Previous studies revealed that Building Information Modeling (BIM) has the potential to reduce project uncertainties, design errors, change orders, and delays, which might facilitate achieving effective dispute management in the construction industry. However, research into the adoption of BIM to holistically enhance effective dispute management is limited compared with the plentiful BIM research in the construction management field. This study explored whether and how BIM adoption can help minimize the chronic problem of dispute in the industry. A structured critical literature review method was employed in this study which involved 102 papers in the fields of BIM and construction disputes. Nine main common causes of disputes (e.g., change order, design error, site problem, contractual problem, payment problem, and delay) and eight primary benefits of BIM application (e.g., improved visual management, design optimization, improved information management, and enhanced collaboration) were identified. A conceptual framework was developed illustrating the mechanism of adopting BIM to facilitate dispute management in the overall life cycle of construction projects. The framework indicates that design error, delay, and change order can be reduced most significantly by most of the BIM benefits, whereas improved visual management, improved information management, and enhanced collaboration are three of the most frequently adopted BIM benefits that can settle the majority of dispute causes. This study contributes to dispute management with a more holistic view of adopting BIM in the life cycle of construction projects, as illustrated in the conceptual framework. In addition, the identified common causes of disputes and primary benefits of BIM application are valuable for on future research in these two areas. The research findings are valuable for practitioners to obtain a holistic understanding of the two topics of dispute causes and BIM benefits, both independently and integrally. First, the identified common causes of disputes can be used by project managers to develop more-targeted strategies for reducing potential disputes in their projects. Second, the identified BIM benefits provide a comprehensive view of the advantages of BIM application for the clients, which will enable them to use BIM in their projects more proactively. Finally, and more importantly, the research findings indicated that BIM could be used to manage disputes in the global construction industry more effectively. The identified BIM features and other technologies or tools in dispute management present comprehensive results illustrating how to use BIM directly or indirectly for dispute management. In addition, the proposed framework is valuable for practitioners to find better solutions to prevent and control construction disputes via the application of BIM throughout the project life cycle.

Construction disputes have long been identified as epidemics in the construction industry worldwide, which has become a more serious problem due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies on the dispute causes have primarily focused on country- or region-specific contexts and hence the results cannot be generalized in solving this chronic problem in a broader construction project worldwide. This study aims to explore and evaluate the critical dispute causes in construction projects through a comparative study between China and the United Kingdom. A total of 33 common dispute causes were identified through a comprehensive literature review and further consolidated by pilot surveys in the two countries. An online questionnaire survey was administered among construction professionals in China and the United Kingdom, with 170 valid responses returned for data analysis. Principal component factor analysis, mean score ranking approach, quartile analysis, and Mann-Whitney $U$ testing were employed to identify the most critical dispute causes. Similarities and differences were mapped between the two countries. It was found that the five most critical categories of dispute causes in the two territories are: delay-related problems, lack of communication, contractual problems, site conditions, and design problems. The importance of variation in quantities, breach of contract, misinterpretation of contractual terms and conditions, and poor contract management was perceived significantly differently by the respondents in China and the United Kingdom, whereas design defects and failure to make compensation for additional work were the most critical common dispute causes in both countries. The research provides important findings for both academics and practitioners to holistically understand the similarities and differences of dispute causes in China and the United Kingdom and aids in preventing disputes more effectively in the global construction industry.

In recent years, the rise of the domestic industry has boosted the use and popularity of prefabricated buildings. Prefabricated buildings differ significantly from traditional design, construction, and production models. However, due to the short development period of prefabricated buildings in China, the quality management of these new structures is still not mature, resulting in frequent project delays and failure. To improve quality management, this paper aims to establish an evaluation model of factors affecting prefabricated building quality. The 4M1E framework was used to categorize and generalize related quality factors. Then, GeNIe software was used to establish a visual Bayesian network quality factor evaluation model. The factors that need to be managed and given attention to in the prefabricated construction project were discovered using reverse reasoning, sensitivity, and critical factor analysis. The results indicated that among the multiple stages of prefabricated buildings, the construction stage has the greatest impact on the quality of buildings. C2(Insufficient sense of responsibility of construction personnel) is the most significant factor that needs to be controlled. In addition, this paper combined the ISM-BN model with actual engineering projects to identify key factors affecting the project’s quality, demonstrating the model’s applicability. The evaluation model of quality factors in prefabricated buildings was established. It can identify the underlying causes of quality issues in prefabricated buildings and control engineering quality at the source, acting as an effective guide for practitioners and enterprises.

Rapid urbanization and an increasing carbon footprint have underscored the need for sustainable practices in the construction industry. With the aim of prioritizing global sustainable development, the measurement of carbon emission efficiency in the construction industry (CEECI) has emerged as a critical indicator. Nevertheless, a comprehensive exploration of carbon emission efficiency within the Chinese construction sector remains limited, despite the pressing demand to mitigate carbon emissions. To address this research gap, this study aims to provide valuable policy recommendations for effectively reducing carbon emissions. We conducted a thorough assessment of both the total carbon emissions and the carbon emission intensity in 30 provinces and cities across China from 2010 to 2020. Utilizing the slacks-based measure (SBM) model with non-desired outputs, we evaluated the static CEECI, including the spatial correlation analysis and the evaluation of the carbon reduction potential in the construction industry (CRPCI). Additionally, the dynamic CEECI was quantified using the Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) index model, followed by an index decomposition analysis. The findings reveal several noteworthy insights: (1) There exists a positive correlation between carbon emissions in the construction industry and the economic scale. Generally, less developed areas (e.g., central and western regions of China) exhibit higher levels of carbon emission intensity (CEICI), while more developed areas (e.g., eastern regions of China) demonstrate lower levels of CEICI. (2) The CEECI across various provinces and cities demonstrates a clear spatial positive autocorrelation, while the CRPCI exhibits a negative correlation with the CEECI, with larger CRPCI values observed predominantly in western China. (3) Technological progress (MLTC) emerges as a crucial factor influencing the CEECI in our dynamic analysis. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers to develop focused strategies to effectively mitigate carbon emissions nationwide.

Construction robots (CRs) are regarded as a promising solution to improve productivity, safety, and labor efficiency in the construction industry, yet their adoption remains limited. Although several studies have attempted to identify promotion strategies for CR adoption, few have explored the dynamic interdependencies among them. Using China as a case study, this research develops a hybrid framework integrating DEMATEL, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), and a Fuzzy Bayesian Network (FBN) to examine the causal mechanisms, structural hierarchies, and dynamic sensitivities of strategies for promoting CR adoption. The results identify two strategies as the most influential, which exert broad effects on other strategies. ISM results indicate that three strategies, which are all financial related, serve as underlying causes that fundamentally support the overall CR adoption pathway. Furthermore, both DEMATEL and FBN analyses highlight that establishing standardized systems for CRs covering functionality, performance, and safety and improving CR compatibility with other intelligent construction technologies are the most critical strategies, as they achieved the highest integrated scores across sensitivity and importance dimensions, indicating their pivotal role in driving system-wide improvements. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and industry practitioners to better understand and implement multidimensional strategies to improve robot adoption in the construction industry.