Loosely-coupled user-friendly interface: A window toward a better application of knowledge-based system in architecture, engineering and construction

This thesis explores the potentials of adopting loose-coupling concept in interface design of knowledge management systems for construction industry. For this purpose a prototype was developed which enables users to access relevant information to their work without getting engaged in any extra activity to translate their needs into systems’...

Purchasing Maturity of Rijkswaterstaat Process and organization assessment of the purchasing function

Purchase has been quiet a new profession field for Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), since it has introduced the ‘corporate purchasing strategy’. As it had prescribed the market in a detailed way ‘what’ to do for decades, it ‘buys’ its infrastructure assets from the market now. The need to assess this new strategic function of RWS originates from the fact...

Decision-making on Station Area Development: The role of process management in reaching project quality

This research deals with the influence of process management on the quality of station and station area development plans. Because station and station area development is both technical and socially complex, process management it introduced to provide solutions for coping with this complexity. Besides that process management offers opportunities...

A project management analysis of military involvement in civil engineering reconstruction projects during counterinsurgency operations: The case of Uruzgan province, Afghanistan

The theoretical underpinning of this research is primarily based on the theories related to project management and more specifically risk management. The study of existing theories on risk management revealed that the Active Threat and Opportunity Management (ATOM) methodology presents a potential and adequate current best practice for the...

Towards a New Model for Collaboration: Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the “Aronsohn contracting vision”

The research in this thesis is about the Aronsohn contracting vision, an innovative contract form developed by Aronsohn management. After successfully applying the method on a number of projects they were interested in a more formal evaluation of the method. This evaluation is presented in this report. The idea of Aronsohn is compared to the...

Applicability of an integral design approach based on steering by aspect systems in the construction industry

The project leader of the design team controls and steers the design process in order to make a successful design with a balanced mix of aspects and has to adapt to complexity and the dynamic character of the design process. How should a design management approach based on steering by aspect systems be put into practice to improve coping with...

Risk allocated: Problem solved?: A research into Risk Allocation in Dutch infrastructure projects

Currently there are no clear and practical rules as to how risks should be allocated and how the process of risk allocation should be designed to come to the best result. In this research a distinction is made between effective allocation (i.e. the risk are allocated to the ‘right’ party) and efficient allocation (i.e. the time and effort of the...

Better scope management during the initiative, design and construction phase of infrastructure projects

Nine out of ten infrastructure projects fall victim to cost escalation (Flyvbjerg, 2004) and delays. This paper investigates the role of scope changes and the practice of scope management on project cost and planning.

Towards an Industrialised Project Delivery System for the Building & Construction Industry: Supported by an integration of two enabling technologies, Systems Engineering and Building Information Modelling

The current BC industry has confronted many challenges. In spite of many researches and efforts so far, the future of the BC industry is too hard to be optimistic as proven by the relatively low productiveness of the BC industry. As one of promising solution to meet the demanding challenges, the more actively-applied industrialisation in the BC...

Policy analysis for improving performance of PPP projects in Vietnam: A Case Study from BOT Phu My Bridge Project

The important of PPP model to the development of infrastructure as well as the Vietnamese economy, and exiting obstacles in BOT practices in Vietnam inspire me to do this thesis. Among many critical success factors influencing to performance of BOT practice in Vietnam, the author recognizes that Vietnamese government should try all its efforts...

Application of Value Methodology to Improve Preservation of Infrastructural Assets in Rijkswaterstaat

Value Methodology (VM) is proposed by Dr. Frits Willems from Grontmij, as a possible way to help solve the problems. VM is a strong problem-analyzing and decision-making tool which matches the problem framework. Besides, based on an insight of its development and applications in other Government agencies, and comparisons with other relative...

Professioneel inkoopproces door goede leverancierselectie: Een praktisch inkoop en leverancierselectie model voor DuraVermeer

Bij DuraVermeer wordt er decentraal op de projecten ingekocht met een centrale coördinatie. De leverancierselectie en evaluatie wordt hierbij per werkmaatschappij verschillend uitgevoerd. Door het ontbreken van een digitaal beoordelingssysteem is het momenteel niet mogelijk voor DuraVermeer om de prestatie informatie van leveranciers mee te...

A supply-driven construction industry for transportation infrastructure New opportunities for consulting engineers

As the traditional demand-driven construction industry is currently changing, several trends point in the direction of an alternative construction industry that is supply driven. A supply-driven construction industry implies a radical change from a responsive pull market to a proactive push market. Since a supply-driven construction industry has...