Infrastructure Engineering - Research Publications

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    Integrating sustainability into higher education curricula
    Rajabifard, A ; Elisa, L ; Herath, N ; Hui, K ; Currie, G ; Kahalimoghadam, M (Engineers Australia, 2021)
    Education has been widely recognised as a key instrument to achieve sustainability. Integrating sustainability knowledge, skills and values are considered paramount to enable individuals to contribute to sustainable development. The paper presents a pilot study conducted at the University of Melbourne to investigate the links between the subjects offered by the University and sustainability. The pilot study is a part of the Sustainability in the Curriculum program, which addresses the Sustainability Plan Teaching and Learning Target 1, aimed to incorporate sustainability knowledge and values in the University's curricula. The 17 Sustainability Development Goals have been used as a framework to measure how well the curricula are linked to sustainability. A study first undertaken to establish the link between subjects and the Sustainability Development Goals is presented. The study involved data collection through published literature on Sustainable Development Goals and the University's subject handbook, followed by a survey involving the subject coordinators. The findings of the study show that the strength of linkages between subjects with sustainability varies, highlighting the challenge in some technical subjects in linking their contents with sustainability. Approaches adopted in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology in embedding sustainability in the curriculum are presented with some examples and discussions for the next steps.
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    Foreword
    Hui, K ; Ismail, S ; Hui, K ; Ismail, S (The University of Melbourne, 2022-09-27)
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    Analytical Framework for Understanding the Differences between Technical Standards Originating from Various Regions to Improve International Hydropower Project Delivery
    You, R ; Tang, W ; Duffield, CF ; Zhang, L ; Hui, F ; Kang, Y (MDPI, 2022-02)
    The international hydropower construction market is continuously growing during the past decade. The existing literature points out that contractors are facing ongoing difficulties in achieving the objectives of developing international hydropower projects, which largely arise from the misunderstanding and poor use of international technical standards. However, there is a lack of a coherent framework to help systematically analyze the differences between technical standards originating from various regions. This study establishes an analytical framework that incorporates the essential factors of technical standards, namely philosophy of standards, logical structure, completeness of standards, calculation method, equipment and material requirements, test method, construction method, and application conditions of standards, and demonstrates their relationships from a holistic perspective. With support of the data collected from Chinese contractors, the results revealed the application status of various technical standards and their differences. Hierarchical cluster analysis demonstrates that unfamiliarity with the differences between domestic and international technical standards can cause multiple problems in international hydropower project delivery, concerning applying international standards, integrated project management, design, procurement, and construction, which have broad theoretical and practical implications. The outcomes of this study can not only help contractors improve their capabilities of applying international standards for achieving superior international hydropower project performance, but also facilitate mutual recognition of the standards from various regions, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of global resources such as expertise, technologies, methods, and products.
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    Upcycling opportunities and potential markets for aluminium composite panels with polyethylene core (ACP-PE) cladding materials in Australia: A review
    Pilipenets, O ; Gunawardena, T ; Hui, FKP ; Nguyen, K ; Mendis, P ; Aye, L (ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2022-11-28)
    Many buildings worldwide have high fire-risk materials as part of their cladding. As governments in Australia strive to make buildings safer, it is expected that a large volume of end-of-life dangerous cladding will be replaced with safer materials. This high volume of hazardous materials might be upcycled into value-added products. This article presents a systematic market analysis and literature review in identifying current and potential uses for the raw materials used in hazardous ACP-PE cladding. The most promising areas were identified to be non-food-contact packaging (US$228 M p.a.), non-pressure pipes (US$30 M p.a.), footwear (US$5.29 M p.a.) and 3D printer filament (US$2.73 M p.a.)
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    Framework for standardising carbon neutrality in building projects
    Too, J ; Ejohwomu, OA ; Hui, FKP ; Duffield, C ; Bukoye, OT ; Edwards, DJ (Elsevier, 2022-11-01)
    The construction industry accounts for approximately 40% of the global carbon emissions and is the largest consumer of materials and energy. Given the Paris Agreement target towards global net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, significant changes are required in the design, construction and use of buildings. This study applies a qualitative approach that combines a systematic literature review (SLR) with in-depth semi-structured interviews with experts to analyse existing carbon neutrality frameworks and decision support tools; expanding current knowledge by bringing to the fore the challenges experienced in implementing these frameworks. This research effort reveals an inadequacy in frameworks for effective decision-making on decarbonisation strategies along the project lifecycle. A novel framework that breaks down the activities and decision points across the entire project lifecycle is proposed to bridge this gap in literature. The developed framework defines whole lifecycle cost, whole lifecycle energy use, exergetic lifecycle and whole lifecycle emissions as the four critical underpinning variables considered in making decarbonisation decisions. It further details the key evaluation criteria to facilitate decision-making at each stage of the project lifecycle and provides decision-makers with contextual guidance for assessing the impact of their decarbonisation decisions at the planning, delivery, closure and operations phases of the project. It will assist academic researchers, building owners and industry professionals to keep track of the project's carbon neutrality target and encourage best practices for carbon emission reduction in the building sector.
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    A review of facilities management interventions to mitigate respiratory infections in existing buildings
    Zhang, Y ; Hui, FKP ; Duffield, C ; Saeed, AM (PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2022-08-01)
    The Covid-19 pandemic reveals that the hazard of the respiratory virus was a secondary consideration in the design, development, construction, and management of public and commercial buildings. Retrofitting such buildings poses a significant challenge for building owners and facilities managers. This article reviews current research and practices in building operations interventions for indoor respiratory infection control from the perspective of facilities managers to assess the effectiveness of available solutions. This review systematically selects and synthesises eighty-six articles identified through the PRISMA process plus supplementary articles identified as part of the review process, that deal with facilities' operations and maintenance (O&M) interventions. The paper reviewed the context, interventions, mechanisms, and outcomes discussed in these articles, concluding that interventions for respiratory virus transmission in existing buildings fall into three categories under the Facilities Management (FM) discipline: Hard services (HVAC and drainage system controls) to prevent aerosol transmissions, Soft Services (cleaning and disinfection) to prevent fomite transmissions, and space management (space planning and occupancy controls) to eliminate droplet transmissions. Additionally, the research emphasised the need for FM intervention studies that examine occupant behaviours with integrated intervention results and guide FM intervention decision-making. This review expands the knowledge of FM for infection control and highlights future research opportunities.
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    Improving Design by Partnering in Engineering-Procurement-Construction (EPC) Hydropower Projects: A Case Study of a Large-Scale Hydropower Project in China
    Liu, Y ; Tang, W ; Duffield, CF ; Hui, FKP ; Zhang, L ; Zhang, X ; Kang, Y (MDPI, 2021-12)
    Hydropower, as a renewable energy resource, has become an important way to fit for Chinese long-term energy policy of energy transformation. Engineering–procurement–construction (EPC) has been increasingly adopted for improving hydropower project delivery efficiency in the utilization of water resources and generation of clean energy, where design plays a critical role in project success. Existing studies advocate the need to use partnering for better solutions to designs in EPC hydropower projects. However, there is a lack of a theoretical framework to systematically address design-related issues considering different participants’ interactions. This study coherently examined the causal relationships among partnering, design management, design capability, and EPC hydropower project performance by establishing and validating a conceptual model, with the support of data collected from a large-scale EPC hydropower project. Path analysis reveals that partnering can directly promote design management and design capability and exert an effect on design capability through enhancing design management, thereby achieving better hydropower project outcomes. This study’s contribution lies in that it theoretically builds the links between intra- and inter-organizational design-related activities by systematically mapping EPC hydropower project performance on partnering, design management, and design capability. These findings also suggest broad practical strategies for participants to optimally integrate their complementary resources into designs to achieve superior hydropower project performance.
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    New normal remote communication for collaboration (presentation)
    Vaz-Serra, P ; Hui, KP ; Aye, L ( 2021-12-19)
    Presented at the 12th International Conference on Structural Engineering and construction Management (ICSECM) 2021, Kandy, Sri Lanka (17-19 December)
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    Effects of learning curve models on onshore wind and solar PV cost developments in the USA
    Castrejon-Campos, O ; Aye, L ; Hui, FKP (PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2022-05)
    Technological innovation planning for developing and deploying clean energy technologies plays a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon future. Learning curve theory has been adopted as a common framework for exploring the relationship between endogenous technological learning and technology cost developments. The aim of this article is to analyse the effects of selecting different learning curve approaches (i.e. model formulations) to describe energy technology cost changes over time. Experience and knowledge stock are chosen as the sources of learning to be considered. A new definition of experience was developed to account for the interaction between global and local experience. The new definition of experience also accounts for learning sub-processes (i.e. learning-by-doing, learning-by-using, and experience spillovers) to estimate total experience gained through technology deployment. An integrative model is developed for estimating the effects of learning-by-deploying and learning-by-researching on cost developments for onshore wind and solar PV in the USA. Publicly available data from government departments and organisations were utilised. It was found that technology cost developments are better explained when: (1) experience is defined as a function of global and local experience; (2) knowledge stock is also considered in the model formulation; and (3) technological processes affect only a fraction of the total capital cost. The findings suggested that the application of learning rates for model-based energy planning is context-dependent and how technological factors are explicitly defined may have significantly different policy implications (i.e. different technology costs predictions based on alternative model formulations).
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    Dataset on effects of learning curve models on onshore wind and solar PV cost developments in the USA (Version 2)
    Castrejon Campos, O ; Aye, L ; Hui, KP ( 2022-02-21)
    This dataset includes input data to estimate learning-by-deploying (LbD) and learning-by-researching (LbR) rates for onshore wind and solar PV in the United States of America (USA). Using different learning curve approaches the simulated technological-based cost developments are also presented. Coefficient of determination (R squared) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) were applied for quantification of the agreement between simulated and observed technological-based costs.