A Dynamic Model Study For Real-Life ESIC Hospital Project
Abhishek V. and Jagadeesh P.
All infrastructure projects are said to be inter-dependent, uncertain and labour-intensive in nature. There is no exception for building services subsector. For a real time project such as 'The construction, extension and refurbishment of Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital at Tirupati with total area of 45,000 square feet at an estimated cost of 110 crores, a generic process model is developed to simulate the effect of set of identified variables on construction project. The 'Stocks and Flows' of dynamic model afford relevant insights to project managers, who apply this knowledge when designing better performance through more appropriate project planning. It is concluded from the model-based approach that building services works can be improved through specific better focussed managerial efforts, such as increasing coordination effectiveness at the planning stage, clarifying prerequisite conditions prior to installation, etc. Otherwise, pending works arising from work clashes can lead to knock-on effects resulting in productivity constraints and pressures, as well as more rework and demolition. Current study reveals that the model enables deep insight into various interdependent processes, thereby improving construction performance levels, by addressing the dynamics of the various identified critical input parameters.
Construction Projects, Construction Project Performance, Dynamic Model
Structure, Endogenous Variables and Exogenous Variables.
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Research Articles
The Impact Of The Lean Technique Of Value Stream Mapping In Indian Construction Sites On Reducing Carbon Emissions
Ann Francis and Ashwin Mahalingam
The construction industry is responsible for a considerable amount of CO2 and Greenhouse gas emissions. In the present day context, this is a cause of considerable concern. Can 'Lean' construction techniques that improve site productivity also improve site sustainability? Preliminary evidence from other countries indicates that 'Lean' construction can indeed lead to reduced emissions on construction sites. This paper attempts to validate this notion on Indian construction sites and also attempts to compare the extent of productivity enhancement and emission reduction across a spectrum of construction activities, in order to achieve a better understanding of where 'Lean' principles can be best used for improving sustainability. We considered five different construction activities - Piling, Construction of Open Foundations, Slab Concreting, Blockwork and Fabricating Steel Trusses. We used Value Stream Mapping (VSM) - a popularly used and standardized 'Lean' technique to map the current execution process for each of these activities, and optimize productivity using Lean techniques. Using simulation techniques, we simulated the post-optimization performance of these activities. By comparing CO2 equivalent emissions in the original state and in the optimized state for each activity type, we were able to assess the role of Lean practices in promoting sustainable construction. Our results indicate that while Lean construction can lead to Green construction across all the activities that we considered, the extent of emission reductions was highest in the construction of open foundations followed by block work and piling. Only negligible improvements were visible in concreting and structural steel fabrication. Our findings are of relevance to policy makers, practitioners and academics as they seek to make the construction industry more sustainable.
Sustainability, Lean Construction, Value Stream Mapping, Simulation, CO2 Equivalent Emissions
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Research Articles
Temporal Data In Three Dimensional Models For Improved Construction Planning
Abhijeet S. Deshpande, Ossama M. Salem and Richard Alan Miller
The methods typically used for construction project planning, viz. bar charts and critical path method are effective in describing only one aspect of project control, temporal description of the activities that are required for successful completion of the project. The spatial description of the activities may be provided textually in the schedule, but the spatial interaction between various activities is not completely addressed. This requires a significant effort on the part of project managers and various subcontractors to ensure that all the subcontractors work harmoniously. This paper describes a case study involving the construction of a large industrial project in the US where the temporal data in the CPM schedule was integrated with the three dimensional model using the Navisworks® software. This integration led to effective co-ordination of various sub-contractors in the project and enabled the project team to identify multiple cases of clashes. This case study highlights the use of 4D modeling, which employs only a sub-set of capabilities of Building Information Modeling. The potential advantage of use of this technology in construction projects in India is discussed in this paper.
Temporal Data, 4D Modeling, Building Information Modeling
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Research Articles
Strength Properties Of Class 'C' Fly Ash Concrete With Variable Aggregate Binder Ratio
Rama Mohan Rao P. and H. Sudarsana Rao
In this paper the experimental work has been carried out to study the strength characteristics of class 'C' fly ash concrete with cement replacement levels by 30%, 40% and 50%. The aggregate to binder (a/b) ratio of 1.50 and 2.00 with water binder (w/b) ratios of 0.35, 0.40, 0.45 and 0.50 for each concrete mix. In total twenty two fly ash concrete mixes each of different mix proportions of fly ash, cement, water binder ratios were cast and their characteristics were studied. For each fly ash concrete mix consisting of standard sizes of cubes, cylindrical and prisms specimens were cast and tested for compressive strength at 28 and 90 days and split tensile strength, flexural strength. at the ages of 28 days. The test results were analysed and compared among the two aggregate binder ratios. The water/binder ratio increases, the compressive strength at 28 days for 30%, 40% and 50% fly ash replacement levels were reduced. The concrete mix having 40% fly ash replacement and water/ binder ratio 0.40 shows better split tensile strength of aggregate binder ratio of 2.00.
Application Of Public Private Partnership (PPP) In Health Care Sector In India
Siddesh K. Pai and Ankit Tripathi
Public private partnership or PPP in the context of health sector is an instrument for improving the health of the population. With the rapid growth of the Indian economy in recent times and the changing demographics and socio-economic mix of the Indian population, there has been an immense change in the healthcare requirements in the country. Today, the healthcare system in India faces a challenge in raising the service quality and addressing the increasing health needs of the country. This challenge needs to be addressed through a concerted effort of both public and private sectors by their agreeing on suitable public policy initiatives which incentivize financing and provision of healthcare, and thereby increase healthcare access to the people.
The paper presents the avenues of collaboration between the public and private sectors of the healthcare industry, and to recommend public policy initiatives that would foster Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and stimulate investment in healthcare sector to shape the future of Indian Healthcare Industry. The paper encapsulates the success of PPP in health sector in India
Public Private Partnership, Healthcare Industry
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Research Articles
Social Loss Estimation Due To Road Accidents
Prasanta K. Sahu
India has a serious road accident problem with over 130,000 deaths reported annually. These accidents not only cause considerable pain and suffering but also they lead to direct economic costs and a large waste of the national resources. The statistical estimates of years of life lost due to premature mortality and the value of output forgone as a result of road accident-related injury do not adequately communicate the depth of human loss, grief, pain and suffering. However, investment decisions on transport safety and research programs need to be made, and data on accident numbers and severity, and their economic costs, can improve the quality of those decisions. One of the prime uses of accident cost information is assessing the benefits received from various transport safety measures and programs. These measures and programs also impose costs on society and it is necessary for the transport planners to determine the appropriate balance of costs and benefits in order to ensure that resources are used in a socially acceptable and efficient manner. Therefore, it was thought to provide a concise review of some accident costing methods developed worldwide including the key background information.
Social Loss; Road Accidents; Human Capital
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Research Articles
Time Waste And Delays In Construction Projects : A State Of The Art Report
Safeer Ali Abbas Ali and Arun C.
Delays in construction sites occur due to systematic additions of time waste in various activities that are part of the construction process. Time waste of a particular activity is the waste in productive time that could have been made productive. Different activities have different reasons that contribute to time wastes of that particular activity.
Time management for construction activities is not activity oriented, but process oriented. Scheduling of projects using bar charts, milestone charts, Critical Path Method (CPM), Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) or even Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) is done to maximize the project value by finishing the project at the earliest by managing various activities most judiciously depending on the sophistication of the method employed. However, these techniques are less activity oriented, if the work is not discretized to minute level.
Studies indicating activity oriented time wastes for reduction in delay are not many. Very few authors have studied certain activities in construction in detail, while the detailed study on time waste generation, its reasons and techniques for its reduction are almost nonexistent.
This paper gives a good insight into all presently available studies pertaining to activity oriented as well as non-activity oriented time waste generation. It is seen that the lean technique implementation has reduced wastages in construction, reducing time wastes in the process. Further, studies explaining delay analysis, ways to reduction of delay and betterment of process are reported by a number of scholars. But time waste studies are nominal and a lot of effort is required to be put into this area of study. In case of delay in construction, which is chronic in today's sites delays are to be eradicated or at least reduced substantially.
Time Wastes, Time Management, Lean Construction, Construction Activities.
Research & Publications Department 