value. They provide a much-needed international perspective on a current global evolution in the industry and present leading original research and valuable lessons for researchers, industry practitioners, government clients and policy makers across the industry. Key features include: a broad range of topics that are not covered elsewhere in the literature; contributions from a diverse group of industry research leaders from across the globe; exemplar case studies providing real-world examples of where information integration has been a key factor for success or lack thereof has been at the root cause of failure; an analysis of future priority areas for research and development investment as well as their strategic implications for public and private decision-makers; the book will deliver innovation in best practice methodology for information sharing across disciplines and between the design, construction and asset management sectors.

This fully revised and updated edition of Construction Contracts: Questions and Answers includes 300 questions and incorporates 42 new judicial decisions, the JCT 2016 updates and the RIBA Building Contracts and Professional Services Contracts 2018 updates. Construction professionals of all kinds frequently need legal advice that is straightforward as well as authoritative and legally rigorous. Building on the success of previous editions, David Chappell continues to provide answers to real-world FAQs from his experience as consultant and Specialist Advisor to the RIBA. Questions range in content from extensions of time, liquidated damages and loss and/or expense to issues of practical completion, defects, valuation, certificates and payment, architects' instructions, adjudication and fees. Every question included has been asked of David Chappell during his career and his answers are authoritative but written as briefly and simply as possible. Legal language is avoided but legal cases are given to enable anyone interested to read more deeply into the reasoning behind the answers. This is not only a useful reference for architects, project managers, quantity surveyors and lawyers, but also a useful student resource to stimulate interesting discussions about real-world construction contract issues.

This book examines complex challenges in managing major strategic economic and social infrastructure projects. It is divided into four primary themes: value-based approach to infrastructure systems appraisal, enabling planning and execution, financing and contracting strategies for infrastructure systems and digitising major infrastructure delivery. Within these four themes, the chapters of the book cover: the value and benefits of infrastructure projects planning for resilient major infrastructure projects sustainable major infrastructure development and management, including during mega events improving infrastructure project financing stakeholder engagement and multi-partner collaborations delivering major infrastructure projects effectively and efficiently whole-life-cycle performance, operations and maintenance relationship risks on major infrastructure projects public-private partnerships, design thinking principles, and innovation and technology. By drawing on insights from their research, the editors and contributors bring a fresh perspective to the transformation of major strategic infrastructure projects. This text is designed to help policymakers and investors select and prioritise their infrastructure needs beyond the constraining logic of political cycles. It offers a practical set of recommendations for governments on attracting private capital for infrastructure projects while creating clear social and economic value for their citizens. Through theoretical underpinning, empirical data and in-depth informative global case studies, the book presents an essential resource for students, researchers, practitioners and policymakers interested in all aspects of strategic infrastructure planning, project management, construction management, engineering and business management.

This book examines real estate markets and urban development in Central America, Mexico and The Caribbean (CAMEC). It considers both residential and commercial real estate with a focus on industrial and hospitality sectors, infrastructure and logistics. The CAMEC region is besieged by complexity. Prone to natural disasters, and with the Mexico/US border constituting the largest human migration corridor on Earth, the region is also a vital trading hub for goods, linking commerce between the world's two largest oceans and the Americas. The real estate markets in this area are dynamic, rapidly developing and under researched. This book analyses the particularities of these markets and the context in which investors and developers operate. The authors present case studies and contributions from key players in major cities in the region. The book exposes the regional risks and opportunities connected to urban development including market transparency, urban equity and development regulation. The research presented in this volume gives the reader a comprehensive picture of each country under study, detailing their individual commercial, residential, industrial, leisure and infrastructure sectors. This is essential reading for international investors, real estate students, researchers, and professionals with an interest in the region.

This book examines real estate markets and urban development in Central America, Mexico and The Caribbean (CAMEC). It considers both residential and commercial real estate with a focus on industrial and hospitality sectors, infrastructure and logistics. The CAMEC region is besieged by complexity. Prone to natural disasters, and with the Mexico/US border constituting the largest human migration corridor on Earth, the region is also a vital trading hub for goods, linking commerce between the world's two largest oceans and the Americas. The real estate markets in this area are dynamic, rapidly developing and under researched. This book analyses the particularities of these markets and the context in which investors and developers operate. The authors present case studies and contributions from key players in major cities in the region. The book exposes the regional risks and opportunities connected to urban development including market transparency, urban equity and development regulation. The research presented in this volume gives the reader a comprehensive picture of each country under study, detailing their individual commercial, residential, industrial, leisure and infrastructure sectors. This is essential reading for international investors, real estate students, researchers, and professionals with an interest in the region.

Originally published in 1989. The international steel industry suffered a major decline after the onset of world recession in 1973, perhaps suffering more plant closures and job losses than any other sector. This book analyses the decline, surveying the various factors which have contributed to it, such as changing production strategies, changes in demand and world trade and changing regional production trends. It goes on to examine the impact of decline on steel-making communities, considering the various local, national and international initiatives to assist the affected areas and the way these initiatives have been devised and implemented. The authors conclude that none of these policies has satisfactorily resolved the crisis in the old steel producing areas and that a major crisis in these areas continues. Finally they discuss the social and political options open to these localities for the future.

This is a comprehensive book on infrastructure development and construction management. It is written keeping in mind the curricula of construction management programmes in India and abroad. It covers infrastructure development, the construction industry in India, financial analysis of the real estate industry in India, economic analysis of projects, tendering and bidding, contracts and contract management, FIDIC conditions of contract, construction disputes and claims, arbitration, conciliation and dispute resolution, international construction project exports and identifying, analysing and managing construction project risk. Thus, this book covers most of the construction management activities that are carried out at different stages of a construction project. This is an essential book for students of construction management, construction professionals, academicians and researchers.