Visual attention of construction workers is closely related to their safety performance. Identifying and understanding safety signs on workplace effectively is beneficial to improve visual attention. This study focuses on exploring the influencing mechanism of construction safety sign features on visual attention of construction workers using the eye-tracking technology, in order to improve visual attention and workplace safety performance through optimizing the construction safety signs. A theoretical model of influencing mechanism of safety sign features on visual attention was constructed based on visual information processing theory. To verify the theoretical model, an experiment was conducted as follows: 28 pictures of safety signs including visual and cognitive features were shown on the computer screen, then eye movement data from 41 subjects was obtained using EyeLink1000 Plus. Statistical test methods were employed to analyze the relationship between safety sign features and eye-tracking metrics. The statistical results of theoretical model indicate that, among visual features, red and rectangular safety signs can reduce cognitive load of first fixation, green signs can reduce cognitive difficulties, however visual attention is not closely related to auxiliary words. Among the cognitive features, unfamiliar signs require more cognitive effort, while no significant difference exists in visual attention of different levels of concreteness and sematic closeness. This study provides theoretical and practical basis for improving construction workers’ visual attention through optimizing visual and cognitive features of construction safety signs.

Burnout is at all-time highs across modern professions. As a typical labor-intensive industry, the high-pressure and task-driven nature of the construction industry makes construction workers more prone to burnout. It is still unclear whether increasing the professionalization level can lessen the many harmful consequences of job burnout on construction workers’ employment. Therefore, this study examined the influencing mechanism of professionalization on job burnout in the construction industry. First, a theoretical model based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory was developed with workload, job insecurity, and work–family conflict as moderating variables. A reliable sample of 441 Chinese construction workers were then recruited in the investigation. The data analysis was supported by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicated that: (i) an increase in the professionalization level could be directly effective in alleviating job burnout among construction workers; (ii) workload and work–family conflict could play an independent and continuous mediating role between professionalization and job burnout; and (iii) while job insecurity caused by a low professionalization did not have a direct impact on job burnout, it could have an indirect impact on job burnout through workload and work–family conflict, respectively. This study enriches the literature on job burnout among construction workers, as well as provides a theoretical basis and practical management guidance for Chinese construction companies to alleviate job burnout in workers from a professionalization standpoint.

Safety climate has been extensively studied using survey-based approaches, providing significant insights into safety perceptions and behaviors. However, understanding its dynamics in construction projects requires methods that address temporal and trade-specific variability. This study employs a longitudinal, mixed-methods design to explore safety climate dynamics. Quantitative data analyzed with ANOVA revealed stable overall safety climate scores across project phases, while Item Response Theory (IRT) identified survey items sensitive to safety climate changes. Positive perceptions were associated with management commitment and regular safety meetings, while negative perceptions highlighted challenges such as workplace congestion and impractical safety rules. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews uncovered trade-specific and phase-specific safety challenges, including issues tied to site logistics and workforce dynamics. For instance, transitioning from structural to interior work introduced congestion-related risks and logistical complexities, underscoring the need for phase-adapted strategies. This combination of quantitative stability and qualitative variability provides empirical evidence of safety climate dynamics in construction. The findings emphasize the importance of tailoring safety interventions to address trade-specific and phase-specific risks. This study advances the understanding of the safety climate in dynamic work environments and offers actionable recommendations for improving construction safety management through targeted, proactive strategies.

The smart city is recognized as a potent instrument for creating efficient urban environments and improving the quality of life of urban residents. However, there is an absence of research establishing a comprehensive evaluation model for the smart cities (SCs) and focusing on their spatiotemporal analysis. Thus, a comprehensive evaluation framework was developed and applied to 26 cities in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) in China from 2017 to 2020 to assess the smart city level (SCL) in China and analyze these cities’ spatial–temporal characteristics. The results indicated the following: (1) The overall SCL in the YRDUA has exhibited sustainable improvement, and the gap between cities is gradually narrowing. (2) The SCL of the YRDUA exhibits a higher SCL in the east and a lower SCL in the west of the YRDUA. The global spatial correlation of the SCL was random. Nantong, Hefei, Jiaxing, Zhoushan, Chizhou, Tongling, and Wuhu showed significant local spatial correlation. (3) The comprehensive evaluation framework is applicable for analyzing the SCs in China, and this framework can also be extended to other countries. Pertinent recommendations are put forth to enhance the SCL through the formulation of policies and fostering intercity collaboration. This research not only enriches the theoretical research on smart city evaluation but also clarifies the spatial–temporal characteristics of the SCs in China, thereby providing valuable insights that can foster sustainable smart city development.