The construction industry has been plagued with a labor shortage, poor productivity, high material wastage, and unsafe working conditions predominantly due to monotonous and labor-intensive activities. Unlike construction, other industries have successfully adopted prefabrication, automation, and robotics to enhance their productivity, safety, and sustainability throughout their processes. However, the construction industry is unable to fully integrate such groundbreaking technologies due to various challenges. To date, there is scarce research that identifies and documents the existing barriers to the usage of robotics, particularly within the United States construction industry, thus impeding the mainstream adoption of robotics due either to a lack of identifying such challenges or poor understanding of them. The goal of this study is to identify the documented barriers to adopting robotics in the US construction industry, which in turn can support a profound understanding of such barriers as well as informing the construction industry and academic researchers about how to look for solutions for these barriers. This effort of identifying the challenges to using robotics is the foundation to support and advance the adoption of such technology by, for example, fulfilling the need to provide robotic training for the future US workforce. To achieve this goal, this research targeted high-quality journals from ASCE as well as the ScienceDirect library and, as a result, identified 14 unique barriers through a critical literature review of 291 research articles published between the years 1980 and 2020. The study specifies unique findings that contribute to construction management, including planning, productivity, practices, workforce education and development, and construction automation, bodies of knowledge by identifying the challenges behind the uncertain adoption of robotics in the US construction industry. The findings of this research are also critical to the profession in terms of understanding the myths associated with the uncertainty impacts of using robotics in relation to our future workforce. The US construction industry needs to initially realize the benefits, target the barriers based on difficulty of resolution, and then exploit opportunities through addressing the barriers that impede the integration of robotics, which could ultimately bring about a sustainable paradigm shift in construction practices.

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.

Natural disasters devastate property and infrastructure systems, impeding sustainable development. Low-income communities, due to economic, physical, and social disparities, face heightened exposure and vulnerability. These communities endure severe and long-lasting infrastructure damage, experiencing a fourfold increase in deaths per disaster and delayed recovery efforts. Consequently, they resort to constructing informal housing and infrastructure, worsening post-disaster challenges and vulnerabilities. This study aims to address post-disaster challenges in low-income communities by proposing two novel approaches that remain understudied despite their significant potential: (1) a short-term solution of origami temporary emergency housing for swift shelter post-disaster, enabling a return to routine activities while homes and infrastructure systems are being repaired or rebuilt; and (2) a long-term solution, including effective pedagogy, such as teaching methods and instructional tools, to educate and train low-income individuals to aid in sustainable post-disaster reconstruction while providing the added benefit of social mobility. To validate the feasibility of origami TEH and the need and effectiveness of the pedagogy, a survey among architecture, engineering, and construction experts in Puerto Rico, a region prone to natural disasters, was conducted. The results, analyzed using statistical measures including descriptive statistics and ordered probit regression analysis, emphasize the urgent need for sustainable TEH that can be quickly assembled and education for low-income individuals in construction trades. Implementing these solutions will significantly impact communities by addressing post-disaster challenges and promoting social mobility and job equity.