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"Global construction data is vital for contractors, governments, international organisations, policy makers, academic researchers and statisticians. As the global population of the world expands, the sustainability of the built environment rises up the political agenda and the need to manage infrastructure and buildings in both urban and rural contexts becomes ever more pressing. How much more can the built environment grow and how can it be managed sustainably? This edited volume is about finding a possible way through the inconsistencies between national construction data sets to devise a consistent approach to national construction data to further the global sustainability agenda and inform policy making. This search begins in Part 1, which looks at the methods and definitions used in construction statistics in different countries. Part 2 considers examples of dealing with different types of construction data from the cost of materials, measuring work on high rise buildings and existing stock. In Part 3 the authors consider construction data internationally, beginning with the problem of comparing data in different countries using exchange rates and purchasing power parities (PPPs), comparing innovation processes in different countries and looking at the provision of building design internationally. In the final section, the international theme is continued by comparing accounting practices and company performance in different countries, and concludes with an international comparison of construction industries"--

This book highlights the design, use and structure of blockchain systems and decentralized ledger technologies (B/DLT) for use in the construction industry. Construction remains a fragmented change-resistant industry with chronic problems of underproductivity and a very low digitization factor compared to other fields. In parallel, the convergence, embedding and coordination of digital technologies in the physical world provides a unique opportunity for the construction industry to leap ahead and adopt fourth industrial revolution technologies. Within this context, B/DLT are an excellent fit for the digitization of the construction industry. B/DLT are effective in this as they organize and align digital and physical supply chains, produce stigmergic coordination out of decentralization, enable the governance of complex projects for multiple stakeholders, while enabling the creation of a new class of business models and legal instruments for construction.

"Despite the wide range of technologies involved, the construction industry still relies heavily on one old-fashioned component: the human. The clients, managers, designers, investors, and a whole host of other stakeholders are all involved in a crucial series of relationships that are just as important to project success as technical know-how. As construction projects become increasingly international as well as interdisciplinary, the risk and cost of disharmonious working grows ever larger. The growth of IT and the increased reliance on large mergers and joint-ventures have created new problems, which require a new set of solutions. Recent research has generated profound insights into international differences in business culture. This new work presents up-to-date theory and practical guidance, identifying situations in which cultural differences present challenges. A focus on "critical incidents", demonstrated in a range of case studies will help readers to foresee such situations in their own projects and processes, and so improve strategic and operational decision-making in construction collaborations. Detailed examples are taken from the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Turkey, the UAE, and China, to explore a variety of problems in very different economic and cultural surroundings. A range of professionals (contractors, developers, investors, architects, engineers, governments, public/private clients) will find this book highly valuable, as will researchers and students"--EBL.

Intro -- Preface -- About This Book -- Contents -- Editors and Contributors -- Part I Industry 4.0 and Drivers for Change -- 1 What Is Industry 4.0? -- 1 Additive Manufacturing -- 2 Data and Analytics -- 2.1 Construction's Historic Data Problems -- 2.2 The Development of Analysis -- 2.3 Data Use by Contractors -- 2.4 Data Use by Asset Owners -- 2.5 Data and Analytics Now-A Platform for Industry 4.0? -- 3 Artificial Intelligence -- 4 Robotics and Automation -- 5 Virtual, Augmented, Mixed, and Extended Reality -- 6 IoT and 5G -- 7 Digital Twins -- 8 Nanotechnology -- 9 Conclusions -- References -- 2 The Global Environmental Imperative -- 1 Climate Emergency -- 2 Overview of Construction industry's Contribution to Global Carbon -- 3 Carbon Mitigation Initiatives and Sustainable Development -- 4 Conclusions -- References -- 3 Industry 4.0 and Drivers for Socioeconomic Sustainability in the Construction Sector -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Population Forecasts and Urbanization Challenges Under Industry 4.0 -- 3 Construction 4.0 and Sustainable Development -- 4 Future-Proof Construction Industry: The Need for Crisis Resilience -- 5 Conclusions -- References -- 4 The Circular Construction Industry -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Principles of Circular Economy Concept -- 3 Innovative Technologies for Circular Construction -- 4 Construction and Demolition Waste Management -- 4.1 Construction and Demolition Waste Valorisation -- 5 Circular Construction Practices in the Industry -- 6 Conclusions and Prospective -- References -- Part II Innovation in Construction: A New Future for the Construction Industry. Areas of Focus for a Step Change in Construction -- 5 Fundamentals of Innovation -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Definition -- 3 Case Study 1-The de Havilland Comet -- 4 Case Study 2-Concorde -- 5 Case Study 3-Boeing 737 -- 6 Fundamentals -- 7 Conclusion -- References.

Construction is the country's single largest manufacturing industry. However, it is a sector that lacks benchmarks against which to gauge performance. This modern thinking intends to provide insight to construction productivity improvement. Taking cues from manufacturing sectors such as computer, automobile and chemical companies, this book will apply the lessons learned to building construction. Supported with a range of pedagogical devices, the book will be of equal value to construction managers and civil engineers, and students with different learning methods.