The predominant image of construction is that of a male-dominated industry requiring brute strength and a good tolerance for outdoor conditions, inclement weather and bad language. Reconciling this image with women's participation in the construction industry is problematic. However, there are early signs of a cultural shift in the industry. This paper presents an empirical review of wome's roles within the industry and the ways in which people make sense of their working experience when traditional gender roles are challenged. Based on qualitative research, the study found that men in the industry regarded as the gatekeepers are now finding ways to respond to and make sense of a changing workplace, and the realities that women are now actively encouraged to participate, legally protected against discrimination and more highly represented in non-traditional areas of the construction industry. Women are also findings ways as apprentices and tradespeople to position themselves within this new environment. They identify ways of working that are more likely to ensure a smooth experience for themselves. While the stimulus for the changing face of the workplace is the notion of gender equality, the responses are not gender neutral. All players are trying to negotiate ways to integrate each other into a new environment in a manner which allows them to comfortably reconcile issues of gender.

Builders merchants are an integral part of the construction industry, yet rarely are they consulted when discussions take place on the future of the construction industry. Throughout history, builders merchants have played a dominant role in the construction industry, initially as an intermediary between the artisan and the buyer, and more recently as a source of working capital for contracting firms. The merchanting industry currently is undergoing considerable change. The depressed construction market and the failure of the housing repair and maintenance sector to recover in the first half of the 1990's as activity in the private non-housing repair and maintenance sector has increased, has raised competition between merchants. The major building merchants are becoming larger by acquisition and merger, the smaller merchants are seeking niche areas, and the medium-size firms are under serious threat from acquisition by the larger merchanting firms. The trend towards consolidation in the sector, driven by the need to reduce costs, has meant that the large merchanting firms now control around 60% of the building materials market sales. Factoring is a growing trend, particularly with smaller companies sourcing goods from the cheapest source. The larger merchants have to respond by sourcing goods from the lowest cost base, irrespective of whether they buy from overseas markets. This paper analyses the UK builders merchants sector and evaluates the important role played in the supply chain.

Frequently, the supply of building materials to the construction site is fraught with difficulties which can have a significant effect on productivity. Major productivity gains are possible, particularly if the building process is planned from a logistics perspective. The concept of logistics was developed initially within the manufacturing industry, and now constitutes an important management tool to ensure an overall strategic perspective on the flow of materials in the production process. This paper contends that logistics are relevant also to the construction industry, and describes the development of a logistics model to manage the flow of materials from suppliers to installation on-site and its application to a Danish house building project. The case study evidence suggests that the primary focus of the logistics concept in construction is to improve coordination and communication between project participants during the design and construction phases, particularly in the materials flow control process. The logistics concept requires accurate scheduling of materials to programmed delivery dates keyed to actual site layout and storage arrangements. The logistics approach also involves a new role for materials suppliers, including early involvement in the design phase and overall responsibility for the flow of information relating to materials.

Construction is a labour-intensive industry, which places heavy reliance upon the skills of its workforce. These skills need updating continually as many of the trades involved in the industry become increasingly specialized. During the 1980s, there was a rapid rise in construction activity within the UK, followed by a sudden but short-lived boom accompanied by skill shortages. The construction industry is now experiencing a deeper and longer lasting recession than originally predicted, resulting in valuable employees in all sections of the industry being lost - a high proportion of whom will not return to the construction industry. The construction industry is predicted to grow in the period after the recession by an average of 3% per annum until the year 2001. With this growth the industry is expected to experience considerable skill shortages in both traditional and new skill areas. Construction is in a period of rapid cultural change accompanied by the introduction of new technologies and new ways of organizing construction activities. Powerful national and multinational clients will continue to influence the choice of these technologies through their demands for faster construction times. The construction industry will continue to face increased competition in search of eligible recruits to train accordingly. Employment within the construction industry will continue to move away from large and medium sized firms to small firms and working proprietors. In the 1980s, self-employment and the use of specialist labour-only subcontractors increased as training levels declined. This trend will hamper the industry's ability to train people for future skill needs. This paper aims to assist interested parties in the construction industry understand and realize the importance of labour resource issues and the need for long-term planning of labour resource requirements, so allowing them to train and retrain people to address the predicted skill shortages.

Housing associations (HAs) play a pivotal role in the delivery of affordable homes and, therefore, offsite construction could be beneficial in alleviating the crisis. Existing literature has focused on the perceptions of the housing sector at large towards offsite construction (OSC), particularly private housebuilders. This research addresses this gap in the literature. This paper explores the perceived barriers of using OSC through a survey of the largest HAs in England [n = 69], and how these compare with the perceptions within the wider housing sector. The evidence from this research indicates cost-related barriers are perceived to be the most significant barriers to OSC use for HAs, followed by the capacity of suppliers and end-user preferences for traditional construction. The perceived barriers of those with experience are aligned with the OSC literature, whilst the responses of those without direct experience suggested heightened concerns towards the key barriers. A conceptualised feedback model is proposed to monitor, capture knowledge and share best practice as HAs commit to accelerating project delivery through strategic partnerships with offsite manufacturing firms, local authorities at a local/regional level, that leverage the high-value, high-impact transformation of the housebuilding sector in tangible terms of efficiency, cost, and material savings.

Purpose: This article presents a recent research and development experiment on benefits analysis for adopting building information modeling/management (BIM) systems in megaproject delivery across work stages with regard to the needs of project stakeholders. It focuses on a new approach to benefits prioritization to support decision making against major challenges in megaproject delivery. Methodology: The study was underpinned by an extensive literature review on relevant research and practices across the world, and a questionnaire-based survey on the benefits from adopting BIM in megaproject delivery in Australia. In addition, this study yields new tools for value analysis with regard to the adoption of BIM systems in megaproject delivery, and this include a new calculation method for benefits prioritization, and a new value compass tool to support decisions making on BIM adoption. Findings: Through the extensive literature review that covers multidisciplinary areas relating to the use of BIM, a set of generic hypotheses was formulated on the comparative level of technical value that various stakeholder groups are expected to achieve from adopting BIM systems in megaproject delivery. These hypotheses were tested by using the questionnaire-based survey. A new benefits prioritization approach was developed to identify the key benefits of BIM systems in megaproject delivery. In addition, a compass tool was also developed to visualize the status of value achievement across project stakeholders in dealing with major challenges in megaproject delivery. Implications for Research and Practices: By using data collected from the Australian megaproject sector in addition to academic review in Australia, China, and United Kingdom, this experimental study revealed current professional perceptions on the benefits of adopting BIM systems in megaproject delivery in comparison with data and information reported by professionals concerning the adoption of BIM systems from both generic and specific point of view across multiple megaproject stakeholders. Value: This article provides useful information for both academic research and practical services in the context of quantitative Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) on the adoption of BIM systems in megaproject delivery when major challenges on professional competence, budget, schedule and sustainability need to be seriously dealt with. Findings from this experimental study can inform value engineering practice at both strategic and tactic level with regard to adopting BIM systems in megaproject delivery.