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Session 1421

Issues and Challenges for the Construction Community

Gouranga C. Banik, Ph.D., P.E., and Wilson C. Barnes, Ph.D., AIA

School of Architecture, Civil Engineering Technology and Construction Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, GA 30060

Abstract

There are significant industry trends in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry today. The industry faces major changes in owner requirements and contractors' roles, globalization, skilled work force shortages, increased role of suppliers, reduced cycle time requirements, and increased capital effectiveness requirements. Construction industry today is moving to fully integrated/automated project processes. This has caused outsourcing, alliances, contractor consolidation, and experimentation. These events present both challenges and opportunities for the construction community. This article highlights the existing and future issues and challenges for the construction industry from the perspective of trends and new technology development. The authors have explained qualitatively what steps industry should take to minimize these future challenges. The paper describes the role of management, technology, clients, industry and academia to address the challenges. This paper also identifies the qualities or abilities construction students should achieve during their study time. And last, foci of potentially meaningful research are listed.

Key Words: Construction Industry, Academia, Issues, Challenges, Constructability, Partnering.

Introduction

The increasing scope and complexity of construction projects, along with a greater number of externally imposed requirements, has expanded the challenge to project managers for successful completion. Increased competition and changing client demands are requiring the construction industry to address a wider range of issues than ever before in areas such as strategic analysis, worker problems, knowledge management, and emerging technologies. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, many concerned persons are looking to the future of construction and, concurrently, to the future of construction education, in a concerted effort to determine how construction educators and industry can best meet the requirements of the next century.

The world economic big picture today is characterized by world population growth, a large number of underdeveloped countries, aging infrastructures, international competition, sophisticated approaches, and accelerating change. Key global issues include the opening of eastern European countries; the operation of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the Euro currency combine; the opening of the third world country economics such as China and

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright @ 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

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Barnes, W., & Banik, G. (2002, June), Issues And Challenges For The Construction Community Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--11330