Several efforts have decreased the environmental footprint from the construction field in developed countries. In contrast, sustainability is often overlooked in developing countries due to unstable economies, monopoly, and inadequate policies, among others. It is evident from recent studies that sustainable construction practices are urgently needed in developing countries to reinstate construction methods, which in their current state deplete resources, damage the environment, and threaten the stakeholders’ health and well-being. Venezuela, a developing country in Latin America, is currently experiencing such issues within the construction industry due to political and economic cataclysms in addition to humanitarian, environmental, and health facets. This study seeks to identify key information that will facilitate the comprehensive understanding of major barriers and drivers to the adoption of proven sustainable construction practices, particularly in Venezuela. To achieve this objective, the study conducted a systematic literature review as well as multiple focus group discussions and questionnaire surveys to construction stakeholders in Venezuela. The analysis of the survey results confirmed that there are delays in the integration of sustainable construction practices due to factors such as inflation, lack of environmental awareness, and corruption, among others. The results also highlighted that professionals with higher academic backgrounds and trained for sustainable construction practices, particularly women professionals, are more likely to advocate for such practices within Venezuela. The findings of this study contribute to two bodies of knowledge: first, the construction management through embracing sustainable planning, design, and construction within the built environment; and second, sustainable construction through encouraging the adoption of integrative project delivery methods as well as sustainable training and practices specifically in developing countries. This paradigm shift toward embracing sustainable practices in developing countries promises the reduction of environmental impacts while nurturing a healthier built environment. Moreover, it also highlights the critical need to encourage solving such barriers and ensuring a sustainable future.

The construction industry plays a critical role in economic growth, social progress, and environmental protection of communities worldwide to foster sustainable development. Although the construction industry has made significant improvements in environmental and economic sustainability in terms of promoting the adoption of renewable resources, low-carbon communities, and pro-environmental behavior, among others, there is a growing concern for lack of social sustainability in the industry. Social sustainability is a critical component of a community’s wellbeing and longevity, yet it is one of the least prioritized concepts in sustainability debates. One of the main causes of social sustainability issues in the construction industry is the lack of education and awareness among the workforce. To address the gap, this research introduces a three-step pedagogical approach in construction education to prepare students in the field by developing cultural proficiency, critical thinking skills, and non-biased verbal communication skills. The study conducted the following three interventions: (1) social media-based learning activity; (2) cocurricular learning (i.e., in-class expert training); and (3) combination of problem-based learning (PBL) and conceptual model development activity (i.e., active learning activity). Overall, 111 students from two consecutive semesters (i.e., summer 2021 and fall 2021) participated in the interventions in three construction management (CM) courses (i.e., Sustainable Construction, Principles of Construction, and Sustainable Approach to Construction) at a minority-serving institution. The research integrated a mixed-method approach through the systematic collection of quantitative and qualitative data using questionnaire surveys and concept maps. A Wilcoxon signed-rank analysis evaluated the quantitative data obtained from the workshop’s pre- and post-surveys, whereas the qualitative data were analyzed using sentiment analysis. The obtained results demonstrated the efficacy of the following three interventions: (1) improved collaboration among students through increasing their social network and sharing their perspectives, opinions, and graphical media content more efficiently; (2) increased students’ awareness about unconscious biases as well as intercultural, persuasive, and verbal communication skills; and (3) improved their ability to conceptualize ideas and determine the implications of their decisions through concept maps. The findings of this study contribute to two bodies of knowledge. First, they contribute to sustainable construction by encouraging the integration of more robust initiatives on social sustainability education. Additionally, this study also contributes to engineering and construction ethics education by increasing students’ awareness about the social dimension of sustainability such as equity, unconscious biases, microaggressions, stereotypes, prejudices, and cultural humility.

The competency and professional growth of the workforce in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is significantly impacted by the individuals’ ability to master oral communication skills as well as articulate opinions amid large audiences. However, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates spend approximately 4 years learning technical skills, with little to no time devoted to enhancing oral communication skills. Regrettably, minority STEM students usually face additional interpersonal barriers that require targeted training to foster their leadership and oral communication skills, which in turn reinforce their readiness for the competitive job markets. This research addressed such drawbacks by integrating innovative cocurricular communication skills activities with the aim of advancing minority students’ oral communication and presentation skills. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the growth in students’ oral communication and presentation skills within four construction management courses through the implementation of three cocurricular activities: (1) in-class expert training; (2) virtual reality presentation simulation training; and (3) social media–based communication activity. The research assessed the effectiveness of these activities in three ways. A benchmark survey recorded baseline data of 327 STEM students about their cognitive-communication skill knowledge and self-efficacy in presentation skills. Pre- and postcourse evaluation surveys of 102 of the 327 students highlighted overall skill growth compared with their performance at the beginning of the semester. An exit survey of 87 of the 102 students recorded their feedback about their social learning experiences and the effectiveness of each of the three implemented cocurricular activities. The results of the study indicated that minority STEM students benefited tremendously from the innovative oral communication skill training because the proposed three cocurricular activities promoted interpersonal growth and addressed some of their identified presentation skills deficiencies. The findings of this study contribute to the engineering and construction education bodies of knowledge by emphasizing the effectiveness of cocurricular communication training within formal and informal educational settings, which can help students to thrive in their future careers by developing and reinforcing their oral communication and presentation skills.

Developing countries are extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, their aftermath, and the impact on peoples’ health and wellbeing, specifically as a result of lacking resources to mitigate postdisaster risks. One of the significant causes that increases the health and safety threats after disasters is mishandling the hazardous wastes. Although most developed countries have formulated health and safety protocols to deal with such waste, these practices are usually incompatible and rarely implemented in developing countries. In this research, a case study of the 2015 Nepal earthquake is analyzed to identify the primary causes of health and safety issues affecting the wellbeing of those involved during postdisaster activities. The study aims to identify and explicitly document the health and safety issues by surveying 103 officials and community stakeholders in Nepal, including workers, volunteers, and professionals working in various governmental and nongovernmental organizations. The study highlights the philanthropic participation of Nepalese communities during disaster waste management (DWM) activities and consequences to the lack of preparedness and protective action trainings. The results of the statistical analysis show that there is an adverse increase in health issues specifically for those (1) involved in DWM; (2) exposed to hazardous waste; (3) lacking health and safety guidance and training; and (4) deficient in construction and engineering knowledge. Improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and lack of safety training have been found to be a major cause leading to health issues, where 40% of the respondents suffered from at least one health problem when involved in DWM activities. This research demonstrates the need for disaster training particularly for sustainable DWM to increase the public health resilience in future postdisaster recovery sites, sustainability awareness, and identify a preferred pedagogy to train underprivileged communities in developing countries.

Post-disaster reconnaissance is vital for assessing the impact of a natural disaster on the built environment and informing improvements in design, construction, risk mitigation, and our understanding of extreme events. The data obtained from reconnaissance can also be utilized to improve disaster recovery planning by maximizing resource efficiency, minimizing waste, and promoting resilience in future disasters. This paper aims to investigate existing reconnaissance reports and datasets to identify the factors that impact the reusability of buildings post-disaster and to recommend strategies that align with circular economy goals. The study adopted a three-step research methodology to attain the proposed goals: (1) thematic analysis was used to evaluate types of damages reported in the reconnaissance reports; (2) a supervised machine-learning algorithm was employed to analyze reconnaissance datasets; and (3) a concept map was developed based on interviews of 109 stakeholders in disaster-prone communities to recommend strategies to adopt circular economy practices post-disaster. The study results highlight the recurring risks of damage to different parts of the building and how circular economy resilience practices like deconstruction can minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency during post-disaster recovery. The findings of the study promote a more regenerative economy to build resilience to the challenges of future extreme weather events.

Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is an off-site construction approach that reduces construction time, traffic disruption, and safety hazards on construction sites. However, the acceptance of this off-site methodology is challenged by many obstacles, including high initial cost, inexperienced contractors and manufacturers, and a lack of early contractor involvement. An alternative technical concept (ATC) is a proposal made during the bidding or procurement process with an equal or better alternative in the baseline project design. It allows for early contractor involvement and risk mitigation during the bidding stage. This study aims to highlight and provide a metric that supports ABC stakeholders in recognizing the merits of using ATCs during the bidding stage on ABC projects. To achieve this goal, this study utilizes a qualitative approach that includes (1) case studies that successfully integrated ATCs in different delivery methods of an ABC project; and (2) analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of requesting ATCs in ABC projects in comparison to the ABC projects that did not request ATCs. The qualitative results indicate that ATCs adoption in ABC projects ensures a reduction in cost, time, risks, and legal and contractual issues. Additionally, the SWOT analysis results facilitates ABC stakeholders with comprehensive knowledge about how they can take advantage of ATCs’ strengths, address weaknesses, deter threats, and capitalize on opportunities created by the adoption of ATCs within future ABC projects. The study’s findings demonstrate an innovative approach to addressing contractual and constructability challenges in ABC projects through ATCs, thereby promoting innovation, and maximizing off-site construction benefits. Currently, many departments of transportation do not have specific codes or regulations related to alternative technical concepts for accelerated bridge construction projects. As such, ABC stakeholders are either unaware or reluctant to adopt ATCs due to uncertainty of their impact on the projects’ cost, schedule, performance, and associated risks. Since very few ABC projects have successfully adopted ATCs for project delivery, the case studies documented in this study provide an understanding of the nature of the project delivery system with integration of ATCs, ways to achieve sustainability, and effective project execution. The case studies and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats matrix highlighted in this study facilitate ABC stakeholders with comprehensive knowledge about how they can take advantage of ATCs’ strengths, address weaknesses, deter threats, and capitalize on opportunities created by the adoption of ATCs within future ABC projects. Additionally, the ABC industry can benefit from the findings of this study through a comprehensive understanding of legal and contractual issues that can be avoided through the integration of confidential meetings and rigorous processes of ATCs during the project delivery of ABC projects. Therefore, this study contributes to the construction management body of knowledge by increasing awareness and providing strategies for exploiting the benefits of ATCs, reducing legal and contractual issues, as well as improving management practices that affect the implementation of ATCs for project delivery of ABC projects.