The adoption rate of new technologies is still relatively low in the construction industry, particularly for mitigating occupational safety and health (OSH) risks, which is traditionally a largely labor-intensive activity in developing countries, occupying ill-afforded non-productive management resources. However, understanding why this is the case is a relatively unresearched area in developing countries such as Malaysia. In aiming to help redress this situation, this study explored the major barriers involved, firstly by a detailed literature review to identify the main barriers hampering the adoption of new technologies for safety science and management in construction. Then, a questionnaire survey of Malaysian construction practitioners was used to prioritize these barriers. A factor analysis further identified six major dimensions underlying the barriers, relating to the lack of OSH regulations and legislation, technological limitations, lack of genuine organizational commitment, prohibitive costs, poor safety culture within the construction industry, and privacy and data security concerns. Taken together, the findings provide a valuable reference to assist industry practitioners and researchers regarding the critical barriers to the adoption of new technologies for construction safety management in Malaysia and other similar developing countries, and bridge the identified knowledge gap concerning the dimensionality of the barriers.

This paper presents a systematic literature review of the impact of emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and gamification on student engagement, learning outcomes, and employability in Built Environment (BE) education. This review covers studies conducted between 2013 and 2023, utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework. From an initial pool of 626 studies, 61 were identified and rigorously analyzed. The findings reveal that these technologies significantly enhance student engagement by providing immersive and interactive learning experiences that bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Furthermore, their use is shown to improve learning outcomes by facilitating a deeper understanding of complex concepts and increasing student motivation. In terms of employability, the integration of digital tools into BE education equips students with the requisite skills that are increasingly demanded in the modern workplace. However, the study also identifies several challenges, including high costs, limited resources, and the need for extensive faculty training, which act as barriers to the effective implementation of these technologies. Despite these challenges, this review underscores the transformative potential of digital technologies in BE education. This study is significant as it synthesizes recent evidence to highlight the critical role of digital technologies in reshaping BE education. It offers practical recommendations for educators and policymakers to enhance teaching and learning practices. Providing pathways for integrating these technologies into BE curricula, this study aims to inform future research and pedagogical strategies, ultimately contributing to the development of a highly skilled and adaptable workforce.

Despite substantial investments and efforts by governments, construction organisations, and researchers, the construction industry remains one of the most male-dominated industries in Australia, with women being underrepresented numerically and hierarchically. Efforts to attract and retain women in construction have been implemented inconsistently on an ad hoc basis. As part of a larger research project that focuses on retaining women in the Australian construction industry, this research conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. The objective is to explore the factors that influence women’s careers and their experiences in the Australian construction industry that have been identified in the literature over the past three decades. Additionally, the findings are anticipated to inform future efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of current initiatives to retain women and develop a framework for enhancing women’s experiences and retaining them in this profession. This SLR revealed that excessive and rigid work hours, gendered culture and informal rules, limited career development opportunities, and negative perceptions of women’s abilities are the main factors and issues that cause women to leave the industry. Among these, rigid and long work hours seem to be the foremost factor to be prioritised. Understanding the roles of key variables in driving this cultural change is important to ensure that concrete progress is made. The paper draws three major aspects from the literature in which solutions and policies can be researched, designed and implemented.

The objective of this study was to establish a satisfaction evaluation model of industrial heritage renewal by evaluating the performance of old industrial buildings after renewal, then judging the adaptability and accuracy of the transformation strategy and putting forward targeted improvement suggestions. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey and analyzed by the statistical package for social science (SPSS) software using a structural equation model (SEM) and importance–performance analysis (IPA). The results show that (1) history, culture, and placeness have the largest average satisfaction and a positive and significant impact on overall satisfaction; (2) the building regeneration effect has a significant impact on overall satisfaction; and (3) social influence, external environmental perception, and economic benefits have no significant effect on overall satisfaction, indicating the need to strengthen public participation for further research into environmental creation, market-based operation, and land conservation. This case study reflects the distinctive features of internationalization and localization, and provides an indication of local practice in China for world urban renewal and architectural heritage theories.

Floor vibration, although not a safety concern, is a prevalent performance complaint in multi-story structures. With the increasing use of mass timber construction, various types of long-span timber floors (LSTFs), including plain cross-laminated timber (CLT), CLT with secondary beams (ribbed-deck), and hybrid systems such as timber–concrete composite (TCC) and CLT on-steel-support beams, are gaining popularity. However, due to limited knowledge regarding their vibration characteristics and acceptance criteria, these construction types are often overlooked during the design stage by architects, engineers, and builders. Existing standards and guidelines primarily calibrated for steel and concrete floors lack a validated and calibrated method for evaluating the vibration performance of LSTFs. Nonetheless, it is essential for structural engineers to address vibration concerns during the design stage and potentially investigate excessive vibration in existing buildings, providing mitigation solutions. This article provides a comprehensive overview, discussion, and analysis of the measurement, analysis, design, perception, and acceptability of vibration of timber floors as outlined in international standards and commonly used guidelines. Experimental and theoretical case studies, including vibration measurements of a CLT floor and a comparison of vibration acceptability in lightweight timber floors using different methods, are reported. The results highlight discrepancies between simplified equation calculations and modal analysis observations, underscoring the limitations of relying solely on simplified equations. Furthermore, it is observed that current modal superposition methods tend to be conservative in predicting floor acceleration and velocity responses. Recommendations are provided for future research in the field to enhance floor vibration assessment techniques, aiming for improved design optimization and occupant comfort.