Contributions of safety critical success factors and safety program elements to overall project success.

Implementing a safety program is an essential step toward improving safety performance. This research aims to develop an overall project success (OPS) model for building projects through investigating the direct and indirect impact of safety critical success factors (CSFs) on OPS mediated by safety program elements. First, interviews were carried out with experts in the Iraqi construction industry, and then a questionnaire survey was utilized to obtain feedback from construction professionals. The results revealed that 20 elements are needed to confirm and improve effectiveness. These elements were categorized into four constructs: management commitment and employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard and prevention control, and health and safety training. The analysis confirms that the relationship between safety CSFs and OPS are mediated by safety program elements. These findings offer a glimmer of hope for implementing safety programs in the Iraqi construction sector, and can also be used to enhance safety performance.

Derivation of Empirical Relationships to Predict Cambodian Masonry Strength.

Masonry material characteristics, such as compressive strength, and the relationship between brick, mortar, and masonry compressive strengths are required for the analysis and assessment of masonry structures. This paper aimed to investigate the compressive strength relationship of Cambodian masonry. A total number of 42 prisms were constructed in the laboratory using six different brick/mortar combinations. Two brick types, solid and hollow, and three-1:3, 1:4, and 1:6-cement-sand mortar combinations were used. The effects of brick and mortar strengths were analysed. Using regression analysis, a simple empirical relationship was derived for masonry compressive strength as a function of brick and mortar strength in the Cambodian context.

Effects of the residential built environment on remote work productivity and satisfaction during COVID-19 lockdowns: An analysis of workers' perceptions.

COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to stay home and switch to the remote working mode, which - reportedly - affect job satisfaction and productivity. The present study investigates the relationship between the residential environment and worker's job satisfaction and productivity in the remote working mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. A hypothetical structural equation model (SEM) of the influencing factors is constructed based on a literature review and experts' opinions. A survey-based respondents' opinions (n = 2276) were then used to test and analyze the model. The model results reveal that a residential built environment has an indirect effect on both remote work satisfaction and productivity. However, among all the factors, comfortable space (separate space and ergonomic furniture) is found to be the most important. This study presents the importance of adopting a residential built environment to respond to a crisis like a pandemic in achieving the desired comfort level of remote work. Although this study provides a holistic approach, it also proposes a base for the future country-specific analysis by providing some possible countries' differences.

Characterization of Three Amu-Darya Basin Clays in Ceramic Brick Industry and Their Applications with Brick Waste.

This study examined the chemical, mineralogical, physical, thermal, and technological characteristics of the Dostluk (DM), Halach (HM), and Sakar (HM) clay deposits located in the Amu-Darya basin of Turkmenistan. The potential suitability of these deposits was evaluated for the local ceramic brick industry. The chemical and mineralogical features were identified by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), ion chromatography (IC), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The physical properties were characterized by granulometric analysis by sieving, particle size distribution, scanning electron microscopy/optic analysis, specific surface area, Pfefferkon's plasticity index, reabsorption, shrinkage, water absorption, mechanical (compression and bending), and freeze-thaw durability tests. The thermal methods were performed using dilatometry and thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyzer (TG/DTA). The test samples for the different clay deposits were extruded, dried, and fired at three different temperatures of 850 °C, 950 °C, and 1050 °C. While the Dostluk and Sakar clays have high plasticity, Halach clay has been found to have low plasticity. The mechanical and freeze-thaw durability tests demonstrated that the outcomes of the clays of different origins were sufficient, achieving compressive strengths of over 10 MPa and mass loss less than 3%, which are acceptable by industry standards. Semi-industrial processed hollow bricks demonstrated promising characteristics. While the Dostluk and Sakar clay-based brick specimens were visibly free of cracks, the Halach specimens showed some cracks. The physical and mechanical improvements of these clays were performed with three mixtures, which are M1 (80 mass% DM + 20 mass% brick waste), M2 (85 mass% SM + 15 mass% brick waste), and M3 (70 mass% HM + 25 mass% SM and 5 mass% brick waste) for the brick industry.

Stakeholder based weights of new sustainability indicators providing pandemic resilience for residential buildings.

During COVID-19, the building and service characteristics of residential buildings turned out to be more critical due to lockdowns. The present research assesses the importance of new sustainability indicators for residential buildings in three categories (e.g., Health and Safety, Environmental Resources Consumption, and Comfort) that provide resilience for pandemic periods. The opinions of stakeholders on the identified indicators were collected and then analyzed. 'Health and Safety' category is found to be the most critical among the others. The prevention of virus propagation, mental health, and building air quality are three crucial indicators playing essential roles in the health and safety category. In more detail, innovative smart technologies, including touchless technologies, are identified as a priority in preventing virus propagation. Outdoor spaces and safe indoor places for socialization are weighted as essential in supporting the well-being and mental health of the resident. Finally, air filtration and segregation of medical waste indicators are considered critical in preventing the spread of viruses. There was a consensus among the local and international experts since they did not significantly report differing opinions for the majority of the indicators. However, there was a shift in experts' opinions towards pandemic-oriented indicators compared to conventional sustainability indicators.

Critical Success Factors of Safety Program Implementation in Construction Projects in Iraq.

The construction sector is recognized as one of the most dangerous industries in the world. The situation is worsening in Iraq, as a result of a lack of attention to safety in the building industry and the poor implementation of safety programs. This research aims to identify the critical safety factors (CSFs) of safety program implementation in the Iraqi construction industry. The CSFs were first identified from a review of literature before being verified by construction practitioners, using semi-structured interviews. A questionnaire, based on the verified CSFs, was distributed to construction practitioners in Iraq. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to analyze the quantitative data, and the results show that the CSFs can be categorized into four constructs: worker involvement, safety prevention and control system, safety arrangement, and management commitment. Following that, partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was executed to establish the connection between safety program implementation and overall project success. The result confirms that safety program implementation has a significant, positive impact on project success. This article contributes to knowledge and practice by identifying the CSFs for implementing safety programs in the Iraqi construction industry. The successful implementation of a safety program not only improves safety performance, but also helps to meet other project goals.

Safety Program Elements in the Construction Industry: The Case of Iraq.

The construction industries' unsafe conditions require increased efforts to improve safety performance to prevent and reduce accident rates. Safety performance in the Iraqi construction industry is notoriously poor. Despite this condition, safety research has so far been neglected. Implementing a safety program is a proven initial step to improve safety. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the key elements of a safety program in the Iraqi construction industry. To verify and validate a list of safety program elements identified in the literature review, a mixed method approach was used by using interviews and questionnaire surveys. A final list of 25 elements were then analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. The analysis found that these elements can be grouped into four interrelated dimensions: management commitment and employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control systems, and safety and health training. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on safety in the Iraqi construction sector, a research area which has not been adequately investigated previously. They also help decision-makers focus on key elements that are needed to start improving safety performance in this context.