Development of a Fuzzy Fire Risk Evaluation Model for Building Construction Sites in Hong Kong

Earlier research works on fire risk evaluation indicated that an objective,reliable,comprehensive,and practical fire risk evaluation model is essential for mitigating fire occurrence in building construction sites.Nevertheless,real empirical studies in this research area are quite limited.This journal paper gives an account of the second stage of a research study aiming at developing a fuzzy fire risk evaluation model for building construction sites in Hong Kong.The empirical research findings showed that the overall fire risk level of building construction sites is 3.6427,which can be interpreted as“moderate risk”.Also,the survey respondents perceived that“Restrictions for On-Site Personnel”is the most vital fire risk factor;with“Storage of Flammable Liquids or Dangerous Goods”being the second;and“Attitude of Main Contractor”the third.The proposed fuzzy fire risk evaluation model for building construction sites can be used to assess the overall fire risk level for a building construction site,and to identify improvement areas needed.Although the fuzzy fire risk evaluation model was developed domestically in Hong Kong,the research could be reproduced in other nations to develop similar models for international comparisons.Such an extension would provide a deeper understanding of the fire risk management on building construction sites.

Wireless Sensor Networks for Resources Tracking at Building Construction Sites

We evaluate the technical feasibility of applying emerging wireless network technologies for resources tracking at building construction sites. We first identify practical constraints in solving resource-tracking problems in an enclosed or partially covered environment. We then compare pros and cons of available localization principles and examine the latest wireless communication technologies, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and ZigBee. We find that the ZigBee-based wireless sensor network and the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) localization method are most promising to tackle on-site tracking of construction resources. Finally, we anticipate some application challenges associated with deploying wireless sensor networks for resources tracking in the practical context.

Investigating the challenges related to combining BIM and Last Planner System on construction sites

The construction industry is facing a gradual but important transformation toward more productivity and collaboration.In this framework,two major approaches are often cited in the literature as having the potential to improve the practices in the industry:Building Information Modeling(BIM)and Lean Construction.Several scientific studies have demonstrated the synergy of these two approaches and very recent research has reported positive results from the use of software applications as support for their implementation on construction sites.However,the stakes of such integration have been very little studied.This article presents the results of a research project conducted within a general contractor firm that decided to implement BIM and Last Planner System(LPS)on its construction sites.The research uses a four-stage action research approach,including the characterization of the research issue,the establishment of an action plan,its implementation and its evaluation.Compared to recent related studies,the research is less enthusiastic.While it highlights the need for new tools to improve production planning and control,it also points to a strong resistance to change by practitioners at the site.They emphasize the necessity for adequate pre-service training and the need for new resources that can work flill-time on the ongoing training of site teams.In addition,some limitations of the tool lead workers to believe that it can quickly become a factor that slows down their daily work rather than improving it.Based on the advice of professionals,the paper formulates some recommendations to the industry,the researchers and the software developers.

Analysis on On-Site Asphalt Pavement Quality Inspection Technology in Highway Engineering

The acceleration of urbanization has promoted the increase in the number of urban highway projects,resulting in an increase of emphasis on the quality of urban highway projects.The quality and safety of highway construction directly affects the driving comfort,safety,and service life after it is put into operation.Among them,asphalt pavement is an important structure in highway construction,and it is also a key link that directly affects the construction quality.In order to ensure the quality of construction,it is necessary to strengthen on-site testing during the construction process to discover problems in time,and to ensure that the construction is up to standard.This paper mainly presents an analysis on the necessity and application of on-site quality inspection technology for asphalt pavement construction of highway engineering,and outlines measures to improve highway engineering construction testing technology.

Examining the Impact of Welfare Facilities on Building Construction Employee’s Performance in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Building Construction employees essentially required sufficient welfare facilities such as a place for washing, shower, change over, eat and drink, a place to store and hang clothing. Yet, these fundamental necessities are regularly disregarded. Decent welfare facilities can absolutely promote health and well-being and can aid to avert contracting diseases at building construction site. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of welfare facilities on building construction workers performance in the Eastern Region Ghana. The objectives were to identify welfare facilities provided by building construction firms, evaluate the satisfaction level of building construction firms’ employees with welfare facilities in Eastern Region, and determine the relationship between provision of welfare facilities and employee’s performance. The study employed convenient sample to investigate 80 building construction employees through questionnaires administration. Data generated from the survey was further analyzed using SPSS, weighted mean formula was used to determine the mean ranking, and descriptive and inferential statistics such as mean score, percentages, frequencies and chi square were used. The study reveals that the extent of welfare facilities at various construction sites was almost unavailability of sanitary and toilet facilities, unavailability of washing facilities, and unavailability of changing room, whiles drinking water and locker facilities were available but not sufficient. The study further finds that construction employees are dissatisfied with the condition of welfare facilities provided at their various work places. The study finally concludes that if workers are provided with decent welfare facilities at various building construction sites, it will motivate them to improve performance. The study recommends that metropolitan, municipal and district authority (MMDAs) should set a task force to check the implementation of welfare facilities at construction site as the results are pointing woeful insufficiency of welfare facilities at Eastern Region construction firms in Ghana.

Disposal of high-level radioactive waste in crystalline rock: On coupled processes and site development

Safe disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste(HLW)is crucial for human health and the environment,as well as for sustainable development.Deep geological disposal in sparsely fractured crystalline rock is considered one of the most favorable methods for final disposal of HLW.Extensive research has been conducted worldwide and many countries have initiated their own national development programs for deep geological disposal.Significant advancements of national programs for deep geological disposal of HLW in crystalline rock have been achieved in Sweden and Finland,which are currently under site development stage,focusing on detailed site characterization,repository construction,and post-closure safety analysis.Continued research and development remain important in the site development stage to ensure long-term safety of the HLW disposal repository.This work presents an overview and discussion of the progress as well as remaining open scientific issues and possibilities related to site development for safe disposal of HLW in crystalline rock.We emphasize that developing a comprehensive and convergent understanding of the coupled thermal,hydraulic,mechanical,chemical and biological(THMCB)processes in fractured crystalline rock remains the most important yet challenging topic for future studies towards safe disposal of HLW in crystalline rock.Advancements in laboratory facilities/techniques and computational models,as well as available comprehensive field data from site developments,provide new opportunities to enhance our understanding of the coupled processes and thereby repository design for safe geological disposal of HLW in crystalline rock.

Potentials for Radio Frequency Identification in AEC/FM

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has proved to be very effective in industries as diverse as aircraft manufacturing to health and care. The construction industry has been slow to take up on RFID and this paper will discuss the merits of the technology in its potential for application within the construction sector. The paper reports about the prototypical implementation of RFID-based information management in FM-scenarios. The prototypes were tested at University College Cork (UCC). The general applicability of RFID for decentralised information management could be demonstrated.