Construction companies or contractors take up projects from prospective clients through formal tendering procedure. Selecting the right contractors is key for the successful completion of the construction project. Even though clients use technical and financial evaluation for selecting the right contractor, still more than 90% of the construction projects has time and cost overruns in India. Many studies conducted to address the issues of project completion at the post award phase of the project. Hence, this study attempted to identify the factors associated with tendering process towards the successful completion of construction projects. Initially, comprehensive literature review from various sources was made to identify the factors influencing the successful project completion. A questionnaire survey was distributed among construction professionals to identify importance, frequency and severity indexes of the factors. The data collected through questionnaire survey is analysed using SPSS software to identify the key factors that affect the successful completion of construction projects.
A Study on the Influence of 'Big Room Meetings' in Controlling the Productivity-Inhibiting Factors in Construction Site
Anuja J S, Suhas G, Priyanka Singh, Pranjal Shrivastava, Gautham Hari and Murali Jagannathan
The lifecycle of a construction project is plagued with many risks and uncertainties that ultimately lead to cost and time overruns. Among many kinds of such risks that contribute to overruns, day-to-day site issues are a critical set of delay-causing factors inherent in almost every project's construction phase. From material delivery delays to site readiness, site engineers face challenges that prevent them from achieving their targets. Extant research points out that the root cause of these issues is lack of communication and missing coordination amongst the various stakeholders in a project site. Lean construction techniques that foster collaboration are a ray of hope to improve site management. There are several lean tools and techniques available to improve the site productivity and the concept of 'big room meeting' is at its core. In this research, the 'big room meeting' concept is broken down into its constituent features, and their influence on easing the day-to-day site management is explored in the Indian context. With the help of questionnaire survey, the impact of various features of the 'big room meeting' concept on resolving site issues will be evaluated from the perspectives of clients, contractors, and consultants and ranked in the order of their importance. The outcome of this research can help industry stakeholders realize the benefits of implementing lean practices and support them to embrace lean confidently.
Lean; Big Room; Site; Construction; Conflict
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Research Articles
Success Criteria for Post Disaster Housing Reconstruction Projects: A Community Perspective
Shyni Anilkumar
Post disaster housing reconstruction (PDHR) projects are complex and dynamic in nature due to the uncertainties in their planning and development affecting the effectiveness of the built environment in the long term. A large number of PDHR projects developed globally are deemed to be ineffective in re-establishing the socioeconomic and cultural life of disaster affected community. Literature reveal that various measures of project success identified hitherto for disaster contexts remain ambiguously defined and there is no consensus on the set of success criteria unique to PDHR projects. The aim of the study is to derive key criteria for measuring the success of PDHR projects. The objectives of the study are 1) to identify the set of project success criteria for housing reconstruction projects , measured both objectively and subjectively through literature review , 2 ) to establish the most significant success factors measured from the perception of the community relocated Post Tsunami 2004 in Kerala. Initially, the study consolidated the available success criteria under to major domains of success measures, viz; project efficiency and project effectiveness. A structured questionnaire survey using Likert scale was conducted to assess whether the community have significantly similar perceptions toward the success criteria. Then the most significant criteria were established analysing the perception data using independent sample t-test. Additionally, the descriptive analysis of the criteria was conducted using mean scores, skewness and kurtosis. The study identified speed, quality, acceptability, livelihood sustainability and satisfaction as the major success criteria .Using this set of criteria the success or failure of a reconstructed housing can be assessed over the short, medium and long term disaster recovery period. The novelty is that the study measured the subjective opinions and personal judgment of the disasteraffected community on the success criteria, as the affected community is the most significant stakeholder.
Post Disaster Housing Reconstruction Projects; Project Success; Success Criteria; Community Perception
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Research Articles
A Case Study on Santacruz Chembur Link Road (SCLR)
Radhika Kumkumwar and Jonardan Koner
As considering several aspects in the development of nation, construction industry, especially infrastructure development has played an identical role. Infrastructure development has important optimistic involvement towards economy of India. The effect of such large-scale infrastructure projects are identical because of huge investment, highly driven technology and intricacy in nature. However, with the implementation of the infra projects, there are always certain risk factors which needs to be considered in terms of Technical, Financial, External and Project Management which can be controlled by contractual binding between owner and contractor. Though, numerous projects experience wide-ranging delays and there by surpass preliminary time and cost estimations. Delay in construction is measured to be single of the most periodic complications in the construction sector and it has an antagonistic outcome on project accomplishment in factors of time, cost, quality, & safety. In India projects like Highway and Expressway are affected with huge delays. Above the past decade, as a result of model shift in the capacity and volume of the highway construction industry, it is identical significant to thoroughly examine the elements of delays and to construct up a summarizing appreciative amongst the highway and expressway professionals. In this study various prominent factors causing delays in Expressway & Highway projects in India, besides therefore proposes an allusive framework to design a construction project in a well-organized manner and supporting modifying of delays. This Study has discovered detailed analysis has been carried out by considering a case study of Mumbai's one of prestigious project Santacruz Chembur Link Road (SCLR), the basis for the link road was initially planned to initiate in September 2003, it inaugurated 2007. The Santacruz Chembur Link Road was long delayed and taking more than 11 years for completed the project successfully. The project unexploited 12 deadlines meanwhile the actual deadline of Nov 2004 whereas the research identified the important factors affecting the delays in SCLR project and after starting the association between aspects to develop the forecast models to measure the impact of the delay factors exercise for large infrastructure project.
Road Project; Construction; Delay Analysis; Infrastructure; Santacruz Chembur Link Road
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Research Articles
Water-Efficient Technologies to Reduce Water Consumption in the Indian Buildings
Adithya P, Anuja Jagdale, Meera Benny, Midhuna N, Niranjana Manoj and Mayur Shirish Jain
Water is one of the most critical resources globally, covering 71% of the earth's surface, out of which only 2.5% is potable water. According to United Nations Environment Programme 2021, the 2030 Water Resource Group has found that the world would confront a 40% water deficit globally within nine years. Due to population explosion, changing lifestyle, and many parts of increasing demand for water in various industries, the world face water scarcity, thus making it indispensable to adopt water-efficient techniques in buildings. Like many green rating systems, India's GRIHA also considers water efficiency an essential criterion to promote sustainability and indicates that the adoption of water-efficient techniques can reduce water usage up to 40% to 80% compared to typical buildings. This reduction of water usage is based on the level of measures adopted throughout the life cycle of the building. With the rising concern of water scarcity, the governments of various states in India have made it mandatory for buildings to have a rainwater harvesting system. The study analyses conventional and innovative water-efficient measures like rainwater harvesting, recycling grey water, cooling towers, low flow fixtures, and smart sensors that can be implemented in the buildings in India. It is concluded that in India, feasibility in adoption of these smart techniques will take time, money, and awareness. Further study is required to learn more about the implementation of these techniques in India.
Water Conservation; Water Efficiency; Green Buildings; Rain Water Harvesting; Efficient
Fixtures
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Research Articles
Green Initiative towards Ecosystem Restoration in Pile Foundation at Infra-Projects
Ayanesh Maiti and Amal Bhattacharya
This discussion shall focus on the pile foundations belongs to the category of drilled shafts (DS) or bore pile (BP) which are subjected to massive load in the range of 1000 ton or above. The installation of such piles is resource-intensive and subjected to strict technical qualification criteria. In the purview of such qualifying criteria, the discussions shall narrate to optimize the net resultant carbon footprint of the resources and all initiatives towards ecosystem restoration. In the first step, this discussion shall focus on the detrimental effects towards the eco-system, during the execution of such piling installation. The operational effects are summarized and quantified to ascertain the degree of severity. The quantifications are expressed in matrix format and assigned to a numerical value presenting the severity value. Continued in the next step different feasible control measures are assigned to each of the operations or activities to lower down the severity index. It is worthwhile to mention that the increment of the load bearing capacity of the pile associated with the soil parameter increases the severity in an exponential manner. The design, proof testing of pile (simulation) also contributes to the addition of severity. It also focuses on the mandates of detail procedure and management to optimize the severity in terms of detrimental process emissions, resource consumptions. In the recent largescale infrastructure projects (Mega projects) in India, contractors have been controlling the system in visionary pattern through Environment Management System (EMS), Integrated Management System (IMS), etc. as per ISO:14001. Irrespectively, this discussion emphasizes that, there is an urgent need of mandatory codification in line to optimize the ecological impact resulted from the pile installation work and other infrastructure installation work too. This discussion also implies the importance of quantative framework, through which the principal performer would be accountable.
Green Retrofitting to Achieve Energy Efficiency: Case Study of an Institutional Building in Pune, India
Shruti Vaishampayan, Shahzeb Farooqui and Ruman Shaikh
The green building initiative has gained tremendous momentum during the last decade and the green retrofit programs have gathered significant attention. This study attempts to carry out the green audit of an institutional building and provide methods for green retrofitting according to various existing rating systems. A calculated approach of green audit of an existing educational school building located in Pune along with constructive green retrofitting methods to increase life of building and decrease its carbon footprint are suggested in this study on select parameters for site and facility management; energy consumption; water consumption; and indoor environment quality. Cost analysis has additionally been carried out for the implementation of suggested measures for the green retrofitting along with a detailed discussion on suitability of the recommendations as per various rating systems.
Green Building; Retrofitting; Energy Efficiency; Sustainability; Rating Systems
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Research Articles
Affordable Housing in India: Problems, Challenges and Solutions
Although, it has been seen that affordable housing provides a simple solution to the current housing woes its execution remains complicated due to the unclear policy framework followed in our country. There are several schemes, policies, public private partnership models and solutions already being implemented by the Government of India for the execution of Affordable Housing in India. Till now, only demand side problems were studied and addressed to, but this research paper focuses on the gap caused due to supply side and the challenges faced by them. Thus, it is required to identify the differences and provide a practically executable solution for the same. Since the data required and collected in this research is non-quantifiable in nature, careful qualitative analysis was done with the information received from personal interviews and questionnaires. The real challenge faced is to buy land parcel that is cheap enough to make the houses affordable for the end user. The way developers have been combating the problem is to reduce the carpet area of the houses along with the help of government policies and subsidies to reduce the burden on the beneficiaries.
Affordable Housing; Real Estate; Public Private Partnership; Government Policies
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Research Articles
Construction Site Layout Utilization Planning Using BIM Approach
Sharique D Desai, Umesh V Jadhav and R B Magar
Construction site utilization planning is one of the most important and fundamental process for successful completion of the construction project. It is often performed to find the best arrangement of the various facilities on the construction site. This assignment ordinarily comprises of recognizing the temporary facilities required, deciding their size and shape and ideally situating different components inside the site limits. Proper arrangement of the building site can help in improving the proficiency, productivity and safety as it will be the framework for the construction site operations and it is important to realize that the site plan will be the condition that the site personnel will live for the total duration of the project. BIM being an important tool can help in visualising and creating the site layout. This study is carried out to develop a framework for construction site layout utilization planning and to provide a efficient site layout. For which a proposed building is selected and model is been prepared of the proposed building in BIM environment using tool such as Revit. The temporary facilities are modelled and their positioning and sizing is done and various material quantities are determined from the model. Parametric families of the elements of site layout which are essential which are not readily available on site are created and proper extent of various facilities and elements is done crane analysis and its positioning and access to and from the site with the help of vehicular tracking is done and Site Layout is prepared.
Building Information Model (BIM); Revit; Construction Site Visualization; Site Layout Planning; Site Utilization Planning
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Research Articles
Development of Green Rating System for Sustainable Highways
Akshaykumar Mallinath Swami and Hansa Jeswani
Sustainability has been topic of debate in the construction industry in recent years. Though various standards and system have previously been developed in India to help improving sustainability of building, township, interior projects, but those seemed to be missed in highway projects. This Report describes Sustainability as a relation between a project and the social, environmental, aspects of it. The main aim of this research report is to develop a rating system from which, we can easily rate a highway construction in terms of sustainability achieved. This report will help all the stakeholder related to highway construction like engineers, planner, designer to develop sustainable design and construction of highway. A review of similar studies was covered up and most suitable factors and subfactors was considered which are Site selection & planning, Sustainable method, Water conservation, Energy conservation, and Environmental conservation. With the help of these factors, a green rating system was designed and developed. The above developed green rating system consisting factors and subfactors has a weightage according to its contribution for green practice and importance in highway construction. These factors and subfactors was sent to the IGBC credited professionals for weightage (points) purpose. The points received from each professionals was noted, averaged and then applied to each subfactor. Also the suggestion of adding Environmental Health & Safety factor by the professionals was considered and added to developed green rating system. The proposed certification level consists of different level like platinum, gold ,silver, and certified according to the credit points achieved after application of green rating system. The Developed green rating system has complete 100 points which are 18 (Max. Points) for Site selection and planning(SP), 12(Max. Point) for Sustainable method(SM), 14(Max. Point) for Water conservation(WC), 15(Max Point) for Energy conservation(EC), 16(Max Point) for Sustainable material & Material Conservation(MC), 13(Max. points) for Environmental Health & Safety(EHS). These Points was then applied to the Expressway which connects Nagpur to Mumbai to know the achieved performance of sustainability in its construction.
Green Rating System; Sustainability; Factors and Subfactors; Highway
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Research Articles
Hybrid Sustainable Construction Practices: The Case of Sumbaran Project, Pune
Nirank Jadhav, Vishal Kumawat, Shubham Shinde, Saurabh Sonar, Manish Pal and Arpita Mathur
This paper is about studying modern and traditional sustainable construction practices and how they can be combined to have hybrid sustainable construction in modern times. For this case study we have selected the project Sumbaran constructed by Abha Arch located in the outskirts of Pune. This project shows that there are plenty of traditional construction practices which can be used in today's construction practices by implementing little changes in it without changing the whole concept. The traditional concepts like domes, arches and use of mud bricks, etc., has been combined with modern construction practices like rat-trap cavity walls, filler slabs and vaults, etc. For data collection we have interviewed Architect Pravin Mali who is also the founder of Abha Arch. We interviewed him by the means of video conferencing. We have also interviewed the client who owns this project. These interviews gave us lots of primary data which we can use for further study and findings. We also visited the actual project and had a thorough study of the structure which came out to be very useful in our learning. Combining all the data from interviews and site visit we can say that modern and traditional sustainable construction practices can be combined with little bit of study, planning and proper execution, resulting in hybrid projects which are sustainable in nature. During this study we came across many traditional sustainable construction practices which have faded over time but bringing this traditional sustainable construction practices into present era of construction will result in environment friendly and economically sustainable structures. These changes can be made very easily once basic knowledge is obtained by the professionals and people related to construction.
Sustainable Construction; Hybrid Construction; Traditional Construction; Environment; Construction Industry
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Research Articles
COVID'19- Impact on Real Estate Sector in India: Pre and Post Pandemic Studies
Pavan Totla and Devika Harikumar
Several businesses have been crippled by the viral epidemic. Consumers are hiding and demand is being maintained to a bare minimum, the supply chain is disrupted, and many industries are suffering. The impacts of the coronavirus epidemic are also affecting the real estate business. According to prior data, house sales have not been this low since the 2008 economic downturn brought on by the global financial crisis. To come up with a solution, the possible immediate and long-term impacts on real estate firms should be studied. As a result, research should be conducted to understand what is occurring in the real estate market. The influence of COVID'19 on the real estate industry, particularly the housing sector, is examined in this study. The study focuses on the Indian real estate industry and residential properties. Since this is an ongoing problem, it's possible that it will evolve. Data for the study were obtained from a variety of sources, including academic papers, public reports from various residential enterprises, consulting organizations, and media. These sources were used to identify the parameters that have been impacted by the pandemic and compare them to the preand post-COVID periods. The research examines the condition and provides a feasible strategy for dealing with it.
COVID'19; Demand; Sales; Indian Real Estate; Residential Properties
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Research Articles
Comparative Study of Traditional Contracts and Smart Contracts Implemented Under Blockchain Technology in Indian CRIP Sector
Nikita Jadhav, Shiva Subramanian , Deepshikha Singh and Sudeshna Chakraborty
The aim of this paper is to study and compare the traditional contracts and smart contracts implemented under blockchain technology. As we are very well known about the importance of contracts in any sector, including the CRIP sector. Contract provides important protection for Main Contractors, Subcontractors and Building Employers and is vital in preventing disputes during the project implementation. This paper includes a complete study of all the aspects of contracts, including the advantages, disadvantages, and legal aspects of contracts with respect to the Indian Contract Act, 1872. Blockchain Technology is one of the latest technologies in this era. There is no denying the fact that blockchain has the capability of changing the country's economy, with its characteristics of immutability, transparency, anonymity, decentralization and security. Blockchain, as every other technology, is created for the purpose of reducing an individual's effort and increasing the role of technology to amplify the efficiency for the concerned task. Countries like India, being advanced in digitalization, are still lagging behind in adapting smart contracts. This paper gives the study of why exactly there is a need to implement smart contracts in the CRIP sector and to what extent the smart contracts can practically be implemented in India, replacing the traditional contracting method after the current 2020 pandemic.
Geopolymer Mortar; Red Soil; GGBS; Fly Ash; Compressive Strength
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Research Articles
A Critical Study of Awareness about Green Building Construction among Construction Practitioners in Pune
Babalu L Rajput, Anil L Agarwal and Amol D Pawar
The construction industry activities create an adverse impact on the environment. The increasing concern about environment has necessitated the need of green buildings. Green buildings can protect environment and provide other benefits to different stakeholders. This paper reports the results of the study which was aimed to investigate awareness about green building construction among the construction practitioners in Pune. The data required for analysis was collected by using questionnaire. Literature review was used as a basis to develop the questionnaire. Convenience sampling technique was used for data collection. A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed to the sample population out of which 64 questionnaires were collected and 54 were used for data analysis. The main findings of the research are: The level of knowledge and awareness of green buildings varies among construction engineers in Pune; green building meaning varies among different respondents; reasonable knowledge exists about different green materials/methods/technology; limited availability of resources such as manpower, materials, and trainers for green building construction. The results of this survey will help educational and training institutes to develop appropriate academic curriculum related to green building construction.
Construction; Green Building; Awareness
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Research Articles
Time and Cost Delays: A Case Study on an Integrated Township Named 'SPR City'
Mohammed Sameer Khan and Jonardan Koner
The Indian government has long taken urban development seriously, and developers are finding the market more favourable. As a result of urbanization, the real estate industry has been one of the most promising in recent decades, ranking second in terms of contribution to the national economy. Integrated townships are self-sustaining, wellplanned townships that include residential, commercial, retail, and other amenities to provide a pleasant urban living environment. They have remarkably supplied to economic and socio-cultural development which is beneficial to the development of rapidly rising cities, hence transforming Indian cities into engines of progress. One of the most serious issues confronting the construction sector is cost overruns and time delays. They have a detrimental influence on the country's economic progress. It is critical to do extensive research on delays in order to keep the economy and construction sector intact. This article examines the factors that lead to work delays in one of the country's main ongoing integrated township projects, which is located in the southern part of the country, which is named as the SPR City in the city of Chennai, India. This is Chennai's largest integrated township, encompassing 63 acres and is comprised of residential towers, mall, trade Centre – Market of India and educational institutions created in stages. The goal of this case study is to investigate and analyse the elements that contribute to cost and time delays.
Evaluation of Green Rating System Using Net Positive Lenses
Nikhil Singh Solanki, Harshita Pandhare and Arun Chandramohan
India's green buildings are rated in Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED by The Energy Research Institute (TERI) is the indigenous green building rating system widely adopted across India. The sustainability level achieved by the green-rated buildings is minimal due to the project's planning, design, and construction constraints. This study examines the sustainability of various criteria laid down in the GRIHA 2019 Abridged version using the Net-Positive lenses. The criteria evaluate the project with the criteria of Passivhaus as the baseline. Based on the study, it is found that various criteria specified in GRIHA need to be made mandatory to achieve a sustainability rating. However, the Net-Positive scenario for the projects can be partially achieved with the existing criteria in GRIHA. From the case study it was found that the building complex had used waterefficient fixtures that reduced the water consumption by 60.5% from the benchmark provided by GRIHA standards. With the proper strategic planning in landscaping and gardening, the water demand was reduced by 62.5%. More than 25% of the living area of the building is day-lit based on the norm provided by National Building Code (NBC) 2005. The building was integrated with a high-performance system to increase thermal comfort, resulting in an Energy Performance Index (EPI) of 52.13% reduction in GRIHA benchmarks. These incicate the major features that the building targets to achive Net-Positve rating by proper implementation of GRIHA rating system. This study highlight that PassivHaus and green bling is being addressed by the GRIHA rating system while walk score and site history are less significant.
PassivHaus; Net-Positive; Green; Sustainability
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Research Articles
Case Study On Demand Forecasting for Real Estate Units in India : Luxury Apartments
Amrita Suman Choudhary and Jonardan Koner
Mumbai, considered as financial capital of the country has always been prime choice of residence with potential buyers preferring to invest in the city's coveted neighbourhood. It has one of the fastest growing real-estate markets in the country in which luxury housing is emerging as one of the most vibrant and dynamic segment of Indian realestate industry. Investments by NRIs in luxury housing units, including penthouses, villas and bungalows, have increased. Rapidly growing High Net-Worth Individuals, increased aspirations, and changing lifestyle are the factors effectively attributing towards the growth of luxury housing sector in India. Luxury apartments which were quite scarce, have now become a fashionable address and statement for the rich and the aspiring upper-middle class. The definition of luxury housing is not only limited to prime location, extra space, amenities etc. but now also includes the latest technological advancements made possible by artificial intelligence and an aesthetic appeal that grants a building the status of comfort and style. Demand for high-end luxury houses in attractive locales has consequently given birth to real estate micro-markets in territories of the country that had been previously uncharted by real estate developers. Millennials want luxury! And, therefore, key indicators considered by buyers while booking luxury or ultra-luxury homes go beyond swimming pools and recreation clubs. This real estate category is expected to continue growing stronger and evolving further with increasing domestic applications of technological innovations and fusion of aesthetics with luxury, attracting national and international players to the market.
Luxury Apartments; Technological Advancements; Artificial Intelligence; High Net-Worth Individuals; Millennials
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Research Articles
Selection of Flooring Material for Residential Building Using Multi Criteria Decision Making Method
Anil L Agarwal, Amol D Pawar and Babalu L Rajput
Flooring is an important component of any building. Traditional mud floor with cowdung cover is still used in rural areas, known for hygiene and comfort. Basic and economical flooring widely used is Indian patent stone (IPS) flooring. A variety of flooring materials are available in the market ranging from Rs. 20 to Rs 500 or more. These are natural stone slabs, artificial slabs, or tiles of different sizes and shapes. Flooring materials for residential purposes used in natural stones are Kota, Tandoor, Kadappa, Shahabad, Marbles, Granites, Sandstone, Flagstone, Limestone, etc., while under manufactured tiles varieties used are Porcelain tile, Ceramic tile, Vinyl tile etc. The use of multi-criteria decision-making approaches to select flooring materials for residential building construction was demonstrated in this study. This study will help the Builder/Developer to provide flooring for residential houses as per the comfort desired, economic constraints and functionality requirements of customers.
Adaptability; Alternative Flooring Materials;TOPSIS; Building Construction
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Research Articles
Avoidance of Claims Through Construction Contracts
Construction industry and specially road infrastructure projects are distinguished for time and cost overrunsresulting intoclaims and disputes. Since this sector provides an impetus to the economicgrowth of the country,avoiding them is essential. This research work tries to examine the reasons for claims in the road infrastructure projects, contract type due to which they arise and its impact on time cost and schedule. The work also unfolds the provisions under the common models due to which they arise and suggests on the essential changes necessary to avoid them.
Claims; Contracts; Road Projects; Common Causes; CPWD and FIDIC
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Research Articles
Gender Role Bias in the Indian Construction Sector
Soumi Rai
The construction sector in India has predominantly been dominated by the male workforce as in line with other technology driven or manufacturing sectors wherein women are expected to take on office-oriented jobs like planning or co-ordination rather than on-site work roles that require interaction with a largely male workforce. Huge number of women work in construction sector but the numbers are confined primarily to blue collar jobs. The number is very less when it comes to white collar jobs or senior level executives. Study by Goel (2007) indicates that about 3%–5% of the construction industry engineering workforce, i.e. about 31,500 to 52,500 female engineers, are estimated to be employed in the Indian construction industry; with most concentration of women in specialist positions (that includes both personnel department and public relations department) in lieu of increased employability in mainstream management. This indicates the huge gender disparity across job roles existing in the sector, thereby marginalizing women in the construction workforce making them both a minority as well as a vulnerable population.Research indicates that the construction industry does not pay heed to the dual concerns of women employees linked to their ongoing commitments towards their job and associated family lives. Senior women managers who are forced to put in long hours of work towards active management participant face incompatibility in balancing their work responsibilities with domestic responsibilities and allied expectations. Additionally, at times, duration, time and the location of the management meetings sometimes create an added role stress for such working women in the sector. Balancing both their careers and the family lives in tandem with their career growth turns out to be a major barrier towards their career advancement which is further compounded due to maternity breaks hampering their growth in a competitive industry scenario.
Bias; Construction; Gender; India; Women
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Research Articles
A Case Study on Cost Overruns in Kochi Metro Rail Project
Bhaagyalakshmi S. and Jonardan Koner
Infrastructure is one of the most vital part of a nation's growth both in aspect of Economic growth as well as for the development of citizens' standard of living. Lack of adequate infrastructure not only holds back economic development, it also causes additional costs in terms of time, effort and money of the people for accessing essential social services such as healthcare and education. A well-developed transportation infrastructure helps a developing country to get actively involved in the global production network. India has been actively pursuing along this path and is developing great transportation infrastructure throughout the country. Rapid Transit System is a necessity in a highly populated country like India. Currently there are ten Metro rails being functional in India. But like in any other construction activity, cost and schedule overruns are still a barrier to be jumped over in Metro Rail Projects also. It's no different in case of KOCHI METRO Rail Project too. In this case study we aim to analyze the cost overrun in Phase 1 of KOCHI METRO Rail Project.
Time and Cost Overrun of an Infrastructure Project – A Live Case Study on a Major Cable Stay Bridge at Karimnagar
R. Sathish Kumar
The introduction of Cable Stay Bridges dates back to 1950's and it was a major breakthrough in the future of bridges. They are the type of bridges having one or more central pylon (or raised towers), from which cables support the bridge deck. The key advantages of adopting this kind of bridges are that it can have longer spans that can permit unrestricted marine navigation. Also, these type of bridges are seen aesthetically attractive, economic and easier to construct. From the design phase and up to the construction phase, it includes a set of complex interlinked technological& financial aspects. A proper management is pivotal for the successful completion. In order to understand the complex behaviour of the construction of a cable stay bridge, a live case study was carried out on a cable stay bridge project which catered the aspects such as technology & construction management. The case study selected was a major cable stay bridge project at Karimnagar, Telangana State. The key focus of the study was to analyse how technology can influence the management & fiscal aspects of an infrastructure project.
Cable Stay Bridge; Construction Management
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Research Articles
Assessing the Air Quality of Pune Using Unsupervised Classification Technique
In the present study, multivariate, unsupervised classification technique namely, KMeans Clustering Method is used to classify air monitoring stations of Pune in Good, Moderate and Poor. The study considers three air quality parameters namely, Sulphur dioxide (SO ), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), and Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter 2 (RSPM). The secondary air quality data was obtained from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) website. The three air pollutants were measured at five different stations/locations in Pune during 2013 and 2018. Past literature has demonstrated the use of Indexing method in air quality monitoring. It is well known fact that Indexing method has inherent limitations. The Cluster analysis was performed in SPSS software version 18.0.2, statistical software developed by IBM. After comparing the results of Cluster Analysis with Air Quality Index method, the Clustering approach showed an accuracy of 92.6% and 88.89% for the year 2013 and 2018 respectively. The research finding clearly depicts that Clustering approach results are comparable with indexing approach and in future it can play a pivotal role in air quality monitoring.
Air Quality Index; Air Quality Parameters; Air Quality Monitoring Stations; K-Means Clustering Method; Pune
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Research Articles
Study on the Geopolymer Soil-Based Mortar-Sustainable Alternative to Cement Mortar
Shashank B. S.
Production of every ton of Portland cement needs about one and a half tons of raw materials, at the same time about a ton of CO2 is released into the atmosphere during the production of one ton of cement which is not good for a healthy environment. In this regard, several studies have been made to develop and use alternative binders to Portland cement which is sustainable. One such alternative is Geopolymer, which is a better alternative to cement, possesses the advantages of early strength gain, reduction in the use of water (no curing with water), decent mechanical and durability characteristics. In this study, an effort has been made to utilize the concept of Geopolymer in the preparation of soil-based Geopolymer mortar with soil (Fine Aggregate) as a primary ingredient and with various replacements of Flyash and GGBS with alkaline molarity 4 and with different curing methods. The results of the study show that sun-dried samples have yielded better strength compared to oven-dried samples and also by replacement of fly ash with GGBS up to 30% have yielded up to 63% increase in strength for sun-dried samples.
Geopolymer Mortar; Red soil; GGBS; Fly Ash; Compressive Strength
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Research Articles
Combined Precast Concrete Caisson and Cast-In-Situ Pile Structure for Slipway Tip Protection and Extension
C. S. Gokhale
Launching of ship is one of the most important operations in the entire ship construction process. Newly constructed ships are launched by various methods such as longitudinal launching systems, vertical launching system and side launching system. Slipway is the most common and oldest type of structure employed for launching of ships. The state of Goa has larger number of small and medium shipyards. Majority of such shipyards are located along rivers. Due to high currents and waves at tip of slipway there is erosion near the tip of jetty. Further as shipyards are now building bigger ships they require longer slipway to launch the bigger ships. Further due to coastal zone regulations there are various restrictions on use of materials and technology to be used for such works. This paper presents a case study in which an innovative method is proposed to secure the tip of slipway from further erosion and also extension of slipway by 15 m with due regard to coastal zone restriction and construction difficulties. The proposed structure consists of combination of precast concrete caissons and cast in-situ piles. The precast cast concrete caissons are employed so as to minimise the cast-in-situ concrete work on site and the cast in-situ piles are employed to secure the caissons in position. The piling is made easy as that can be done by installing the piling machinery on top of pre-installed caisson and material and manpower supply to piling work also becomes easy as the caisson has direct assess from land. The proposed precast box caissons are 5mx3m in plan and 6.5 m high with thickness of 250 mm. Further only 4 piles are proposed to anchor each caisson.
Known Uncertainty Factors Affecting Building Construction Project Cost
Luke Judson and Virendra Kumar Paul
Known Uncertainty (KnU) factors are known to the project stakeholder as knowledge but their occurrence and extent of cost impact are uncertain in a given construction project. The determination of these factors is subjective at the planning stage. This can be achieved through analysis of a number of projects in a given typology and characterize their occurrence. The aim of this paper is to present a relative importance index in respect of uncertainty factors, identified through extensive literature study. The relative importance index is developed based on the opinion of experts in the construction industry. The relative importance index so developed shows that the cash flow problem with RII = 0.725 ranked first, poor execution by a contractor with RII = 0.7, and Contractor's Poor Site Management and Supervision with RII = 0.7 ranked second. The relative importance index has been validated on case studies, identified from published records of the Comptroller of Audit General (CAG) of India. Based on these reports, the repeated occurrences are also ranked. Scope change and delay in sanctioning of the revised estimate are the highest in these projects. The top 10 repeatedly occurring factors are tabulated based on literature occurrence, RII, and Case studies. The recommendations for the top 5 (KnU) factors are provided.
Cost Overrun; Cost Performance; Uncertainty; Relative Importance Index; Issues in Construction Projects; Project Risk; Contingency; ariability; Public Building Projects
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Research Articles
Impact of Covid-19 on Construction Industry: The Legal Perspective
COVID-19 or Coronavirus disease the word itself was enough frightening for the whole world in the year 2020. The construction sector was not relieved from this pandemic whether it is real estate or the infrastructure sector every one of them saw a setback leading to mass unemployment, an enormous amount of material being wasted, and most importantly the spread of the disease itself and loss of lives. In this research paper researcher has used doctrinal as well non-doctrinal research methodology. It involves analysis of laws, smart city guidelines and case laws relating to Urbanization and Environmental Challenges. The non- doctrinal research includes data collection by using surveys, interview and questionnaires which are also known as, research on field. India, where most of the projects get their manpower supplied from States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal had to either send them back or the Labour workforce had to move back to their own native place due to lack of basic amenities such as food medicine and other facilities. It becomes very important to take necessary suggest measures to tackle such kind of pandemic in future. The objective of this article is to analyse & scrutinized all of the existing laws which deal with various aspects of the construction sector and to do case study
Coronavirus; COVID-19; Lockdown; Labour; Construction
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Research Articles
A Case Study on Cost Overruns in Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Project
Swetlana Chandra and Jonardan Koner
Every city is facing population growth and to meet such transportation facilities needed to be improved. It not only reduces waiting time but helps the city to develop economically and ensures safe and eco- friendly travel for citizens. From the past few years there is rapid construction happening in Madhya Pradesh cities among which Indore and Bhopal stands prominent. The population growth rate is 2.44% in both the cities making it necessary for the government to construct metro rail project. To make Bhopal and Indore count among metropolitan cities of India infrastructure development is highly an essential part. As its construction is at very initial stage taking every possible steps to avoid cost overruns becomes important and challenging. Like any other metro rail projects in India which has faced cost overruns at various stages of construction which MP metro rail corporate is trying to avoid it. Through this case study we would come to know the challenges that government and many stakeholders involved are facing and finding sustainable way to avoid delays.
Transportation; Cost Overrun; Metro Rail; Delays
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Research Articles
Issues Related with Financing of Public Private Partnership in Road and Highway Projects in India
Indrasen Singh
Unlike other infrastructure sectors where it is more certain that if the right to implement the project is preserved, the project would be able to service the debts, due to the existing demand for the project facility. In a road project, since the usage of a road can fluctuate sharply, there is a degree of commercial risk. That cannot really be mitigated and would have to be shared by all the parties to the project. Thus in road sector, if the policy to allow private participation is adopted. The management of a highway and road projects is very complicated and expertise in that area is, as yet, not easily available. Management of a road project includes the estimation of demand for the road in face of various variables such as competition from toll free roads and other forms of transportation. Manner of commercial developments in the area to which the road projects the services, adjusting toll rates in a manner so as to optimize revenue while at the same time, maintaining usage levels. Planning maintenance to optimize quality and minimise long-term costs and managing short – term and long term debt service and other financial obligations. Thus in the Road and Highway sector, if the policy to allow for private participation is adopted, it is imperative that the legal and the contractual framework provided for the implementation of the project is suitable to attract not only private equity participation, but also financing from lenders. Presently the Indian legal framework does not provide for strong independent regulatory authority that have been clearly vested with the mandate of promoting and regulating private participation in the development of road and highway projects. A need to develop such strong institutions is present not only at the central level but also the state level.
Public Private Partnership; Least Present Value of Revenue Mechanism; National Highway Authority of India; Ministry of Finance;Terms of Reference; Road Funds
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Research Articles
Social Media Communication and Social Quotient of Working Individuals During Pandemic Covid 19
Kirti Rajhans, Siddharth Nahta, and Rushikesh Pawar
The use of social media has increased substantially after the advent of Covid 19 pandemic all over the globe. With the increasing restrictions on social gatherings and face to face meetings, there was a phenomenal surge in online interactions. The social media communication had already increased before pandemic but during the pandemic time, the social interactions of people shifted mostly to online mode or hybrid mode, i.e. online and offline mode in some cases. People started spending more and more time online for entertaining themselves, for connecting with the loved ones or for official work. Everyone seemed to be rushing to social media for distancing themselves from the actual chaos and problems going on in the society or for expressing themselves. Traditionally, 'Social Quotient' of an individual meant 'the measure of an individual's ability to build a network of friends and maintain it over a long period of time'. The pandemic has changed this traditional definition of 'social quotient' of individuals and has transformed it into a new and complex reality. The present study attempts to explore the dynamics of 'social quotient' of young working individuals through an empirical analysis of their social media interactions. The results present an analysis of the usage of various prominent social media channels and the communication on it by working individuals in India during pandemic. The study mainly contributes to the existing research in this area by explaining the social media usage pattern of young professionals during Covid 19 and proposes a new matrix for understanding social quotient of these individuals through their social media interactions. This would be immensely useful for researchers and practitioners trying to understand the impact of social media communication during pandemic times.
Social Media Communication; Social Quotient,;Pandemic Covid 19; Management
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Research Articles
Business Strategies and Performance of Real Estate Companies During Recession Period in Bengaluru Region
Purandare Avinash, Nishant Pandit, Pooja H Panicker, Kshitija Bhoir and Saloni Shah
In terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the real estate sector is second only to agriculture in terms of contribution. As of 2021, it represents for 6-7 percent of India's entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2025, this massive business area is estimated to be worth $650 billion, and by 2030, it will be worth a trillion dollars. It is expected to contribute 13% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).Because of the country's significant trade and diplomatic ties, the Indian economy has been described as a major growing economy. The increase in annual Gross Domestic Product determines an economy's growth (GDP). Many specialists in the fields of analytics and banking have labelled these as signs of an impending economic downturn.Businesses report revenue losses after being stable for a long time, and unemployment rates are high during a recession. India's most recent recession began in 2007-2008, when the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) plummeted to 7.6%, impacting exports and corporate growth. However, since then, India's ties with its international counterparts have grown.This research paper aims to investigate the real estate sector's behaviour during a market downturn, also known as a "recession." It also attempts to thoroughly examine the various cycles that play a role in the development of every real estate organisation, in order to better understand how a particular recession affects the real estate market and its structure. It is hoped that by doing so, many characteristics, elements, and effects of the recession on any real estate organisation would be studied. Various case studies of real estate organisations will be investigated through data collection in order to observe their behaviour during the previous recession years, analyse their performance in relation to various challenges, and determine the strategies used by the organisations to address the challenges posed by the market downturn. A comparative analysis has to be created based on several characteristics related to the issues faced by the company and the counter measures utilised by that organisation using these numerous case studies. Furthermore, the influence of recession on real estate organisations should be investigated to gain a better understanding of the aftermath of that particular recession period, which will aid in the analysis of that organization's overall performance.
Research & Publications Department 