Digitalization is redefining products and business models worldwide. This places a demand for transformation in a firm's organizational culture and strategy. This study thus assesses the cultural orientations and strategic capability required for the adoption of building information modeling (BIM) in construction firms as a platform for the enhancement of digital transformation. It examines the prevalence of the orientations and capability, evaluates the relationship among cultural orientations, strategic capability, and BIM adoption as well as predicts a model of BIM adoption from culture and strategy. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to top management staff in construction firms in Lagos State. Factor Analysis, Correlation, and Regression were the adopted statistical tools. The results revealed production, task accomplishment, innovative construction process, workforce, knowledge management, environmental, founder's belief as well as conflict resolution as the prevalent cultural orientations. The availability of resources to communicate, interact, and collaborate digitally as well as leadership capability to organize and coordinate digitally are the top two strategic capabilities. Despite the respondents' level of agreement on the constructs; culture and strategic capability contribute 18% of the BIM model. The study concludes that the more the firms' leadership interacts with digitally oriented clients, embeds digitalization in a mission statement, and adopts innovative construction processes, the better the BIM adoption. It is recommended that the firms' leadership develop or re‐configure an innovative culture and re‐strategize construction activities digitally by adopting BIM which can be turned into a dynamic capability for firm improvement and competitiveness.

PurposeThe study investigates the extent to which defects in coastline buildings are influenced by the climatic conditions within the coastal zones.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducted both desk study and field survey. The primary data for the study were collected through a cross-sectional survey of facilities and maintenance managers of randomly selected coastline buildings. Of the 120 self-administered structured questionnaires, 102 were successfully retrieved representing an 85% response rate. Data collected were analysed using charts, relative prevalence index and Spearman's rho correlation visualization technique.FindingsSaltwater intrusion, ocean overflow, extreme rainfall, debris flow, floods and droughts are the prevalent climatic conditions along the coastline. Steel corrosion, foundation settlement, spalling of concrete and fading of finishes are prevalent defects in coastline buildings. The result shows a positive significant correlation between climatic conditions and defects in coastline buildings.Research limitations/implicationsThe study compliments literature on buildings resilience and maintenance management, and also provides a basis for streamlining future research on coastline buildings.Practical implicationsThe results provide information on climatic conditions and prevalent defects that should be considered during the design and construction of coastline buildings. The information provided could assist construction stakeholders in improving the resilience of coastline buildings.Originality/valueThe study established that coastline buildings are vulnerable to a rapid rate of defect and deterioration which threatens the sustainability of coastline cities. It suggests measures that could improve the resilience of the elements and components of coastline buildings and consequently enhance the safety of life and property, and improve the physical and economic performance of coastline buildings.

As digitilisation is being applied in redefining products and business models worldwide , evidence abound in the construction industry as a sector that is slow to its adoption. While digitilisation tools have been applied in modifying processes/procedures in the global North; a larger percentage of the sector in the global South is yet to be disrupted. For indigenous firms to join the rapid transformation wheel, this study reviews the interrelationship between digitilisation and building information modeling. The study objectives are to examine the prevalence of cultural and strategic capability, evaluate the relationship between cultural orientation and strategic capability as well as predict a model of building information adoption from culture and strategy. The study population was drawn from the list of construction firms registered with the Lagos State Tender board, list of registered construction firms from the Institute and specific listed firms on the internet. Factor Analysis, Correlation and Regression were the adopted statistical tools. The results revealed production; task and goal attainment; information/communication technology; workforce; innovation, learning and knowledge management as well as conflict and dispute resolution as the prevalent cultural orientations. The availability of resources to communicate, interact and collaborate digitally and leadership capability to organise and coordinate digitally are the top two strategic capabilities. Consequently, 3 out of every 5 firms have moderate awareness on BIM implementation. It was concluded that the level of agreement on the adoption of the culture and the strategy did not reflect on the level of BIM adoption model. Since the results revealed that the existing orientation and strategy contribute about a tenth of BIM adoption model; the firms' leadership need cultural reorientation from the client angle and from business environment. On strategy, the firms need support from institutions/government on policies that will cushion the effect of the provision of resources for transformation.

Studies have established that comfort level, emotional balance, wellbeing and productivity are linked to the functionality of buildings. Functional buildings, however, require less energy for sustainability purposes. To achieve these advantages, there is a need to seek improvement in the existing stock of buildings or procure newer ones. Seeking improvement connotes reducing building defects/failures and improving occupant-comfort. Dampness plagues both new and old buildings and contributes more than 50% of building envelopes’ defects, discomfort, or failure. This study, therefore, examined dampness in halls of residence in selected tertiary institutions in Lagos metropolis, using the University of Lagos as a case study. The objectives were to evaluate the incidence and causes of dampness in the halls of residence in the institution. As a preliminary assessment of dampness evaluation in halls of residence, the institution used is the University of Lagos, as a case study. This is selected based on its location and proximity. The study population consists of undergraduate and postgraduate halls of residence while the sample frame is undergraduate male hostels. The four undergraduate male hostels are taken as the sample size, using the census as the sampling technique. From the four male halls of residence; eighty rooms and two maintenance staff per block were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Analyses were done using mean, percentage, and relative importance index. The results revealed the presence of the four types of dampness, with dampness from leaking pipes as the most prevalent. The dampness originated from a combination of a host of factors, with those emanating from the negligence of maintenance culture and lack of materials/workmanship consideration as the top two causes. The study concluded that symptoms of the four dampness types are in existence in the four sampled halls of residence and the factors causing dampness are many and allen compassing, but if the issue of maintenance and materials/workmanship are professionally handled, dampness will reduce, hence better comfort and building longevity can be guaranteed. The symptoms of buildings deterioration and defects can be minimised with ease of maintenance and through the use of professionals that are apt in the knowledge of materials and components inter-relationship. The study emphasised the significance of a healthy building and recommended that such should be procured with all hands-on deck and handled by the professionals in the built environment.

Diverse causes of accidents abound on construction sites, which lead to complexity and difficulty in understanding the key causes of accidents on construction sites. The effect is the increasing rate of accidents. Thus, grouping and identifying the key dimensional and sub causes of accidents is important. However, there is a dearth of research on the dimensionality and indicators of causal factors of accidents on construction sites. This paper aims to create an avenue for easy identification and understanding of the causes of accidents through the development of key indicators and dimensional causes of accidents on construction sites. Adopting a cross-sectional survey research design, three hundred questionnaires were purposely distributed to construction workers who have had experience or witness accidents on a construction sites. Two hundred questionnaires were retrieved and used for analysis representing a 67% response rate. An exploratory factor analysis was used to group and find the significant causal factors from the 64 factors identified in the literature. From the analysis, five key dimensional causes with 22 indicators were identified namely; personal and work factors, design factors, behavioural factors, proximate factors and attitudinal factors. The key indicators identified among others are non-use of PPE, lack of experience, working in confined spaces, disobedience to work discipline and innovative technology. To reduce the occurrence level of accidents, site managers should place the key indicators and dimensional causal factors of accidents on the signboard for easy identification and understanding and as a training guide on construction sites