2012 Construction Management and Property Final Year Thesis Never Stand Still
Faculty of Built Environment
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1 Alex Chew Robert Close Shaun Cohen Christopher Dascal Aidan Fitzgerald Li Yee Lau Michael Stern Evangelos Syrakis Clare Walton Mohd Amri Bin Zamri
LUMINOCITY 19th November 2012 Pier 2/3 Walsh Bay, Hickson Road, Sydney
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Contents
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Message from the Dean
Message from Lend Lease
Thesis Program Statement
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Alumni Profile
Supporters
Introduction from the Program Director
2012 Final Year Thesis
3 This year has been busy at UNSW BE. We have continued the review and development of our curriculum including the introduction of two new interdisciplinary streams for first and third year bachelor degree programs and are introducing a new post professional degree program in urban policy and strategy. We have also added Design Research to our four funded research clusters (Emergent Digital Technologies, People and Places, Sustainable Design and Development and Urban Typologies). Finally, the CRC Low Carbon Living international research project led by our faculty commenced its work this year in collaboration with partners in industry and other universities. I wish every graduate a successful and satisfying career. In many respects, our relationship is just beginning. As you travel the world through your work you will meet many alumni and make special bonds of lasting value. We look forward to your ongoing participation in the life of our university and the mutual benefits this brings.
Professor Alec Tzannes Dean UNSW Built Environment
Message from the Dean
I congratulate all the students who have completed their degree program and now become our alumni. This catalogue conveys through selected study themes and projects from our final year studios something about the unique student experience offered at UNSW Built Environment along with the outstanding skills of our students and academic staff. UNSW Built Environment has a developing reputation as a knowledge leader in the design, delivery and management of the C21st city and its elements. Our research is directly relevant to the development of knowledge within built environment professions and underpins a process of continuous improvement to curriculum material. Embedded in the curriculum are core values centered on the thinking and practices required to deliver sustainable urban environments of deep cultural value. Design education in all of its many forms, including understanding evidence-based design processes is at the centre of all UNSW BE degree programs. This is complemented by the development of discipline knowledge with interdisciplinary design and research orientated projects aligned with advanced contemporary practices in industry.
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Supporters
BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND ITS 2012 GRADUATING STUDENTS THANK LUMINOCITY’S SUPPORTERS FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS. Lead Supporter
Major Supporters
Supporters
Built Environment Alumni
Event Partners
5 Throughout this event and graduating student exhibition, I encourage the thought leadership and vigorous debate that is required to deliver on the vision that LuminoCITY seeks to achieve. Knowledge knows no boundaries and it is our universities and their students that provide a mechanism to allow communities to grow and prosper through improved solutions, products and services. Continued knowledge investment in our universities is vital to equip society to creatively respond to challenges that are impacting all our lives at an ever increasing rate. Anticipating the thought provoking research and exhibitions of all the contributors, but in particular that of the graduating class, I would like to congratulate all participants who will undoubtedly assist in shaping the cities of tomorrow. Lend Lease looks forward to the continued relationship with UNSW Built Environment and LuminoCITY to create new ideas that deliver our vision in delivering the best places.
Murray Coleman OAM Managing Director, Australia Project Management and Construction Lend Lease
Message from Lend Lease
Lend Lease is proud to continue its longtime relationship with UNSW Faculty of Built Environment through the sponsorship of LuminoCITY. In creating an event like this, the Faculty delivers a forum to challenge the boundaries of the modern landscape and allows our leaders of the future to showcase how 21st century communities can live sustainably and meet the demands of the modern world. Lend Lease’s aspiration to be a sustainable organisation and an industry leader means we constantly search for ideas that will help us to deliver the improved social, environmental and economic performance of our businesses and of our industry more broadly. In sponsoring LuminoCITY, we are supporting the Faculty of the Built Environment to achieve their vision to create a forum to imagine, test and debate ideas about the 21st century city.
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Introduction from the Program Director
It is with great pleasure that the Construction Management and Property Program presents this Final Year Thesis Catalogue. This booklet contains our students’ thesis projects in the Honour’s degree program, and covers a wide range of topics in the construction and property industry. The 2012 catalogue is a first-time event for our CMP undergraduate students. This booklet and the accompanying graduation exhibition showcase the talents of our high achieving students. The management of the people, processes and products within the construction and property industry is a detailed, challenging and specialised expertise. The complexity of the planning, design, construction and operation of client’s properties requires graduates to be able to oversee and coordinate large multidisciplinary teams. At UNSW, the Bachelor of Construction Management and Property (BCMP) Program aims to produce graduates with broad knowledge and skills to meet the changing demands of the construction and property industry. The degree provides students an unique opportunity to explore both the construction and property area, while also allowing students to specialize in one of the four areas – building construction, quantity surveying, property development and facilities management. Students in the program may also choose to participate in a foreign exchange program, which gives students six months overseas experience to study in a partnership university.
The education of the BCMP students at UNSW is provided by highly capable university academics and experienced industry professionals. Students gain practical skills and real life experience in the course of the study as well as high-level critical thinking and strategic management skills. Our program is renowned for its ability to produce future industry leaders. In this booklet, our honour’s students have contributed to a range of contemporary issues in the construction and property industry. Please join me in congratulating the 2012 Honour’s program students for their wonderful achievement and wish them great success in the future career.
Cynthia Wang Program Director of Construction Management & Property
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“STUDENTS GAIN PRACTICAL SKILLS AND REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE INTHE COURSE OF STUDY AS WELL AS HIGH-LEVEL CRITICAL THINKING AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT SKILLS.”
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“THE THESIS EXHIBITION AND CATALOGUE REMAIN A SHOWCASE OF THE STUDENTS’ MASTERPIECE.”
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Benson Lim Thesis Program Convener
A remarkable diversity of thesis topic was pursued in 2012 ranging across important contemporary topics in the Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Property industries. These include: Workspace Planning and Management, Workplace Productivity and Performance, Work-life Balance of Employees, Sustainability Management, Information Technology and Management, Disaster Management, Project Stakeholder Management, Value Management, Construction Technology, and Property Market Analysis and Development. Each student was assigned an advisor from our CMP program, who possesses respective contributory expertise within the Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Property domain. Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank all my fellow colleagues: Professor Martin Loosemore, Associate Professor Sidney Newton, Dr. Jinu Kim, Dr. Cynthia Wang, Dr. Imriyas Kamardeen, Mr. Michael Brand and Mr. John Cowan. Their valuable contribution and guidance to the students’ research projects are indispensable. At the end of the day, the thesis exhibition and catalogue remain a showcase of the students’ masterpiece. On behalf of our entire CMP team, I am honoured to offer sincere congratulations to our thesis students of 2012.
Thesis Program Statement
Research-based analysis and reporting are cornerstones to the thesis program of the Bachelor of Construction Management and Property (CMP) degree. The program enrolment is by invitation only based on students’ academic progression and performance. The program offers students with capstone experience, in their final year of studies, towards development and implementation of a major independent research project. The thesis program entails two courses, i.e. BLDG 4501 Thesis Foundation and BLDG 4502 Thesis, which continuously extend over two 13-week semesters. The former is a preparatory course, and a pre-requisite to BLDG4502, introducing students to the fundamentals of research and design of research methodology for subsequent fieldwork in BLDG 4502. Indeed, the information-gathering and data analysis processes remain very much an individual challenge; whereby students are constantly dealing with unaccustomed events and venture, taking on a ‘roller coaster’ ride of self-discovery – a passage that they may have never encountered in their past 3 years of studies. It follows that, upon completion of BLDG4502, students would have acquired key competences including problem-solving and analytical skills and report writing skills. In brevity, the thesis program is a rite of passage developing the acumen, intellectual and logical reasoning abilities of our students; thus transforming them into the next generation of scholars and industry leaders.
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We wish you every success in your chosen field of endeavor. In many respects, our relationship is just beginning as we look forward to your ongoing participation in the life of our university through the many events and activities that we undertake to support research and the future generations of built environment graduates. We wish you every success in your chosen field of endeavor. In many respects, our relationship is just beginning as we look forward to your ongoing participation in the life of our university through the many events and activities that we undertake to support research and the future generations of built environment graduates. We wish you every success in your chosen field of endeavor. Professor Alec Tzannes Dean UNSW Built Environment
Construction Management and Property Message from the Dean 2012 Final Year Thesis
This year has seen UNSW Built Environment continue to develop as a leading source of knowledge focused on the design, management and construction of the 21st century city. The aspiration of the faculty is to contribute, at the highest level of academic achievement, to the making of valued and sustainable built environments. New research initiatives undertaken in the last twelve months build on the faculty’s strengths concentrating on themes that include sustainable design and development, urban typologies and emergent digital technologies. Each degree program integrates research outcomes to ensure our students are equipped with knowledge of relevance and intellectual skills to enable successful future careers in a global context. Design, including understanding evidence based design processes, is at the core of many degree programs at UNSW BE. Design is studied at every scale and in the context of achieving in the future, lower carbon industrial products, buildings and cities. Design of enduring cultural value also matters and underpins the intellectual rigor of the curriculum. Student experiences involve interdisciplinary projects to enhance contemporary relevance and utilize the breadth of discipline knowledge available at UNSW BE. This catalogue presents selected projects from our final year students. It reflects the hard work and talents of all involved. On behalf of the faculty I congratulate all the students who have completed their degree program and now become our alumni. We wish you every success in your chosen field of endeavor. In many respects, our relationship is just beginning as we look forward to your ongoing participation in the life of our university through the many events and activities that we undertake to support research and the future generations of built environment graduates.
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Investigation of the Current Status of Document and Information Management in the Construction Industry
Alex Chew Email chewright@gmail.com
Document and information management is important in any project environment, especially in the building and construction industry. As a large amount of project information is exchanged and shared in the project life cycle, good document management is essential for efficient communication and decision making. Although the use of electronic and web-based document management systems is common in the industry, there are technical barriers and behavioural barriers for improving the document management process in the industry. What is the current status of document and information management in the industry? Can professional training help to overcome these barriers? This research attempts to answer these questions. The objectives of this research is to identify the key knowledge and skills for efficient document and information management, and to investigate effective training methods that can enhance the document and information management skills in the construction industry. A questionnaire survey was adopted for this study. The data was collected by using structured online survey. Simple random sample method was used as the sampling method for drawing participants from a series of document control training courses. This research has identified that there are seven key knowledge and skills for efficient document and information management, which are compliance requirements, quality management, communication skills, knowledge of the computer system, collaboration skills, risk management and process mapping. In addition, the most effective document management training methods are group discussion and lecture presentation, and most respondents prefer more collaborative and interactive training methods to enhance their document management skills.
A. Manual document management practice is still common in the industry B. Training is crucial to document and information management.
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Community consultation during construction
Robert Close Email r-close@hotmail.com
Community based protest in opposition to a construction project is an increasing problem for the construction industry. With general public awareness and opinions becoming more prevalent in the current business environment we are more likely to see the problem intensify. As community protest can lead to delays, financial costs and social turmoil it comes as no surprise that the process of community consultation has become an important process in the procurement of a construction project. This research examined the process of community consultation during the construction stage of a project and explored the attitudes and responses of construction professionals in relation to engaging the community during construction. In particular, the research was s aimed at bettering our understanding of the skills required to engage with the community and identify the particular stakeholders relevant to the process. To complete the study, 150 construction professionals were surveyed and interviewed to investigate the positivity of their relationship with the community. These methods of research gathered their general opinions on the important facets of the process and whether they found the process of liaising with the community during construction a benefit. The research found that the majority of the construction professionals identified the practice of dealing with the community during construction a hindrance and that the process was considered a costly and timely exercise. The study also found that only a small amount of construction professionals had undertaken formal training in the process of community consultation, whilst Town Planners and Project Managers were considered the construction professionals best equipped to manage the process of community consultation during construction, despite Site Managers encountering community protest the most.
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Evaluate and compare the impacts that different local planning regulations are having on development costs within the South Western Sydney Growth Corridor
Shaun Cohen Email shaun@co-wynbuilding.com.au
Evaluate and compare the impacts that different local planning regulations are having on development costs within the South Western Sydney Growth Corridor Development costs in the construction process of residential projects are one of the major factors contributing to the current housing affordability crisis present within the greater Sydney metropolitan region. The aim of this research is to evaluate the impacts local planning regulations are having on development costs in specific to the South Western Sydney Growth Corridor (SWGC). As Local Government Authorities (LGA) with excessive planning regulations or conditions imposed on projects are increasing the development costs of projects within that jurisdiction than authorities without these conditions. The study empirically investigated the LGA’s having the greatest impact on development costs as well as the variation in regulation/ DA condition categories, the LGA’s contribution plan, and the regulation/ condition categories having the greatest impact. The finding showed each LGA regulatory implications had an impact on development costs with an average of 6.44 % of regulatory cost relative to construction costs imposed on projects between the LGA’s assessed. The greatest variation between LGAS was primarily between consultants or construction cost orientated conditions categories.. LGA contribution plans cost percentages between council ranging from 1% to 12% of construction costs on top. This assessment can provide guidance to the State Authority in the rectification of local Government planning regulations impacting on development costs. this it can facilitate the desired growth of more affordable housing within these corridors and begin to meet demands of future population growth.
A. The Corridor, The development, The councils B. ABC Media, 2011, Australia, NSW
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Work Life Balance within the Australian construction Industry
Christopher Dascal
The aim of this research was to investigate the WLB perceptions of employees in the Australian construction context. Under this aim the objectives were to identify the work life balance factors in the construction industry, identify the key work life balance polices being adopted in the Australian construction industry and to examine the relationship between work life balance factors and job satisfaction, quality and performance. This research adopted a survey research design and data was collected via online questionnaire. 60 responses were received and data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The findings show that Job income, job security and employee – employer relationships were seen as the three most influential WLB factors which facilitated in WLB of employees. Weekend Rostered day off arrangement, regular formal / casual social events, regular performance appraisal and goal setting and flexible work schedules were found as the most influential WLB practices which facilitated in positive WLB for employees. Lastly Employee- Employer relationship, Workplace culture, Flexibility of work arrangement and location of workplace are the factors which positively influenced all three aspects of job performance, job quality and job satisfaction.
Email Christopher.dascal@student.unsw.edu.au Phone 0427 687 135
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A Misconception of Modular Construction
Aidan Fitzgerald
This research uncovered that industry professionals of the Australian Property Industry hold a perception of Modular Construction that is inconsistent with the authors of the worldwide documented literature. In a survey of 151 industry professionals, using an online questionnaire composed of 12 questions, the individual responses form the survey participants were used to shape the collective perception of the Australian Property Industry. In the Literature Review of prefabrication techniques, including Modular Construction, time, quality, cost and waste management were clearly identified as the most valuable benefits of Modular Construction when applied to a building construction project. The Data Analysis showed that whilst only 20% of survey participants were unfamiliar with the term ‘Modular Construction’, at least 70% have received no education in Modular Construction. Furthermore, the questionnaire findings revealed that although the industry professionals showed some consistency with the literature in agreeing that time and waste management were benefits of Modular Construction, they, alternatively, considered improvement in safety and labour productivity as more valuable over cost and quality. For this reason, it is expected that there is a misconception of Modular Construction in the Australian Property Industry. On the other hand, the survey participants did show some consistency with the documented literature where both parties agreed that an advancement in industry knowledge, generated from an improvement in education, would facilitate the development of Modular Construction as a prefabrication solution in the Australian Property Industry.
Email afitzi@hotmail.com Phone 0410 147 400
Manual document management practice is still common in the industry
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Australian Generation Ys’ Characteristics and Workplace Preferences
Li Yee Lau
The changing of workforce demographics characterised by the advent of Gen Ys into prevailing labour market has placed challenges to organisations. The aim is to investigate Australian Gen Ys’ characteristics and their workplace preferences. More specifically, the objectives are to: (i) examine the key characteristics of Australian Gen Ys; (ii) identify their workplace preferences in both physical and non-physical aspects; (iii) determine the key factors affecting their choice of employer; and (iv) study the relationship between Gen Ys’ characteristics and workplace preferences. A survey design was adopted and a total of 1059 useful dataset were collected via online questionnaire. Five statistical tests were conducted using SPSS software: factor analysis; one-sample t-test; Pearson’s correlation coefficient; one-way ANOVA; and multiple linear regression. The results show that Australian Gen Ys are tech savvy, highly aware, sociable, lifestyle-centred and street smart. Also, the three key factors affecting choice of employer are: career progression development, salary, and workplace culture. The outcome of each factor can be predicted via equation generated in the regression model based on Gen Ys’ characteristics. Australian corporations can use the framework developed to enhance the workplace and human resource management policies towards recruiting, retaining and managing Gen Ys.
Email z3285059@student.unsw.edu.au A. Gen Y students at university B. The Y generation
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Michael Stern
Investigation into the workplace features for the ideal workplace for people from Generation Y in the Australian Construction Industry
Email mastern45@hotmail.com Phone 0421 229 911
Understanding the workplace preferences of the emerging workforce is important for firms to recruiting, retaining and developing their Generation Y employees. The aim of this research is to investigate workplace preference of Generation Y in the Australian AEC industry. More specifically, the objectives are to: (i) to identify the characteristics of people from Generation Y (ii) to identify the physical and non-physical features of the workplace that people from Generation Y prefer ; and (iii) to examine the relationship between the characteristics and preferences of people from Generation Y. Workplace features including physical and non-physical features contribute to the well-being of Generation Y employees in the Australian Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. This study adopted a survey design and data was collected via online questionnaire platform. A total of 573 responses were received and several statistical tests were conducted using SPSS. The findings show that the key characteristics of Generation Y are: (i) Goal setting, (ii) Work-life balance, (iii) Desire for Psychological connection and (iv) Hyperlink communication. Also, it is found that the key physical and non-physical workplace preferences of Generation Y are: (i) comfortable furniture, (ii) lighting, acoustic and visual privacy (iii) career progression (iv) salary (v) workplace culture. These features of the workplace are the most preferred by people from Generation Y in the Australian AEC industry. The research findings inform employers and facilities managers about the workplace preferences of Generation Y and in turn, helping them to create a work environment where people from Generation Y will be happy to work in.
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Empirical Analysis of Workplace Environment and User’s Satisfaction and Performance
Evangelos Syrakis
Research has found that the satisfaction and well-being of individuals within offices is driven by many factors of indoor environmental quality and organisations are looking to create workplace environment for effective business growth. However, there is an apparent lack of consensus for a model of a relationship between the satisfaction of employees and their performance output. The aim of this study was to investigate users’ satisfaction and performance within academic office environments in Australia. For the purposes of data collection an Online Questionnaire methodology was adopted and developed for this study. Analysis was conducted using a One Sample T-Test, Oneway ANOVA and Pearson Correlation analysis. It was identified that the identified factors are significant and that there a positive relationship between satisfaction and performance in the context of this study. From these findings it could be implied that for organisations or facilities managers to successfully develop a healthy workplace which encourages employees to perform, fulfilling the IEQ needs of the employees in the workplace is a significant move towards improved performance.
Email evan.syrakis@gmail.com URL au.linkedin.com/in/evangelossyrakis
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A. (office1)Typical office with Office-layout and Lighting in view. B. (office2) Services typically found in offices, such as HVAC.
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Analysis of Adjudication Determinations made under the Victorian Security of Payment Legislation
Clare Walton
The Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Victoria) (the Act) is a form of statutory regulation applicable to the building and construction industry of Victoria. It aims to provide industry participants a cost-effective and timely means of recovering payment for work conducted under a construction contract. The research aim is to identify trends in adjudication determinations made under the Victorian security of payment legislation during the 2010 and 2011 calendar years. Of particular interest are: relationships between payment claim and claimant type; the level of respondent compliance with the adjudication process; and the level of claimant success in an adjudication with regards to adjudicated amount and apportionment of adjudication fees. The research reveals that: a significant relationship exists between payment claim and claimant type, with contractors claims likely to exceed subcontractor claims in value; a considerable level of non-compliance exists among respondents; many of the reasons provided by respondents for partial or nonpayment are unsubstantiated; the claimants degree of success in the adjudication process is high, with a notable proportion of claimants awarded the full claimed amount; respondents are generally found liable for the full adjudication fee; and the Act is severely underutilised by industry participants.
Email clare.walton@hotmail.com A. Payment disputes frequently arrest construction progress B. Without progress payments, claimants’ funds run perilously low
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Effect of IEQ on occupant satisfaction and study/work performance in a green educational building: A case study
Mohd Amri Zamri Email amryzamry@gmail.com
The first stage of sustainable construction has been going on for perhaps 15 years and has made big progress. Various researches stated that green buildings have been produced to lower the impacts on the environment and enhance the health quality of the occupants. Studies also show that universities and colleges put emphasis on the importance to build green buildings in their campus because of its various benefits such as lower operating costs, higher property value, etc. But are occupants happy about the indoor environment of green buildings? The aim of this research is to investigate the relationships between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and study/work performance of occupants in Tyree Energy Technologies Building (TETB), a six-star green educational building in the University of New South Wales, Sydney. This study adopted a case study design, combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Questionnaire survey and archival records have been used for data collection. A structured online questionnaire survey was carried out by distributing emails to the occupants of TETB. A non-probability purposive sampling was used to select the sample of participants. Correlation coefficients and multiple linear regressions were used to analyse the results. It was found that occupants were satisfied with the overall indoor environment of the building. However, they are not satisfied with the room/space layout and the indoor air quality. The results showed that all indoor environment variables as well as the overall indoor environment satisfaction are significantly correlated with the occupants’ study/work performance. It is identified that thermal quality, acoustic quality and room/ space layout were the main components of IEQ that contribute to the overall study/work performance of the occupants. The findings of this study can provide guidance for designers and facilities manager to improve the indoor environment of TETB.
A. Exterior design of the Tyree Energy Technologies Building (TETB) B. Typical open learning spaces in TETB
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Alumni Profile
“The structured learning on offer at BE and exposure to industry bodies provides a great platform for getting a head start in the industry. I chose UNSW because it has a reputation for producing leaders in industry. I was also impressed by the high quality learning facilities and resources that are available. Students have the chance to participate in a foreign exchange program as part of their degree, and I was lucky enough to go to the University of Colorado, Boulder. This enabled me to study in a different environment, meet new people and gain a new perspective. “In 2010 I became a cadet with Laing O’Rourke allowing me to work and study part time. This offered an uncomplicated transition between study life and career life and opened the floodgate of resources available to me. The diverse learning and flexibility of course selection creates many different opportunities for tailoring your own pathway.
“Highlights from my time at UNSW were being selected from 1,400 applicants around Australia to participate on the Ascenders Graduate Development Program (a two year role rotational program at Laing O’Rourke designed to accelerate career progression). I was also granted the opportunity to work on an interstate project immediately after graduating. “The student friendships developed throughout the years of study quickly extend into your professional network upon graduating. “My advice to anyone considering studying at BE would be to get to know your lecturers, guest lecturers and industry speakers, they could end up offering you a job!”
Richy Craven BCMP (2010) Project Engineer Laing O’Rourke
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“THE STRUCTURED LEARNING ON OFFER AT B.E. AND EXPOSURE TO INDUSTRY BODIES PROVIDES A GREAT PLATFORM FOR GETTING A HEAD START”
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Faculty of Built Environment The University of New South Wales Online be.unsw.edu.au Phone +61 2 9385 4799 Email fbe@unsw.edu.au