Ineffective project communication may lead to project failure in respect of expected outcomes. Communication in the construction industry is important even though a qualified project team and manager plan, organise and manage a project. The construction project manager needs communication skills to communicate effectively and manage projects successfully to expected completion. The aim of this thesis is to propose a communication skills and leadership model for construction project management. Management of a project can apply the model. It can also be used to determine which communication skills the construction project manager should possess or should develop to communicate effectively. The results of the research indicate that construction project managers need the basic skill of being able to communicate effectively, with decision making and problem solving as the most important communication skills. A model is proposed to assist construction project management. This model can be developed further as an instrument to measure the maturity of a project manager or team.

All people basically want the same things: a home, work, healthy economy, good public services, infrastructure and an attractive and safe environment. Some areas have many of these that should be preserved and enhanced. In other areas there are major shortcomings and problems, poor and dangerous environments, a failing local economy, inadequate services and that may lead to serious social problems. The urban environment can be arduous and intimidating or it can encourage people to feel relaxed and at ease. It can make contact between people difficult or create an atmosphere of community. Raising the profile of good design that gives form to public spaces, housing and other building is crucial in sustainable and urban renaissance. Welldesigned places put people first and make efficient use of the available space and environmental resources. It is the art of making places for people. It is concerned with the connection between people and places, urban form, flow of people, natural environment, the material of buildings and the processes for ensuring successful villages, towns and cities. Towns and cities are diverse in character, reflecting history, scale, recent economic fortunes and locations. Each contains many contrasting areas. The way forward needs to be founded in an understanding of the past, the present and the pressures for future change. Furthermore, urban renaissance requires more than the restoration or construction of buildings. The urban renaissance should be a culturally driven redevelopment, creating safe, vibrant, interesting spaces for communities to live in with good quality services and cultural and leisure activities. A better quality of life should be delivered by changing the welfare culture to one build on work and security for those who can, and security to those who cannot.

Many strategies for emerging construction contractor development that are based on instruments such as targeted procurement have generally failed to empower emerging contractors because they are implemented without well-defined skills transfer frameworks. Emerging contractors continue to be regarded by construction clients and suppliers as a high commercial risk area and this presents further barriers to meaningful property development. Related to this is the lack of clear policy targets against which to measure the effectiveness of contractor support programmes. Furthermore, the majority of current support initiatives lack an integrated programme strategy. Interventions tend to be characterised by inadequate preparations, poor needs assessments and an inadequate understanding of the development needs of emerging contractors. This is evident by discontinuances, unstructured training approaches, ad-hoc mentorship, inadequate monitoring and evaluation that promote unsustainable skills transfer. The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) has put in place a training and mentoring programme that would result in the development of emerging contractors into sustainable business enterprises. The impact of the programme may be measured to determine the overall effectives of the programme in delivering developed and sustainable contractors to the construction industry. The above mentioned factors identified lead to the following problem that is addressed by the research: The problem statement addressed by the study is how to develop a holistic approach towards integrated skills development for emerging construction contractors, by developing a model that can be managed with quantitative and measurable outcomes.

The complex nature of the construction industry calls for an effective claims management system which is supported by Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR). Research indicates that ADR is not applied effectively in the industry, which raises the question as to the competence levels of practicing professionals in the role of ADR facilitator. The purpose of the study was to identify the requirements for effective ADR practice and to determine the competence levels of practicing professionals facilitating ADR in the South African construction industry. The findings of the research are intended to determine possible education and training requirements which may be employed to ultimately improve the contribution of ADR in the industry. A literature review was conducted to identify the requirements for effective ADR practice based on international standard practice. A questionnaire based on identified competencies was then developed and administered amongst the practicing professionals in order to determine current knowledge, skills, attributes and experience levels of practicing professionals in the South African construction industry. The findings of the data analysis were plotted on a competence model which reflected the key competencies as identified in the literature review. The competence models reflected the competence levels of practitioners in the industry. A situational competence model was developed illustrating the development process required for ADR facilitators in the construction industry through which professionals should progress in achieving competence however; the model is based on the current situation and will be subjected to variations as the situation changes. The situational competence model suggests that practicing professionals progress through four stages before becoming fully competent in facilitating ADR. Respondents were also grouped into age groups in order to address education and training compared to experience gained. This was intended to determine at which point competence is achieved by comparing the state of the new entrants to the industry with the more experienced professionals. Qualitative data was obtained by means of interviews and open ended questions posed in the questionnaire provided the information required to assess the current situation in the industry. The findings indicated that the problem areas tend toward the the application of the methods, skills and techniques however, respondents consider the application of the fundamentals of ADR important and they are applied effectively as required for successful dispute resolution. The high ratings on the self analysis in terms of the active listening competence raised the question as to the possibility that there may have been a degree of misinterpretation regarding the effective application of this competency. This response also suggests the possible influence of response bias. It was concluded that ADR in the industry is not applied according to the requirements of standard practice and according to the data analysis of the self evaluation; practicing professionals do not meet the requirements for competence in the practice of ADR. It was also identified that experience needs to be addressed in order to achieve competence. Practicing professionals are knowledgeable of the requirements for effective practice, however, experience is lacking. A further need which was identified in practice was for conciliation to be facilitated on site in order to minimize the risk of dispute, in the project environment. The findings support the need for more emphasis to be placed on ADR in the construction industry in the form of education, training and mentorship.

Project managers within the construction industry possibly have a lack of sufficient and effective management skills. This study aims to find solutions, and to propose a model with guidelines for creating a profile for effective project management, as well as to determine the characteristics and skills needed by a project manager. Basic management principles, tasks, responsibilities and behaviour of the project manager are researched and these results may form the basis for creating of a probable profile for a construction project manager. If a profile can be created based on the research, this profile might be used to prepare the project manager for effective management and the successful completion of projects. Construction project managers can be measured by means of this profile and adapt where necessary to meet the requirements. Gaps that are thus identified can be rectified. This profile can form the basis of model proposing to measure the maturity of the profile for the construction project manager in construction project management companies. Individuals will also be able to evaluate themselves and to adapt where necessary. The research shows regular cooperation between project managers in the construction industry and other stakeholders, and that poor management by the project manager contributes to project failure. Although management guidelines exist, it is evident that project managers do not implement them effectively. This has a possible negative impact on the projects. It is important that the project manager has some characteristics and skills to successfully implement management functions. When a construction project is undertaken, timely identification of tasks and activities, management areas, functions and responsibilities is important in order for the project manager to be knowledgeable about what is expected. The areas of management, the functions and responsibilities of the project manager can be regarded as the task of the project manager, while certain skills and characteristics can assist the project manager to successfully perform the necessary management tasks. The profile for a project manager is compiled by identifying the tasks (management areas, functions and responsibilities) and the aids (skills and characteristics) needed for the successful execution of the task.

Roads are an integral part of today's lifestyle. Indeed, a modern and efficient economy requires a satisfactory road network. The road network in the United Kingdom faces ever-increasing demands with 94% of passenger travel and 92% of freight transport undertaken by road. Maintenance of the network is essential. Prior to the commencement of any maintenance scheme, an accurate highway profile is measured by undertaking a detailed topographic survey of the road surface and the adjacent verges. Traditionally, this is carried out by land surveyors using, for example, a theodolite, EDM and level. Highway surveying by traditional methods is a slow, costly and dangerous process. A photogrammetric technique was devised by Photarc Surveys Ltd of Harrogate, UK to reduce the problems of speed, cost and safety. This helicopter based photographic system can yield topographic data at up to ±5mm rmse through photogrammetric analysis. It is necessary to install ground control points on the hard shoulder for use in the photogrammetric analysis. This research investigates the potential of both conventional aerial triangulation and in-flight GPS assisted aerial triangulation for reducing this ground control requirement. The original photographic system is extended to integrate a GPS positioning system and the performance of this system is assessed through a series of field trials. The results of the research show that the camera can be positioned by the GPS system to within 5 centimetres. The GPS positions can be included in the aerial triangulation to further reduce the requirement for ground control. It is shown that for mapping at the ± 5mm rmse level, there is no potential for height control reduction, even when GPS positions are used. However for mapping at up to ± 20mm, the GPS positions can enable a significant reduction in ground control.

Human factors as important sources for increasing efficiency and performance in the construction industry are often cited as contributors to project success. This stems from the limited success of technical management of projects in terms of completing projects in time, within approved cost and to a satisfactory quality. Against this background, the aim of the study was to investigate behavioural project systems management as a way of increasing success and productivity. The objective of the study was to identify and investigate human factors that may reinforce positive behaviours that in turn may improve productivity. The study identified and investigated 64 human factors that influence positive behaviours for improved construction productivity. The result of the study showed that although all 64 human factors are very significant in encouraging positive behaviours, 21 of the factors were found to be extremely significant and are more likely to exert a higher influence towards positive behaviours. The highest ranked human factor was identified as âability and willingness to accept responsibilityâ while the least ranked was identified as âcharisma of leadershipâ. The study also identified and investigated 23 positive construction worker behaviours that may improve productivity. The result of the study further showed that although all these construction worker positive behaviours are very significant in influencing improved construction productivity, twelve of the positive behaviours were found to be extremely significant and are more likely to exert a higher influence on improved productivity. The highest ranked positive behaviour was identified as âcompleting task at hand on scheduleâ while the least ranked positive behaviour was identified as âmaking sacrifices for the well-being of the companyâ. Conclusions drawn from this research are that when the 64 factors are present in a construction environment, they influence the 23 positive behaviours, thus improving construction productivity. In addition, these positive behaviours serve as key behaviour indicators for motivation, commitment, satisfaction and loyalty levels of workers while twelve of these positive behaviours were identified as extremely significant positive behaviours and, serve as key behaviour indicators for motivation, commitment and loyalty levels of workers. From the research, recommendations that construction practitioners should pay attention and resources to such factors as effective communication, good co-worker relationships, staff skill development and good remuneration and fringe benefits are made in order to have a positive influencing on worker behaviour. Human behavioural management should therefore be introduced in project implementation for improving construction productivity.

A number of factors contribute to cost overruns and delays in projects, some within the control of the project team, most of them not. These cost overruns and delays lead to additional costs and loss of productivity on work sites because of time lost. These factors are also not limited to certain regions, but occur in similar projects across the globe. Optimism bias and strategic misrepresentation are identified as the main causes of cost overruns in construction projects, estimates and costs. While the estimation process for this type of project is very complicated, certain techniques have been developed to assess risk and to plan for contingency for these types of problems. This is significant because the cost performance of construction projects is a key success criterion for project sponsors, since construction projects are notorious for running over budget. The concept of cost contingency, estimates, cost overruns, procurement, risk management and value management will be dominant in this study. The aim of this study is to propose a project flow chart model. When followed correctly, this model can reduce the risk of project overrun from the cost plan point of view. The results of the research indicate that the estimator must have the experience and skill to be able to produce accurate estimates. A model is proposed to guide the estimators on what to do before they can start with the estimating process.

Wide Area Differential GPS (WADGPS) aims at overcoming the main drawback of conventional DGPS, namely the limited range over which the differential corrections are valid, due to the rapid decorrelation of the error sources with increasing distance from the reference station to the user. In the WADGPS approach, error sources are generated for users over a large portion of the earth, such as a communication satellite's entire footprint, by separating and modelling the main sources of error in GPS measurements. This has the effect of eliminating the limit imposed on the validity of the corrections by the geographical or atmospheric environment. A main advantage of WADGPS is the fact that far fewer reference stations are needed to cover the same area, compared to conventional DGPS. Interest in WADGPS has grown during the last few years, the use of WADGPS both for positioning accuracy requirements and the provision of integrity are being explored. Several research establishments have come up with their own WADGPS methodology and algorithms, all sharing a basic principle, namely the requirement that different error sources which affect GPS navigation are dealt with separately, and their spatial and temporal properties are investigated and modelled individually. Research was carried out to develop an advanced method and the corresponding algorithms, which could provide a high precision WADGPS positioning service. The service would be suitable for single or dual frequency users, and could be introduced with very few reference stations. The two main components of the service are a precise, near real-time orbit determination of the GPS satellites, and an accurate estimation and modelling of ionospheric and tropospheric effects. Results from real data indicate that user position accuracy of the order of 2 m and 3 m (RMS) in plan and height components respectively, were achieved over user-reference distances ranging from 2,000 to 3,500 km.

Considerable interest has been show in the development and application of real time On-The-Fly (OTF) kinematic GPS. A major error source and limitation of such a positioning technique is that caused by cycle slips. When these occur, the integer ambiguities must be resolved for, which can take hundreds of epochs to complete depending on satellite availability and geometry. This research has focused on investigating the applications of real time OTF GPS, as well as its limitations and precision, which has been shown in the thesis to be precise to a few millimetres. The limitations of such a system at present include the use of UHF telemetry links, which at best have a line of sight range of -10 km. The research has shown that alternatives are required, and the use of a relay station can prove invaluable. Cycle slips are another major limiting factor when using OTF GPS, as once a cycle slip occurs, it can either be corrected for or the integer ambiguities resolved for. The second option can take hundreds of seconds, depending on the algorithms used and the satellite number and geometry. This research has partly focused on the development of software which will instantaneously detect and correct for cycle slips in high rate GPS data. The applications of real time OTF GPS are numerous. Research has been carried out to investigate its use to monitor and control construction plant as well as monitoring the movement of large structures. As OTF positioning is precise to a few millimetres, it is ideal for the control of construction plant, and has been compared to laser levelling and precise digital levelling. Such a GPS system gives the user a 3-dimensional position for the bulldozer blade, for example. Such information can prove invaluable for quality control as well as developing an automated system, which would be controlled by real time OTF GPS. In addition, real time OTF GPS has been shown in the research to provide instantaneous positioning of large structures in the form of bridges. Such information could provide future systems which would monitor the structure for dangerous movements, resulting in a failure alarm. Carrier phase kinematic GPS has previously been shown to work over baseline lengths of < 20 km. The use of Multiple Reference Stations (MRS) has been shown in this research to enable OTF GPS to be applied over longer baseline lengths, with a precision in the order of 12 cm over 132 km.