Purpose: As construction project designs grow in complexity, the challenges associated with project monitoring also escalate. Therefore, it is recommended that cutting-edge technologies like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) be incorporated to alleviate some of the issues encountered during the execution of construction projects. This paper examines the utilisation and barriers of UAV applications for health and safety (H&S) management in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: Adopting a quantitative method for the study, data were collected from 408 construction professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI) with a questionnaire using the convenience and snowball sampling techniques. The collected data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: The study reveals a low level of UAV adoption in the GCI, with most firms not using UAVs for H&S management. Key barriers identified include technical challenges, high costs, lack of training, limited government support and resistance to new technologies. Despite the recognised potential of UAVs in improving construction safety, their adoption remains limited due to these obstacles. Conclusively, this study recommends measures that would propel the espousal of UAVs for H&S management in the construction industry. Originality/value: The results of this research shed light on a relatively unexplored area within the construction sector, particularly in a developing country like Ghana. By providing empirical evidence and insights, the study contributes to the broader understanding of how innovative technologies can be leveraged for H&S management in emerging economies.

Purpose: Public-private partnership (PPP) projects represent a large percentage of infrastructure development in every economy. According to the Private Participation in Infrastructure database (World Bank Group), the PPP model has delivered many projects around the world. These projects largely follow the linear economy model, which opposes sustainable practices and increases the financial burden on the public purse. In recent times, practitioners and governments are undertaking major reviews of these projects and embracing circular economy (CE) models to promote the sustainability of the projects. Therefore, this study aims to assess the major influencing factors towards CE in PPP projects. Design/methodology/approach: Primary data sourced with questionnaires from practitioners in different countries were analyzed with the fuzzy synthetic data analysis approach. Findings: The key findings demonstrate four categories of enabling factors on CE in PPP projects: environmental protection initiatives, effective leadership and project team proficiency, effective stakeholder engagement and regulatory compliance and innovative technologies and data sharing. Research limitations/implications: This article contributes to the body of knowledge by expanding the limited information on CE practices for PPP-sponsored projects, and it lays ground for further studies into the influencing factors on CE. Practical implications: Practitioners will be guided and understand areas to strengthen to realize CE potentials in PPP projects. Originality/value: As the first of its kind in the domain of PPP research, this empirical study highlights the key groups of factors influencing the shift towards circular PPP practices, which will support future scholarly research. The findings also provide detailed insights for practitioners on major areas (factors) affecting the application of CE initiatives towards attaining sustainable development goals in PPP practices and policies.

Despite the current attention on net zero energy buildings (NZEBs) and the renewable energy potential of developing economies, their potential in developing economies remains underutilized. This untapped opportunity is largely attributed to a lack of knowledge regarding effective NZEB implementation strategies. Therefore, this study investigates the strategies for the implementation of NZEBs in a developing economy. The study used a mixed-methods approach, conducting a quantitative survey among 120 construction professionals and semi-structured interviews with 10 NZEB experts to develop a conceptual framework for NZEBs implementation in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI). The quantitative data collected were analysed using mean scores, standard deviation, one-sample t-test and normalisation value (NV) test. The qualitative results were thematically analysed and compared with the quantitative findings to validate and enrich the interpretation through detailed insights from interviewees. The findings highlighted seven key strategies critical to NZEB implementation in the GCI: creation of NZEB awareness among design professionals and contractors; academic institutions’ intervention; government promotion of NZEB awareness; specialist training in renewable energy technologies; educating building owners about energy-saving benefits; ensuring adequate experts for NZEB quality assurance and publicizing the health benefits of NZEBs. The findings of this study shed light on a relatively under-reported area within the built environment of a developing country, particularly Ghana. This offers insights and contributes new and supplementary knowledge on strategies for implementing NZEBs.

The construction industry worldwide remains male-dominated, with the underrepresentation of women at all career levels and businesses. This situation could undermine efforts toward addressing sustainable development goal (SDG) 5 for gender equality and empowerment in the industry. Hence, this study aimed to empirically assess the barriers hindering female entrepreneurs specifically within Ghana’s construction sector for suggested career development provisions. A concurrent mixed-method research design was employed, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data in an integrated manner. Qualitative data involved semi-structured interviews with 10 female entrepreneurs in Ghana’s construction industry. Quantitative data involved an online survey of 31 female construction entrepreneurs, measuring responses to 21 variables identified in prior literature as potential barriers. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis, whereas the quantitative data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Subsequently, the results were compared using MAXQDA tools. The qualitative findings identified nine prominent themes relating to barriers – including gender bias, work-life conflicts, lack of support networks, safety issues and access to capital and/or opportunities. The one-sample t-test utilized in analysing the quantitative data identified 13 significant barriers such as lack of role models, harassment, lack of credit access, stressful work demands, underutilization of skills and low salaries. Furthermore, the comparative model using the MAXQDA tools revealed that the empirical support and confirmation across both data sources for challenges discussed theoretically – such as gender stereotyping, work-life imbalances due to caregiving responsibilities and limited access to financing impacting business success and growth. The study highlighted discrimination, intimidation and harassment as significant issues faced by women. These findings bring to the fore the need for society and policy to realign towards changing the status quo of gender inequality within the industry. From a practical standpoint, promoting inclusion through partner networks, enforcement of clear anti-discrimination and anti-harassment workplace policies is needed. The findings reveal socio-cultural gender biases in developing countries such as Ghana, which must be understood in order to develop appropriate strategies that will encourage inclusivity in addressing SDGs in construction in developing countries, particularly goal 5, which aims for gender equality and the empowerment of all women.