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This research aims to analyze the evolution of sustainable building rating tools in the United States of America over approximately 30 years. It analyzes the shift from addressing purely environmental concerns to embracing a holistic approach that includes economic and social considerations.

By conducting a comprehensive literature review and analysis, this research systematically examines the differences among sustainable building rating tools (SBRTs). It establishes a decision-making support framework for stakeholders based on existing literature, standards and emerging trends.

Expected findings include insights into the evolution and distinctions among SBRTs. The research is expected to reveal the progression of SBRTs from purely focusing on environmental dimensions to exploring a broader scope that includes economic and social dimensions. The decision-making support framework and forward-looking perspective aim to guide stakeholders in tool selection and offer insights for future developments.

The focus of this research primarily centers on SBRTs, which originated in the United States of America, thereby excluding famous global tools such as BREEAM and CASBEE. Therefore, the research outcomes are particularly appropriate to the context of the United States of America. In addition, specific indicators within the general indicators system are not entirely independent of each other, leading to interrelationships between different indicators during the evaluation process. Moreover, in terms of data availability, the early versions of various SBRTs suffered from information gaps, potentially introducing ambiguity in the description of specific indicators, which could influence the weighting results.

This research contributes original perspectives by offering a nuanced understanding of the dynamic nature of sustainable building practices. The decision-making support framework adds practical value, assisting stakeholders in selecting diverse certification options. It also contributes to the original body of knowledge by providing insights for future developments in sustainable building practices and certifications.

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the significant stimulating measures/enablers relating to the existing building regulations for promoting the adoption and overcoming the barriers to the uptake and implementation of the green building concept (GBC) in developing countries using Ghana as a case.

The quantitative research approach was used to attain the study’s goal. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were found to be suitable for collecting data from 292 relevant stakeholders in Ghana’s construction industry. The mean score ranking technique, in conjunction with the relative importance index, was used to establish the relative ranking of, among other things, the stimulus measures for increasing green building uptake in Ghana. An exploratory factor analysis was also used to classify the most significant stimulation strategies for improving green building uptake.

“Educational programmes relevant to GBTs for developers, contractors, and policymakers,” “sufficient information on the cost and benefits of GBTs” and “mandated green building codes and regulations” were the top three listed stimulating measures to promote increasing use of green building technologies (GBTs). The enablers were classified as follows: government regulations and policies; commitment and GB research; education and publicity; and incentives and support.

The study was conducted in Ghana, a developing nation, and thus the findings and implications are peculiar to Ghana. However, the study’s findings have important practical implications for the adoption and marketing of GBCs and GBTs in other developing nations.

Prioritizing major stimulation initiatives may be beneficial in terms of overcoming the constraints to the adoption of GBCs and GBTs in developing countries.

Improving buildability of building designs with the aid of buildability assessment is essential because of the effect of designs on construction. Despite the plethora of research into buildability reported over the years, a review of the literature shown a dearth of research into the factors supporting the implementation of buildability assessment. Because buildability assessment has been confirmed to be highly beneficial to construction business, this study aims to investigate the factors supporting the implementation of buildability assessment as a tool for buildability improvement using Nigeria as a representative case.

Survey research method was adopted for the study. Questionnaires were administered to a purposively selected group of architects, engineers, builders and quantity surveyors involved in construction project delivery within client, consulting and contracting organisations in Nigeria. A total of 368 questionnaires were distributed among the sampled participants, out of which, a total of 219 representing 60% were sufficiently filled and returned. Data collected were analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics.

The results revealed owner’s commitment, clients’ awareness of the benefits of conducting buildability assessment on building design, unity amongst different professionals in the construction industry, designers consider buildability important, adequate coordination amongst different design disciplines, adequate channel for co-ordination and communication between designers and constructors at the design stage and adequate support from the government as the top most seven factors supporting buildability assessment implementation in construction sector of Nigeria. Secondly, the results from the research revealed that there is no statistically significant difference in factors supporting buildability assessment implementation in construction between clients and consulting and contracting construction organisations in Nigeria.

The findings provide in-depth insight of the factors supporting the implementation of buildability assessment in construction that can help principal stakeholders in construction to facilitate development of strategies required in supporting the adoption and implementation of buildability assessment tool for buildability improvement.

This study establishes an ontology-based framework for rework risk identification (RRI) by integrating heterogeneous data from the information flow of the prefabricated construction (PC) process. The main objective is to enhance the automation level of rework management and reduce the degree of reliance on human factors and manual operations.

The proposed framework comprises four levels aimed at managing dispersed rework risk knowledge and integrating heterogeneous data. The functionalities were realised through an integrated ontology that aligned the rework risk ontology with the PC ontology. The ontologies were developed and edited with Protégé. Ultimately, the potential benefit of the framework was validated through a case study and an expert questionnaire survey.

The framework is proven to effectively manage rework risk knowledge and can identify risk objects, clarify risk factors, determine risk events, and retrieve risk measures, thereby enabling the pre-identification of prefabricated rework risk (PRR) and improving the automation level. This study is meaningful and lays the foundation for the application of other computer methods in rework management research and practice in the future.

This research provides insights into the application of ontology to solve rework risk issues in the PC process and introduces a novel risk management method for future prefabricated project research and practice. The findings have significant theoretical value in terms of enriching the methods of risk assessment and control and the information management system of prefabricated projects.

This research aims to develop an automated and optimization algorithms (OAs)-integrated 4D building information modeling (BIM) approach and a prototype and enable construction managers and practitioners to estimate the time of compound elements in building projects using the resource specification technique.

A 4D BIM estimation process was first developed by applying the resource specification and geometric information from the BIM model. A suite of OA including particle swarm optimization, ant colony, differential evolution and genetic algorithm were developed and compared in order to facilitate and automate the estimation process. The developed processes and porotypes were linked and integrated.

The OA-based automated 4D BIM estimation prototype was developed and validated through a real-life construction project. Different OAs were applied and compared, and the genetic algorithm was found as the best performing one. The prototype was successfully linked with BIM timeliner application. By using this approach, the start and finish dates of all object-based activities are developed, and the project completion time is automatically estimated.

Unlike conventional construction estimation methods which need various tools and are error prone and time-consuming, the developed method bypasses the existing time estimation tools and provides the integrated and automated process with BIM and machine learning algorithms. Furthermore, this approach integrates 4D BIM applications into construction design procedures, connected with OA automation.

Although a regulatory framework was established in Malaysia to govern practising property managers, the satisfaction level on residential property management remains low. This unfortunate situation necessitates a review of property managers’ job scope and their current standards of practice. Hence, this study aims to investigate the correlation between the performance of property managers in residential property management job scope and resident satisfaction.

The scope of work in property management services was first identified through a review of existing research and literature on property management. Subsequently, a survey questionnaire was administered, and the data collected was analysed to determine the relationship between the performance of the scope of work in residential building management and resident satisfaction. The research data was obtained from occupiers of residential properties and the findings formed the basis for research with an objective to enhance current property management practice.

Residential buildings represent the major building stocks of the country. The research showed that a majority (7 out of 9) of the identified scope of work significantly influence and affect resident satisfaction. Additionally, the logistic regression analysis outcome further confirms that the performance of maintenance management is a significant predictor of resident satisfaction.

This research identifies the critical scope of work in property management services which affects resident satisfaction. It also suggests various recommendations to improve property management services to achieve a higher level of resident satisfaction.

The proliferation of environmental rating tools over the past two decades has endeavoured to assist the industry in measuring sustainability. Recent changes to the International Valuation Standards (IVS) have directed valuers to consider ESG. The purpose of this study aims to examine how commonly utilized sustainability tools, which have been employed to communicate building sustainability credentials, align with the IVS categories of ESG.

The research utilises the IVS categorisation of ESG and maps sustainability tools adopted at scale by the Australian Commercial Real Estate market. The approach identifies the various attributes within the commonly utilised rating tools that align with IVS defined ESG criteria.

The mapping provides insights into the coverage of the IVS ESG criteria in the mainstream tools used in Australia. Further, the research identifies existing sustainability criteria that are relevant to the built environment, that have not been clearly identified by the IVS, but have an important role in evaluating the sustainability of commercial real estate.

For investors, occupiers and valuers, this research provides insights on how the current, commonly utilised sustainability rating tools align with the IVS-defined ESG metrics. This research assists in providing greater clarity regarding the relationship between ESG criteria and existing rating tools, which have been recently identified as key considerations in valuation practice and help to provide transparency and understanding for property stakeholders.

The importance of monitoring, reporting and enhancing transparency in ESG disclosures has emerged as a central issue with significant implications for the property industry. This research provides the first evaluation of how existing sustainability rating tools map against ESG criteria as directed in the IVS.

Research on measures to strengthen the implementation of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) principles has been scarce in developing countries such as Nigeria. Hence, this study sought to identify and assess the crucial measures for encouraging the adoption of IEQ principles in the Nigerian construction industry, specifically from the viewpoint of quantity surveyors.

To accomplish this objective, a quantitative research methodology was employed, utilizing a well-structured questionnaire distributed to quantity surveying (QS) firms in Nigeria. The collected data were examined using a range of statistical techniques such as frequencies, percentages, mean item scores (MISs), the Kruskal–Wallis test and exploratory factor analysis.

The top five ranked measures were as follows: offer financial incentives and tax breaks, develop educational materials and resources, establish clear and accessible reporting mechanisms, develop awards and recognition programs and provide advocacy and awareness campaigns. Factor analysis led to the categorization of the identified measures into four primary clusters: education and training, policy and regulation, incentivization and recognition and collaboration and networking. Consequently, these clusters were renamed the EPIC (Education and training, Policy and regulation, Incentivization and recognition and Collaboration and networking) framework, with each first letter representing a significant measure for fostering the adoption of IEQ principles.

Consequently, this study offers a robust foundation for understanding and implementing measures to enhance the adoption of IEQ principles within the Nigerian construction industry, ultimately benefiting stakeholders and improving the quality of built environments.

The EPIC framework designed in this study offers valuable insights for policymakers, construction industry professionals and other stakeholders interested in promoting IEQ principles, which can potentially lead to healthier, more comfortable and more sustainable built environments in Nigeria and beyond.

This study evaluates the aesthetic perception of photovoltaic (PV) systems situated at various locations on an apartment building facade, comparing them with the original facade. It also aims to understand how aesthetic dimensions influence the perception of PV installations in diverse building locations. Moreover, it aims to create a framework that will guide for installing PV installations considering both their functionality and aesthetics.

The study uses a mixed-method approach, including qualitative and quantitative approaches. It includes a literature review and a questionnaire. 418 participants evaluated different PV-embedded facades using a Likert scale across various aesthetic variables.

The findings indicate that aesthetic perceptions of PV vary by the location of installation. It also shows that all aesthetic dimensions affect PV installation aesthetics, with location-specific preferences. For original elevation, compatibility and simplicity are given precedence over blending and coherence for windows, creativity and harmony for facades, functionality and harmony for balconies, and innovation potential and simplicity for roofs.

This study focuses on a single building type; further investigation is required to examine other building types. It also examined one PV technology with common visual properties, but future studies can examine others. Additional research is needed to compare the participating groups and the effect of their sociodemographic factors, using on-site surveys and interviews.

Few studies have investigated how PV systems affect apartment building users' architectural aesthetic perception. The results of this study make a valuable contribution to the field of sustainable architecture by providing practical guidance for architects, engineers, stakeholders, and researchers who are interested in integrating aesthetic, user-centric considerations into renewable energy solutions.

The extreme nature of fire makes structural fire engineering unique in that the load actions dictating design are intense and neither geographically nor seasonally bound. Simply, fire can break out anywhere, at any time and for any number of reasons. Despite the apparent need, the fire design of structures still relies on expensive fire tests, complex finite element simulations and outdated procedures with little room for innovation. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned issues.

This primer highlights the latest state of the art in this area with regard to performance-based design in fire structural engineering. In addition, this short review also presents a series of examples of successful implementation of performance-based fire design of structures from around the world.

A comparison between global efforts clearly shows the advances put forth by European and Oceanian efforts as opposed to the rest of the world. In addition, it can be clearly seen that most performance-based fire designs are related to steel and composite structures.

In one study, this paper presents a concise and global view to performance-based fire design of structures from success stories from around the world.