Browsing by Author "Shan, M"

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item: Conference-Full-text
Addressing risks in green residential building construction projects: the case of Singapore
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2018-06) Hwang, BG; Shan, M; Phua, H; Sandanayake, YG; Gunatilake, S; Waidyasekara, KGAS
Over the past decade, an increasing number of green residential buildings have been developed worldwide owing to active promotion from the authorities and the increasing interest from customers. However, in the same way as traditional residential buildings, the construction of green residential buildings has been facing various risks. The aims of this study are to identify and assess the diverse risks in green residential building construction projects, compare their risk criticalities with those in traditional counterparts, and propose helpful risk mitigation measures. To achieve these goals, a comprehensive literature review was conducted first, and then a questionnaire was administered to 30 construction companies in Singapore. The analysis results showed that “complex procedures to obtain approvals”, “overlooked high initial cost”, “unclear requirements of owners”, “employment constraint”, and “lack of availability of green materials and equipment” were the top five critical risks in green residential building construction projects. It also reported that green residential building projects were facing risks at a more critical level than those traditional residential building projects. Furthermore, this study proposed fourteen risk mitigation measures that can effectively tackle the risks in green residential building construction projects. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying and evaluating the critical risks and the responding mitigation measures in green residential building construction projects. The findings from this study can also provide practitioners with an in-depth understanding of risk management in green residential building construction projects, and thereby benefiting the industry.
item: Conference-Full-text
Analysis of the anti-corruption strategies in the construction sector of China
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2014-06) Shan, M; Chan, APC; Le, Y; Hu, Y; Sandanayake, YG; Karunasena, GI; Fernando, NG
While various anti-corruption strategies (ACSs) have been developed to curb the widespread corruption in the construction sector, effectiveness of these ACSs has seldom been investigated. This study, therefore, aims to identify and evaluate the ACSs being implemented in China. To achieve these objectives, a comprehensive literature review and a two-round Delphi survey of 14 experienced industry experts and academics were conducted. Survey results reveal that the most effective ACS is legal framework, followed by penal sanction, regulations, positive leadership, adequate institutions, transparency, economic sanction, administrative sanction, and education and training. Also, the results show that the effectiveness of raising the wage level as an anti-corruption strategy did not receive a high evaluation by the Delphi panel. Findings of this study can help enhance a better understanding of anticorruption strategies and thus improve a corruption-free environment.
item: Conference-Full-text
Assessment of green retrofit of existing mature residential estates in Singapore
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2018-06) Hwang, BG; Shan, M; Xie, S; Sandanayake, YG; Gunatilake, S; Waidyasekara, KGAS
While the authorities in many countries around the world launched green retrofit programs to upgrade the existing mature buildings during the past decade, limited was known about the residents' perceptions of those programs. As a result, this study aimed to investigate the residents' perceptions of the green retrofit programs in Singapore, which is one of the leading countries for green development, and to explore their willingness in extending green retrofit into their individual houses. A questionnaire was administered to 90 residents from a mature public residential estate in Singapore that just underwent a pilot green retrofit program. The results reported that 86 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the green retrofit program, and their most favourite green feature installed was the outdoor light emitting diode lighting. In addition, over 50 percent of the respondents were supportive of having their individual houses undergo green retrofit and were willing to bear an upfront cost up to SGD 5,000 (approximately USD 3,540). This study also found that achieving cost savings from lower utility bills in the long run was the top motivation that drives the residents to retrofit their houses. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by conducting a thorough investigation of residents’ perceptions of green retrofit programs. Furthermore, the findings from this study provide the industry and the authorities running green retrofit programs with the opportunities to reveal respondents’ preferences on different green features, and to upgrade their green retrofit programs accordingly, creating more sustainable benefits for the residents.
item: Conference-Full-text
Green building construction projects in singapore: cost premiums and cost performance
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2018-06) Shan, M; Hwang, BG; Zhu, L; Cheong, X; Sandanayake, YG; Gunatilake, S; Waidyasekara, KGAS
While there has been a wealth of research on the life cycle cost of green buildings, few of them addressed the cost management performance of green building construction projects. As a result, this study aims to investigate the cost premiums and the cost performance of such projects in Singapore, which is an active global leader for green buildings, and to come up with feasible solutions that can help reduce the cost premiums and improve the cost performance. To achieve these goals, an extensive literature review and a questionnaire survey were conducted. Data collected from 121 green building construction projects showed that the green cost premiums in Singapore ranged from 5% to 10%, with different project type and size being significant factors affecting the premiums. It also reported that the majority of green building construction projects exhibited poor cost performances, with cost overruns ranging from 4.5% to 7%. Lastly, six strategic solutions that can reduce the cost premiums and improve the cost performance were proposed. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by adding the literature and findings in the context of the cost premiums and cost performance of green building construction projects. Furthermore, it can provide the industry professionals with an in-depth understanding of green cost premiums and performance as well as the responding control solutions, helping them make better decisions on cost-related management approaches from the beginning of such projects.