Building a Sustainable Construction Workforce

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to invite contributions for our upcoming research topic titled "Building a Sustainable Construction Workforce". The construction industry, integral to the development of our built environment and a significant contributor to the global economy, faces significant challenges regarding labor sustainability. In recent years, issues such as occupational health and safety, worker welfare, an aging workforce, and professionalization have emerged as critical areas of concern. These issues, if unaddressed, could hamper the industry's growth and, more importantly, affect the lives of millions of workers globally. Against this backdrop, our topic aims to foster scholarly dialogue and explore innovative approaches for building a more sustainable construction workforce. This involves not only mitigating the challenges but also proactively shaping a workforce that is resilient, skilled, and prepared for future industry demands. We invite submissions addressing a wide spectrum of areas, including but not limited to the following:

• Enhancing the welfare of construction workers: strategies and best practices.
• The management of occupational health and safety in construction: comprehensive approaches and case studies.
• Professionalization of the construction workforce: challenges and opportunities.
• Aging workforce in construction: understanding implications and developing strategies.
• The role of policy and regulatory frameworks in enhancing construction workforce sustainability.
• Leveraging digital technology to promote health, safety, and productivity in construction.
• Mental health in the construction industry: current scenario and strategies for improvement.
• Skill development, training, and lifelong learning for sustainability in the construction workforce.

We welcome both empirical and theoretical contributions. Submissions that propose novel insights, challenge conventional wisdom, and are grounded in rigorous research are particularly encouraged. We look forward to your insightful contributions to enrich our understanding and to advance the discourse on building a sustainable construction workforce.

Prof. Dr. Hongyang Li
Dr. Beibei Zhang
Dr. Yingmiao Qian
Dr. Su Yang
Topic Editors

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Behavioral Sciences behavsci	2.6	3.0	2011	21.5 Days	CHF 2200
Buildings buildings	3.8	3.1	2011	14.6 Days	CHF 2600
Healthcare healthcare	2.8	2.7	2013	19.5 Days	CHF 2700
Safety safety	1.9	3.3	2015	29.6 Days	CHF 1800
Sustainability sustainability	3.9	5.8	2009	18.8 Days	CHF 2400

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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All Behavioral Sciences Buildings Healthcare Safety Sustainability

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23 pages, 22994 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Bond Performance of Seamless Steel Pipe Grouting Sleeves under Large-Deformation Repeated Tension and Compression after High Temperature

by Jun Zhao, Changji Wei, Jing Chen, Bin Ma and Weiwei Xiao

Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1136; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041136 - 18 Apr 2024

Viewed by 286

Abstract

Grouting sleeves are widely used in the field of assembled construction. The present study aims to investigate the reliability of grouting sleeves under large-deformation repeated tension and compression after high temperature, considering the influences of steel bar diameter, the cooling method, and the [...] Read more.

Grouting sleeves are widely used in the field of assembled construction. The present study aims to investigate the reliability of grouting sleeves under large-deformation repeated tension and compression after high temperature, considering the influences of steel bar diameter, the cooling method, and the protective layer. Through experimentation on 28 test pieces, we analyzed the bonding performance of the test pieces at different high temperatures. The results indicate that within the temperature range of 20–800 °C, the bond performance of the test pieces declines by no more than 9.8%. However, upon reaching a temperature of 1000 °C, the bond performance of the test pieces decreases by over 33.7%, with the compressive strength of the grout material reduced to only 27.50% of that kept at 20 °C. Employing larger-diameter steel bars is advantageous for maintaining the bond performance of the test pieces. Natural cooling shows relatively good bond performance, although its influence is not significant. Furthermore, the protective layer effectively attenuates the heating rate of the test pieces, thus safeguarding their bond performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis reveals that the decomposition of C-H and C-S-H phases is the primary cause of high-temperature degradation of the grouting material. Finally, a recommendation for the correlation coefficient ($k$) between the average bond strength and the compressive strength of the grout material is proposed, with a suggested value of $k$ ≤ 2.58. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Building a Sustainable Construction Workforce)

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12 pages, 621 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Investigating How Corporate Social Responsibility Affects Employees’ Thriving at Work: A Social Exchange Perspective

by Xue Han, Qinyi Li and Xinyi Wang

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1095; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031095 - 27 Jan 2024

Viewed by 810

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) helps enterprises achieve sustainable development in the current competitive environment. Premised on social exchange theory, we argue that CSR also contributes to employees’ sustainable development, which can be gauged by thriving at work. We conducted a three-wave questionnaire survey [...] Read more.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) helps enterprises achieve sustainable development in the current competitive environment. Premised on social exchange theory, we argue that CSR also contributes to employees’ sustainable development, which can be gauged by thriving at work. We conducted a three-wave questionnaire survey to examine our hypothesized model. We found that employees’ perceived CSR helps employees to build a good social exchange with their company, which in turn contributes to enhanced thriving at work. Further, for employees with higher levels of trait gratitude, CSR is more likely to facilitate their social exchange and subsequent thriving at work. Our findings enrich the nomological network of CSR and thriving, and provide insights for organizations to build a thriving and sustainable workforce. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Building a Sustainable Construction Workforce)

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23 pages, 10131 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Research on Construction Workers’ Safety Risk Sharing in Tunneling Projects Based on a Two-Mode Network: A Case Study of the Shangwu Tunnel

by Xi Cai, Jianling Huang and Chunyan Peng

Buildings 2023, 13(11), 2689; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112689 - 25 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 851

Abstract

There is a high level of construction safety risk shared among construction workers in tunneling projects due to collaboration on the narrow and semi-enclosed construction site. However, no one has reported on this. Therefore, this paper proposes a new network model to explore [...] Read more.

There is a high level of construction safety risk shared among construction workers in tunneling projects due to collaboration on the narrow and semi-enclosed construction site. However, no one has reported on this. Therefore, this paper proposes a new network model to explore risk-sharing features among construction workers based on a two-mode network. That model represents a new personnel safety management tool to provide suitable risk mitigation for tunneling projects. First, the work breakdown structure (WBS)–risk breakdown structure (RBS) method was employed to identify construction activities, risk resources, and construction safety risk factors (CSRFs). Subsequently, the two-mode WBS–RBS matrix was further established. The construction workers’ sets were determined based on the organization breakdown structure (OBS)–WBS method and a two-mode OBS–WBS matrix was established. By applying the construction activities in the WBS tree carrying the CSRFs as the link, a two-mode OBS–RBS network was established by converting the two-mode WBS–RBS and OBS–WBS matrices. Hence, taking CSRFs allocated by several construction workers as a basis for network generation, the construction workers’ risk-sharing network was further established. Centrality analysis identified the network characteristics and determined the most important construction workers in risk network. For example, this model was employed to explore the whole network characteristics of the Shangwu Tunnel and identify the workers in key positions in the risk-sharing network. Expert interviews demonstrated the model’s rationality and practicality. The results show that each construction worker’s safety risk-sharing degree in the Shangwu tunnel differed and reached varying levels. However, the staff from the engineering management department were in the key position of the risk-sharing network. Collectively, this model can help construction workers understand their risk-sharing degree to improve their safety awareness and adjust their attitude toward safety accordingly. Moreover, this strategy provides project managers with the necessary information to more effectively allocate safety resources and to be cognizant of the safety quality of each construction worker according to the different risk-sharing degrees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Building a Sustainable Construction Workforce)

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20 pages, 1409 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Safety Risk Evaluation of Metro Shield Construction When Undercrossing a Bridge

by Kuang He, Jun Zhu, Hui Wang, Yanlong Huang, Hujun Li, Zishuang Dai and Jingxiao Zhang

Buildings 2023, 13(10), 2540; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13102540 - 08 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 660

Abstract

The government of China has planned numerous metro projects, and with more metros, undercrossing of bridges can hardly be avoided. Metro shield construction when undercrossing a bridge (MSCUB) frequently takes place in complicated natural and social contexts, which often makes the construction process [...] Read more.

The government of China has planned numerous metro projects, and with more metros, undercrossing of bridges can hardly be avoided. Metro shield construction when undercrossing a bridge (MSCUB) frequently takes place in complicated natural and social contexts, which often makes the construction process more susceptible to safety accidents. Therefore, it is crucial to look into the safety risk during MSCUB. This paper identified the safety risk factors during MSCUB by using a literature review and expert group evaluation, proposed a novel safety risk assessment model by integrating confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and fuzzy evidence reasoning (FER), and then selected a project case to test the validity of the suggested model. The study results show that (a) a safety risk factor list for MSCUB was identified, including four first-level safety risk factors and thirty-seven second-level safety risk factors; (b) the proposed safety risk assessment model can be used to measure the risk values of the overall safety risk of a worksite, the first-level safety risk factors, and the second-level safety risk factors during MSCUB; (c) environment-type safety risk factors and personnel-type safety risk factors have higher risk values during shield construction when undercrossing a bridge; (d) when compared with worker-type safety risk factors, manager-type safety risk factors are the higher risks. This study can enrich the theoretical knowledge of MSCUB safety risk assessment and provide references for safety managers for conducting scientific and effective safety management on a construction site when constructing metro shields undercrossing a bridge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Building a Sustainable Construction Workforce)

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