Infrastructure renewal projects are urgent, necessary, and publicly valuable, but this does not automatically make them attractive to contractors. In a capacity-constrained construction market, renewal tenders must compete for scarce contractor resources against alternative opportunities. Attracting suitable contractors is therefore essential, making contractor participation an explicit procurement design concern. Procurement design can improve a tender's competitive position by making opportunities clearer, more manageable, more proportionate, and more commercially viable.

The attractiveness of infrastructure renewal tenders depends on how public clients translate renewal work into tender opportunities and how contractors evaluate them. Public-client choices regarding the object being procured, the form of collaboration, and the market approach shape the work and conditions contractors evaluate during their bid/no-bid decisions.

On the contractor side, the bid/no-bid decision reflects the interaction between work attractiveness and condition attractiveness relative to alternative opportunities. Work attractiveness concerns whether a contractor wants, can deliver, and has a credible chance of winning the work. Condition attractiveness concerns contractual, financial, technical, and procedural viability. Comparing contractor evaluations with client choices demonstrates how procurement design shapes opportunity attractiveness.

This comparison shows that attractiveness emerges from combinations of procurement design elements within the specific renewal context. To guide this configuration process, public clients should adopt seven procurement design principles:

1. Recognise renewal context: Recognise the complex, uncertain, and market conditions of infrastructure renewal and reflect this in appropriate procurement.
2. Reduce uncertainty before tendering: Build asset knowledge and scope clarity before approaching the market.
3. Create an executable and commercially viable workload: Consider scale, bundling, continuity, pipeline visibility, and repeatability.
4. Match residual uncertainty to risk allocation, collaboration, and pricing: Configure risk allocation, contract form, collaboration, and pricing mechanisms as a coherent response to remaining uncertainty.
5. Involve the market at the right time and for a clear purpose: Use early contractor involvement to optimise decisions without substituting for the client’s responsibility to define the tender.
6. Provide a credible and proportionate route to contract award: Keep tender effort proportionate, allow meaningful differentiation, and provide a credible chance of winning.
7. Use procurement design as a balancing mechanism: Balance contractor participation against public-client objectives to secure sufficient suitable competition at an acceptable value for money.

Rather than aiming to maximize attractiveness unconditionally, these principles guide public clients in balancing market participation with public value. Effective application depends heavily on client maturity and institutional capacity, as well as clear communication from contractors regarding their selection logic.

To derive these insights, the research followed a sequential mixed-methods design. First, the public procurement process was reconstructed using a decision tree and mapped into a morphological chart. Second, tender selection data from a case-study contractor were analysed using cross-tabulations and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), supplemented by semi-structured interviews. Finally, these findings were combined into a configuration set to establish the principles.

Ultimately, while procurement design cannot increase total sector capacity or alter brownfield constraints, it shapes how these constraints are reflected in individual tenders. Its contribution lies in reducing avoidable unattractiveness and improving alignment, enabling public clients to compete more effectively for scarce contractor capacity. ... Read more

The Dutch civil infrastructure stock is ageing, and the associated replacement and renovation task, estimated at some €260 billion, must be delivered more predictably and efficiently than before. As public procurement shifted from traditional Design–Bid–Build towards integrated contracts, rising tender costs and a steady decline in the number of bidders on the largest, highest-risk projects raised the prospect of weak, single-bidder competition. In response, Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) introduced the two-phase approach in 2019, in which client and contractor jointly develop the design, risk allocation and price during Phase I before execution begins in Phase II on a more realistic, market-based price. In practice, however, Phase I frequently runs longer than planned and is widely experienced as difficult to control, and existing research on delay in the design and planning stages, developed in traditional contractual settings, does not address the two phase approach. This thesis therefore asks how clients and contractors can govern time in the first phase of the two-phase approach.

The literature is drawn together into an alignment framework: structural complexity, the fixed and knowable arrangement of components, suits a predict-and-control (Type I) approach, whereas dynamic complexity, the emergent and changing relations among components, calls for a prepare-and-commit (Type II) approach. A misalignment between the two is expected to hinder time management and the predictability of the phase. Two completed or sufficiently advanced Phase I trajectories were studied, the A27 Houten–Hooipolder Noord (Case A) and the OVT 2 terminal at Zuidasdok (Case B), each through a structured assessment of Technical, Organisational and External (TOE) complexity and thirteen semi-structured interviews across client and contractor sides, with the contractor Mobilis as the main point of entry. Six resulting suggestions were then validated in a focus group with two independent RWS practitioners.

The two cases produced markedly different trajectories, and the comparison indicates that the operative variable is not the contract form but the presence or absence of deliberate counter-arrangements: where a Type II arrangement was put in place to hold control and interaction together for each pocket of dynamic complexity, complexity was contained. Where it was absent, it was free to convert into mistrust and delay. Alignment is therefore achieved or missed process by process rather than at the level of the project as a whole, and “time overrun” proved broader than mere calendar slippage. The practical leverage lies less in the choice of contract form than in the conscious, process-by-process construction of counter-arrangements that hold control and interaction together where dynamic complexity arises.
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The Netherlands is facing a major infrastructure challenge. Many bridges, tunnels, dykes and roads are reaching the end of their life cycle and are in urgent need of replacement or renovation. At the same time, budgets are under pressure, maintenance has been deferred, contractor capacity is limited and projects are becoming more complex. These developments put pressure on traditional procurement models, especially when contractors must submit a fixed price while important risks and uncertainties are not yet fully known.

The two-stage approach has been introduced as a possible response. In this approach, the contractor is involved earlier in the project. During phase 1, the client and contractor jointly develop the design, identify and manage risks, prepare the planning and work towards a more reliable cost estimate. The final price is agreed only at the end of phase 1, when the project is better understood. After a positive go/no-go decision, the project enters phase 2, the execution phase. The approach aims to improve predictability, risk management and collaboration. However, it also weakens the client’s position, because the contractor gains more influence over the design, risks, planning and price formation.

This research examines how clients can structure a two-stage approach during the preparation and design phase in order to achieve the project goals: delivering the required scope within the agreed time and budget. The research is conducted from the client’s perspective and combines literature research, desk research and case study analysis. Three Dutch infrastructure projects were analysed: A27 Houten–Hooipolder North, A27 Houten–Hooipolder South and the Neder-Betuwe dyke reinforcement project.

The theoretical foundation is based on principal-agent theory and stewardship theory. The two-stage approach contains elements of both: it depends on trust, openness and collaboration, but also creates situations in which interests may diverge, especially when price, risk allocation and the go/no-go decision are discussed.

The main finding is that the two-stage approach can create value, but also introduces new control risks for the client. Early contractor involvement can improve the design, make risks visible earlier and support more realistic pricing. However, the client may lose control over time, budget and scope due to information asymmetry and the lock-in effect. As the contractor gains more project-specific knowledge during phase 1, switching to another contractor becomes increasingly difficult.

The case studies show that collaboration alone is not sufficient. Measures such as open-book arrangements, shared risk registers, baselines, external reviews and go/no-go moments only support client control when combined with clear agreements, sufficient client-side expertise, transparent information, genuine exit strategies and real decision-making power.

In conclusion, the two-stage approach is not a universal solution and should therefore be applied only selectively. It can improve risk management, pricing and execution, but only when the client is able to organise and fulfil its own role effectively. Ultimately, delivering the required scope within the agreed time and budget requires both collaboration and control.
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Public participation has become an institutionalized component of infrastructure projects, driven by legislative reforms and heightened stakeholder expectations. Despite this, local stakeholder input remains frequently undervalued in project decision-making, leading to stakeholder dissatisfaction and project delays. While existing literature extensively documents procedural improvements to public participation, it offers limited insight into how practitioners' mindsets and organizational cultures shape its quality.

This research investigates how practitioners' attitudes toward public participation develop and persist, using Weick's organizational sensemaking theory as a theoretical framework. The study targets the Dutch infrastructure sector, where the new Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet) has prompted professionals to reconsider when and how to organize public participation at earlier project stages. Public Engagement Professionals (PEPs) (Omgevingsmanagers) are essential to this environment, as they are responsible for designing and coordinating participatory initiatives within project teams.

The study adopts a qualitative approach including a literature review, an exploratory study, and 17 semi-structured interviews with PEPs and project managers. Furthermore, two co-creative expert sessions were organized to validate the study’s results.

The research's findings are presented through three interconnected frameworks. The Process model maps how project organizations move through three sensemaking stages (Enactment, Selection, and Retention) when organizing participatory initiatives. It highlights that participatory quality is shaped not only by procedural factors but also significantly influenced by mental and organizational factors.

The Vulnerability model extends this first framework by identifying challenges across each sensemaking stage, such as limiting external constraints and established dismissive mindsets within project teams. Crucially, the model shows that procedural reforms, such as the Environment and Planning Act, address what organizations must do procedurally but cannot change how they think. Accordingly, if mental and organizational obstacles remain unaddressed, procedural improvements alone might be insufficient to achieve development in public participation.

To address these vulnerabilities, the Strategy model is developed, identifying 20 intervening strategies that directly correspond to the Vulnerability model's challenges. These strategies are categorized as meaning-, structure-, or practice-oriented, enabling practitioners to select approaches suited to their institutional context.

By framing public participation as a continuous organizational and mental process rather than a purely procedural activity, this study highlights why stakeholder input remains frequently undervalued. The sensemaking models offer both a theoretical explanation and practical guidance, supporting PEPs in changing dismissive attitudes and unsupportive cultures. Ultimately, assuring that public participation is not merely seen as a legal obligation, but as an essential driver of project success.
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Most Dutch bridges, constructed in the 1960s, are reaching the end of their technical lifespan, raising urgent challenges for renewal and renovation. Planning under these conditions is complicated by deep uncertainty, characterised by limited knowledge of current structural conditions, unpredictable future demands, and divergent stakeholder perspectives.

This thesis explores the applicability of Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Planning (DAPP) as a framework for managing deep uncertainty in the Renewal and Renovation (R&R) program led by Rijkswaterstaat. Using a Design Science Research approach, the study combines literature review, case study analysis, and expert interviews to identify key drivers, enablers, and barriers in bridge renewal. Adaptive pathways were developed to map possible sequences of preservation, mitigation, renovation, and renewal actions, supported by adaptation tipping points and monitoring indicators.

A demonstration with fictional bridge portfolios illustrates how adaptive pathways enable prioritisation, capacity-driven planning, and cross-project learning. The evaluation shows that adaptive pathways complement life cycle management by integrating flexibility, sequencing, and preparedness into long-term infrastructure strategies.

The study concludes that adaptive pathways can support Rijkswaterstaat in navigating uncertainty by promoting resilience, flexibility, and portfolio-based planning. Recommendations include categorizing bridges by shared challenges, adopting integrated cost–risk–performance indicators, developing flexible budget reserves, and using thresholds as triggers for action.  ... Read more

The Netherlands faces a significant task of renovating and replacing a lot of the infrastructure in the following decades. A large number of infrastructure assets was constructed after the second world war and is now reaching their end of life. At the same time, there are fewer people and resources to work on this renew task because a lot of people are leaving organisations due to ageing, there are fewer civil engineers coming back and there are other tasks that are given more priority. This alsocauses a loss of knowledge on how to handle such a task. A solution for this that was proposed is collaboration. It would be useful for the asset owners of the infrastructure (municipalities, provinces and Rijkswaterstaat) to work together on renovating and replacing their infrastructure to share resources, maintain accessibility and align goals and interests. This thesis is looking into how such a collaboration can be initiated and developed with different asset owners in large-scale infrastructure renovation and replacement projects. A collaboration with different asset owners that have different
interests and goals can bring challenges, which are important to overcome.

This research was executed by using a literature research, looking into a case study and conducting interviews within this case. The case is an initiative in the province of Noord Holland that has started to develop a collaboration between the different asset owners. The findings show that there are many different challenges and success factors for collaboration. The main challenges that were identified are the lack of a relationship and trust between the organisations, limited time, fear of losing autonomy and that there are different levels in the asset owner organisations. Some success factors are trust, transparency, clear communication, early involvement of stakeholders, having shared goals and having an approachable collaboration.

The collaboration in the case was described as a voluntary collaboration, where the asset owners could decide for themselves whether they want to participate in the collaboration network. A voluntary collaboration is developed when organisations see a shared challenge for which they recognise opportunities to work together. This collaboration is based on trust and having a shared goal. These components are especially important to develop in a collaboration. To answer the research question, a process description on how to initiate and develop a collaboration is designed. This model consists of five steps, which goes from defining the problem, to having informal meetings and working on building trust, to exploring the opportunities for actions that can come from the collaboration, to eventually executing these actions. Also, some important strategies and recommendations have been formulated here for the development of collaboration, which are to start small and work progressively on expanding the collaboration, it is important to define the reason for collaboration clearly, there should be goals within the collaboration, it is crucial to work on building a relationship and trust, and there has to be transparency about roles, responsibilities and
expectations.

This model can be useful for other organisations that want to initiate a collaboration for the renewal task in another region. For this, it is crucial that the interests and goals of those asset owner organisations are clear and there is a shared reason for the collaboration. ... Read more

This study explores how storm surge barriers, essential for protecting flood-prone urban regions like the Texas Gulf Coast, can be designed to remain reliable and adaptable over their 100 year lifespans despite unpredictable environmental and socio-economic changes. Traditional flood defenses like dikes are often unfeasible in dense cities, prompting the adoption of movable storm surge barriers. However, fewer than fifty such barriers exist worldwide, and operational knowledge remains fragmented. Once built, barriers must maintain near-perfect reliability despite unpredictable factors such as sea level rise, changing vessel sizes, and institutional shifts, conditions that standard design practices often fail to accommodate.

Focusing on the proposed Bolivar Roads Gate System, the research integrates operational and maintenance needs into early design and planning. It applies the Flexibility in Engineering Design method to identify and evaluate how external drivers, like relative sea level rise and economic development (particularly increased vessel drafts), affect long-term barrier performance. The study maps dependencies between critical system drivers and barrier components, identifying the sill as the most risk-sensitive and costly to modify. As a result, it proposes an innovative, adaptable sill design: a two-stage structure that can be upgraded in the future to accommodate deeper vessel drafts, allowing the barrier to “change” rather than fail under unanticipated pressures.

The study also identifies the importance of designing for maintainability. Barrier components have varying lifespans, electrical (8–15 years), movable (50–100 years), and fixed (100 years), which demand different maintenance intervals. To address this, the research advocates for a maintainability-first design strategy, such as placing short-lived components in easily accessible locations. Maintenance should follow a state-based policy, combining preventive, corrective, and failure-based actions depending on the component’s role and risk level.

From a governance perspective, the study highlights the need for public clients to act as system integrators, balancing in-house oversight with selective outsourcing. The delivery of such complex infrastructure requires differentiated strategies across phases: detailed design should remain tightly managed in-house, while construction and certain maintenance tasks may be outsourced. Operational control, due to high reliability demands, should stay within the public domain. The governance of adaptable components, like the sill, must also remain with public authorities to ensure activation aligns with policy shifts.

Ultimately, the research proposes a bimodal strategy for barrier management. Mode 1 focuses on maintainability and predictable reliability through conventional design and maintenance practices. Mode 2 embraces uncertainty, embedding flexibility into components to adapt over time. This approach enables barriers to function as dynamic, living systems, built to endure, but also to evolve. By embedding adaptability in the most permanent elements and pairing it with tailored maintenance strategies, public agencies can maintain flood protection, performance, and accountability in the face of long-term uncertainty. ... Read more

The Netherlands is facing a structural housing shortage, which in 2024 has risen to approximately 410,000 dwellings. To address this issue, the government has set the ambitious goal of realizing one million new homes by 2030. However, the feasibility of this target is under pressure due to the lengthy lead times associated with real estate development. Research indicates that the average project takes approximately 120 months from initiation to completion, of which only 30 months are allocated to actual construction. This thesis focuses on reducing the lead time of so-called greenfield real estate projects, developments situated on undeveloped land at outskirts. The research scope spans the period from project initiation to the commencement of construction. Through a combination of literature review, four case studies, and expert interviews, this study identifies the development phases that are most time-consuming, the factors that contribute to these delays, and potential strategies for improving process efficiency. The study yields both theoretical and practice-based insights that are relevant to policymakers, project developers, and other stakeholders involved in housing development. Accelerating the development process is shown to be essential for achieving national housing goals and effectively addressing the housing shortage in the Netherlands. ... Read more

Cost overruns and delays remain quite challenging in large construction and infrastructure projects. These challenges are partly due to the failure to properly identify and quantify second-order effects of risks. Second-order effects of risks are the indirect impact of a risk that can disrupt the overall project schedule and can cause a project to go over budget and run out of schedule. This research highlights the need to better identify
and quantify second-order effects of risks in the design phase of construction and infrastructure projects, where a new methodology is developed that can help in this regard. The research method used, the Double Diamond Design process model, starts with an extensive literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts in the field to clarify the definition of first-order effects and second-order effects of risks and analyse
their current handling. The newly developed method focuses on cascading risk mapping, (dynamic) vulnerability analysis, exposure to risks, probabilistic assessments and Monte Carlo simulations to better predict project outcomes. The new method has been validated by an expert panel, showing that it improves the identification and quantification of risks, although its complexity may require additional training and time
for implementation. This research aims to improve the accuracy of cost estimates and project planning by incorporating second-order effects of risk into these processes. The developed method, while promising in improving the accuracy and clarity of risk management, needs further testing to evaluate its practical efficacy compared to current practices. ... Read more

Climate change has an enormous impact on our society: heat stress, droughts and flooding can cause a lot a problems. These problems are even more severe in the built environment as the urban design influences the urban climate. Less greenery, more paved surfaces, less urban ventilation an more human activity influence the urban climate in a negative way. This results in higher temperatures and more precipitation in cities compared to rural areas. To cope with the urban climate problems climate mitigation is not sufficient. Therefore it is also important to adapt the urban landscape to the changing climate conditions. Climate adaptation strategies for the built environment are still not sufficiently implemented and therefore this research looks at possible bottlenecks for these strategies in the spatial planning process.
In this research three Dutch post-war neighbourhoods are reviewed as they have seen recent redevelopment of (parts of) the public space. Post-war neighbourhoods are relevant as a lot of infrastructure is in need of replacement, which makes this an opportunity to combine this with the implementation climate adaptation. Post-war neighbourhoods are common throughout Dutch cities and also house relatively large amounts of vulnerable groups of people. The amount of public space in these neighbourhoods gives municipalities a lot of influence on urban design and thus on the amount of climate adaptation.
The research reviewed the spatial planning process of the three cases with twenty interviews with practitioners in the redevelopment projects and through the analysis of project documentation. The three cases are Bernadottelaan (Utrecht), IVORIM (Haarlem) and Kruidenbuurt (Tilburg). Main bottlenecks of climate adaptation are the large investment and maintenance costs and the claim on the limited public space. The goal is to come up with recommendations to improve implementation of climate adaptation in the spatial planning process.
The outcome of the research is that there are six different recommendations related to actor involvement, project finance, project scale and design guidelines. Maintenance parties should be actively involved in the design process instead of only giving advice or testing designs. This would enhance the amount of climate adaptation as measures have to be maintainable. Early contractor involvement is necessary to be able to be more cost efficient and come up with practical design solutions. External parties like housing associations and public utilities should be informed in the early stages of project for them to be able to match the planning. This makes bundling of challenges possible and eliminates some spatial restrictions. Project finance has to be integral as climate adaptation is divided over several departments. With integral financing projects can be bundled and therefore overall be more cost efficient. Projects at neighbourhood scale benefit from the ability to solve different problems at larger scale and form the placement of solutions to other challenges so that climate adaptation measures can be done where they are needed the most. Design guidelines need to be implemented to ensure that ambitions and priorities are rationally translated and balanced in the final design.
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Public participation is crucial for achieving ambitious societal goals, including housing expansion, emissions reduction, mobility accessibility, and climate resilience. However, satisfying diverse stakeholders becomes increasingly challenging as projects become more complex. The Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet) in the Netherlands aims to streamline permit processes and enhance collaboration among stakeholders, emphasising public participation. This research investigates how public participation processes are shaped following the implementation of the act, focusing on the Oude Lijn and the HOV4 case study. Through 13 semi-structured interviews and 10 observations, the study examines organisational aspects, such as participation planning, coordination, transparent communication, organisational choices, mindset, and perspectives. Various effects such as influence, expectations, understanding, trust, efficiency, and representativeness are analysed. Findings reveal nuanced relationships between participation processes and effects, providing valuable insights for professionals seeking to understand and optimise participation processes. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for achieving effective and inclusive public participation, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and resilient infrastructure and urban development projects. ... Read more

The construction sector significantly impacts the environment, with challenges including high carbon emissions, resource depletion, and waste generation. Renovating aging infrastructure in the Netherlands intensifies these challenges while presenting opportunities to integrate Sustainable Material Management (SMM). SMM focuses on optimizing material use across its lifecycle by reducing waste, improving recycling, and enhancing resource efficiency while balancing environmental and economic sustainability. This thesis explores how contractors can effectively implement SMM practices in Dutch infrastructure renovation projects. Through a structured methodology encompassing a literature review, semi-structured interviews with eleven industry professionals, and synthesis, the study identifies barriers, drivers, and actionable strategies for SMM adoption. Key challenges include financial constraints, client resistance, and limited access to sustainable materials. However, the study also highlights drivers such as regulatory incentives, technological advancements, and increasing industry awareness. The findings emphasize the critical role of contractors in promoting sustainability by influencing material selection, procurement processes, and construction methods. Recommendations include early contractor involvement in project design, flexible contracts to support innovation, adoption of digital tools like BIM and RFID, and collaboration across stakeholders. These strategies enable contractors to reduce environmental impact, improve economic performance, and align projects with circular economy principles. This research provides a practical roadmap for integrating SMM into renovation projects, supporting the Dutch construction sector's transition towards a more sustainable and resilient future. ... Read more

This thesis examines the role of collaboration in water-adaptive urban development, focusing on the residential location selection process in the Netherlands. It identifies challenges in balancing housing demands with water and environmental constraints, exploring the Collaborative Governance model by Ansell and Gash (2008) to enhance multi-stakeholder engagement. Key stakeholders—municipalities, provinces, water boards, and developers—face power imbalances, inefficiencies, and conflicting interests, necessitating early involvement, especially of water boards, improved communication, and shared ownership. Strategies such as trust-building, shared goals, and both formal and informal interactions are highlighted, alongside the critical role of facilitative leadership in fostering collaboration. The study concludes with a proposed framework emphasising early engagement, institutional design, and leadership to enhance collaboration, addressing sustainable housing needs in water-sensitive areas and integrating key aspects of the Collaborative Governance model into the location selection process. ... Read more

To prevent and reverse detrimental climate and biodiversity change, it is essential to motivate the housing construction supply chain to reduce the emission of carbon and nitrogen. The need to reduce the amount of emitted greenhouse gases and nitrogen oxides (NOx) is even more urgent in the Dutch housing construction. Currently, little research has been conducted into what hinders and motivates actors in the housing construction industry in their collaborative pursuit towards sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in the Dutch housing construction industry.

The goal of this study is to provide new insights for actors in the housing construction chain, the government and science. To gain these new insights, the following research question has been formulated: How can the collaboration between actors in the Dutch housing construction industry be improved in the pursuit of sustainable supply chain management? This research was conducted through an in-depth case study research, based on literature research and semi-structured interviews with representatives from the most influential actor types in the Dutch housing construction supply chain. The housing construction supply chain contains a wide variety of actors with key players herein being main contractors, property developers and so-called first tier subcontractors

During the analysis of the interview results, an extensive amount of barriers and drivers were uncovered that actors encounter during the implementation of SSCM in the Dutch housing construction industry. For both barriers and drivers, it was found that subcontractors and property developers focus on the market and networking category, indicating they look more at the supply chain compared to main contractors. For main contractors, it seems they focus more on regulations, institutional barriers and drivers from within their own organization.

Based on the identified barriers and drivers, the following practical recommendations can accelerate the transition to SSCM in the Dutch housing construction industry. First, share knowledge with all actors in the supply chain. Second, develop a sustainable corporate culture that is reinforced both top-down and bottom-up in the organization. Third, some investments in sustainable operations are too high for a single actor to realize. Therefore, it is recommended that supply chain actors find effective ways to share financial burdens with each other in housing projects. Fourth and last, governmental institutions draft long term visions for the environment and subsequently translate this into policy.

The research findings can be used to inform and motivate main contractors, subcontractors, property developers and governments about practical implications and the use of policy instruments to achieve a sustainable supply chain in the Dutch housing construction industry. The combination of more intrinsic motivation from all actors in the housing construction chain can pave the way for creating a sustainable way of constructing houses.
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The construction industry (CI) has to transition towards a circular economy (CE) before 2050 to achieve the ambition of our Dutch government. Within the CI there is an information gap leading to suboptimal recycling and reuse of materials and products. Capturing and sharing this information in a digital tool will be critical for the construction industry to make the transition to a CE. A material passport (MP) is seen as a collaboration tool that could close the information gap and promote the CE transition within the CI. There is little empirical data on MP implementation within science and practice, and the development of different MP initiatives is not harmonised. To standardise the development of MP’s so that data will be interchangeable and comparable, platform CB’23 has created guidelines for MP implementation and development. The objective of this research is to capture the lessons learned, and identify barriers and objectives for implementation within practice. With the goal of sharing these practical insights in order to assess the work agreements of the guidelines for practical applicability, achievability, and future development. This research has analysed a first-of-its-kind BIM-based MP implementation for a new building in the Netherlands.

Reflecting the findings of this research against the broadly accepted work agreements of the guideline, it can be concluded that implementation within practice is much more unruly and ad hoc than the suggested implementation guideline and road towards standardisation. Within this research, multiple discrepancies have been found that could create a barrier for effective implementation with respect to ease of use and could impact the added value of the tool over the lifetime of the construction. Private and public support of the work agreements is not aligned and could lead to the separation of MP development. Nevertheless, parties recognise the need for data registration in order to transition towards a circular economy. MP development should work towards creating the essential committed cooperation of all parties in the value chain, as within a circular economy the whole value chain should be involved. This could either mature through governmental involvement or market force, but balancing the economic and societal values of stakeholders within the value chain will become necessary to ensure the full potential of the tool to facilitate circular material flow within the construction industry. Future research should gather more empirical knowledge, and it is recommended that perspectives from both private and public clients be included. ... Read more

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. ... Read more

Organizations in the construction industry are focusing more and more on sustainability. There exist various drivers and barriers (D&B) that can enhance or hinder sustainability in organizations. Research has so far mainly been focused on the primary activities within an organization. Hence, this study focused on the supporting activities (SA). This study researched what the defining moments are in the enhancement of sustainability in the SA of an engineering consultant organization. This qualitative research used the method process research, comprising a case study wherein processes of enhancing sustainability within one organization were mapped. Data for 8 cases was collected through semi-structured interviews and case documentation, within the playing field of the most important D&B. Case data was analyzed through the streams model of decision-making theory, existing of the problem, solution and participant stream. Furthermore, windows of opportunities (WOO) and tipping points (TP) were identified in the processes. The results include different patterns and striking observations. Most problem streams include CO2 emissions. The WOO involved raised awareness or multiple events making the problem more pressing. There were no significant TP identified throughout the cases. It was observed that awareness and intrinsic motivation form the most important drivers. The most important barriers are costs; the lack of support from employees or partners; and the lack of intrinsic motivation in the form of a lack of vision and priority. There were four most striking observations regarding the processes in the case study. The first observation is the intrinsic motivation of individuals playing a big role in the enhancement of sustainability. The second observation involves that the organization seems to hook onto trends and external events. The organization is only picking low hanging fruit, by making use of changes that are already planned or taking place, forming the third observation. The fourth observation comprises that there is a lack of clear goals, vision and priority regarding sustainability within the SA. It is therefore recommended to create a supportive and open environment for individuals that are motivated to enhance sustainability; to make use of external events, trends and of changes that are already lined up, but to not let these external occurrences determine the path towards sustainability; and to develop clear goals and a strategy for sustainability in the SA, for a more integral approach. ... Read more

The positive relation between the performance of the client-contractor team and the end-result of a project has led to a growing attention for the human factor in construction procurement exercises. Over the last decade, assessments of constructors’ collaborative behaviour have been used more widely as a partner selection method. One of the most intensive forms of evaluation on soft parameters can be performed via an assessment (centre), also called workshops, with the tenderer’s and client’s team. The purpose of this explorative study is to provide more insights by 1) collecting the client’s motives to use these collaborative tender criteria, 2) identifying the different formats of assessments, and 3) learning lessons from projects that have conducted behavioural assessments. Ten cases are selected across the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Finland, all of which focus on the procurement phase of a medium to a large-scale infrastructure project. Eleven semi-structured interviews with project and contract managers are used together with five assessor-interviews to gather empirical information. These independent assessors are involved by a public client to score the tenderer’s team during the assessment on a predefined list of sub-criteria. The thematic analysis shows that the use of collaborative criteria can be linked to the development of relational contracting and early contractor involvement. Especially in alliance and design team models with an integrated project team, a high weight is assigned to collaboration in the tender evaluation. Clients also aim to stimulate bidders to be more aware of collaboration and soft skills. The team assessment is applied for this purpose: it assesses the authentic behaviour of key figures that will be working on the project instead of only focussing on written bids. Results reveals that the assessment puts ‘collaboration’ high on the agenda of all parties right from the start, brings the team-related points for attention upfront, and stimulates bidders to approach team composition in another way. Nevertheless, several other instruments could lead to (some of ) the same goals and ongoing attention is needed to utilise the benefits of the assessment. Hence, the attitude and reflection of the client’s team is considered to be crucial for proper implementation. This study shows that the team assessment has proven to enable clients to make a more informed choice for a contractor on its collaborative behaviour. In this way, team assessments can fulfil the potential of being one of the instruments to facilitate high performing teams and project success. ... Read more

By increasing the life-span of building products, the Reuse strategy has potential to reduce CO2 emission in the construction industry but it is observed that not many building products are reused because it is not economical. The government aims to overcome this issue by encouraging the development of reuse markets but it is not yet clear for which building products it is possible for markets to arise; how to determine whether a self-sustaining B2B market for reusing specific products can arise with government support is the main question of the research. From Exploratory interviews, it was found that there are several types of obstacles that make reusing building products uneconomical. Literature was reviewed in search for the effects of these obstacles on the costs of reusing but it turns out that literature on this topic is lacking. Because there is already tacit knowledge available from demolition contractors who disassemble and sell second-hand products in the B2C market, it is decided to focus on supply of second-hand building products in the research. A Theoretical Framework is developed to provide the metrics for answering the main question with a supply-driven approach. It is proposed that there must be a hypothetical middleman who buys second-hand building products from demolition contractors to temporarily store them and upgrade them in order to be able to provide products that compete with new products. The framework also contains a model that demonstrates which price E1 demolition contractors must receive from middlemen to make reuse feasible for them and whether a transaction is profitable when the price E1 and the middleman’s costs E2 are subtracted from the price that builders are willing to pay for the product. Another model then evaluates whether there can be a market size for which the total profit made from all transactions is large enough for the middleman to facilitate market development. It does so by proposing how the price E1 and E2 develop when production scale increases. In a case study about reusing toilets, a method is demonstrated for determining the prices E1 and E2 at different production scales. This method is referred to as the Market Assessment Method. The price E1, that demolition contractors need to receive for disassembling a product is determined for different situations where the product occurs by means of a newly developed tool referred to as the Purchase Costs Tool. This tool is synthesized on the basis of stories from 15 demolition contractors, gathered in semi-structured interviews. The tool is validated by linguistic analysis and by testing it in practice. The tool is considered the main deliverable of the research. The case study shows that it can in fact be determined whether a market for toilets can arise by using the developed method and tool. Based on the discussion, it is concluded however that focussing on supply alone is not enough to conclude whether a market may really arise based on the method because it is not realistic that a middleman can actually supply an old product in the same way as a new product. It is proposed to do follow-up research to the additional costs that a builder needs to make for reusing second-hand products. Although the developed method does not cover the entire scope, it is concluded however that the method forms a valid basis. ... Read more