The use of conventional building materials in the construction sector significantly contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in considerable environmental damage across Pakistan. Embracing sustainable building materials is crucial for mitigating pollution, conserving energy, and enhancing indoor air quality through the utilization of recycled and renewable resources, reducing environmental pollution. The focus of this study is to explore the adoption of green building materials within Pakistan's construction sector, particularly aiming to mitigate environmental impacts, including air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The objectives include identification of sustainable materials, evaluation of their benefits and drawbacks, and the provision of recommendations for effective implementation. The research methodology includes the administration of closed-ended questionnaires, the conduct of interviews, and the observation process, utilizing both planned and random sampling techniques to ensure the collection of reliable data. The findings indicate a limited interest in eco-friendly materials, constrained by factors such as high costs, low market demand, and logistical challenges. Cronbach's alpha value is 0.926, which shows high internal consistency and reliability. The study highlights that 73% of construction firms in Pakistan do not use green building materials. This research distinguishes itself through a thorough evaluation of sustainable materials specifically suited to Pakistan’s industry, providing strategic insights to address current challenges and foster green building practices. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2024-05-03-015 Full Text: PDF

The rise in construction sector development is also leading to elevated levels of global carbon density, which is affecting the humanoid population in a negative way. Considering this phenomenon into consideration, it is now globally agreed that the construction sector is contributing to a significant portion of carbon emissions. The high concentrations of carbon emitted during the construction project lifecycle have also been linked to several human diseases and ozone layer perforations. Among all the different kinds of carbon emissions, the embodied carbon is the one that can be measured under controlled conditions. However, although in regards to the harmful consequences of the carbon emissions, the tools for calculating these emissions in the building industry are insufficient. This study thus tends to develop a conceptual staged embodied carbon measurement tool which can be used for the calculation of embodied carbon at the construction project design stage.

The study's goal is to create a smart parking system using wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which are now being used in almost every field for a variety of applications, including monitoring marine life in oceans, health monitoring, object inspection, smart homes sensor based systems, and the automotive and locomotive industries. The wireless sensor network is built on the basis of a vehicle parking system utilizing the Xbee module after a thorough examination of several systems. The Xbee modules are set up in a star network, with the first node acting as a receiving and transmitter node, and the remaining nodes acting as transmitters. Multiple access time division was utilized in this project. The data is sent by the transmitter node after a predetermined time interval, and it is received by the receiver node without any data collision between two transmitting nodes. Each node's central processing unit is an Arduino. The HC-06 RF module is used to connect wirelessly with the graphical user interface through Bluetooth protocol. The main idea is to build a parking system that is completely wireless and does not rely on a wired network. The WSN-based auto parking system is chosen for the implementation.

In recent decades, digital technologies have advanced in various parts of the world. In addition, as these digital technologies progress, new types of accidents have emerged. To map global research findings on construction health and safety technologies, it has been our endeavour to review those technologies utilized in the field of construction health and safety management. This paper reviews publication that has been published in journals and the International Conference on Construction and Building Engineering which have been compiled to reveal emerging research trends. A compilation of all the studies is discussed to give a better understanding.

Road traffic accidents are a primary global concern, considering their magnitude and gravity and the subsequent negative impacts on the economy and general well-being of the public. Pakistan is no exception to this worldwide dilemma, with the highest incidence of road traffic accidents in recent years. Big cities like Peshawar are rapidly transforming into cities of congestion as they face severe road safety problems. Past Studies reveal that of the many factors affecting road traffic accidents in Pakistan, the factor of the driver is the deadliest, which is why this study aims to understand and model the effect of different driver characteristics on road traffic accidents. The database for this study was constituted via a survey questionnaire. Citing the complex relationship between driver characteristics and road traffic accidents, the Artificial Neural Networks Approach is used in this study. It provided a very supple and assumption-free methodology. The results from this study reveal that the ANN approach can provide an alternative to estimate the risk of a driver’s involvement in RTAs by eliminating the need for costly, time-consuming studies such as psycho-technical research.

The paper aims to investigate the integration of sustainability management and lean practices in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and its impact on supply chain performance. The study also explores the mediating role of process innovation in this relationship. Sustainability has gained significant attention in recent years as organizations strive to align their operations with environmental and social responsibility goals. Similarly, lean practices have been widely adopted to streamline processes and eliminate waste in supply chains. However, limited research has focused on the simultaneous integration of sustainability management and lean practices in SMEs and their combined effect on supply chain performance. The research adopts a quantitative approach, which involves collecting survey data from a sample of SMEs operating in diverse industries. Statistical analyses, including structural equation modeling, are conducted to examine the direct and indirect relationships among sustainability management, lean practices, process innovation, and supply chain performance. Through the lens of SMEs, the research examines how the integration of sustainability and lean practices fosters competitive advantages and sustainable performance outcomes in the supply chain context. The findings contribute to both theoretical and practical domains by shedding light on the mechanisms through which sustainability and lean practices synergistically influence supply chain performance. For SMEs, the research offers valuable insights into harnessing sustainable and lean principles to achieve operational excellence and long-term success. Ultimately, this study advocates for a holistic approach to supply chain management that embraces sustainability, lean thinking, and process optimization to promote enhanced performance and a more sustainable future for enterprises of all scales.