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Adams, F K (2004) The management of risks in international infrastructural projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Business Studies, University of Edinburgh.
Ahiaga-Dagbui, D D (2014) Rethinking construction cost overruns: an artificial neural network approach to construction cost estimation, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Al-Remal, A M (2013) Risk-based design of structures for fire, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Alsedairy, F S (2019) Dynamics of mega infrastructure decision-making in Saudi Arabia, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Baker, A J (2019) ‘Suitable and sufficient’? UK regulation of post-construction fire safety, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Social & Political Science, University of Edinburgh.
Baker, H (2021) A multimethod approach to learning from text-based construction failure data, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Bartlett, A I (2018) Auto-extinction of engineered timber, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Campbell, J M (2008) Safety hazard and risk identification and management in infrastructure management, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Dunlop, P G (2005) Investigation, modelling and planning of stochastic concrete placing operations, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Eid, M E M (2004) Rethinking relationships in the construction industry: integrating sustainable development into project management processes, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Architecture, University of Edinburgh.
- Type: Thesis
- Keywords: built environment; climate change; developing countries; financial planning; performance; standards; sustainable construction; economic development; sustainability
- ISBN/ISSN:
- URL: http://hdl.handle.net/1842/7122
- Abstract:
We live in a time of threat from human induced climate change. The challenges we now face are greater than ever; global environmental degradation, economic turbulence, widespread social exclusion and inequalities have now elevated the problem from a national level to a global scale. This thesis discusses these challenges in terms of the performance of the construction industry. The research addresses four main pillars: the construction industry, sustainable development, project management and systems-thinking. It examines the notions of each topic individually, then exhibits the interconnections between the four subjects. The arguments of this research propose integrating sustainable development, project management and construction through a systems-thinking approach as a facilitating tool of incorporation. Sustainable development is a dynamic process, which simultaneously protects and enhances the global ecosystem while working on three parallel levels; social, environmental and economic. It also systematically integrates vital environmental and social guidelines into economic development, financial planning and general management activities. The construction industry is a major economic activity within developed countries and an emerging key market for developing countries. Its size and pervasiveness are critical factors in a successful strategy for sustainable development. The construction industry, in particular, recognises the importance of project management to the successful completion of complex undertakings. As a growing profession, project management provides an opportunity to achieve project targets with higher quality standards of delivery within the foreseen time frame, budget and cost. On the basis of the previous definitions, the research examines the notions of sustainable construction as a process that promotes affordable solutions to the problems of the built environment and the significant impact it has environmentally, economically and socially. The proposition of a systematic sustainable approach to project management processes assumes critical significance in the process of the integration in question. The main objective of this research is to demonstrate that the implementation of sustainable development guidelines into the project management processes for construction projects, will allow a better performance for sustainable construction practices. When approached in terms of 'systems-thinking' theories, this allows the integration to occur with a holistic approach to the existing relationships but with more significant impacts on the processes and outcomes of the systems. Thinking and acting sustainably requires not only incremental change but a revolution in approach, a shift of perspective which will need to be reflected in future generations of management techniques. The research methodology relies on a synthesis of comprehensive and assessed literature reviews of the construction industry, sustainable development, project management and systems-thinking and their interrelationships. The integration is then examined through suggested sets of arguments underpinned with analysis of the potential opportunities for rethinking the relationships through three proposed case studies. A further examining methodology relies on an online questionnaire which facilitated the consultation with academics, researchers, professionals and practitioners in the field of construction, project management and sustainability. The general outcomes of the research demonstrate that sustainable project management processes are possible to achieve and manifest their positive impact on changing the policies, strategies and standards that normally guide the performance of construction projects. Individuals have a right, a role and a responsibility to contribute to the promotion and application of sustainable development. This research is a step forward for the project management profession to contribute a high standard of sustainable strategies to construction projects while it also calls for further work to be done on the application of the proposed integration on real life projects to assess, quantify and measure the outcomes on construction processes. This does not limit the arguments to the construction industry but indeed calls for further testing on other industries which contribute to the built environment and ultimately to a better quality of life.
French, T R (2012) Evolutionary optimisation of network flow plans for emergency movement in the built environment, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Furber, A (2013) The social and cultural context of rural water and sanitation projects: case studies from Ghana, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Glendinning, M (1991) 'Give the people homes!': Britain's multi-storey housing drive, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh.
Graham, D (2005) Stochastic modelling and analysis of construction processes, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Hashim, R (2018) Green innovation adoption in the construction sector : the role of absorptive capacity and the effect of environmental requirements, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Business School, University of Edinburgh.
Hellowell, M S (2012) Fair return for risk? An examination of structure, competition and profitability in the market for private finance in the National Health Service, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh.
Hsiao, C C (2000) Constructing a sustainable impact assessment methodology : an evaluation of Taiwanese EIA of high-rise building, Unpublished PhD Thesis, College of Art, University of Edinburgh.
Jackson, D J (2020) Addressing the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the construction industry: a multi-perspective approach, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Business School, University of Edinburgh.
Jiménez-Moreno, P (2020) Mass customisation for zero energy housing: the potential of Japanese manufacturing practices in the context of sustainable housebuilding in the United Kingdom, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Kanellopoulos, G (2022) External fire spread from timber lined compartments, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Kim, S (1998) Sustainable building practices: minimising the life-cycle environmental impact of high-rise apartments in Korea, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Architecture, University of Edinburgh.
Knebel, V (2006) Preserve and rebuild: the built environment, status transformations and identity construction in eastern Germany after reunification, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Sociology, University of Edinburgh.
Koutsomarkos, V (2023) Developing a fire robustness index for the built environment, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Marquardt, G (2017) Economic analysis of contract choice, feelings of entitlement and contract enforcement in relationships governed by incomplete contracts, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Economics, University of Edinburgh.
McArthur, J (2023) Enrolment, technical mediation, and the obligatory passage point: a socio-technical examination of the Canada Green Building Council, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
McMeel, D (2009) The artistry of construction: an investigation into construction as a creative process and the influence of mobile phones within domestic scale construction projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Architecture, University of Edinburgh.
Oliver, A K (2020) Perceptions of sustainability and their influence in the design and delivery of Scottish housing, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Oswald, D (2016) Investigating unsafe acts on a large multinational construction project, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Raman, P G (1977) Information and architectural design: A study of certain theoretical aspects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Rodger, R G (1976) Scottish urban housebuilding, 1870-1914, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Ronzani, M (2019) Designing for complexity: Data visualizations in megaproject management, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.
Saoud, E A B (1996) Expert systems for management training in the construction industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Sidwell, N C (1957) A critical examination of new constructional techniques and their influence on productivity in the building industry with special reference to housing in south-east Scotland, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Smith, S D (1994) Production estimation of earthmoving operations using a discrete-event simulation model, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Civil Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
Yang, S-A (1995) Kics: Representation of regulatory information and the use of case-based reasoning to support the relaxation process, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of Edinburgh.