Paulo Vaz-Serra | University of Melbourne (original) (raw)

Conference Presentations by Paulo Vaz-Serra

One of the definitions of rework is reported to be 'the unnecessary effort of redoing a process o... more One of the definitions of rework is reported to be 'the unnecessary effort of redoing a process or activity that was incorrectly implemented the first time'. Construction rework contributes to time and cost overruns in building projects. The costs of rework in building projects can be calculated using different ways looking at construction contract value or based only in construction direct costs, excluding items like profits, overheads, and other management costs. This research looked at a Total Field Rework Factor (TFRF) indicator based on direct costs suggested Construction Industry Institute (CII). Looking at 437 different projects, the value of TFRF was 7.4% in average, with a maximum of 17.5% in nine Design and Construct projects. Minimising rework is a part of the quality management process, and every sustainable building project must consider it. This article aims to identify new management process to help reducing building construction rework making a contribution to improve the sustainability of the project. We reviewed and analysed the applicability and implication of Knowledge Management techniques and Lean principles specific to building construction projects. We also discuss the potential interventions in the building construction industry and practical implementations to enhance the sustainability of the buildings.

{dayk 1 , raisbeck 2 , p.vazserra 3 ,donald.bates 4 ,phillip.greenham 5 }@unimelb.edu.

IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2022

Quality and buildability are important issues in construction, and both emerge at the earliest st... more Quality and buildability are important issues in construction, and both emerge at the earliest stages of design. However, neither are well-defined concepts. Our premise is that behaviour, values and culture impact on quality and buildability in the design stage, but these are also vulnerable to precise definition and difficult to investigate within a typical hypothesisdriven positivist approach. A better method may lie in a theory of personal constructs or 'constructivism' which takes the human experience as a whole. Qualitative research methods and data collection techniques are critically reviewed to assess those methods best fitted for purpose in approaching the research problem. Personal Construct Psychology (PCP), using repertory grids emerges as a suitable candidate and is applied in two pilot studies in Australia and Singapore. Preliminary results show the appropriateness of the approach for engaging in buildability studies.

IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental ScienceWorld Building Congress 2022, 2022

Academic institutions have faced substantial issues and difficulties since the novel coronavirus ... more Academic institutions have faced substantial issues and difficulties since the novel coronavirus disease became pandemic. Traditional class attendance-based pedagogy rapidly became compromised, and universities were forced into alternative ways of delivering learning to students who themselves faced restrictions, even to the point of not even being able to enter the countries where they had enrolled for their studies. In the haste to implement projects for alternative learning delivery systems, there was little time to develop proactive approaches to project risk management for such implementation. By default, delivery risks were addressed re-actively, and a "lessons learned" post-implementation approach prevailed. Two case studies have been used to explore risk management practices used in alternative learning delivery environments. The findings show emerging teaching and learning dynamics in parallel with risk-managing delivery of course learning experience and content quality.

Proceedings of the 44th AUBEA Conference, 27-29 Oct. 2021, Deakin University, Australia, 2021

The adoption of innovative technologies in the construction industry has provided significant ben... more The adoption of innovative technologies in the construction industry has provided significant benefits to the industry. In Australia, the use of innovative construction technologies has grown increasingly over the past decade and received a significant increase in the level of adoption in construction site activities due to the recent pandemic. One technology that is receiving additional attention to be beneficial to the industry is Augmented Reality (AR). However, its current level of adoption is still very limited due to several reasons the theoretically advantages are not yet well received by the practitioners. To address this gap, this study aimed at investigating the low-level adoption and widespread use of AR technology in the Australian construction industry. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore perceptions of the use of AR technology and its limitations from end-users perspectives and managers of construction companies in particular. As a result, a model is presented to map the influential factors and barriers to the adoption of AR. Findings revealed several concepts including lack of knowledge about AR, conservative management attitudes, absence of feasibility analysis, operability and work culture as factors influencing AR adoption in the industry. Moreover, the model provides a basis to direct future research on the topic.

This paper discusses on issues, challenges and opportunities to engage with circularity and the c... more This paper discusses on issues, challenges and opportunities to engage with circularity and the circular economy in the property construction and infrastructure sectors. In particular when looking at procurement delivery methods in which operational expenditure (Opex) can offset higher upfront expenditure (Capex). Opportunities are here discussed for governments and the private sector to increase their environmental credentials and project performance. At the heart of this lies engaging with values for circularity through procurement. Two whole of life-cycle procurement methods are discussed in relation to opportunities including Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Build to Rent (BTR), each presents opportunities for Value for Money (VfM); increased project quality; and reduction of carbon footprint and waste in building and infrastructure projects. This paper concludes with an argument on business opportunities with circularity and whole-of-life-cycle (WoL) in mind. And reminds of the moral and ethical responsibility to all property, construction and infrastructure stakeholders.

W102 - Special Track - 18th CIB World Building Congress May 2010 Salford, United Kingdom, 2010

Each construction project is unique in terms of how specialist professionals manage and use proje... more Each construction project is unique in terms of how specialist professionals manage and use project documents. Construction sites use and generate a large body of documents containing valuable information across project participants. Therefore, the efficient deployment of construction projects depends partly on effective communication among project participants. This communication, however, is hindered by the large amount and wide variation of the project information and documents involved and the spatial dispersion of construction sites. This paper presents an intranet-based information and document management system that facilitates project information and communication management within a large construction company. The system implementation and testing have shown that it can provide structured and reliable information, quick and remote access, and prompt updating capabilities of stored documents.

RICS COBRA2018 The Construction, Building and Real Estate Research Conference of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 2018

Cities around the world are growing fast and some without proper organisation and urban planning.... more Cities around the world are growing fast and some without proper organisation and urban planning. The number of people who, by choice or forced by economic or social conditions, are forced to live in big cities without a permanent home is increasing.
Rural unemployment and temporary works requires that a significant number of people need to live in the city, sometimes for short periods of time. The gig economy refers to the growing number of people abandoning traditional 9 to 5 office hours in favour of undertaking freelance work. An unwanted appropriation of public spaces and its negative impact in urban environment, and consequent social and economic impact on the community, is having a huge effect in some cities. This research proposes a mobile city caravan to give answers to the needs of the people that cannot afford to buy a house or an apartment, even temporarily, and introduce an important
part of sustainability using cork and bamboo. Habitability and functionality principles, that embrace the design ideas developed through requirements as health and safety, mobility, multifunctionality and connection. Moreover, develops concepts as belonging, connection, engagement with community and design friendly with urban environment. This research follows a preliminary study, for urban mobile shelters and opens new areas of research to use materials that could help developing countries using their local materials with economic solutions.

RICS COBRA2016 The Construction, Building and Real Estate Research Conference of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 2016

The work-life balance of construction managers is precarious due to long work hours and high leve... more The work-life balance of construction managers is precarious due to long work hours and high levels of work-family conflict (WFC). The impact of mobile communication technologies (MCT), such as the mobile phones and tablets, on WFC has not been researched in construction. Research suggests that their use contributes to the blurring of work and non-work boundaries, making it easier for work to intrude on home activities. This research examined the effect of MCT usage on the WFC of Australian construction site managers. An online survey of site management staff with a national construction company ascertained WFC and MCT usage and investigated psychological attachment to work, segmentation preferences (between home and work) and segmentation supplies. Respondents who had higher levels of WFC worked longer hours and extended their work time by using MCTs at home for work. However, they did not perceive MCTs to be useful for their job and overall, a pattern of MCT devices interfering in home life was apparent. Younger workers considered themselves technologically savvy and used more MCT devices at home for work demonstrating that, if correctly configured, MCTs may allow workers to better manage their work and home boundaries. Future research in the area is discussed.

AUBEA 2017: Australasian Universities Build- ing Education Association Conference 2017, 2017

Buildability has been a perennial issue in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) i... more Buildability has been a perennial issue in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, with advocates arguing for positive benefits related to cost, time, quality and safety in project development. Evidently, buildability has been seen to offer broader industry gains and efficiencies, and its assessment has been encouraged as a criterion in the regulatory approval process of some countries. If buildability offers positive outcomes in project development, how can these be introduced, measured and assessed in the project development process? In the absence of mandated buildability appraisal systems, does the industry develop its market mechanism to leverage the gains that its consideration offers? Detailed coverage is systematically reviewed with the aim to identify the current trends in buildability. Based on a comparative analysis of existing assessment models of buildability, this paper reviews the suitability of this model, by highlighting the potential difficulties of its adoption, against the current deregulated and highly performance-based context of the Australian construction industry. The outcome of this paper is to provide a research methodology to develop a buildability assessment tool for Australia.

Engaging Architectural Science: Meeting the Challenges of Higher Density: 52nd International Conference of the Architectural Science Association 2018, pp.185–192., 2018

The construction industry is one of the most important economic activities in the world, and rese... more The construction industry is one of the most important economic activities in the world, and research in this field has identified a positive relationship between project management skills and the success of construction projects. This research project systematically reviewed more than 380 documents in 14 academic journals from the construction and project management fields, searching for construction managers' skills and competencies, and identifying key skills in educative terms for graduates. The final selection of articles was reviewed in detail and categorised into three themes: education, project manager competencies, and employment. Additionally, a database with 306 competencies, gathered from the reviewed studies, was quantitatively analysed, grouping them into overarching categories. One of the main findings from this systematic literature review is the importance (in quantitative terms) of a project manager's personal attributes and leadership skills. This systematic literature review explores the current dichotomy the exists within the literature between research about key managerial competencies, and the lack of them within the industry and formal education institutions. Future research will explore how to bridge the gap between academic programs and industry needs.

RICS COBRA2018 The Construction, Building and Real Estate Research Conference of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 2018

The selection of the “right” construction contractor has been a topic of continual interest withi... more The selection of the “right” construction contractor has been a topic of continual
interest within academia and industry, with attention focussed on both the selection of
the optimal procurement method and the process of tender evaluation. As a
consequence, the bidding process, as well as how a tender is conceived and
developed, has now been recognised as a crucial element of future project success.
This research investigates whether scrum, an agile project management framework,
could be of benefit in the tender development and bidding process. The scrum
framework, initially developed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of
collaborative projects in the information technology (IT) industry, has been associated
with improvements in project planning, communication, team work and project
outcomes. The applicability of scrum to construction tender formulation will be
considered and proposed research, involving a two-stage methodology of interviews
and focus groups with six major contractors, described. A generic model of both the
bidding and tendering process and scrum application will be developed. In this first
phase of the research, traditionally procured building projects ranging from AUD 20
to 80 million will be examined. Further research will be extended to design and
construct (D&C) projects with their additional complexities.

AUBEA 2017: Australasian Universities Build- ing Education Association Conference 2017, 2017

Risk management is important for contemporary construction organisations and is a vital constitue... more Risk management is important for contemporary construction organisations and is a vital constituent of project management education. Before learning about the processes of systematic risk management, construction and project management students need to better understand risk concepts and their own attitudes towards risk. Risk is a psychosocial construct experienced and perceived by individuals. In the Risk in Construction subject offered in the Master of Construction Management programme at the University of Melbourne, students were first invited to respond to a simple questionnaire that measured their own risk attitudes from a task, team and individual risk perspective. This self-knowledge discovery was then applied in their subsequent individual and group assignment work for the subject. The risk profiles were also used in a novel approach to assignment group formation. Students valued the opportunity to explore the alignment between formal project risk management and their own risk attitudes, and used their newly-found understanding in other management-related subjects. Future research will explore cultural and gender influences in these student journeys of self-understanding.

Papers by Paulo Vaz-Serra

CTBUB Journal - Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, 2019

The concept of design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) is gathering momentum in the high-ris... more The concept of design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) is gathering momentum in the high-rise construction industry. The construction of tall buildings is well-suited for the adoption of processes that optimize the off-site fabrication of sub-systems. This paper analyses the reception of DfMA principles in the Australian construction industry and illustrates the specific case of wall integrated plumbing as an exemplar of the emerging philosophy of “flat-pack” prefabrication in residential high-rise construction. In contrast to the radical off-site manufacturing emphasis that is proposed by prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC), flat-pack prefabrication implies off-site manufacturing, combined with the ability to improve, but not discard entirely, processes of erection on-site. These systems can provide the most tangible benefits of productivity and are poised to cause a cultural shift in the way high-rise projects are procured today.

Books by Paulo Vaz-Serra

Articles and Book Chapters by Paulo Vaz-Serra

Higher Education Research & Development, 2024

The higher education shift to remote learning due to mobility restrictions imposed during the COV... more The higher education shift to remote learning due to mobility restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to improve the student learning experience using more active learning models. One model is peer assessment. Despite positively impacting student learning, peer assessment uptake remains low, partly because designing effective peer assessment processes is complex. Frameworks provide good coverage of the necessary design considerations; however, a systematic synthesis of the literature on how to design effective peer assessment processes is needed. We find strong evidence that peer assessment is most effective as formative peer feedback whereby students can apply feedback to support their performance and learning. Assessor training, multiple peer review iterations,assessment flexibility, collaborative assessment and providing resources to engage students and educators in peer assessment processes can also improve student experience and learning outcomes. Conversely, we find mixed evidence for the effectiveness of anonymity, online v offline settings and peer marking. Based on these findings, we provide guidance for educators in designing effective peer assessment processes,which, we hope, will drive greater uptake of peer assessment in higher education and support students to benefit from enhanced learning opportunities.