Project bundling is the process of awarding a single contract to several infrastructure projects to address construction, rehabilitation, replacement, or maintenance needs. This novel approach has presented several benefits to the infrastructure industry in terms of time and cost savings as well as enhanced efficiencies in project deliveries. However, due to the relative recency of, and interest in, the project bundling approach, the associated factors impacting the decision-making process are still not well understood. Moreover, little-to-no previous research efforts have particularly focused on the decision-making factors that need to be considered when implementing bundling strategies. To that extent, this paper addresses this knowledge gap through studying the decision-making factors affecting project bundling based on actual case studies that have used bundling strategies. In relation to that, this paper followed an analytical approach that is based on the implementation of network analysis and clustering analysis to explore data collected from bundled projects in the US. First, data was gathered from 30 case studies that relied on bundling strategies to deliver their projects. Based on the collected data, 23 decision-making factors related to project bundling have been identified. Second, network analysis was conducted to quantify the co-occurrences or dependencies among the identified factors. Finally, cluster analysis was used to group or prioritize the factors into highly connected clusters. The findings of this paper showed that the central and most critical decision-making factors that need to be considered when determining project bundling strategies are: geographic proximity; similarity in project types; homogeneity of work types; and condition rating of projects. In addition, the outcomes of this paper highlighted the importance of different decision-making factors in ensuring effective bundling practices. Ultimately, this research adds to the body of knowledge by providing a better understanding of the decision-making factors related to project bundling and determining or prioritizing the factors that agencies need to take into consideration when bundling their projects. To this end, this paper equips project stakeholders with the needed guidance to help them make optimal bundling decisions and capitalize on the benefits of their project bundling strategies.

Offsite construction has been shown to possess many advantages and benefits in dealing with the construction industry’s challenges, which include poor labor productivity. Nevertheless, all previous productivity-related research studies have focused mainly on factors impacting labor productivity in traditional stick-built construction methods. This paper filled this knowledge gap by following a multistep interrelated research methodology. First, a research team of 19 construction professionals and academics developed and distributed an industry survey to (1) quantify the likelihood of occurrence and relative impact of risk factors that adversely impact labor productivity in offsite construction projects; (2) identify and prioritize key risk factors that adversely affect labor productivity in offsite construction operations; and (3) examine how labor productivity risk factors are perceived by various project stakeholders. Second, different statistical analysis tests and methods (i.e., internal and external reliability, statistically significant differences, clustering analysis, and concordance analysis) were used to critically analyze the results and draw conclusions. Based on a total of 100 responses and 20 labor productivity risk factors, the findings reflected that the top five risk factors adversely affecting labor productivity in offsite construction projects included (1) unskilled labor and improper workforce training and development; (2) poor logistics; (3) errors, omissions, and rework; (4) work area congestion and overcrowding; and (5) insufficient coordination. Also, the findings indicated that labor productivity factors can be clustered into two groups: factors with high overall risk and factors with low overall risk on offsite construction labor productivity; 80% of the risk factors were found to fall into the first category. The results of this study also reflected the need for offsite construction companies and industry practitioners to carefully establish mitigation plans and corrective actions for the identified key risk factors adversely affecting offsite construction labor productivity. This study adds to the body of knowledge by exploring and ranking productivity factors in offsite construction projects. Ultimately, this study will help the industry and research communities better understand factors affecting offsite construction labor productivity, more effectively direct future efforts to enhance labor performance, and devise productivity improvement strategies.

With growing urbanization and increasing climate change-related concerns, green infrastructures (GIs) are recognized as promising solutions for mitigating various challenges and promoting sustainable development. Despite the important role of GIs, a comprehensive synthesis of the quantification of their full range of benefits and challenges is lacking in the current literature. To address this gap, a systematic literature review was conducted on the quantifiable environmental, economic, and social benefits and challenges of GIs. This paper followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) methodology, where 75 relevant articles were reviewed to present the various models and methods that could be used to quantify and assess the impacts of different GI types. The study further investigated existing knowledge trends and patterns, identified research gaps, and suggested future research directions. The results revealed that while existing research studies offer great insights into the impacts of GIs, a more holistic approach is necessary to balance the benefits and challenges of GIs. The findings also offered a comprehensive understanding of a wide range of environmental, economic, and social considerations of both natural and engineered GIs. Ultimately, the performed literature review serves as a comprehensive guide for researchers and practitioners and could be used in estimating and evaluating the benefits and challenges of GI plans and programs as well as in making informed decisions about GI projects.