Over the last decades of development of knowledge management and organizational learning, there has been an increase in learning research within and across projects. Learning from past lessons in projects and preparing for the next project management practices is very important in large infrastructure projects. The autonomy of projects brings opportunities for generating new knowledge to solve problems but makes diffusing the knowledge between projects and even within stages of the project difficult. This poses a significant gap that may be negatively affecting practices. A clear and in-depth understanding of project-based learning is needed. The research aims to stimulate discussions and further debate about learning at the project level to identify and implement capabilities and structures that enable more efficient learning within and between projects in terms of value creation...@en

Early supplier involvement (ESI) can be defined as a mechanism for involving preferred suppliers in the early phases of product design and development. The concept of ESI is frequently mentioned in the context of New Product Development (NPD) and has been in existence for over half a century with positive results in a number of industries. In the Dutch infrastructure sector however, the implementation of the ESI concept is not yet as widespread as in the automotive or electronics industries. Consequently, the opportunity to conduct this study comes from the recent developments that resulted in an increased reliance on suppliers' knowledge in Dutch infrastructure projects, combined to the fact that ESI seems to be a potential solution to cope with those changes. Therefore, through literature study and interviews with practitioners within the Dutch infrastructure sector, it is aimed to identify the current status of ESI within the Dutch infrastructure sector, identify barriers and stimuli to the ESI process and derive some recommendations for the sector.

Nowadays, a worldwide urbanisation trend can be observed. In the Netherlands, it is expected that the population of the four largest cities will be increased with an average of 15% in 2030. In total, these four big cities will accommodate a third of the Dutch population in 2030 (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek & Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, 2016). The growth of urban populations will generate a need to further develop cities, which will lead to a significant increase in construction work in cities. Because of the change from building in greenfield areas to brownfield areas, more people will experience the accompanying nuisances the increase of construction work brings. The accompanied nuisances relate to emissions and the reductions of the liveability and accessibility of cities during the execution of construction projects. To ensure the reduction of nuisances caused by construction tasks are reduced, a number of smart solutions in construction logistics have been developed. These solutions relate to the actions municipalities, contractors, wholesalers, and several other stakeholders can take. The smart solutions, among other things, provide concepts related to reductions of the amount of traffic. It is in the municipalities’ interest that feasible, effective and efficient solutions in construction logistics are further developed and applied on a larger scale, as this will help them to achieve their stated sustainable ambitions and increase the liveability and accessibility of urban confined areas during the construction phase of projects. However, on an operational level, municipalities do not sufficiently know how to stimulate the implementation of smart solutions in construction logistics in order to minimise nuisances caused by the construction sector. In order to respond to this shortcoming, the objective of this thesis is to provide a supporting tool to enable Dutch municipalities to stimulate market stakeholders to implement smart solutions in construction logistics in their projects. Because of the many different roles municipalities can play (client, licensor, coordinator, and owner of ground), the various types of projects municipalities conduct and the diversity in contract types is the Design Statement more specified than the objective of this thesis. The Design Statement can be read as follows: ‘Developing a tool that will give support to employees of municipalities working on the realisation of UAV-GC (Uniforme Administratieve Voorwaarden - Geïntegreerde Contractvormen) procured civil works, helping them to stimulate market stakeholders to implement smart solutions in construction logistics into projects.’ In order to respond to the Design Statement, a design of a supporting tool is developed. Prior to this, a number of Design Requirements that the design must satisfy are articulated. This requires, among other things, conducting research focusing on three aspects, being firstly, municipalities their deployable instruments to stimulate smart solutions in construction logistics, secondly, the process steps in municipalities its procured UAV-GC civil works projects and thirdly, the specifications of the deployable instruments. Through researching seven different subjects, namely a literature study on smart solutions in construction logistics, the smart solutions in construction logistics that are implementable by market stakeholders or by municipalities, the influence that municipalities have on the implementation of smart solution that can be implemented by market stakeholders, the level of applicability of smart solutions when implemented in civil projects, the specific related market stakeholders, obstacles and incentives that market stakeholders face and actions that municipalities can take, the deployable instruments were found. These instruments are: Procurement, Communication, Material agency, Contract management, BLVC, and Coordination department. The second research focus has resulted in a flow chart of the UAV-GC process that is divided in four phases and contains 23 process steps. From the third research focus, a list of contributors and obstructers that occur per instrument relating to the stimulation of smart solutions in construction logistics was developed. In addition to the Design Requirements that relate to the three research aspects, are also other Design Requirements formulated. They are derived from the scope, objective, and interview sessions with future users. The requirements are used as a starting point in the design phase of the tool for which different iterative design steps are taken. The final version of the tool represents a Project Roadmap It is presented as a small booklet printed in A5 size. The booklet is primarily made out of two parts, being a graphic and an explanation text. The icons displayed on the traffic signs represent the actions that take place during each intersection. The traffic signs are shaped in two different forms, being a diamond and square, representing respectively actions that can be taken in order to reduce construction related nuisances and actions that only consist of process step explanations. Finally, it has been decided that the created tool satisfies all mandatory requirements. Furthermore, the Project Roadmap responds to the stated Design Statement and ensures that all Dutch municipalities obtain guidance on how to stimulate market stakeholders to implement smart solutions in construction logistics in UAV-GC procured civil structure projects. It is recommended to keep supplementing the Project Roadmap with the latest information concerning municipalities its deployable instruments and smart solution in construction logistics in urban confined areas.

An increasing awareness of sustainability problems urges the need for more sustainable practices within the infrastructure industry. Organisations actively engage sustainability in strategic missions and objectives. However, how these visions translate proactively to the tactical and operational levels of decision-making is still considered an exploratory area for the extant theoretical body of knowledge. Therefore, this research aims to support managers in tactical and operational decision-making for sustainability by means of a diagnostic research in the context of a long-term Strategic Partnership between client and contractor at Schiphol Airport. Their collaborative agreements based on Best Value aims for synergy by close cooperation between the partners and valuing professional expertise. To become highly committed to sustainability, organizations need to take responsibility over decisions regarding their organisational processes, in terms of dedication, motivation, and long-term investments to achieve effective solutions. Interventions require the direction of efforts into an organization-wide approach, meaning that both tactical and operational level management are internally aligned and stimulated to involve sustainability in their considerations. Also, a future directed mind-set and long-term investment approach are required to overcome technical and respectively cost related barriers. Fragmented decision-making can be overcome by engagement of stakeholders in sustainability ambitions. Moreover, proactivity in strategic partnering collaborations also requires extending responsibility towards supporting the partner’s responsibilities in order to achieve the best outcome for all parties involved. Therefore, it is key for both parties to allow each other to showcase their expertise within the set boundaries and ambitions of the Best Value principles. Currently, the client initiates new projects in which utility infrastructure projects play a role, whereas the contracting organization becomes involved after scope, budget, and planning are mainly determined. A mutually structured approach of formal meetings in the initiation process needs to be enhanced to collectively explore opportunities and define ambitions. Based on the gathered elements on proactive implementation of sustainability in decision-making levels, a conceptual framework is developed to test the case studies by analyzing sustainable outcomes in terms of their level of effectiveness. The analysis framework introduced by this study connects the different levels of proactivity with a chronological order of project phases, ranging on tactical and operational decision-making levels. This developed framework provides a practical solution for the collaborative setting between client and contractor, as it stimulates the development of mutual ambitions, substantive opportunities and directions for sustainable outcomes.

When a quay wall does not meet the safety requirements it has to be replaced by a new quay wall. During the entire replacement project many stakeholders are affected. This can lead to resistance against the project. Resistance can be expected when the interests of the stakeholders are not (sufficiently) integrated in the design or construction method of the replacing quay wall. The high density of stakeholders in urban areas increases the probability that stakeholders will resist against the project. In Amsterdam the lead time for replacing a quay wall is up to five years this lead time accounts for the time from the decision to replace the quay wall until the realization of the new quay wall. One of the reasons for the long duration of the replacement projects is the time invested in dealing with the resistance of stakeholders. While the construction method of the new quay wall has influence on the reaction of the stakeholders, the reactions of the stakeholders on the other hand may influence the construction method. Therefore, in order to reduce the lead time for replacing a quay wall, an optimum between the construction method and the reaction of stakeholders is expedient. In order to minimize the resistance of the stakeholders it is advisable to take the interests of the stakeholders into account. The objective of the present research has been to develop a method to determine the construction method that will most be in accordance with the interests of the stakeholders, in order to possibly minimize the resistance produced by the stakeholders. C&S-matrix In this research, a method called “construction stakeholder matrix” (C&S-matrix) was constructed. This matrix connects the stakeholders and the construction method directly, by comparing the extent to which different construction methods are in accordance with the stakes of the stakeholders. Thereby, the matrix takes into account the influence of different stakeholders on the outcome of the project. The outcome of the matrix is a numerical value: the lower the number, the more resistance can be expected. The C&S-matrix is applied on a case of the Prisengracht in Amsterdam, four types of urban quay walls were selected. The outcome of the matrix is that the combined wall with inclined piles will result in the least amount of resistance produced by stakeholders. The C&S-matrix is a useful method to determine which construction method produces the least resistance. Since the output is numerical value it enables that the construction methods and the expected resistance can be compared, which makes this method unique. The effectiveness of the C&S-matrix mainly depends on the stakeholder analysis, it requires that all the stakeholders with their interest are identified and that the power-vs-interest grid resembles the actual power and interest of the stakeholders. This method predicts which stakeholders will most likely resist, this gives information for other measures to reduce this resistance for example compensation.

Construction projects have become increasingly complex, requiring effective management strategies to navigate challenges related to project contexts, interdisciplinary integration, and procurement processes. The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) has introduced the two-phase model to address these complexities. This model emphasizes client-contractor collaboration and differs significantly from traditional project management strategies. Emotional Intelligence (EI), particularly the competence of empathy, has been recognized as a valuable factor in improving collaboration and project performance. Additionally, Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) has gained international recognition as a project delivery model involving the contractor earlier in the project. ECI in the Dutch construction sector corresponds to the two-phase model of which the Bouwteam is a known example. This research aims to explore the role of empathy in improving project performance through client-contractor collaboration in the first phase of the two-phase model and provide a practical framework for practitioners. The research approach consisted of selecting four cases to conduct 16 semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data analysis software is used to research the research variables: empathy, two-phase model, collaboration, and project performance. The research findings reveal two key relationships: the relationship between client-contractor collaboration and project performance and the relationship between empathy and client-contractor collaboration. The relationship between client-contractor collaboration and project performance: the study indicates that client-contractor collaboration significantly influences project performance in the first phase of the two-phase model. Collaboration affects the actual performance of quality criteria and the perception of time and cost criteria. Key differences in the collaborative process within the two-phase model are a shift towards process-focused outcomes, shared responsibility between the client and contractor, and flexibility in criteria. Affective trust, communication, and cohesion are identified as crucial factors for successful collaboration. Tools such as Project Start-Up and team-building sessions facilitate collaboration and should be utilized to enhance project performance. The relationship between empathy and client-contractor collaboration: empathy plays a pivotal role in facilitating understanding at the team member and organizational levels, fostering relationships, and promoting collaboration. It is particularly important in project phases where unfamiliarity between client and contractor exists. Empathy influences factors essential to the collaborative process, such as trust, communication, and cohesion. The research identifies factors that influence the occurrence of empathic behavior, including the work environment, team relationships, communication, and team size. A proactive attitude towards empathy and continuous development of empathic behavior are recommended for project success. The research findings support the hypotheses that client-contractor collaboration and empathy positively contribute to project performance in the first phase of the two-phase model. A practical framework is proposed, consisting of four strategies, to improve project performance through empathy and collaboration. The framework should be applied collectively by project managers at the start of the first phase and throughout the project. Future research should explore quantitative testing of the hypotheses, validate the framework in practice, and investigate additional relevant competencies...

Despite of extensive and systematic usage of ‘Lag’ type of performance metrics, Large Infrastructure Projects (LIPs) often struggle in achieving the intended performance and frequently tend to be overbudget & delivered late. This research investigates Key ‘Lead’ Indicators (KLIs) and provides suggestions on how to measure and influence them in the future large rail infrastructure projects. These ‘Lead’ Indicators are forward-looking performance metrics, unlike the ‘Lag’ indicators, and can forecast the deviation in the project performance at an early stage. Building on existing insights from theory on lead indicators, it asks: How can Key Lead Indicators be used to improve project performance of inner-city rail infrastructure projects across Europe? The research is performed through a combination of mixed qualitative research methods including literature review, case studies and an expert consultation meeting. From the literature review, it is observed that all the identified lead indicators tend towards negative aspects or events in a project. However, the research considered the indicators to be neutral which can help to forecast both positive and negative aspects of a project. The results of the literature review reveal that Design Change, Communication, Decision Making, Level of Experience, Mood, Attitude, Commitment, Conflicts, Trust, Criticism and certain External indicators are the most important and frequently repeated KLIs. Based on the literature results and three case studies each one from Sweden, Netherlands and Austria respectively, interviewees from each case are asked to respond to the questions framed in order to identify the KLIs from practice. The results of the analysis confirm that almost all KLIs observed from literature are similarly observed in practice. Level of Experience of the project personnel and Close Stakeholder Engagement are found to be the most frequently repeating KLIs across all the projects. It is concluded that in order to improve the performance of future LIPs, the identified KLIs should be responded at the earliest by measuring and influencing them. Broadly, more attention should be paid on improving the recruitment process, prioritizing client’s requirements, empowering stakeholders, improving personal relationships and creating positive project environments. A detailed set of recommendations is provided as starting points to enable the required change. This research contributes to scientific knowledge of lead indicators in project management by enriching the concepts of KLIs and discovering steps to measure and influence them. It also contributes to practical knowledge in the industry by identifying the Lead Indicators large construction projects.

Current linear economic model entails coupling of economic growth with resource constraints and degradation of the Earth. In order to combat these negative aspects and to ensure prosperous and sustainable future, a new economic approach is emerging - Circular Economy. Besides neutralizing threats of the linear model, it also promises additional financial, societal and environmental benefits. This is recognized on (inter)national level with numerous action plans and legislation. However there are almost no actions that are aiming at implementing the notion of circular economy on the level of supply chains/ Therefore, inertia is observed in supply chains in relation to changing towards circularity. This thesis looks at the underlying reasons for this with the research methodology designed around the Social Network Analysis approach. Two main reasons for inertia in supply chains stemmed out of research: differences in perceptions of the actors within a supply chain and diffusion of responsibility phenomenon. Going one level deeper, four causes for these developments were uncovered: 1. Lack of incentives for companies in supply chains for making a change towards Circular Economy. 2. High uncertainties and risks that a change to circularity implies for companies in supply chains. 3. Lack of mutual interests between actors in supply chains for making a change towards circularity 4. Clashes of perceptions on all levels in supply chains, as well as between supply chains and government.

The Netherlands aims to have a fully circular economy by 2050. The construction sector in the Netherlands is only 8% circular (Circularity Gap Report Bouw, 2022). Reuse within construction projects presents various challenges, which will be discussed in this thesis. In the current market, there is more supply than demand (BAMB, 2020). One possibility to stimulate demand is the use of digital marketplaces. This study investigates how a digital marketplace can support the demand side in the design process, leading to the following research question: How should a secondary ‘digital’ product marketplace function within the construction industry? Before addressing this question, a literature review is conducted on various aspects. These include the concepts within digital marketplaces and platforms, as well as those within reuse projects, focusing on specific information about materials and products in the context of reuse. Additionally, the current state of the industry has been examined in terms of challenges, opportunities in general, and those related to digitalization. This is done to get a better understanding of the surroundings in which the marketplace must operate. The literature research concludes that the core interaction is the most important form of activity on a platform – the value that attracts the most users to the platform in the first place (Parker et al., 2016). It consists of three parts: Participants + Value Unit + Filter. Fundamentally there are two participants on the platform, namely producers and consumers. In this case, producers are building/construction elements and their owners/sellers. Consumers are the ones that are willing to buy them (potentially; architects, engineers, contractors, or suppliers). Where the value unit starts with the exchange of information that has value to the participants. This information delivery to consumers depends on filters. A filter enables the transfer of appropriate value units between users. A well-designed filter ensures that platform users see only information units that are relevant and valuable to them. No filters or a poorly designed filter overwhelms users with units they find valueless and irrelevant, which causes them to abandon the platform. No research has been done to the specific design of the core interaction of a secondary product marketplace within the construction industry. In addition, few scientific articles investigate software interfaces, ease of use and the user's role and experience within the construction industry. An action- and design-oriented research method is a new approach to this problem/goal. The information system framework is chosen to combine rigor research and the application domain within a design practices. To structure this research the research question is divided into three steps (based on the core interaction). In step 1, the input for the design is investigated, which includes determining the participants who should use the marketplace (champions), how they should search for products, and what improvements can be made in the design process to promote reuse. In step 2, the filters and interfaces of the marketplace are designed. Within step 2, solutions for situations with limited data or, conversely, when there is sufficient data in the future are also explored. In step 3, the chosen champion validates if they can use the designed solution and whether it provides value. To define the main users/champions (step 1), potential users-(roles) are interviewed about their needs for such a marketplace, assuming reuse becomes the norm. The literature review covers all aspects of digital (construction) applications and reuse in the construction industry. This is supplemented with expert interviews in IFC (an open data standard), user interface/user experience (UI/UX), current construction marketplaces, and material passports. In addition, various roles from several reuse projects are interviewed, including designers, project developers, purchasers, demolition specialists, and engineers, in line with the information system framework and action design. This is done to get an complete overview of all the stakeholders involved within the process of selecting/buying reused products. The information of the literature research and the first interview phase is used in the design process to create ‘search and facet’ filters. Therefor a division based on the Brand/shearing layers (site, structure, services, skin/facade, space, and stuff) is made to improve the design the facet filters. The engineer and the architect is chosen as the primary user but in consultation with the design team. For all the engineers responsible or related to the a Brand layer a recommendation is made for a first set a (search) parameters. Concerning the information need (step 2) of the structural engineer, the primary focus is on the elements' functional and physical properties (moment-of-inertia, material type, strength, and dimensions). Thereby the core interaction disregards environmental or economic properties. These are of secondary interest for the core interaction. The three main materials, wood, steel and concrete, require all different ways of working for reuse but share common properties which makes the design of filters less complex. Capacity, dimension, grid size, floor height and more properties could influence the structural design decision, increasing the demand for reusable structural products. However, more traditional engineers prefer to filter within one type of material. Even more in-depth material and product knowledge for reuse could is a next step for the core interaction, thereby evolving into a knowledge marketplace. The other Brand layers (skin, services and space) information need should also focus on their functional and physical reusability properties, which are covered and designed in this thesis but not validated with real users. The skin and the space layer are more visually oriented; images support the architect's and engineer's decision-making. Aesthetic filters to filter on certain styles, colours, types and tags will support the architect where functional filters relating to dimension are of first need for the façade engineer. Secondly the physical filters benefit the search tremendously, such as; U-value, fire resistance, Rc-value, sound resistance, waterproofness etc. The service/building engineer wants to filter into three categories. Namely the machine, the distribution point (ventilation grille, water tap, heating element) and the transport (cable tray, pipe and wires). The machine (e.g., heating, cooling and air filters) has a more dynamical environment with a high change in regulation, expecting a low reuse pattern. The other two categories, distribution and transport are more suitable for reuse; these filters contain service type (energy, water, air, data and heating), minimum length and the capacity of distribution and transportation. After step 2 (design) various structural engineers are interviewed using a working digital prototype to examine whether the search filters are effective for their reuse process (step 3). Besides various side notes on the design culture, system changes and the willingness of a client to reuse products. The interviewed users made recommendations which should be taken into account for a next design iteration. The proposed design is usable and could meet its goal/value proposition when reusing products becomes the norm. This research is a small link in the bigger picture of a ‘circular’ construction industry. Still, many challenges remain that a digital marketplace could not solve. When interpreting the results, the following points should be considered as well. The interviewees in this research are involved or interested in reusing products. When less interested engineers/users must use this marketplace, other items could be of more importance or totally different obstacles could arise. Further research should examine the other Brand layers and their primary users. Additionally, to succeed as a marketplace, choices need to be made. Which users and product categories will be supported in first place. What is the business plan and initial investment? Building and rolling out a marketplace requires entrepreneurial skills and courage. This research hopes to provide the readers with a holistic view of all the challenges related to a digital market platform that address the construction market for secondary materials. Together with a set of validated user interfaces of such marketplace.

The undeniable benefits of urban open spaces, such as parks and urban forests, has triggered a steady increase in “natural capital” demands. Nevertheless, the uncertainties surrounding open spaces and ecosystem services jeopardize their consideration in public decision making. Certain of their aspects are not fully translatable in economic terms, primarily due to the absence of proper valuation tools. This results in not only under-provisioning of natural capital, but also unsustainable urban development. Hence, an imperative need to incorporate efficient ecosystem valuation tools emerges. The objective of this research is twofold. Firstly, it aims to prove and quantify the influence of urban open spaces on the surrounding real estate’s market value. Secondly, it investigates which characteristics of these spaces bear the largest impact, with a particular interest in ecosystem services. The methodology employed in the present study is a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative part, designated as Phase I, includes the establishment of a hedonic pricing model, which quantifies the added value of proximity to the selected clustered open spaces, which are also called “Ecosystem Service Hubs” (ESHs). The qualitative part, addressed as Phase II, swifts the focus from the housing samples to the ESHs. It consists of activities attempting an ecological profiling of the ESHs. Phase I’s Hub Hedonic Pricing model revealed that ESH1 bears the largest influence on surrounding real estate, followed by ESH3 and ESH2. Notably, a 1% increase in distance would lead to approximately 2,7€, 0,8€ and 1,6€ per m2 for each hub respectively. Inserting the distance variable as a dummy variable, instead of a continuous one, displayed a similar behaviour. Thence, each housing sample is divided into categories in order to execute a distance effect sensitivity analysis. It is suggested that “young, large, row houses in greener neighborhoods” exhibit the largest distance decay effect sensitivity. Lastly, the overarching monetary values are roughly estimated. These are 5,81, 1,98 and 3,28 million € for each hub respectively, whereas the average value per m2 per house is 77,44€, 57,68€ and 107,47€ respectively. Concerning Phase II, the ESHs’ core components and characteristics are identified. Then, an association between the economic benefits and the core characteristics is attempted, through qualitative correlations. These are summed up in the following statement: “Ecosystem Service Hubs generate higher economic benefits when they are larger and more diverse, in terms of both composition and ecosystem services, with a significant sensitivity to recreational opportunities”. This research’s findings could prove to be insightful for urban planning, since they could be applied in two major ways. Firstly, given an identified Ecosystem Service Hub, the development of the surrounding area could be adjusted to encompass primarily the optimal house and neighborhood characteristics. Secondly, given the “house composition” of a certain area, the optimal location and profile of a new Ecosystem Service Hub could be selected. In both cases, maximizing the value of surrounding real estate is achieved through optimal spatial configurations. In conclusion, the added value of urban open spaces is plural and reflects the use and non-use value derived from residents. This research’s rough estimation of an average of 80,86 € per m2 per house is an indication of this added value, subject, however, to the narrow scope of the study. Attributing this added value to particular open spaces’ characteristics could only be executed through qualitative correlations. In order to enrich the previous results, an integration of multiple valuation methods (social and ecological), which incorporate the various value dimensions, is recommended. More conclusive and definitive results will motivate planners to opt for polices revolving around ecosystem services and natural capital, thus, satisfying the steadily increasing demand.

2020 is a strange and disruptive year. The pandemic virus COVID-19 controls people’s lives. It influences the way we live, love, and work. Offices are empty while people work from home. When, and if people are going to work in an office again like they were used to, is the question. The events of 2020 are an extra showcase that the way we use offices is subject to change. Therefore, offices should be designed in a way that they are adaptable, reusable, and can respond to changing needs. Circular design can help to make our offices future-proof. However, since the circular economy gained attention in the office building sector, only limited progress has been accomplished. A problem within the office building sector is that insight into the possibilities of circular design is lacking. Moreover, in literature there is no circular design model specific for the building industry. Therefore, this research aims to develop a decision support tool that stimulates the communication between client and designer and provides clarity about the possibilities of circular design. This resulted in three main insights. First, a building consists of different layers with different lifespans that should be able to be refurbished, replaced, and recycled without damaging other layers. Consequently leading to an extended lifespan of the complete building and increased adaptability and reusability. Second, practical circular interventions can be categorized into four themes which are based on circular theory. Those themes are adaptability, reusability, materials, and process. Third, decisions regarding circularity should be taken early in the design process. Especially when the lifespan of the building layer is long. Understanding which possible interventions could be taken in what stage of a design process helps prioritising them and thus creating windows for circularity.

The infrastructure gap is defined as the gap between investment requirements of infrastructure and the public funds available. Due to these gaps, not enough new infrastructure is developed and this puts a constraint on economic growth. This study looks at the impact that pension funds can have on closing this infrastructure gap, and thereby aid in an increased development of new infrastructure.

Despite large scale application of performance- and risk management practices, project organisations struggle with responding adequately to early warning signs of project problems. This research investigates the main barriers in responding to early warning signs, and provides recommendations on how to deal with them, in order to stimulate the responsiveness to early warning signs. It is approached by a combination of mixed qualitative research methods including expert interviews, expert meetings and a case study. The results show that soft factors are underrepresented in applied project control methods. Furthermore, experts regard optimism bias, time pressure, project complexity and uncertainty avoidance as the most important barriers in responding to early warning signs. Also, the results demonstrate the occurrence and functioning of barriers in three rail projects in the Netherlands. It is concluded that in order to improve the ability to respond to EW signs, more attention should be paid to soft, managerial aspects, and the presence of barriers in responding should be taken actively into account. The responsiveness to EW signs is stimulated by taking more and effective time for reflection, by be stimulating and facilitating communication on early warning signs, and changing behaviour in decision-making in projects. The soft character of early warning signs and barriers, both occurring throughout the project environment, shows that cultural change in projects is necessary to achieve this. A set of recommendations is provided as starting points to facilitate the required change. This research contributes to scientific knowledge of early signs in project management by enriching the concepts of early warning signs and barriers in responding. It also contributes to practical knowledge in the industry by demonstrating the occurrence of barriers in construction projects.

The construction sector is one of the biggest consumers of raw materials and generates large amounts of construction waste as well. CE is a way to delink the construction sector from the consumption of finite resources of the earth and excessive waste generation. Despite of the fact that there are a lot of interventions, such as Commodity agreement, Transition Agenda, it is not clear how CE can be executed in practice. This research aims to develop a guidance and a framework on the adoption of more circular innovative technologies in construction projects and to propose an approach that can support involved parties in order to realize more circular construction projects. This research adopts a unique approach in transitioning the construction sector to a CE using Service Dominant Logic (SDL). One of the key sources of non – adoption of CE is the lack of harmony or agreement on a suitable definition of CE for the construction sector. This may compromise the process of decision-making and eventually lead to ineffective policy interventions. Successfully implementing CE in the construction sector needs a definition that covers the whole construction supply chain to provide understanding of material flows in the economy.

Climate change is likely to affect our infrastructures in the Netherlands and seems to accelerate: sooner, faster, stronger. This stresses the need for adaptable infrastructure. Asset owners cannot assume a certain final situation of the infrastructure and the impacts on it due to climate change. This report answers the following research question: How can existing infrastructural asset designs in the Netherlands be adapted to anticipated current and future expected climate change effects? A method is developed to explore what the effects of climate change are on infrastructure and what further steps can be taken to make the infrastructure adaptable. The Afsluitdijk is used as a case study and has five embedded sub-assets: the dam, motorway, outlet sluices, ship locks and bridges. Nine climate change effects are distinguished for the Netherlands in the scenario WH of the KNMI in 2085. The climate change effects are combined with the asset parts and all combinations are assessed separately. An expert reflects on the combination of climate change impacts and asset part and elaborates on how the climate change effect impacts the reliability, safety or maintenance of the asset. This resulted in 21 identified possible problems for the 2020 design of the Afsluitdijk. In this report is looked at foreign situations that are comparable to the Afsluitdijk’s circumstances. Some of the 21 identified problems can easily be solved. A structured approach on how to assess the impact of climate change on infrastructure is lacking so far. The method makes sure all aspects are considered and helps the expert to think of all theoretical problems that have not occurred yet but are in the future a possible problem. Assets that are an integral system are preferred. The Afsluitdijk is interconnected to its environment and hard boundaries are difficult to determine. This makes the Afsluitdijk not an ideal case study, but this interconnectedness is typical for large scale infrastructural projects and those projects are often most interesting. Rijkswaterstaat recognizes the surplus of water problems in the new design. However, drought, heat waves and a low water level are three climate impacts that are not taken into consideration in the new design of 2020. Summer related problems are explored by Rijkswaterstaat but have not yet received the attention it deserves. Rijkswaterstaat is unprepared to a situation where climate change effects are more severe than was estimated in their assumptions. On top of that, Rijkswaterstaat is inclined to address problems of big infrastructural problems by cutting them of in smaller projects and try to solve them. However, in large projects it is better to have an integral solution since all aspects are interconnected and influence one another. The method provides this integral viewpoint and allows the user to make long-term decisions while taking the uncertainties of climate change into account. By using the method, choices in design and management of the infrastructural asset can be made with confidence. This does not guarantee that the outcome of a risky decision will be optimal. But the decision will be rational in the face of uncertainty and that the repeated application of the method will on the long run be more beneficial.

The risk allocation in DBFM projects is currently a hot topic, whereby multiple contractors have withdrawn from the procurement of these projects. This research provides a practical guidance in the risk allocation process of DBFM projects, consisting of design principles of literature and lessons learned from practice. The design principles that should be taken into account are: The party has the best capability to control the events that might trigger the risk; The party has the capacity and expertise to control, monitor and minimize these risks; The party has identified, understood and evaluated the risk; The party has the resources to deal with the risk if it fires; The party accepting the risk can charge the right premium for this risk; The party has the right risk attitude and wants to accept the risk. The lessons that can be learned from practice are to use the insights of similar projects, to have a proper allocation of data inadequacies, to have an open discussion on the risk allocation in the procurement and to focus on collaboration. Besides the practical guidance, this research has provided an assessment framework in order to see if it is (un)favourable to use the DBFM contract. The assessment framework is based on three characteristics, namely the involvement of only one discipline, the budget between the €60 million and €500 million and the stable scope over time.

Sustainability within Project Management practice is a new and challenging territory. The current project management practice within the construction industry, particularly highway construction has not yet fully embraced sustainability. Recent literature shows a relation between project success and sustainability. Project success comprises of project success criteria and project success factors. A sustainability success sub-criteria framework of a highway is developed to identify critical success factors for a sustainability oriented highway project during the exploration and planning phase. Three highway projects and four respondents from each case are selected for cross-case methodology. Based on cross-case analysis, critical success factors are identified and applied in an Integrated Project Management model to improve chances of project success during the exploration and planning of a sustainability oriented highway project.

The paring of knowledge sharing and agile methodology has been explained by some researchers (Dissanayake, Dantu, & Nerur, 2013), most emphasize that the knowledge sharing enablers embedded in the agile methods (Dissanayake et al., 2013), seldom researches explain agile-induced knowledge sharing inhibitors. Besides, the existing researches are limited by industry. As agile methodology has been continuing spreading beyond software development projects (Dybå & Dingsøyr, 2008; Serrador & Pinto, 2015), little was known on whether the agile methodology is genuinely contributing to knowledge sharing in the non-software development environment. Based on an in-depth study in Philips Research organizations, by conducting semi-structured interviews with different roles involved in agile research projects, this study investigates how agile methods influence knowledge sharing behavior and its effectiveness. The inhibitors are clustered into environmental, individual and motivational factors based on Wang’s knowledge sharing factor framework (Sheng Wang & Noe, 2010). The outcomes indicate a paradox of agile-induced knowledge sharing factors, that with the overemphasis on the intra-team knowledge sharing in agile projects, there is the potential of sacrificing long-term learning and organizational level knowledge sharing. The agile-induced knowledge sharing enablers could transform into inhibitors

In infrastructure construction projects, stakeholder alignment is an important factor that contributes to project success and prevents excessive delays. Literature shows that it is known how to align stakeholders and what to do, however, when to carry out those actions, it not yet clear. This research contributes to that knowledge gap by analysing the Landside Infrastructure project of Schiphol as a single case study. Interviews with project stakeholders, project documents and field observations were used to collect data in order to develop a model.

It is no secret that (asset)managers are currently dealing with a difficult task to maintain and improve the quality of their assets. The main reason for this urgency is the change of use and the end of lifespan of these assets. This is especially the case regarding the inner-city quay walls. These quay walls are usually owned and managed by local governments. The city of Amsterdam in particular has a tough task ahead of them. Approximately 200 km of quay wall need to be maintained or renewed of which the technical state is unknown. A vast majority of these inner-city quay walls are retaining walls on wooden piles. The absence of this information makes it extremely difficult for the asset owner, to determine the current technical state of their quay walls. The combination of limited information and time have shown in practice that quay walls can fail at any moment. To prevent this from happening a variety of intervention measures can be deployed to ‘extend’ the lifespan of the quay walls (short-term). Thereafter a systematic approach can be applied to rebuild or renovate these quay walls (long-term). However, the implementation of intervention measures is an overall complex task due to the densely built area and the stakeholders with divergent interests. This study provides an objective conceptual decision-making model to determine which intervention method is best suited for a particular location while considering the impact on the city, stakeholders and organizations. The research revealed six important topics which need to be incorporated in to the decision- making model. The topics were determined based on literature review, a case study and interviews. These six topics are: the critical cases (1), failure mechanisms (2), intervention measures (3), characteristics of the physical surrounding and the intervention measures (4), decision- making criteria (5) and lastly mitigation measures (6). Additionally, three decision-making moments are identified.