UNSW CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT THESIS 2020

THESIS IN CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 2020

UNSW

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

A message from the discipline director A message from the course convenor Honours theses Masters theses A few selected research topics

MASTERS & HONOURS

Associate Professor

Chyi Lin Lee

Discipline Director of Construction Management and Property

Message from the Discipline Director:

The UNSW Construction Management and Property Exhibition recognises the outstanding achievements of our students, made through this challenging year 2020, and celebrates the contributions they make to this school and university.

The School of Built Environment established this platform to showcase the high standard research work from our students in their Honour’s and postgraduate degree programs, which covers a range of pressing topics in the construction and property industry.

For both undergraduate and postgraduate students, the research thesis represents a capstone to their degrees. The impressive results of their hard work are on show here. This year’s students produced some very interesting research findings and achieved outstanding results in their thesis program. Construction management and property research projects cover topics in sustainable development, BIM and the effective procurement of built facilities. The latest development in the industry such as the growth of logistic properties in line with the rapid growth of e-commence due to the onset of the pandemic has also been examined by our students.

This exhibition highlights some of the ways our students will be, or probably have been, able to contribute to the construction and property industry. The school values the significant research work from our students, which would be impossible without the work of the course convenors, supervisors, and tutors, as well as all the professional staff. I thank all those people who have provided tremendous support to the students during their studies and helped them to achieve their best during the pandemic and social distancing era.

Finally, I thank all the students here for their contributions and hard work and wish them all continued success in the next stage of their careers.

Course Convenor

Dr Samad Sepasgozar

Senior Lecturer of Construction Management and Property

Message from the course convenor: Developing a research project or thesis is one of the challenging but valuable practice-oriented elements of programs for honours and master’s students. The research practice usually takes two terms to be carried out.

In the first term, the student develops a research proposal and a design for the research. In the second term, the research method will be further improved, and the research carried out.

The research process allows students to demonstrate their understanding of the current problems of the community or industry in construction and property management and helps them contribute to solving the problem or issue identified under the supervision of an expert in the field. This journey has helped them to improve their problem-solving skills as well as to practice a scientific research method.

Students learned how to identify a problem, review the literature and identify a knowledge gap, propose a hypothesis, test it by collecting data which usually require ethics applications, and discuss the results of the testing process, often with solutions recommended. The process of data collection or working in the lab under the supervision of an academic, gives the student a unique experience which cannot be imparted in a lecture theatre.

Some other advantages of conducting a research project observed over years are as follows: • It improves the student profile; • Critical thinking skills are formed by regular discussions with the chosen supervisor; • Problem solving skills are improved by focusing on a specific topic; • Time management skills develop by conducting a project within a specified time frame; • Improved communication skills through working with industry partners and a supervisor; • It improves the student’s marketability by showing tangible results after studying a research problem; • Distinguishes students who produced a research thesis from other graduates; and • Learn about topical issues and the current status of knowledge in the field.

Some of topics that have been considered by our students are as follows: • Application of BIM in construction and GIS in property development; • Novel methods and tools in quantity surveying; • Construction productivity, quality, cost, safety and risk management; • Sustainability and energy management; • 3D printing applications in construction; and • Industrial and modular construction or prefabrication.

Here in this booklet a few abstracts of our students are presented. I acknowledge their effort in conducting valuable research projects and thank their individual supervisors for working with them closely during the research process.

CONSTRUC TION AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CLASS

CONTENT

Interactive construction technology implementation for risk management within the Australian construction industry

1

Safety performance in the construction industry: barriers to implementing safety among SME construction firms.

2

Mould: impact of external humidity and wall type on the susceptibility of homes to mould growth in Sydney

3

Optimising window design on residential building facades by considering heat transfer and natural lighting in nontropical regions of Australia

4

Critical factors influencing cost and time efficiency in prefabricated construction: an examination into prefabricated construction in Sydney

5

Implementation of effective construction safety training in SMEs: challenges and strategies

6

The layered criteria method for life cycle environmental and cost considerations of floor materials

7

Identifying safety training shortfalls in the Australian construction industry

8

Improving crane productivity by comparing different scenarios in a virtual environment

9

The impact of e-commerce on the performance of industrial and logistic properties

10

Sustainability transition in the construction industry of China: a case study in Shenzhen

11

The barriers to continuing care retirement community development in Shanghai

12

Behavioural finance and its application to the decisionmaking process in property investment through REITs in the Oceania region

13

How do municipal shopping centres in China cope with the challenges of online shopping

14

Safety culture and drivers in the Australian construction industry: perspectives from tradespeople

15

Investigation of the status of risk management and restricting factors in the construction industry: a Case study from Sichuan province

16

The effect of new transportation infrastructure on housing supply and price: the Sydney northwest metro line case study

17

Sustainable technologies and their impact on energy consumption within the Australian construction industry

18

Exploring prefabrication as a future of residential building sustainability in Indonesia's construction industry

19

Evaluation of modern methods of construction, in particular prefabrication within Australia

20

The topics of selected research projects conducted by masters students

21

UNSW Built Environment

Keywords:

Interactive construction technology, risk management, BIM, virtual reality, augmented reality

Author

Matthew Han Long Zeng

E-mail matthew.zeng@student.unsw. edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 1

Interactive construction technology implementation for risk management within the Australian construction industry Abstract Purpose:

This study aims to provide both a summary of traditional risk management strategies, and a comprehensive review of how interactive construction technology, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR), can be used as productive risk management tools to support the project development process. This study also includes a miniature case study on how interactive construction technology can be used with heavy machinery, namely tower cranes. The miniature case study aims to offer a deeper understanding of how AR and VR can be implemented as risk management tools for cranes within a real-life, construction worksite.

Study design/methodology/approach:

The design and methodology approach involves using a three-phase comparative cross-sectional design methodology. This will be completed through the quantitative analysis of data collected through a foursection questionnaire survey. Afterwards, the data is collected and analyzed using the Pearson R Correlation test, the Chi-Square test, and the Wilcoxson Signed Ranked test.

Findings:

The results indicate that although the stakeholders have relatively positive attitudes and perceptions towards the existence and potential of interactive technology, they feel that interactive construction technology lacks the ‘human factor’ when implemented. Therefore, it has not seen widespread usage in the real environment for risk management.

Originality/value:

From this, it can be concluded that the implementation of interactive construction technology in construction training and education programs would improve risk management. Some progress, however, must be obtained before effective implementation is possible. This study attempts to close the gap in the following ways: (1) investigate implementation methods and processes for Interactive Construction technology, (2) identify scenarios where stakeholders of all experience levels see the most risk, and (3) perform further case studies into how Interactive Construction technology can be used as risk management tools within the context of heavy machinery use in particular.

1

UNSW Built Environment

Abstract Keywords:

Australia, construction, small to medium enterprises, roles and responsibilities, barriers, technology

Purpose:

Author

Vignesh Rajashekar

The purpose of this research study is to understand why small-to-medium enterprise (SME) construction firms fail to implement effective safety procedures in comparison to their larger counterparts. This study aims to achieve this through investigating which safety oriented intrinsic roles and responsibilities of SME construction firms are least commonly performed, and which extrinsic barriers to implementing safety among SME construction firms are most commonly experienced. Furthermore, the viability of new technological solutions to enhance safety in the SME construction sector is investigated.

E-mail v.rajashekar@student.unsw. edu.au The image is provided by Dr Samad Sepasgozar.

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 2

Safety performance in the construction industry: barriers to implementing safety among SME construction firms

Design / Methodology / Approach:

A mixed-method research methodology was adopted and executed through a questionnaire due to the contextual nature of the subject topic and its ability to obtain an accurate depiction of the wider target sample, in this case, the Australian SME construction sector. Conducting a selfadministered questionnaire allows a large, structured dataset to be collected and analysed within the time, budget and resource constraints of this study. Based on a literature review, ten intrinsic roles and responsibilities, and ten extrinsic barriers to safety implementation among SME construction firms were listed. They were subsequently ranked by questionnaire participants, with reference to their business experiences or their perceptions of the SME construction sector.

Findings:

This research study concluded with two key findings, with respect to the research objectives. Firstly, there exists a relationship between the intrinsic and extrinsic factors concerning safety implementation among SME construction firms. The role and responsibility of ‘appointing a fulltime dedicated safety representative on the team who is assigned all safety responsibility and authority’ is impacted by the barrier of ‘subcontracting practice, where the lowest priced tender submission is awarded the project’. Secondly, ‘building information modelling’ and ‘unmanned aerial vehicles/drones’ are considered the most viable control methods for enhancing safety in the SME construction sector in future .

Limitations / Implications:

The research implications are that further investigation is required to measure the success of the solutions proposed.

The practical implication of this research is its intention to

provide SME construction firms with a reliable source of information for implementing solutions for improving safety practices across their business. Ultimately, this study is predicted to reflect an improved safety standard across the wider Australian construction industry.

Originality / Value:

This research paper holds significance by addressing two key literature gaps within the construction industry’s body of knowledge. Firstly, no research has been published since 2017 regarding barriers to implementing safety among SME construction firms. Due to marked improvement in safety standards throughout the past two decades in Australia, it is deduced that the findings from prior studies are not relevant in the current environmental context. Secondly, no research has been conducted which aims to draw a relationship between the aforementioned extrinsic barriers, and intrinsic safety roles and responsibilities of SME construction firms.

2

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Peter Topalidis

E-mail p.topalidis@student.unsw. edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 3

Mould: impact of external humidity and wall type on the susceptibility of homes to mould growth in Sydney Abstract Keywords

Australia, Sydney, mould, humidity, moisture, construction paper type

Purpose

Mould is a complex and challenging issue that is widely misunderstood. This research aims to assess and quantify the impact of geographical location and construction methods on internal humidity levels. Additionally, it seeks to identify shortcomings in building practices and explores possible future management of mould within Sydney and further Australia.

Design/methodology/approach – This research utilised a combination of literature and data obtained from both primary and secondary sources to demonstrate the influence of wall type on the internal humidity of a building.

Data was collected from a range of wall types and analysed individually for correlation and statistical significance. A large focus was placed upon construction methods utilising available literature and data to emphasise how mould may be inherent to certain geographical areas and current construction methods.

Findings

Statutory construction guidance for buildings resistant to mould growth is lacking, and the incidence of potential mould growth is higher than anticipated. Buildings of brick veneer construction are far more susceptible to high humidity levels, than buildings of double brick construction. Seasonal conditions, as well as the time of pay both contribute largely to humidity levels within buildings. Both external and internal humidity track through the external envelope of a building, and measures to reduce the correlation of these two parameters are required to be implemented to prevent deterioration of buildings.

Practical implications

Mould is emerging as a hazardous substance, as are the implications and recommendations for its remediation within the built environment. This paper demonstrates the susceptibility construction types to mould growth and should instigate the National Construction Code (NCC to mandate minimum standards for passive mould resistance for buildings in geographical areas susceptible to moisture ingress.

Originality/value

The value of this paper is high to both construction regulatory advisors and built environment professionals.

It provides a high-level overview of what is required to address the issue of mould locally and has practical implications within the industry. This research targets the gap in literature by providing a method of determining internal humidity via external humidity once the type of building envelope.

3

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Jamie Zixuan CHEN

E-mail zixuan.chen@unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 4

Optimising window design on residential building facades by considering heat transfer and natural lighting in non-tropical regions of Australia Abstract Keywords :

Multi-objective optimisation; dynamo; BIM; window design; window type; window position; window-to-wall ratio

Purpose:

Windows account for a significant proportion of the total energy lost in buildings. The interaction of window type, window-to-wall ratio (WWR) scheduled, and window placement height influences the natural lighting and heat transfer through windows. This presents a pressing issue for non-tropical regions considering their high emissions and distinct climatic characteristics. A limitation exists in the common simulation-based optimisation approaches in the literature, making design optimisation inaccessible to practitioners.

Study design/methodology/approach:

This study develops a numeric-based window design optimisation model using a common Building Information Modelling (BIM) platform adopted in the industry. It focuses on non-tropical regions of Australia. Three objective functions are proposed; the first objective is to maximise the available daylight, and the other two objectives emphasise the undesirable heat transfer through windows in both summer and winter respectively. Common design constraints and regulatory compliances are also integrated in the optimisation framework.

Findings:

The developed model is tested on a case study located in Sydney, Australia, and a set of Pareto-optimal solutions is obtained.

Through the use of the proposed model, energy savings of up to 8.57% are achieved. It is also found that north-facing window size and placement height are critical design factors for winter passive heating while the window type plays a more important role in preventing overheating in summer.

Originality/value: The innovative nature of this work is the

development of a numeric-based optimisation framework using a common BIM software to address a window design problem considering the thermal and daylighting aspects.

4

UNSW Built Environment

Abstract Keywords :

Author

Jonathan Wang

Prefabrication, conventional construction, implementation of prefabrication, design

Purpose:

Prefabricated modular construction within Australia is seen to be developing at a diminished rate compared to standard Stickbuilt construction projects despite the various benefits of modular construction. Research into this topic reveals that the financial benefits that could be derived from modular construction far exceeds that of the standard construction methods, with existing research being able to divide the financial benefits into separate categories such as sustainability and scheduling. Therefore what this paper explores is the degree to which these benefits apply on a construction site in the context of the Australian industry and to determine the exact reasons behind the cost and time benefits, and if there are any potential negative ramifications.

E-mail jonathan.wang2@student.unsw. edu.au The image is provided by Dr Samad Sepasgozar.

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 5

Critical factors influencing cost and time efficiency in prefabricated construction: an examination into prefabricated construction in Sydney to make sure the prefabrication approach is optimised compared with the conventional construction approach.

It was also seen that the prefabrication skill set is different from the conventional one and that becoming familiar with it does not necessarily mean cost and time saving compared with an organisation that is not skilled in this field. Other variables that were identified but not mentioned in the literature include the degree of prefabrication taking place and the value of designing prefabricated components so they could be readily installed with conventional parts without reworking.

Originality/value: Study design/methodology/approach:

The methodology that was adopted to achieve the research aim is through the use of a case study of a prefabrication project that is currently being developed

by Stocklands in NSW. With their permission, data collection resulted in technical project information as well as qualitative material from interviews. The data was then analysed with both quantitative and qualitative methods to determine which of the variables were affecting time and cost the most in this specific case study.

The literature review section of this research only uncovered that four of the thirty papersexamined made reference to the Australian construction industry, with only two using case studies within Australia. Furthermore, examination into the topics of prefabrication revealed that none of the literature examined the benefits from the perspectives of cost and time specifically. As a result the research into the cost and time factors in the Australian industry serves to explore a gap that exists within the current discourse Furthermore, this report can also serve as a gateway into more in depth examination into the cost and time savings of prefabrication.

Findings:

The main finding from this research was that the advantages and disadvantages of prefabrication were not ‘black and white’ regarding cost and time factors. A lot of the information that was uncovered contradicted the common discourse on the benefits of prefabricated construction. When it comes to the original intention of the variables affecting time and cost, it was concluded that there were several key skills throughout each of the stages of prefabrication (design, manufacturing, installation) but the most commonly recurring thematic pattern is the need for a specialised skill in order 5

UNSW Built Environment

Keywords :

Construction sites, health and safety training, SMEs, challenges, strategies

Author

Raphael Jedd Gregas

E-mail r.gregas@student.unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 6

Implementation of effective construction safety training in SMEs: challenges and strategies Abstract Purpose:

The construction industry in Australia has had a relatively high fatality rate compared to other industries. The construction industry has struggled to display good safety performance even though various construction authorities and the government have employed initiatives and legislation to improve the quality of health and safety. This problem is more predominant in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as opposed to larger enterprises. The purpose of this study is to identify challenges associated with the implementation of effective safety training within the industry and to foster a better understanding of issues and problems, therefore recommending strategies to help improve safety training practices.

Study design/methodology/approach:

A mixed method approach was employed that used a sequential explanatory research design splitting the study into two phases. The first phase consisted of a questionnaire survey that collected the quantitative data, followed by the second phase that collected qualitative data through the use of triangulation.

The questionnaire survey was developed around the Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Training Evaluation Model. A One-Sample T-Test and One-way MANOVA analysis were statistical techniques utilised to examine the results.

Findings:

The results from the study reveal that that the effectiveness of safety training is not significantly dependent on employee demographics. The perceptions and attitudes of employees towards the effectiveness of safety training was considerably positive indicating the overall safety training experienced by participants had improved and that they had enhanced their knowledge of safety after training was received. This resulted in an improvement regarding safety compliance and a reduction in incidents/accidents sustained.

Challenges such as reluctance to implementi effective training, levels of management support, the repetitive nature of training, low-engagement levels and nonpersonalised training, and development of skills were identified. In turn, supporting strategies were also suggested like content through collaboration, higher levels of engagement, e-learning, immersive reality, 3D simulation through building information modelling (BIM) and 360-degree panorama of reality (PARS) for safety training.

Originality/value:

This study provides insight into the safety training experienced in SMEs highlighting the current challenges faced. It will enable other SMEs to assess their current training practices and make improvements. This will offer the government and relevant construction authorities a better perspective of the needs to help improve the overall health and safety in the construction industry.

6

UNSW Built Environment

Keywords :

Life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, flooring materials, purpose and use criteria, sustainability, financial costs

Author

Georgia Psaros

E-mail g.psaros@unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 7

The layered criteria method for life cycle environmental and cost considerations of floor materials Abstract Purpose:

Construction materials contribute significantly to global energy consumption and environmental issues due to their reliance on energy-intensive activities.

Because of this the need to integrate sustainable materials into the built environment is of pressing concern; however, the importance of sustainability can often be undermined by other factors given priority in the selection of construction materials.

Floor materials exemplify this problem as they have been found to substantially affect the environmental performance of buildings. In addition, flooring is also subject to a range of alternative decision-making criteria that are considered alongside environmental matters.

Study design/methodology/approach:

This study aimed to develop a method for evaluating flooring materials based on a life cycle environmental and cost analysis, as well as factoring in the purpose and use of floor materials within a floor plan.

This provides a layered approach that considers a range of criteria for floor materials evaluation. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed through BIM software (Revit and Tally) with the total sum of nonrenewable energy applied as the functional unit. Life cycle costing (LCC) performed through the life cycle costing method with relevant future value formulae applied. A childcare centre has been used as a case study to demonstrate a type of mixed-use floor plan that can benefit from this method. In turn, this study generates floor plans that display the overall LCA and LCC of material combinations based on the purpose and use of spaces

Findings:

Results find that LCA results can differ by 442% in the total sum of non-renewable energy used between the best and the worst flooring material combinations. LCC results found that there can be up to 109% difference in cost, between the best and the worst floor plans. The results further highlighted the potential conflicts and co-benefits of LCA and LCC of floorplans with the same material values, emphasising the need for more research on materials and tools that consider both economic and environmental procurement decisions of floor materials.

Originality/value:

The results of this study highlight the importance of flooring materials choices and the subsequent influence of flooring on a building’s energy and cost performance.

It also highlights the importance of integrating a broad range of selection criteria to encourage practical decisions about materials in construction projects.

Future steps to add value to this research would be to further develop tools and methods that aim to allow decision makers to consider the broad range of factors that are essential to flooring materials selection with environmental and cost considerations in mind.

7

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Conor McBrien

E-mail conor_mcbrien@hotmail.com

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 8

Identifying safety training shortfalls in the Australian construction industry

Abstract Keywords :

Safety training, delivery, safety awareness

Research Methodology:

The research methodology involved combines primary data with secondary data to validate the hypotheses. Primary data is derived from worker surveys and supervisor interview questionnaires and secondary data is obtained from existing government and authority websites. The mixed method approach includes extensive literature review of current legislation and company management systems along with existing papers and journals relating to topics including risk management, company cultures and worker behaviour.

Survey data was analysed through descriptive and correlation analysis.

Research Findings:

Aim:

This study aims to identify safety training shortfalls in the Australian construction industry by exploring the relationship between compulsory safety training and the effectiveness of delivering that knowledge to the end user i.e. the worker in the Australian construction industry. Even with advances in the national legislative requirements and in compliance and organisational safety systems, the unacceptably high injury and fatality rate in the construction sector suggests a gap exists between training methods used nationwide and the level of knowledge gained and its implementation.

The findings support that there are safety training shortfalls in the implementation and delivery of training in the construction industry in Australia. The findings also demonstrate many inconsistencies of understanding and awareness of fundamental safety polices and procedures among the sample survey. The uncertainty and broad spectrum of results suggest a lack of understanding at a basic level of the key safety initiatives that are legislated in the WHS Act 2011.

Research Implications:

The main finding of this study highlights the inadequate nature of safety training and delivery of the advice and guidelines to the construction worker. Safety training delivery methods should be amended to connect with its audience in a communicable and coherent way. Perhaps entry level aptitude and education level should be considered more when safety training is developed and delivered.

8

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Jinyun Li

E-mail jinyun.li@unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 9

Improving crane productivity by comparing different scenarios in a virtual environment

Abstract Keywords :

Tower crane, crane productivity, influence factors, AHP, virtual simulation

Purpose:

The tower crane governs construction productivity so tower cranes should be given more attention in order to to achieve high construction productivity. This thesis shows how to improve crane productivity by comparing different scenarios in a virtual environment. But the factors that could affect tower crane productivity are numerous and need systematic investigation and classification. The factors influencing crane productivity were grouped into four categories, including technological factors, operational factors, crane planning factors, and site layout planning factors.

Study design/methodology/approach:

Factors that affect crane productivity were summarized and generalized through a literature review. Content analysis and VOS was used to classify factors and analyze the relevant topic and the relationships between these factors. Factors are grouped into direct and indirect influences, In order to verify that crane productivity is enhanced by the selected factors, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to prioritize the identified factors to select variables to conduct a simulation experiment.

Findings:

The results of the prioritization process is that "Overall site layout" ranked first and "Advanced technologies" is ranked the last in these factors. The results indicate that to improve crane productivity, the enhancement of the overall site layout is a relatively direct element.

Originality/value:

This thesis presents a different way of classifying factors that affect crane productivity, and it also may provide a reference for crane practitioners to evaluate and improve crane productivity in the future.

9

UNSW Built Environment

Abstract Keywords:

Industrial property, commercial real estate, e-commerce, risk-adjusted performance, portfolio analysis, mixed-asset portfolio

Purpose: Author

John Vu

E-mail john.vu@student.unsw.edu.au

The emergence of e-commerce has shaped a convenient shopping environment for consumers, changing their shopping behaviour thus creating greater demand for industrial and logistics property, whilst making retail property less attractive. Research has indicated there is a link between traditional retail shopping, e-commerce and commercial property and that e-commerce directly affects the performance of industrial and logistic properties. This study aims to assess the performance of industrial and logistic property stemming from the emergence of e-commerce by investigating the riskreturn profiles and portfolio diversification benefits of a mixed asset commercial portfolio from January 1985 to June 2020. The strategic benefits of industrial and logistic property investments are also identified as its role and significance in a mixed asset portfolio changes post e-commerce boom.

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 10

The impact of e-commerce on the performance of industrial and logistic properties

Study design/methodology/approach:

Quarterly total returns from January 1985 to June 2020 across the commercial property sector (industrial, office & retail) was used to evaluate risk- adjusted performance pre and post e-commerce boom. A correlation analysis was then used to determine the benefits of portfolio diversification within a mixed asset portfolio. A portfolio analysis was employed to assess the significance of industrial and logistic property pre and post e-commerce boom.

Findings:

The study finds that following the e-commerce boom in 2012, industrial assets clearly outperform retail assets thus confirming that e-commerce directly impacts the performance of industrial and logistic property. Industrial and logistic property has produced higher returns and lower risk profiles post e-commerce boom, thus making the asset class more desirable. E-commerce is changing the role and significance of industrial assets in a mixed asset portfolio as result of subdued retail property returns. The global pandemic, COVID-19, experienced in 2020, further supports the impact of e-commerce on industrial and logistic property as it is the only commercial asset class that is still seeing growth during a turbulent period for real estate in general.

Originality / Value:

This is the first research study to assess the impact of e-commerce on the performance of industry and logistic properties by evaluating riskadjusted performance and conducting a portfolio analysis to determine diversification benefits pre and post e-commerce boom. This is the first study to provide empirical evidence of industrial property’s role within a mixed asset portfolio and its significance in a changing commercial property environment as a result of the emergence of e-commerce.

The study enables investors to make investment decisions on a more informed basis when considering industrial and logistic property, as demand has increased for the sector, thus strategically gaining in importance in a digital world.

10

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Yongjun Ouyang

E-mail yongjun.ouyang@student. unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 11

Sustainability transition in the construction industry of China: a case study in Shenzhen

Abstract

Keywords:

China; sustainability transition; construction industry sustainability; Chinese sustainability guidelines

Study design/methodology/approach:

Using a case study is main research approach in this study.

Three leading firms were selected as case studies and their past sustainability reports investigated. The paper analysed the past sustainability practices of these three leading firms against three official sources of economic, social and environmental sustainability criteria used in China. The trend of sustainability transition in Shenzhen, and strong and weak practices of the three case study firms were evaluated in this study.

Findings:

Purpose:

Transitioning to sustainability has been a top topic in China in the last 30 years. With the country’s rapid urbanization, it is necessary to address sustainability issues in term of the three pillars of economy, society and environment. Existing studies have paid more attention to progress in sustainability throughout China as a whole. However, each city in China will be involved in the sustainability transition and it would be useful to examine these major urban centres with their varying local characteristics and identify their individual progress towards sustainability.

There has been rapid urbanization in Shenzhen since the 1980s and it offers a good opportunity to investigate the sustainability transition in such a fastdevelopingcity. Hence, Shenzhen was selected for analysis.

The results show that 21 main sustainability aspects and an accompanying 39 sub-aspects are implemented by the three case studies. It shows that the number of sustainability aspects implemented by case firms have increased year by year. However, the results also reveal the case study firms are strong in the category of economic and social criteria but very weak in the environmental pillar.

Originality / Value:

This study offers new supporting facts to help strengthen the sustainability transition in China. It helps researchers understand the sustainability transition in a particular city which will also help them better assess the transition in urbanized China generally, and help government strengthen current weaknesses. Shenzhen is a welldeveloped city in China and the research could act as a model for conducting other research on medium and small cities in China to investigate their sustainability transition practices in the future.

11

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Junjie Yan

E-mail junjie.yan4@student.unsw. edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 12

The barriers to continuing care retirement community development in Shanghai

Abstract Keywords :

Aging, continuing care retirement community, Shanghai, barriers to implementing continuing care

Study methodology:

The multiple-case study method was employed in this research. Four CCRC development cases in Shanghai were examined and data collected from interviews with experienced development and investment managers. The senior residents of the CCRE villages were also interview through a questionnaire survey. These data were used to validate the hypotheses relating to the implementation barriers of this form of development.

Findings:

Purpose:

Shanghai, a megacity in China, is faced with an increase in the aging population, and accommodating the growing number of older adults has become an urgent issue. A continuing care retirement community (CCRC) is a potential alternative to specialized accommodation to the elderly in major cities. Although this industry has grown gradually in the past decade, its development in China is still in the exploratory phase.

Thus, this thesis provides an overview of the Chinese CCRC development and identifies the main barriers hindering its development in Shanghai.

Chinese CCRC development in Shanghai encounters a variety of challenges and issues including the lack of operating experience, lack of professional staff, the serious loss of staff, low occupancy rates, financial difficulty, the large investment cost of the facilities, the lack of government support and limited land availability.

These issues can be categorized into three main barriers consisting of operational management, finance and government policy.

Value:

The findings of this research can provide developers and foreign investors with better knowledge of this growing industry in Shanghai. In addition, this study also encourages government to develop relevant supporting policies to promote the development off CCRC for better addressing the aging issues faced in Shanghai. The findings will form a baseline that can be applied to enable CCRC development in other cities in China.

12

UNSW Built Environment

Keywords:

Behavioural finance; real estate investment trusts (REITs); behavioural biases and heuristics; property investment; decision-making process

Author

Taylah Hasell

E-mail t.hasell@student.unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 13

Behavioural finance and its application to the decision-making process in property investment through REITs in the Oceania region Abstract Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether behavioural biases and heuristics from behavioural finance theory is applicable to the decision-making process in property investment in Real Estate Investment Trusts, in the Oceania region. Identifying applicable behavioural biases and use of heuristics will raise property investors’ awareness which will help investors increase the rationality and efficiency of their decision-making processes, and hence improve the generation of wealth for shareholders.

Study design/methodology/approach:

A multiple-case study method was employed.

There were four case studies, two from Australia and two from New Zealand. Within each case study, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts in the field to determine the investment decisionmaking process. In addition, questionnaires were distributed to decision-making staff to identify the extent to which behavioural biases and heurists are manifested in the process as well as their significance.

Findings:

Through the qualitative study, four normative factors were found to be considered in the property investment decision-making process connected with REITs: (i) setting the strategy (objectives, goals, asset allocation); (ii) asset identification (iii) investment analysis; and (iv) realisation of accepted investment. Four behavioural biases and heuristics were also identified as occurring in the decision-making process: (i) anchoring and adjustment; (ii) overconfidence; (iii) availability of information and representativeness; and (iv) investor sentiment. Through the quantitative study, behavioural biases and heuristics were found to be present to a moderate extent and to be equally significant to normative factors.

Originality / Value:

The findings will increase fund managers’ awareness of the significant behavioural factors which should be avoided to improve the rationality of property investment decisions.

13

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Chai Luo

E-mail chai.luo@student.unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 14

How do municipal shopping centres in China cope with the challenges of online shopping

Abstract

Keywords:

Online shopping; shopping centre upgrading; Shanghai shopping centre; life cycle of shopping centres

Study methodology:

The topic is discussed through studying previous research and three shopping centre upgrading cases in Shanghai: Shimao Festival City, Longemont Changning and Grand Gateway 66. Interviews with staff from the three upgrading projects were conducted for this research. The data collected from previous studies, field work and the interviews are analysed to gain the result.

Findings:

Purpose:

The development of online shopping and logistics leads to difficulties for shopping centres in Shanghai, especially for the traditional centres. The traditional shopping centres in the core of Shanghai have been impacted by online shopping and also need to be upgraded urgently. There is no systematic upgrading method for the shopping centre developer to cope with the challenges of online shopping. This research explores the possible strategies for shopping centre upgrading to decrease the impact of online shopping.

This research found that there are 6 main strategies widely used in shopping centre upgrading projects since 2017. Among them, providing customized products and services and adjusting business types are two recommended methods to create long-term and stable sales for the shopping centre. The effects of conducting commercial activities and the use of technology are unknot assessable because the profit produced is difficult to define. Cooperating with an e-commerce platform can only bring short-term sales to the shopping centre.

There is also risk involved in introducing new brands to the shopping centre in unstable economic times.

Originality / Value:

This research defined the factors that influence the life cycle and dynamism of shopping centres in Shanghai, China and gave a detailed description on the upgrading of Shanghai Shimao Festival City, Longemont Changning and Grand Gateway 66.

14

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Hicham Chaker

E-mail h.chaker@student.unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 15

Safety culture and drivers in the Australian construction industry: perspectives from tradespeople

Abstract Keywords :

Australia, construction industry, construction tradespeople, safety culture, safety climate

Purpose:

Construction safety culture studies take into consideration the major concept of the safety culture including the hierarchy of employees without focusing on either Australia or construction tradespeople and their perspectives in enhancing the current safety framework. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the perspectives of tradespeople in Australia and propose an enhanced view of the construction safety culture.

Design/methodology/approach:

A systematic review of the literature was adopted including previous surveys, the safety climate and the safety culture. In addition, an online survey was initiated with 85 participants from different construction trades in Australia.

Findings:

Workers’ negligence and ignorance in safety rules are the cause of most current unsafe practices on construction sites and the construction safety culture is driven by image and money according to site workers. In addition, barriers to a safer culture are mainly caused by reckless behaviour, poor communication and lack of supervision. Site safety problems and the main drivers have been categorized by occupation to provide an improved understanding in the current framework.

Originality/value:

The findings from this study will motivate future researchers to run more studies of construction tradespeople and take into consideration the perspectives from this thesis that can be integrated to further specify different frameworks for each construction profession.

15

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Siyu Xie

E-mail siyu.xie@student.unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 16

Investigation of the status of risk management and restricting factors in the construction industry: a case study from Sichuan Province Abstract Keywords :

Risk management, risk factors, risk management methods, construction types

Purpose:

Many scholars have carried out various studies on risk management in the construction industry. However, in terms of the status and limiting factors, there is little or no research based on different types of construction projects. At the same time, there is also a lack of regional research. For example, Sichuan Province, where the total output value of the construction industry ranks fifth in China, has a knowledge gap.I In order to fill this gap, this article takes construction projects within Sichuan Province as the target group and uses housing and infrastructure construction projects as variables to conduct research.

Study design/methodology/approach:

This study uses questionnaires to carry out the investigation.

Descriptive analysis, chi-square and independent sample t tests were performed on the data obtained from the questionnaires using SPSS software.

Findings:

Data analysis shows that the actual adoption of risk management in the project is very high. "Insufficient funding" and "Client's ability to pay" are considered to be the main construction risks, while "The attitude of the contractor" and "The attitude of the Regulator" are respectively considered to be the main factors restricting the development of risk management practise.

Originality/value:

This research fills the research gap to a certain extent.

Construction companies can use this result as historical data during risk identification stage, while the important factors restricting the further development of risk management efforts can help government authorities and construction industry associations to carry out targeted promotion work.

16

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Jose Moscoso Acosta

E-mail j.moscosoacosta@student. unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 17

The effect of new transportation infrastructure on housing supply and price: the Sydney northwest metro line case study

Abstract Keywords :

housing price, housing supply, A R I M A , m o d e l l i n g , ra i l l i n e s , median price.

Purpose:

This study takes the Sydney Metro Northwest line as an example to examine the impact of the metro line on surrounding housing, testing out forecasting methodologies for estimating short-term price and supply impacts. Historical housing market data is obtained from CoreLogic and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.

Study design/methodology/approach:

The study employs an ARIMA modelling approach and space time statistical analysis. It assesses whether time series over a 20-year period can be a predictor of the short-term future. It then discusses issues relating to an application of this modelling technique in a forecasting context in the housing market.

Findings:

As the results of the study recommend, ARIMA is a useful technique to approach short term housing market trends.

Government and stakeholders can use ARIMA modelling approaches to forecast median house pricing and supply dwelling approvals and completions. Developers could usefully employ this methodology to make decisions before investing in the market, by incorporating forecasts from ARIMA modelling for investment timing purposes.

Originality/value:

This study is based on Australia with data acquired under local conditions. However, the findings can extent to other cities where major transportation projects are being developed. ARIMA house price modelling provides insights for a wide range of stakeholders and the approach can be employed to improve monetary policy oversight and facilitate planning for infrastructure projects.

17

UNSW Built Environment

Keywords :

Sustainability, energy consumption, construction industry, innovation, technology

Author

Tomas Saponja

E-mail t.saponja@student.unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 18

Sustainable technologies and their impact on energy consumption within the Australian construction industry

Abstract Purpose:

The sustainability trend has been an everlasting debate over the past twenty years not only within the Australian construction industry, but also across the world. This topic has been discussed intensely within the industry and many studies have been performed to investigate the benefits that sustainability provides in all aspects of work in multiple industries across the world. Many previous studies have proven the positive effects of introducing sustainability although there has been many barriers to accepting and implementing the sustainability concept.

Despite the various studies that have proven the many benefits of sustainability, it is far from clear how sustainability and sustainable technologies have actually impacted and contributed to energy use efficiency. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact these sustainability technologies have actually made in today’s construction industry.

Study design/methodology/approach:

The study was completed through a quantitative approach and incorporated a survey to collect data. Secondary sources of data from appropriate literature and annual and sustainability reports were also collected and analysed through content analysis.

Findings:

The results prove that it is evident that the sustainability technologies utilized within the Australian construction sector are playing a positive impact on the industry’s energy consumption. It is evident that many of the large construction firms within Australia have contributed and to this sustainability measure, and continue to improve their sustainability efforts, particularly their energy consumption.

18

UNSW Built Environment

Abstract

Keywords : Author

Vincent William Dharma

p re fa b r i c a t i o n , c o n s t r u c t i o n industry, current level, restrictions, development, solutions, Indonesia

Purpose:

E-mail vincentwilliam.dharma@ student.unsw.edu.au

The use of prefabrication would help to reduce the housing shortage in Indonesia and improve the growth of the construction industry. Prefabrication in the construction industry can save on costs and reduce time for building a project. There are still significant issues faced in the construction industry with the need to manage a significant amount of waste and with quality assurance. Many countries across the world have implemented prefabricated construction for building projects. Thus the study is intended to determine the use of prefabrication methods, and also to analyze the current level of prefabrication application. It is also intended to identify the restrictions that may impact the implementation of prefabrication and to assess the need for policies to promote further development of prefabrication.

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 19

Exploring prefabrication as a future of residential building sustainability in Indonesia's construction industry

Study design/methodology/approach:

To accomplish this study requires an online questionnaire survey to be distributed and 52 out of 150 participants successfully provided a complete response.

The research method uses quantitative research analysis and is part of primary data.

Findings:

Some research studies have shown the advantages of prefabrication but there are also barriers that were mentioned in implementing prefabrication. Companies resist the changes and are not aware of prefabricated construction’s advantages which makes it difficult to implement in Indonesia. Government enhancement of

policy and regulations promoting the use of prefabrication and specifying its benefits would lead to further development.

Originality/value:

The results from non-parametric tests has shown a high mean value of 2.70 for prefabrication being widely used in Indonesia. It conflicts with restrictions that apply to the complexity of prefabrication with a higher mean value of 2.96. A solution to these issues would be for the government to encourage the use of prefabrication and applying policies so that construction projects could present a wide view of prefabrication use in the industry.

19

UNSW Built Environment

Author

Albert Ruoxun Li

E-mail a.r.li@student.unsw.edu.au

Construction and Property Management

Thesis 20

Evaluation of modern methods of construction, in particular prefabrication within Australia Abstract Keywords:

Industrial property, commercial real estate, e-commerce, risk-adjusted performance, portfolio analysis, mixed-asset portfolio

Purpose:

Prefabrication, a modern method of construction (MMC), has been well documented in academia to be faster, safer and have a quality on par if not better than traditional methods of construction. There are numerous high-risk barriers to entry which has contributed to the slow adoption of prefabrication within Australia. Nonetheless, there has been little investigation into addressing the barriers. This research sets three objectives which ultimately aim to assist in the adoption of prefabrication within Australia: 1. To identify the significant prefabrication market size within Australia; 2. To analysis the effects of drivers and barriers to the entry of prefabrication; and 3. To evaluate the risks associated with the barriers to entry and propose a strategy to address them.

Study design/methodology/approach:

This research will conduct a quantitative analysis of the building activity rates within Australia to reflect the size of the prefabrication market within Australia. There will also be a qualitative analysis on the factors surrounding the barriers to entry for prefabrication.industrial and logistic property pre and post e-commerce boom.

Findings:

Findings showed prefabrication to be widely accepted in roughly 3% of the construction industry within Australia.

Hence the size of the market has decreased from 2018, proportional to the construction industry’s decline. In addition, the perceived risks of barriers to entry are not as significant as initially determined to be. All risks connected with each barrier are capable of having a strategic solution.

Originality / Value:

With implementation strategies to address the key constraints surrounding prefabrication, it is possible to bring prefabrication into mainstream Australian construction builds. This research points to a potential solution where adoption and implementation of MMC is viable as these methods are key drivers for the efficiency and improvements to the construction industry. Future research should investigate the comprehensiveness of public statistics and categorise the degree of prefabrication within housing or unit builds.

20

Huiju Jin huiju.jin@student.unsw.edu.au

Risk management framework for the Australian construction industry

Narvaez Sodhi n.sodhi@student.unsw.edu.au

The impact of high on low - density residential in Sydney, NSW

Kim Tian kim.tian@student.unsw.edu.au

How baby boomers affect residential development opportunities at Sydney lower north shore area

Yingjie Fu yingjie.fu@student.unsw.edu.au

Mohammad El Dinawi m.el_dinawi@student.unsw.edu.au

Integration of life cycle assessment and data envelopment analysis on embodied energy efficiency a practice for western Sydney’s construction industry BIM implementation guide

Rayan Kharboutli r.kharboutli@student.unsw.edu.au

Embedding circular economy in the Australian construction industry

Kiraly Anthony Adrian Renaud k.renaud@student.unsw.edu.au

Understanding the risk allocation preference of public private partnerships in New South Wales

The topics of selected research projects conducted by masters students

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