PurposeConstruction delay is the most common issue and creates many adverse effects in any construction industry. This study has investigated the views of engineers, project managers and contractors on the causes of delay during a construction phase to identify potential delay factors, negative effects on project delivery and prioritize the delay factors.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review and interview with construction stakeholders have been conducted to identify potential causes of construction delays and design a questionnaire survey. The final questionnaire was designed with 40 potential delay factors, and a total of 102 valid Bangladeshi construction stakeholders responded to it. The result was analyzed by the relative importance index.FindingsAmong the 40 delay factors, the top five most influencing delay factors are “delay in progress payments,” “rework due to mistakes during construction,” “lack of skilled labor,” “poor monitoring and control of activities” and “delays in the making of a decision.” The top five most damaging effects of delay are “time overrun,” “cost overrun,” “disputes,” “arbitration” and “litigation,” among ten negative effects of construction delay. All construction stakeholders believe that the owner-related, consultant-related and contractor-related groups are the first, second and third most important groups of delay factors.Originality/valueThe outcome of this study would enable the Bangladeshi construction industry to develop strategies to overcome delay factors and their harmful effects. By focusing on the outcome of this research and prioritizing the critical factors, the construction industry of Bangladesh will be able to minimize construction delay significantly and propagate the progress of the construction industry by delivering quality projects timely.

Purpose This study aims to present the variations of optimal seismic control of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) structure using different structural systems. Different third-dimensional mathematical models are used to examine the responses of multistory flexibly connected frames subjected to earthquake excitations. Design/methodology/approach This paper examined a G + 50 multi-storied high-rise structure, which is analyzed using different combinations of moment resistant frames, shear walls, seismic outrigger systems and seismic dampers to observe the effectiveness during ground motion against soft soil conditions. The damping coefficients of added dampers, providing both upper and lower levels are taken into consideration. A finite element modeling and analysis is generated. Then the nature of the structure exposed to ground motion is captured with response spectrum analysis, using BNBC-2020 for four different seismic zones in Bangladesh. Findings The response of the structure is investigated according to the amplitude of the displacements, drifts, base shear, stiffness and torsion. The numerical results indicate that adding dampers at the base level can be the most effective against seismic control. However, placing an outrigger bracing system at the middle and top end with shear wall can be the most effective for controlling displacements and drifts. Originality/value The response of high-rise structures to seismic forces in Bangladesh’s soft soil conditions is examined at various levels in this study. This study is an original research which contributes to the knowledge to build earthquake resisting high-rises in Bangladesh.

PurposeIn response to rising energy prices and growing environmental concerns, there is a growing demand for environmentally friendly building facilities. This study investigates optimizing energy consumption and improves the level of accuracy when selecting suitable materials and components with minimal impact on the overall energy consumption of buildings.Design/methodology/approachThis study was carried out from the perspective of an educational building's energy simulation, using a validated building energy analysis tool Green Building Studio (GBS). There were eight parameters analyzed considering at least two connected variables without measuring the initial building configuration. After that, Autodesk Revit and Insight 360 were used to make similar scenarios of the best performance selections so that the general results could be compared and the initial hypothesis could be proven.FindingsIn this study, the initial building analysis showed that there was an annual energy use of 139 kBtu/sf and the estimated carbon emissions were about 156 tons/yr. After the parametric analysis, the maximum energy saving was about 32.38%, considering the best performance scenario with a reduction of CO2 emissions of around 28.85%.Originality/valueThe outcome of this study will help Bangladeshi architect/designers to make appropriate decisions regarding the selection of suitable building materials and components at the initial stage of any project in terms of the energy consumption aspects. In addition, energy-efficient buildings provide cleaner combustion and better circulation than traditional buildings, that is why they reduce indoor air pollution, maintaining a safe, healthy and sustainable environment for future generations.

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