Research on digitizing the various aspects of a typical building project has been on the increase since the advent of Building Information Modelling (BIM). Most efforts build on information technology capabilities already achieved in the various professional domains associated with different stages of the building life cycle. It is predicted that BIM will help to drastically reduce errors, fast-track project delivery time and save implementation costs. As such BIM is now being utilized in the various professional domains and project stages. However, research suggests that the building operation and management stage is being left behind despite the abundance of data collected using building management systems (BMS) of varying degrees of sophistication. It is therefore important to consider exploring BIM applications that encompasses the building operation phase. This will enhance the evaluation of building performance in use and provide feedback to the design stage which could help eliminate design-related performance issues. A framework for utilizing feedback loops frombuilding energy consumption to inform and improve design and facility management in a BIM environment is therefore proposed. A prototype illustrating the framework is implemented in. NET framework interfacedwith a BIM-enabled tool and tested in the refinement of a pre-designed school using data from the operations phase of another school delivered previously. We conclude that the framework developed in this research can contribute to bridging existing gaps between the design, construction and operation phases of a building's life-cycle

The purpose of this paper is to examine knowledge transfer (KT) practices in five construction projects delivering sustainable office buildings in Germany and the UK by using social network analysis (SNA). Case studies were adopted as research strategy, with one construction project representing one case study. A combination of quantitative data, social network data and some qualitative data on perceptions of the sustainable construction process and its KT were collected through questionnaires. The data were analysed using a combination of descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, content analysis and SNA. This resulted in a KT map of each sustainable construction project. The findings resulted in a better understanding of how knowledge on sustainable construction is transferred and adopted. They show that large amounts of tacit knowledge were transferred through strong ties in sparse networks. The findings could offer a solution to secure a certain standard of sustainable building quality through improved KT. The findings indicate a need for further research and discussion on network density, tie strength and tacit KT. This paper contributes to the literature on KT from a social network perspective. It provides a novel approach through combining concepts of network structure and relatedness in tie contents regarding specialised knowledge, i.e. sustainable construction knowledge. Thereby it provides a robust approach to mapping knowledge flows in office building projects that aim to achieve high levels of sustainability standards.

Purpose: – The relationship between sustainable development and private finance initiative (PFI) procurement systems is clarified, and the current debate on the effectiveness of PFI in the UK and the benefits of PFI to deliver sustainable construction is reviewed. The study develops a sustainability assessment framework encompassing environmental, economic, social and technical aspects through the life cycle of the procurement process. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach: – A comprehensive literature review develops a conceptual sustainability performance indicators framework. A national questionnaire survey measures existing PFI projects' sustainability performance level.Findings: – The study provides empirical insights about key performance indicators of sustainable PFI project development and a benchmarking for existing PFI project performance measurement. It suggests that successful sustainable PFI projects should integrate technical aspects into the traditional three dimensions sustainability model and achieve a balance between social and economic performance.Research limitations/implications: – Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack in-depth analysis of individual projects. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the framework further.Practical implications: – The sustainability indicator framework proposed in this paper is readily applicable in PFI projects, as well as other types of PPP projects.Originality/value: – This paper fulfils an identified need to study how the sustainability performance levels achieved could be effectively measured within PFI/PPP projects; while contributing to the debate on benchmarking and measuring sustainability performance in construction.

Purpose – The paper aims to report on the development of a process mapping approach to explore adaptive re-use processes. Design/methodology/approach – Four case studies of adaptive re-use projects in London (UK) were conducted. Two are reported here. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with key agents and archival research on planning case documentation. Archival research was also used to “triangulate” interview data, which was analysed by using NUD*IST (now QSR N6) and Decision Explorer™ (DE). Data analysis entailed coding in NUD*IST, and map building and analysis in DE. Findings – The key common areas between different projects, and networked pivotal activities and issues are identified. A powerful tool for visualising project complexity, and hence for project assessment and evaluation, is provided. Research limitations/implications – Statistical tools could have complemented the post-analysis verification discussions with the interviewees to ensure validity of the findings. Data processing and data export/import between software tools are extremely labour intensive and time consuming. Automated visual output is relatively poor for presentation purposes. Tacit researcher bias may be inherent. Practical implications – The findings provide a basis for developing specific management strategies for complex re-use projects. This novel approach could be developed into a tool for: post-project reviews, strategic learning for experienced practitioners, educating and training academics and novice practitioners, and for managing project knowledge. Originality/value – The creative use of NUD*IST and DE in combination is novel. Experienced practitioners will be presented with a powerful tool for visualising project complexity, and thus for monitoring and reviewing the levels of complexity at each stage, once further development, automation and sophistication are achieved. The critical aspects of adaptive re-use process, the key activities and issues are pointed out for novice practitioners. Researchers will find the adoption of content analysis and cognitive mapping tools to process mapping innovative.