The Problem and Its Setting
Introduction
Sustainability is a guiding principle for architects, engineers, developers, and urban planners as they strive to create environmentally conscious spaces that resonate with the local community. With an ever-increasing focus on environmental responsibility and the urgent need to combat climate change, the adoption of sustainable principles has become a necessity rather than an option. The integration of green building initiatives, renewable energy sources, and inclusive urban planning exemplifies the nation’s dedication to global sustainability goals. As the real estate sector takes giant strides towards sustainability, it also creates opportunities for economic growth, innovation, and a higher quality of life for its citizens.
In the last five years alone, sustainability efforts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s real estate sector have advanced significantly to positively impact livability. Beyond building certifications, sustainability initiatives now include data capture, disclosure, and benchmarking. Historically, the city of Riyadh has faced environmental challenges such as air pollution, water scarcity, and waste management issues. To combat these challenges, Riyadh must prioritize sustainable urban planning and development. This involves promoting renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and implementing effective waste management strategies, including recycling and waste-to-energy initiative. Through effective planning, collaboration, and investment, Riyadh can emerge as a modern and sustainable city that serves as a model for other cities in Saudi Arabia and the region, fostering a prosperous and inclusive future for its residents (Kirat, 2023).
The researcher conceptualizes this topic, since he is directly involved in the project and can easily document the day-to-day construction by incorporating, researching and implementing the best methodologies, practices and approaches of the STC Smart Green Building Project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Theoretical Framework
Integrating a building’s technology systems and constructing a sustainable or “Green” building have much in common. Green buildings are about resource efficiency, lifecycle effects and building performance. Smart buildings, whose core is integrated building technology systems, are about construction and operational efficiencies and enhanced management and occupant functions (Sinopoli, 2007). Globally, the interest in smart and sustainable building has progressively increased over the years (Minoli, 2017). The adoption of smart buildings has recently come to the spotlight due to the benefits of adopting smart buildings in the construction industry for developed and developing countries. The products of the built environment are constructed in the best practical ways toward efficient energy usage, raw material recycling, and realizing a sustainable and carbon-free environment, which has demonstrated the technology application in the construction industry.
According to Ibrahim et al. (2015), a smart city is a location where individuals, governments, and businesses interact and integrate with smart technology in a coordinated manner, and these various components are linked by the Internet of things, which means that the objects or components of the city become connected to the Internet through sensors and global positioning devices such as “GBS” and others. According to Malih (2017), a smart city is one that uses information, technology, and communications to improve the performance of various areas such as electricity, water consumption, parking, traffic, and waste management.
A green building can be defined as is a “whole-systems” approach for designing and constructing buildings that conserve energy, water, and material resources and are healthier, safer, and more comfortable (Kriss, 2021). It is common to relate GBs to the economic benefits because they are tangible and we can feel and experience the effects immediately, which is why many sources reason for adopting sustainability in buildings by citing the economic benefits as the key motivators; these include energy savings, environmental gains, health and productivity improvement, or return premiums (Goubran, 2021). Green buildings are designed, constructed, and operated to enhance the well-being of occupants, and to minimize negative impacts on the community and natural environment. These types of buildings have been built using the integrative approach, which looks at the building as a whole life cycle approach rather than a linear design and construction approach (Bruce-Hyrkas et al., 2018).
Owing to improvements in their physical design and use of modern information and communication technology (ICT) installations, smart and sustainable buildings are becoming more intelligent, responsive, and adaptive to the changing needs of building users over their life cycles. By being adaptive, they optimize the use of energy, water, and material resources and provide comfortable and responsive environments to their occupants (Buckman et al., 2014). Smart and sustainable buildings can also serve as active components of smart grid that consume, store and produce energy. Although smart and sustainable buildings have numerous advantages, such as increasing building value and saving energy, water, material resources and money, smart and sustainable buildings and their features cannot be pinned down easily because technologies are evolving constantly (Wu et al., 2013) and human factors must be catered for.
Figure 1. The Commonality of Smart Green Buildings
Buildings can receive LEED certification by submitting documentation of meeting or exceeding certain technical requirements of the U.S. Green Building Council. One or more points are earned towards certification for each technical requirement that is attained. Based on the figure above it shows the commonality of smart and green buildings.
Sustainable practices in the real estate sector have evolved from being a niche concept to becoming a driving force behind modern development. This shift is a response to the growing awareness of environmental concerns, the need for resource conservation, and a desire for communities that prioritize well-being. The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed the way buildings are managed and operated. Smart technologies facilitate real-time monitoring and control of various systems, including lighting, heating, cooling, and security. These technologies enhance energy efficiency by adjusting resource consumption based on real-time occupancy data. Water-efficient plumbing fixtures, rainwater harvesting systems, and intelligent irrigation methods are hallmarks of sustainable real estate projects (FIABCI Saudi Arabia, 2023).
Conceptual Framework
Smart and sustainable buildings save energy and material resources and provide a comfortable environment that enhances their occupants’ well-being and productivity. It is therefore crucial to understand how building professionals, including the client/owners, engineers, consultants and contractors build smart and sustainable buildings and what are their best methodologies, practices and approaches towards smart and sustainable building technologies.
Statement of the Problem
The study aims to determine the best methodologies, practices and approaches in constructing the STC Smart Green Buildings Project in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and be able to utilize the data in future construction of other Smart Green Buildings Project in the country that may be applicable to use.
Research Objectives
This study aims to determine the best methodologies, practices, and approaches in constructing the STC Smart Green Buildings Project in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
1. To determine the relationship between the methodologies, practices, and approaches and the demographics of the respondents:
a. Age
b. Work Position
c. Years of Experience in the Construction Industry
2. To determine what is the best: a) Methodology; b) Practice; c) Approach, in constructing the STC Smart Green Buildings Project in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
3. To determine if these best methodologies, practices, and approaches are implemented well in the STC Smart Green Buildings Project in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Hypothesis
H0 There is no significant relationship between the methodologies, practices, and approaches and the demographics of the respondents such as age, work position, and years of experience.
H1 There is a significant relationship between the methodologies, practices, and approaches and the demographics of the respondents such as age, work position, and years of experience.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The scope of this study was limited to the city of Riyadh. Thus, some of the best methodologies, practices, and approaches may not be applicable to other cities in KSA and/or in other countries.
Significance of the Study
The significance of the research lies in showcasing the best methodologies, approach, and practices that contributes to Riyadh’s construction of smart and sustainable buildings as successful implementation of these practices will contribute to economic growth, prosperity, global competitiveness, improving innovation rates, providing better and faster services, as well as transparency and creating great opportunities for various sectors.
The current study is also significant because the best methodologies, approach, and practices will assist decision-makers in developing solid outputs that will lead a global revolution in the green economy, rebuilding, using renewable energy, developing new lifestyles, and benefiting from technological revolutions in critical sectors such as transportation and communications, all of which contribute to reducing harmful emissions into the environment.
This study also contributes to the knowledge of sustainable building processes by first expanding the literature base on the point of view of construction professionals in terms of the best methodologies, practices, and approaches that works best in smart green buildings.
Definition of Terms
1. Methodology – refers to the planned method of construction, taking into account all contractual and legal requirements, construction constraints, risks, and opportunities.
2. Practices – the generally recognized and accepted reasonable and prudent practices, methods, skill, care, techniques.
3. Approaches – the process or act of constructing or manner in which a thing is constructed
4. Smart Buildings – termed as structure facilitating automated processes to automatically control all sorts of building’s operations. It makes use of sensors, actuators, and microchips to manage everything. The utilization of sophisticated hardware facilities improvement in asset reliability, performance and in turn reduces energy utilization (Rameshwar et al., 2020).
5. Green Buildings – a building that, because of its construction and features, can maintain or improve the quality of life of the environment in which it is located.
Chapter 2
Review of Literature and Studies
This chapter will cover the reviewed journals, books, articles, and other related research about the research topic.
Smart Green Buildings
The need for sustainable development is truly recognized by all countries and thus in 2015, the UN developed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) further and introduced the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. In September 2015, United Nations’ Member States jointly decided on a global project to shape our common future in a new, better, and more intentional way. Building upon wide consultations with civil society representatives, business people, scientists, and others, they established the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Sanchez Rodriguez et al., 2018). Green buildings (GBs) are aligned with the UN’s SDGs and this is detailed in this section to show the link between SDGs and GBs. “The 2030 Agenda for SD is a plan of action for the people and the planet, which focuses on environmental issues and resource depletion through human activities (Khoshnava et al., 2019).
According to the State of Saudi Cities Report 2019, the Kingdom’s efforts are focused in two directions, the path of smart cities and the path of sustainable cities. Regarding the path of smart cities, the Kingdom was eager to harness technology to serve its people, as the Kingdom heavily relies on modern technology. Concerning the path of sustainability, the Kingdom was one of the first countries to sign the Global Agenda 2030, for the goals of sustainable development, as the Kingdom is committed to implementing the goals of sustainable development and places them at the forefront of its priorities in accordance with their uniqueness and constants. In addition, the Kingdom has also developed many strategies and plans that promote the 17 sustainable development goals, including the revegetation strategy in all regions of the kingdom, including Riyadh.
Recently, interest has prevailed in the phenomenon of sustainable smart cities, despite the multiplicity of its terminology and its different aspects, as some countries, their governments and city administrations are seeking to apply the principles of sustainable smart cities and their applications to their main cities in line with global developments in this context (Pilipczuk, 2021). Here it is necessary to get acquainted with the concept of sustainable smart cities and their dimensions, in order to know the possibility of their transformation and their application to the city of Riyadh, so this study came to fill this research gap (Tabassum, 2020).
Another study discusses in detail the current level of awareness of the Saudi Arabia stakeholders regarding the use and application of green building rating systems. It also investigated which rating system responds to the need of the Saudi construction market with regard to energy conservation and water consumption more effectively. Results from this research showed a promising number of agreements between the participating stakeholders to the level of awareness of green building rating systems in Saudi Arabia and to the willingness to use internationally recognized rating systems such as LEED and the use of locally recognized systems such as Mostadam. Furthermore, the research aims to link the results with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a focus on SDGs 6 and 7. The results show a high level of appreciation and agreement to the importance of energy and water conservation in green buildings that will be using either LEED or Mostadam in Saudi Arabia and accomplish the targets outlined under the SDGs (Al-Surf et al., 2021).
Siemens (2014) indicated that the use of smart and sustainable building technologies could reduce the energy consumption of buildings by 30 percent. A study by Lee and Lam (2018), identifies salient smart and sustainable building features from building professionals’ perspective and explores what determines building professionals’ intention to use such building technologies. Results of structural equation modeling grounded on an extended technology acceptance model indicate that facilitating condition and job relevance are related to perceived ease of use while subjective norm pertaining to image and perceived ease of use are predictors of perceived usefulness. Facilitating condition, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness jointly influence building professionals’ intention to use smart and sustainable building technologies.
Methodologies in Smart Green Buildings
Many sustainability measurement models and frameworks have developed, including but not limited to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and the Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) (Kuster, 2019). Over the past few decades, several governments have adopted a variety of urban sustainability systems. Even though most of these systems were designed for buildings, the advantages of ICT have not been taken into consideration (Bibri, 2018). The complexity and sophistication of urban areas are incredible, and it requires a holistic framework such as the SSC concept to manage its complexity. In the past, urban governments have struggled to achieve sustainability goals through ICT (Ahvenniemi et al., 2017). ICT technology and community participation are absent from policies and strategies for sustainable urban development. By using a smart sustainability framework, urban development initiatives can be driven by technology and CP with positive environmental, economic and social outcomes (Silva et al., 2018). Sustainable urban planning is considered one of the key outcomes of smart cities, which are open to embracing new technologies.
In a recent study by Ajlan & Al Abed (2023), they created a model that contributes to the transformation of Riyadh into a sustainable smart city, as well as to assess the extent to which Riyadh meets the requirements of smart cities in light of the proposed model. The study’s findings revealed that the model for transforming Riyadh into a smart sustainable city is built on a number of components, including sustainable urbanization patterns, urban systems and domains, data sources and storage services, cloud computing, big data applications and services, and urban communities and their activities. The study’s findings also revealed that the developed model’s contribution to the transformation of Riyadh into a smart sustainable city was significant, as the arithmetic mean of the respondents’ responses to the components of the study model as a whole was high.
Zhuang et al (2020) investigated sustainable smart city building construction methods. In smart city development, various sensing technologies can be used that can sense and utilize natural resources in better ways, like storing rainwater to use afterward, intelligent and smart control system, smart infrastructure monitoring system, smart healthcare system, smart transportation system, and smart system for energy consumption and generation by various facilities. From the experimentation results, it was seen that the proposed system performs better than the existing PID controller with more power savings. The limitation of this proposed work is that it can only be adopted for the analysis of the electric power grid as it trained based on the parameters obtained from solar and wind energy data and the applicability of other sorts of energy parameters should be analyzed for that particular aspects. In future, this work can be extended with zero energy building concepts to make the system more environmentally friendly with less energy consumption.
In the “Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Establishment and Improvement of a Green Low-Carbon Circular Development Economic System” issued by China’s State Council in February 2021, it is emphasized that green planning, green design, and green construction should be carried out in an all-round way; high-quality development and high-level protection should be promoted so as to ensure the realization of the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality.
Practices
Good construction practices and technique should be followed to prevent occurrence of structural damages that may occur during occupancy and with age of the structure. When structure is being constructed it must go through the various stages and it equally important that to make sure that the structure being constructed will not experience damage under any general circumstances.
Constructing as much of a structure in a controlled environment as possible has improved the quality of buildings and resulted in less trash, says Spencer Finseth, principal of Minneapolis-based Greiner Construction. Mechanical contractors use Building Information Management (BIM) systems to cut sheet metal for duct work in a controlled environment instead of outside to avoid the shape-changing problems caused by cold or hot weather. He estimates that prefabrication probably accounts for 15% of any project and likely more for hotels (Lombardo, 2020).
Based on Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 for achieving sustainability in all aspects of life, especially in the residential buildings and sustainable cities sector, the Mostadam rating system for the evaluation of existing as well as new residential buildings was recently launched. This can be considered as a result of the notably low number of certified green buildings in Saudi Arabia compared with other Gulf countries. The paper by Balabel & Alwetaishi (2021) used a survey to conduct a broad examination of the present status of supportable structures in Saudi urban communities. The fundamental classifications of practical private structures, as indicated by the “Mostadam” rating framework, were examined, and the capability of such classifications in Saudi Arabia was investigated. Finally, some recommendations for useful, applicable systems and future arrangements have been made to accomplish a complete change to supportable structures and, therefore, to economical urban areas. That will have the best effect on far-reaching feasible advancement in Saudi Arabia to accomplish vision 2030.
Green buildings are buildings related to resource efficiency, life cycle effects, and building performance; smart buildings with integrated building technology systems as the core are buildings related to building and operational efficiency, as well as enhanced management and occupant functions. Sinopoli (2008) has studied the commonalities between the two. Runde and Fay (2011) pointed out that building automation requires a large number of smart devices, and modern building automation systems are composed of as many as thousands of components with many attributes and dependencies. Robichaud and Anantatmula’s research shows that by adding a team of professionals to the project, they can promote the completion of green building projects better and faster (2011). Long et al. (2001) started from the concept of intelligent buildings and indoor ecological environment and introduced the use of passive methods such as energy-saving windows and building exterior sunshades and the use of active methods such as displacement ventilation and cold radiation ceilings to improve the indoor environment of smart buildings.
Approaches
Sustainable construction is an approach widely sought by governments, environmentalists and other stakeholder groups who recognize its benefits (Kibert, 2016). However, understanding the sustainable building processes in the construction industry is at its discovery stage of research which requires further exploration and study. To improve the adoption of sustainable building processes, Hwang and Tan (2012) were of the view that project management teams could enhance and promote sustainable building processes since they are recognized as key actors in the construction industry who ensure that project objectives are met and delivered successfully.
The basic goals of sustainability for the construction industry as postulated by Kubba (2010) consists of reducing energy consumption, safeguarding the ecosystem, enhancing the health of occupiers, and improving productivity. The project management team can incorporate these objectives into their roles during the planning, designing and construction phases of building projects to ensure that these basic sustainable goals are met.
According to Macagcano of Deloitte (2023), one way to ensure successful implementation of smart and sustainable buildings is to stimulate and prioritize sustainability-targeted renovation, construction and restoration projects to ensure improved operational energy efficiency and carbon reductions. This can be done through policies, regulations, penalties or carbon taxes. Cities around the world are making commitments to sustainable development. For instance, in a global awareness and activation event of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) in 2021, ten new companies gave a pledge to act on Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment. The effort must have led by local governments but involve developers, real estate companies and technology providers.
Architects and clients seeking LEED can achieve many points by selecting materials manufactured from recycled products and from local sources. The materials can be anything, from renewable products such as bamboo for floors, to wood from vendors (Lombardo, 2020).
In a study by Ahmad et al (n.d.) discussed about the strategies and techniques needed to be followed in India and how these strategies are useful for the prosperity of the development of the nation and its contribution to the sustainable growth. They enumerated some of the design principles of a smart building such as continuous monitoring of the building would facilitate in easy detection of anomalies. Identify, collect and aggregate relevant data, and utilize user friendly interfaces and cloud-based data transmission providing the monitored data to building engineers in a comprehensive and summarized manner would help in deciding solutions faster.
Synthesis
Smart and sustainable buildings open a future to environments that do not just support our ways of living, but augment and enhance them. Smart buildings will serve as ambient social infrastructure that connects and interacts with occupants to improve their circumstances, by bringing features, services, and information right to our location. Through smart buildings people no longer occupy a space, they engage with a place. With smart buildings architecture has evolved from designing structures and objects, to the design of systems and interactions.
As buildings become greener, so do construction sites. Off-site fabrication improved on-site maintenance, lean practices, landfill avoidance and green materials acquisition have begun to fundamentally, albeit slowly, transform the way buildings are constructed today.
Smart and sustainable buildings save energy and material resources and provide a comfortable environment that enhances their occupants’ well-being and productivity. It is therefore crucial to understand how building professionals, including designers, engineers, and contractors, view smart and sustainable buildings and what drives them towards smart and sustainable building technologies.
Chapter 3
Research Methodology
This chapter discusses the research methodology that will be utilized for the study, such as the research design, population and sampling, inclusion and exclusion criteria for the respondents, the data collection tool to be used and the ethical considerations of the study.
Method of Research
The study will use quantitative method of research. Quantitative research design as defined by Polit and Beck (2004) is the investigation of phenomena that lend themselves to precise measurement and quantification, often involving a rigorous and controlled design. The descriptive aspect of this research involves gathering data that describe events and then organizes, tabulates, depicts, and describes the data collection (Glass & Hopkins, 1984). The descriptive research will portray an accurate profile of people, events, or situations (Robson, 1993). The personal variables like age, work position, and length of experience will be explored. Descriptive research defines the research aspects or answers the who, what, where, when, why and sometimes how of the research
Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique
Purposive sampling is a type of non-probability sampling method where the sample is taken from a group of people easy to contact or to reach for the study. The researcher relies on his own judgment when choosing members of population to participate in the study. In this process the sample are selected or chosen by the judgment of the researcher. Researchers often believe that they can obtain a representative sample by using a sound judgment, that is time-saving and cost-effective as well. The researcher likewise believes that the chosen participants are considered as appropriate participants since they are knowledgeable about the issues and in actual practice, thus, purposive sampling is applicable.
The target population of the study are Clients/Owners, Designers, Project Management Consultants, Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers/Vendors, and the End-users who are in Riyadh, KSA and are involved in the STC Smart Green Building Projects. The respondents of this study are construction professionals in various position as they can contribute various levels of reliable and significant data that can benefit the study. The expertise of these respondents will be beneficial in determining what the best methodologies, practices, and approaches are in this type of construction project.
Inclusion Criteria
· Clients/Owners, Designers, Project Management Consultants, Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers/Vendors, and the End-users who are in Riyadh, KSA.
· Clients/Owners, Designers, Project Management Consultants, Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers/Vendors, and the End-users who are involved in the STC Smart Green Building Projects.
· Clients/Owners, Designers, Project Management Consultants, Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers/Vendors, and the End-users who have at least a year of experience in Smart Green Projects.
Exclusion Criteria
· Clients/Owners, Designers, Project Management Consultants, Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers/Vendors who are already retired and no longer active in the construction industry.
· Clients/Owners, Designers, Project Management Consultants, Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers/Vendors who do not have any experience in smart green construction projects.
· Clients/Owners, Designers, Project Management Consultants, Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers/Vendors and End-users who are not interested in participating in the research study.
· Clients/Owners, Designers, Project Management Consultants, Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers/Vendors and End-users who are not in Riyadh. KSA.
Research Setting
There are various green cities, sustainable buildings, and smart buildings in KSA, various plans for zero-carbon smart cities has been launched in the previous years. Saudi Vision 2030 is an ambitious and transformative reform plan that aims to diversify the Saudi Arabian economy and reduce its dependence on oil. As the capital city, Riyadh plays a pivotal role in the successful implementation of this grand vision. (Kirat, 2023). Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has been growing and transforming into a smart city. According to the Smart City Index of 2023, Riyadh was ranked 30 out of 141 cities (14).
The chosen organization, STC Group, the leading digital enabler in the region, won the Sustainability Middle East Champion of the Year Award 2023, given by SME Awards — Sustainability Middle East. The awards highlight the region’s best sustainability and climate actions (Arab News, 2023). STC was recognized for its unique sustainability program and they also confirmed its commitment to raising awareness of the importance of environmental protection and sustainability among all its stakeholders and performing yearly internal and external verifications to ensure the accuracy and credibility of its environmental data.
With these information, it is the chosen research setting as the researcher is also directly involved in the smart green buildings project. There will be more impact in the country as country is still on a journey towards implementing the Saudi Vision 2030 projects is the need to balance economic growth with sustainability and environmental conservation.
Research Instrument
To be able to achieve the objectives of the study, a survey questionnaire will be developed based in the preliminary observations and review of related literature. The questionnaire will have two parts, first will be used to determine the demographics of the respondents such as age, length of experience, and work position or if the respondent is the end-user. Second part is determining the best methodology, approach and practice in smart green building project in Riyadh, KSA, a 5-Point Likert Scale will be utilized for as a rating scale. With the following interpretations: 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Unclear, 4=Agree, and 5=Strongly Agree.
The research instrument will be distributed online via Survey Monkey or Google Forms, so that the respondents can easily access it. The link will only be disseminated to those respondents who are qualified based on the criteria and are willing to participate by answering and completing the questionnaire. The survey link will be open in a span of two weeks to have ample amount of time for data collection. The survey is answerable within 10-15 minutes.
Data-Gathering Procedure
Preliminary observations of current practice. The researcher will use the existing data from the Smart Green Building Project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Questionnaire Data Collection will be conducted to the participants of the study. The instrument will be pre-tested to at least 20% of the sample to determine its validity and reliability. Some of the construction experts in academe and construction fields will be consulted for content validity. The pilot test will commence with the letter from the researcher stating the intent to recruit the participant to provide feedback, understanding and perception on the survey instruments.
The approval from the organization’s administration will be sought, a written permission indicating the title, purpose, and steps on data collection will be discussed and will be given through proper channels.
Statistical Treatment of Data
Data collected will be processed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 software. To test the hypothesis of the study, paired t-test will be used, two tailed tests and Alpha ≤ .05 were used to test hypothesis. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions will be used to summarize characteristics of all variables. It will be used to summarize demographic information of the study participants who completed the study. The demographic profile will be described in terms of age, current work position, and length of experience in construction industry.
The five-point Likert scale will be transformed into relative importance indices (RII) using the relative index ranking technique priorities to rank the methodologies, approaches, and practices as perceived by the respondents in the study. RII will be calculated based on the following equation: RII = ∑ W/A x N, where W is the weighting given to each factor by respondents ranging from (1–5), N is the total number of respondents, ∑ is the total frequency in the sample and A is the highest weight (5 in this case).
Ethical Considerations
This study will comply with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 to protect the personal information of the study participants from being disclosed without their consent. Participants’ identities will be concealed by assigning and substituting the names of participants with participant’s identification number (e.g., participant’s ID# 001). This participant’s ID# also served to identify the participants throughout the study. Only information that is relevant to the study will be collected. The researcher will fully describe the study, the person’s right to refuse participation and explaining the risks and benefits. The prospective participants will have the right to decide voluntarily to participate, or to refuse to give information and even withdraw from the study.
Regarding data management, all gathered information and data will be kept private. The researcher will work on a personal laptop where the master file – the file that will be used when the data will be entered and created. In case the master file is damaged, accidentally deleted or wrongly changed, backups like USB flash drive and external hard disk will be used. All the files on the laptop and backups will be encrypted and only the principal investigator knows the password and could access the file. All data will be kept for only five years and all unwarranted data and information will be destroyed. USB flash drive and all hard drives that will be used in the study will be reformatted and overwriting will also be done. Paper documents (if any) will be destroyed through the use of shredding machine.
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