Chapter 3 Literature Review
5.1 Empirical study 3
The first version of the method proposed in the thesis was tested through an investigation carried out in Northern Ireland between January and December 2015. Since it is the third study conducted throughout the research it is named as empirical study 3. It concerns the retrofit of eight nearly similar homes undertaken in five phases (Figure 29). Such a project was considered ideal for the research purposes, as the learning regarding the refurbishment work in one phase could straightaway be implemented in the next one.
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Figure 29 - Project phases and improvement cycles planned for the study The author collaborated closely with the team involved in the project in order to test and refine the method and its components. Several sources of data collection were employed during the study such as semi-structured interviews (Table 21), participant observation in planning meetings and training sessions, observation of works on site (Table 22), and documental analysis (Table 23).
Table 21 - List of interviews carried out in empirical study 3
Interview Interviewee’s position
Organisation Job functions
1 Project Leader Research
organisation
Responsible for managing the S-impler Project. Yet, provides technical support for the delivery of work packages and is also responsible for the dissemination of project’s results 2 Project Manager Contractor Overall responsibility for the delivery of retrofits, performs
tasks such as procurement, production planning and control, logistics, and management of subcontractors
3 Site Manager Subcontractor Responsible for managing workforce, programme, health and safety, and quality of works on site
4 Construction
Monitor
Research organisation
Assist the research project leader by monitoring the execution of the retrofits in the field
5 Architect Architectural
practice Responsible for the design of all systems, coordinate information, and liaises with the research organisation on energy modelling
6 Client Housing
Association Overseeing effective delivery of retrofits, provides information regarding housing association’s standards
7 CEO Software
company Provides a tool for building surveying and managing the construction process by monitoring the progress on site
8 Senior Housing
Energy Consultant
Research organisation
Project technical lead on specification, detailing and implementation
9 Consultant Consultancy on
Process Improvement
Performance improvement throughout the supply chain, including behavioural matters and contracts
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Table 22 - Observations carried out throughout the study
Observation What was observed Place where the observation was conducted 1 Production planning and control
meetings Site office
2 Improvement meeting Site office
3 Retrofit works On site (retrofit of three houses)
Table 23 - List of documents assessed during the study
Document Title User Information displayed in the document
1 Project Overview Research team
and Delivery team
Gantt chart for all research phases
2 Master Plan Research team
and Delivery team
Design, Construction, and Improvement Programme for phases 1A and 1B
3 Production plan
(medium term) Delivery team List of activities for a given project phase along with list of constraints for releasing works on site
4 Production plan
(short term)
Delivery team List of activities planned for the week / day
5 Design drawings Delivery team Drawings containing the design specifications 6 Research proposal Research team Summary of the content and objectives of the wider
research project, including scope of works, business proposition, and details (e.g. programme, risks, etc.)
7 Messages from
Basecamp
Research team and Delivery team
It refers to conversations between project participants on issues concerning the retrofit delivery. Information was extracted from Basecamp, i.e. a collaborative web-based platform utilised for project management
This study was part of a wider research project focused on the retrofit of solid wall homes with the purpose to improve energy efficiency, reduce cost, and minimize user’s disruption through the construction process. Next, further details about this project are provided.
5.1.1 The S-impler Project
This empirical study is part of a wider research project entitled Solid Wall Innovative
Insulation and Monitoring Processes using Lean Energy Efficient Retrofit (S-IMPLER), funded by the Innovate UK (http://www.s-impler.com). This project aims at developing a retrofit solution for social housing, which were built with solid walls, to achieve 60% reduction in monitored energy costs, at least 10% faster than conventional installations, with less disruption for end users, without reductions in quality and safety.
This research initiative involves a housing association, two academic institutions, an
independent research organisation, an energy service supplier (contractor), a subcontractor, a consultant on continuous improvement, an architectural practice, a company specialised on energy management solutions, a software company, and material suppliers. The retrofit work consists of:
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• Replacing the old external windows and doors made of wood and single glass by openings made of PVC and double glass;
• Strengthening of the existing loft insulation layer;
• Insulation of external walls using insulation dynamic boards and rendering;
• Installation of heating controls and sensors;
• Replacing the existing oil boiler with natural gas boiler heating system;
• Replacing the ventilation system with a more efficient one.
The external wall insulation (EWI) adopted in this project refers to a system (Figure 30) that involves a layer of insulation material (i.e. boards made of expanded polystyrene) fixed to the wall, which is covered with a reinforcing material (i.e. fibreglass mesh) and rendering.
Figure 30 - Components of the external wall insulation system (Source: Jablite22) According to the supplier of insulation boards, dynamic23 insulation provides both insulation and heat recovery and also improves ventilation within the building (Jablite, 2017). This
22 Established in 1973, Jablite is the UK’s largest producer of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation products and civil engineering solutions. Retrieved from http://www.jablite.co.uk/about-pages/about-us/
23 This is known as dynamic insulation as the U-value is no longer constant for a given wall but varies with the speed of the air flowing through the insulation. The U-value refers to rate of transfer of heat through a structure (which can be a single material or composite), divided by the difference in temperature across the structure. The better insulated a structure is, the lower the U-value will be (National Building Specification [NBS], 2015).
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system was selected for this project because it has the advantage of being installed without having to relocate the occupants of the property.
Several factors contributed to add complexity to this project: the high number of
organisations involved, the fact that works were carried out in occupied homes (except from the retrofit conducted in phase 1A), and the adoption of a distinct method of construction (i.e. external wall insulation). Besides, the scope of works was considerably bigger when compared to traditional refurbishment schemes conducted by the housing association.
According to project manager, typical retrofits involved solely internal insulation, but this one comprises heating controls, ventilation system, insulation, windows and doors, sensors, etc., so it was more in-depth than the other schemes he had been part of in the past.
Finally, it is noteworthy that the application of lean concepts is part of the elements
investigated in the S-IMPLER Project. Thus, this project offers an interesting opportunity to evaluate the artefacts proposed in the thesis. In the following section, the research strategy employed for implementing the proposed method is presented.
5.1.2 Research strategy for testing and refining the method for construction management in refurbishment projects
The author was the person who led the implementation of the method in the retrofit. As mentioned earlier, the plan was to implement the method throughout the five phases of the project to allow learning and improvements between phases. However, due to the research limited timeframe and unforeseen circumstances faced during the development of this empirical study, the researcher could not finalise the study as planned. As a result, the test of the artefact was conducted through two phases as shown in Table 24.
The first stage of the study (phase 1A) was exploratory, i.e. the researcher made no intervention in the production management system in place. The main goal was to
understand the methods and practices utilised by the contractor for managing production as well as identifying project’s characteristics. The data collection was based on artefacts devised earlier in this thesis, i.e. the conceptual model of refurbishments (Step 1) and the framework for characterisation of projects (Step 2). This phase was helpful for identifying problems in the management of works on site and their root causes. In order to achieve the goals set for this initial stage, several research methods were used, such as semi-structured interviews with project participants, direct observation of works on site, non-participant observations in planning meetings, and documental analysis.
The second stage of the empirical study was carried out through a workshop set up between phases 1A and 1B. This meeting was originally designed within the S-IMPLER’s framework as an improvement cycle, with the purpose of discussing with the project team the
problems faced throughout the retrofit in phase 1A, as well as improvements for the next phase (1B). Thus, the researcher took this moment to validate the data collected in phase
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1A (Step 2), to discuss with project participants the worth of managerial solutions to be tested in the subsequent phase of the project, for improving its performance, (Step 3), and to introduce the method devised in the thesis in order to get feedback on the utility of the artefact.
Table 24 - Research process
Implementation
Refinement
Phase 1A Gate for phase 1B Phase 1B
Objectives (a) Understanding of current production
The implementation of the managerial solutions (Step 4) selected during the workshop was conducted in phase 1B. This practical test allowed the evaluation of the efficacy of the solutions chosen previously for managing the retrofit works. The researcher took a proactive approach in this phase by facilitating training sessions and production planning and control meetings. Data was collected through participation in production planning meetings, direct observations of works on site, and documental analysis.
Finally, a learning cycle was planned after the end of phase 1B. It aimed at reflecting upon the implementation of the method in order to evaluate its practical utility. This assessment allowed the researcher to promote refinements on the original version of the artefact.
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