Othman Alshamrani - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Othman Alshamrani
Assessing life cycle cost and Environmental Impact for office Building construction in Saudi Arabia
Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
A Comparison between Conventional and Advanced Maintenance for Office Buildings in Saudi Arabia
Journal Of The Institution Of Engineers (india): Series A, Jan 5, 2022
One of the primary causes of maintenance rework, inefficient budget allocation, and occupant diss... more One of the primary causes of maintenance rework, inefficient budget allocation, and occupant dissatisfaction in office buildings is disconnect between maintenance operations and occupant needs. The authors of the present work have previously conducted a comparative study using the Post-occupancy Evaluation method in order to accurately measure the effectiveness of conventional versus an advanced maintenance approach. In the research presented in this paper, a scientific approach is pursued and an assessment model is developed to compare both types of maintenance for office buildings in Saudi Arabia as a case study. Four factors are identified from the qualitative and quantitative literature that have a direct impact on the selection of the maintenance type. These factors are occupant satisfaction index, time, cost, and rework. As part of this study, five groups of office operation and maintenance managers working in Saudi Arabia participate in a structured pilot study questionnaire. The results of the survey are weighted using the pairwise comparison method and then ranked using analytic hierarchy process, resulting in the identification and ranking of five critical factors in occupant satisfaction. The significance of this study is that it develops an effective maintenance method that boosts occupant satisfaction, minimizes rework, and reduces maintenance cost. It can also aid decision-makers in selecting the most appropriate type of maintenance for a given facility.
Buildings, May 24, 2018
This paper presents an approach developed for selecting lighting systems in residential buildings... more This paper presents an approach developed for selecting lighting systems in residential buildings using an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Multi Criteria Decision Making Technique (MCDMT). The developed approach considers four selection criteria of lighting systems: life-cycle cost, illumination, environmental performance, and life-span. The criteria of selection, along with the most widely used lighting systems in residential buildings, were determined through questionnaire surveys with suppliers, maintenance managers, and lighting experts. The Analytic Hierarchy Process and Multi Attribute Utility Theory were utilized to assess the significant influence of the identified main and sub-criteria on the selection process, from the design point of view. The developed approach was tested on a real case project in selecting the lighting system for aresidential building in Saudi Arabia. The obtained results show that the life-cycle cost and illumination proprieties, followed by the service life were found to be the most influential measures in the selection process. The results also show that Light-Emitting Diode(LED) lighting systems prove to bear the highest initial cost while sustaining the best overall performance.
The Open Construction and Building Technology Journal, Oct 13, 2022
Construction industry is increasingly emphasizing productivity due to its effect on key performan... more Construction industry is increasingly emphasizing productivity due to its effect on key performance indicators such as schedule, budget, and quality of work. This study aims to identify and rank the factors affecting the productivity of steel rebar work in construction projects in a hot climate. Among the activities involved in structural reinforced concrete work, fabricating and placing reinforced steel on a construction site is considered the most labor-intensive, outdoor, and time-consuming.
Applied Sciences
Fires pose significant risks, encompassing loss of life, destruction of property, and substantial... more Fires pose significant risks, encompassing loss of life, destruction of property, and substantial adverse impacts on the economy. Therefore, the prioritization of fire safety in building structures must be embraced by all relevant stakeholders, including building owners, authorities, and the general public. However, traditional fire safety assessment methods can be laborious and challenging, impeding the identification of potential fire hazards and the selection of optimal fire safety measures. To this end, this research study offers an analytic hierarchy process for assessing building fire safety. Two case studies are presented to support this model’s outperformance compared with conventional assessment techniques. The proposed method yields hazard ratings of 5.3 and 4.3 along with safety ratings of 5.5 and 5.9 for the two case studies. Additionally, the proposed model yields comprehensible, well-documented, and comparable results. Therefore, it serves as a valuable decision-making...
Buildings
In order to make sure that structures adhere to the necessary norms and laws, it is essential to ... more In order to make sure that structures adhere to the necessary norms and laws, it is essential to evaluate the quality of building construction. According to several frameworks, the quality of a building’s construction can be assessed in a number of different circumstances. In order to provide building projects with excellent quality and competitive pricing, hard work is required. To raise the standard of building construction, a model was created. The goal of this project is to provide a model for raising building construction quality. This study used the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique, which includes the determination of consistency ratios, pairwise comparisons, normalization, and a comparison matrix. The difficulty of implementing quality was determined for each task using the AHP technique. This was multiplied by the quality factor to obtain the final quality level. The model was tested in three different situations, and it was discovered that quality application is...
International Journal of Advanced Thermofluid Research, 2018
The building construction sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest and fastest in the... more The building construction sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest and fastest in the Middle East. It is estimated that 2.32 million new homes are to be built by 2020 in order to meet the demand of growing population. Despite possessing ample potential, the realization of solar energy technology in Saudi Buildings has a long way to go. This article sheds light into the progress in exploring the utilization of solar energy in the Saudi Arabian building sector. Starting with a background of energy scenario, the article covers the policy-level measures and research and development activities reported so far. This review reveals the Kingdom has wide scope for further developments to ensure that all the viable state-of-the-art solar technologies are implemented in buildings.
Factors affecting construction productivity: Newfoundland versus rest of Canada
Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 1994
The decline in construction productivity across North America since the mid 1970s has been report... more The decline in construction productivity across North America since the mid 1970s has been reported by many researchers. The potential exists to achieve major cost savings if the factors underlying this decline can be identified and quantified and solutions are found. The issue is complex, but it is generally acknowledged as an axiom that it is a management problem and within the control of management to rectify. This paper describes the results of a survey of the attitudes of construction professionals across Canada toward factors affecting construction productivity. Special emphasis is made to the differences between Newfoundland and the rest of Canada. Findings for different regions of the country are presented and contrasted. For the purpose of this study, the factors have been classified into six groups: (i) contract environment, (ii) planning, (iii) site management, (iv) working conditions, (v) working hours, and (vi) motivation. Major factors affecting productivity are identi...
Energies
Delays in completing the construction of oil and gas projects impact the production, sustainabili... more Delays in completing the construction of oil and gas projects impact the production, sustainability, reliability, and revenues of the company, which result in market share losses in the long term. This research aimed to determine, evaluate, and rank the root causes of schedule delays in oil and gas pipeline projects in Saudi Arabia. Forty-seven different causes were identified firstly from a wide-ranging literature review and then finalized through conducting interviews with two local experts. These causes were ranked by distributing and analyzing questionnaires on the topic. Client-related materials, delays in materials and equipment delivery, permit approval, delays in subcontractor work, and delays in preparing and approving engineering drawings were found to be the top five major causes affecting oil and gas pipeline construction projects. From the initial analyses, it was observed that an adversarial relationship was apparent as the results indicated that the parties tended to ...
Integrated LCA-LCC assessment model of offsite, onsite, and conventional construction systems
Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
Development of a pre-qualification and selection framework for construction projects’ contractors in Saudi Arabia
Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
Maintenance Budget Allocation Assessment Model Based on Integrated Post-occupancy Evaluation of Hospital Buildings
Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India): Series A, 2021
Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a crucial assessment method for ongoing and future projects. T... more Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a crucial assessment method for ongoing and future projects. This method provides a systematic, comprehensive, and efficient assessment of building operations across the building’s life span. POE can also serve as an important feedback cycle for lessons learned, which can be applied for future maintenance or new construction projects. The effectiveness of POE is clearly reflected in occupant satisfaction levels and in the budget allocation for maintenance. Hence, this study aims to develop a maintenance budget allocation assessment model that integrates the feedback of both occupants and maintenance personnel by utilizing the POE method for hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The aim is to achieve an acceptable level of occupant satisfaction and to develop a sophisticated maintenance strategy, in order to best allocate budget and resources for hospitals in Saudi Arabia. An integrated POE survey was administered to identify common issues faced by occupants and operators in hospitals, followed by a structured focus group with multiple stakeholders to assess the developed POE. To validate and verify the developed model, three case studies are considered. Based on the collected data, a list of recommended improvements to better utilize the budget and resources was generated. This study provides recommendations to serve as feedback and feedforward, to improve the operation and maintenance of hospitals. Thus, this research has practical value for potential stakeholders in the design, construction, and management of these buildings. This study also demonstrates the shortcomings of traditional maintenance approaches in terms of occupant satisfaction, showing that by utilizing the developed assessment model and accommodating the recommended improvements, a better satisfaction level can be achieved in addition to best budget allocation for maintenance.
Sustainability, 2022
In Saudi Arabia, housing projects account for almost half of the total electricity consumed by th... more In Saudi Arabia, housing projects account for almost half of the total electricity consumed by the construction industry because of the large number of housing projects compared to other types of buildings. This paper proposes a quantitative approach using a multiple linear regression assessment model to predict the energy cost and environmental cost of housing building in Saudi Arabia. It was developed to assist house owners in Saudi Arabia in estimating the monthly energy cost and associated operational carbon cost according to several predictor parameters. Based on related literature, these parameters were reviewed and discussed by experts from the Ministry of Housing. They included building location, wall type, number of occupants, window type, envelope insulation, building age, building area, number of air-conditioning units and their systems, and lighting system. The model development process included five main stages: collecting the energy and carbon cost data from completed ...
Selection of structural systems and materials: minimizing lateral drift and cost of tall buildings in Saudi Arabia
Unrestricted This thesis proposes procedures and guidelines for selection of optimum structural s... more Unrestricted This thesis proposes procedures and guidelines for selection of optimum structural systems and materials in two stages. Stage one is based on a list of criteria, including architectural considerations. Stage two evaluates selected systems and materials for optimum performance of criteria considered critical for a given project. A tall office building in Dammam Saudi Arabia is used as case study to compare three structural systems: moment frame, braced frame, and shear wall; as well as two materials: concrete and steel. The case study considers four building heights: 10, 20, 30, and 40 stories. The STAAD Pro 2005 software is used to analyze these systems according to allowable stress requirements for an objective function to minimize drift, at minimal cost for wind speed of 90 miles per hour. Shear wall is the optimum structural system and concrete the optimum material to minimize lateral drift at minimum material and labor costs.
Second International Conference on Advances in Civil, Structural and Construction Engineering - CSCE 2015, 2015
The construction industry is one of the ever growing and leading sectors, which contributes to th... more The construction industry is one of the ever growing and leading sectors, which contributes to the economic growth of any nation. One of the current challenges in this industry is to ensure compliance with the norms and standards pertaining to the construction process, building quality, performance, and most remarkably, the environmental impact. The materials used in construction have a crucial role in meeting the above requirements, and in line with this, substantial researches are in progress, in implementing scientific techniques for the selection of construction materials. Material selection is often influenced by budget constraints, local availability, and lack of technical expertise/advice. Some materials that are attractive in terms of initial cost, can have adverse effects on quality, reliability and performance, and even a catastrophic impact on the environment, during the life span of the building. So the present article tries to convince the importance of selecting material based on Life Cycle Costing (LCC), which performs the cradle-to-grave assessment of a building, at the design stage itself. The existing methods of material selection, and the introduction of LCC with details of each steps involved, and concluding remarks, are presented on the basis of review of the related literature.
Initial cost assessment stochastic model for green buildings based on LEED score
Energy and Buildings, 2021
Abstract Statistics show that the United States is the largest energy consumer. One of the reason... more Abstract Statistics show that the United States is the largest energy consumer. One of the reasons behind this is the lack of long-term sustainability concepts in the fields of design and construction. Many studies have documented reports from developers, builders, and owners showing that the cost of green buildings has increased to as much as three times the real cost. In this study, a stochastic assessment model was developed applying a Monte Carlo simulation to measure the initial cost and green cost premium of different types of buildings. Furthermore, a risk assessment model was developed using the efficient frontier method to aid building owners and decision makers to balance between risk (cost) and reward (sustainability) and to select the best economical and sustainable alternatives. 200 buildings are investigated by converting their leadership in educational and environmental design (LEED) scores into monetary value, based on the attained certification level, building area, and building type. The output of the study shows that the highest cost premium is recorded at 38.6/LS.m2forplatinumeducationalbuildings,whilethelowestcostisassessedat38.6/LS.m2 for platinum educational buildings, while the lowest cost is assessed at 38.6/LS.m2forplatinumeducationalbuildings,whilethelowestcostisassessedat10.6/LS.m2 for platinum residential certification at a 95th percentile confidence level. The residential buildings are found to minimize the cost premium by 70% for educational buildings as compared to 60% for commercial buildings.
Life Cycle Assessment for Modular Roof Systems of Large-Span Building
Material extraction, production, transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance consume... more Material extraction, production, transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance consume huge amounts of energy that contribute to environmental pollution and contribute to climate change. In 2017, the building sector was found to be responsible for 39% of energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [1]. In Canada, the industry and building sectors are the highest contributors to total energy consumption. Hence, the embodied and operating energy and their associated GHGs in the building materials, and the operational primary energy over the whole life cycle of buildings, must be assessed [2]. This paper thus presents a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to evaluating the environmental impact of different modular roof systems, including precast hollow-core concrete, composite roof system, steel roof system, and wood roof system. A case study of a large-span industrial building in Calgary, Alberta, is selected and then analyzed to assess the associated ...
Environmental impacts cost assessment model of residential building using an artificial neural network
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2020
PurposeBuildings are major contributors to greenhouse gases (GHG) along the various stages of the... more PurposeBuildings are major contributors to greenhouse gases (GHG) along the various stages of the building life cycle. A range of tools have been utilised for estimating building energy use and environmental impacts; these are time-consuming and require massive data that are not necessarily available during early design stages. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an Environmental Impacts Cost Assessment Model (EICAM) that quantifies both energy and environmental costs for residential buildings.Design/methodology/approachAn Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was employed to develop the EICAM. The model consists of six input parameters, including wall type, roof type, glazing type, window to wall ratio (WWR), shading device and building orientation. In addition, the model calculates four measures: annual energy cost, operational carbon over 20 years, envelope embodied carbon and total carbon per square metre. The ANN architecture is 6:13:4:4, where the conjugate gradient algorithm was...
A regression-based model for estimating the energy consumption of school facilities in Saudi Arabia
Energy and Buildings, 2021
Abstract A considerable amount of the oil used in Saudi Arabia is consumed to generate power. In ... more Abstract A considerable amount of the oil used in Saudi Arabia is consumed to generate power. In an effort to minimize such consumption, the government of Saudi Arabia has established an ambitious part of the 2030 Vision that includes 96 strategic objectives. In recent years, the advancement in information technology has made it possible to develop accurate prediction models of energy consumption for constructed facilities, which can assist with establishing plans to reduce future energy consumption. This research proposes a regression-based model for predicting the energy consumption of one of the most significant energy-consuming types of facilities in Saudi Arabia: schools. The model was developed utilizing 350 actual data points of energy consumption gathered from schools operating in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The factors affecting consumption of energy were identified from two sources. The first was a review of the literature, and the second was interviews with local experts. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the most important factors (i.e., inputs/independent variables) affecting energy consumption (i.e., output) were AC capacity and building age. An investigation of the correlations among the independent variables revealed that the highest correlation of 0.864 was found between the total built area and total roof area. The developed model was validated using 35 new data points of school buildings across the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The results show that the model predicted the energy consumption of school buildings with an accuracy higher than 90%. The findings of this study will assist schools and maintenance managers in effectively managing such facilities by allowing them to allocate the required budget in advance. Also, the predictions can be used economic lifecycle analysis.
Advanced BIM Platform Based on the Spoken Dialogue for End-User
Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, 2020
Since the advent of automatic speech recognition-based virtual assistants (e.g., Google Assistant... more Since the advent of automatic speech recognition-based virtual assistants (e.g., Google Assistant and iOS Siri), it has become more common to use voice-based information retrieval systems in search engines. In addition, recently, such search engines have served not only to accept keyword-based commands from the human voice but also have evolved to recognize and understand more natural human language. As a result, various industries including the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) have been exploring the application of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems to their processes in order to improve work efficiency/productivity. While other areas have somewhat succeeded in interacting with machines (computers) using natural language, the AECO field is still utilizing keyword-based speech recognition. and lags behind the research of other industries trying to apply natural language-based ASR systems. Thus, this paper aims to apply natural language-based voice recognition system to building information modeling (BIM) and be used to manipulate the building model. In order for the BIM software to understand natural language queries and show the appropriate results in response to it, connecting natural language with BIM data is the key effort. This is because, in general, the words and sentences people use on a daily basis (i.e., natural language) are not highly correlated with the BIM data. With natural language processing (NLP) and structured querying language (SQL), therefore, this paper tries to propose not only a way to connect natural language and BIM data but also a way to manipulate BIM itself.
Assessing life cycle cost and Environmental Impact for office Building construction in Saudi Arabia
Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
A Comparison between Conventional and Advanced Maintenance for Office Buildings in Saudi Arabia
Journal Of The Institution Of Engineers (india): Series A, Jan 5, 2022
One of the primary causes of maintenance rework, inefficient budget allocation, and occupant diss... more One of the primary causes of maintenance rework, inefficient budget allocation, and occupant dissatisfaction in office buildings is disconnect between maintenance operations and occupant needs. The authors of the present work have previously conducted a comparative study using the Post-occupancy Evaluation method in order to accurately measure the effectiveness of conventional versus an advanced maintenance approach. In the research presented in this paper, a scientific approach is pursued and an assessment model is developed to compare both types of maintenance for office buildings in Saudi Arabia as a case study. Four factors are identified from the qualitative and quantitative literature that have a direct impact on the selection of the maintenance type. These factors are occupant satisfaction index, time, cost, and rework. As part of this study, five groups of office operation and maintenance managers working in Saudi Arabia participate in a structured pilot study questionnaire. The results of the survey are weighted using the pairwise comparison method and then ranked using analytic hierarchy process, resulting in the identification and ranking of five critical factors in occupant satisfaction. The significance of this study is that it develops an effective maintenance method that boosts occupant satisfaction, minimizes rework, and reduces maintenance cost. It can also aid decision-makers in selecting the most appropriate type of maintenance for a given facility.
Buildings, May 24, 2018
This paper presents an approach developed for selecting lighting systems in residential buildings... more This paper presents an approach developed for selecting lighting systems in residential buildings using an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Multi Criteria Decision Making Technique (MCDMT). The developed approach considers four selection criteria of lighting systems: life-cycle cost, illumination, environmental performance, and life-span. The criteria of selection, along with the most widely used lighting systems in residential buildings, were determined through questionnaire surveys with suppliers, maintenance managers, and lighting experts. The Analytic Hierarchy Process and Multi Attribute Utility Theory were utilized to assess the significant influence of the identified main and sub-criteria on the selection process, from the design point of view. The developed approach was tested on a real case project in selecting the lighting system for aresidential building in Saudi Arabia. The obtained results show that the life-cycle cost and illumination proprieties, followed by the service life were found to be the most influential measures in the selection process. The results also show that Light-Emitting Diode(LED) lighting systems prove to bear the highest initial cost while sustaining the best overall performance.
The Open Construction and Building Technology Journal, Oct 13, 2022
Construction industry is increasingly emphasizing productivity due to its effect on key performan... more Construction industry is increasingly emphasizing productivity due to its effect on key performance indicators such as schedule, budget, and quality of work. This study aims to identify and rank the factors affecting the productivity of steel rebar work in construction projects in a hot climate. Among the activities involved in structural reinforced concrete work, fabricating and placing reinforced steel on a construction site is considered the most labor-intensive, outdoor, and time-consuming.
Applied Sciences
Fires pose significant risks, encompassing loss of life, destruction of property, and substantial... more Fires pose significant risks, encompassing loss of life, destruction of property, and substantial adverse impacts on the economy. Therefore, the prioritization of fire safety in building structures must be embraced by all relevant stakeholders, including building owners, authorities, and the general public. However, traditional fire safety assessment methods can be laborious and challenging, impeding the identification of potential fire hazards and the selection of optimal fire safety measures. To this end, this research study offers an analytic hierarchy process for assessing building fire safety. Two case studies are presented to support this model’s outperformance compared with conventional assessment techniques. The proposed method yields hazard ratings of 5.3 and 4.3 along with safety ratings of 5.5 and 5.9 for the two case studies. Additionally, the proposed model yields comprehensible, well-documented, and comparable results. Therefore, it serves as a valuable decision-making...
Buildings
In order to make sure that structures adhere to the necessary norms and laws, it is essential to ... more In order to make sure that structures adhere to the necessary norms and laws, it is essential to evaluate the quality of building construction. According to several frameworks, the quality of a building’s construction can be assessed in a number of different circumstances. In order to provide building projects with excellent quality and competitive pricing, hard work is required. To raise the standard of building construction, a model was created. The goal of this project is to provide a model for raising building construction quality. This study used the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique, which includes the determination of consistency ratios, pairwise comparisons, normalization, and a comparison matrix. The difficulty of implementing quality was determined for each task using the AHP technique. This was multiplied by the quality factor to obtain the final quality level. The model was tested in three different situations, and it was discovered that quality application is...
International Journal of Advanced Thermofluid Research, 2018
The building construction sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest and fastest in the... more The building construction sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest and fastest in the Middle East. It is estimated that 2.32 million new homes are to be built by 2020 in order to meet the demand of growing population. Despite possessing ample potential, the realization of solar energy technology in Saudi Buildings has a long way to go. This article sheds light into the progress in exploring the utilization of solar energy in the Saudi Arabian building sector. Starting with a background of energy scenario, the article covers the policy-level measures and research and development activities reported so far. This review reveals the Kingdom has wide scope for further developments to ensure that all the viable state-of-the-art solar technologies are implemented in buildings.
Factors affecting construction productivity: Newfoundland versus rest of Canada
Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 1994
The decline in construction productivity across North America since the mid 1970s has been report... more The decline in construction productivity across North America since the mid 1970s has been reported by many researchers. The potential exists to achieve major cost savings if the factors underlying this decline can be identified and quantified and solutions are found. The issue is complex, but it is generally acknowledged as an axiom that it is a management problem and within the control of management to rectify. This paper describes the results of a survey of the attitudes of construction professionals across Canada toward factors affecting construction productivity. Special emphasis is made to the differences between Newfoundland and the rest of Canada. Findings for different regions of the country are presented and contrasted. For the purpose of this study, the factors have been classified into six groups: (i) contract environment, (ii) planning, (iii) site management, (iv) working conditions, (v) working hours, and (vi) motivation. Major factors affecting productivity are identi...
Energies
Delays in completing the construction of oil and gas projects impact the production, sustainabili... more Delays in completing the construction of oil and gas projects impact the production, sustainability, reliability, and revenues of the company, which result in market share losses in the long term. This research aimed to determine, evaluate, and rank the root causes of schedule delays in oil and gas pipeline projects in Saudi Arabia. Forty-seven different causes were identified firstly from a wide-ranging literature review and then finalized through conducting interviews with two local experts. These causes were ranked by distributing and analyzing questionnaires on the topic. Client-related materials, delays in materials and equipment delivery, permit approval, delays in subcontractor work, and delays in preparing and approving engineering drawings were found to be the top five major causes affecting oil and gas pipeline construction projects. From the initial analyses, it was observed that an adversarial relationship was apparent as the results indicated that the parties tended to ...
Integrated LCA-LCC assessment model of offsite, onsite, and conventional construction systems
Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
Development of a pre-qualification and selection framework for construction projects’ contractors in Saudi Arabia
Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
Maintenance Budget Allocation Assessment Model Based on Integrated Post-occupancy Evaluation of Hospital Buildings
Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India): Series A, 2021
Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a crucial assessment method for ongoing and future projects. T... more Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a crucial assessment method for ongoing and future projects. This method provides a systematic, comprehensive, and efficient assessment of building operations across the building’s life span. POE can also serve as an important feedback cycle for lessons learned, which can be applied for future maintenance or new construction projects. The effectiveness of POE is clearly reflected in occupant satisfaction levels and in the budget allocation for maintenance. Hence, this study aims to develop a maintenance budget allocation assessment model that integrates the feedback of both occupants and maintenance personnel by utilizing the POE method for hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The aim is to achieve an acceptable level of occupant satisfaction and to develop a sophisticated maintenance strategy, in order to best allocate budget and resources for hospitals in Saudi Arabia. An integrated POE survey was administered to identify common issues faced by occupants and operators in hospitals, followed by a structured focus group with multiple stakeholders to assess the developed POE. To validate and verify the developed model, three case studies are considered. Based on the collected data, a list of recommended improvements to better utilize the budget and resources was generated. This study provides recommendations to serve as feedback and feedforward, to improve the operation and maintenance of hospitals. Thus, this research has practical value for potential stakeholders in the design, construction, and management of these buildings. This study also demonstrates the shortcomings of traditional maintenance approaches in terms of occupant satisfaction, showing that by utilizing the developed assessment model and accommodating the recommended improvements, a better satisfaction level can be achieved in addition to best budget allocation for maintenance.
Sustainability, 2022
In Saudi Arabia, housing projects account for almost half of the total electricity consumed by th... more In Saudi Arabia, housing projects account for almost half of the total electricity consumed by the construction industry because of the large number of housing projects compared to other types of buildings. This paper proposes a quantitative approach using a multiple linear regression assessment model to predict the energy cost and environmental cost of housing building in Saudi Arabia. It was developed to assist house owners in Saudi Arabia in estimating the monthly energy cost and associated operational carbon cost according to several predictor parameters. Based on related literature, these parameters were reviewed and discussed by experts from the Ministry of Housing. They included building location, wall type, number of occupants, window type, envelope insulation, building age, building area, number of air-conditioning units and their systems, and lighting system. The model development process included five main stages: collecting the energy and carbon cost data from completed ...
Selection of structural systems and materials: minimizing lateral drift and cost of tall buildings in Saudi Arabia
Unrestricted This thesis proposes procedures and guidelines for selection of optimum structural s... more Unrestricted This thesis proposes procedures and guidelines for selection of optimum structural systems and materials in two stages. Stage one is based on a list of criteria, including architectural considerations. Stage two evaluates selected systems and materials for optimum performance of criteria considered critical for a given project. A tall office building in Dammam Saudi Arabia is used as case study to compare three structural systems: moment frame, braced frame, and shear wall; as well as two materials: concrete and steel. The case study considers four building heights: 10, 20, 30, and 40 stories. The STAAD Pro 2005 software is used to analyze these systems according to allowable stress requirements for an objective function to minimize drift, at minimal cost for wind speed of 90 miles per hour. Shear wall is the optimum structural system and concrete the optimum material to minimize lateral drift at minimum material and labor costs.
Second International Conference on Advances in Civil, Structural and Construction Engineering - CSCE 2015, 2015
The construction industry is one of the ever growing and leading sectors, which contributes to th... more The construction industry is one of the ever growing and leading sectors, which contributes to the economic growth of any nation. One of the current challenges in this industry is to ensure compliance with the norms and standards pertaining to the construction process, building quality, performance, and most remarkably, the environmental impact. The materials used in construction have a crucial role in meeting the above requirements, and in line with this, substantial researches are in progress, in implementing scientific techniques for the selection of construction materials. Material selection is often influenced by budget constraints, local availability, and lack of technical expertise/advice. Some materials that are attractive in terms of initial cost, can have adverse effects on quality, reliability and performance, and even a catastrophic impact on the environment, during the life span of the building. So the present article tries to convince the importance of selecting material based on Life Cycle Costing (LCC), which performs the cradle-to-grave assessment of a building, at the design stage itself. The existing methods of material selection, and the introduction of LCC with details of each steps involved, and concluding remarks, are presented on the basis of review of the related literature.
Initial cost assessment stochastic model for green buildings based on LEED score
Energy and Buildings, 2021
Abstract Statistics show that the United States is the largest energy consumer. One of the reason... more Abstract Statistics show that the United States is the largest energy consumer. One of the reasons behind this is the lack of long-term sustainability concepts in the fields of design and construction. Many studies have documented reports from developers, builders, and owners showing that the cost of green buildings has increased to as much as three times the real cost. In this study, a stochastic assessment model was developed applying a Monte Carlo simulation to measure the initial cost and green cost premium of different types of buildings. Furthermore, a risk assessment model was developed using the efficient frontier method to aid building owners and decision makers to balance between risk (cost) and reward (sustainability) and to select the best economical and sustainable alternatives. 200 buildings are investigated by converting their leadership in educational and environmental design (LEED) scores into monetary value, based on the attained certification level, building area, and building type. The output of the study shows that the highest cost premium is recorded at 38.6/LS.m2forplatinumeducationalbuildings,whilethelowestcostisassessedat38.6/LS.m2 for platinum educational buildings, while the lowest cost is assessed at 38.6/LS.m2forplatinumeducationalbuildings,whilethelowestcostisassessedat10.6/LS.m2 for platinum residential certification at a 95th percentile confidence level. The residential buildings are found to minimize the cost premium by 70% for educational buildings as compared to 60% for commercial buildings.
Life Cycle Assessment for Modular Roof Systems of Large-Span Building
Material extraction, production, transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance consume... more Material extraction, production, transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance consume huge amounts of energy that contribute to environmental pollution and contribute to climate change. In 2017, the building sector was found to be responsible for 39% of energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [1]. In Canada, the industry and building sectors are the highest contributors to total energy consumption. Hence, the embodied and operating energy and their associated GHGs in the building materials, and the operational primary energy over the whole life cycle of buildings, must be assessed [2]. This paper thus presents a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to evaluating the environmental impact of different modular roof systems, including precast hollow-core concrete, composite roof system, steel roof system, and wood roof system. A case study of a large-span industrial building in Calgary, Alberta, is selected and then analyzed to assess the associated ...
Environmental impacts cost assessment model of residential building using an artificial neural network
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2020
PurposeBuildings are major contributors to greenhouse gases (GHG) along the various stages of the... more PurposeBuildings are major contributors to greenhouse gases (GHG) along the various stages of the building life cycle. A range of tools have been utilised for estimating building energy use and environmental impacts; these are time-consuming and require massive data that are not necessarily available during early design stages. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an Environmental Impacts Cost Assessment Model (EICAM) that quantifies both energy and environmental costs for residential buildings.Design/methodology/approachAn Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was employed to develop the EICAM. The model consists of six input parameters, including wall type, roof type, glazing type, window to wall ratio (WWR), shading device and building orientation. In addition, the model calculates four measures: annual energy cost, operational carbon over 20 years, envelope embodied carbon and total carbon per square metre. The ANN architecture is 6:13:4:4, where the conjugate gradient algorithm was...
A regression-based model for estimating the energy consumption of school facilities in Saudi Arabia
Energy and Buildings, 2021
Abstract A considerable amount of the oil used in Saudi Arabia is consumed to generate power. In ... more Abstract A considerable amount of the oil used in Saudi Arabia is consumed to generate power. In an effort to minimize such consumption, the government of Saudi Arabia has established an ambitious part of the 2030 Vision that includes 96 strategic objectives. In recent years, the advancement in information technology has made it possible to develop accurate prediction models of energy consumption for constructed facilities, which can assist with establishing plans to reduce future energy consumption. This research proposes a regression-based model for predicting the energy consumption of one of the most significant energy-consuming types of facilities in Saudi Arabia: schools. The model was developed utilizing 350 actual data points of energy consumption gathered from schools operating in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The factors affecting consumption of energy were identified from two sources. The first was a review of the literature, and the second was interviews with local experts. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the most important factors (i.e., inputs/independent variables) affecting energy consumption (i.e., output) were AC capacity and building age. An investigation of the correlations among the independent variables revealed that the highest correlation of 0.864 was found between the total built area and total roof area. The developed model was validated using 35 new data points of school buildings across the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The results show that the model predicted the energy consumption of school buildings with an accuracy higher than 90%. The findings of this study will assist schools and maintenance managers in effectively managing such facilities by allowing them to allocate the required budget in advance. Also, the predictions can be used economic lifecycle analysis.
Advanced BIM Platform Based on the Spoken Dialogue for End-User
Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, 2020
Since the advent of automatic speech recognition-based virtual assistants (e.g., Google Assistant... more Since the advent of automatic speech recognition-based virtual assistants (e.g., Google Assistant and iOS Siri), it has become more common to use voice-based information retrieval systems in search engines. In addition, recently, such search engines have served not only to accept keyword-based commands from the human voice but also have evolved to recognize and understand more natural human language. As a result, various industries including the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) have been exploring the application of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems to their processes in order to improve work efficiency/productivity. While other areas have somewhat succeeded in interacting with machines (computers) using natural language, the AECO field is still utilizing keyword-based speech recognition. and lags behind the research of other industries trying to apply natural language-based ASR systems. Thus, this paper aims to apply natural language-based voice recognition system to building information modeling (BIM) and be used to manipulate the building model. In order for the BIM software to understand natural language queries and show the appropriate results in response to it, connecting natural language with BIM data is the key effort. This is because, in general, the words and sentences people use on a daily basis (i.e., natural language) are not highly correlated with the BIM data. With natural language processing (NLP) and structured querying language (SQL), therefore, this paper tries to propose not only a way to connect natural language and BIM data but also a way to manipulate BIM itself.