Dr Sittimont Kanjanabootra

Big data applications consist of (a) data collection using big data sources, (b) storing and processing data and (c) analysing data to gain insights for creating organisational benefit. The influx of digital technologies and digitisation in the construction process includes big data as one newly emerging digital technology adopted in the construction industry. Big data application is in a nascent stage in construction, and there is a need to understand the tangible benefit(s) that big data can offer the construction industry. This study explores the benefits of big data in the construction industry. Using a qualitative case study design, construction professionals in an Australian construction firm were interviewed. The research highlights that the benefits of big data include reduction of litigation among project stakeholders, enablement of near-to-real-time communication and facilitation of effective subcontractor selection. By implication, on a broader scale, these benefits can improve contract management, procurement and management of construction projects. This study contributes to an ongoing discourse on big data application and, more generally, digitisation in the construction industry.

Vietnam has been extensively impacted by flooding over the years, sustaining heavy losses in human life and damages to housing, agriculture, and transportation. Flood risk in Vietnam is not widely understood beyond a very hazard-focused conceptualization, which often neglects to consider human vulnerability. The objective of this paper is to understand flood risk management (FRM) activities at local levels in Quang Nam province in Vietnam, along with legal and institutional frameworks that are intended to focus, but often restrict, policy and practice. Vietnam's legal and institutional frameworks are analyzed to provide an overview of the scope of existing FRM activities in Vietnam. We then examine the extent to which FRM in Vietnam follows recognized theoretical frameworks, and pinpoint where practice might be strengthened. Based on this positioning, we conduct 27 individual interviews with decision-makers in FRM at provincial, district, and commune levels in Quang Nam province. We argue that FRM activities at local levels in Vietnam are implemented according to the hierarchical structure of the political system and the responsibilities of various paramount government agencies, and that there is a lack of participation of experts, researchers, and scientists in steering committees. There is an urgent need for greater public participation in FRM at local levels. Since communes have a better understanding of their local conditions, empowering them with planning and decision-making power is necessary to improve the effectiveness of FRM activities. Our detailed analysis of FRM activities at local levels has implications for future efforts to mitigate flooding in Vietnam.

Purpose ¿ One of the key elements contributing to successful post-disaster project teams is individual competence. Each project participant brings his or her own knowledge, experience and ideas to the collective. The kind of chaotic and fragmented environment that is common in post-disaster scenarios presents specific barriers to the success of projects, which can be mitigated by ensuring that staff members possess competencies appropriate for their deployment to particular contexts. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach ¿ The study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, incorporating unstructured interviews to extract key factors of competence, project barriers and strategy, and a subsequent questionnaire survey, designed to quantify the various elements. Interviews were undertaken and analysed using a cognitive mapping procedure, while survey data were processed using SPSS. The data were then utilized in the development of a software prototype using Design Science Research methodology, capable of modelling the deployment of staff under various disaster scenarios. Findings ¿ Analysis of the survey and cognitive mapping data, in conjunction with relevant established frameworks, has allowed the classification of relevant competency elements. These elements have subsequently been measured and modelled into the competency-based tool and developed into a working prototype. Originality/value ¿ The developed system offers novel disaster competency assessment criteria. The system contains a variety of real-life scenarios derived from extensive data collection. These multi-hazard scenarios are embedded with knowledge and competency valuation criteria that can facilitate actors to assess their team¿s knowledge based on selective scenarios. In disaster response, time is a critical element, and this tool assists decision makers. It can enable disaster response actors to evaluate and assemble the appropriate personnel to deploy into disaster areas and into specific types of disaster environment.

Purpose: This paper aims to propose a framework for the evaluation of artefacts in Design Science and test it using an exemplar case of a knowledge management system (KMS) developed for an Australian refrigeration manufacturing company. Design/methodology/approach: The research uses Design Science research methodology in a specific case study context. The artefact studied was developed using an ontology based on an engineering design conceptualisation and created using an ontology generator, Protégé. Research data for the evaluation of the framework were collected using a combination of document analysis, interviews, shadowing and observations. Findings: The evaluation framework developed for the research and applied to the KMS specifically built for the company was shown to be useful in determining the efficacy and effectiveness of the research outcomes in terms of usefulness to the company engineers in the technical analysis of their work, and for the CEO and COO as part of their strategic planning for the company. The evaluation framework helped the researcher and the engineers as collaborators to demonstrate the extent of improvement in the design and build processes in the company. Originality/value: Prior research in both Information System and Design Science has not provided a specific, generalizable, evaluation framework for system developers to use as a guide during the systems development process. This research proposes an evaluation framework which covers all broad aspects of evaluation and efficacy, accepting that evaluation frameworks must be flexible in enabling changes to accommodate variations in the types and purposes of artefacts developed. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

This study experimentally investigated water penetration through semi-interlocking masonry (SIM) walls using a standard test methodology. The main objective of this study was to investigate the water-penetration performance of dry-stacked SIM walls and the effects of using gap-fillers on the testing walls. The performance of a traditional unreinforced masonry wall was used as the benchmark against which the results for SIM walls were compared. This paper reports the water-penetration performance results of several types of SIM walls investigated in this study.

Vietnam is vulnerable to multiple hazards, particularly in the central region. Flood damage statistics show that this part of the country is impacted by both unfavourable terrain, and human interference leading to environmental damage. Such damage is often a result of poorly planned and managed forestry and hydropower plants. This paper examines the key vulnerabilities present in Vietnam while investigating the key problems in the development of hydropower in Vietnam; environmental impacts, design and construction of dams and the operation of dams.