Current Issue : April-June Volume : 2026 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 5 Articles
The construction industry seeks to develop sustainable projects in response to client demands, financing conditions, and public contracts. The construction industry focuses on the finished product without considering the project’s execution conditions. This study aims to present a protocol for evaluating rational use during the construction site phase, considering the details of this phase in environmental certifications and previous research. The research method involved the application of an investigative checklist, consisting of a qualitative questionnaire, which enabled the classification of the level of good practices for the rational use observed during construction site operations. The protocolwas adhered to by 26 professionals, and the results revealed that the sites with the highest sustainable classification adopted strategic planning and implemented actions aimed at achieving high-quality standards and innovation in reducing water consumption. It was found that most of the evaluated projects need to improve their sustainable practices, especially in terms of structure and management, to promote greaterwater efficiency. The projects classified as “good” or “excellent” employed a wider variety of construction systems and had environmental certifications, demonstrating a commitment to sustainable practices. The proposed protocol can serve as a driver for improvements in the construction sector and as a guide for the application of good practices in the rational use of water on construction sites, promoting the continuous development of processes and fostering a culture of sustainability in the civil construction sector....
Mortgage-Financed Construction Projects in Kenya (MFCPs) have been associated with dismal performance. These projects have been riddled with cost and schedule overruns, among other challenges. This paper aimed to establish the risk factors affecting the performance of MFCPs, their effects, and possible mitigation measures. A desk review approach was adopted whereby previous research published globally between the years 2004 and 2024 on the subject area was considered in the analysis. In total, 58 studies were reviewed. However, data were collected from a total of 23 studies, representing a response rate of 39.7%. Some of the reasons why 35 studies were not considered were due to duplication of findings, lack of a clear method of data collection and analysis, and limited geographical scope, among other reasons. 12 of the selected studies were from Kenya. Based on the reviewed studies, the research established a total of 31 individual factors. These were categorized into six groups, namely: X1-Market Risks, X2-Financial Risks, X3-Planning Risks, X4-Construction Risks, X5- Legal and Regulatory Risks, and X6-Environmental Risks. The four main effects of risks were found to be cost overruns, project delays, reduced profitability, and increased loan default risk. Some of the risk mitigation measures established included pre-construction due diligence, strict contract management, regular progress monitoring, contingency planning, and adequate insurance coverage. The paper concluded that the investigated risks were detrimental to the success of MFCPs and recommended an empirical study to be conducted in Kenya to evaluate the prevalence and effect on the performance of MFCPs, and the methods being used to mitigate them....
The Digital Twin (DT) model within a Digital Twin System (DTS) serves as a real-time digital representation of its corresponding physical entity. It is a dynamic, interconnected model that enables real-time optimization in its application environment, allowing for the simulation, monitoring, evaluation, and control of the physical counterpart’s state and behavior while facilitating data-driven decision-making. In engineering practice, most scholars focus on data visualization and twin system construction. However, a complete digital twin system not only requires numerical representation of the real-time state of the physical entity but also sometimes requires real-time mechanical behavior analysis of the physical entity. Thus, a robust mechanical analysis module becomes essential within the DTS framework. Integrating a general-purpose mechanical analysis platform into the DTS offers an effective solution, thereby necessitating the development of novel fusion techniques for multi-source heterogeneous data. This study takes the integration of the Midas Civil mechanical analysis platform with a digital twin system as an example. By utilizing the API provided by Midas Civil, we develop a synchronization technique for virtual-physical systems, capable of handling and modeling multi-source heterogeneous data. This enables real-time mechanical computation and analysis within the DTS, facilitating the dynamic updating and aggregation of both simulation data from mechanical analysis and monitoring data from the physical entity. Consequently, the digital twin system can predict mechanical behaviors in the virtual domain, providing a more accurate representation of the real-world physical system’s state and dynamics....
Embankments are extensively applied in civil engineering and exist naturally, characterized by a constant slope ensuring stable material stacking. Despite their ubiquity, research on embankment surface geometric modeling remains limited. Three novel construction methods for embankment surfaces are proposed: the envelope of a one-parameter family of cones, the envelope of constant-slope tangent planes, and the geometric limit. Subsequently, the properties of embankment surfaces and their geometric interpretation are elaborated. Specific examples are provided to illustrate that these methods offer convenient and feasible alternatives for engineering geometric design related to these surfaces....
This article examines the institutional reliability of expert evidence in construction litigation in England and Wales. Drawing on doctrinal analysis, practitioner interviews, and comparative evaluation of Australia, Singapore, and international arbitration, it argues that reliability should be understood not as an ethical virtue of individual experts but as a systemic property of evidentiary governance. Despite the procedural safeguards of Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules, expert independence remains undermined by adversarial incentives, methodological inconsistency, limited judicial capacity, and weak enforcement. Comparative models demonstrate that concurrent evidence, expert accreditation, and structured judicial oversight can effectively realign procedural incentives with epistemic integrity. The article proposes four interdependent reforms—accreditation, methodological standardisation, judicial capacity-building, and feedback-based oversight—to embed reliability as a procedural norm within the Technology and Construction Court. By reframing reliability as an institutional obligation rather than a moral aspiration, the study contributes to wider debates on evidentiary governance, procedural justice, and the regulation of expertise in technologically complex adjudication....
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