Ghaleb J. Sweis
Verified @ju.edu.jo
Scopus Publications
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Scopus Publications
Mohammad Omar Aburumman, Rateb Sweis, and Ghaleb J. Sweis
Emerald
Purpose The construction industry sector is developing rapidly, especially with the increasing pace of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in this sector. Construction projects can benefit from greater integration and collaboration between their technologies and processes to reap the advantages and keep pace with the recent significant technological and managerial techniques developments. Therefore, this study aims to delve into and investigate building information modeling (BIM) and Lean Construction (L.C.) with a concentration on the potential BIM–lean interactions synergy and integration in the Jordanian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach This study takes exploratory nature, followed by the deductive research approach, and is designed to be a mono-quantitative research methodology. Moreover, the sampling technique is non-probability convenience sampling, and the research strategy is implemented through a questionnaire used and analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science to conduct descriptive and inferential statistical analysis and verify the reliability and validity through proper tests. Findings The BIM–lean interactions synergy and integration findings revealed that eliminating waste (time, cost, resources), promoting continuous improvement (Kaizen) and standardizing as lean construction principles are the most significant and agreeable toward achieving BIM–lean interactions synergy. On the other hand, “High 3D Visualization Modelling” was the most significant BIM function, followed by “Rapid and Auto-Generation of Documents and Multiple Design Alternatives” and “Maintenance of Information and Design Model Integrity.” Moreover, based on the relative importance index (RII) values, “Lack of Technical Expertise in BIM-LEAN” is the most significant challenge with a 0.89 value of RII, followed by “Lack of Government Direction and Standard Guidelines” with a 0.88 value of RII and “Financial considerations” with a 0.83 value of RII. Originality/value This study will help provide a new detailed overview that investigates the effects and expected benefits of integrating BIM processes and technological functionalities with lean construction principles within a synergetic environment. Moreover, the study will increase the awareness of using new technologies and management approaches in the architectural, engineering and construction industry, seeking to achieve integration between these technologies to reach ideal results in terms of the outputs of construction operations.
Mohammad O. Eriqat, Rateb J. Sweis, and Ghaleb J. Sweis
Emerald
Purpose This paper aims to identify and provide a theoretical explanation for the barriers that hinder the adoption of emerging technologies in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, irrespective of the company’s size, specialization or geographical location. In addition, the paper proposes potential areas for future research in this domain. Design/methodology/approach A list of barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies was identified and clarified using a systematic literature review of various scientific sources. Findings Twenty-five barriers were recognized and explained and some suggestions for future research studies were provided. Research limitations/implications The barriers related to a specific country or region or to a specific technology were excluded. Originality/value By providing a deeper comprehension of the barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies, this review is expected to encourage their adoption in the industry. Furthermore, it could prove valuable in devising effective strategies for the successful implementation of these technologies.
Zaid Alwashah, Ghaleb J. Sweis, Husam Abu Hajar, Waleed Abu-Khader, and Rateb J. Sweis
Emerald
Purpose This study aims to examine the challenges facing the construction industry practitioners toward adopting digital construction technologies in the Jordanian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative methods were used by reviewing the related literature to include 16 challenges that face the Jordanian construction industry in adopting digital construction. A questionnaire was used to achieve the desired study objectives for 373 respondents from various institutions and companies. The questionnaire was analyzed with SPSS using statistical tests such as mean score, Kruskal–Wallis H test and factor analysis. Findings After collecting the quantitative data, the study showed that the most challenges facing construction industry practitioners toward adopting digital construction techniques are lack of qualified workers, high requirement for computing equipment’s, high initial cost of bringing these technologies to the market and construction firms low investment in research and development. These challenges faced by respondents were divided into three main factors, namely, construction’s nature, financial constraints and poor management support. Originality/value This study provides information and statistics on the challenges that face individuals or companies toward adopting digital construction techniques in Jordan. It proposes recommendations and proper practical implantation strategies to overcome the challenges.
Heba Al Kailani, Ghaleb J. Sweis, Farouq Sammour, Wasan Omar Maaitah, Rateb J. Sweis, and Mohammad Alkailani
Emerald
Purpose The process of predicting construction costs and forecasting price fluctuations is a significant and challenging undertaking for project managers. This study aims to develop a construction cost index (CCI) for Jordan’s construction industry using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and predict future CCI values using traditional and machine learning (ML) techniques. Design/methodology/approach The most influential cost items were selected by conducting a literature review and confirmatory expert interviews. The cost items’ weights were calculated using FAHP to develop the CCI formula. Findings The results showed that the random forest model had the lowest mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 1.09%, followed by Extreme Gradient Boosting and K-nearest neighbours with MAPEs of 1.41% and 1.46%, respectively. Originality/value The novelty of this study lies within the use of FAHP to address the ambiguity of the impact of various cost items on CCI. The developed CCI equation and ML models are expected to significantly benefit construction managers, investors and policymakers in making informed decisions by enhancing their understanding of cost trends in the construction industry.
Waleed Abu-Khader
University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
Construction organizations are moving toward adopting digitalization in response to Industry 4.0. However, the slow adoption of digitalization has been observed. This study aimed to assess the level of digitalization adoption and evaluate the barriers to adopting digitalization in the Jordanian construction industry by all project parties in the public and private sectors. The study targets were achieved through a structured questionnaire using SPSS software for analysis through the following statistical tests: Normality test, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Most respondents used software at the design stage, and less than half did not use any software during the finishing stage. Regarding the barriers, twenty barriers to adopting digitalization were identified and grouped into five factors according to their importance: barriers related to the nature and system of the construction company, barriers related to the project parties, financial barriers, barriers related to system characteristics, and barriers related to construction project characteristics. Decision-makers should take the necessary measures to overcome such barriers depending on their importance. Previous studies have focused on the contractor's adoption of digitalization while neglecting other parties. This contributed to the full adoption of digitalization from the contractor side, with a noticeable delay from other project parties. This study focused on revealing the most critical barriers to adopting digitalization in the Jordanian construction industry from all project parties' perspectives based on their ranks. Furthermore, the study recommends effective strategies to overcome barriers as an update of past research.
Heba Ayoub, Ghaleb Sweis, Waleed Abu-Khader, and Rateb Sweis
Emerald
PurposeThis study aimed to provide a framework that includes the principles of sustainable construction to evaluate their application in the construction of government building projects in various environmental, economic, and social aspects distributed over the project phases throughout its life cycle.Design/methodology/approachQualitative methods from literature review and analysis of sustainability assessment tools were used to design the framework. The designed framework included six main categories, comprising 19 indicators that include sustainable building principles to assess application levels in government construction projects. It was used to evaluate applying sustainability practices in Jordanian government construction projects. 133 questionnaires were distributed to a convenience sample of three government institutions concerned with the design, implementation, and management of government buildings in Jordan.FindingsAfter collecting the quantitative data, the results showed that there is an application of six sustainability principles during the initial planning, analysis, and design stages of Jordanian government construction projects. The results focused on the application levels in social sustainability principles versus environmental and economical, especially in the operating stages during the project life cycle.Originality/valueThis study contributes by providing a tool to evaluate the sustainability of government construction projects and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of these types of buildings in both the short and long term by making them more sustainable. Subsequently, recommendations are made on reorienting government construction projects toward a sustainable building approach.
Nadia Abu Kwaik, Rateb Sweis, Baraa Allan, and Ghaleb Sweis
MDPI AG
This study aims to identify and rank the critical factors affecting risk management from the perspective of top and Lower Management in Jordanian industrial companies. Based on a rigorous literature review, critical factors affecting risk management are factors related to (1) flexibility and adaptation in the economic environment; (2) company characteristics; (3) external audit quality; (4) government rules and regulations; (5) top management and the board of directors; (6) organizational structure; (7) internal audit effectiveness; (8) trust; (9) human resources efficiency and training (10); communications (11); information technology (12); and the company’s culture. Quantitative research methods were used. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to a random sample of senior managers of industrial companies in Jordan. Kendall and Mann–Whitney tests, RII, and EFA were used to analyze the acquired data. The results show that all discussed factors have an effect on risk management, and there is no difference between top and Lower Management’s opinions regarding the ranking of the importance of those factors on risk management. This study provides an original perspective on the concept of risk management and the factors that impact it. These findings have important implications for Jordanian industrial companies’ decision makers. Companies should apply the results to their strategies and policies to reduce risks.
Farouq Sammour, Heba Alkailani, Ghaleb J. Sweis, Rateb J. Sweis, Wasan Maaitah, and Abdulla Alashkar
Emerald
Purpose Demand forecasts are a key component of planning efforts and are crucial for managing core operations. This study aims to evaluate the use of several machine learning (ML) algorithms to forecast demand for residential construction in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach The identification and selection of variables and ML algorithms that are related to the demand for residential construction are indicated using a literature review. Feature selection was done by using a stepwise backward elimination. The developed algorithm’s accuracy has been demonstrated by comparing the ML predictions with real residual values and compared based on the coefficient of determination. Findings Nine economic indicators were selected to develop the demand models. Elastic-Net showed the highest accuracy of (0.838) versus artificial neural networkwith an accuracy of (0.727), followed by Eureqa with an accuracy of (0.715) and the Extra Trees with an accuracy of (0.703). According to the results of the best-performing model forecast, Jordan’s 2023 first-quarter demand for residential construction is anticipated to rise by 11.5% from the same quarter of the year 2022. Originality/value The results of this study extend to the existing body of knowledge through the identification of the most influential variables in the Jordanian residential construction industry. In addition, the models developed will enable users in the fields of construction engineering to make reliable demand forecasts while also assisting in effective financial decision-making.
Sajeda Al-Hadidi, Ghaleb Sweis, Waleed Abu-Khader, Ghaida Abu-Rumman, and Rateb Sweis
Emerald
PurposeDespite the enormous need to succeed in the urban model, scientists and policymakers should work consistently to create blueprints to regulate urbanization. The absence of coordination between the crucial requirements and the regional strategies of the local authorities leads to a lack of conformance in urban development. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThis study intends to manage future urban growth patterns using integrated methods and then employ the results in the genetic algorithm (GA) model to considerably improve growth behavior. Multi-temporal land-use datasets have been derived from remotely sensed images for the years 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020. Urban growth patterns and processes were then analyzed with land-use-and-land-cover dynamics. Results were examined for simulation and utilization of the GA.FindingsModel parameters were derived and evaluated, and a preliminary assessment of the effective coefficient in the formation of urbanization is analyzed, showing the city's urbanization pattern has followed along with the transportation infrastructure and outward growth, and the scattering rates are high, with an increase of 5.64% in building area associated with a decrease in agricultural lands and rangelands.Originality/valueThe research achieved a considerable improvement over the growth behavior. The conducted research design was the first of its type in that field to be executed to any specific growth pattern parameters in terms of regulating and policymaking. The method has integrated various artificial intelligence models to monitor, measure and optimize the projected growth by applying this design. Other research on the area was limited to projecting the future of Amman as it is an urbanized distressed city.
Naif Al Azmi, Ghaleb Sweis, Rateb Sweis, and Farouq Sammour
Informa UK Limited
Bayan Tall, Sandra Matarneh, Ghaleb Sweis, Rateb Sweis, and Wassim Albalkhi
Informa UK Limited
Mohamed AlMuharraqi, Ghaleb Sweis, Rateb Sweis, and Farouq Sammour
Elsevier BV
Naif Al Azmi, Ghaleb Sweis, Rateb Sweis, and Farouq Sammour
MDPI AG
The construction industry plays an essential role in economic development since it is one of the largest industries all over the world. Blockchain has the potential to reshape the structure of all accessible networks in the future. Construction businesses are increasingly interested in embracing blockchain technology to improve supply chain sustainability performance and supply chain resilience in times of globally increasing risks and volatility. This study evaluates the readiness of actors involved in the producing of concrete goods to emphasize the necessity to bring blockchain into the construction industry, as it may be a solution for supply chain resilience and long-term sustainable growth. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in collecting and analyzing the data and testing the hypotheses. Data were collected using an online questionnaire distributed to 300 employees who work within the biggest concrete producing companies in Saudi Arabia. 120 respondents completed the questionnaires. Additionally, confirmatory semi-structured interviews with experts in supply chain financing, IT departments, and procurement departments have been conducted; the study’s findings revealed a low level of blockchain knowledge within Saudi Arabia’s construction industry, since (90%) of respondents have not worked with Blockchain technology. Several technologists barely understand it, and the level of readiness is very low. However, there is a lot of potential, and it is worth investing in it combined with other technologies such as BIM technology. In this study, the authors have sought to provide a measure of Saudi professionals’ attitudes and understanding of blockchain technology solutions within the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the study’s novelty aimed to provide a grasp of the conceptual, theoretical, and fundamental features of blockchain technology in the construction industry, as blockchain solutions could benefit the global economy by increasing levels of monitoring, tracing, and confidence in international supply chain resilience.
Anan Samara, Rateb J. Sweis, Bashar Tarawneh, Wassim Albalkhy, Ghaleb Sweis, and Salam Alhomsi
Informa UK Limited
Sustainability is one of the most significant challenges in International Development (ID) projects. This research aims to study the role of Project Management (PM) tools in promoting the adoption ...
Mohammed A. Hiyassat, Fatima Alkasagi, Mohammad El-Mashaleh, and Ghaleb J. Sweis
Informa UK Limited
Proper risk identification, assessment, and allocation can reduce cost and time delay. This study identifies, assesses and allocates risks in public construction projects in Jordan with the goal of...
Dareen Ryied Al-Tawal, Mazen Arafah, and Ghaleb Jalil Sweis
Emerald
PurposeCost estimation is one of the most significant steps in construction planning, which must be undertaken in the preliminary stages of any project; it is required for all projects to establish the project's budget. Confidence in these initial estimates is low, primarily due to the limited availability of suitable data, which leads the construction projects to frequently end up over budget. This paper investigated the efficacy of artificial neural networks (ANNs) methodologies in overcoming cost estimation problems in the early phases of the building design process.Design/methodology/approachCost and design data from 104 projects constructed over the past five years in Jordan were used to develop, train and test ANN models. At the detailed design stage, 53 design factors were utilized to develop the first ANN model; then the factors were reduced to 41 and were utilized to develop the second predictive model at the schematic design stage. Finally, 27 design factors available at the concept design stage were utilized for the third ANN model.FindingsThe models achieved average cost estimation accuracy of 98, 98 and 97% in the detailed, schematic and concept design stages, respectively.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper formulated the aims and objectives to be applicable only in Jordan using historical data of building projects.Originality/valueThe ANN approach introduced as a management tool is expected to provide the stakeholders in the engineering business with an indispensable tool for predicting the cost with limited data at the early stages of construction projects.
Lina Ghazi Gharaibeh, Sandra T. Matarneh, Mazen Arafeh, and Ghaleb Sweis
Emerald
PurposeThe problem of design changes in the construction industry is common worldwide, and the Jordanian market is no exception. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors causing design changes in construction projects in Jordan in both the public and private sectors. Furthermore, this research will examine the effect of these factors on project's performance during the construction phase.Design/methodology/approachThis research commences by identifying the factors causing design changes in construction projects worldwide through an intensive literature review. The identified factors were then filtered to those applicable to the Jordanian construction market based on the results obtained from a questionnaire survey and real case construction projects. In total, 252 professionals from the Jordanian construction industry and 10 completed and/or ongoing construction projects in different parts of Jordan were compared.FindingsThe results find that the top major factors affecting design changes are owner's requirements; design errors and omissions and value engineering. The research also studies and documents the impacts of design changes on project cost, schedule and quality.Originality/valueThe results obtained from this research will assist the construction professionals representing owners, consultants and contractors in applying control measures to minimize the occurrence of the identified factors causing design changes and to mitigate their sever impacts on projects in terms of cost, schedule and quality.
Noora Albuainain, Ghaleb Sweis, Wassim AlBalkhy, Rateb Sweis, and Zoubeir Lafhaj
MDPI AG
Satisfaction is a very important factor in improving productivity and performance in the work environment. This study aims to investigate the levels of occupants’ satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in the governmental buildings in the Kingdom of Bahrain and to investigate the impact of occupants’ demographics and building attributes (non-IEQ factors) on these levels. For these purposes, the study used a questionnaire that has 17 indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors in addition to a group of non-IEQ factors. The questionnaire was distributed by hand or using email to 279 employees in the Bahraini governmental sector. The findings of the study revealed that occupants in the Bahraini governmental buildings are not strongly satisfied with IEQ factors, especially with sound privacy, followed by visual privacy and amount of space, and then noise levels. The findings also showed that for most IEQ factors, men are more satisfied than women are, those who work in enclosed private offices are more satisfied than those who work in open-plan offices, and those who have central air-conditioning at their workplace are more than those who have a wall-mounted air conditioner. The impact of age, nature of work, duration of working in the current building and at the current workstation, weekly working hours, and proximity to the window were also investigated. Accordingly, a group of recommendations was suggested aiming to improve the levels of occupants’ satisfaction.
Tala Hassan Dandan, Ghaleb Sweis, Lilana Salem Sukkari, and Rateb J. Sweis
Emerald
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify factors affecting cost estimate accuracy in each of five design stages preceding building construction: order of magnitude, conceptual/schematic, detailed design, construction document and bid phase. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using an online survey completed by 138 respondents who work in design consultancy firms in Jordan, including project managers, architects and quantity surveyors (QSs). Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Confirmatory interviews and case study comparisons were used to confirm the statistical analysis results. Findings The results of this study indicated that each design stage’s cost estimate was affected by several factors. Two significant factors were common across four of the five design stages: client experience and project team experience. In addition, a high level of agreement was observed among the project managers, architects and QSs regarding the factors affecting cost estimate accuracy. Originality/value Accurately estimating building construction costs during the design process has posed a challenge for designers and their clients in Jordan. Despite the care and effort involved in preparing cost estimates in each of the five design stages, deviations are commonly observed. Because the accuracy of building construction cost estimates directly affect the success or failure of a project, the results of this study can be used to reduce uncertainties in building construction cost estimation and subsequently increase the likelihood of project success
Rateb J. Sweis, Karam Ogla, Yousef Abdallat, Ghaleb J. Sweis, Taghrid Suifan, and Rawan Saleh
Inderscience Publishers
Duaa' M. Khlaifat, Reem E. Alyagoub, Rateb J. Sweis, and Ghaleb J. Sweis
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT The construction industry is contemplated as one of the most essential and supportive pillars of the business environment in Jordan. Notwithstanding, the construction industry continues to struggle to achieve higher levels of success. An increasing number of projects in the construction industry have failed. However, research on the causes of failure is scarce. Thus, this study aims to identify the main factors and causes for construction projects’ failure in Jordan. To fulfil the study objectives, 50 factors were recognized through a literature review and were categorized referring to Drewin's Open Conversion System; the most widely identified factors were assessed using complied data in a survey of construction industry contractors, consultant engineers and clients, and senior experts’ interviews in the sector. The results show that major factors leading to construction projects’ failure are related to the internal hierarchy of the system, especially that of the contractor.
Muhammad T. Hatamleh, Mohammed Hiyassat, Ghaleb Jalil Sweis, and Rateb Jalil Sweis
Emerald
Purpose Cost estimating process is an important element within the project life cycle. Comprehensive information, expanded knowledge, considerable expertise, and continuous improvement are needed to obtain accurate cost estimation. The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical factors that affect accuracy of cost estimation and evaluate the degree to which these factors are important from contractors’ and consultants’ viewpoints. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were adopted in collecting and analyzing the data, and testing the hypotheses. Based on the literature review, a questionnaire was prepared and then was modified according to the results of face-to-face open-ended interviews conducted with 11 project managers. The final version of the questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 265 respondents. For analyzing the collected data Kendall’s and Mann-Whitney tests were conducted. Findings The analysis revealed that there is a strong agreement between contractors and consultants in the ranking of the factors related to consultant, contractor, design parameters, and information. A slightly weak agreement between contractors and consultants was noted regarding the factors related to market conditions (external factors) and factors related to project characteristics. Furthermore, the results show that the top ten factors affecting the accuracy of cost estimate are clear and detail drawings and specification, pricing experience of construction projects, perception of estimation importance, equipment (cost/availability/performance), project complexity, clear scope definition, accuracy and reliability of cost information, site constraints (access, storage, services), material availability, financial capabilities of the client, and availability of database of bids on similar project (historical data). Originality/value Offers an original view of the concept of accuracy of cost estimates as it relates to the efficiency of the project relying on both literature review and empirical evidence.