Professor Temitope Egbelakin

While risk factors are sine qua non for construction projects¿ non-performance, the research efforts are directed toward the likelihood of risks at the detriment of their level of influence on higher education building projects. This study assessed the perceptions of construction key stakeholders about the influence of risk factors on higher education building projects using machine learning-based random forest classification. A questionnaire survey was administered to four hundred and sixty-five (465) respondents comprising clients¿ representatives, consultants, and contractors across five (5) higher education institutions in Nigeria. Of 465 questionnaires, 295 retrieved were suitable for the analysis implying a 63.44% response rate. The Random Forest (RF) classification used 295 samples, out of which 189 (64%) formed the training dataset, while the validation and testing data sets are 47 (16%) and 59 (20%), respectively. The RF model accuracy conducted shows the optimized model with the test accuracy and out-of-bag accuracy (OOB). The study clustered 58 risk factors into four comprising (i) security, access, health, and safety risks, (ii) construction dispute resolution risks, (iii) construction planning and contract documentation risks, and (iv) construction cost and management risks. Further, the proposed recommendations could help enhance the performance of higher education building projects.

This paper introduces a virtual modelling-aided computational analysis framework for assessing the safety of a ductile engineering object against high-velocity impact. By evaluating the data feedback continuously collected from the working site, the presented Virtual Modelling Aided Safety Assessment (VMASA) scheme is competent to effectively report the current safety level of the engineering object. The safety level (alternatively known as the reliability), of the impacted system can be quantified by using the first-passage theory. By considering various mercurial factors that are influencing the high-velocity impact for ductile materials, in this research, a new machine learning-aided virtual modelling technique as the clustering extended support vector regression (CXSVR), is implemented to evaluate the capacity of the engineering product against different conditions. Also, the John-Cook failure model is transformed into a random format to simulate the dynamic response of the engineering product against high-velocity impacts. A new T-spline kernel has also been developed within the CXSVR scheme. By using the VMASA, the inherent limit state function can be quantitatively certified by analysing the relationship between the system inputs and outputs. Both experimental and numerical investigations are implemented to demonstrate the accuracy, practicability, and efficiency of the proposed safety assessment framework.

This study focused on maintaining the delivery of construction projects in a crisis scenario such as the COVID-19 pandemic to drawing construction project management lessons for future projects. A qualitative interpretive approach comprising a semi-structured interview was employed to understand the responses and strategies used by six interviewees in construction companies to maintain high productivity levels in their projects during the pandemic. Data obtained were subjected to thematic analysis to establish reoccurring strategies. The results revealed a clear disparity in the level of productivity that was achieved onsite and in the office. The UK construction industry is vulnerable to crisis, and individual organisations must build more resilience. Delays in project delivery were endemic during the peak of COVID-19, and contingency measures must be in place to bolster the efforts of onsite construction workers to meet deadlines. Finally, an extension of time due to the declaration of force majeure is not enough to support productivity.

Purpose: This project aims to improve understanding of disaster preparedness and resilience, as well as animal recovery during a disaster event. The purpose of this study is to determine the type and extent of repair/renovation work required to bring proposed animal safe places and their different components up to the minimum standard for an operational animal evacuation site. Design/methodology/approach: On-site survey using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data through a five stage processes beginning with the creation of a facility register and continuing with the development of assessment guidelines, assessment planning, actual assessment and reporting. In the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, 25 potential animal evacuation sites, including saleyards, showgrounds, animal shelters and racecourses, were identified and accessed. Findings: The findings of the study reveals that none of the facilities are of high standard. However, 16% would require cosmetic work, 76% would require minor work and the remaining facilities would require significant work. According to the characteristics of the facilities assessed, saleyards have a greater capacity to accommodate animals ranging in size from large to small. More than half of the facilities have average to excellent hay sheds and wash bays, whereas less than half have dedicated animal quarantine space. Research limitations/implications: The findings of this study should assist government agencies, local councils, emergency management teams and other stakeholders in planning for and considering renovation/upgrade of potential animal safe places. Originality/value: The assessment guideline developed as part of this research can be included in the local council¿s emergency management plan to improve adequate planning for safe animal evacuation.

Purpose: Policy is key for effective displacement governance in times of crises and in response and recovery. Therefore, this study assessed if Australian climate, disaster and emergency management policies provide effective mechanisms for governing displacement crises and areas where current approaches could be improved. Design/methodology/approach: This study assessed 18 national and state-level disaster, emergency and climate change management frameworks to determine if best practice displacement governance themes were reflected in policy documents. Deductive thematic analysis was undertaken using Braun and Clarke¿s six-phase method. Findings: Issues of displacement are reflected in policies analysed in this study. However, current policy frameworks need to be equipped to comprehensively address the housing requirements of displaced people or provide long-term initiatives. Approaches are focused on crisis management rather than pre-emptively planning for displacement response and recovery. Therefore, Australia has not exercised national responsibility for displaced people appropriately. Research limitations/implications: Disaster displacement is an under-researched area of Australian scholarship and disaster management policy and practice. Therefore, this paper has practical implications in so far as it draws attention to the issue of displacement in Australia. A limitation of this paper is that it only analysed policy frameworks specific to disasters. While broader engagement was outside the scope of this study, this limitation provides opportunities for further research from disciplinary perspectives of public housing and homelessness to examine displacement policy challenges in these fields. Furthermore, this study is limited to a theoretical inquiry into this topic through a desktop review of policy documents. While this is a necessary first step, empirical studies are required to determine accurate displacement rates, drivers and people¿s experience of being displaced. Practical implications: This research aims to inform policy by presenting recommendations for policy interventions for disaster displacement governance. Therefore, this research has practical implications as policy and disaster risk reduction (DRR) professionals can draw from the findings of this research when planning and initiating disaster response for displaced persons. Social implications: This research draws attention to an area of disaster management practice and policy that has not been adequately accounted for. Highlighting gaps in current policy can assist in developing targeted strategies and solutions for internally displaced people, which protect their rights and meet their needs. Originality/value: Displacement is a growing climate change issue. This research aims to help address this problem by drawing attention to areas where Australian disaster management approaches fail to account for displaced populations. Therefore, this research has practical implications for addressing future issues of disaster injustice that may arise if displacement continues, unacknowledged in disaster management.

Seismic vulnerability is a major threat to New Zealand's winery industry. Many studies have assessed the vulnerability of New Zealand wineries, especially in high seismic regions. However, few studies have been conducted to assess the earthquake susceptibility of wineries in low seismic regions, such as Auckland. This study investigated the earthquake vulnerability of wineries in the Auckland region by (i) creating an inventory of the elements at risk in the wineries and (ii) assessing the level of vulnerability of these elements. As case studies, twenty-one wineries from various parts of the Auckland region were chosen. The research findings identified key elements at risk of seismic hazard in Auckland wineries using a field survey, including buildings, storage tanks, catwalks, and barrel racks. Furthermore, the findings revealed that at-risk elements are vulnerable to moderate to high levels, emphasising the need for resilience strategies to reduce potential earthquake losses. This study concluded that low seismic risk does not imply low vulnerability, and that Auckland winery owners should reconsider their views on seismic risk mitigation. The study's findings benefit both winery owners and industry professionals by providing insights into the Auckland winery's vulnerability level and recommending approaches to improving the winery's organisational resilience.

Purpose: Despite the huge capital outlay in tertiary education building projects (TEBP), these projects undoubtedly failed in meeting the set objectives of cost, time and quality, among others. Therefore, rather than the impacts of risks on the overall project performance, which is common in the construction management literature, the purpose of this study is to assess the impacts of risk factors on the criteria for measuring the success of public TEBP. Design/methodology/approach: The paper adopted a quantitative research method where the data collection was via a questionnaire survey. The researcher administered 452 questionnaires to the client representatives, consultants and contractors involved in building projects across five public tertiary education institutions in Ondo State, Nigeria. Of 452 questionnaires, 279 were retrieved and suitable for the analysis, translating to a 61.73% response rate. The reliability analysis of the research instrument showed 0.965 and 0.807, via Cronbach¿s alpha test, indicating high reliability of the instrument used for data collection. Findings: The study found different risk factors affecting the criteria for measuring the success of TEBP. For instance, the environmental risk factor significantly impacted completion to cost, while financial and political risk factors significantly impacted completion to time. In addition, while environmental, legal and management risks significantly impacted end-user satisfaction, safety performance was significantly impacted by logistic, legal, design, construction, political and management risks. Besides, the logistic, legal, design, construction, financial, political and management risk factors impacted profit. However, despite profit being one of the criteria for measuring the success of building projects, it recorded the highest risk impacts amounting to 41% variance. Research limitations/implications: The findings are limited to the public tertiary education building projects procured via competitive tendering; therefore, the results might differ when considering other procurement methods. Practical implications: The practical implication is that rather than focusing on all risk factors, the project stakeholders could give adequate attention to the significant risk factors impacting each of the parameters for measuring the success of education building projects. Originality/value: The study revealed specific risk factors impacting the criteria for measuring the success of TEBP, which extend beyond the use of the overall project performance approach.

Purpose: Flood preparedness and response from the perspective of community engagement mechanisms have been studied in scholarly articles. However, the differences in flood mitigation may expose social and behavioural challenges to learn from. This study aimed to demonstrate how text mining can be applied in prioritising existing contexts in community-based and government flood mitigation and management strategies. Design/methodology/approach: This investigation mined the semantics researchers ascribed to flood disasters and community responses from 2001 to 2022 peer-reviewed publications. Text mining was used to derive frequently used terms from over 15 publications in the Scopus database and Google Scholar search engine after an initial output of 268 peer-reviewed publications. The text-mining process applied the topic modelling analyses on the 15 publications using the R studio application. Findings: Topic modelling applied through text mining clustered four (4) themes. The themes that emerged from the topic modelling process were building adaptation to flooding, climate change and resilient communities, urban infrastructure and community preparedness and research output for flood risk and community response. The themes were supported with geographical flood risk and community mitigation contexts from the USA, India and Nigeria to provide a broader perspective. Originality/value: This study exposed the deficiency of ¿communication, teamwork, responsibility and lessons¿ as focal themes of flood disaster management and response research. The divergence in flood mitigation in developing nations as compared with developed nations can be bridged through improved government policies, technologies and community engagement.

Purpose: Of all the deaths associated with disasters, bushfires account for 40% of these fatalities. The resulting fatalities are consequent upon householders¿ decision-making, leading to late or non-evacuation from at-risk communities. However, while decision-making is a function of risk perception, this paper aims to investigate householders¿ perceptions of bushfire risks following the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires of 2019/2020. Design/methodology/approach: An inductive research approach was adopted. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit qualitative data from southeastern NSW, Australia householders. The data were collected via face-to-face and online Zoom. Each interview was recorded, transcribed using Otter.AI and thematically analyzed with NVivo 12 Pro (Braun and Clarke, 2006, 2019). In addition, inter-rater reliability was done by engaging an independent researcher to code the de-identified data independently. The codes were cross-checked for reliability and adjusted where necessary. Findings: It was found that bushfire risk perceptions were high among the householders in bushfire at-risk communities following the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires. High levels of perceptions were recorded among the participants regarding the likelihood of bushfire occurrence, concern for bushfires, severity of bushfires and vulnerability to bushfire threats. Research limitations/implications: The study¿s results do not reflect all householders in the southeastern part of NSW. It was limited to 30 householders who indicated their intentions to participate and are living in the study area. Therefore, future studies should be undertaken with more participants from broader geographical areas, including emergency responders like firefighters, recovery officers and non-government organizations in charge of recovery operations. This study will add to the prioritization of risk perceptions. Practical implications: All else being equal, elevated bushfire risk perceptions among participants can potentially decrease the fatalities linked with bushfires and their subsequent ripple effects. This holds particularly true when residents opt for early self-evacuation from at-risk communities. Social implications: The paper contributes to developing a better understanding of the bushfire risk perceptions underlying the evacuation decision-making of the residents in bushfire at-risk communities in south-eastern NSW of Australia. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the existing knowledge on bushfire risks by providing insights into residents¿ perceptions after the catastrophic 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires. As a qualitative study, it describes bushfire risk perceptions on four themes: likelihood, concern, severity and vulnerability, which is uncommon in many bushfire studies.

Purpose: The non-performance of construction projects in meeting the set objectives has continued to draw researchers worldwide. Despite this, little attention is accorded to public tertiary education building projects in Nigeria. Therefore, on this background, this study aims to assess the perceptions of stakeholders on the level of occurrence of risk factors in the public tertiary education building projects (TEBP) to enhance the performance of these projects. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a quantitative method of data collection via a questionnaire survey. In total, 452 questionnaires were administered to the respondents comprising client representatives, consultants (quantity surveyors, architects, services and structural engineers and builders) and the contractor. The respondents were involved in the conception and execution of TEBP across five public tertiary education institutions in Ondo State, Nigeria. Of 452 questionnaires, 279 were retrieved and found suitable for analysis, indicating a 61.73% response rate. The reliability analysis for the research instrument was 0.965 via the Cronbach a test, indicating the high reliability of the instrument used for the data collection. Moreover, the clusters of risk factors also had reliability values that ranged between 0.719 and 0.875. Findings: The study found inflation, delayed payments in contracts, high competition bids, delay in work progress and occurrence of variations are the most frequently occurring risk factors in public TEBP. By contrast, difficulty to access the site, environmental factors and pollution were found to be low-weighted risks with the least likelihood of occurrence. The results of this study indicated the existence of significant differences in some of the risk factors in terms of the level of risk occurrence in TEBP. The risk factors were eventually clustered into eight major groups for TEBP. The post hoc comparisons using the least significant difference test also indicated differences between the contractors and consultants in the ranking of risks occurrence in TEBP, but no significant differences between clients/contractors and clients/consultants. Research limitations/implications: The findings in this study are limited to the public TEBP procured via competitive tendering; therefore, the results might not be applicable when other procurement methods are being considered. Besides, the study classified the project participants based on organizations and not on the different ownership status of the projects, such as federal or state government-owned TEBP. However, the literature shows that likelihood of risk occurrence could vary due to the degree of project ownership. Practical implications: The information provided with respect to the most frequently occurring risk factors would enhance the performance of public TEBP. Originality/value: This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on the subject within a previously unexplored context where insights were provided on the most frequently occurring risk factors on the public TEBP.

Abstract: The need to reduce waste generation and resource extraction arising from the traditional linear economy system is gaining the attention of scholars, organisations and governments. A potential alternative is the circular economy concept, which can minimise waste, keep materials in circulation through reuse and recycling principles and consider the environmental, social and economic benefits of products. The circular economy evolved from some conflicting concepts and theories to a linear economy. The purpose of this study is therefore to identify those concepts and theories and to explore their potential contributions to the construction industry. To achieve the objective of the study, a semi-systematic review of extant literature was conducted. The results indicated that 14 concepts including cradle to cradle, regenerative design, biomimicry, performance economy, industrial ecology and reverse logistics are the pillars of the circular economy. The findings revealed that all the concepts share similar characteristics with the circular economy and are relevant to the construction industry, especially for environmental protection. Seven (50%) of the pillars are applicable for reuse and recycling, six (42.8%) for resource efficiency, three (21.4%) for design and two (14.3%) for service models. However, it is hoped that the results of this study will contribute to the body of knowledge on the circular economy concept and waste management. The development of a framework for the identification of suitable concepts for the construction industry is recommended for future studies. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Purpose: The construction industry represents most of every country¿s finances and vital to continued economic growth and activities, especially in developing countries. The impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 disease (COVID19) on the government¿s income resulted in the expectation of many public projects being cancelled or delayed providing little opportunity for the emergence of new public projects. This study collated a global qualitative perspective (survey interviews) on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and the positive and negative impacts for future-proofing the construction sector. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 76 respondents from five continents excluding South America responded to the online open-ended structured questionnaire. Data collected were analysed through artificial inteligence analytics tool ¿ Zoho analytics. Findings: The themes indicating the positive impact obtained from the interview were overhead cost reduction, remote working environment, focus on health and safety, improved productivity and sustainability goals while the themes signifying the negative impact were low business turnover, delays in construction payment and output, difficulties working from home and job losses. Supply chain management, construction project management improvement, concentration on health and safety and effective virtual working environment were collated as themes on lessons learned. Social implications: The major findings of this study emphasise on the need to improve the occupational health and safety and onsite safety measures for future proofing of the construction industry. Originality/value: The findings from the analyses made clear the imperativeness of the built environment research, with a focus on novel framework and strategies for future proofing the construction industry.

The application of ecological modernization (EM) (to delink industry growth from environmental damage) to minimize construction waste has not been explored within construction industry in general, and the New South Wales (NSW) construction industry in particular. This study seeks to identify the drivers of applying EM to construction waste minimisation (CWM) in the industry. Also, to determine the CWM measures that are critical for each of the drivers. A survey was adopted in this study to target stakeholders engaged in the delivery of construction projects in NSW from design to completion. The survey was selected to reach a large number of respondents within a manageable period. A pilot study was conducted to ensure the reliability of the research design before a full-scale data collection was launched. The data from 240 valid responses was analysed using factor analysis, relative importance index and descriptive statistics. The results revealed five important drivers for EM¿s application to CWM. These are agents of change, government policies, supply chain dynamics, skill building and technological innovations. The CWM measure that are critical for each of these drivers were also identified. The study provides insights into the application of EM to address the construction industry problem of waste generation as by-product of its growth. It also shows the ability to protect the environment while enabling continuous economic growth. Furthermore, it demonstrates the applicability of EM to minimize the construction waste of NSW construction industry.

The incessant reportage of cost overruns and abandoned projects in contemporary literature have accentuated the need for a re-examination of the nature of the cost management strategies deployed to these projects. This study explores the potential of kaizen costing strategy to engender effective cost management within construction project delivery systems in developing countries. Data collected during this study were analysed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and systems thinking approaches to determine the criticality of the factors influencing the effective implementation of kaizen costing. Seven (7) archetypes leading to final causal loop diagram identified the incorporation of the plan¿do¿check¿act approach to project and cost planning, the budgeting system of the construction companies, overhead cost reduction during construction and the overall procurement process. Executing these archetypes will potentially reduce high overhead costs, project cost and time overruns, as well as enhance construction industry sector growth policies and construction organisation corporate governance.

Encouraging property owners to adopt measures to improve the resilience of their buildings to seismic hazard has been a major challenge in many earthquake-prone countries. Owners of buildings vulnerable to seismic hazard are often found unwilling or lacking in motivation to strengthen their properties, despite the availability of several earthquake risk mitigation mechanisms. This study sought to investigate essential motivational factors that would enable building owners to voluntarily strengthen their vulnerable buildings. Using 208 structured questionnaires and structural equation modeling for data analysis, the research findings uncovered a set of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators necessary to enhance earthquake mitigation decisions. The intrinsic motivators include using information communication networks such as policy entrepreneurs and community engagement in risk mitigation. Extrinsic motivators comprise financial, regulatory, technological, and property market-based incentives. The model developed in this study and findings provide guidance to local council officials and professionals involved in earthquake risk management on the mix of incentives that will foster the collective protective actions necessary to improve the built environment's resilience to seismic disasters.

Purpose: This study aims to answer the ¿what¿ and ¿how¿ questions about the key role players¿ influence on the overall productivity outcomes in the lifecycle of residential buildings procured through the traditional route. Design/methodology/approach: A mix of exploratory and descriptive research methods was used to obtain feedback from 179 role-players involved in various phases of the residential building lifecycle (RBLC) in New Zealand. Empirical data were analysed using content analysis, multi-attribute method and Friedman¿s two-way analysis of variance. Findings: Results showed that designers, building owners, main contractors and project managers were the greatest influencers of the productivity outcomes in the RBLC. The priority drivers of these key role-players¿ influences on the RBLC productivity outcomes comprised poor brief interpretation, inclination to lowest tender, inadequate prior risk analysis and miscommunication of owner¿s requirements and preferences to service providers, respectively. By taking proactive steps to redress their productivity inhibiting acts/omissions as identified in this study, the various role-players could contribute to significant improvement of productivity outcomes in the building lifecycle. Research limitations/implications: It was not possible to interview all participants that made up the representative random samples from each role-player group due largely to workload related excuses. As a result, the findings and the conclusions may not be generalised beyond the study scope. However, the study achieved its purpose, as the main intent was to provide hypothetical constructs that could guide further confirmatory/experimental studies for residential buildings as well as for other building types. Practical implications: A succinct and easy-to-follow model was developed as implementation pathway for operationalising the key findings of the study in the industry. The model highlights the Owner-Architect-Contractor Influence Triangle (OACIT) as the 20 per cent of the solutions that could deliver 80 per cent of the productivity improvement in the RBLC. Originality/value: This study re-examines productivity issues not only from a life-cycle perspective but also from the perspectives of the majority of the key role-players. In addition, the OACIT concept offers a novel productivity improvement tool; it stresses that productivity in the traditionally procured building lifecycle could be optimised if the architect could focus greater attention on brief articulation and the issuance and review of design and specification information. Also, the owner should adopt productivity-enhancing procurement and contract strategies and emphasise more on value-addition and less on lowest tender price.

The historic precincts of suburban cities in New Zealand are characterised by partially occupied, vacant or abandoned buildings, which are located in key locations of the central business districts (CBDs). Increasing unoccupied spaces and low demand for older buildings are detrimental to the socio-economic growth of many provincial towns in New Zealand. The study discussed in this paper sought to: 1) investigate the proportion of totally/partially existing vacant older buildings within the town centre of suburb-#; 2) identify the underlying factors that contributed to emergence of the vacant buildings and the consequences of the prevalent vacancy rate on suburban town centres; and 3) recommend possible ways to increase the demand for these buildings. Using a mixed-methods approach for data collection, the research findings showed a vacancy rate of approximately 86 per cent (n = 47) of older heritage buildings located in the main high street of suburb-#. Additionally, several factors were identified to be responsible for the high vacancy rate of the older buildings: 1) building conditions; 2) social factors; 3) economic factors; and 4) building regulations. The research findings provided significant suggestions on how property redevelopment coupled with town centre regeneration can be used as a responsive strategy that can attend to the changing needs of owners, occupiers and visitors, as well as ensure compliance to commercial and regulatory demands of seismic strengthening of older heritage buildings.

In this paper, we investigated the reason(s) why natural ventilation is not as popular as air-conditioned or mixed-mode ventilation systems in Green-rated office buildings in New Zealand. To achieve this, we had three objectives. Firstly, we reviewed the Green Star criteria for thermal comfort in office buildings to ascertain which ventilation system the NZ Green Star rating tool promotes. Secondly, we ascertained the perception of occupants in office buildings regarding thermal comfort. This was followed by an interview with building experts regarding factors that affect the use of natural ventilation in New Zealand offices. The findings showed that the NZ Green Star thermal comfort criteria encourage the use of mechanical ventilation over natural ventilation which results in designers opting for air conditioning systems in office designs. We observed that occupants of naturally ventilated spaces were least satisfied with the thermal comfort of their offices when compared with occupants of mixed-mode and air-conditioned offices. This study fulfils the need to encourage the use of natural ventilation in office environments by designers and building owners. Further study on other aspects of the indoor environment quality that is related to naturally ventilated systems such as lighting and noise is required in a bid to ascertain its viability in office environments.

Enhancing building owners¿ earthquake risk preparedness has been a major challenge in many seismically active regions. Many property owners are found unwilling to adopt adequate risk mitigation measures in their earthquake-prone buildings, despite the availability of various technical design solutions and the enactment of intervening legislative frameworks necessary to facilitate successful earthquake risk preparedness. This paper examined the rationale behind building owners¿ unwillingness to adopt adequate mitigation measures with a view to improve current stakeholders¿ practices in earthquake risk mitigation. Using a mixed-method approach, comprising both qualitative and quantitative methods, an examination of the decision-making process and different stakeholders involved in earthquake risk mitigation and the property market, provided insights into the causal agents and stakeholder practices that pose challenges to property owners¿ mitigation decisions. Stake-holder practices acting as impediments revealed are property valuation assessment of retrofitted and non-retrofitted EPBs, lack of demand for improved performance in older buildings, high earthquake insurance policy premiums and deductibles, and lack of a risk assessment information system. An in-depth understanding of these challenges highlights the need for a holistic approach that should incorporate market-based incentives necessary for successful earthquake preparedness by building owners, and for designing effective strategies for improving earthquake risk mitigation.

The increasing scale of losses from earthquake disasters has reinforced the need for property owners to become proactive in seismic risk reduction programs. However, despite advancement in seismic design methods and legislative frameworks, building owners are found unwilling or lack motivation to adopt adequate mitigation measures that will reduce their vulnerability to earthquake disasters. Various theories and empirical findings have been used to explain the adoption of protective behaviours including seismic mitigation decisions, but their application has been inadequate to enhance building owners¿ protective decisions. A holistic framework that incorporates the motivational orientations of decision-making, coupled with the social, cultural, economic, regulatory, institutional and political realms of earthquake risk mitigation to enhance building owners¿ decisions to voluntarily implement adequate mitigation measures, is proposed. This framework attempts to address any multi-disciplinary barriers that exist in earthquake disaster management, by ensuring that stakeholders involved in seismic mitigation decisions work together to foster seismic rehabilitation of EPBs, as well as illuminate strategies that will initiate, promote and sustain the adoption of long-term earthquake mitigation.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine why building owners are often reluctant to adopt adequate mitigation measures despite the vulnerability of their buildings to earthquake disasters, by exploring the economic-related barriers to earthquake mitigation decisions.

New Zealand¿s devastating Canterbury earthquakes provided an opportunity to examine the efficacy of existing regulations and policies relevant to seismic strengthening of vulnerable buildings. The mixed-methods approach adopted, comprising both qualitative and quantitative approaches, revealed that some of the provisions in these regulations pose as constraints to appropriate strengthening of earthquake-prone buildings. Those provisions include the current seismic design philosophy, lack of mandatory disclosure of seismic risks and ineffective timeframes for strengthening vulnerable buildings. Recommendations arising from these research findings and implications for pre-disaster mitigation for future earthquake and Canterbury¿s post-disaster reconstruction suggest: (1) a reappraisal of the requirements for earthquake engineering design and construction, (2) a review and realignment of all regulatory frameworks relevant to earthquake risk mitigation, and (3) the need to develop a national programme necessary to achieve consistent mitigation efforts across the country. These recommendations are important in order to present a robust framework where New Zealand communities such as Christchurch can gradually recover after a major earthquake disaster, while planning for pre-disaster mitigation against future earthquakes.

Implementing seismic risk mitigation is a major challenge in many earthquake-prone regions, despite the availability of a significant number of risk reduction measures such as technical design solutions and regulatory frameworks that include building codes, policies and regulations necessary to facilitate successful risk reduction activities. However, building owners have been found unwilling to retrofit their earthquake-prone buildings. The objective of this research is to investigate how to enhance buildings owners' earthquake hazard preparedness decisions by adopting a motivational approach in order to reduce their vulnerability to earthquake risks. A multiple case studies approach was adopted and interviews conducted with the various stakeholders involved in seismic adjustments decisions. Significant intrinsic and extrinsic interventions such as intensifying and promoting the use of critical awareness motivators, financial and property market-based incentives necessary to enhance building owners' decisions were revealed from the analysis of the qualitative data. These revealed intrinsic and extrinsic interventions offer plausible explanations regarding how human motivational orientation can be used to influence disaster preparedness decisions by increasing the salience of seismic risk issues. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the behavioural and sociological impediments to successful implementation of earthquake hazard mitigation and to recommend possible intervention strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Data were gathered through a case study methodology and interviews adopted as the research strategy. A semi-structured questionnaire was chosen as a data-collection instrument, with 33 interviews conducted for various stakeholders involved in seismic retrofit decision-making process. Findings: The research main findings include the role of risk perception in diminishing earthquake hazard mitigation, difficulties in assessing benefits and values of seismic retrofit implementation and the hazard mitigation approach adopted by governmental organisations. The findings suggested that stakeholders involved in retrofit decision-making should have a good understanding of the risks faced as well as the implications of their decisions. Originality/value: The paper investigates earthquake hazard mitigation of commercial buildings at the stakeholders-level by adopting a multidisciplinary approach that incorporated decision sciences, policy perspectives and socio-behavioural perspectives. The findings highlight the significance of stakeholders approach to foster adequate mitigation of earthquake risks. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

China is a new market to many international architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms and it is not known what would be the likely project outcomes, based on different project management (PM) practices adopted. This research developed and tested five models to predict the likely project success levels, based on PM practices adopted by foreign AEC firms in China. Based on data obtained from 33 projects, multiple linear regression (MLR) models for predicting the performance of foreign managed projects in China were constructed. The models were tested against 13 new cases, and the results show that they are able to predict project outcomes with some level of accuracy. The models show that certain scope management practices can be used to predict owner satisfaction, profit margin, and cost and quality performance of the project. Construction industry practitioners who are managing projects in China may benefit from the findings by focusing more on upstream management, like managing project scope, in order to ensure project success. It is recommended that construction industry practitioners use the MLR models to make preliminary assessment of the possibility of project success based on the type of PM practices they intend to adopt in China. From the results, they can then decide if they should change their practices or abort the project. © 2008 ASCE.

China's construction industry presents many opportunities to foreign architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) firms. This paper reviews the general management practices adopted by foreign firms and investigates specific project management practices adopted by them on construction sites in China. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from Singaporean AEC firms that had undertaken projects in China. A wide range of management practices are adopted by foreign firms in China. The most effective market entry modes are entering China as wholly owned foreign enterprises and forming project joint ventures with Chinese firms. The key business strategies include understanding clients' requirements, and offering superior products and services. At the construction site level, many project management practices focus on improving quality and communication. Unfortunately, risk management is not adequately implemented. It is recommended that foreign firms adopt some of the significant management practices uncovered in this study so that their projects in China may achieve better performance.