Associate Professor Temitope Egbelakin

Encouraging property owners to adopt measures to improve the resilience of their buildings to seismic hazard has been a major challenge in many earthquake-prone countries. Owners of buildings vulnerable to seismic hazard are often found unwilling or lacking in motivation to strengthen their properties, despite the availability of several earthquake risk mitigation mechanisms. This study sought to investigate essential motivational factors that would enable building owners to voluntarily strengthen their vulnerable buildings. Using 208 structured questionnaires and structural equation modeling for data analysis, the research findings uncovered a set of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators necessary to enhance earthquake mitigation decisions. The intrinsic motivators include using information communication networks such as policy entrepreneurs and community engagement in risk mitigation. Extrinsic motivators comprise financial, regulatory, technological, and property market-based incentives. The model developed in this study and findings provide guidance to local council officials and professionals involved in earthquake risk management on the mix of incentives that will foster the collective protective actions necessary to improve the built environment's resilience to seismic disasters.

Purpose: This study aims to answer the ¿what¿ and ¿how¿ questions about the key role players¿ influence on the overall productivity outcomes in the lifecycle of residential buildings procured through the traditional route. Design/methodology/approach: A mix of exploratory and descriptive research methods was used to obtain feedback from 179 role-players involved in various phases of the residential building lifecycle (RBLC) in New Zealand. Empirical data were analysed using content analysis, multi-attribute method and Friedman¿s two-way analysis of variance. Findings: Results showed that designers, building owners, main contractors and project managers were the greatest influencers of the productivity outcomes in the RBLC. The priority drivers of these key role-players¿ influences on the RBLC productivity outcomes comprised poor brief interpretation, inclination to lowest tender, inadequate prior risk analysis and miscommunication of owner¿s requirements and preferences to service providers, respectively. By taking proactive steps to redress their productivity inhibiting acts/omissions as identified in this study, the various role-players could contribute to significant improvement of productivity outcomes in the building lifecycle. Research limitations/implications: It was not possible to interview all participants that made up the representative random samples from each role-player group due largely to workload related excuses. As a result, the findings and the conclusions may not be generalised beyond the study scope. However, the study achieved its purpose, as the main intent was to provide hypothetical constructs that could guide further confirmatory/experimental studies for residential buildings as well as for other building types. Practical implications: A succinct and easy-to-follow model was developed as implementation pathway for operationalising the key findings of the study in the industry. The model highlights the Owner-Architect-Contractor Influence Triangle (OACIT) as the 20 per cent of the solutions that could deliver 80 per cent of the productivity improvement in the RBLC. Originality/value: This study re-examines productivity issues not only from a life-cycle perspective but also from the perspectives of the majority of the key role-players. In addition, the OACIT concept offers a novel productivity improvement tool; it stresses that productivity in the traditionally procured building lifecycle could be optimised if the architect could focus greater attention on brief articulation and the issuance and review of design and specification information. Also, the owner should adopt productivity-enhancing procurement and contract strategies and emphasise more on value-addition and less on lowest tender price.

The historic precincts of suburban cities in New Zealand are characterised by partially occupied, vacant or abandoned buildings, which are located in key locations of the central business districts (CBDs). Increasing unoccupied spaces and low demand for older buildings are detrimental to the socio-economic growth of many provincial towns in New Zealand. The study discussed in this paper sought to: 1) investigate the proportion of totally/partially existing vacant older buildings within the town centre of suburb-#; 2) identify the underlying factors that contributed to emergence of the vacant buildings and the consequences of the prevalent vacancy rate on suburban town centres; and 3) recommend possible ways to increase the demand for these buildings. Using a mixed-methods approach for data collection, the research findings showed a vacancy rate of approximately 86 per cent (n = 47) of older heritage buildings located in the main high street of suburb-#. Additionally, several factors were identified to be responsible for the high vacancy rate of the older buildings: 1) building conditions; 2) social factors; 3) economic factors; and 4) building regulations. The research findings provided significant suggestions on how property redevelopment coupled with town centre regeneration can be used as a responsive strategy that can attend to the changing needs of owners, occupiers and visitors, as well as ensure compliance to commercial and regulatory demands of seismic strengthening of older heritage buildings.

In this paper, we investigated the reason(s) why natural ventilation is not as popular as air-conditioned or mixed-mode ventilation systems in Green-rated office buildings in New Zealand. To achieve this, we had three objectives. Firstly, we reviewed the Green Star criteria for thermal comfort in office buildings to ascertain which ventilation system the NZ Green Star rating tool promotes. Secondly, we ascertained the perception of occupants in office buildings regarding thermal comfort. This was followed by an interview with building experts regarding factors that affect the use of natural ventilation in New Zealand offices. The findings showed that the NZ Green Star thermal comfort criteria encourage the use of mechanical ventilation over natural ventilation which results in designers opting for air conditioning systems in office designs. We observed that occupants of naturally ventilated spaces were least satisfied with the thermal comfort of their offices when compared with occupants of mixed-mode and air-conditioned offices. This study fulfils the need to encourage the use of natural ventilation in office environments by designers and building owners. Further study on other aspects of the indoor environment quality that is related to naturally ventilated systems such as lighting and noise is required in a bid to ascertain its viability in office environments.

Enhancing building owners¿ earthquake risk preparedness has been a major challenge in many seismically active regions. Many property owners are found unwilling to adopt adequate risk mitigation measures in their earthquake-prone buildings, despite the availability of various technical design solutions and the enactment of intervening legislative frameworks necessary to facilitate successful earthquake risk preparedness. This paper examined the rationale behind building owners¿ unwillingness to adopt adequate mitigation measures with a view to improve current stakeholders¿ practices in earthquake risk mitigation. Using a mixed-method approach, comprising both qualitative and quantitative methods, an examination of the decision-making process and different stakeholders involved in earthquake risk mitigation and the property market, provided insights into the causal agents and stakeholder practices that pose challenges to property owners¿ mitigation decisions. Stake-holder practices acting as impediments revealed are property valuation assessment of retrofitted and non-retrofitted EPBs, lack of demand for improved performance in older buildings, high earthquake insurance policy premiums and deductibles, and lack of a risk assessment information system. An in-depth understanding of these challenges highlights the need for a holistic approach that should incorporate market-based incentives necessary for successful earthquake preparedness by building owners, and for designing effective strategies for improving earthquake risk mitigation.

The increasing scale of losses from earthquake disasters has reinforced the need for property owners to become proactive in seismic risk reduction programs. However, despite advancement in seismic design methods and legislative frameworks, building owners are found unwilling or lack motivation to adopt adequate mitigation measures that will reduce their vulnerability to earthquake disasters. Various theories and empirical findings have been used to explain the adoption of protective behaviours including seismic mitigation decisions, but their application has been inadequate to enhance building owners¿ protective decisions. A holistic framework that incorporates the motivational orientations of decision-making, coupled with the social, cultural, economic, regulatory, institutional and political realms of earthquake risk mitigation to enhance building owners¿ decisions to voluntarily implement adequate mitigation measures, is proposed. This framework attempts to address any multi-disciplinary barriers that exist in earthquake disaster management, by ensuring that stakeholders involved in seismic mitigation decisions work together to foster seismic rehabilitation of EPBs, as well as illuminate strategies that will initiate, promote and sustain the adoption of long-term earthquake mitigation.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine why building owners are often reluctant to adopt adequate mitigation measures despite the vulnerability of their buildings to earthquake disasters, by exploring the economic-related barriers to earthquake mitigation decisions.

New Zealand¿s devastating Canterbury earthquakes provided an opportunity to examine the efficacy of existing regulations and policies relevant to seismic strengthening of vulnerable buildings. The mixed-methods approach adopted, comprising both qualitative and quantitative approaches, revealed that some of the provisions in these regulations pose as constraints to appropriate strengthening of earthquake-prone buildings. Those provisions include the current seismic design philosophy, lack of mandatory disclosure of seismic risks and ineffective timeframes for strengthening vulnerable buildings. Recommendations arising from these research findings and implications for pre-disaster mitigation for future earthquake and Canterbury¿s post-disaster reconstruction suggest: (1) a reappraisal of the requirements for earthquake engineering design and construction, (2) a review and realignment of all regulatory frameworks relevant to earthquake risk mitigation, and (3) the need to develop a national programme necessary to achieve consistent mitigation efforts across the country. These recommendations are important in order to present a robust framework where New Zealand communities such as Christchurch can gradually recover after a major earthquake disaster, while planning for pre-disaster mitigation against future earthquakes.

Implementing seismic risk mitigation is a major challenge in many earthquake-prone regions, despite the availability of a significant number of risk reduction measures such as technical design solutions and regulatory frameworks that include building codes, policies and regulations necessary to facilitate successful risk reduction activities. However, building owners have been found unwilling to retrofit their earthquake-prone buildings. The objective of this research is to investigate how to enhance buildings owners' earthquake hazard preparedness decisions by adopting a motivational approach in order to reduce their vulnerability to earthquake risks. A multiple case studies approach was adopted and interviews conducted with the various stakeholders involved in seismic adjustments decisions. Significant intrinsic and extrinsic interventions such as intensifying and promoting the use of critical awareness motivators, financial and property market-based incentives necessary to enhance building owners' decisions were revealed from the analysis of the qualitative data. These revealed intrinsic and extrinsic interventions offer plausible explanations regarding how human motivational orientation can be used to influence disaster preparedness decisions by increasing the salience of seismic risk issues. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the behavioural and sociological impediments to successful implementation of earthquake hazard mitigation and to recommend possible intervention strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Data were gathered through a case study methodology and interviews adopted as the research strategy. A semi-structured questionnaire was chosen as a data-collection instrument, with 33 interviews conducted for various stakeholders involved in seismic retrofit decision-making process. Findings: The research main findings include the role of risk perception in diminishing earthquake hazard mitigation, difficulties in assessing benefits and values of seismic retrofit implementation and the hazard mitigation approach adopted by governmental organisations. The findings suggested that stakeholders involved in retrofit decision-making should have a good understanding of the risks faced as well as the implications of their decisions. Originality/value: The paper investigates earthquake hazard mitigation of commercial buildings at the stakeholders-level by adopting a multidisciplinary approach that incorporated decision sciences, policy perspectives and socio-behavioural perspectives. The findings highlight the significance of stakeholders approach to foster adequate mitigation of earthquake risks. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

China is a new market to many international architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms and it is not known what would be the likely project outcomes, based on different project management (PM) practices adopted. This research developed and tested five models to predict the likely project success levels, based on PM practices adopted by foreign AEC firms in China. Based on data obtained from 33 projects, multiple linear regression (MLR) models for predicting the performance of foreign managed projects in China were constructed. The models were tested against 13 new cases, and the results show that they are able to predict project outcomes with some level of accuracy. The models show that certain scope management practices can be used to predict owner satisfaction, profit margin, and cost and quality performance of the project. Construction industry practitioners who are managing projects in China may benefit from the findings by focusing more on upstream management, like managing project scope, in order to ensure project success. It is recommended that construction industry practitioners use the MLR models to make preliminary assessment of the possibility of project success based on the type of PM practices they intend to adopt in China. From the results, they can then decide if they should change their practices or abort the project. © 2008 ASCE.

China's construction industry presents many opportunities to foreign architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) firms. This paper reviews the general management practices adopted by foreign firms and investigates specific project management practices adopted by them on construction sites in China. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from Singaporean AEC firms that had undertaken projects in China. A wide range of management practices are adopted by foreign firms in China. The most effective market entry modes are entering China as wholly owned foreign enterprises and forming project joint ventures with Chinese firms. The key business strategies include understanding clients' requirements, and offering superior products and services. At the construction site level, many project management practices focus on improving quality and communication. Unfortunately, risk management is not adequately implemented. It is recommended that foreign firms adopt some of the significant management practices uncovered in this study so that their projects in China may achieve better performance.