Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Environment

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 1 of 4

Coursework Specification

1 Module Information
1.1 Module Title Construction project planning and delivery

1.2 Module Code Number KB7039

1.3 Module Level and Credit Points 7 20 credits

1.4 Module Leader Hazel Ponton

1.5 Assessment Component Number (on Module Specification) 02

1.6 Assessment Weighting (on Module Specification) 60%

1.7 Coursework Title Solutions to a construction industry problem

1.8 Coursework Specification Author Hazel Ponton

1.9 Academic Year and Semester(s) 2019-20 Semester 2 only

2 Coursework Submission and Feedback
2.1 Release Date of Coursework Specification to Students W/c 27th January 2020

2.2 Mechanism Used to Disseminate Coursework Specification to Students eLP

2.3 Date and Time of Submission of Coursework by Students 11:59 pm 12th May 2020

2.4 The mechanism for Submission of Coursework by Students eLP

2.5 Return Date of Unconfirmed Internally Moderated Mark(s) and Feedback to Students 9th June 2020

2.6 The mechanism for Return of Unconfirmed Internally Moderated Mark(s) and Feedback to
Students eLP

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 2 of 4

3 Assessment Details
3.1 Module Learning Outcomes (MLOs) Assessed by Coursework

What will I be expected to achieve?

Knowledge & Understanding:

MLO1 – Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the work-based practice through the analysis and
evaluation of research-based theory and relevant case studies, by formulating solutions to the effective
and efficient delivery of construction engineering projects.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

MLO2 – Critically evaluate innovative approaches to product, process and services delivery in
construction engineering through consideration of theory and practice.

Personal Values Attributes:

MLO3 – Formulate strategies for improvement within the global construction engineering industry to
demonstrate cultural, ethical and sustainable awareness.

3.2 Coursework Overview
There are two assessed pieces of work in this module, which are connected and will allow the you to
show a progression of learning within the module. The second component requires the you to consider
existing problems related to waste in the construction industry. Once the you have selected a single
problem and can define the problem, you need to critically analyse the potential solutions formulated from
the module and provide considered solutions to the problem, with clear links between the problem and
the potential solutions.

3.3 Coursework Tasks to be Completed by Students
You will produce an individual illustrated journal of no more than 6no. A3 pages (landscape) (Excluding
front page, Content page and Reference List). The illustrated journal needs to include all of the following:

1. Select a construction industry problem related to forms of waste discussed during the module, including a
short description and a statement that clearly and concisely defines the scope of the problem.

2. Justify (through industry and academic literature) why this is a problem, who the problem affects, and the
impact of the problem.

3. Critically analyse possible solutions to the problem from learning during this module AND independent
research.

4. Provide a visual illustration that links the problem to the solutions, i.e. fishbone diagram or another suitable
visual tool.

5. A visual improvement model which summarises HOW the problem can be solved.
6. The illustrated journal should use an effective combination of text AND images to provide an interesting and

visually engaging document. All images should be relevant and of an appropriate size and quality.

The illustrated journal should include cited, good quality academic literature, as well as industry
best practice. The content should be guided by the learning outcomes, the marking criteria and the
learning from this module.

3.4 Expected Size of Submission
An individual illustrated journal of no more than 6no. A3 pages (landscape) (Excluding front page,
Content page and Reference List). If more than 6 pages of content are provided, only the first 6 pages will
be marked and assessed.The illustrated journal is to include approximately 50% text (using font size 10)
and approximately 50% images.

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 3 of 4

3.5 Referencing Style

You are to write your coursework using the Cite Them Right version of the Harvard referencing system.
An online guide to Cite Them Right is freely available to Northumbria University students at:

https://www.citethemrightonline.com/

3.6 Assessment Criteria
Quality of presentation (including the ability to generate audience interest) 10%
Depth of analysis of the industry problem 30%
Analysis of possible solutions 40%
Ability to relate the problems to the solutions (visual illustration) 10%
Clarity and relevance of the model. (Visual model to represent solution) 10%

4 Referral

The Referral Attempt opportunity will generally take place after the end-of-level Progression and Awards
Board (PAB). If you become eligible to complete a Referral Attempt but are subsequently unable to
undertake the opportunity when required, you will be permitted to re-sit the module at the next scheduled
sitting of the module assessment. This will typically entail the suspension of your progression on your
programme of study until such time that you have completed the level and become eligible to proceed.

5 Guidance for Students on Policies for Assessment

The University has several policies for assessment. The following information, which is available to you
from the link below, provides guidance on these policies, including relevant procedures and forms.

(1) Assessment Regulations and Policies
(a) Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards
(b) Group Work Assessments Policy
(c) Moderation Policy
(d) Retention of Assessed Work Policy
(e) Word Limits Policy

(2) Assessment Feedback
(a) Anonymous Marking Policy

(3) Late Submission of Work and Extension Requests
(4) Personal Extenuating Circumstances
(5) Technical Extenuating Circumstances
(6) Student Complaints and Appeals
(7) Academic Misconduct
(8) Student Disability and Unforeseen Medical Circumstances

https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/university-services/academic-registry/quality-and-teaching-
excellence/assessment/guidance-for-students/

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 4 of 4

KB7039 Construction Project Planning and Delivery – Assignment 2 [to be marked out of 100% and converted]
Name ………………………………… Mark:

OUTCOMES I CAN’T BELIEVE
IT!

[ 100%]

WOW! [ 85%] DISTINCTIVE [ 75%] COMMENDABLE [
65%]

PASS [ 55%] FAIL [ 45%] POOR FAIL [ 0%]

Quality of
presentation
(including the ability
to generate
audience interest)
10%

This work is of
outstanding quality
and has surprised
the markers.

Shows deeper learning
than would normally be
expected.

Excellent and very
clear with few
problems.

Very good and
reasonably clear with
some problems.

Quite a few problems
but overall the
message was received

Too many problems so
the presentation was
unclear.

Very poor with little
ability to express the
ideas in a clear and
interesting manner.

Depth of analysis of
the industry
problems
30%

A good attempt with
few mistakes – the
student clearly
understands the
problems.

A good attempt with
some mistakes – the
student’s
understanding is
generally good

Some attempt with
some mistakes – the
student’s
understanding is
acceptable.

Little attempt with
many mistakes – the
students show little
understanding.

Very little effort has
gone into this – the
student shows no real
understanding.

Analysis of possible
solutions
40%

The student has an
excellent grasp of
possible solutions.

The student has a
good grasp of possible
solutions although
there are some minor
problems.

The student does not
fully grasp the
solutions but there is
some merit in what is
said.

The student is not able
to analyse solutions
though there is
evidence of a fair
attempt.

The student has little
or no grasp of the
issues.

Ability to relate the
problems to the
solutions (visual)
10%

Solutions are clearly
and cogently linked to
problems.

Solutions arise from
problems in most
instances although
there is some lack of
clarity.

Some linkage of
solutions and problems
but the work lacks
depth.

Evidence of only
surface understanding
of linkages.

Little evidence of ability
to derive the solutions
from the problems.

Clarity and
relevance of the
improvement model
10%

The clarity of
expression and
cogency of the
argument are generally
excellent with few
problems.

The clarity of
expression and
cogency of the
argument are generally
good though there are
a few problems.

The clarity of
expression and
cogency of the
argument are generally
acceptable but there is
some confusion.

The work lacks clarity
and cogency – difficult
to follow

The work is confusing
and has little merit.

Feedback – 3 areas of good practice, 3 areas for potential improvement:

1 | P a g e

Def ect w a st e p ro b le m i n t he co nst ruct io n I nd ust ry ! ! !

Collapse of buildings

Source Aljazeera News, 2019

Student Number: W19042969

Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering

Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE18ST, United

Kingdom

2 | P a g e

onstruction defect can be defined as a fault in design, the worship and material system which leads to project failure.

Collapse of buildings

Source: (Aljazeera News, 2019))

C

Generally, defects occur as a result of failure to follow required guidelines resulting to

financial, property and personal damages as argued by Robson, (2015). Construction defects

are usually hard to identify since only experts can analyze when a procedure is not correctly

followed (Waziri, 2016).

Types of construction defects

Design defects

Errors in designing

Source:(Katume, 2017))

Design defects occurs when engineers and architects make errors when

planning on how facilities are going to be constructed. The most likely losses

errors that might occur includes the water penetration plan, poor draining

system design and inadequate structural support leading to occurrence of

(Cogurcu2015).

3 | P a g e

Material defects

Material defects in projects

Source: (Hazem, 2017)

Workmanship

Source:(Levelset,2018)

Material defects occurs when inferiorproducts are

used during the construction. The material used in

construction projects is based on the requirement of

the end products. the higher the quality of the end

product, the higher the material quality that should

be used. The use of inferior products means that the

buildings and infrastructures cannot last for long

period ((Tayeh, et, al, 2017)

The interpretation of designs is important for the safety of the

occupants and users of buildings. Workmanship is a scenario

where construction is not undertaken as per the directions of the

designers. It results from misinterpretation of designs and pans

leasing to poor quality of buildings (Bagdiya&Wadalkar,2015)

4 | P a g e

How defects lead to wastages in the construction industry

Effects of defects in construction

Source:(LMT,2018)

In construction works, defects must be corrected otherwise, they might lead to greater losses in

future. The wastage in defects comes as a result of additional work that needs to be performed to

correct defects that are noted.

Financial wastages

Financially, organizations are forced to use more funds to undertake repairs as a result of additional

work to mend the effects of defects. Since projects are run under strict budgets, there is need for

project managers to ensure that the actual expenses do not exceed the budget. However, it is

difficult for project managers in construction project to ensure that budget is actualized since more

resources will be allocated in order to amend the defects.

Human resource wastage

In terms of human resources, organizations are made to committee more employees for repairs as

opposed to using the employees in undertaking other important stages of the projects. In presence of

defects in construction projects hence means that employees will be used to undertake repeat tasks

rather than undertaking progress tasks and advancing the projects (Dey, et al., 2017).

Time wastage

Construction projects are undertaking in consideration with a time plan. This means that project

managers are required to follow the project plans in order to deliver each milestone at the right

time. However, the presence of defects in the projects is likely to lead to delays in the process of

project management (Gulghane&Khandve, 2015). Since defects have to be solved immediately,

they are realized, time is used when trying to redo the work. This leads to time wastage and project

delay. Milestones cannot be reached at the required time since employees have to concentrate in

amending the defects to reduce risks of losses and accidents upon completion of the project (Tejale,

et al., 2015).

Material wastages

Before the commencement of projects, engineers and designers guide the

project managers in terms the required material when undertaking the

construction works. The control of material used is important as it ensures

that cost is controlled (Arshad, et al., 2017). However, defects call for

unplanned material to be used when redoing the construction work in order

to fix errors that occurred. This hence might lead to demolition of some

parts as the project managers try to fix problems associated with defects.

This results to the excess use of material than the planned for hence leading

to increase in project cost (Udawatta, et al., 2015)

5 | P a g e

Causes of defects in construction industry

Fishbone image of causes of defects in the construction industry

Source:(Ilie&Ciocoiu, 2010)

Generally, the causes of defects can be categorized in to six components as shown in the

above fishbone diagram.

Material

Material challenges that might lead to defects includes poorly stored material. Construction

material needs to be stored in a good manner that will minimize chances of destruction. Such

material includes metal which needs to be stored in places with less moisture to avoid

rusting. Other material such as cements, ballast and stones need to be safely stored in order

to avoid breakages and destruction by water as argued by (Jingmond&Ågren, 2015). The use

of expired material is also a challenge in the construction management and is likely to lead to

defects in the final products. such material includes paints, cements and other manufactured

commodities used in construction work. This is likely to affect the quality of the buildings.

Composition of components used in the building process might lead to defects in case

measurements are not done in the required way. A perfect example is the mixture of ballast,

sand and cements. Failure to ensure that material is well balanced is likely to lead to defects

in the buildings the use of expired material is also a challenge in the construction

management and is likely to lead to defects in the final products. such material includes

paints, cements and other manufactured commodities used in construction work. This is

likely to affect the quality of the buildings.

Measurement

Measurement in the building process is determined by the lay out designs. Workmanship is

very important when it comes to putting the layout design in to actuality. There is need to

ensure that scaling and estimations are done well to reduce chances of defects in size and

length (Choudhry, et al., 2017).

Machine

Machines are likely to lead to defects in case there is power failure. Such incidence might

cause delay and destruction. Human error where employees are required to feed the

machines might lead to the wrong results hence defects in the projects. There is also a risk in

wrong feed rate since construction machines depends on the instruction given by the

operators (Bagdiya&Wadalkar, 2015).

Employees

Generally, human aspects in the construction project is important since projects

are realized through the human resource efforts. However, defects might result

from inadequate training of the employees where they take a job without full

knowledge of what is required of them. The risk of human error is also likely to

lead to defects (Gamil& Rahman, 2017).

Environment

Environment in which buildings are established is likely to affect the

construction work.

Subsurface Moisture Incursion might affect the strength of buildings in terms of

its strength. This is likely to lead to defects following cracks as a result of excess

moisture (Ye, et al., 2015). Weaknesses of soil is likely to lead to Foundation

Displacement which might also result to cracks and need to rework. Insufficient

climate control such as the failure to protect building site from excess water from

rain, non-regulated sunshine among other factors might also lead to defects

(Aljassmi, et al., 2016).

6 | P a g e

Methods

Poorly design methods are likely to mislead engineers in their construction works. This hence makes it a risky affair as use of such designs might lead to defects. On the other hand,

project plan that does not in to consideration all activities in to place is likely to lead defects since some activities might be skipped (Asgari&Rahimian, 2017).

The case study of Sampoong Department Store, South Korea collapse.

ne other greatest disaster ever seen in the construction industry is the collapse of Sampoong Department Store(Fay, 2019). The main cause of the collapse as per the reports by

investigators was because of poor planning, poor material of construction and poor design. This case led to the death of five hundred pole most of them being workers(Fay,

2019).Human ignorance and greed were the major reasons for the errors that occurred during the construction causing massive losses. This shows how failure to consider important

aspects during construction could lead to, massive losses(Fay, 2019).

Sampoong Department Store, South Korea collapse

Source, Great Disasters

O

From the case study above, it is hence observable that

Financial wastages

Human resource wastage, Time wastage, Material wastages

are experienced since the building caused losses of lives,

time to evacuate the affected and the waste of human

resources who were engaged in building process(Fay, 2019)..

Solutions to the defect wastage problem

Employee training

Through employee training, employees will be able to understand their

roles in the construction. They will also be able to understand the most

important activities and how to undertake them. As a result, there will

be a decline in chances of making errors hence minimizing defects in

construction industry (Hanaysha, 2016).

Employee training

Source: (Andriotis, 2018)

7 | P a g e

Expert consultation

There is need to consult experts in every stage of construction. The project managers should work together with the external experts in order to ensure that all activities are undertaken in

accordance with the plan and quality needed. The experts will help in checking gaps that might lead to defects in constructions (Elziny, et al., 2016).

Proper Environmental analysis

Experts consultation Collapse of buildings

Source: (Reporting, 2019) Source:(Pentago,2018)

Proper project management strategies

Project management process

Source:(Kerzner,2018)

In order to reduce chances of defects caused

by environment, the construction engineers

should study environmental factors such as the

surface level of water, the probability of

having earthquakes among other factors before

settling on the site. This will help to reduce the

probability of occurrence of a defect as a result

of occurrence of an environmental risk (Tixier,

et al., 2016).

Project management process

Source: (Kerzner, 2017)

Proper planning of activities is important in ensuring that there is a

good procedure followed. Through strategic project management, the

project managers are going to ensure that there is no omission of

important activities in construction hence reduce chances of defects in

building (Kerzner, 2017).

8 | P a g e

References

Aljassmi, H., Han, S. and Davis, S., 2016. Analysis of the complex mechanisms of defect generation in construction projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 142(2), p.04015063.

Aljazeera News. 2019. Four killed in Taiwan building collapse after quake. [Online]. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/hotel-collapses-taiwan-major-earthquake-180206171245403.html (Accessed

on 8/4/2020).

Andriotis, N. 2018. 5 Popular Employee Training Methods for Workplace Training. [Online]. Available at: https://elearningindustry.com/how-choose-training-methods-for-employees (Accessed on 8/4/2020).

Arshad, H., Qasim, M., Thaheem, M.J. and Gabriel, H.F., 2017. Quantification of material wastage in construction industry of Pakistan: An analytical relationship between building types and waste generation. Journal

of Construction in Developing Countries, 22(2), pp.19-34.

Asgari, Z. and Rahimian, F.P., 2017. Advanced virtual reality applications and intelligent agents for construction process optimisation and defect prevention. Procedia engineering, 196, pp.1130-1137.

Bagdiya, N.V. and Wadalkar, S., 2015. Review paper on construction defects. IOSR J. Mech. Civ. Eng, 12(2), pp.88-91.

Bagdiya, N.V. and Wadalkar, S., 2015. Review paper on construction defects. IOSR J. Mech. Civ. Eng, 12(2), pp.88-91.

Choudhry, R.M., Gabriel, H.F., Khan, M.K. and Azhar, S., 2017. Causes of discrepancies between design and construction in the Pakistan construction industry. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 22(2),

pp.1-18.

Cogurcu, M.T., 2015. Construction and design defects in the residential buildings and observed earthquake damage types in Turkey. Natural Hazards & Earth System Sciences, 15(4).

Dey, S., Manikanda Prabhu, S. and Siva Subramani, G., 2017. Identification and mitigation of factors affecting human resource productivity in construction. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology,

8(1), pp.123-131.

Elziny, A.A., Mohamadien, M.A., Ibrahim, H.M. and Fattah, M.A., 2016. An expert system to manage dispute resolutions in const ruction projects in Egypt. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 7(1), pp.57-71.

Gamil, Y. and Rahman, I.A., 2017. Identification of causes and effects of poor communication in construction industry: A theo retical review. Emerging Science Journal, 1(4), pp.239-247.

Gulghane, A.A. and Khandve, P.V., 2015. Management for construction materials and control of construction waste in construction industry: a review. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications,

5(4), pp.59-64.

Hanaysha, J., 2016. Examining the effects of employee empowerment, teamwork, and employee training on organizational commitment. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 229(298-306), pp.298-306.

Hazem, Z. 2017. Construction defect management – Risk analysis of causes and effects. [Online]. Available at: https://www.planradar.com/construction-defect-management-risk-analysis-and-effects/(Accessed on

8/4/2020)

Ilie, G. and Ciocoiu, C.N., 2010. Application of fishbone diagram to determine the risk of an event with multiple causes. Management research and practice, 2(1), pp.1-20.

Jingmond, M. and Ågren, R., 2015. Unravelling causes of defects in construction. Construction Innovation.

Katume, N. 2017. 3 Ways to avoid Construction Defect Claims. CR. [Online]. Available at: https://constructionreviewonline.com/2017/09/3-ways-to-avoid-construction-defect-claims/(Accessed on 8/4/2020)

Kerzner, H., 2017. Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.

Level set. 2018. Defects in Construction: How to Identify and Avoid Them [Online]. Available at: https://www.levelset.com/blog/construction-defects/ (Accessed on 9/4/2020).

LMT. 2018. Waste of Defects; causes, symptoms, examples and solutions. [Online]. Available at: https://leanmanufacturingtools.org/129/waste-of-defects-causes-symptoms-examples-and-solutions/(Accessed on

8/4/2020).

Pentago, C. 2018. Strategies You Need for Successful Project Management. [Online]. Available at: https://www.business2community.com/strategy/3-strategies-need-successful-project-management-01926965

(Accessed on 8/4/2020).

Reporting MD. 2019.expert consultation importance.[Online]. Available at: https://reportingmd.com/mips-2019-are-you-in-or-out-macra-exemptions-thresholds-and-eligibility/expert-consultation-3/ (Accessed on

8/4/2020).

Robson, P.E.B., 2015. Structural repair of traditional buildings. Routledge.

Smart Bricks. 2018. Construction Defect – Here Is One Ultimate Guide. [Online]. Available at: https://gosmartbricks.com/construction-defect-here-is-one-ultimate-guide/(Accessed on 8/4/2020).

Tayeh, B.A., Al-Hallaq, K., Yusuf, M.O. and Sabha, F.A., 2017. Effects of construction phase errors on maintenance of school buildings in Gaza Strip. Effects of construction phase errors on maintenance of school

buildings in Gaza strip, 5(01).

Tejale, D.S., Khandekar, S.D. and Patil, J.R., 2015. Analysis of construction project cost overrun by statistical method. International Journal, 3(5), pp.349-355.

Tixier, A.J.P., Hallowell, M.R., Rajagopalan, B. and Bowman, D., 2016. Automated content analysis for construction safety: A natural language processing system to extract precursors and outcomes from unstructured

injury reports. Automation in Construction, 62, pp.45-56.

Udawatta, N., Zuo, J., Chiveralls, K. and Zillante, G., 2015. Improving waste management in construction projects: An Australian study. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 101, pp.73-83.

Waziri, B.S., 2016. Design and construction defects influencing residential building maintenance in Nigeria. Jordan Journal of Civil Engineering, 10(3).

Ye, G., Jin, Z., Xia, B. and Skitmore, M., 2015. Analyzing causes for reworks in construction projects in China. Journal of Management in Engineering, 31(6), p.04014097.

Fay, K. 2019.The Sampoong Department Store Collapse. Great disasters. [Online]. Available at: http://www.greatdisasters.co.uk/the-sampoong-department-store-collapse/ (Accessed on 5/6/2020)

~ 1 ~

CEE 4920 – Professionalism and Ethics
Monday, April 18, 2022

Prescott Hall 208

Week 13 – Leadership and Workplace Behavior

A. Leadership assignment (5 points of final grade):

1. Read the Forbes.com article posted on iLearn entitled “How Introverted Leaders

Can Leverage their Natural Strengths”.

2. While the article is oriented toward introverts, most of the leadership
recommendations are adaptable to extroverts as well. Write a short essay in
which you describe your personality type and how you plan to use some of the
recommendations in the article to enhance your leadership skills.

3. Grading rubric:
Requirement Points
Minimum length of 500 words / 1
MS Word .doc or .docx file format / ½
Double spaced / ½
12-point Times New Roman font / ½
Include your name on the right side of header / ½
State your personality type and give representative examples / 1
State how you will apply at least 3 of the recommendations / 1
Total / 5

4. Essays are due by noon, Wednesday, April 27.

B. Workplace behavior

1. Federal Law: Title VII of 1964 Civil Rights Act, and other laws

2. Protected Classes include:

Race Color Age (40+) Sex Religion
Disability Nationality Ethnicity Genetics Citizenship

3. Harassment – Unwelcome conduct based on a protected class.

• Note that intent is not a requirement.
• Quid pro quo – Type of sexual harassment in which terms of employment

are conditioned on fulfilling sexual demands.

4. Who can engage in harassment?

~ 2 ~

5. Hostile work environment – Harassment that becomes a condition of employment

or is severe or pervasive such that a reasonable person would consider the
environment intimidating, hostile, or abusive, is unlawful.

6. What is not unlawful?

Random teasing and offhand comments; isolated incidents which do not affect
employment

7. Harassment prevention
Treat others how they want to be treated.
There are no instances in which harassment is considered acceptable.
Criticism unrelated to a protected class is not harassment.

8. Dealing with harassment:
a. Ask the offender to stop.
b. If continues, report harassment to your manager.
c. Legal action may be necessary but should be a last resort.

9. Corporate policy
• Company should have an anti-harassment policy that includes reporting

procedures.
• Company should take complaints seriously and follow-up accordingly.
• Observed harassment should be reported—even if you are not the target.

10. Corporate complaint evaluation
a. Document complaint
b. Interview witnesses and alleged harasser
c. Determine validity—if valid complaint, take action to prevent recurrence
d. Communicate outcome and action taken to involved parties

11. Retaliation
It is illegal to retaliate in any way against someone who has lodged a complaint or
cooperated in a complaint evaluation.

12. Failure to take action
If an employer is aware of inappropriate behavior, or reasonably should have been
aware, but does not take action to prevent the harassment, the employer is
subject to legal action.

Case Study in Civil Engineering:

– Prepare a case study or studies related to civil engineering

-Written report shall be an extended abstract with a maximum of 4 pages (including tables and

figures) with a minimum of 5 references.

-The objective of this project is to provide students with useful information pertaining to past,

present, or future issues in civil engineering.

-The report should be in general terms and provide a broad overview.

EXAMPLE CASE STUDY IN FORENSIC ENGINEERING

Given your assigned engineering failure or disaster, describe it in some detail

and discuss what ethical issues might have been at least partly responsible for

the failure. Prepare a failure analysis report that includes:

• What failed and why it failed.

• Who was at fault and why.

• Possible corrective actions (i.e., how to make it not fail).

If appropriate, describe how a lack of “professionalism” or “ethics” may have

helped lead to the failure.

An abbreviated abstract and a list of references (relevant publications can be

found in ASCE Journals, Engineering Index, Science Citation Index, Google, etc.)

Potential projects include:

• Wind induced bridge failures (Tacoma Narrows Bridge)

• Failures during construction (Injaka Bridge-South Africa; FIU Sweetwater

University City Pedestrian Bridge-Florida)

• Fatigue and fracture failures (Silver Bridge-WV, Mianus River Bridge-CT)

• Support settlement (differential bridge settlement at bridge approaches)

• Bridge failures due to scour (Schoharie Creek Bridge-NY)

• Bridge failures due to connection issues (Mississippi River Bridge-MN)

• Bridge failures due to other issues (Genoa Bridge-Italy)

Other failures can be found at the following site:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_structural_failures_and_collapses

*ASCE Author Guide: https://ascelibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.1061/9780784479018.ch05

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 1 of 6

Coursework Specification

1 Module Information

1.1 Module Title Procurement and Supply Chain Management

1.2 Module Code Number KB7035

1.3 Module Level and Credit Points Level 7, 20 credits

1.4 Module Leader Dr. Victor Samwinga

1.5 Coursework Title Procurement Report

1.6 Coursework Specification Author Dr. Victor Samwinga

1.7 Academic Year and Semester(s)

SEM1 2021-22

2 Coursework Submission and Feedback

2.1 Release Date of Coursework Specification to Students

17:00 BST on 1 October 2021

2.2 Mechanism Used to Disseminate Coursework Specification to Students

Assessment and Submission folder on Blackboard module

2.3 Date and Time of Submission of Coursework by Students

11:59 PM on 13 December 2021

2.4 The mechanism for Submission of Coursework by Students

Turnitin digital submission portal in Assessment and Submission folder on Blackboard module

2.5 Return Date of Unconfirmed Internally Moderated Mark(s) and Feedback to Students

11:59 PM on 31 January 2022

2.6 The mechanism for Return of Unconfirmed Internally Moderated Mark(s) and Feedback to
Students

Turnitin digital submission portal and/or My Grades on Blackboard module

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 2 of 6

3 Assessment Details

3.1 Module Learning Outcomes (MLOs) Assessed by Coursework

1. MLO 1 – Establish a conceptual understanding of procurement and supply chain strategies within

the built environment projects.
2. MLO 2 – Implement and critically evaluate appropriate procurement processes by which

construction projects and services are acquired from internal and/or external sources.
3. MLO 3 – Identify and critically evaluate appropriate client requirements to develop respective

procurement and supply chain strategies that enable project success, business benefits and overall
sustainable operations.

4. MLO 4 – Embrace professionalism, demonstrate multi-disciplinary skills and apply expert and
specialised knowledge in the field of construction project management.

5. MLO 5 – Embrace intercultural cooperation through consciousness, responsible and professional
ethical conduct in a reflexive way.

3.2 Coursework Overview

Context Statement:
The construction sector continues to face many project delivery challenges such as time and cost
predictability. The need to identify and critically evaluate client requirements to develop appropriate
procurement processes has never been more important for project managers, clients and the industry at
large.

This assessment requires the submission of an individual piece of coursework. It requires the production
of a procurement report that engages with the knowledge base as well as the project and client-specific
characteristics.

It is to be written from the perspective of an inhouse procurement specialist who is making a theoretically-
, and evidence-, informed project-delivery strategy report.

This task is worth 100% of the module and addresses all Module Learning Outcomes.

3.3 Coursework Tasks to be Completed by Students

CLIENT PROJECT BRIEF

As part of Riverside Sunderland Masterplan, the Sunderland City Council plans to build 1,000 homes to

rent and buy, with community facilities and social infrastructure for a population of 2,500. The proposed

project seeks to create a unique place to live, i.e. a carbon-neutral community in a stunning landscape

setting in the heart of a great industrial city. With an extensive walking and cycling network and easy

access to public transport, Riverside Sunderland will encourage healthy living and reduce car

dependency. Smart homes will be digitally enabled for comfort, convenience and energy efficiency.

Community facilities will promote sociability and active citizenship.

Following the recent entry of the insurance giant, Legal and General, into the housing market, others are

keen to get involved too. In particular, Vitality Life has secured (for the purposes of this task) a

collaboration with the Sunderland City Council, as the primary funder, to deliver the vision for the

Riverside development project, specifically, the 1,000 homes.

The first 800 homes will be delivered in four new neighbourhoods: Vaux, Farringdon Row, Ayre’s Quay

and Sheepfolds. As the new community takes shape other opportunities will come forward, notably in the

Heart of the City. 45% of the new homes (367 units) will be south of the river, at Vaux, Farringdon Row

and Ayre’s Quay, and 55% (445) north of the river, at Sheepfolds.

The majority (72%) will be houses and maisonettes including 378 3/4-bedroom family houses. The

development will aim to achieve a relatively high density of around 74 homes per hectare across the

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 3 of 6

whole site, with a limit of less than one car parking pace per dwelling, due to the big push to reduce car

dependency and promote active travel.

Key Programme Features are described below:

1. standardised designs,

2. more accurate market intelligence,

3. providing jobs, training and supply-chain opportunities for Sunderland residents and businesses,

4. reduced costs with an ambitious 15% target,

5. improved programme certainty,

6. reduced risk, and

7. greater innovation and improved relationships across the supply chain.

Key Project features are described below:

1. Substantial cost savings,

2. Innovative, high-quality designs and sustainable standards,

3. Flexible use of space,

4. Tight construction programme with improved programme certainty,

5. Collaborative working by integrated team, across Client and Contractor teams,

6. Commitment to local economy, and

7. Improved employment and skills outputs.

The Council put forward its land assets in this partnership with Vitality Life who will, in turn, provide the

finance for the £160 million development, with both parties sharing equally in any development profit

where a development achieves a positive land value.

Although planning approval for the scheme has not yet been granted, planners are confident that this will

be secured. Although the Council’s inhouse estates team has technical construction expertise, they have

no capacity to design and project manage a scheme of this magnitude. They are therefore now seeking to

procure the necessary expertise to move the project forward:

• Necessary consultants to assist in getting the project off the ground by January 2022.

• Construction contractor(s) and such other specialists as are necessary to carry out the various

elements of construction work.

• The council’s own inhouse estates team has some initial ideas which they’re keen to explore with

the selected consultant designers.

• The client is undecided on whether to award the entire project as one contract or to break it into the

four natural packages, according to the four new neighbourhoods, namely: Vaux, Farringdon Row, Ayre’s

Quay and Sheepfolds.

• The client is also undecided as to what other key consultant it needs to assist in the securing the

completed project in order to achieve completion by September 2023.

As the only one with procurement expertise within the Local Authority’s inhouse estates Team, you have

been tasked to develop a report (refer to “Tasks to be completed by students” for further details) to guide

the council in the procurement of the various works and services required on this major redevelopment

project. The client is eager to use this project to improve the image of the North East as well as to attract

investment to Sunderland.

TASKS TO BE COMPLETED BY STUDENTS

Based on the client project brief above, prepare a high level but comprehensive procurement

report for the client, which:

1. Provides a ‘road map’ for the Local Authority, demonstrating how you should procure each

of the works and services, how the client can ensure that the scheme is completed within

budget and on time, how the client and funding partners will be involved at each stage of

the process, and other specific consultants and project participants you propose they

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 4 of 6

should procure and their primary roles in the process. In the submitted report, due

consideration should be given to:

a) Identifying the client and stakeholder needs based on this brief and associated

documentation,

b) the most suitable procurement arrangement, bearing in mind the variety of options,

c) the most suitable main standard form of contract to support the overall strategy,

d) The most suitable tendering strategy for obtaining the most economically

advantageous tender,

e) the mechanism for pricing and agreeing the price for the project,

2. Provide a critical analysis of how the Sunderland City Council and its development partners

might be able to achieve their broad aim of driving efficiencies through the supply chain

and thereby save 15% of total construction and design costs.

Additional instructions to students:

Your report should be well presented, with a one-page executive summary (no more than 250 words) at
the beginning of the report, followed by contents page, an introduction, main body and overall
conclusion/recommendation(s) at the end of your report. All the above should be submitted under a
suitable front cover, stating ONLY your student registration number, assignment title, this module’s code
and tutor name. Your report must be well structured and formatted including a contents page, page
numbers, suitable headings and sub-headings within the main body, and a declaration of your word
count.

Please note there is a maximum file size limit (20MB) on submissions to Turnitin and students must be
aware of this when preparing their report. Reports submitted by the due date and time due to their file
size will be treated as late submissions.

3.4 Expected Size of Submission

▪ The upper maximum limit for this work is 4,000 words. This word count includes:

▪ Any executive summary.
▪ The main body of text.
▪ In text citations [e.g. (Smith, 2011)].
▪ Direct quotations from primary or secondary source material.
▪ Title & Contents page.
▪ Words within tables, figures, and illustrations.
▪ Reference list.
▪ Bibliography (if also provided).
▪ Appendices.
▪ Glossary.
▪ Footnotes.

▪ Figures (diagrams, illustrations, photographs etc.) and tables are welcome to support the text, but
must be fully incorporated into the submission, integrated and following the text that fully explains
why they are exhibited. 200 words will be counted for each separate figure/table used.

▪ The work must form a structured and coherent whole.
▪ A contents page is required, including a basic front sheet for the submission, that identifies the

student number (not name), the total number of words used (including references section), and
the number of figures/tables used.

▪ ‘Footnotes’/’Endnotes’ will be permitted, as they can offer sufficient value, providing, their use is
minimal, sufficiently concise, and appropriate – they offer only ‘clarifying’ information, or add
‘adjacent’ value to the sentences already written. In other words, they are not to be used to ‘hide’
words that would otherwise normally be expected to be contained within the main body of the
text, and their use will be considered in accordance with the University policy regarding word
limits.

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 5 of 6

3.5 Referencing Style

You are to write your coursework using the Cite Them Right version of the Harvard referencing system.
An online guide to Cite Them Right is freely available to Northumbria University students at:

https://www.citethemrightonline.com/

3.6 Assessment Criteria

Marks will be awarded based on the marking matrix attached to this coursework (refer to Appendix
A).

4 Referral

The Referral Attempt opportunity will generally take place after the end-of-level Progression and Awards
Board (PAB). If you become eligible to complete a Referral Attempt but are subsequently unable to
undertake the opportunity when required, you will be permitted to re-sit the module at the next scheduled
sitting of the module assessment. This will typically entail the suspension of your progression on your
programme of study until such time that you have completed the level and become eligible to proceed.

5 Guidance for Students on Policies for Assessment

The University has several policies for assessment. The following information, which is available to you
from the link below, provides guidance on these policies, including relevant procedures and forms.

(1) Assessment Regulations and Policies
(a) Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards
(b) Group Work Assessments Policy
(c) Moderation Policy
(d) Retention of Assessed Work Policy
(e) Word Limits Policy

(2) Assessment Feedback
(a) Anonymous Marking Policy

(3) Late Submission of Work and Extension Requests
(4) Personal Extenuating Circumstances
(5) Technical Extenuating Circumstances
(6) Student Complaints and Appeals
(7) Academic Misconduct
(8) Student Disability and Unforeseen Medical Circumstances

https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/university-services/academic-registry/quality-and-teaching-
excellence/assessment/guidance-for-students/

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 6 of 6

APPENDIX A: Assessment criteria / marking scheme

HIGHER

DISTINCTION (>79%)

DISTINCTION (70-

79%)

COMMENDATION

(60-69%)

PASS (50-59%) FAIL (40-49%) POOR FAIL (0-39%)

PRESENTATION (15%)

Presentation

(structure/style,

logic/rigour, grammar

and spelling, references)

DEMONSTRATES

OUTSTANDING

ABILITY TO:

Present the work

paying attention to

structure/style,

logic/rigour, grammar

and spelling,

references

DEMONSTRATES

EXCELLENT ABILITY

TO:

Present the work

paying attention to

structure/style,

logic/rigour, grammar

and spelling,

references

DEMONSTRATES

GOOD ABILITY TO:

Present the work

paying attention to

structure/style,

logic/rigour, grammar

and spelling,

references

DEMONSTRATES

ADEQUATE ABILITY

TO:

Present the work

paying attention to

structure/style,

logic/rigour, grammar

and spelling,

references

DEMONSTRATES

INADEQUATE

ABILITY TO:

Present the work

paying attention to

structure/style,

logic/rigour, grammar

and spelling,

references

DEMONSTRATES

LITTLE OR NO

ABILITY TO:

Present the work

paying attention to

structure/style,

logic/rigour, grammar

and spelling,

references

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

AND INTRODUCTION

(5%)

Write an introduction

section and

comprehensive executive

summary that includes

are the key elements

including purpose or

report, background,

proposals and key

conclusions

DEMONSTRATES

OUTSTANDING

ABILITY TO:

Write an introduction

section and

comprehensive

executive summary

that includes are the

key elements including

purpose or report,

background, proposals

and key conclusions

DEMONSTRATES
EXCELLENT ABILITY
TO:
Write an introduction

section and

comprehensive

executive summary

that includes are the

key elements including

purpose or report,

background, proposals

and key conclusions

DEMONSTRATES
GOOD ABILITY TO:
Write an introduction

section and

comprehensive

executive summary

that includes are the

key elements including

purpose or report,

background, proposals

and key conclusions

DEMONSTRATES
ADEQUATE ABILITY
TO:
Write an introduction

section and

comprehensive

executive summary

that includes are the

key elements including

purpose or report,

background, proposals

and key conclusions

DEMONSTRATES
INADEQUATE
ABILITY TO:
Write an introduction

section and

comprehensive

executive summary

that includes are the

key elements including

purpose or report,

background, proposals

and key conclusions

DEMONSTRATES
LITTLE OR NO
ABILITY TO:
Write an introduction

section and

comprehensive

executive summary

that includes are the

key elements including

purpose or report,

background, proposals

and key conclusions

DETAILED

PROCUREMENT PLAN

FOR THE CLIENT (50%)

A detailed procurement

plan providing a ‘road

map’ for the client,

demonstrating how you

propose they should

procure each of the

works and services, how

the client can ensure that

the scheme is completed

within budget and on

time, how the client will

be involved at each

stage of the process, and

other specific consultants

and project participants

you propose they should

procure and their primary

roles in the process,

giving due consideration

should be given to the

most suitable

procurement

arrangement, the main

contract, tendering

arrangements and the

mechanism for pricing

and payment for the

project.

DEMONSTRATES

OUTSTANDING

ABILITY TO:

A detailed procurement

plan providing a ‘road

map’ for the client,

demonstrating how you

propose they should

procure each of the

works and services,

how the client can

ensure that the

scheme is completed

within budget and on

time, how the client will

be involved at each

stage of the process,

and other specific

consultants and project

participants you

propose they should

procure and their

primary roles in the

process, giving due

consideration should

be given to the most

suitable procurement

arrangement, the main

contract, tendering

arrangements and the

mechanism for pricing

and payment for the

project.

DEMONSTRATES
EXCELLENT ABILITY
TO:
A detailed procurement

plan providing a ‘road

map’ for the client,

demonstrating how you

propose they should

procure each of the

works and services,

how the client can

ensure that the

scheme is completed

within budget and on

time, how the client will

be involved at each

stage of the process,

and other specific

consultants and project

participants you

propose they should

procure and their

primary roles in the

process, giving due

consideration should

be given to the most

suitable procurement

arrangement, the main

contract, tendering

arrangements and the

mechanism for pricing

and payment for the

project.

DEMONSTRATES
GOOD ABILITY TO:
Develop a detailed

procurement plan

providing a ‘road map’

for the client,

demonstrating how you

propose they should

procure each of the

works and services,

how the client can

ensure that the

scheme is completed

within budget and on

time, how the client will

be involved at each

stage of the process,

and other specific

consultants and project

participants you

propose they should

procure and their

primary roles in the

process, giving due

consideration should

be given to the most

suitable procurement

arrangement, the main

contract, tendering

arrangements and the

mechanism for pricing

and payment for the

project.

DEMONSTRATES
ADEQUATE ABILITY
TO:
Develop a detailed

procurement plan

providing a ‘road map’

for the client,

demonstrating how you

propose they should

procure each of the

works and services,

how the client can

ensure that the

scheme is completed

within budget and on

time, how the client will

be involved at each

stage of the process,

and other specific

consultants and project

participants you

propose they should

procure and their

primary roles in the

process, giving due

consideration should

be given to the most

suitable procurement

arrangement, the main

contract, tendering

arrangements and the

mechanism for pricing

and payment for the

project.

DEMONSTRATES
INADEQUATE
ABILITY TO:
Develop a detailed

procurement plan

providing a ‘road map’

for the client,

demonstrating how you

propose they should

procure each of the

works and services,

how the client can

ensure that the

scheme is completed

within budget and on

time, how the client will

be involved at each

stage of the process,

and other specific

consultants and project

participants you

propose they should

procure and their

primary roles in the

process, giving due

consideration should

be given to the most

suitable procurement

arrangement, the main

contract, tendering

arrangements and the

mechanism for pricing

and payment for the

project.

DEMONSTRATES
LITTLE OR NO
ABILITY TO:
Develop a detailed

procurement plan

providing a ‘road map’

for the client,

demonstrating how you

propose they should

procure each of the

works and services,

how the client can

ensure that the

scheme is completed

within budget and on

time, how the client will

be involved at each

stage of the process,

and other specific

consultants and project

participants you

propose they should

procure and their

primary roles in the

process, giving due

consideration should

be given to the most

suitable procurement

arrangement, the main

contract, tendering

arrangements and the

mechanism for pricing

and payment for the

project.

HOW TO DRIVE

EFFECIENCIES

THROUGH THE

SUPPLY CHAIN (20%)

Provide a critical analysis

of how the Sunderland

City Council and its

development partners

might be able to achieve

their broad aim of driving

efficiencies through the

supply chain and thereby

save 15% of total

construction and design

costs

DEMONSTRATES

OUTSTANDING

ABILITY TO:

Provide a critical

analysis of how the

Sunderland City

Council and its

development partners

might be able to

achieve their broad

aim of driving

efficiencies through the

supply chain and

thereby save 15% of

total construction and

design costs

DEMONSTRATES
EXCELLENT ABILITY
TO:
Provide a critical

analysis of how the

Sunderland City

Council and its

development partners

might be able to

achieve their broad

aim of driving

efficiencies through the

supply chain and

thereby save 15% of

total construction and

design costs

DEMONSTRATES
GOOD ABILITY TO:
Provide a critical

analysis of how the

Sunderland City

Council and its

development partners

might be able to

achieve their broad

aim of driving

efficiencies through the

supply chain and

thereby save 15% of

total construction and

design costs

DEMONSTRATES
ADEQUATE ABILITY
TO:
Provide a critical

analysis of how the

Sunderland City

Council and its

development partners

might be able to

achieve their broad

aim of driving

efficiencies through the

supply chain and

thereby save 15% of

total construction and

design costs

DEMONSTRATES
INADEQUATE
ABILITY TO:
Provide a critical

analysis of how the

Sunderland City

Council and its

development partners

might be able to

achieve their broad

aim of driving

efficiencies through the

supply chain and

thereby save 15% of

total construction and

design costs

DEMONSTRATES
LITTLE OR NO
ABILITY TO:
Provide a critical

analysis of how the

Sunderland City

Council and its

development partners

might be able to

achieve their broad

aim of driving

efficiencies through the

supply chain and

thereby save 15% of

total construction and

design costs

CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

(10%)

Conclusions and

recommendations to the

report

DEMONSTRATES

OUTSTANDING

ABILITY TO:

Write Conclusions and

recommendations to a

report

DEMONSTRATES
EXCELLENT ABILITY
TO:
Write Conclusions and

recommendations to a

report

DEMONSTRATES
GOOD ABILITY TO:
Write Conclusions and

recommendations to a

report

DEMONSTRATES
ADEQUATE ABILITY
TO:
Write Conclusions and

recommendations to a

report

DEMONSTRATES
INADEQUATE
ABILITY TO:
Write Conclusions and

recommendations to a

report

DEMONSTRATES
LITTLE OR NO
ABILITY TO:
Write Conclusions and

recommendations to a

report

ABSTRACT

Bridges without design plans are an existing problem

throughout the United States and other countries.

Conventional load rating techniques cannot be

utilized when evaluating planless prestressed

concrete bridges, as no design documentation exists

to indicate the amount and location of reinforcement.

This paper presents an implementation plan for load

rating prestressed concrete bridges without plans

using advanced structural analyses in conjunction

with non-destructive experimental methods.
A multi-step procedure was developed that

includes the following. First, the material properties
of the bridge, amount of prestressing steel, and strand
eccentricity are estimated based on historical code
requirements and Magnel diagrams. Second, the
estimate of the number of prestressing strands and
locations is validated, and the shear reinforcement
layout in the bridge beams is determined using non-
destructive testing equipment (e,g., rebar scanner). In
addition, a Windsor Probe penetration test is
conducted to verify the concrete strength assumption.
Third, the available strain capacity in the existing
bridge beams is calculated based on the structure
dimensions, material properties, physical condition,
and estimated cracking moment. Also computed is
the minimum target proof load needed to reach the
available strain capacity based on the axle weights
and spacings of the test vehicles. Fourth, the bridge
is instrumented to measure the strains induced by
physical testing. Fifth, a diagnostic load test is
conducted under a truck load of roughly 60% of the
target proof load to determine the critical load paths
and sixth, a proof test is performed until the available
strain capacity (based on concrete cracking) or the
target proof load is reached. Seventh, rating factors
for AASHTO and New Mexico legal loads are
computed for the serviceability limit state (i.e.,
concrete cracking) based on the proof test results in
accordance with the AASHTO Manual for Bridge
Evaluation (2011). Eighth, using a load rating
software program, the rating factors for the strength
limit state (i.e., shear or flexural capacity) are
determined based on the measured bridge dimensions
and estimated material properties. Finally, the
serviceability ratings from proof testing and strength
ratings from the load rating software program are

compared to determine the final load ratings and need
for posting the bridges. This procedure was organized
into a flowchart, shown in Figure 1. The initial
condition of the bridge and the results from non-
destructive experimental testing are used in the flow
chart to guide the evaluation process for each bridge
by selecting the most efficient load rating procedure.

Figure 1. Load rating flowchart.

Finally, three case studies involving double T-beam,
box beam, and I-grider bridges are presented to show
the inspection and evaluation process. Overall, the
implementation plan is shown to be effective in load
rating prestressed concrete bridges, regardless of
superstructure type.

REFERENCES

American Association of State Highway and Transportation

Officials (AASHTO). (2011). Manual for Bridge

Evaluation, 2nd Edition, Washington, D.C.

Implementation Plan for Load Rating Prestressed Concrete Bridges
without Plans

.

Journal of Building Engineering 42 (2021) 102475

Available online 18 April 2021
2352-7102/© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2019 energy benchmarking data for LEED-certified buildings in
Washington, D.C.: Simulation and reality

Ming Hu
University of Maryland, School of Architecture, Planning, Preservation, USA

A R T I C L E I N F O

Keywords:
Energy benchmarking
For LEED-Certified buildings
Simulation
Reality

A B S T R A C T

This study aims to understand the actual performance difference between LEED buildings and non-LEED
buildings. Since 2012, the District of Columbia (DC) has amended regulations so that all buildings must
report their building energy use. We have cross-referenced the most recently published data of the 2019 DC
energy benchmarking database with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED project database to identify DC
properties in both databases that are expected to reduce building operating energy use and greenhouse gas
emissions. We compared LEED office buildings and non-LEED-certified office buildings using their reported
operating source and site energy use intensity (EUI). The results show that LEED office buildings do not perform
better at any of the certified levels. On the contrary, those reported LEED buildings collectively use 17% more
source energy and 13% more site energy than non-LEED buildings. Among the different LEED levels, LEED Silver
appears to perform slightly better than the other LEED levels. Meanwhile only around 33% of qualified LEED
office buildings reported their actual energy use according to the DC regulation. The purpose of this study is not
to criticize the LEED rating system; instead, we want to improve the system in order to meet DC’s carbon
neutrality goal. To this extent, we conclude that the U.S. LEED rating system can benefit from learning from other
green building rating systems that include reporting and verification as prerequisite requirements.

1. Introduction

Commercial buildings are a large energy consumer. In 2012, large
commercial buildings in the United States had more than 25,000 ft2 of
floor space each, accounting for about 69% of total commercial building
energy use [1]. Larger commercial buildings, covering over 200,000 ft2,
only accounted for 1% of total commercial buildings, but they contrib-
uted to 26% of the total commercial building energy consumption [1].
Among commercial buildings, offices accounted for 18% of total floor
space and 20% of overall site energy use, with the latter being the largest
category (for energy-consuming) in commercial buildings [1]. Reducing
office energy use not only has a bigger impact on overall commercial
building energy performance improvement but also can provide some
valuable lessons for other commercial building categories.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), by the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building
certification in the United States. Since its establishment in 2000, the
credibility of LEED certification has been debated. Most criticism is
centered around the actual energy performance of LEED-certified
buildings and whether LEED actually implies energy efficiency and

sustainability [2]. Amiril et al. (2019) reviewed 44 peered-reviewed
articles focusing on the energy performance of LEED buildings. Ten
papers concluded that LEED buildings had higher energy efficiency,
eight studies stated the opposite conclusion, and the remaining papers
did not articulate the comparison. However, the consensus is that the
energy efficiency of LEED buildings is questionable, and modifications
to the LEED Energy and Atmosphere category are recommended to
improve actual building performance [2]. In the past several years, the
mid-Atlantic region has remained the “LEED building leader,” which is
perceived as a progressive region leading the efforts to pursue sustain-
able design [3]. The District of Columbia has consistently led the nation
in registering and certifying LEED buildings. In 2018, the city certified
61.74 ft2 of space per resident across 145 building projects, which is
more than 10 times the per capita number for top-ranked states, such as
Illinois [3]. It is necessary to investigate the actual performance of those
LEED buildings in DC.

In 2008, DC passed the Clean and Affordable Energy Act (CAEA),
which requires that all buildings with a gross floor area of 50,000 ft2

(4645 m2) or greater to report their actual building energy and water use
annually. The DC government must also annually benchmark and

E-mail address: mhu2008@umd.edu.

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Building Engineering

journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jobe

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.102475
Received 20 September 2020; Received in revised form 25 March 2021; Accepted 26 March 2021

Journal of Building Engineering 42 (2021) 102475

2

disclose the energy and water efficiency of district government buildings
over 10,000 ft2 (929 m2) [4]. The benchmarking is done according to the
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® by the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA), which is an industry-standard free online tool [5]. It
was developed to provide a method for comparing the energy con-
sumption of a commercial building with that of similar activities,
adjusting for size, climate, and operational characters [6,7]. This
method makes it possible to determine the actual LEED building per-
formance by cross-referencing DC energy benchmarking data (from the
DC government website) and LEED project inventory (from the USGBC
website) to understand whether LEED office buildings perform better
than non-LEED buildings.

2. Materials and method

The overall data cleaning and searching process is illustrated in
Fig. 1.

2.1. Energy benchmarking data

Since 2012, the District of Columbia has released benchmarking data
for more than a thousand buildings under the benchmarking law [8]. It
includes all private buildings over 50,000 gross ft2 within the District of
Columbia, including multifamily residences, offices, education build-
ings, mixed-use buildings, hospitals, libraries, hotels, K-12 schools, su-
permarkets, colleges/universities, restaurants, and police stations,
among others. The following data was reported: 1591 buildings in 2013,
1849 buildings in 2014, 2015 buildings in 2016, 1847 buildings in 2017,
2095 buildings in 2018, and 2162 buildings in 2019. For this study, we
use the dataset from 2019 (based on 2018 operations), which has the
highest data reporting compliance: 1343 buildings. Among all buildings
included in the 2019 report, we excluded buildings that were exempt
from 2019’s disclosure, those that currently have data under review, and
those with no report received, which resulted in 1333 buildings. Among
those buildings, the building types included commercial office buildings
(478), K-12 schools (29), and multifamily housing (556); the remaining
buildings cover 35 other building types. The released data includes both
descriptive and energy use information; Table 1 Table 1 lists the specific
information released for each building [9].

The USGBC publishes a database of all LEED-registered buildings
worldwide. When we extracted the inventory from the USGBC website
(May 2020), USGBC had nearly 126,177 buildings; 97,378 in the United
States, with 2917 in Washington, D.C., and none of the DC buildings
were listed as confidential without further identifying information.
Among 2917 buildings, 1530 of those buildings were certified at
different levels, and only 7 buildings were reported to have been certi-
fied before January 1, 2008, the beginning of the year for which DC
energy benchmarking data was mandated.

Another database we used as a baseline comparison was the Com-
mercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) data, which was
published on the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) website.
EIA is the organization responsible for conducting surveys of building
energy use and managing and publishing CBECS data. In 2018, EIA

released the most recent CBECS data, which was based on a 2015 survey.
CBECS provided a snapshot of the U.S. commercial building sector
characteristics and energy performance [10].

2.2. Energy measurement metric: gross EUI

The energy use intensity was chosen as a measuring unit and is
measured by the energy use kWh (kBtu in the U.S.) divided by the total
gross floor area of a building in m2 (ft2 in the U.S.). Regarding individual
buildings’ energy efficiency, both the mean EUI [11] and median EUI
[12] have been used to compare LEED buildings and non-LEED buildings
in previous studies [8]. The EPA has been using the mean EUI as a
benchmark tool to measure the decrease of energy use in U.S. buildings
[13]. However, simply using the reported EUI of individual buildings to
calculate the mean or median EUI can lead to misleading results. This
study adopted a method proposed and verified by Dr. John H. Scofield in
2013 [14]. He demonstrated that using the EUI (mean or median) of an
individual building for calculation of the mean or median EUI of a set of
buildings actually treats small and large buildings equally, despite large
buildings contributing more total energy. This discovery has been
clearly demonstrated in his Chicago LEED building study [15]. He
showed that even when two buildings’ sets have identical numbers of
buildings and an identical total floor area, it is possible for one set of
buildings to use more energy than the other set, despite having a lower
mean or median EUI [16]. Therefore, Scofield proposed a mathemati-
cally consistent and useful generalization of EUI for a set of N buildings,
where the gross EUI (GEUI) is calculated (see the following equation),
which is the mathematical equivalent of the area-weighted mean EUI,
e[16].

e =
∑

Ej
∑

Aj

where
∑

Aj is the total floor area for the building set, and
∑

Ej is the
total energy use for the building set.

GEUI is used by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for the
U.S. Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, which has been
used by many researchers to study building energy use and efficiency.
GEUI can be used to compare sets of buildings with different numbers of

Fig. 1. Data-acquiring process.

Table 1
Building properties extracted from the Washington, D.C. public Building
Benchmarking Portal [9].

Property
Description

Energy Use CO2 Emissions

Property name Energy star score Total emissions (GHG)
Address Source EUI Total emissions intensity

(GHG)
Zip code Site EUI
Property type Weather normalized source

EUI
Owner Weather normalized site EUI
Ward Electricity use
Year built Natural gas use
Gross floor area

M. Hu

Journal of Building Engineering 42 (2021) 102475

3

buildings and different total floor areas. In addition, source energy is
used in this study, since source energy provides a more accurate mea-
surement of understanding the total energy impact of a building.

2.3. LEED building identification

DC benchmarking data does not include LEED certification infor-
mation to identify the LEED-certified buildings that also reported the
actual building energy use in the DC benchmarking database. We cross-
referenced the 2019 benchmarking database with USGBC’s LEED project
directory, extracted in May 2020, which included projects registered by
December 2019. There are 643 projects with a floor area over 50,000 ft2

(4650 m2) that were certified at levels from Certified to Platinum. The
rating system includes New Construction, Core and Shell, School, BD +
C, and EB O + M [17].

Then, based on the project names and street addresses, we searched
for all of the LEED-certified buildings in the DC benchmarking data file.
This process allowed us to identify 205 office buildings that were
included in both the DC benchmarking database and LEED projects li-
brary. Among the 205 buildings, there are five buildings that share the
same street address, which means that one property corresponds with
two or more different LEED projects at different certification levels. For
example, one LEED project was certified as LEED Silver and another was
certified as LEED Gold. However, in the benchmark report, there is only
one project reported. The reported floor areas listed in the two databases
were not identical; therefore, it was hard to determine which LEED
project was reported in the benchmarking database. Consequently, we
excluded those projects in the analysis. We also matched the gross floor
area in the two databases; not all buildings have a matching reported
floor size. We excluded the projects that have a difference in the re-
ported floor area that is over 10%. There are a couple of buildings that
have been certified twice; for instance, one building was certified as
Silver in 2010 and then certified as Platinum in 2018. In this study, the
higher and more recent certification was used to reflect a recent energy
performance measurement. This resulted in 197 buildings for the anal-
ysis; the breakdown of the 197 office buildings is illustrated in Table 2.

3. Results

In 2019, according to the DC benchmarking database, as mentioned
earlier, 1333 buildings are in compliance with the reporting re-
quirements. Among the 1333 buildings, there is a total of 478 office
buildings, which account for 36% of all buildings in the benchmarking
database. The largest category in the benchmarking database is multi-
family buildings (556); although this study focuses on office buildings,
future studies will look into multifamily housing. The cross-referencing
with the LEED project inventory resulted in the identification of 197
LEED-certified office buildings in both databases. The number of other
LEED-certified building types did not have a sufficient match in the
benchmarking database. The basic statistics for LEED-certified and non-
LEED (other) buildings are summarized in Table 3; the data includes the
building year (median), total floor area, gross site and source EUI, and
CO2 intensities. The value of the relative standard error (RSE) was
extracted from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s website.
According to EIA, the relative standard error is a measure of the

reliability of precision in the survey statistics. The value for the relative
standard error can be used to construct confidence intervals and to
perform hypothesis tests by standard statistical methods [18].

3.1. DC buildings vs. national and regional buildings

It is important to compare the energy use pattern between DC
buildings and national and regional office buildings. Table 4 lists the
number of buildings, total gross floor area, gross site EUI, gross source
EUI, and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity. The GHG
intensity is calculated using fuel data combined with e-grid information
about the regional electric grid [29]. The national reported median gross
EUI for office buildings was reported by the U.S. ENERGY STAR Port-
folio Manager in 2018; those EUI figures were based on 2018 CBECS
survey data. Office buildings nationwide have a gross site and source
EUI of 52.9 kBtu/ft2 (166.9 kWh/m2) and 116.4 kBtu/ft2 (367.2
kWh/m2), respectively. Comparing these national values, in Washing-
ton, D.C., office buildings use considerably more energy, both site and
source energy.

We then dove deeper to understand which office building group/set
had the highest energy use, and we found two important indicators of
energy performance: building size and building age. Table 5 lists the
properties from several U.S. building sets extracted from the 2018
CBECS survey data. These include all U.S. office buildings (CBECS-Off),
large (>4645 m2 or 50,000 ft2) U S. office buildings (CBECS-larg-Off), all
regional buildings (CBECS-reg), regional office buildings (CBECS-Reg-
Off), and large regional office buildings (CBECS-Reg-larg-Off). Regional
buildings are defined as being in the Mid-Atlantic census region and
climate zones 4a and 4b. The CBECS data shows that office buildings
tend to have higher site and source EUI than other buildings in the Mid-
Atlantic region, at±35.7%. Larger office buildings have a slightly higher
energy intensity compared to smaller ones, at±11.5%. It is important to
note that regional (Mid-Atlantic) office building sets have higher site
and source EUI than those of national building sets. DC office building
sets have higher energy use intensity compared to the national median
but lower energy use intensity than that of regional building sets.

As for the age of buildings, Fig. 2(a) shows that DC LEED office

Table 2
LEED office buildings included in the study.

LEED
Level

Buildings
(N)

Medium Gross Floor
Space

GEUI
(source)

GEUI
(site)

(m2) kWh/m2 kWh/m2

Certified 16 9073 487.1 155.2
Silver 54 21,788 448.6 171
Gold 104 26,219 490.9 178.2
Platinum 24 22,977 469.1 183.9

Table 3
Summary of LEED and non-LEED office buildings in the DC benchmarking
database. Median year of construction, total floor area.

Building
Subset

N Median
Year

Floor
Gross
Area

Gross Site EUI Gross Source
EUI

(m2) kwh/
m2

RES kWh/
m2

RES

DC LEED
Offices

197 1988 25,163 186.4 2.7% 501.3 2.7%

DC non-
LEED
Offices

284 1980 15,147 151.1 2.1% 393.1 2.1%

Table 4
Summary of reported buildings in DC benchmarking database of office buildings
and national office buildings extracted from CBECS 2018 survey data. The gross
mean EUI is calculated using area weighting, and relative standard errors
represent standard deviation.

Building
Type

N Floor
Gross
Area

Building
Age

Gross
Site
EUI

Gross
Source
EUI

CO2
Intensity

(m2) (kWh/
m2)

(kWh/
m2)

DC
Offices

481 19242 1982 184.2 488.9 5.7

National
Offices

1,012,000 1487 1975 166.9 367.2 5.4

M. Hu

Journal of Building Engineering 42 (2021) 102475

4

buildings are newer than the average DC office buildings and national
office buildings; 47% of DC LEED buildings were built after 1990 (new
or renovated), whereas nationwide, only 30% of office buildings were
built after 1990. It has been shown in CBECS 2003 and 2012 data that
newer office buildings tend to have higher source EUI than older office
buildings [20]. Scofield also found from the NYC benchmarking report
that older office buildings had lower site EUI than newer office buildings
[Scofield 2013]. Fig. 2(b) demonstrates that DC LEED offices have a
larger building size; in this study, buildings with a floor area over 50,
000 ft2 were defined as larger buildings. Additionally, 95% of DC LEED
office buildings are large buildings, while only 84% of office buildings
nationwide are described as large buildings. Based on 2018 CBECS data,
newer buildings tend to be larger than older buildings [21]. The two
building characteristics when combined, a larger floor space and newer
construction, contribute to the higher EUI of DC LEED office buildings,
both in source and site energy.

3.2. LEED vs. non-LEED

We first looked at 197 office buildings. In general, LEED office
buildings do not exhibit reduced on-site or source energy consumption.
Fig. 3(a) represents a comparison of the distribution of source EUI for
LEED buildings (in green) and non-LEED buildings (in orange). On the X-
axis, the first bin represents the buildings with 0 < EUI≤20kBtu/ft2, and

the last bin corresponds to source EUI≤360kBtu/ft2. Figure 3(a) shows
an area-weighted histogram in which each bar represents the percentage
of the total building gross floor area having site EUI that falls within a
particular bin. For example, the first bin represents a floor area with 0 ≤
EUI ​ ≤ 20kBtu/ft2 while the 20th bin represents the range
380 ≤ EUI ​ ≤ 360kBtu/ft2. The Y-axis indicates the value percent of the
building floor areas that fall into a certain EUI bin. The green bars above
the horizontal line present the area-weighted source EUI of LEED
buildings (n = 197), and the orange bars below the horizontal line are
the area-weighted source EUI of non-LEED buildings (n = 284). The
graph demonstrates that the mean source GEUI for LEED offices is higher
than that of non-LEED office buildings. Next, we further calculated the
area-weighted means, which showed the area-weighted mean of source
GEUI of LEED buildings as 17.13% higher than that of non-LEED office
buildings. In order to verify the statistical significance of the two sets of
different mean EUIs, the standard student t-test with two samples of
equal variance [30] was performed, which produced a t-value of 4.65,
corresponding to a two-sided p-value of 0.0000043. This means that
there is more than a 99.9% chance that this difference is not accidental.
Thus we concluded that in 2019, DC LEED offices, on average, used
17.13% more source energy per unit area than did non-LEED offices.
The same process has been repeated for site energy use, with the results
shown in Fig. 3(b). DC LEED offices, on average, used 13.23% more site
energy per unit area than did DC non-LEED office buildings.

Table 5
Breakdown and characteristics of LEED buildings.

Building Sets N Gross Floor Area (m2) Site GEUI (kwh/m2) Source EUI (kwh/m2)

Building weight Area weight Building weight Area weight

DC-LEED-off 197 25,163 612 671 1686 1804
CBECS-off 1013 1,487,098,961 600 662 1322 1340
CBECS-larg-off 53 794,320 698 702 1782 1800
CBECS-reg 504 1,044,415,975 617 603 1128 1102
CBECS-reg-Off 94 275,457,513 837 883 1751 1767
CBECS-reg-larg-off 56 69,677 933 961 1832 19 1882

Fig. 2. Year of construction and buildings’ size comparison.

Fig. 3. Source and site EUI comparison of DC LEED and non-LEED buildings.

M. Hu

Journal of Building Engineering 42 (2021) 102475

5

t-Test was conducted to verify whether there is difference between
LEED building energy use and those of non-LEED building, both site EUI
and source EUI were studied. The results from Table 6 confirmed there is
energy use intensity difference between LEED and Non-LEED. (P <
0.05).

3.3. The performance of different LEED levels for buildings

The 197 LEED office buildings can be broken down into different
certification levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The break-
down and characteristics of these LEED buildings are listed in Table 7.

Fig. 4 shows that LEED Gold buildings account for more than 50% of
LEED buildings, followed by LEED Silver.

Fig. 5 shows that when comparing site energy use, LEED buildings do
not perform better than non-LEED buildings, and this is true at all LEED
levels. Compared to non-LEED office buildings, LEED Certified buildings
use 3% more gross site energy, LEED Silver buildings use 13% more,
LEED Gold buildings use 18% more, and LEED Platinum buildings use
22% more. Additionally, in contrast to non-LEED buildings, LEED
Certified buildings use 24% more gross source energy, LEED Silver
buildings use 14%, LEED Gold buildings use 24%, and LEED Platinum
buildings use 19% more. The results for LEED Gold and LEED Silver
buildings are significant, at the 95% confidence level, whereas the LEED
Certified and LEED Platinum results are less so (85% confidence level).

Among the LEED categories, LEED Platinum and LEED Certified per-
formed worse than LEED Silver and LEED Gold. LEED Silver was the best-
performing category among all LEED buildings, for both source and site
EUI. In terms of performance distribution, for gross source energy, LEED
Gold had a much higher concentration in the GEUI range, between 120
and 180, and other LEED categories had similar concentrations in the
GEUI range, between 120 and 220. For gross site energy, LEED Silver
buildings had a slightly higher concentration in the GEUI range, be-
tween 50 and 60, and other LEED buildings had a normal distribution,
between 20 and 80.

4. Discussion

4.1. How this study compares to previous results

There are limited studies on the actual performance of sustainable
buildings, and very few on LEED buildings due to unavailable perfor-
mance data. To the author’s knowledge, there are two studies that are
similar to this project, which can be compared to the results of this
study. Scofield (2013) studied 953 large New York City office buildings
from the 2011 ENERGY STAR Energy Performance Rating database and
found 21 matching LEED buildings. Regarding energy consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions, he concluded that LEED buildings do not
perform better when compared with non-LEED buildings. Moreover, he
found the LEED Gold level outperformed other buildings by 20% while
LEED Silver and LEED Certified office buildings underperformed
compared to other office buildings [22]. Saldanha et al. (2016)
cross-referenced LEED data with a New York City local law (LL84) that
requires both city-owned and private buildings to report their actual
annual energy and water use, and they identified 91 LEED buildings,
including 66 offices and 25 multifamily buildings. The analysis results

confirmed Scofield’s study: they found NYC LEED office buildings per-
formed slightly worse than non-LEED buildings, with an average source
EUI that was about 7% higher. Similarly, LEED multifamily buildings
performed worse, with an approximate average source EUI 30% over
that of non-LEED buildings [23]. Later, in 2018, Scofield compared
Chicago LEED buildings against Chicago benchmarking data, and found
that for offices, K-12 schools, and multifamily buildings, LEED buildings
did not use less source energy than similar non-LEED buildings. On the
contrary, LEED schools used 17% more source energy than did other
non-LEED schools [24]. The findings from our study on the District of
Columbia office building performance are aligned with those of previous
studies. A significant energy performance gap exists for LEED buildings
across different regions and building types. An energy performance gap
is the difference between the project (simulated) energy performance
and the actual performance delivered in operation. This gap has been a
known problem for a while [25]. Cali et al. (2016) studied refurbished
German houses and found that the missed predicted saving varies be-
tween 41% and 117% [26]. In the UK, a reported by the Building Per-
formance Evaluation programme looked at 50 modern and green
buildings and found that non-residential buildings were not meeting
performance expectations. The reported showed supermarkets, offices,
schools and health centers were normally using up to 3.4 times more
energy than they were designed for and produced on average 3.8 times
the predicated carbon emissions [27].

Experts in the building industry often relate this gap to four potential
causes: flaws in the construction caused by builders, overly complicated

Table 6
t-Test results: comparision of energy use tensity between LEED building and
Non-LEED.

Comparison site energy use source energy use

df 474 474
t Stat 4.336410667 4.651497681
P(T ≤ t) one-tail 8.85173E-06 2.14028E-06
t Critical one-tail 1.64807466 1.64807466
P(T ≤ t) two-tail 0.000017703 0.000004281
t Critical two-tail 1.964981363 1.964981363

Table 7
Breakdown of DC LEED building characteristics.

Office
Building
Sets

N Floor Area
(total) ft2

Site EUI
(kBtu/ft2)

Area
weight

Source
EUI
(kBtu/ft2)

Area
weight

Building
weight

Building
weight

LEED
(Cert)

16 2,731,622 48.1 49.2 147.1 154.4

LEED
(Silver)

55 15,215,805 53.7 54.2 148.7 150.7

LEED
(Gold)

101 34,681,887 56.1 56.6 151.2 154.5

LEED
(Plat)

23 5,671,755 52.8 58.3 148.7 149.6

DC- non-
LEED

284 58,357,176 63.7 64 162.5 168.2

Fig. 4. DC LEED building breakdown.

M. Hu

Journal of Building Engineering 42 (2021) 102475

6

energy-saving technologies [],unpredicted occupant behavior [Cali
et al., 2016], and inaccurate energy modeling [28]. Recently, the focus
has been on occupants’ behavior and the reliability of energy modeling.
Studies have been conducted to determine the factors causing the in-
accuracy of the energy modeling. Knowledge of and experience with the
energy model play an important role. It was found that modelers often
underestimate operating hours, which could possibly be due to opti-
mism bias or lack of experience in accounting for uncertainty [U.K
Government]. To date, the large gap between predicted energy saving
and actual performance has not been sufficiently addressed even after
recognition of the issue. There is high potential harm in keeping such an
issued unaddressed for long. If the assumption continues that all LEED
buildings can perform at the level they are initially projected at, this
misperception may lead to LEED buildings actually using more energy
and emitting more carbon.

Unlike the study of NYC LEED buildings, in our DC study, LEED Gold
office buildings do not perform better than non-LEED buildings. Instead,
they have about 24% higher source energy consumption and 18% higher
site energy than those of non-LEED office buildings. LEED-certified
buildings use 24% higher source energy and 3% higher site energy
than those of non-LEED buildings. LEED Silver buildings use 14% more
source energy and 13% more site energy. LEED Platinum buildings use
19% more source energy and 22% m

Write an essay (about 2 pages) to introduce time mean and space mean speed (definition, relationship,

etc.) and explain why space mean speed, not time mean speed, is used for traffic flow analysis. You can

search the articles on the Internet to collect related information (using any format for references you

use). The grading is based on the following rubric (full score is 30 points):

Criteria Inadequate= 2 (Below

Standard)

Adequate= 3

(Meets Standard)

Above Average= 4

(Exceeds

Standard)

Exemplary= 5 (Far

Exceeds Standard)

Organization Writing lacks logical

organization. It shows

some coherence but

ideas lack unity.

Serious errors.

Writing is

coherent and

logically

organized. Some

points remain

misplaced and

stray from the

topic. Transitions

evident but not

used throughout

essay.

Writing is

coherent and

logically

organized with

transitions used

between ideas and

paragraphs to

create coherence.

Overall unity of

ideas is present.

Writing shows

high degree of

attention to logic

and reasoning of

points. Unity

clearly leads the

reader to the

conclusion and

stirs thought

regarding the

topic.

Level of

Content

Shows some thinking

and reasoning but

most ideas are

underdeveloped and

unoriginal.

Content indicates

thinking and

reasoning applied

with original

thought on a few

ideas.

Content indicates

original thinking

and develops ideas

with sufficient and

firm evidence.

Content indicates

synthesis of ideas,

in-depth analysis

and evidences

original thought

and support for the

topic.

Development Main points lack

detailed development.

Ideas are vague with

little evidence of

critical thinking.

Main points are

present with

limited detail and

development.

Some critical

thinking is present.

Main points well

developed with

quality supporting

details and

quantity. Critical

thinking is weaved

into points

Main points well

developed with

high quality and

quantity support.

Reveals high

degree of critical

thinking.

Grammar &

Mechanics

Spelling, punctuation,

and grammatical

errors create

distraction, making

reading difficult;

fragments, comma

splices, run-ons

evident. Errors are

frequent.

Most spelling,

punctuation, and

grammar correct

allowing reader to

progress though

essay. Some errors

remain.

Essay has few

spelling,

punctuation, and

grammatical errors

allowing reader to

follow ideas

clearly. Very few

fragments or run-

ons.

Essay is free of

distracting

spelling,

punctuation, and

grammatical

errors; absent of

fragments, comma

splices, and run-

ons.

Style Mostly in elementary

form with little or no

variety in sentence

structure, diction,

Approaches

college level usage

of some variety in

sentence patterns,

Attains college

level style; tone is

appropriate and

rhetorical devices

Shows outstanding

style going beyond

usual college

level; rhetorical

rhetorical devices or

emphasis.

diction, and

rhetorical devices.

used to enhance

content; sentence

variety used

effectively.

devices and tone

used effectively;

creative use of

sentence structure

and coordination

Format Fails to follow format

and assignment

requirements;

incorrect margins,

spacing and

indentation; neatness

of essay needs

attention.

Meets format and

assignment

requirements;

generally correct

margins, spacing,

and indentations;

essay is neat but

may have some

assembly errors.

Meets format and

assignment

requirements;

margins, spacing,

and indentations

are correct; essay

is neat and

correctly

assembled.

Meets all formal

and assignment

requirements and

evidences

attention to detail;

all margins,

spacing and

indentations are

correct; essay is

neat and correctly

assembled with

professional look.

Assignment – Ethics Case 2

DUE ON: Tuesday, March 22
nd

(submitted in Canvas)

Please type your discussion and attach this sheet as cover page

with your name at the top

Instructions: Read the attached ethics issue about plagiarism of a geotechnical report

from “A Question of Ethics, a Case Study” published in ASCE News. Write an essay in

narrative form , 1-2 pages long, addressing as a minimum the questions below and

providing your opinion and discussion on the case and decisions.

1) What actions (by the engineer and supervisor PE) are being questioned in this case?
2) In your opinion, was what they did professionally correct? Discuss.
3) Was it ethical? Discuss.
4) What was the determination and action of the ASCE CPC in this case?
5) Have you seen this problem occurring frequently among your peers? If so, in

your opinion, do those who plagiarize report material written by others know that

this action is likely to be in violation of core ethical principles of our profession?

6) What can we learn from this case? Provide your opinion.

$6&( 1HZV $SULO

A Question of Ethics

a c a s e s t u d y

This new column—to appear monthly—will examine

an ethics issue reviewed by ASCE’s Com-mittee on

Professional Conduct (CPC). It is written by a

member of ASCE’s legal staff on issues brought to the

attention of ASCE’s attorneys.

SITUATION: In the process of preparing a

geotechnical report for a high-rise apartment

project proposed by a client, an engineer and

his supervisor plagiarized a report prepared by

another engineering firm for a similar project.

The engineer writing the report in question had

obtained a copy of the report prepared by the

other engineering firm from his supervisor,

who furnished it to him in an effort to assist

him in preparing the report.The engineer liked

the style of writing in that report and decided

to use language from it in his own report.This

language, however, did not relate to or affect

the technical conclusions and recommenda-

tions of the report in question.The time frame

for completing the report was very tight, and

the supervisor, who was listed as a coauthor of

the report, approved it after evaluating the

technical issues but without thoroughly

reviewing the background information.

QUESTION: Did the engineer, his supervi-

sor, or both violate ASCE’s Code of Ethics?

According to canon 5(e) of the code,“Engi-

neers shall give proper credit for engineering

work to those to whom credit is due,and

shall recognize the proprietary interests of

others. Whenever possible, they shall name

the per-son or persons who may be

responsible for designs, inventions, writings,

or other accom-plishments.”
Plagiarizing, or publishing someone else’s

written work as if it were one’s own, is a vio-

lation of canon 5(e).This is a serious offense,

equivalent to the theft of someone’s property.

DECISION: In this particular case, the CPC—

the body responsible for investigating ethics

complaints against ASCE members and

recommending sanctions, when appropriate, to

the Board of Direction and the Executive

Committee—determined that both the engineer

who authored the report and his supervisor

were in violation of the Code of Ethics. The

fact that the plagiarized material did not relate

to or affect the technical con-clusions or

recommendations of the member is not

relevant to the issue of whether or not the code

was violated. Neither is the fact that the

engineers had little time in which to meet a

deadline. A person simply must not pass off

another’s work as his or her own.The

engineer who authored the report in ques-tion

stated that he considered the language he

appropriated to be verbiage and not a propri-

etary work product.This does not change the

fact that someone else wrote those words.
Because of the seriousness of this offense,

the possible sanctions included expulsion from

the Society. However, in the course of its

investigation of this matter, the CPC did weigh

many of the supporting facts of this case when

determining what to recommend as sanctions

against the engineers. It considered the fact

that, as mentioned above, the plagiarized

material did not relate to or affect the techni-

cal conclusions or recommendations of the

report. The engineers stated that they liked the

style of writing of the other report and were

attempting to adhere to that style, not copy the

proprietary work of the firm that authored the

report. This lack of intent to commit the act

was an important factor in determining what

sanctions were in order, as was the fact that the

engineers took full responsibility for their

actions and took steps to make amends. The

engineers recognized their mistake and sent a

letter of apology to the authors of the original

report.These facts were important in the CPC’s

decision to rec-ommend not that the members

be expelled

but that their memberships be suspended for

one year. Additionally, the CPC reported this

matter to the members’ state licensing board.
This scenario illustrates very well the type of

problems that can arise from a simple act of

carelessness. Not only did the engineers send a

letter of apology;they also lost their bonuses for

that year. This matter brought embarrassment

both to the engineers and to their firm. Engi-

neers, like all professionals, must exercise great

care in practicing their profession and not let

everyday pressures cause them to cut corners or

be careless.These engineers did not set out to

plagiarize the work of their colleagues, yet the

results of their actions affected not only

themselves but also their firm. This case also

highlights the responsibility of a supervisor.

Although the supervisor did not make the

decision to use the language from the other firm’s

report, he was held accountable for that decision

because he approved the report with-out taking

the time to thoroughly review it.

Members who have an ethics question or

who would like to file a complaint with the

CPC may call ASCE’s ethics hotline at (703)

295-6101 or (800) 548-ASCE (2723), exten-

sion 6101. This line is staffed by ASCE attor-

neys, who can provide advice on how to

handle an ethics issue or file a complaint.

Belbin Team Role
Report for

ROHIT DODDALA

University of Northumbria
KB7036 People in Project Management

© BELBIN 2011

Team Role Summary Descriptions

Team Role Contribution Allowable Weaknesses

Plant

Resource

Investigator

Co-ordinator

Shaper

Monitor

Evaluator

Teamworker

Implementer

Completer
Finisher

Specialist

Creative, imaginative, free-thinking.
Generates ideas and solves difficult

problems.

Ignores incidentals. Too
pre-occupied to communicate

effectively.

Outgoing, enthusiastic, communicative.
Explores opportunities and develops

contacts.

Over-optimistic. Loses
interest once initial

enthusiasm has passed.

Mature, confident, identifies talent.
Clarifies goals. Delegates effectively.

Can be seen as manipulative.
Offloads own share of the

work.

Challenging, dynamic, thrives on
pressure. Has the drive and courage to

overcome obstacles.

Prone to provocation. Offends
people’s feelings.

Sober, strategic and discerning. Sees
all options and judges accurately.

Lacks drive and ability to
inspire others. Can be overly

critical.

Co-operative, perceptive and
diplomatic. Listens and averts friction.

Indecisive in crunch
situations. Avoids

confrontation.

Practical, reliable, efficient. Turns ideas
into actions and organizes work that

needs to be done.

Somewhat inflexible. Slow to
respond to new possibilities.

Painstaking, conscientious, anxious.
Searches out errors. Polishes and

perfects.

Inclined to worry unduly.
Reluctant to delegate.

Single-minded, self-starting, dedicated.
Provides knowledge and skills in rare

supply.

Contributes only on a narrow
front. Dwells on technicalities.

ROHIT DODDALA

Team Role Overview

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 3 Report printed on 25-Feb-2022

The bar graph in this report shows your Team Roles in order from highest to lowest, using all available
information. The other pages of your report will analyse your Team Role Overview in more detail.

This report is based upon your Self-Perception only.

Percentile

Team Role

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

TW SP IMP ME CO CF PL SH RI

Key

TW Teamworker

SP Specialist

IMP Implementer

ME Monitor Evaluator

CO Co-ordinator

CF Completer Finisher

PL Plant

SH Shaper

RI Resource Investigator

The graph above shows your Team Roles in order of preference. Some people have an even spread of
Team Roles whilst others may have one or two very high and very low Team Roles. An individual does
not necessarily show all nine Team Role behaviours.

This graph is based solely on your views. In addition to analysing your own views, you can ask others to
complete Observer Assessments to provide feedback about the Team Role behaviours they observe in
you. This is useful because Team Role contributions are about the way others see us and work with us,
as well as the way we perceive ourselves.

ROHIT DODDALA

Your Team Role Preferences

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 4 Report printed on 25-Feb-2022

This report shows your percentile scores for each Team Role, according to your Self-Perception
responses. Team Roles are divided by percentile score into Preferred, Manageable and Least
Preferred Roles.

This report is based upon your Self-Perception only.

Least Preferred Roles Manageable Roles Preferred Roles Team Roles

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Plant

Resource

Investigator

Co-ordinator

Shaper

Monitor

Evaluator

Teamworker

Implementer

Completer

Finisher

Specialist

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Please remember that Belbin Team Roles consist of both strengths and associated weaknesses.

ROHIT DODDALA

Team Role Feedback

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 5 Report printed on 25-Feb-2022

This report offers guidance and advice on the best way to manage your behaviour at work and make
the most of your Team Role contributions. The applicability of the advice may vary depending on the
stage of your career and your current working situation.

This report is based upon your Self-Perception only.

You appear to have a particularly accommodating disposition, which makes you likely to be a very
pleasant work colleague. Your ability and your desire to adapt and fit in with others around you will
add to your popularity. People will warm to you as someone able to listen to their problems and
able to respond in a fitting manner. You will be most appreciated for your caring nature. A major
contribution you can make is to ensure the atmosphere of the team is good and morale is high. Try
to be proactive, rather than merely reactive, by instigating conversation and asking pertinent
questions. Clients and others with whom you interact are likely to regard you as helpful and
responsive.

Generally speaking, your contribution will be most noticeable and valued when there is a need to
get on with difficult people without causing conflict. As a work colleague or when working for a
manager, you will be appreciated for your co-operative approach. However, avoid making the
mistake of trying to please too many people and so creating false expectations.

As a manager, those who work for you will readily appreciate your considerate nature. However, at
times you will need to make decisions which might be inherently unpopular with certain
employees. Do not shy away from these difficulties and remember that effective management
includes making tough decisions and dealing with difficult situations. If you can bring your
diplomatic skills into effect, you should be able to do what is necessary and take others along with
you.

Your overall operating style should be of the approachable, adaptable individual who is able to
foster a positive atmosphere and is adept at resolving difficult situations with diplomacy.

You show inclinations for learning and gaining in-depth knowledge. When you identify an area of
expertise which is lacking in the team, volunteer yourself to take the training course or read the
book. If you can harness your studious nature in a way which is useful and informative for the rest
of the team, others will begin to rely on you to consolidate their own understanding.

On a final note, you need to take account of the role for which you are least suited. You do not
appear to have the characteristics of someone who develops and can exploit useful contacts
outside the organisation. If you can work in harmony with someone who has these complementary
qualities, your own performance is likely to improve.

ROHIT DODDALA

Maximizing your Potential

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 6 Report printed on 25-Feb-2022

This report highlights your Team Role strengths and possible weaknesses, based on your views and
those of your Observers, if applicable. The section, ‘Understanding your Contribution’, provides
analysis of your responses to your Self-Perception to enable you to work more effectively.

This report is based upon your Self-Perception only.

Strengths

You are likely to:

o be a good listener and have a very empathetic nature: qualities which facilitate the smooth running
of the team.

Possible Weaknesses

You may:

o be uncomfortable when having to deal with conflict.

Understanding your Contribution (based on your self-perception)

Looking at the results solely from your self-perception (not taking any observer views into account), you
have highlighted two possible contributions you can make. Below is some advice on how to play to your
strengths further in these areas:

To play your Teamworker role to better effect, volunteer yourself to deal with difficult
situations which require a soothing influence. Use your diplomatic skills to establish how
issues can be resolved and compromises reached.

To play your Specialist role to better effect, make the most of your ability and desire to soak
up new information by seeking training and even setting aside time for self-teaching to keep
current in your subject area. Ensure that you are learning what is most relevant, keeping
your own objectives in line with those of the team.

On a separate note, you need to prioritise the demands of the team and be prepared to be flexible when
needed.

ROHIT DODDALA

Feedback and Development Suggestions

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 7 Report printed on 25-Feb-2022

This report is ideal for handing to and discussing with your line manager. It will provide an insight into
your preferred way of working and the environment in which you thrive. Alternatively, this report is also
a useful aid for any manager or recruitment specialist who wants to find out more about the individual
in terms of their preferred working style and environment.

This report is based upon your Self-Perception only.

Key points

ROHIT DODDALA may be reticent so allow him time to try to put him at his ease throughout the discussion.
Investigate whether he tends to restrict himself to those within his team or whether he is able to use his
social skills advantageously outside the team.

Work Environment

ROHIT would work best in a role where support and know-how are highly valued. This combination of
Team Roles can be greatly appreciated by customers or clients, since it combines a helpful approach with
experience and knowledge. ROHIT is likely to find a niche providing support in his chosen field of
expertise.

ROHIT DODDALA

Suggested Work Styles

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 8 Report printed on 25-Feb-2022

This report looks at the combination of your top Team Roles and suggests working styles that may be
suitable. Phrases are provided which summarise the relevant working styles.

This report is based upon your Self-Perception only.

Team Roles Work Style

1 2 3 4

TW SP

Providing Expertise

“I enjoy sharing my knowledge and
expertise to help others.”

TW IMP

Meeting Requirements

“I make a point of trying to adapt to the
needs of people and the organisation.”

TW ME

Observing

“I am able to give consideration to others’
views whilst remaining impartial.”

SP IMP

Applying Knowledge

“I derive satisfaction when integrating my
knowledge and expertise into our practices

and methods.”

© BELBIN 2011

Glossary of Terms

Self-Perception Inventory (SPI)
The Self-Perception Inventory is the questionnaire an individual completes to ascertain his or her Team
Roles. The questionnaire consists of eight sections, with each section containing ten items. The individual
is asked to allocate ten marks per section to those statements which best reflect his or her working styles.

Observer Assessment (OA)
The Observer Assessment is the questionnaire completed by people who know the Self-Perception
candidate well. We recommend that observers are chosen from among those who have worked with the
individual closely and recently and within the same context (e.g. within the same team), since Team Role
behaviours can change over time and in different situations, offering advice on managing this.

Team Role Strength
These are the positive characteristics or behaviours associated with a particular Team Role.

Team Role Weakness
This is the flipside of a strength: negative behaviour which can be displayed as the result of a particular
Team Role contribution. If someone is playing a particular Team Role well and their strengths outweigh
their weaknesses in the role, it is called an “Allowable weakness”. Weaknesses become ‐“non allowable” if
taken to extreme or if the associated Team Role strength is not displayed.

Percentiles
A percentile is a way of measuring your position in relation to others (the rest of the population). If a group
of people take a test and receive scores, these can be distributed from highest to lowest and an
individual’s score can be judged in relation to the scores of others. If a person’s score is in the 80th
percentile, this indicates that 20% of people have scored more highly for this measure.

Percentages
Percentages represent a proportion of the whole. If you take an aptitude test and score 70 marks out of a
possible 100, your score is 70%.

Strong example of a Team Role
A strong example is someone who appears to play a particular Team Role to especially good effect. To
qualify as a strong example of a particular Team Role, someone needs to be in the 80th percentile for that
Team Role according to their Self-Perception. Once observer assessments are added, their feedback is
also taken into account to determine whether or not someone qualifies as a strong example.

Points Dropped
Some items in the Self-Perception Inventory pertain to claims about oneself rather than a valid Team Role
contribution. If you have made more claims than 90% of the population, your Team Role feedback will
take this into consideration.

Midterm Part B – Pavement Design
Pavement Analysis & Design
Due: 03/29/2022 6:30 PM (on Canvas)

Part B of the midterm exam consists of designing a pavement structure for traditional NJ

traffic using the AASHTO ’93 and Mechanistic Empirical Design methods. The design life

of the pavement structure is intended to be 15 years. The general pavement structure

consists of an HMA layer (Layer #1) and an Untreated Granular Base (Layer #2), which

is the typical structure used on NJ Routes 55, 295, and 78. Material properties and

pavement layers are shown in the figure below.

A few additional notes:

• Traffic: Traffic information can be found in Appendix A. These reports are directly

from NJDOT and you can assume that these traffic counts are current. For all axle

weights, please use the most conservative estimate. Additionally, for the 30+ axle

weights, you should use 32 kips, 36 kips, and 60 kips for single, tandem, and tridem

axles, respectively. The growth rate of traffic is assumed to be 2%.

• AASHTO ’93: Please use a reliability of 95%, standard deviation of 0.30, and ΔPSI

is 2.0. Base drainage is assumed to be 1.0.

• M-E Design: Fatigue cracking equation can be found here or from the Week 6

Lecture Slides. Please assume a tire pressure of 50 psi, Va = 5.0% and Vbe =

12.0%. Poisson’s ratio for the AC, Base, and Subgrade layers are 0.35, 0.40, and

0.45, respectively. Rutting equation is shown below or in the Week 7 Lecture

Slides. Rutting only needs to be considered in the subgrade layer.

𝑁𝑑 = 1.365𝐸 − 9 ∗ (𝜀𝑐)
−4.477

Please determine the layer thickness for the HMA and Base layers. Show all work

for full credit. Provide example calculations for each factor that is calculated. You

can upload a Word Document or PDF to Canvas as your submittal. Good Luck!

APPENDIX A: TRAFFIC INFORMATION FOR NJ

Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Environment

Dr Allan Osborne | KB7036 and AT7026 People in Project Management Page 1 of 6

Assessment Brief Assessment Components 001 and 002

1 Module Key Information

1.1 Module Title

People in Project Management

1.2 Module Code Numbers

KB7030 (Newcastle) and AT7027 (Amsterdam)

1.3 Module Level and Points

Level 7 and 20 points

1.4 Summative Assessment Component(s) and Weighting(s)

▪ Assessment Component 001: Coursework …………………………………………………………. 10% weighting
▪ Assessment Component 002: Coursework …………………………………………………………. 90% weighting

1.5 Module Leader

Dr Allan Osborne

1.6 Academic Year

Semester 2 2021-22

1.7 Cohorts

Newcastle and Amsterdam students

2 Assessment Submission and Feedback

2.1 Assessment Overview

The module has two components of summative assessment. These include:

▪ Assessment Component 001 is a piece of coursework in the form of a Peer Review (Steps 1 & 2)
▪ Assessment Component 002 is a piece of coursework in the form of an Academic Paper

2.2 Release Date of Assessment Brief

The module leader released the assessment brief to you on the following date and time:

▪ 09:00 (UK time) on Monday 21 February 2022

2.3 Medium Used to Disseminate Assessment Brief

You can find a digital copy of this assessment brief from the Content > Assessment sub-folder in the
Blackboard (Bb) course.

2.4 Date(s) and Time(s) of Submission

You are required to submit these assessment components by no later than the following dates and times:

1. Peer Review Step 1…………………………………………….. 13:00 (UK time) on Monday, 21 March 2022
2. Peer Review Step 2……………………………………….. 13:00 (UK time) on Wednesday, 30 March 2022
3. Academic Paper ………………………………………………………. 13:00 (UK time) on Monday, 9 May 2022

2.5 Return Date of Unconfirmed Internally Moderated Mark and Feedback

The module leader will post your Peer Review Step 2 feedback and your unconfirmed internally
moderated mark and feedback for the Academic Paper by no later than the following dates and times:

1. Peer Review Step 2…………………………………………………. 13:00 (UK time) on Monday, 4 April 2022

Dr Allan Osborne | KB7036 and AT7026 People in Project Management Page 2 of 6

2. Academic Paper …………………………………………………… 13:00 (UK time) on Thursday, 9 June 2022

2.6 Mechanism for Return of Mark(s) and Feedback

The module leader will use the Turnitin digital submission tool to return your feedback and unconfirmed
internally moderated mark for the Academic Paper. You can find the relevant Bb Assignment and Turnitin
digital submission tools in the Bb course from the Content > Assessment > Submission Tools sub-folder.

3 Assessment Overview

The assessment baseline quotation is: “Leadership in a team setting is much less about command and
control, and more about getting the most out of a diverse and experienced group of individuals” (Ernst &
Young, 2013).

3.1 Belbin Self-Perception Inventory (SPI)

Before writing your Academic Paper, you need to complete a Belbin Self-Perception Inventory (SPI)
questionnaire to ascertain your preferred team role(s) according to Belbin’s team roles theory. The
module leader will invite you to complete a Belbin SPI questionnaire by emailing your Northumbria
University inbox no later than 13:00 (UK time) on Monday, 21 February 2022. You must note the
invitation will come from Admin@Belbin.com and not the module leader. You will need to check your
junk folder if you cannot see the message in your Northumbria University inbox.

You must message the module leader using the Bb Messages tool if you cannot find the module
leader’s invitation to complete a Belbin SPI from Admin@Belbin.com after checking your inbox and
junk folder. Do not email the module leader; this will slow down the module leader’s response time
(see Module Handbook and Panopto Assignment Briefing video presentation for further information).

3.2 Peer Review

Peer Review has two steps. You can read what these steps are in the following two sub-sections. There
are only two possible marks for Peer Review: 0% or 100%. To gain 100%, you must complete both
steps by the deadlines shown above in Section 2.4. You cannot receive a partial mark by completing
only one of the steps. Neither can you apply for a Short Extension for Assessment Component
001 (Peer Review); this is because the module leader has notified the Student Engagement Team that it
cannot grant you a Short Extension for Assessment Component 001 (Peer Review).

Peer Review Step 1 Submission Requirements

You will submit a digital copy in Microsoft 365 Word format of your draft Academic Paper to a Bb
Assignment digital submission tool called Peer Review Steps 1 & 2 in the Bb course’s Content >
Assessment > Submission Tools sub-folder. You must submit your draft Academic Paper anonymously.
When submitting your digital file, you need to be careful because your first submission attempt is
deemed final; this means you cannot ask the module leader to give you a second opportunity should you
inadvertently upload the wrong file. You can find the maximum word limit for your Academic Paper below
from Section 5.3.

Peer Review Step 2 Submission Requirements

The Bb Assignment digital submission tool will give you access to the Peer Review Step 2 process
immediately after the Peer Review Step 1’s submission deadline has passed. Peer Review Step 2
requires you to provide constructive, supportive feedback using a structured template provided by the
module leader for two students’ draft Academic Papers. You will find the Peer Review Step 2 Structure
Feedback Template from the Content > Assessment sub-folder in the Bb course. You will use the Bb
Assignment digital submission tool called ‘Peer Review Steps 1 & 2’ in the Content > Assessment >
Submission Tools sub-folder in the Bb course to write your reviews using the feedback template as a
guide. You must submit your reviews anonymously. You can find the minimum and maximum word limits
for Peer Review Step 2 below from Section 5.2.

3.3 Academic Paper

Metaphorically using your Belbin SPI questionnaire as an appraisal instrument, i.e., a conceptual lens
through which you will reflect on your past observations of people and their behaviour while working in
teams, you must write an academic paper that addresses the following two tasks. Between the two
main sections of your academic writing, you must include an appropriate segue linking the separate
sections together.

Dr Allan Osborne | KB7036 and AT7026 People in Project Management Page 3 of 6

Task 1 – Belbin’s Team Roles Theory

In this section of your Academic Paper, the module leader requires you to write a clear and coherent
narrative detailing your opinion concerning the validity of your Belbin SPI questionnaire report and
Belbin’s Team Roles Theory. While doing so, you are required to use published papers you have
chosen from primary literature sources in leadership, management, and organizational sciences as the
theoretical underpinning for your academic writing.

Task 2 – People and Behaviour Theories

In this section of your Academic Paper, the module leader requires you to write a clear and coherent
academic debate detailing the opposing viewpoints concerning the validity of critical theories
associated with a single ‘People and Behaviour’ domain assigned to you. While doing so, you are
required to use published papers you have chosen from primary literature sources in leadership,
management, and organizational sciences as the theoretical underpinning for your academic debate.

‘People and Behaviour’ Domain

When the module leader posted this assessment brief on the Bb course, he also posted a document titled
‘Assigned People and Behaviour Domains’ in the Bb courses’ Content > Assessment sub-folder.

If you look at this document, you will see the domain the module leader has randomly assigned to you.
You must write your Academic Paper using the people and behaviour domain assigned to you. If you
write your Academic Paper using a different domain, you will not have fully satisfied the assignment’s
requirements for Task 2 for Assessment Component 002. As a result, the module leader will have to
reduce your unconfirmed mark for the Academic Paper.

To ascertain the APM’s definition of your allocated domain, you need to review the APM Body of
Knowledge 7th edition. You can access this publication free of charge by joining the APM as a student
member. The APM’s website explains how to become a student member. You should note that the APM
does not expect you to pay an annual membership fee while you are a student. You are classified as a
student when studying this module and your Master’s degree.

Academic Paper Submission Requirements

You will submit a digital copy in Microsoft 365 Word format of your Academic Paper using the Microsoft
365 Word template provided by the module tutor to a Turnitin digital submission tool called ‘Academic
Paper’ in the Content > Assessment > Submission Tools sub-folder in the Bb course. You can find the
Microsoft 365 Word template from the Bb course’ Content > Assessment sub-folder. You must submit
your Academic Paper anonymously. When submitting your digital file, you need to be careful because
your first submission attempt is deemed final; this means you cannot ask the module leader to give
you a second opportunity should you inadvertently upload the wrong file. You can find the maximum
word limit for the Academic Paper below from Section 5.3.

4 Referencing Style

The module leader expects you to write your Academic Paper in an academically acceptable format. You
must present your bibliographic citations in your text and reference list using the Cite Them Right
method of the Harvard referencing system. Cite Them Right is freely available to Northumbria University
students at https://www.citethemrightonline.com/ You must enter your Northumbria University online user
credentials to access the online guide.

5 Word Limits

5.1 Peer Review Step 1

Your draft Academic Paper for Peer Review Step 1 should have a minimum word count not less than
50% of the maximum word limit for the Academic Paper. It also must not exceed the maximum word
limit for the Academic Paper.

5.2 Peer Review Step 2

You will use a structured template provided by the module leader as a guide when writing the peer
reviews for the two draft Academic Paper assigned to you. Each section included in the Peer Review
Step 2 Structure Feedback Template has a minimum word count of 50 words. There is no maximum
word limit.

Dr Allan Osborne | KB7036 and AT7026 People in Project Management Page 4 of 6

5.3 Academic Paper

You are required to declare the word count of your Academic Paper in the relevant section of the
Microsoft 365 Word Template the module leader has given you. The maximum word limit for the
Academic Paper is 3,000 words; this limit excludes the Abstract, which has a separate word limit of
200 words. The Academic Paper word limit includes the following constituents:

▪ The main body of text
▪ In-text citations, e.g., (Smith, 2011) or Smith (2011)
▪ Direct quotations from primary or secondary source materials

You are permitted to exclude the following constituents when calculating the word count of your
Academic Paper:

▪ Title
▪ Abstract (no more than 200 words)
▪ Keywords (no more than five keywords)
▪ Figures
▪ Tables
▪ Reference list

You are not allowed to include the following constituents when writing your Academic Paper:

▪ Appendices
▪ Bibliography
▪ Endnotes
▪ Footnotes
▪ Glossary of terms

6 Further Information

6.1 Module Learning Outcomes (MLOs) Assessed by Coursework

On completion of the Coursework, you will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:

1. Define and evaluate selected key theories and concepts associated with the main characteristics
and processes of teams, the issues facing teams, and the organizational context of teams.

2. Critically appraise selected key theories and techniques associated with the groups and teams in
an organization, organizational structures, and management processes.

Intellectual/professional skills and abilities:

3. Empowered with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to create, participate in, and effectively lead
real and virtual project-orientated teams.

4. Critically review the literature on team dynamics, management, and organizational behaviour and
engage with what others have written through evaluative discourse.

Personal values attributes:

5. Exhibit the professional ethics characteristics of a University postgraduate student.

7 Referral

If the Progression and Awards Board (PAB) decides to give you a referral attempt of the module, the
module leader may ask you to retake the examination at another time. The referral attempt opportunity
will typically occur after the end-of-level Progression and Awards Board (PAB). If you pass the module
following a referral attempt, you will be awarded the module pass mark for level 7 modules, i.e., 50%. If
you become eligible to complete a referral attempt but are subsequently unable to undertake the
opportunity when required, you will be permitted to re-sit the module at the next scheduled sitting; this will
generally entail the suspension of your progression on your programme of study until such time that you
have completed the level and become eligible to proceed. The date and time of the examination for your
referral attempt will usually be confirmed to you by Academic Registry via the University’s website and not
by the module leader.

Dr Allan Osborne | KB7036 and AT7026 People in Project Management Page 5 of 6

8 Assessment Criteria

The academic staff that will mark your Academic Paper will use the following Assessment Criteria Matrix
to grade your work. The Assessment Criteria Matrix uses Northumbria University’s postgraduate
descriptor as its pedagogic base.

When you receive your summative assessment feedback, academic staff will give you feedback using the
Triple Plus/Delta Retrospective, which includes ‘three positive things you did’ and ‘three things you could
improve’.

Figure 8.1: Module Assessment Criteria Matrix

Dr Allan Osborne | KB7036 and AT7026 People in Project Management Page 6 of 6

9 Guidance for Students on Policies for Assessment

The University has many policies for assessment. The following information, available to you from here,
guides these policies, including relevant procedures and forms.

(1) Assessment Regulations and Policies

(a) Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards
(b) Group Work Assessments Policy
(c) Moderation Policy
(d) Retention of Assessed Work Policy
(e) Word Limits Policy

(2) Assessment Feedback
(a) Anonymous Marking Policy

(3) Late Submission of Work and Extension Requests
(4) Personal Extenuating Circumstances
(5) Technical Extenuating Circumstances
(6) Student Complaints and Appeals
(7) Academic Misconduct
(8) Student Disability and Unforeseen Medical Circumstances

Belbin Team Role
Report for

ROHIT DODDALA

University of Northumbria
KB7036 People in Project Management

© BELBIN 2011

Team Role Summary Descriptions

Team Role Contribution Allowable Weaknesses

Plant

Resource

Investigator

Co-ordinator

Shaper

Monitor

Evaluator

Teamworker

Implementer

Completer
Finisher

Specialist

Creative, imaginative, free-thinking.
Generates ideas and solves difficult

problems.

Ignores incidentals. Too
pre-occupied to communicate

effectively.

Outgoing, enthusiastic, communicative.
Explores opportunities and develops

contacts.

Over-optimistic. Loses
interest once initial

enthusiasm has passed.

Mature, confident, identifies talent.
Clarifies goals. Delegates effectively.

Can be seen as manipulative.
Offloads own share of the

work.

Challenging, dynamic, thrives on
pressure. Has the drive and courage to

overcome obstacles.

Prone to provocation. Offends
people’s feelings.

Sober, strategic and discerning. Sees
all options and judges accurately.

Lacks drive and ability to
inspire others. Can be overly

critical.

Co-operative, perceptive and
diplomatic. Listens and averts friction.

Indecisive in crunch
situations. Avoids

confrontation.

Practical, reliable, efficient. Turns ideas
into actions and organizes work that

needs to be done.

Somewhat inflexible. Slow to
respond to new possibilities.

Painstaking, conscientious, anxious.
Searches out errors. Polishes and

perfects.

Inclined to worry unduly.
Reluctant to delegate.

Single-minded, self-starting, dedicated.
Provides knowledge and skills in rare

supply.

Contributes only on a narrow
front. Dwells on technicalities.

ROHIT DODDALA

Team Role Overview

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 3 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

The bar graph in this report shows your Team Roles in order from highest to lowest, using all available
information. The other pages of your report will analyse your Team Role Overview in more detail.

This report is based on your Self-Perception plus 4 Observer Assessments.

Percentile

Team Role

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

TW IMP PL SH ME SP CO CF RI

Key

TW Teamworker

IMP Implementer

PL Plant

SH Shaper

ME Monitor Evaluator

SP Specialist

CO Co-ordinator

CF Completer Finisher

RI Resource Investigator

The graph above shows your Team Roles in order of preference. Some people have an even spread of
Team Roles whilst others may have one or two very high and very low Team Roles. An individual does
not necessarily show all nine Team Role behaviours.

This graph is a combination of your views and those of your Observers. When we combine all the
information together, we take account of how closely your perception of yourself agrees with others’
views of you. Many factors are taken into account when deriving your final Team Role composition.

ROHIT DODDALA

Analysis of your Team Role Composition

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 4 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

This report provides an overview of Team Roles as seen by yourself and others, in order from most
prominent (column 1) to least (column 9). Your overall Team Role composition is not simply an
average of each individual line, but a weighted integration of your perceptions and your Observers’
views, which takes many factors into account.

This report is based on your Self-Perception plus 4 Observer Assessments.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

ROHIT DODDALA’s Self-Perception TW SP IMP ME CO CF PL SH RI

Observers:

MOHAN ALA SH ME PL RI TW SP CF IMP CO

Holy Jermy Thadisetti PL SH CF ME TW IMP RI SP CO

Akshitha Bathini IMP SH PL SP CO RI CF ME TW

Sravan Erukala PL TW IMP CO SH CF ME SP RI

Observers’ Overall Views PL SH IMP TW ME SP CO CF RI

Your Overall Team Role Composition TW IMP PL SH ME SP CO CF RI

Your observers reached quite different conclusions to your own in terms of Team Role preferences. There
will inevitably be some compromise, but if you feel strongly that you have strengths which have not yet
been uncovered, it is up to you to declare your preferences in these areas. Alternatively, you may want to
focus on cultivating those Team Role strengths which others see in you.

This comment looks at the consistency between the Observers’ Overall Views and your Self-Perception. It
does not take into account the level of agreement between the Observers themselves.

ROHIT DODDALA

Comparing Self and Observer Perceptions

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 5 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

The bar graph in this report shows how you perceive your Team Role contributions, in comparison to
your Observers’ views. The table below the graph shows the percentile scores for Self-Perception and
Observers.

This report is based on your Self-Perception plus 4 Observer Assessments.

Percentile

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
SPI Obs

TW

SPI Obs

IMP

SPI Obs

PL

SPI Obs

SH

SPI Obs

ME

SPI Obs

SP

SPI Obs

CO

SPI Obs

CF

SPI Obs

RI

Team Role

Key Self-Perception (SPI) Observations (Obs)
(Percentile) (Percentile)

TW

IMP

PL

SH

ME

SP

CO

CF

RI

Teamworker 97 47

Implementer 61 57

Plant 23 80

Shaper 21 76

Monitor Evaluator 53 44

Specialist 62 33

Co-ordinator 27 32

Completer Finisher 24 30

Resource Investigator 16 24

ROHIT DODDALA

Your Team Role Preferences

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 6 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

This report shows your percentile scores for each Team Role, according to your Self-Perception
responses. Team Roles are divided by percentile score into Preferred, Manageable and Least
Preferred Roles.

This report is based upon your Self-Perception only.

Least Preferred Roles Manageable Roles Preferred Roles Team Roles

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Plant

Resource

Investigator

Co-ordinator

Shaper

Monitor

Evaluator

Teamworker

Implementer

Completer

Finisher

Specialist

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Please remember that Belbin Team Roles consist of both strengths and associated weaknesses.

ROHIT DODDALA

Team Role Feedback

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 7 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

This report offers guidance and advice on the best way to manage your behaviour at work and make
the most of your Team Role contributions. The applicability of the advice may vary depending on the
stage of your career and your current working situation.

This report is based on your Self-Perception plus 4 Observer Assessments.

You appear to be someone who does the things that need to be done, whether in terms of the
work to be performed or in providing general assistance. The value of this focus is that yours is a
contribution which has the potential of being appreciated everywhere. For example, when you find
yourself engaged in a key project or task, you will be the person who knows how best to cope with
the pressing everyday issues that arise.

However, you may find it more difficult to progress when placed in an upfront role. This will be
especially true where the focus is on selling new lines or ideas to others. For this reason you
should benefit from close association with a prominent manager or colleague with a gift for
proclaiming a message loud and clear. This person might be strong and demanding but can offer
you their forceful voice when you most need it.

The greater your skill in handling the problems that others create in their wake, the more you will
have an indispensable role to perform. Perhaps that is why in your case, who you work with, rather
than precisely what work you perform, is likely to be more vital than for most people. For this
reason, you should choose your job and your team with care. Take full account of who else is there
and make sure that you avoid the company of a colleague with a strong sense of personal territory
who might wish to squeeze you out. You need to feel comfortable if you are to offer your best.

As a manager, you are likely to work best with those who share your work ethic and are able to
add the necessary finishing touches.

Your overall operating style should be of someone who takes a pride in the job, in helping others
and in creating a good atmosphere at work.

You seem to have some sparks of creativity and originality which may need coaxing into the
limelight. When faced with a challenge, take the opportunity to move apart from the team’s
thinking and discussions and allow yourself to approach the problem from a fresh perspective.
When coming up with solutions, allow others to evaluate them. In this way, you can begin to
establish yourself as someone who is capable of original thinking but who is not carried away by
his own ideas.

On a final note, you need to take account of the role for which you are least suited. You do not
appear to have the characteristics of someone who develops and can exploit useful contacts
outside the organisation. If you can work in harmony with someone who has these complementary
qualities, your own performance is likely to improve.

ROHIT DODDALA

Maximizing your Potential

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 8 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

This report highlights your Team Role strengths and possible weaknesses, based on your views and
those of your Observers, if applicable. The section, ‘Understanding your Contribution’, provides
analysis of your responses to your Self-Perception to enable you to work more effectively.

This report is based on your Self-Perception plus 4 Observer Assessments.

Strengths

You are likely to:

o use your intuition when working with colleagues and help to defuse friction in the team. It is
important to promote this strength so that others can recognise it more fully.

Possible Weaknesses

You may:

o have a balanced outlook, but have difficulty in finding a perfect role fit owing to a lack of definitive
Team Role preferences.

Understanding your Contribution (based on your self-perception)

Looking at the results solely from your self-perception (not taking any observer views into account), you
have highlighted two possible contributions you can make. Below is some advice on how to play to your
strengths further in these areas:

To play your Teamworker role to better effect, volunteer yourself to deal with difficult
situations which require a soothing influence. Use your diplomatic skills to establish how
issues can be resolved and compromises reached.

To play your Specialist role to better effect, make the most of your ability and desire to soak
up new information by seeking training and even setting aside time for self-teaching to keep
current in your subject area. Ensure that you are learning what is most relevant, keeping
your own objectives in line with those of the team.

On a separate note, you need to prioritise the demands of the team and be prepared to be flexible when
needed.

ROHIT DODDALA

Feedback and Development Suggestions

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 9 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

This report is ideal for handing to and discussing with your line manager. It will provide an insight into
your preferred way of working and the environment in which you thrive. Alternatively, this report is also
a useful aid for any manager or recruitment specialist who wants to find out more about the individual
in terms of their preferred working style and environment.

This report is based on your Self-Perception plus 4 Observer Assessments.

Key points

ROHIT DODDALA may be reticent so allow him time to try to put him at his ease throughout the discussion.
Investigate whether he tends to restrict himself to those within his team or whether he is able to use his
social skills advantageously outside the team.

Work Environment

ROHIT is best placed in a job which is already structured. He is likely to be a dependable person who takes
a systematic approach to work. He may need continued encouragement and support and is likely to be
highly capable of taking on more responsibility if situated in a positive team environment.

Others have observed that ROHIT might be best suited to:

o rigorously applying himself to what needs to be done

o advocating a sensible and rational course of action

o a job where looking after others is highly valued

On the other hand, observers did not reach consensus about the kinds of work to which ROHIT is less
suited.

ROHIT DODDALA

Observed Team Role Strengths and Weaknesses

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 10 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

The bar graph in this report shows your Observers’ responses broken down into the strengths and
associated weaknesses for each Team Role. An associated weakness is termed allowable if it
operates alongside the observed strengths of the Team Role.

This report is based on 4 Observer Assessments.

Associated
Weaknesses

Strengths

PL

RI

CO

SH

ME

TW

IMP

CF

SP

ROHIT DODDALA

List of Observer Responses

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 11 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

When observers complete an Observer Assessment, they can tick or double-tick adjectives which they
think apply to you. This report shows the ticks received for each word, in descending order. Words
which denote your associated weaknesses are shown in italics.

This report is based on 4 Observer Assessments.

Please note: if the Observer Assessments were completed in a different language to the one specified for this report, the equivalent
word or phrase is used.

disciplined 6

realistic 5

caring 5

original 4

challenging 4

outspoken 4

helpful 4

efficient 4

confident and relaxed 4

motivated by learning 3

self-reliant 3

encouraging of others 3

diplomatic 3

analytical 3

conscious of priorities 3

free-thinking 3

dedicated to subject 3

corrects errors 3

inventive 2

imaginative 2

tough 2

enterprising 2

hard-driving 2

impartial 2

over-sensitive 2

outgoing 2

perceptive 2

practical 2

logical 2

accurate 2

competitive 2

reliable 2

creative 1

perfectionist 1

over-talkative 1

inflexible 1

confrontational 1

persevering 1

methodical 1

persuasive 1

fussy 1

fearful of conflict 1

willing to adapt 1

unadventurous 1

indecisive 1

seizes opportunities 0

shrewd 0

territorial 0

studious 0

sceptical 0

restricted in outlook 0

manipulative 0

inconsistent 0

frightened of failure 0

eccentric 0

absent-minded 0

inquisitive 0

broad in outlook 0

meticulous 0

consultative 0

resistant to change 0

reluctant to allocate work 0

over-delegating 0

oblivious 0

impulsive 0

unenthusiastic 0

pushy 0

procrastinating 0

engrossed in own area 0

keen to impart expertise 0

uninvolved with specifics 0

impatient 0

ROHIT DODDALA

Suggested Work Styles

SPI completed on 25-Feb-2022
© BELBIN 2011 Page 12 Report printed on 27-Feb-2022

This report looks at the combination of your top Team Roles and suggests working styles that may be
suitable. Phrases are provided which summarise the relevant working styles.

This report is based on your Self-Perception plus 4 Observer Assessments.

Team Roles Work Style

1 2 3 4

TW IMP

Meeting Requirements

“I make a point of trying to adapt to the
needs of people and the organisation.”

TW PL

Helping Others with Ideas

“I enjoy sharing my ideas for the benefit of
the team.”

TW SH

Negotiating

“I like to find win-win solutions when
agreeing goals and objectives with others.”

IMP PL

Integrating

“My main strength lies in integrating new
ideas into procedures.”

© BELBIN 2011

Glossary of Terms

Self-Perception Inventory (SPI)
The Self-Perception Inventory is the questionnaire an individual completes to ascertain his or her Team
Roles. The questionnaire consists of eight sections, with each section containing ten items. The individual
is asked to allocate ten marks per section to those statements which best reflect his or her working styles.

Observer Assessment (OA)
The Observer Assessment is the questionnaire completed by people who know the Self-Perception
candidate well. We recommend that observers are chosen from among those who have worked with the
individual closely and recently and within the same context (e.g. within the same team), since Team Role
behaviours can change over time and in different situations, offering advice on managing this.

Team Role Strength
These are the positive characteristics or behaviours associated with a particular Team Role.

Team Role Weakness
This is the flipside of a strength: negative behaviour which can be displayed as the result of a particular
Team Role contribution. If someone is playing a particular Team Role well and their strengths outweigh
their weaknesses in the role, it is called an “Allowable weakness”. Weaknesses become ‐“non allowable” if
taken to extreme or if the associated Team Role strength is not displayed.

Percentiles
A percentile is a way of measuring your position in relation to others (the rest of the population). If a group
of people take a test and receive scores, these can be distributed from highest to lowest and an
individual’s score can be judged in relation to the scores of others. If a person’s score is in the 80th
percentile, this indicates that 20% of people have scored more highly for this measure.

Percentages
Percentages represent a proportion of the whole. If you take an aptitude test and score 70 marks out of a
possible 100, your score is 70%.

Strong example of a Team Role
A strong example is someone who appears to play a particular Team Role to especially good effect. To
qualify as a strong example of a particular Team Role, someone needs to be in the 80th percentile for that
Team Role according to their Self-Perception. Once observer assessments are added, their feedback is
also taken into account to determine whether or not someone qualifies as a strong example.

Points Dropped
Some items in the Self-Perception Inventory pertain to claims about oneself rather than a valid Team Role
contribution. If you have made more claims than 90% of the population, your Team Role feedback will
take this into consideration.

1 | P a g e

Def ect w a st e p ro b le m i n t he co nst ruct io n I nd ust ry ! ! !

Collapse of buildings

Source Aljazeera News, 2019

Student Number: W19042969

Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering

Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE18ST, United

Kingdom

2 | P a g e

onstruction defect can be defined as a fault in design, the worship and material system which leads to project failure.

Collapse of buildings

Source: (Aljazeera News, 2019))

C

Generally, defects occur as a result of failure to follow required guidelines resulting to

financial, property and personal damages as argued by Robson, (2015). Construction defects

are usually hard to identify since only experts can analyze when a procedure is not correctly

followed (Waziri, 2016).

Types of construction defects

Design defects

Errors in designing

Source:(Katume, 2017))

Design defects occurs when engineers and architects make errors when

planning on how facilities are going to be constructed. The most likely losses

errors that might occur includes the water penetration plan, poor draining

system design and inadequate structural support leading to occurrence of

(Cogurcu2015).

3 | P a g e

Material defects

Material defects in projects

Source: (Hazem, 2017)

Workmanship

Source:(Levelset,2018)

Material defects occurs when inferiorproducts are

used during the construction. The material used in

construction projects is based on the requirement of

the end products. the higher the quality of the end

product, the higher the material quality that should

be used. The use of inferior products means that the

buildings and infrastructures cannot last for long

period ((Tayeh, et, al, 2017)

The interpretation of designs is important for the safety of the

occupants and users of buildings. Workmanship is a scenario

where construction is not undertaken as per the directions of the

designers. It results from misinterpretation of designs and pans

leasing to poor quality of buildings (Bagdiya&Wadalkar,2015)

4 | P a g e

How defects lead to wastages in the construction industry

Effects of defects in construction

Source:(LMT,2018)

In construction works, defects must be corrected otherwise, they might lead to greater losses in

future. The wastage in defects comes as a result of additional work that needs to be performed to

correct defects that are noted.

Financial wastages

Financially, organizations are forced to use more funds to undertake repairs as a result of additional

work to mend the effects of defects. Since projects are run under strict budgets, there is need for

project managers to ensure that the actual expenses do not exceed the budget. However, it is

difficult for project managers in construction project to ensure that budget is actualized since more

resources will be allocated in order to amend the defects.

Human resource wastage

In terms of human resources, organizations are made to committee more employees for repairs as

opposed to using the employees in undertaking other important stages of the projects. In presence of

defects in construction projects hence means that employees will be used to undertake repeat tasks

rather than undertaking progress tasks and advancing the projects (Dey, et al., 2017).

Time wastage

Construction projects are undertaking in consideration with a time plan. This means that project

managers are required to follow the project plans in order to deliver each milestone at the right

time. However, the presence of defects in the projects is likely to lead to delays in the process of

project management (Gulghane&Khandve, 2015). Since defects have to be solved immediately,

they are realized, time is used when trying to redo the work. This leads to time wastage and project

delay. Milestones cannot be reached at the required time since employees have to concentrate in

amending the defects to reduce risks of losses and accidents upon completion of the project (Tejale,

et al., 2015).

Material wastages

Before the commencement of projects, engineers and designers guide the

project managers in terms the required material when undertaking the

construction works. The control of material used is important as it ensures

that cost is controlled (Arshad, et al., 2017). However, defects call for

unplanned material to be used when redoing the construction work in order

to fix errors that occurred. This hence might lead to demolition of some

parts as the project managers try to fix problems associated with defects.

This results to the excess use of material than the planned for hence leading

to increase in project cost (Udawatta, et al., 2015)

5 | P a g e

Causes of defects in construction industry

Fishbone image of causes of defects in the construction industry

Source:(Ilie&Ciocoiu, 2010)

Generally, the causes of defects can be categorized in to six components as shown in the

above fishbone diagram.

Material

Material challenges that might lead to defects includes poorly stored material. Construction

material needs to be stored in a good manner that will minimize chances of destruction. Such

material includes metal which needs to be stored in places with less moisture to avoid

rusting. Other material such as cements, ballast and stones need to be safely stored in order

to avoid breakages and destruction by water as argued by (Jingmond&Ågren, 2015). The use

of expired material is also a challenge in the construction management and is likely to lead to

defects in the final products. such material includes paints, cements and other manufactured

commodities used in construction work. This is likely to affect the quality of the buildings.

Composition of components used in the building process might lead to defects in case

measurements are not done in the required way. A perfect example is the mixture of ballast,

sand and cements. Failure to ensure that material is well balanced is likely to lead to defects

in the buildings the use of expired material is also a challenge in the construction

management and is likely to lead to defects in the final products. such material includes

paints, cements and other manufactured commodities used in construction work. This is

likely to affect the quality of the buildings.

Measurement

Measurement in the building process is determined by the lay out designs. Workmanship is

very important when it comes to putting the layout design in to actuality. There is need to

ensure that scaling and estimations are done well to reduce chances of defects in size and

length (Choudhry, et al., 2017).

Machine

Machines are likely to lead to defects in case there is power failure. Such incidence might

cause delay and destruction. Human error where employees are required to feed the

machines might lead to the wrong results hence defects in the projects. There is also a risk in

wrong feed rate since construction machines depends on the instruction given by the

operators (Bagdiya&Wadalkar, 2015).

Employees

Generally, human aspects in the construction project is important since projects

are realized through the human resource efforts. However, defects might result

from inadequate training of the employees where they take a job without full

knowledge of what is required of them. The risk of human error is also likely to

lead to defects (Gamil& Rahman, 2017).

Environment

Environment in which buildings are established is likely to affect the

construction work.

Subsurface Moisture Incursion might affect the strength of buildings in terms of

its strength. This is likely to lead to defects following cracks as a result of excess

moisture (Ye, et al., 2015). Weaknesses of soil is likely to lead to Foundation

Displacement which might also result to cracks and need to rework. Insufficient

climate control such as the failure to protect building site from excess water from

rain, non-regulated sunshine among other factors might also lead to defects

(Aljassmi, et al., 2016).

6 | P a g e

Methods

Poorly design methods are likely to mislead engineers in their construction works. This hence makes it a risky affair as use of such designs might lead to defects. On the other hand,

project plan that does not in to consideration all activities in to place is likely to lead defects since some activities might be skipped (Asgari&Rahimian, 2017).

The case study of Sampoong Department Store, South Korea collapse.

ne other greatest disaster ever seen in the construction industry is the collapse of Sampoong Department Store(Fay, 2019). The main cause of the collapse as per the reports by

investigators was because of poor planning, poor material of construction and poor design. This case led to the death of five hundred pole most of them being workers(Fay,

2019).Human ignorance and greed were the major reasons for the errors that occurred during the construction causing massive losses. This shows how failure to consider important

aspects during construction could lead to, massive losses(Fay, 2019).

Sampoong Department Store, South Korea collapse

Source, Great Disasters

O

From the case study above, it is hence observable that

Financial wastages

Human resource wastage, Time wastage, Material wastages

are experienced since the building caused losses of lives,

time to evacuate the affected and the waste of human

resources who were engaged in building process(Fay, 2019)..

Solutions to the defect wastage problem

Employee training

Through employee training, employees will be able to understand their

roles in the construction. They will also be able to understand the most

important activities and how to undertake them. As a result, there will

be a decline in chances of making errors hence minimizing defects in

construction industry (Hanaysha, 2016).

Employee training

Source: (Andriotis, 2018)

7 | P a g e

Expert consultation

There is need to consult experts in every stage of construction. The project managers should work together with the external experts in order to ensure that all activities are undertaken in

accordance with the plan and quality needed. The experts will help in checking gaps that might lead to defects in constructions (Elziny, et al., 2016).

Proper Environmental analysis

Experts consultation Collapse of buildings

Source: (Reporting, 2019) Source:(Pentago,2018)

Proper project management strategies

Project management process

Source:(Kerzner,2018)

In order to reduce chances of defects caused

by environment, the construction engineers

should study environmental factors such as the

surface level of water, the probability of

having earthquakes among other factors before

settling on the site. This will help to reduce the

probability of occurrence of a defect as a result

of occurrence of an environmental risk (Tixier,

et al., 2016).

Project management process

Source: (Kerzner, 2017)

Proper planning of activities is important in ensuring that there is a

good procedure followed. Through strategic project management, the

project managers are going to ensure that there is no omission of

important activities in construction hence reduce chances of defects in

building (Kerzner, 2017).

8 | P a g e

References

Aljassmi, H., Han, S. and Davis, S., 2016. Analysis of the complex mechanisms of defect generation in construction projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 142(2), p.04015063.

Aljazeera News. 2019. Four killed in Taiwan building collapse after quake. [Online]. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/hotel-collapses-taiwan-major-earthquake-180206171245403.html (Accessed

on 8/4/2020).

Andriotis, N. 2018. 5 Popular Employee Training Methods for Workplace Training. [Online]. Available at: https://elearningindustry.com/how-choose-training-methods-for-employees (Accessed on 8/4/2020).

Arshad, H., Qasim, M., Thaheem, M.J. and Gabriel, H.F., 2017. Quantification of material wastage in construction industry of Pakistan: An analytical relationship between building types and waste generation. Journal

of Construction in Developing Countries, 22(2), pp.19-34.

Asgari, Z. and Rahimian, F.P., 2017. Advanced virtual reality applications and intelligent agents for construction process optimisation and defect prevention. Procedia engineering, 196, pp.1130-1137.

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Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Environment

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 1 of 4

Coursework Specification

1 Module Information
1.1 Module Title Construction project planning and delivery

1.2 Module Code Number KB7039

1.3 Module Level and Credit Points 7 20 credits

1.4 Module Leader Hazel Ponton

1.5 Assessment Component Number (on Module Specification) 02

1.6 Assessment Weighting (on Module Specification) 60%

1.7 Coursework Title Solutions to a construction industry problem

1.8 Coursework Specification Author Hazel Ponton

1.9 Academic Year and Semester(s) 2019-20 Semester 2 only

2 Coursework Submission and Feedback
2.1 Release Date of Coursework Specification to Students W/c 27th January 2020

2.2 Mechanism Used to Disseminate Coursework Specification to Students eLP

2.3 Date and Time of Submission of Coursework by Students 11:59 pm 12th May 2020

2.4 The mechanism for Submission of Coursework by Students eLP

2.5 Return Date of Unconfirmed Internally Moderated Mark(s) and Feedback to Students 9th June 2020

2.6 The mechanism for Return of Unconfirmed Internally Moderated Mark(s) and Feedback to
Students eLP

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 2 of 4

3 Assessment Details
3.1 Module Learning Outcomes (MLOs) Assessed by Coursework

What will I be expected to achieve?

Knowledge & Understanding:

MLO1 – Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the work-based practice through the analysis and
evaluation of research-based theory and relevant case studies, by formulating solutions to the effective
and efficient delivery of construction engineering projects.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

MLO2 – Critically evaluate innovative approaches to product, process and services delivery in
construction engineering through consideration of theory and practice.

Personal Values Attributes:

MLO3 – Formulate strategies for improvement within the global construction engineering industry to
demonstrate cultural, ethical and sustainable awareness.

3.2 Coursework Overview
There are two assessed pieces of work in this module, which are connected and will allow the you to
show a progression of learning within the module. The second component requires the you to consider
existing problems related to waste in the construction industry. Once the you have selected a single
problem and can define the problem, you need to critically analyse the potential solutions formulated from
the module and provide considered solutions to the problem, with clear links between the problem and
the potential solutions.

3.3 Coursework Tasks to be Completed by Students
You will produce an individual illustrated journal of no more than 6no. A3 pages (landscape) (Excluding
front page, Content page and Reference List). The illustrated journal needs to include all of the following:

1. Select a construction industry problem related to forms of waste discussed during the module, including a
short description and a statement that clearly and concisely defines the scope of the problem.

2. Justify (through industry and academic literature) why this is a problem, who the problem affects, and the
impact of the problem.

3. Critically analyse possible solutions to the problem from learning during this module AND independent
research.

4. Provide a visual illustration that links the problem to the solutions, i.e. fishbone diagram or another suitable
visual tool.

5. A visual improvement model which summarises HOW the problem can be solved.
6. The illustrated journal should use an effective combination of text AND images to provide an interesting and

visually engaging document. All images should be relevant and of an appropriate size and quality.

The illustrated journal should include cited, good quality academic literature, as well as industry
best practice. The content should be guided by the learning outcomes, the marking criteria and the
learning from this module.

3.4 Expected Size of Submission
An individual illustrated journal of no more than 6no. A3 pages (landscape) (Excluding front page,
Content page and Reference List). If more than 6 pages of content are provided, only the first 6 pages will
be marked and assessed.The illustrated journal is to include approximately 50% text (using font size 10)
and approximately 50% images.

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 3 of 4

3.5 Referencing Style

You are to write your coursework using the Cite Them Right version of the Harvard referencing system.
An online guide to Cite Them Right is freely available to Northumbria University students at:

https://www.citethemrightonline.com/

3.6 Assessment Criteria
Quality of presentation (including the ability to generate audience interest) 10%
Depth of analysis of the industry problem 30%
Analysis of possible solutions 40%
Ability to relate the problems to the solutions (visual illustration) 10%
Clarity and relevance of the model. (Visual model to represent solution) 10%

4 Referral

The Referral Attempt opportunity will generally take place after the end-of-level Progression and Awards
Board (PAB). If you become eligible to complete a Referral Attempt but are subsequently unable to
undertake the opportunity when required, you will be permitted to re-sit the module at the next scheduled
sitting of the module assessment. This will typically entail the suspension of your progression on your
programme of study until such time that you have completed the level and become eligible to proceed.

5 Guidance for Students on Policies for Assessment

The University has several policies for assessment. The following information, which is available to you
from the link below, provides guidance on these policies, including relevant procedures and forms.

(1) Assessment Regulations and Policies
(a) Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards
(b) Group Work Assessments Policy
(c) Moderation Policy
(d) Retention of Assessed Work Policy
(e) Word Limits Policy

(2) Assessment Feedback
(a) Anonymous Marking Policy

(3) Late Submission of Work and Extension Requests
(4) Personal Extenuating Circumstances
(5) Technical Extenuating Circumstances
(6) Student Complaints and Appeals
(7) Academic Misconduct
(8) Student Disability and Unforeseen Medical Circumstances

https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/university-services/academic-registry/quality-and-teaching-
excellence/assessment/guidance-for-students/

MCE | Learning and Teaching Version 2.0 | Page 4 of 4

KB7039 Construction Project Planning and Delivery – Assignment 2 [to be marked out of 100% and converted]
Name ………………………………… Mark:

OUTCOMES I CAN’T BELIEVE
IT!

[ 100%]

WOW! [ 85%] DISTINCTIVE [ 75%] COMMENDABLE [
65%]

PASS [ 55%] FAIL [ 45%] POOR FAIL [ 0%]

Quality of
presentation
(including the ability
to generate
audience interest)
10%

This work is of
outstanding quality
and has surprised
the markers.

Shows deeper learning
than would normally be
expected.

Excellent and very
clear with few
problems.

Very good and
reasonably clear with
some problems.

Quite a few problems
but overall the
message was received

Too many problems so
the presentation was
unclear.

Very poor with little
ability to express the
ideas in a clear and
interesting manner.

Depth of analysis of
the industry
problems
30%

A good attempt with
few mistakes – the
student clearly
understands the
problems.

A good attempt with
some mistakes – the
student’s
understanding is
generally good

Some attempt with
some mistakes – the
student’s
understanding is
acceptable.

Little attempt with
many mistakes – the
students show little
understanding.

Very little effort has
gone into this – the
student shows no real
understanding.

Analysis of possible
solutions
40%

The student has an
excellent grasp of
possible solutions.

The student has a
good grasp of possible
solutions although
there are some minor
problems.

The student does not
fully grasp the
solutions but there is
some merit in what is
said.

The student is not able
to analyse solutions
though there is
evidence of a fair
attempt.

The student has little
or no grasp of the
issues.

Ability to relate the
problems to the
solutions (visual)
10%

Solutions are clearly
and cogently linked to
problems.

Solutions arise from
problems in most
instances although
there is some lack of
clarity.

Some linkage of
solutions and problems
but the work lacks
depth.

Evidence of only
surface understanding
of linkages.

Little evidence of ability
to derive the solutions
from the problems.

Clarity and
relevance of the
improvement model
10%

The clarity of
expression and
cogency of the
argument are generally
excellent with few
problems.

The clarity of
expression and
cogency of the
argument are generally
good though there are
a few problems.

The clarity of
expression and
cogency of the
argument are generally
acceptable but there is
some confusion.

The work lacks clarity
and cogency – difficult
to follow

The work is confusing
and has little merit.

Feedback – 3 areas of good practice, 3 areas for potential improvement:

High Risk

Low Risk

Bank

Up

Down
Same

Up

Down
Same

0.5

0.3

0.2

1500

100

– 1000
1000

200

– 100

0.5

0.3

0.2

500

580

-200

500