Swedens membership in the European Union have resulted in an international characterized labour market. The construction sector is the area who employs most posted workers among the 7400 employees who monthly enters the market. It’s also the sector where a big part of the work-related deaths occurs. The purpose of this study is therefore to contribute to a greater understanding of the regulation regarding posted workers, their work environment and the consequences of it. I have been using the right dogmatic method and a social science perspective as complement in order to answer the purpose of the study. The application of the posted workers directive has been criticized for opening opportunities for false self-employment and limiting the trade unions rights. Combined with the Laval-case the trade unions have restricted possibilities to enforce the collective agreements and protect the posted workers rights. Subcontracting processes complicates the investigation regarding which employer who has the overall responsibility for safety regulations and work environment. Foreign workers tend to be a big part in these subcontractor chains with major linguistic difficulties and lack of legislation knowledge which increases the risk of accidents. Arbetsmiljöverket is the authority who has the general responsibility for monitoring that the health and safety legislation are respected by all employers. Their investigations are partially based on the statistics of work-related accidents. But when it comes to foreign workers only more serious accidents are reported to the authority. Which means that minor incidents regarding foreign workers never reaches the statistics.          In summary, conclusion is drawn that the inspection of posted workers working environment are unsatisfied. The hands of the trade unions are tied by the legislation while the inspections by the monitoring authority are based on inadequate statistics. All that combine with the fact that posted workers tend to be unwilling or lack the knowledge to take action for their rights, leads to openings for employers to take advantage of foreign workers.

Swedens membership in the European Union have resulted in an international characterized labour market. The construction sector is the area who employs most posted workers among the 7400 employees who monthly enters the market. It’s also the sector where a big part of the work-related deaths occurs. The purpose of this study is therefore to contribute to a greater understanding of the regulation regarding posted workers, their work environment and the consequences of it. I have been using the right dogmatic method and a social science perspective as complement in order to answer the purpose of the study. The application of the posted workers directive has been criticized for opening opportunities for false self-employment and limiting the trade unions rights. Combined with the Laval-case the trade unions have restricted possibilities to enforce the collective agreements and protect the posted workers rights. Subcontracting processes complicates the investigation regarding which employer who has the overall responsibility for safety regulations and work environment. Foreign workers tend to be a big part in these subcontractor chains with major linguistic difficulties and lack of legislation knowledge which increases the risk of accidents. Arbetsmiljöverket is the authority who has the general responsibility for monitoring that the health and safety legislation are respected by all employers. Their investigations are partially based on the statistics of work-related accidents. But when it comes to foreign workers only more serious accidents are reported to the authority. Which means that minor incidents regarding foreign workers never reaches the statistics. In summary, conclusion is drawn that the inspection of posted workers working environment are unsatisfied. The hands of the trade unions are tied by the legislation while the inspections by the monitoring authority are based on inadequate statistics. All that combine with the fact that posted workers tend to be unwilling or lack the knowledge to take action for their rights, leads to openings for employers to take advantage of foreign workers.

Today’s construction industry consists of fierce competition and low margins, resulting in companies focusing on cost risk awareness. The aim of this thesis was to investigate how construction companies manage their market risks, with a special focus on commodity risks. In addition, the thesis purpose was also to explore the composition of commodity exposures within a few selected construction companies. A financial index of commodity exposures was generated out of Statistiska Centralbyråns’ totala faktorprisindex for multi-residence housing projects. Furthermore, a fictional case was combined to test the risk management effect of the financial index, using Sweden’s four largest construction companies’ commodity exposures. In summary, the construction companies were all aware of their commodity exposures although most of them did not actively manage them or know their exposures extent. Moreover, financial risk management of commodities is not easy or straightforward, resulting in difficulties in choosing the right management tool. Therefore, this thesis created and illustrated how a financial index could be used as a way to stabilize the profitability in construction projects.

The textile industry has grown significantly in recent years, reaching a global fiber production of 53 million tons which 12 % are recycled; Construction sector has been using more and more recycled materials from different industrial sources, to apply them in their constructions and to reduce CO2 emissions and final energy consumption. The present study aims to study the behavior of concrete blocks of fć= 210 kg/cm2 adding polyester textile waste with 3 %, 6 %, 9 %, 12 % and 15 %; void content, compressive strength and thermal conductivity decrease, and water absorption, acoustic insulation and unit price increase by 3 %, 34 % and 16 % compared to conventional concrete block.

Currently, construction companies have shown a need to adopt process improvement systems in order to function competitively in the market. However, civil construction, compared to the manufacturing, still has deficiencies relating to the incorporation of new improvement systems. Thus, the use of Kaizen Events (KE) is one of the main mechanisms used to perfect processes during the production (execution) phase of a product, ensuring enhanced performance and added value to the client. The present research sought to evaluate a method for adopting KE in the construction sector. The data-gathering tools used were a questionnaire and a focus group where academics and/or experts who fit a specific profile participated. A methodological strategy for the development of the work was adopted under the approach of Design Science Research (DSR) and the theoretical referential was developed from a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Improvements were made to the method to improve its applicability and functionality in real life scenarios using the results obtained. Accordingly, the results show horizons for future research on KE in civil construction. / Revisión por pares

The residential construction sector in the UK plays an important role in society’s wellbeing as it provides shelter, employment and promotes economic growth. However, the sector has been identified as a large contributor to climate change, resource depletion and is associated with different socio-economic issues such as fuel poverty and house affordability. The residential construction sector is growing quickly due to a high housing demand, as will the associated impacts unless significant changes are made. Several studies have assessed the environmental impacts of the residential construction sector, while the social and economic aspects of sustainability are often ignored but are equally important for sustainable development. This thesis presents a sustainability assessment framework capable of addressing the environmental, economic and social issues of the residential construction sector supply chain, using a life cycle approach in order to contribute toward an improved understanding of the current and future trends in the sector.The methodology developed has been applied to the residential construction sector in the UK and demonstrated through three case studies of conventional, passive and zero-carbon houses as well as a sustainability assessment at the sectoral level. The main stakeholders identified here are construction companies and workforce, home owners and occupiers, suppliers, local authorities and the government. The main sustainability issues are resource depletion, waste generation, environmental impacts such as global warming (GWP), ozone depletion, house price and affordability, contribution to GDP, provision of employment, health and safety, impact on local communities and business ethics. The assessment tools used to assess the environmental and economic sustainability are Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC), respectively. Social sustainability has been assessed using different social sustainability indicators applicable to the residential construction sector. LCA results indicate that zero-carbon houses have the lowest GWP of the three house types considered, being 71% lower than for the conventional house, compared to a 59% reduction for passive houses. However, passive houses have a better overall environmental performance as they have the lowest impacts for most environmental impact categories. LCC results, on the other hand, indicate that the total life cycle costs for zero-carbon houses are 21% higher than for conventional houses because of the additional cost of renewable technologies, while for passive houses costs are comparable to conventional houses. At a sectoral level, zero-carbon houses can achieve reductions of 13% of the sector’s annual GWP compared to conventional houses, however this will cost the residential construction sector an additional £3 billion per year. The construction of passive houses will cost an additional £1 billion per year compared to conventional houses but can help by reducing the sector’s annual GWP by 10%.This study shows that the current state of the housing sector is environmentally unsustainable and urgent changes must be made in the way houses are constructed and managed. However, the residential construction sector must overcome many socio-economic barriers before introducing low-carbon houses on a large scale.

Haciendo un análisis de la zona en cuestión es importante desarrollar ingeniería geotécnica, en específico la estabilidad de taludes, puesto que hay variedad de suelos en la zona peruana, donde la capacidad portante del terreno dependerá de la historia de formación del suelo. Hasta la actualidad hay diversas formas de resolver la inestabilidad de taludes, pero lo que se busca es solucionar efectivamente en cuanto a tiempo, costo y durabilidad. Este trabajo de tesis presenta una propuesta efectiva para mitigar el riesgo de la falla Global en el acantilado de la costa verde-Chorrillos usando muro de tierra mecánicamente estabilizada, siendo la particularidad del terreno un suelo gravoso de relleno no controlado con material proveniente del desmonte ocasionado durante la construcción de las principales avenidas de la ciudad de lima en los años 60. La estructura tiene la finalidad de comprender las herramientas necesarias y adecuadas para una propuesta de diseño de sistemas de estabilidad. Se parte del reconocimiento de la zona, con una descripción general del proyecto con los parámetros geotécnicos necesarios como datos de entrada para cumplir con nuestros objetivos planteados. Asimismo, se presenta una descripción teórica de los parámetros de ingeniería básica y su campo de aplicación. También, se hace un enfoque detallado del diseño en este tipo de estructuras a través de la metodología LRFD, con los elementos necesarios para garantizar su estabilidad global. Finalmente se presenta un modelo estructural con la comprobación de los principales factores haciendo uso de herramientas digitales de ingeniería: SOFTWARE MSEW y SLIDE 6.0. / Making an analysis of the area in question, it is important to develop geotechnical engineering, specifically the slope stability, since there is a variety of soils in the Peruvian area, where the bearing capacity of the land will depend on the history of soil formation. Until today there are several ways to solve the instability of slopes, but what is sought is extremely difficult solutions in time, cost and durability. This thesis work presents an effective proposal to mitigate the risk of the Global fault in the cliff of the green coast-Chorrillos using the mechanically stabilized earth wall, the land's peculiarity being a land of uncontrolled landfill with material from the dismantling caused during the construction of the main avenues of the city of Lima in the 60s. The structure intends to understand the necessary and appropriate tools for a design proposal for stability systems. It is based on the recognition of the area, with a general description of the project with the necessary geotechnical parameters as input data to meet our stated objectives. Likewise, a theoretical description of the basic engineering parameters and their field of application is presented. Also, a detailed approach to design is made in this type of structures through the LRFD methodology, with the necessary elements to specify its overall stability. Finally, a structural model is presented with the verification of the main factors using digital engineering tools: MSEW 3.0 and SLIDE 6.0. / Trabajo de investigación

The purpose of this paper is to get an understanding if the climate declaration is an effective policy instrument in the construction sectors supply chain. In present time, it is difficult to predict how the effect of this instrument will affect the market and if it will be an effective and prerequisite regulation in the future. A policy instrument can contribute to higher costs for both organisations and individuals. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine whether the transaction costs differ before and after the climate declaration was introduced, dependent on the public or private construction sector and investigate if there is a difference dependant on the design-build contract or design-bid-build contract as a procurement form. With the help of a survey that was distributed to over 590 individuals in 38 different companies, the survey asked questions regarding their experience in the design phase, procurement phase and the construction phase of, request for tenders and tenders, before and after the climate declaration was introduced. The results demonstrate there is a difference before and afterwhich can indicate that the transaction costs also have increased regardless of which sector or form of procurement.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: See item for abstract / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sien item vir opsomming

<p> </p><p>The aim of this paper is to analyse the urban development in Dubai by means of the fourquadrant model, presented by DiPasquale and Wheaton, which represents the market for real estate use and assets. The focus is on factors such as economic growth, access to oil, population growth and the incentive of the government to promote developments in Dubai, to study how they affect the real estate market. It is observed how all these factors contribute to the expansion of the construction sector and thereby the stock of space. However, because Dubai's economy is independent of the oil sector, access to oil is solely assumed to contribute to a higher amount of disposable capital and therefore does not have any upward pressure on the rent and the price level as the remaining factors.</p><p> </p>