This study examines the critical success factors (CSFs) crucial for the effective deployment of public-private partnership (PPP) models in sustainable housing projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), underpinning the nation's Vision 2030. Through a robust methodology that incorporates a profound literature review, structured interviews, and a survey involving key stakeholders, the study prioritizes fourteen significant CSFs integral to PPP efficacy. Employing Analytical Hierarchy Process analysis, key outcomes underscore the paramount importance of technical aspects with an emphasis on sustainability, tailoring risk-sharing and allocation to encompass green technologies and eco-friendly practices, and economic stability in the light of long-term environmental sustainability in fostering successful sustainable housing projects. Notably, the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model is categorized as the most effective PPP modality, attaining a mean importance score of 4.07. This model is contrasted with other modalities such as Design-Build-Operate (DBO) and Build-Own-Lease-Transfer (BOLT), which scored lower in effectiveness. This comprehensive evaluation provides crucial insights for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing the strategic selection of PPP modalities and the prioritization of CSFs to enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of housing projects in KSA.

The cost of constructing foundations, on average, ranges from 10% to 15% of a project’s total cost. Therefore, selecting the appropriate type of foundation may result in a significant reduction in project costs. In this study, a value engineering (VE) approach was applied to select the best foundation type from seven alternatives that covered shallow and deep foundations. Selection was dependent on ten important criteria, which were classified into safety, buildability, flexibility of architectural design, and environmental impact. Foundation construction experts used the stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) method to determine the weights of these ten properties for six identified cases based on structure type and soil type. In addition, the weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) method was used to determine the quality weight for each foundation option. The results show that adaptable architectural design requirements were more critical in selecting the foundation than the safety criteria for a bridge project. Additionally, the criteria for environmental impacts in the case of high-rise buildings have a more significant impact on foundation choice than low-rise buildings. The outcomes of this study may improve the adaptability of architectural design and the environmental impact of future structures and building codes in the construction industry.

Water distribution systems (WDSs) are essential elements for the prosperity and development of societies around the globe. However, over time, the pipeline network starts to age and deteriorate, which results in an increasing rate of breaks and water loss due to leakages. Many countries have started government-funded plans to upgrade and rehabilitate their WDS network components to overcome these challenges. This study proposes an optimization framework that addresses these issues and offers potential benefits. It aims to achieve the optimal upgrading strategies considering network operation (hydraulic) performance and upgrading cost, including investment and non-revenue water costs. The upgrade of the WDS network in the model consists of replacing pipes and controlling the pressure-reducing valve (PRV) settings to reduce leakages. The proposed framework is demonstrated using a small-sized benchmark WDS. The study’s outcomes provide the utilities’ operators and municipalities’ decision-makers with a guiding tool to choose the optimal upgrading strategy for their WDS networks at the lowest cost and optimum operation performance. The methodology involves simulating various leakage scenarios and applying optimization techniques to find the best combination of pipe replacements and PRV settings. This approach ensures a balance between minimizing leakage rates and controlling upgrading costs. The framework achieved a reduction of leakage up to 20% from the original leakage with a 70% probability for the tested benchmark network. The optimization framework can also offer a range of upgrading strategies, with a trade-off between the WDS network leakage reduction and the required cost of the upgrading strategy.

Evaluating risks is crucial for the smooth execution of pipeline projects. In Saudi Arabia, pipeline building projects frequently experience delays and cost overruns. This study tries to identify these risk factors. Thus, risk factors were collected from the literature and presented to four experts to identify the 26 most common factors for pipeline construction in Saudi Arabia. The risk factors were then assessed using a questionnaire to measure the degree of impact of the 26 factors by 135 participants. Partial least square structure equation model (PLS-SEM) and relative importance index (RII) methods were utilized to rank the significant factors after performing the reliability and discriminant validity of the questionnaire data. The findings show that the top five factors based on PLS-SEM were discrepancy between implementation requirements and specifications, financial failure/bankruptcy, poor pipeline material quality, supplying invalid materials, and weak ability to identify and monitor the threats. The ranking of the factors using PLS-SEM is different in the RII method. This difference is due to applying the Cronbachs α formula in the two methods. The PLS-SEM computes the coefficients of the groups, while the RII computes the coefficients for all factors. The study results can assist pipeline project managers in identifying and ranking risk variables to efficiently utilize the limited financial and human resources available for the risk management.

This paper investigates the Building Information Modeling (BIM) adoption impact on the factors of Contract Cost Variance (CCV) over time. The study considers qualitative and quantitative data to identify the most common causes of CCV through pre-tendering. A partial least square-structure model (PLS-SEM) procedure was used to develop a causal model and rank CCV factors based on their effect, partially based on prior survey raw data conducted in 2022 and the data from 94 projects. Construction industry experts assessed the prior five-year rate of BIM adoption on construction projects to infer the expected trend in BIM adoption in the future (until 2037). Based on the causal model of CCV factors and the future rates of BIM adoption, the dynamic impact of BIM on CCV factors over time was modeled and analyzed. The analysis shows that BIM reduces CCV over time by improving Estimator Performance (EP), Information Quality (IQ), and contractual procedure (CP). The results showed that the CP, EP, and EF have directly impacted CCV, and the PC and IQ indirectly affect the CCV. This paper considers the temporal aspect, examining how the impact of BIM on CCV factors evolves. This dynamic analysis is crucial for long-term strategic planning in construction management.

Over the last 40 years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has experienced economic growth that has driven urbanization and infrastructure improvements. However, this has also led to high resource use and poor planning, exacerbating climate challenges and underscoring the need for international cooperation. Given the substantial energy use associated with buildings, sustainable global building standards have been developed. Saudi Vision 2030 encourages sustainable practices in energy, housing, and water by adopting green building standards to guide environmentally friendly initiatives. This study provides an overview of the current status of green building rating systems in KSA and examines the principal obstacles faced during their implementation. Utilizing importance-performance analysis (IPA), the study identifies and evaluates strategies to advance green building ratings, drawing upon survey data from diverse stakeholders. Major barriers include low awareness across the public and private sectors and technical challenges such as a shortage of qualified professionals, limited information, and unreliable resources. The strategies proposed aim to establish clear standards for sustainable construction and promote targeted awareness campaigns with industry leaders and government, highlighting the long-term environmental and financial advantages of green buildings. Identifying these barriers and evaluating interventions will help to advance green building rating systems and sustainability in KSA and worldwide.