Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1931. / Vita. Published also as Teachers college, Columbia university, Contributions to education, no. 474. Includes a check list of items, which will serve as an aid to school boards and as a guide to architects. Bibliography: p. 109-113.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This thesis follows a neo-institutional economics approach to analyse the economic nature of contractual arrangements in the Hong Kong construction industry. It explains that subcontracting can reduce transaction costs: (1) using piece-rate contracts to replace time-wage contracts to save the high costs of monitoring; and (2) using subcontractors as intermediaries to perform tasks at a lower transaction cost due to their comparative advantages in gathering price information, specific knowledge and resources. The above assertions are evaluated in terms of three refutable hypotheses using statistics published by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government. Hypothesis I: To be employed with short term contracts is not preferred by the construction workers than to be employed with long term contracts; Hypothesis II: A subcontractor is not more commonly used in construction works of higher values than in those of lower values; Hypothesis III: A subcontractor is not more commonly used in construction works by ordinary trades than in those by special trades. In Table 1 summarizes the test results for each hypothesis and states their wider theoretical implications. The three hypotheses are all refuted. The message is that subcontracting is neither an inefficient contractual arrangement nor a means of exploitation by the upstream contractors. It is rather the result of the free choice of the contracting parties, as a matter of constrained maximization in a private property rights system, seeking to reduce transaction costs. Table 1. Summary of Tests Results for Hypotheses I, II and III Hypotheses Regarding Subcontracting in the Hong Kong Construction Industry Test Results Theoretical Implications Hypothesis I To be employed with short term contracts is not preferred by the construction workers than to be employed with long term contracts. Hypothesis refuted. The construction workers prefer being employed with piece-rate contracts or casual daily wage contracts. Hypothesis II A subcontractor is not more commonly used in construction works of higher values than in those of lower values. Hypothesis refuted. A subcontractor is more commonly used in construction works of higher values and by ordinary trades. Subcontracting is not a matter of random choice but for reducing transaction costs. Subcontracting decision would depend on the characteristics of the construction works. Hypothesis III A subcontractor is not more commonly used in construction works by ordinary trades than in those by special trades. Hypothesis refuted. A subcontractor is more commonly used in construction works of higher values and by ordinary trades. Subcontracting is not a matter of random choice but for reducing transaction costs. Subcontracting decision would depend on the characteristics of the construction works. / published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation compares and analyzes the relationship of design-build (DB) and design-bid-build (DBB) project delivery methods with performance metrics of large highway projects. Project performance is measured in terms of cost, schedule, safety, change orders, and quality on these two types of highway projects. The performance benchmarking methodology used here is derived from work done on a Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT) study of the State Highway (SH) 130 Project. Because SH 130 is the first DB highway project in Texas and is being built under a new contractual concept called the Comprehensive Development Agreement (CDA), this dissertation establishes a framework for evaluating the performance of large DB highway projects. The CDA approach is an innovative form of the DB project delivery method that allows the contractor to simultaneously undertake right-of-way acquisition, utility adjustment, design, and construction activities. Because this approach is being used for the first time on a state highway project in Texas, it is beneficial to track highway project performance in order to assess whether this project delivery method is a better alternative for building high priority highways. The main objective of this dissertation is thus to compare the performance of large recent DB highway projects (in the context of SH 130) with similar on-going instate DBB highway projects. The research hypothesis is to determine whether there is a statistical difference in mean performance between DB and DBB highway projects. For large, recently built DB highway projects (Federal Highway Administration, Special Experimental Project Number 14 & Cost > US $ 100 million) and four of the largest, most recently built in-state DBB highway projects are identified for comparison purposes. This dissertation provides a detailed methodology to collect data and gives the results of performance benchmarking of these large DB and DBB highway projects. It also investigates associations or relationships between project characteristics (input variables) and project performance (output variables) of large highway projects. While previous analyses of DB and DBB methods have included a wide range of construction projects as varied as buildings and industrial facilities, this dissertation isolates the analysis of these two delivery approaches for large highway projects. It also helps to develop a method to collect data for benchmarking of large highway projects. This research should help TX DOT choose the appropriate delivery method for large future highway projects. / text

Not available

Thesis (B.Sc.)-University of Natal, 1998.

In the light of the nature of the construction industry and the fact that it is often burdened with disputes arising from the contract, appropriate and unique alternative dispute resolution procedures are indispensable for disputes to be resolved quickly, efficiently and effectively. Section 34 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 provides for the right to have disputes resolved by means of a public hearing before a court, alternatively, where appropriate, by means of an independent, impartial forum. Arbitration, mediation, conciliation and adjudication, to name but a few, are alternative methods used in resolving South African construction disputes. Some of these alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods are provided for in the Construction Industry Development Board recommended standard contracts. This study entails an analysis of the ADR methods in construction agreements with specific reference to the General Conditions of Contract for Construction Works 2010 (GCC 2010) and a comparison thereof with the English position. The application of the recommended ADR methods in the South African construction industry, especially adjudication, faces many challenges. There is no certainty as to the definition nor the procedure to be followed in the use thereof. The study concluded that there is a definite need for the contract to be reviewed, in particular the dispute resolution clause. The introduction of on- line dispute resolution was also recommended. This will contribute towards efficient, effective and expedient dispute resolution that is required due to the nature and role of the construction industry in a country‟s economy. There is also a definite need for legislation to be implemented which will assist in clarifying as well as regulating the adjudication procedure as used in the South African construction industry. / Thesis (LLM)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

In the light of the nature of the construction industry and the fact that it is often burdened with disputes arising from the contract, appropriate and unique alternative dispute resolution procedures are indispensable for disputes to be resolved quickly, efficiently and effectively. Section 34 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 provides for the right to have disputes resolved by means of a public hearing before a court, alternatively, where appropriate, by means of an independent, impartial forum. Arbitration, mediation, conciliation and adjudication, to name but a few, are alternative methods used in resolving South African construction disputes. Some of these alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods are provided for in the Construction Industry Development Board recommended standard contracts. This study entails an analysis of the ADR methods in construction agreements with specific reference to the General Conditions of Contract for Construction Works 2010 (GCC 2010) and a comparison thereof with the English position. The application of the recommended ADR methods in the South African construction industry, especially adjudication, faces many challenges. There is no certainty as to the definition nor the procedure to be followed in the use thereof. The study concluded that there is a definite need for the contract to be reviewed, in particular the dispute resolution clause. The introduction of on- line dispute resolution was also recommended. This will contribute towards efficient, effective and expedient dispute resolution that is required due to the nature and role of the construction industry in a country‟s economy. There is also a definite need for legislation to be implemented which will assist in clarifying as well as regulating the adjudication procedure as used in the South African construction industry. / Thesis (LLM)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013