Green roofs may be considered a passive energy saving technology that also offer benefits like environmental friendliness and enhancement of aesthetic and architectural qualities of buildings. This paper examines the energy and economic viability of the green roof technology in the hot humid climate of Saudi Arabia by considering a modern four bedroom residential building in the city of Dhahran as a case study. The base case and green roof modelling of the selected building has been developed with the help of DesignBuilder software. The base case model has been validated with the help of 3-month measured data about the energy consumption without a green roof installed. The result shows that the energy consumption for the base case is 169 kWh/m² while the energy consumption due to the application of a green roof on the entire roof surface is 110 kWh/m². For the three investigated green roof options, energy saving is found to be in the range of 24% to 35%. The economic evaluation based on the net present value (NPV) approach for 40 years with consideration to other environmental advantages indicates that the benefits of the green roof technology are realized towards the end of the life cycle of the building.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be deployed in the evaluation and promotion of safety performance of building developer`s in NigeriaDesign/methodology/approach: A thorough review of the literature was performed to generally identify sets of KPIs used to evaluate the safety performances of building developer`s during construction. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with eleven (11) subject matter experts and professionals to ensure inclusion, validation and clarity of the indicators and to further provide agreement/disagreement, and importance ratings for the identified KPIs. The KPIs was grouped into appropriate categories, keeping out redundant KPIs, and ensuring KPIs are clear and measurable. The Relative Importance Index (RII) and Mean values were computed.Findings: Results from the study consist of 137 KPIs, grouped into 9 categories including: Planning, design and procurement, communication on & maintenance of effective safety behaviour, construction safety policy, construction safety personnel, management effort and support, safety training and enlightenment, administration of safety processes, investigation and reporting of accidents, and rewards and sanctions for project stakeholders. These KPIs were observed to be at different levels of importance from the respondents. The following KPIs were considered based on their extreme importance judging from the respective RII values: communicating safety requirements to designer (98.18%), safety performance set as part of contractor selection criterion (96.36%), availability and accessibility of the relevant insurance policies (98.18%) and appropriate issuance of motivational directives by the top management (100%).Originality/value: Many studies have been done in the past where KPIs as it relates to construction safety were identified. However, the specificity of these KPIs to countries other than Nigeria requires similar research be conducted to identify building developer safety performance KPIs for the Nigerian construction industry.

The increasing global influence of FM in higher education institutions (HEIs) reported in the literature necessitates a comprehensive examination of the research landscape, with emphasis on how facility management (FM) plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of teaching, learning, and research environments. This study provides an analysis of the research landscape of FM within HEIs. Using the PRISMA approach to analyze 428 documents from the Scopus™ database, this paper employs a combination of bibliometric analysis, systematic literature review, and meta-analysis to provide a comprehensive examination of FM research trends and key themes. This study reveals a significant increase in publications in the field of FM research over the past three decades, emphasizing its growing significance in fostering efficient and sustainable learning environments. The significant role of effective FM practices in enhancing student satisfaction, academic performance, and institutional reputation was emphasized. Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) (viz., thermal comfort, air quality, lighting, and acoustics) is crucial for the well-being and productivity of building occupants. The integration of FM with building information modeling (BIM), smart campus technologies, and sustainability initiatives has improved operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. This study underscores the importance of allocating resources for facility maintenance and professional services and implementing advanced technologies and sustainable practices in FM for HEIs to create a conducive academic environment. This study provides beneficial insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to increase FM in higher education.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive list of key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be employed in determining the functional performance of academic and research laboratory facilities.Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a two-phase approach. First, a thorough literature review was conducted to identify potential KPIs specific to the performance of laboratory facilities. This was followed by an assessment of the KPIs by 12 respondents including 6 professionals and 6 users. The KPIs were arranged in the form of a questionnaire survey containing response columns for agree/disagree, and importance rating scales for evaluation. The relative importance index values were also computed.Findings: The result of the study was a comprehensive list of 161 KPIs classified into nine categories including: space, access/circulation, utilities and waste, environmental conditions, furniture, appearance/finishes/image, communications, storage within the space and special building features. These KPIs were perceived to be at varying levels of importance by the respondents.Originality/value: Though previous studies developed KPIs for the performance of facilities, these KPIs are not universal. Thus, the originality of this study is in its identification of a comprehensive set of KPIs unique to the design, evaluation and management of research and academic laboratory facilities.

Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA) are the product of recycling Concrete and Demolition Wastes (CDWs) from the construction industry. The practice aims to effectively dispose of, manage, and treat solid wastes that could pose health, safety, and environmental concerns. To address these impending problems, CDWs are valorized into RCA as a substitute for Natural Aggregates (NA) during construction. Hence, various studies have been published on the use of RCA as a partial replacement for NA in concrete as well as the properties of RCA-based concrete mixes. This study employs scientometric analysis to quantitatively assess the scientific literature on Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA). The Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA) utilization in construction was critically examined using the PRISMA approach. VOSviewer was utilized for the bibliometric analysis to map co-authorship networks, keyword occurrence, and co-citation analysis. The bibliometric analysis reveals a substantial increase in publications on RCA utilization over the 10 years, demonstrating growing interest and awareness in sustainable construction practices, which translates to significant contributions in areas such as performance enhancement, material properties, and environmental sustainability. The SLR indicated that the partial replacement of fine or coarse NA with RCA in concrete improves the physical durability, workability, and mechanical properties. It also reduces the industry’s overall carbon footprint and addresses environmental issues related to construction. Thus, the study contributes to the understanding of RCA utilization in the construction industry and provides valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to promote sustainability in the built environment. Future studies could look at novel composite materials, the effects of RCA production on the environment, and the long-term effectiveness of RCA in building applications.

Purpose: This study proposes a self-regulatory framework to enhance safety performance at the construction stage among building developers.Design/methodology/approach: Extant literature identified 137 potential factors that influence the construction safety performances of building developers. Focus group discussions and interviews were conducted with 11 panels of experts and professionals. The Relative Importance Index (RII) was used to analyse the response feedback described in a similar paper. In this study, the survey tool used was set up with 40 variables grouped into eight latent variables in the framework, which were agreed and certified as “extremely important” by the panel. Based on random sampling, data were collected from 229 valid respondents. Structural equation modelling (SEM) technique using Smart PLS software was then used to analyse the respondent's feedback.Findings: The results show that safety administration and processes, effective communication of safety behaviour, significantly influenced safety performance on a construction site with β values of 0.330 and 0.431 along with t values of 3.005 and 2.547 at p < 0.1, respectively. These factors, among others, provide a distinct approach to understanding and improving on-site construction safety. The study findings will potentially benefit building professionals and other stakeholders by improving awareness of safety practices.Research limitations/implications: The study may not have covered all possible factors that influence the construction safety performance of building developers. Also, the generalizability and transferability of the research outcome to the construction industry wide use is also limited when reference is made to the characteristics of the research respondents and/or participants. In addition, validation of the framework by five professionals is rather small.Practical implications: Theoretically, the framework through the identified factors provide a distinct approach to understanding and improving on-site construction safety through voluntary adherence to self-regulatory standard where there are no enforceable laws and regulations to promote safety. The study findings will potentially benefit building professionals and other stakeholders by improving awareness of the health and safety practices of the construction industry.Originality/value: Many research efforts have developed frameworks and models for construction safety. However, the particularity of these frameworks to countries other than Nigeria requires similar research to be conducted to enhance the safety performance of building developers.