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Publication THE FUTURE OF GREEN MARK SCHEME WITHIN SINGAPORE(2011-05-20) LIM CHOON TAT; BUILDING; CHEONG KOK WAI DAVIDIn order to match up with the challenges of global warming and scarce natural resources, the practice of sustainable construction is necessary. Since the construction sector plays an important role in Singapore’s economy and social development, efforts must be put in to achieve a sustainable built environment in the form of utilizing green building schemes such as the Green Mark Scheme (GMS). Active promotion is carried out by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in Singapore to encourage adoption of the GMS and meet the growing demand for green technologies and green construction in Singapore. As such, this study aims to establish the current level of success of the GMS and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), followed by the revision of the GMS to determine if any suitable guidelines from the LEED can be implemented into it to further improve it as an attractive and better green rating system. Literature reviews were conducted extensively to determine the level of success for the GMS and LEED and to provide a basic understanding of where the two green rating systems stand in the current construction industry. Interviews were conducted with two construction industry professionals to gain their valuable insight on the LEED guidelines to be implemented. A survey was conducted in complementary to the interviews to gather opinions from the other construction industry professionals on the implementation of the LEED guidelines into the GMS. Due to time constraints and word limit imposed, the general conclusions being drawn were limited in terms of accuracy and applicability to the rest of the construction industry. Hence, there may be insufficient information gathered for this study. It was proposed that a more in-depth and larger study be conducted for future works in order to have a broader perspective on the industry’s opinions on the LEED implementation.Publication A SHIFT IN CURRENT EMPLOYMENT CULTURE IN SINGAPORE'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY(2015-01-08) CHIEW JIA QIAN; BUILDING; GEORGE OFORIOne of the significant industries in Singapore is the construction sector. The practice of subcontracting is widely adopted in the current employment culture. However, this method presents several difficulties to both main contractor and subcontractor. Thus, this study aims to identify the challenges faced by main contractor and subcontractor due to subcontracting; explore unique employment cultures in other countries such as Japan and South Korea; and recommend solutions to improve the present situation. The study is based on literature review and the findings from the results of a field study comprising interviews and a survey using questionnaires. The literature review gives an overview of the current subcontracting practices in Singapore’s construction industry. Japan’s and South Korea’s unique employment culture were also studied. For instance, in both countries, there is long-term collaboration between involved parties and the development of the subcontractor. Therefore, the study of both countries could present valuable lessons for the construction industry in Singapore. Two sets of survey questionnaires were completed by 32 main contractors and 23 subcontractors. The survey sought to ascertain the issues facing both main contractors and subcontractors with subcontracting and also gather their views and recommendations on the issue. Interviews were conducted with 4 professionals from 4 contracting firms in the local construction industry in order to obtain deeper perceptives and analysis. The findings revealed the actual challenges faced by the main contractors and subcontractors and presented some of the recommendations proposed by them. Thereafter, recommendations were made, based on the findings drawn from the components of the study: the literature review; and analysis of survey questionnaires and interviews. The adoption of long term relationship between main contractors and subcontractors, development of the capability of subcontractors, negotiable terms in subcontracting contract and prohibition of total subcontracting would help to achieve improvement in the current subcontracting practices. The recommendations are beneficial to the main contractor, subcontractor and the industry as it will eventually lead to an enhancement in the quality of work in the construction project. Lastly, future research can be done with regards to the feasibility of the recommendations proposed.Publication EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION MAP (CITM) IN ASSISTING SINGAPORE �S CONSTRUCTION SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMES) TO INTERNATIONALISE(2018-12-04) NG KANG JUN; BUILDING; LOW SUI PHENGSmall and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the construction sector bodes pessimism in recent years due to declining private and public projects. Under the Industry Transformation Programme in 2017, Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) were developed for 23 industries to tackle industry-specific issues. As part of the nation’s economic restructuring strategy, these ITMs are specially tailored to each sector’s needs so as to help companies and workers achieve success. Most importantly, the ITMs help firms seize global opportunities by assisting them in their capability upgrading efforts. The push for technological practices such as prefabrication and digital technology in the construction industry seeks to transform and upgrade the industry. And ultimately, the ITMs aim to upgrade the entire construction industry and help firms thrive locally and compete globally. However, according to industry experts, the ITMs are irrelevant and disconnected from the needs of SMEs. This study serves to solicit the opinions of construction SMEs on the effectiveness of the Construction ITM (CITM) in assisting firms in internationalisation. A framework is used to access the critical success factors for internationalisation according to construction SMEs. Thereafter, recommendations are provided to understand what construction SMEs require and favour. With the use of research methods such as surveys and interviews, feedback is collected and studied to reflect the perception of construction SMEs towards the CITM. Respondents disagreed with the notion that CITM will benefit the SMEs of the construction industry, which glaringly differs from what the Government envisioned the ITMs to be. Based on the respondents’ perception collected, it was revealed that three out of the five strategies in the CITM are deemed to be effective in helping SMEs to internationalise. However, issues such as the lack of financing power and limited manpower which SMEs face, prevent them from fully leveraging the strategies offered. The respondents identified several critical success factors for internationalisation many of which are related to firm-specific advantages.Publication ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SIMULATION GAME FOR IMPROVING INCIDENT INVESTIGATION TEACHING AND LEARNING(2019-06-12) SEAH, YI LING EVELINE; BUILDING; GOH YANG MIANGThe construction industry poses significant Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) risk to workers. Contribution to workplace fatalities is higher by the construction industry than other industries. Investigating the occurrences of such events promote learning and equip individuals with the necessary safety competencies to prevent similar events from recurring. Despite the importance of WSH, there are barriers to provide tertiary students in WSH education the practical skills and experience in incident investigations. Studies have shown students lack opportunities to visit sites due to the hazardous nature of construction sites and the lack of spatiotemporal resources to accommodate a large cohort of students on-site. Educators often experience the challenge of limited time and resources at their disposal to arrange site visits with industry practitioners for students. It is also not practical to re-enact unsafe behaviours in reality for students to learn at their convenience. A prototype 2D simulation game, SafeSim Investigation has been developed to simulate an authentic environment for students in learning about the incident investigation as an alternative solution to the challenges posited. The game operationalises the principles of authentic learning as a non-traditional pedagogical approach to provide students with an authentic experience on how incident investigations are carried out. Students work in groups to collect evidence, conduct analysis and provide recommendations as part of the incident investigation process. This study adopts an experimental approach to understand the effectiveness of SafeSim in WSH education on the topic of incident investigation. This study will introduce SafeSim as a simulation-based learning approach and examine its effect on students’ achievement of learning outcomes. SafeSim will also be further evaluated on its operationalisation of the principles of authentic learning and recommendations will be provided for future improvement to the game.Publication A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE GREEN MARK SCHEME VERSION 5 AND VERSION 3 FOR NEW NON-RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS(2016-07-12) NEO WEI XIN VANESSA; BUILDING; CHANDRA SEKHARThis dissertation focuses on studying the revisions made in the newly launched Green Mark scheme for new Non-Residential buildings version 5. The main aim of this research is to understand the implications this change will have on the future scoring of building projects by way of case study. In applying the new standard to an actual building certified by an earlier version of the Green Mark scheme (version 3), further comparisons can be made to better understand the new level of sustainable performance required by the latest version of the Green mark scheme, to attain in particular, the Platinum award. In addition to providing a comparative breakdown of the framework and listed requirements of both versions, the scope of this study will also include recommendations to be made to the management of the building in discussion, to ensure that the Platinum award remains safely obtainable in the event of future recertification once a like version, namely “Green mark scheme for existing buildings” be launched, following the approval of this current scheme. Bearing in mind the legal mandate enforcing the Green Mark scheme on local projects, the relevance of this dissertation lies in answering the question of how big the shift in the revised definition of sustainable performance with this new version of the green mark scheme.Publication INADEQUACY OF CURRENT CONTRACTUAL FORMULA IN RESOLVING DISPUTES OVER VALUATION OF VARIATION(2017-06-05) GAN JIA HUI DAPHNE; BUILDING; CHAN CHUEN FYE PHILIPVariations are an inevitable aspect of a construction project but they can also be detrimental to the progress of the project. They can impact the time, cost and completion of the construction project. Therefore, variations need to be properly managed and administered through construction contracts. There are several aspect of variation disputes. This study looks into the most prevalent variation dispute which is the dispute over the valuation of variation. Considering how the cash flow is the lifeblood of every construction project, the valuation of variations if not properly carried out, can be damaging to the outcome of the project. If it is not handled efficiently, it can lead to inaccurate cost reconciliation or bad prediction of project profit. The study evaluates the adequacy of the existing contractual formulae in assisting to resolve the conflict of valuation through the use of case law. Case law is used to provide insights on how the Court proposed solutions to resolve the conflict between the parties over the valuation process.Publication THE SOCIAL IMPACTS OF INTELLIGENT FACILITIES: A PILOT STUDY OF CHANGES IN HUMAN SOCIAL INTERACTION AND WELL-BEING BROUGHT ABOUT BY SMART SHOPPING MALLS IN SINGAPORE(2017-05-31) DANG PHUONG TRANG; BUILDING; SEKHAR KONDEPUDIIn line with the vision of Singapore being a Smart Nation, Smart Buildings (SB) that provide advanced technological environment for people to “live comfortably” in is the chief target the nation is aiming for. Regarding the built industry, the adoption of SB needs to be extensively studied and accurately applied. More assiduous attention can be drawn to smart shopping malls since these are places where we most likely see the intelligent facilities “in our daily living” and “in our communities” (Lee Hsien Loong, 2014). At the current stage, there have yet to be a fair number of researches on Smart Shopping Malls (SSM) in Singapore, nor have there been studies touching on the social impacts brought about by the adoption of it. Therefore, this pilot study is conducted to analyze the social impacts that SSM have on mall visitors and propose a list of intelligent facilities enhancing human well-being and social interaction. As a result, the retail industry players and designers may use this preliminary study as a useful reference for their decision-making process in the future. The objective is achieved by performing a comprehensive Literature Review, whereby social impacts of shopping malls are identified, and implementing a survey whose questionnaires examine the existence of social impacts caused by the use of particular intelligent facilities. Descriptive statistics and one-tailed T-test were employed to conclude that smart facilities of shopping malls do enhance the social interaction and well-being of the shoppers. With reference to the research findings, a future SSM concept in Singapore is proposed. The concept highlights the coherence of technology and building users, where networks of sensors and smart devices enable people to live comfortably and connect to one another intensely. Illustrative scenarios are provided for easy understanding and visualization. The value as well as limitations of research are discussed in order to open up opportunities for more in-depth research.Publication PERFORMANCE OF LIGHT SHELVES OF ZERO ENERGY BUILDING AT BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY (BCA)(2011-05-20) WONG CHONG HUI; BUILDING; WONG NYUK HIENGreen technologies and researches have been greatly initiated and encouraged by the Singapore government in recent years. In fact, the government has pledged S$1 billion in April 2009 to implement a long term blueprint as a continuous development of new and sustainable technologies and alternative sources of energy (Straits Times, March 2010). In line with the green endeavors of the Singapore government, the Zero Energy Building (ZEB), situated in the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Academy, is constructed to serve as a full test bed for various passive and active green technologies and their effectiveness and applicability. Of the various green technologies, the light shelves in ZEB forms the focus of this research study. Objective and subjective studies were carried out to evaluate on the thermal and visual performances of the classroom in ZEB to study the effectiveness of the light shelves. Specifically, the top surfaces of the light shelves are compared to determine how the reflective mirrored surfaces seek to increase the amount of natural daylight being reflected into the interiors of the classroom as compared to a non-reflective surface. Other parameters analyzed include daylight factor, mean radiant temperature (MRT) and solar irradiance of the façade and rooftop. Results obtained from the objective study are able to ascertain the performance of the light shelves with and without the reflective surfaces although certain constraints, which will be discussed in the report, may indirectly affect onsite measurements. The constraints also apply to the subjective study and because the results yielded an incomprehensive outcome, a further subjective study is recommended to validate the human perception on the thermal and visual comfort in the classroom. Recommendations are included in the report to allow for future research and project continuity.Publication Measuring service delivery standards of the real estate industry(2010-06-02T03:39:36Z) HUA YULING; BUILDING; LOW SUI PHENGFor the sake of convenience to cope with their daily activities as well as to seek professional advice, most Singaporeans leave their buying and selling of their homes to the hands of housing agents. However, through the spread of mass media, issues pertaining to the existence of errant housing agents surfaced, leaving a poor impression on the professionalism and service quality of the real estate industry. Realising that the ability to provide superior customer service plays a significant role in maintaining a competitive advantage over others, there is a need to assess the performance of housing agents pertaining to service quality. In order to do so, survey questionnaires and interviews were deployed for the purpose of this study. Difficulties faced being housing agents were highlighted in the interviews conducted and probable areas for improvement they felt useful were identified, one of which was to standardize commission rates. A measurement tool proposed for the survey questionnaire measured (1) clients‟ expectations against their housing agents‟ performance based on their most recent experience; as well as (2) clients‟ expectations against housing agents‟ perceived service quality. The survey findings showed that while clients held high regard for housing agents to be accredited, housing agents themselves did not. A majority of the clients also felt that housing agents were dishonest, unprofessional and unreliable. Therefore, through the measurement tool, housing agents can assess their own performance, seek improvements in areas they did not fare well in and bring service delivery standards up another notch.Publication QUALITY CONSTRUCTION IN RELATION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT(2009-10-07T10:35:34Z) ONG CHOON FATT; BUILDING; LOW SUI PHENGThis study explores the conceptual relationship between quality construction and economic development and provides in-depth observations of the industry‟s approach to the government‟s quality initiatives. The first aim of the study is to examine the impact of quality development in the construction with respect to different phases of development in Singapore. Through the theoretical framework of the economy‟s progression, it relates the phases of economic development, the housing priorities of construction and the experience of quality development in Singapore. It was found that many quality initiatives were introduced at different stages of development. From the early industrialization to the current globalised and diversified economy, the quality of building construction has moved beyond providing physical shelter to delivering quality homes of the future. It was evident that the quality construction serves as a valuable indicator to the economic development of a country. Secondly, this study aims to investigate the industry players‟ support and approach of the quality initiatives in Singapore. In-depth interviews with the authority, public and private sector in the construction industry were conducted to gain better insights into the approaches of the quality initiatives that an industry player complies. Based on the verbatim quotations presented, it was concluded that quality construction was embraced by the industry only after the Bonus scheme of CONQUAS 21 was implemented in 1998. Even though quality construction is generally appreciated, there are three critical issues that led to the ambiguous explanation in the willingness of the industry‟s participation in the various quality initiatives. Three main issues are: lack of funding to follow the initiative, strict requirements of scheme and different perceptions in benchmarking the quality standards. It was also found that only well-established companies are able to gain advantage from the quality initiatives. ii This conceptual framework relating to the quality construction and economic development may be useful for developing nations seeking to improve their economic status. In order for the quality of building construction in Singapore to improve, there must be a high level of cooperation between the government and industry players and thus, this will help to efficiently improve the economy. The limitations of this study includes the time and resource constraints in getting information pertaining to quality construction, the limited sample population in the knowledge of quality construction and the exclusion of developers, consultants and suppliers.