Dr Jamiu Dauda

Purpose Despite the importance of investment fundamentals in determining commercial property value, there is a knowledge gap in terms of how investment factors are integrated into the valuation process in developing markets, particularly in Africa. This study investigates how property valuers in Nigeria perceive the investment-valuation nexus, and how this influences their valuation processes and output. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were deployed to 14 professional property valuers across Nigeria. The discussion from the interview transcripts was subjected to thematic and content analysis using the K-mean clustering learning algorithm and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modelling. Findings Key findings indicate that valuers consider a range of investment factors, including market conditions, location and property features. However, the study highlights a potential gap in the consideration of cash flow analysis and tenant-related factors. The findings suggest that a more comprehensive approach to valuation is necessary to enhance the accuracy and reliability of property valuations in Nigeria. Practical implications The findings have significant implications for Nigeria and other emerging African markets considering the high volume of property investment capital received by the countries. With key investment fundamentals not being sufficiently captured in the valuation process in line with best practices, current valuation output may be omitting important factors thereby undermining their accuracy and reliability. Originality/value This study provides alternative perspectives on the investment-valuation relationship through the unique lenses of key stakeholders (valuers) in the context of developing countries. This context is important, given that these economies are usually perceived to be less sophisticated and often present significant challenges around standardisation and bias. Secondly, the study provides some insights into the heterogeneity associated with the valuation of assets in highly heterogeneous markets such as Nigeria. Thirdly, the study adopts the K-mean clustering learning algorithm and LDA topic modelling approaches, which have previously not been applied to property valuation.

This study presents a novel, interpretable machine learning framework for predicting the maximum pull load of fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) bonded to concrete substrates. A comprehensive test database comprising 983 datasets was gathered from relevant existing studies. The datasets include key input parameters such as concrete compressive strength, bond length, width of FRP sheet, width of concrete block, FRP thickness, and elastic modulus of FRP sheets, with the maximum pull load as the output parameter. Utilizing this curated database, a symbolic regression model based on genetic programming (GP) was developed to uncover the nonlinear relationships among critical variables including axial stiffness of FRP, bond length, and concrete compressive strength. The model's predictive performance was evaluated using standard regression metrics, achieving mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) values below 5 kN, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) slightly above 10%, and coefficient of determination (R2) exceeding 0.90 on both training and testing datasets. These results confirm the model's accuracy and generalizability. Unlike black‐box models, symbolic regression offers an explicit mathematical expression, ensuring transparency and interpretability for engineering applications. To facilitate practical deployment, a user‐friendly graphical user interface (GUI) named MaxPLoad‐FRP‐Concrete‐GPaided‐PredictionModel was developed, enabling practitioners to input key design parameters and obtain immediate, interpretable predictions. This tool serves as a valuable decision‐support system in the structural design and quality control for FRP‐strengthened concrete structures.

Structural retrofitting is carried out as an economical alternative to demolishing and rebuilding existing masonry structures. Retrofitting is provided to offer structural upgrade and damage-control. This paper presents the application of oriented strand board type 3 (OSB/3) for retrofitting unreinforced masonry walls. Out-of-plane bending test in form of four-point loading was performed on six masonry walls. The test results show that OSB/3 can considerably increase the load and flexure capacity by (1.4 & 1.8), limiting-toughness by (1.6 & 2.4) and overall-toughness by (16 & 10) times compared to plain wall subjected to out-of-plane loading for (single & double-sided) application respectively.

The computational prediction of the out-of-plane behaviour of unreinforced masonry walls is a challenge. However, computational numerical models may provide, if properly calibrated, a powerful tool to predict the behaviour of new retrofit techniques. This paper presents the Finite Element (FE) modelling of masonry walls retrofitted with oriented strand boards (OSB) aiming the prediction of its out-of-plane behaviour. Such retrofit measure has been proposed by the authors for brick masonry walls and its efficiency has been demonstrated through experimental studies on small-scale and larger-scale masonry specimens (out-of-plane monotonic tests). The data gathered in the experimental phase has been used here to calibrate the numerical FE-based models (i.e. non-retrofitted and retrofitted). For this purpose, a detailed micro-modelling strategy has been followed assuming a perfect bond between mortar joints and brick units. The so-called Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model has been adopted to describe the constitutive relation of the masonry and the OSB timber panel. The connection between the masonry and the OSB panel has been modelled through elastic anchors. Numerical results show a good agreement with the experimental data, in terms of observed damage pattern and capacity curve (within 10% difference). The calibrated numerical model has been instrumental in developing a parametric analysis to study the effect of different OSB thicknesses, the side of the application of retrofit, and the spacing between connections through anchor rods. These revealed that the out-of-plane capacity of the system is directly proportional to the OSB thickness and that the spacing between steel connectors should be lower than 500 mm for an adequate response.

Retrofit of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings is continually attracting the interest of masonry professionals. This is because there are enormous URM building stocks in different parts of the world that have shown vulnerability to damage against out-of-plane actions due to having limited flexural strength and deformation resistance. As such, there is a global trend of promoting the development of different retrofit techniques for URM walls. Thus, this study proposed an experimental and numerical investigation into the possibility of retrofitting URM wall using an oriented strand board (OSB) timber-panel. The aim is to estimate the improvements in the out-of-plane capacity of URM wall retrofitted with OSB panel. The study focuses on investigating out-of-plane behaviour because out-of-plane failure mode has been identified as the most critical failure mode of URM walls. The proposed retrofitting approach is by securing an OSB/ type 3 timber-panel behind URM wall using threaded anchor rods together with an option of plastic plug or injection mortar. The methodologies adopted to deliver the overall aim and objectives of this study, as identified in this thesis were experimental tests and numerical analyses. Flexural strength in the form of four-point bending tests has been obtained on nine small-scale masonry prisms (615 x 215 x 102.5mm) and six larger-scale masonry walls (1115 x 1115 x 225mm). The effectiveness of the proposed OSB-panel retrofit technique has been assessed in term of flexural strength, absorbed energy (toughness), out-of-plane load capacity and displacement. The test results show that OSB type 3 can considerably increase the load and flexure capacity of retrofitted masonry walls by (1.4 & 1.8), limiting toughness by (1.6 & 2.4) and overall toughness by (16 & 10) times that of plain wall subjected to out-of-plane loading for retrofit application on single (i.e tensile side only) and double-sides of the wall respectively. It can be concluded that the application of the proposed OSB retrofit technique greatly influenced the out-of-plane performance of the retrofitted wall and also prevents its quasi-brittle collapse. Numerical analysis using commercial finite element software, ABAQUS was also performed and validated against the experimental data. The observed damage pattern and load-displacement plots compared with the experimental observations are in good agreement (within 5% difference). The calibrated model was then extended to parametric analysis to assess the model capability to simulate URM walls retrofitted with different OSB panel thickness, different connection spacing and different retrofit application position. The parametric analysis reveals that the thickness of the OSB timber is directly proportional to the out-of-plane load and displacement resistance of the system. It also shows that there is no enough composite action between the masonry and the OSB timber when the connection spacing is greater than 500mm. The parametric analyses revealed that the application of the retrofit on only the compression side does not improve the load capacity of the retrofitted walls significantly. Hence it is recommended that the application should be applied on the tensile sides of the wall or both sides where desirable. Interestingly, the cost of applying this proposed OSB technique on a square meter of a masonry wall (materials and labour) is estimated to be £47 as against £152 estimated for typical fibre-based retrofit applications on 1m2 masonry wall using the market prices in England. The proposed retrofit technique in comparison with the other existing fibre-based retrofit techniques performed well in terms of increased capacity and it is cheaper and easy to apply. Keywords: Experiment, Finite Element (FE) Analysis, Flexural Strength, Masonry, Out-of-Plane, OSB Timber-Panel, Retrofitting, URM Wall.

Purpose – This study assesses the effect of Augmented Reality (AR) adoption on construction lifecycle to provide insight to drive digital transformation of Nigeria’s construction sector Design/Methodology/Approach - This study used a quantitative approach, with questionnaire administered to professionals in the Nigerian construction industry using snowball sampling method. The collected data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) for thorough assessment of relationships between variables. Findings - The findings of this study support the conceptual framework established. It showed that incorporating AR throughout the construction lifecycle can improve the construction process. Research limitations/implications – The study was conducted in Nigeria using a cross-sectional study. The study has implications for local construction practices and the broader discussion on challenges and potential solutions in the national construction sector. Practical implications - The results of this study will greatly benefit professionals, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the Nigerian construction industry by providing valuable insights into the potential of AR applications for enhancing value for money throughout the construction process. Originality/Value – This paper conducted a study that developed and assessed a conceptual framework based on Technology Adoption Model and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The findings have substantial ramifications for the construction industry, as they offer opportunities for improving the construction process. These findings are significant for researchers investigating the potential impacts of AR on the construction lifecycle.

The assessment of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls often involves experimental characterisation of their in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) failure. While IP and OOP testing of URM walls is common, standardised testing methods are lacking, resulting in varied approaches. This study thus presents a systematic review of 54 selected articles to examine different masonry testing procedures through an analysis of specimen characterisation, testing arrangements, loading rate and failure patterns across various studies. The review highlights disparities in experimental approaches and stresses the necessity for uniform testing procedures or standardisation protocol to ensure consistency and reliability. Significantly the review identifies a tendency to overlook real-world scenarios in testing, emphasising the importance of addressing this gap for comprehensive assessment of masonry walls. The study thus recommends further experimental studies on the effect of openings on walls and the interaction between masonry walls and the slabs/connections with other walls/ring beams to enrich masonry behaviour understanding through both experimental and numerical approaches.

Simulating the mechanical behaviour of masonry structures by using numerical analysis is still a complex subject because the process is hindered by little knowledge of the properties of masonry constituents and the interface. In particular, the definition of mechanical properties of masonry components is a key issue when finite element analysis is adopted for the prediction of the mechanical behaviour of masonry walls under accidental and exceptional loads. In an attempt to develop a detailed micro-modelling of brick masonry under compression, where the brick unit, mortar and brick-mortar interface are defined by their corresponding mechanical properties obtained through experimental testing, this work presents experimental tests on brick units, mortar and small masonry cubic specimens. Hence, a detailed micro-modelling of brick masonry cubic specimen is developed in ABAQUS. The numerical model is calibrated and validated based on the results obtained from the experimental tests on masonry cubic specimens. The results show that the numerical model is able to predict the mechanical behaviour of the masonry specimen with 95% accuracy in terms of compressive strength.

The overall influence of building on its occupants and environment is immeasurable and as such has been a major point of revolution throughout human history. Within the built environment sector, the design and construction of buildings are constantly evolving and in recent times have led to the emergence of terminologies such as Green, Healthy and Sustainable building practises. These terminologies are used interchangeably by researchers and practitioners within the built environment even though, they are technically different. As such, this study presents an exploratory literature review of the three terminologies to identify the similarities and differences between them.The result of the analysis shows that Green, Healthy, and Sustainable building concepts are the same in their approach to materials selection, with all three prioritising the adoption of materials with low embodied energy, consumed less energy and have fewer negative impacts on the environment and human health. Meanwhile, the distinct features are in their focus, metric tools, and philosophy. Green building is solely about the environment while Healthy building is about occupants’ well-being and health. Sustainable building is more holistic comprising green building and part of healthy building concepts in addition to other social and economic responsibilities. This study has contributed to the wider discussion of these three key concepts and will enable key stakeholders in the academia and construction sector to understand properly the main features of Green, Healthy and Sustainable Building practises. This will facilitate proper adoption of the strategies to provide the needed sustainable healthy built environment.

This paper presents an analytical formulation to complement considerable experimental and numerical programs conducted to propose a new timber-based retrofit technique for masonry walls. The formulation is based on the static analysis of an idealised structural scheme adopted in previous experimental tests, and it obtains the bending moment equation which predicts the maximum failure load and its location on both plain and retrofitted masonry walls. Thereafter, the expected failure load in the masonry wall is analytically estimated from the moment of resistance of both the plain and retrofitted walls using ultimate section analysis. The results show that the analytical formulation correctly evaluated the capacity of both the plain and retrofitted masonry wall to within 5% variation. It thus concluded that the developed analytical model can be extended into more complex models and thus fit for a parametric analysis to analyse further the efficiency of the proposed timber masonry retrofit technique.

The overall purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of using timber-panels to retrofit URM walls. However, this paper only present the overall proposed experimental program together with the experimental characterization of mechanical properties of masonry components: units and mortar. The present work developed finite element numerical model that is able to predict the strength of the masonry cube, on the safe side. The numerical model was validated with an experimental test on masonry cube showing 9% difference in the maximum compressive strength of masonry. The modelling technique adopted is the detailed micro modelling where the unit and mortar were represented by their respective mechanical properties using ABAQUS. Because, the numerical results compliment what was observed during the experimental test, then the developed model can be used to predict the general behaviour of masonry wall in the subsequent study.

Retrofit of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures is incessantly attracting interests of masonry professionals. Because there are enormous URM structure stocks in different parts of the world that have shown vulnerability to damage against out-of-plane actions due to having limited flexural strength and deformation capacity [1]. As such, there is a global trend of promoting the development of sustainable retrofit techniques for URM structures. The authors' previous study [2] has introduced the application of oriented strand board type 3 (OSB/3) as a prospective sustainable retrofit material for URM wall with evidence of improving the flexural performances. This paper presents, for the first time,experimental works on 1115 x 1115 x 215 mm double wythe single leaf URM walls. Specifically, quasi-static out-of-plane loading tests were carried out on two plain specimens, two single-sided retrofitted walls and two double-sided retrofitted walls. The flexural and displacement capacities were evaluated in both plain and retrofitted specimens, and the results substantiated that OSB/3 application improves the flexural capacity of masonry wall. Therefore, the application of OSB/3 for retrofitting URM buildings can be considered as an inexpensive, efficient and sustainable retrofit technique.

The present study addresses the retrofitting of running-bond masonry walls through the application of oriented strand board (OSB) timber panels aiming to increase the masonry flexural strength and deformation capacity under out-of-plane actions. This paper presents the numerical analysis of masonry prisms to complement the information provided by the experimental campaign developed on flexural performances of timber retrofitted masonries. The numerical model represents the masonry components (brick and mortar) as a three-dimensional volume via volumetric finite elements, i.e. hexahedral 8-node linear brick elements with reduced integration and hourglass control. The nonlinear properties of the mortar joints and the brick units have been calibrated through information that resorts from experimental characterization tests. The numerical damage pattern and load-displacement capacity curve are compared with the experimental observations. A good agreement has been found and, therefore, the calibrated model can be employed in parametric studies, to further analyse the efficiency of the proposed timber masonry retrofit technique, and to more complex structural study cases.

The motivation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint to prevent environmental damages has called for efficient use of structural concrete. These in addition with the importance of pile foundation in geotechnical engineering for supporting high significance structures necessitate the need to find the best pile foundation design in terms of performance and economy. These could be achieved by design optimisation. Thus, this study deals with optimum design of concrete pile foundations. A nonlinear optimisation technique based on Generalised Reduced Gradient (GRG) method embedded in Excel solver was implemented to find the minimum cost of pile foundation in frictional soil. This was achieved by obtaining the optimum pile length, diameter and area of steel satisfying the serviceability and ultimate limit state requirements of BS 8004 and EC7 for different loads. The formulated structural optimisation procedure was applied in a case study project located in Lagos, Nigeria to assess the efficiency of the proposed design formulation. The optimum results shows that pile capacity in a frictional soil depend largely on the soil friction angle. Also, the total cost of pile foundation construction reduces with an increase in the soil friction angle. It was excitingly found that the optimum angle of soil friction is 36o . The results of optimisation of pile foundation designs for the case study project shows up to 26% reduction in the cost obtained from the conventional design. This means optimisation shows exciting promises in pile foundation design. The study thus produced lots of design charts that can be used by civil and geotechnical engineers when designing concrete piles in frictional soil. Recommendations for further research were made.

The effectiveness of geonet, geotextile and their composite as containment materials of landfill leachate has been examined in this paper through the use of system dynamics modeling method. The study area is Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. Three materials were studied, which include: GN (geonet), GT (geotextile) and GC (geocomposite). The water absorption, hydraulic conductivity, porosity and thickness were the major properties studied in these liners. Governing equations coded in Visual Basic Computer Programming Language was employed in developing a model. Validation of the model was done with data on the study area. The interrelationship of the properties and the breakthrough times for each material was found through the STELLA 9.1.4 software application. This research showed that the effectiveness of the studied of the order GC < GN < GT. GT is, therefore, recommended for use as landfill liners in the study area.

Several studies on different techniques can be found on retrofitting existing unreinforced masonry (URM) walls using varieties of materials ranging from reinforced plaster, grout and epoxy injection to fibre-reinforced polymers. Still, there is a significant lack of experimental data that consider using a material such as oriented strand board (OSB) timber panels, which can be easily sourced around the globe, and are considered to be economical and sustainable. Hence, this paper presents the first stage of a multi-phase experimental investigation into the possibility of retrofitting URM walls using OSB panels. An experimental programme with full-scale testing is expensive, therefore small-scale testing such as the approach presented here is ideal to provide insight when proposing a new retrofit technique. In this paper, flexural strength in the form of four-point bending tests has been obtained on three plain masonry prisms and six OSB retrofitted specimens (615 × 215 × 102.5 mm). The effectiveness of the proposed OSB panel retrofit techniques has been assessed in terms of flexural strength, out-of-plane load capacity and displacement. It was observed that the application of the OSB panel at the back of a masonry prism greatly influenced the out-of-plane behaviour of the retrofitted specimen by increasing its flexural capacity and also by preventing its quasi-brittle collapse.

Simulating the mechanical behaviour of masonry structures by using numerical analysis is still a complex subject because the process is hindered by little knowledge of the properties of masonry constituents and the interface. In particular, the definition of mechanical properties of masonry components is a key issue when finite element analysis is adopted for the prediction of the mechanical behaviour of masonry walls under accidental and exceptional loads. In an attempt to develop a detailed micro-modelling of brick masonry under compression, where the brick unit, mortar and brick-mortar interface are defined by their corresponding mechanical properties obtained through experimental testing, this work presents experimental tests on brick units, mortar and small masonry cubic specimens. Hence, a detailed micro-modelling of brick masonry cubic specimen is developed in ABAQUS. The numerical model is calibrated and validated based on the results obtained from the experimental tests on masonry cubic specimens. The results show that the numerical model is able to predict the mechanical behaviour of the masonry specimen with 95% accuracy in terms of compressive strength.

Unreinforced masonry walls are prone to failure when subjected to out-of-plane loading. This is due to their low performance in bending, and often the lack of appropriate connection to returning walls and floors. This paper investigates the possibility to use oriented strand boards (OSB) panels to improve the out-of-plane performance of brick masonry walls. The proposed technique considers securing OSB type-3 panels behind masonry walls with chemical and mechanical connections. The work presents finite element models to predict their behaviour. The models have been calibrated and validated through a three-phase experimental campaign, aimed at (a) characterizing the main structural components, (b) studying the out-of-plane behaviour of small-scale masonry prisms and (c) studying the behaviour of 1115 × 1115 × 215 mm masonry walls. The finite element models developed are based on a micromodel technique developed in ABAQUS and demonstrated to adequately capture the behaviour of both plain and retrofitted models to the ultimate load. The models also show an excellent correlation of the compressive damage and tensile damage with the experimental failure pattern. Generally, the model predicted the peak load and the corresponding failure and toughness to within less than 10% of the average test results.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to find the optimum design of Reinforced Concrete (RC) pile foundation to enable efficient use of structural concrete with greater consequences for global environment and economy. Design/methodology/approach – A non-linear optimisation technique based on the Generalised Reduced Gradient (GRG) algorithm was implemented to find the minimum cost of RC pile foundation in frictional soil. This was achieved by obtaining the optimum pile satisfying the serviceability and ultimate limit state requirements of BS 8004 and EC 7. The formulated structural optimisation procedure was applied to a case study project to assess the efficiency of the proposed design formulation. Findings – The results prove that the GRG method in Excel solver is an active, fast, accurate and efficient computer programme to obtain optimum pile design. The application of the optimisation for the case study project shows up to 26% cost reduction compared to the conventional design. Research limitations/implications – The design and formulation of design constraints will be limited to provisions of BS 8004 and EC 7. Practical implications – Since the minimum quantity of concrete was attained through optimisation, then minimum cement will be used and thus result in minimum CO2 emission. Therefore, the optimum design of concrete structures is a vital solution to limit the damage to the Earth’s climate and the physical environment resulting from high carbon emissions. Originality/value – The current study considers the incorporation of different soil ground parameters in the optimisation process rather than assuming any pile capacity value for the optimisation process.

Purpose This study examines the barriers to circular economy (CE) implementation for construction and demolition (C&D) waste management. This study aims to enhance the understanding of CE barriers and their interrelationships, facilitating targeted, context-specific interventions for sustainable waste management in developing economies. Design/methodology/approach A pluralistic method was adopted, including a critical review of literature, a two-round Delphi survey using 22 and 17 experts and interpretive structural modelling (ISM) with nine experts in the Nigerian setting. Expert consensus on key barriers was established in the Delphi second round. Mean score ranking and interrater analysis were used to analyse Delphi responses, while ISM-based analysis and Matrice d’Impacts croises-multipication applique a classement analysis were used to explore contextual relationships between the barriers. Findings The analysis revealed the significance of all examined barriers. The most crucial barriers include the pursuit of short-term profitability, insufficient construction waste data, lack of understanding and scarce funding. Equally, regulatory and supply chain followed by economic barriers, emerged as the most significant categories. ISM introduced a hierarchical model for the barriers, further classifying them into dependent, linkage and independent categories. Understanding these interactions provides a basis for prioritising interventions. Originality/value This research presents a novel, structured analysis of the complex barriers to CE implementation in C&D waste management within the construction industry, particularly in developing economies. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to address these barriers in order of influence and criticality, thereby advancing sustainability and circularity in the construction sector.

Despite sustained efforts to mitigate emissions within the heavy industrial sector, limited research exists on the full environmental impact of integrating renewables in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking in Nigeria, particularly from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) perspective. Addressing this gap is essential to inform sustainable energy transitions in the steel sector. This study was undertaken to evaluates the potential of renewable energy integration in mitigating environmental impact of electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed using GaBi software, covering scrap processing, transportation, melting, casting, reheating, and rolling. Three energy scenarios were formulated to explore varying levels of renewable integration: a traditional EAF system (Scenario A), a hybrid renewable-integrated EAF (Scenario B), and a fully renewable-powered system (Scenario C). The findings revealed that scenario A emitted 681 kg CO₂-eq per tonne of steel, while Scenario C achieved emission reduction of 61–72%, depending on the renewable mix. Scenario B demonstrated a 26–39% reduction, indicating that even partial substitution with renewable offers significant benefits. The results support the feasibility of decarbonising EAF steelmaking through renewable integration and highlight the need for further techno-economic analysis to assess cost and scalability.

This study comprehensively assesses strategies for mitigating adverse environmental impacts in the construction industry, addressing a critical knowledge gap. Using a qualitative systematic literature review covering studies from 1990 to 2023, 236 articles were screened, resulting in the analysis of 36 relevant papers. The findings emphasize the need for environmentally friendly construction practices for long-term sustainability, highlighting the growing interest in Green Energy (GE) and Regulation Control/Economic Incentive (RC/EI) strategies alongside traditional methods like Green Building (GB) and Green Construction (GC). The study's potential impact lies in informing policymaking, influencing industry practices, and inspiring innovative solutions to harmonize urban growth with environmental health. It acknowledges that environmental sustainability is now a vital necessity, not mere rhetoric. Through rigorous research methods and the identification of effective strategies, this study empowers stakeholders to promote greener practices in the construction industry for the benefit of both the sector and the global community.

The Climate Change Act committed the UK to reduce GHG emissions by at least 80 percent in 2050. This ambitious target requires millions of homes to be retrofitted and, in response, the Government has implemented multiple retrofit policies and funding mechanisms, including supplier obligations. This study reviews retrofit policies and compares the objectives and the carbon/energy savings achieved. The review focuses specifically on the 4 iterations of the supplier obligations that have been implemented since 1994. It finds that the supplier obligations have had similar objectives and followed similar trends in the retrofit measures installed. The study further identified the benefits and challenges of the Suppliers' Obligations. The paper concludes by discussing lessons learned for the design of future policies and implementation strategies to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the UK to achieve net zero by 2050.

Structural retrofit of existing buildings for reuse remained one of the key steps toward decarbonisation of the existing housing stocks in the UK. This implies that any structural retrofitting procedure should aim at sustainability by ensuring net reduction in energy use with minimum cost, environmental and social impact. However, several factors impede the attainment of sustainable structural retrofit programs. In this study, quantitative data collection and exploratory factor analysis were used to investigate the factors that impede achieving sustainability in structural retrofitting of existing buildings. The study conducted a review of pertinent literature to draw up a list of potential impediments to sustainable structural retrofit. The lists were used to form Likert scale questionnaire that was administered to 126 professionals within the built environment sector in the UK. The data collected were subjected to reliability analysis and exploratory factor analysis using the SPSS IBM Statistics v24. The analysis revealed that there are four groups of barriers that impede sustainability in structural retrofitting of existing buildings. These are (i) cultural barriers involving factors that are characterised by human behaviour and interest; (ii) economic barriers involving cost functions; (iii) technical knowledge barriers involving education & skills factors and (iv) regulatory barriers involving legislation and policies around retrofitting old buildings. The findings of this study contribute to the broader discussion of sustainability within the built environment by increasing awareness of the key barriers to overcome to promote sustainable structural retrofit of existing buildings

Effective management of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) is crucial for sustainable development, as the industry accounts for 40% of the waste generated globally. The effectiveness of the C&DW management relies on the proper quantification of C&DW to be generated. Despite demolition activities having larger contributions to C&DW generation, extant studies have focused on construction waste. The few extant studies on demolition are often from the regional level perspective and provide no circularity insights. Thus, this study advances demolition quantification via Variable Modelling (VM) with Machine Learning (ML). The demolition dataset of 2280 projects were leveraged for the ML modelling, with XGBoost model emerging as the best (based on the Copeland algorithm), achieving R2 of 0.9977 and a Mean Absolute Error of 5.0910 on the testing dataset. Through the integration of the ML model with Building Information Modelling (BIM), the study developed a system for predicting quantities of recyclable and landfill materials from building demolitions. This provides detailed insights into the circularity of demolition waste and facilitates better planning and management. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method highlighted the implications of the features for demolition waste circularity. The study contributes to empirical studies on pre-demolition auditing at the project level and provides practical tools for implementation. Its findings would benefit stakeholders in driving a circular economy in the industry.

Purpose Embracing digitisation within the building surveying profession will enhance its practices and, of course, improve productivity. However, the level of digitisation within the building surveying profession is very low. Thus, this study aims to identify factors impacting technology adoption within the building surveying professions and provide practical ways of improving the adoption of technology. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a convergent mixed-methods approach to identify digital technologies applicable to building surveying professions. The study also investigates factors influencing technological adoptions and provides ways of improving their adoption. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis and ordinary least squares regression. Findings The study found that business communication platforms and smartphone applications are frequently used, while digital survey equipment and in-house developed applications are less commonly utilised by building surveyors. The influencing factors identified are economy, technical knowledge, culture, efficiency and regulatory factors. The study recommends increased education and training for building surveyors, promotional opportunities from manufacturers and government intervention in the form of subsidies or tax breaks to promote further digitisation within the building surveying profession. Originality/value This study provides valuable insight into strategies for the digitalisation of the building surveying profession. Application of the findings would promote further utilisation of digital technologies.

The use of offsite methods of construction has long been recognised as a suitable method for increasing the supply of housing and addressing productivity in the construction industry. Whilst the literature is rife with the many benefits of the modern methods of construction as well as barriers to its implementation, its adoption remains relatively low. This study contributes to the discussion by investigating the strategies for further harnessing the benefits of the increasingly important method of construction as well as the measures for mitigating its challenges. In line with the tenet of phenomenological research, which seeks to explore the phenomenon from the perspectives of the industry experts, 12 interviews were carried out with construction professionals. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, thereby unravelling the emerging themes that emanated from the interviews. After identifying such benefits of offsite construction as increased built quality, waste mitigation, and time efficiency, among others, the strategies for maximising these benefits were presented. These include enhanced training, use of digital tools, standardisation of building components and more efficient pre-planning activities, among others. Similarly, impediments to the use of offsite construction techniques such as its high initial cost, negative stigma, non-supportive project delivery models and clients' resistance could be addressed through some measures. These measures include the development of new supply chain management model, training and education, enabling legislation and vertical integration within companies. This study will help to identify the measures for enhancing the adoption and implementation of offsite technologies in the UK construction industry. Future research is recommended to assess the government's role in being the driving force behind implementing prefabricationspecific policies and incentives to encourage its future use.

Purpose - This study is aimed at investigating the implementation of circular economy (CE) strategies in a developing economy context with the view of understanding the construction and demolition (C&D) waste management dynamics. Design/Methodology/Approach - Sequel to a systematic review of literature, data was collected via Delphi survey from 22 and 17 Nigerian construction experts in the first and second rounds, respectively. Consensus was established after the stability of responses in the second round. Data were analysed using mean score ranking, rank agreement factor, and inter-rater analysis. Findings – 19 distinct CE strategies for managing C&D were identified. Subsequent assessment revealed mild implementation of these strategies across different construction stages, with the least implementation at the end-of-life phase, despite producing the most waste. Practical implications – The study revealed very mild implementation of CE strategies within the Nigerian Construction Industry (NCI) and highlighted the diverse views among the experts regarding the effectiveness of the strategies for managing C&D waste. Results from the study will offer an insightful guide for stakeholders and policymakers to understand the suitability of CE strategies at different stages of C&D waste for efficient policy development and decision-making. Originality/Value – This research contributes to the CE literature by synthesising the existing body of knowledge on CE strategies to manage C&D waste sustainably across the construction value chain of developing economies. It also establishes a foundation for prioritising effective CE strategies in the NCI and disseminating knowledge about ineffective related to waste management.

The resilience capacities of commercial property markets and locations came to light with the market shock brought about by COVID-19 pandemic. The occurrence led to different property classes and locations responding ununiformly to the economic shock. As such, proceeds from investing and demanding (occupier and investment) of retail premises varies across locations. As property stakeholders continue to deal with the challenges influencing the demand and supply of retail properties, including, increasing vacancy rates, reduction in absorption rates and increasing store closures. It is important to have better understanding of how retail locations respond to the impact of COVID 19 (market shock) with a view of establishing retail location optimisation for better utilisation and management of urban resources. This study investigates resilience capacity (and reactions) of retail locations within sampled city (Leeds) with a view of developing optimum retail location model. The study explores and develop digital model that identifies, scores, classifies, and predicts optimum retail location base on resilience and performance of urban retail locations. The study adopts geospatial variables of rental value (at different dates) and accessibility metrics to grade performance and resilience index of retail locations before and after COVID 19. The study finds that a strong relationship exists between estimated retail location performance and the resilience index distribution of retail property locations in Leeds. That is, the market shock has high impact on retail property location after COVID-19 but less altercating impact on the prediction of commercial property location performance (as measured by rental value and accessibility). The result suggests that optimum localisation of retail property can be achieved viz-a-viz geospatial estimation of retail rental value through accessibility index. This pilot study calls on similar investigation on other urban settings to achieve comprehensiveness in modelling optimum retail location.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the healthcare sector, providing innovative solutions to empower individuals and make medical support more personalized. This study introduces a novel AI-driven platform that links diseases and symptoms to relevant assistive technologies and housing adaptations, ultimately developing a tailored knowledge base for individuals diagnosed with complex chronic conditions such as muscular dystrophy. The platform development entails the integration of advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques and fuzzy matching algorithms into a user-friendly web-based interface. This enables successful interpretation of user input queries and generation of real-time tailored actionable insights and personalized recommendations for housing adaptation and assistive technologies. This research showcases a scalable, innovative method of patient care that revolutionizes the existing landscape by integrating new AI methodologies into healthcare databases to generate impactful and empathetic elderly and disabled care. The proposed system obtained a query resolution accuracy of 98% and aims to bridge critical gaps in healthcare and housing accessibility by offering solutions and a sense of empowerment to those navigating the challenges of chronic and progressive conditions.

Purpose Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the construction sector are highly vulnerable to disruptions caused by political and economic decisions or even pandemics. This study evaluated the current operations of selected SMEs providing engineering design and consultancy services against Toyota Production System (TPS) lean tool. The purpose is to juxtapose SME operations and processes with TPS to ascertain the level of their operations conformity to the established TPS lean thinking tool. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative data collection and analysis approach to evaluate the current processes of participating SMEs against Liker's 14 management principles of TPS. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes that emerged from the qualitative data. Findings The analysis revealed that focus on short-term goals, immediate profit and duplication of effort resulting from insufficient collaboration is currently creating waste in participating SMEs' operations. Hence, the implementation of TPS was recommended as a lean tool and a framework based on TPS lean tool was developed for improving the operations of SMEs. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to SMEs operating only as consultants providing project planning design within the construction industry. Data collection is limited to qualitative even though observations would improve the outcome of the study. Originality/value The study advances contemporary issues in promoting lean implementation in construction sector and developed an improved framework based on the TPS to enhance the performance of SME construction businesses.

Heritage or Historic BIM (HBIM), a specialised application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the preservation and management of historic buildings, offers transformational opportunities for the heritage conservation sectors. However, this has not been fully explored, with HBIM applications mostly used as mere archival documentation for heritage architecture. As such, this study proposes to investigate the opportunities and challenges in adopting HBIM in preserving and managing heritage buildings. The study adopts a qualitative research strategy comprising literature review and expert interviews to explore the perspective of heritage conservation stakeholders on HBIM. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify the current state of HBIM adoption, its benefits, and its challenges. Findings reveal that while HBIM offers significant opportunities, such as improved archival documentation, visualisation, and maintenance planning, its adoption remains limited due to high costs, lack of expertise, and resistance to new technologies. This study acts as a reference point illuminating the need for increased awareness, training, and investment in HBIM to fully harness its potential, positioning it as a crucial tool for the sustainable management of heritage assets. This study originality is in its primary focus on HBIM, an application that has been under explored unlike BIM.

Health and safety is an important issue in workplaces, and despite safety procedures becoming more strict, serious accidents are still happening within the UK construction sector. This demonstrates poor performance in the implementation of safety procedures on construction sites. One of the key challenges is the unwillingness of the site workforce, especially the subcontracted operatives, to adhere to safety provisions on construction sites. As such, this study investigates the strategies for enhancing safe behaviour among subcontracted operatives in the UK construction industry. The study used exploratory sequential mixed method research, involving interviews and questionnaires as means of data collection, and thematic analysis, reliability analysis and exploratory factor analysis as methods of data analysis. The study suggests that various carrot and stick measures are expected to be put in place as part of the strategies for enhancing safe behaviour among subcontracted operatives. These include adequate enforcement of safety practices by the management, operative engagement and motivation, commendation and rewards, site safety targets, leadership style and motivation. Application of the suggested measures could enhance safety on construction sites, as it provides practical measures and solutions for inculcating safety behaviours among the site operatives who are most likely to be the victims of site accidents.

This feasibility study explores the development of the HomeAI-Enable system, an AI-driven decision support platform designed to provide personalised housing adaptations and assistive technology recommendations for older adults and individuals with disabilities. The study follows a constructive research approach including focus groups and brainstorming exercises in addition to development research techniques. Three different datasets comprising one, five, and over 500 diseases sourced from reputable databases such as the NHS and Mayo Clinic were used. The datasets include symptoms, diseases and associated housing adaptation and assistive technologies for the identified symptoms and diseases. The system integrates these datasets to offer personalised solutions based on symptoms, disease, body functions, and environmental factors, using advanced techniques like fuzzy matching, natural language processing, and advanced machine learning models. The feasibility study involves the assessment of multiple AI models to determine their effectiveness in providing tailored recommendations for assistive technology and housing adaptations. A proof of concept was developed, and early technical evaluation demonstrates the viability of the proposed architecture and recommendation workflow for housing adaptation decision support. This study evaluates the technical feasibility of the system at a foundational stage within a broader research programme, with clinical validation involving occupational therapists and end users planned for subsequent phases.

Previous studies have focused on explaining the BIM adoption or implementation, and little is known about the diffusion trend. Thus, this study evaluates the BIM diffusion process in SMEs with a predictive machine learning modelling approach using the Nigerian construction industry as a case study. Empirical questionnaire was employed for BIM diffusion data collection, and the collected data was cleaned and balanced with hybridized SMOTE +Tomek links. Ensemble machine learning algorithms were applied to the collected data to develop predictive models for the BIM diffusion process. The optimized and best-performing models were stacked via a new model (ensemble of ensembles) and deployed in an interactive Python-based Application - BIM Diffusion Prediction System (BIM-DPS) - using Streamlit framework. The most important features for BIM awareness in SMEs are observability, top management support, and normative pressure, while the top predictors of intention to adopt BIM in SMEs are compatibility, top management support, and behaviour. These sets of the same features have different impacts on awareness and adoption. Also, these features are from technology, organisation and environment contexts of the TOE framework and underscore the social-technical nature of BIM, which should be reflected in strategies to drive proliferation. The study highlights the strong predictive performance of stacked ensemble models. It provides an easy-to-use application to forecast the behaviour of firms to mitigate risks and develop tailored interventions.

Heritage or Historic BIM (HBIM), a specialised application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the preservation and management of historic buildings, offers transformational opportunities for the heritage conservation sectors. However, this has not been fully explored, with HBIM applications mostly used as mere archival documentation for heritage architecture. As such, this study proposes to investigate the opportunities and challenges in adopting HBIM in preserving and managing heritage buildings. The study adopts a qualitative research strategy comprising literature review and expert interviews to explore the perspective of heritage conservation stakeholders on HBIM. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify the current state of HBIM adoption, its benefits, and its challenges. Findings reveal that while HBIM offers significant opportunities, such as improved archival documentation, visualisation, and maintenance planning, its adoption remains limited due to high costs, lack of expertise, and resistance to new technologies. This study acts as a reference point illuminating the need for increased awareness, training, and investment in HBIM to fully harness its potential, positioning it as a crucial tool for the sustainable management of heritage assets. This study originality is in its primary focus on HBIM, an application that has been under explored unlike BIM.

The catastrophic effect of fire incidents such as loss of lives, damage to building structures and economic loss, underscore the need for efficient fire safety in buildings, which has been a major subject of discussion in the UK. In this study, a comprehensive review of literature pertinent to building fire safety in the UK is presented. The study adopts systematic review approach, collected data from Scopus and analysed 51 qualified articles quantitively and qualitatively. The review shows a rise in publication since 2004, revealing prominent authors and keywords in building fire safety research. The review further identified the categories of fire safety practices in the UK, including technological innovations, mitigation, behavioural, and regulatory measures. Notable findings reveal the challenges in current practices including compliance and enforcement issues, maintenance of fire safety systems, public awareness and behavioural issues, technological adoption and integration challenges, and infrastructure and building design challenges. To address the challenges identified, proposed recommendations include fire safety training, simplifying and unifying regulations, maintenance and inspection of fire safety systems, fostering and upholding public trust, enhancing public awareness, integration of advanced technologies, and formulation of fire safety strategies. Additionally. the study further recommends more comparative research on international fire safety practices and social factors influence on fire regulations to effectively enhance fire safety practices in the UK.

Existing research on public attitudes towards fire safety and evacuation has predominantly employed traditional methodologies. While these methods have provided valuable insights, they are limited in their ability to capture the full spectrum of public. Moreover, a significant gap exists in the literature regarding the broader population's concerns of how the general public perceives and responds to building safety regulations, particularly in the context of new legislation like the Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022. To address these gaps, this study adopts a novel approach by analysing social media data, specifically YouTube, to capture a wider range of public sentiments towards the BSA 2022. A total of 3577 data points reflecting the general public's views were gathered, processed, and examined using sentiment analysis, k-means clustering and Latent Dirichlet Allocation text mining techniques for topic modelling. Findings reveal nine clusters each for the positive and negative sentiments. The overall findings reveal that the public expressed positive sentiments (20%), negative sentiments (4%), and neutral sentiments (76%) towards (Building Safety Act, 2022). The study posits recommendations from the public’s sentiments for policy makers to leverage on.

Purpose Housing adaptation enables the elderly and disabled people to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives by making it easier to carry out everyday tasks in a safer environment. Assistive technology enables them to perform tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to achieve independence. Therefore, the new guidance for local authorities in England on Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) recommends assistive and smart technology as part of a DFG award package to maximise the benefits of home adaptations. Through a baseline study, this paper examines the disabled and elderly peoples’ level of digital engagement, the challenges and the impact of smart devices on their daily living and well-being. Design/methodology/approach A baseline study approach was used through the co-production of knowledge. The study relies on a questionnaire survey and the Most Significant Change (MSC) research technique through structured interviews. A percentage of the total approach is used in analysing the quantitative data by comparing the pre- and post-baseline results. Findings The major challenges the clients face are Wi-Fi connectivity, system compatibility issues, and skills in navigating different applications and operating systems. The pilot study demonstrates that assistive technology supports independent and healthy living and promotes a secure and safe environment. It also promotes social inclusion and improves the elderly and disabled people’s comfort and engagement. However, the results show that the overall impact is minimal; therefore, a longitudinal study is needed to understand the impacts over a long period. Practical implications The findings will help policymakers to understand the impacts of assistive technology on improving the elderly and disabled people’s quality of life. Originality/value A comparable baseline study was carried out to serve as a reference point for other similar future studies. The paper also highlights the challenges faced by the elderly and disabled people, their digital skill level and the impact of smart devices on their daily living and well-being.

Digitalisation in the construction sector promises numerous benefits, yet its widespread adoption in India faces impediments. This study aims to identify and analyse critical barriers hindering the adoption of digitalisation within the Indian construction sector. The study adopts a multi-phase research approach, involving a literature review to identify potential barriers. Subsequently, a questionnaire was administered to 162 professionals in the Indian construction industry. The survey reveals a willingness within the Indian construction sector to embrace digitalisation, citing benefits such as enhanced productivity and revolutionary impacts on construction processes. Larger organizations exhibit greater proactivity, while smaller businesses face challenges in resources and knowledge, leading to slower adoption rates. The study identifies five key themes of barriers, including financial/resource constraints, cultural/organisational constraints, regional disparities, data security/privacy concerns, and awareness/capacity-building constraints. The implication of the study is to unveil crucial barriers and provide insights for tailored interventions, aiding stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers in navigating the evolving digital landscape of the Indian construction industry. This study contributes to the exploration of perceptions of construction professionals specifically in India on why digitalisation is not fully embraced in the Indian construction sector.

Purpose: This study aims to examine facility management practices in the Nigerian healthcare sector, exploring approaches and identifying challenges facing effective healthcare facilities management. The purpose is to contribute to the development of a framework for enhancing healthcare facility management efficiency in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs a sequential in-depth exploratory qualitative research approach. The data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 15 facility managers from diverse healthcare organisations in Nigeria. The qualitative data collected were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The study reveals scheduled, unscheduled and mixed approaches as the three facility management approaches used in Nigeria. It also substantiates the underdeveloped nature of facility management in Nigeria's healthcare sector, exacerbated by challenges such as socioeconomic, operational, technological and regulatory challenges. Practical implications: The study uncovers systemic issues affecting have attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and advocates for a comprehensive approach to enhance healthcare infrastructure, contributing to improved health outcomes and sustainable development. Originality/value: This research uniquely uncovers the hidden challenges facing effective healthcare facility management in Nigeria, providing a foundation for stakeholders to formulate solutions and rescue the struggling state of healthcare facilities in the country.

The construction industry’s operations heavily contribute almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions and reportedly falling behind in achieving the net zero targets set out by the Paris Agreement. This necessitates a deeper understanding of the main barriers to achieving net zero in the construction industry. As such, this paper aims to gain an understanding of the barriers to procuring and building net zero assets through the lenses of the construction industry and the built environment’s interdisciplinary workforces. The study adopted an exploratory qualitative research approach involving the use of semi structured interviews conducted for 13 professionals working across a range of sectors, different sizes of organisations in the construction industry and built environment with varying levels of experience. The factors and discussions taken from the interview transcriptions were collected and subjected to thematic analysis using the K-Mean clustering learning algorithm and Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modelling. The analysis produces thirty-two distinct factors clustered/modelled into five themes/topics referred to as barriers to net zero adoption in the UK construction sector. These barriers are financial and economic barriers, technological and expertise challenges, regulatory and policy issues, industry practices and cultural resistance, and supply chain and operational issues. The findings of this research indicated that net-zero construction is usually seen as inherently expensive, with financial budgets often being prioritised ahead of net-zero goals. Thus, financial support and incentives from the government are required to alleviate the high costs associated with net zero technologies, particularly for smaller organizations to drive the adoption of net zero practices.

Existing research on constructional professional attitudes towards fire safety and evacuation has predominantly employed traditional methodologies. While these methods have provided valuable insights, they are limited in their ability to capture the full spectrum of the stakeholders. Moreover, a significant gap exists in the literature regarding the broader population’s concerns about how the industry experts perceives and responds to building safety regulations, particularly in the context of new legislation like the Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022. To address these gaps, this study adopts a novel approach by analysing social media data, specifically YouTube, to capture a wider range of public sentiments towards the BSA 2022. A total of 3577 data points reflecting the general public’s views were gathered, processed, and examined using sentiment analysis, k-means clustering and Latent Dirichlet Allocation text mining techniques for topic modelling. Findings reveal nine clusters each for the positive and negative sentiments. The overall findings reveal that the public expressed positive sentiments (20 %), negative sentiments (4 %), and neutral sentiments (76 %) towards BSA 2022. The study posits recommendations from the public’s sentiments for policy makers to leverage.

Automated Compliance Checking (ACC) is continuously gaining traction in improving the efficiency and precision in regulatory compliances within the AEC sector. Thus, this research presents a comprehensive review of the current state of ACC emphasising its application domains, techniques, challenges and opportunities. The review reveal that ACC is currently being applied in multiple domains including building design analysis, energy efficiency, construction safety and fire safety. ACC systems currently employ techniques such as artificial intelligence (machine learning, neural networks, and natural language processing), graph-based methods, semantic enrichment and representation and general rule representation analysis. The review identifies technological constraints and integration difficulties as main challenges facing ACC implementation. The potential opportunities for ACC include integration with enhanced technologies, expanding application domains, collaborations and standardisations. This study addresses existing knowledge gaps and enhances the understanding of ACC's role and impact, steering future research towards innovative approaches and improved implementation strategies.