Factors Influencing the Safety Enhancement and Cost Reduction in Site Layouts of Construction Projects

As the foundation of national development, the construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries in the world, facing safety challenges and high rates of work-related accidents, especially in developing countries such as Iran, where 35% of all industrial accidents are related to construc...

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Main Authors: Amirhossein Javaherikhah, Payman Alimohammadi, Hadi Sarvari, David J. Edwards, Daniel W. M. Chan, Clara Cheung
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Buildings
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/7/1089
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author Amirhossein Javaherikhah
Payman Alimohammadi
Hadi Sarvari
David J. Edwards
Daniel W. M. Chan
Clara Cheung
author_facet Amirhossein Javaherikhah
Payman Alimohammadi
Hadi Sarvari
David J. Edwards
Daniel W. M. Chan
Clara Cheung
author_sort Amirhossein Javaherikhah
collection DOAJ
description As the foundation of national development, the construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries in the world, facing safety challenges and high rates of work-related accidents, especially in developing countries such as Iran, where 35% of all industrial accidents are related to construction accidents. In the meantime, construction site layout (CSL) design is vital in improving safety and cost efficiency, but the lack of comprehensive frameworks has limited its effective application. Traditional methods also create inefficiencies and additional costs due to the lack of flexibility in the face of project-specific constraints and unpredictable conditions. Significant research gaps exist, especially in Iran, where socioeconomic and cultural factors affect construction methods. This study aims to identify and analyze the critical factors affecting CSL in developing countries and provides a comprehensive framework that integrates regional constraints with global best practices. The main criteria identified in order of priority are hiring skilled professionals (weight: 0.32), hazardous materials management (weight: 0.25), and using advanced technologies (weight: 0.18). We first conducted a Delphi survey with domain experts using a hybrid approach to identify and refine key factors. Next, we utilized the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and fuzzy logic to examine causal relationships among the factors. Additionally, we prioritized the factors based on their relative importance using the fuzzy analytic network process (FANP). This research provides a practical framework for CSL optimization that helps improve safety and reduce costs in construction projects.
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spelling doaj-art-ec6d56edc1624722a50dbb623d9a48ba2025-08-20T02:09:18ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-03-01157108910.3390/buildings15071089Factors Influencing the Safety Enhancement and Cost Reduction in Site Layouts of Construction ProjectsAmirhossein Javaherikhah0Payman Alimohammadi1Hadi Sarvari2David J. Edwards3Daniel W. M. Chan4Clara Cheung5Escuela Técnica Superior de Edificación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Civil Engineering, Damavand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 39718-78911, IranThe Infrastructure Futures Research Group, City Centre Campus, Millennium Point, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B4 7XG, UKThe Infrastructure Futures Research Group, City Centre Campus, Millennium Point, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B4 7XG, UKDepartment of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Civil Engineering and Management, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9LP, UKAs the foundation of national development, the construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries in the world, facing safety challenges and high rates of work-related accidents, especially in developing countries such as Iran, where 35% of all industrial accidents are related to construction accidents. In the meantime, construction site layout (CSL) design is vital in improving safety and cost efficiency, but the lack of comprehensive frameworks has limited its effective application. Traditional methods also create inefficiencies and additional costs due to the lack of flexibility in the face of project-specific constraints and unpredictable conditions. Significant research gaps exist, especially in Iran, where socioeconomic and cultural factors affect construction methods. This study aims to identify and analyze the critical factors affecting CSL in developing countries and provides a comprehensive framework that integrates regional constraints with global best practices. The main criteria identified in order of priority are hiring skilled professionals (weight: 0.32), hazardous materials management (weight: 0.25), and using advanced technologies (weight: 0.18). We first conducted a Delphi survey with domain experts using a hybrid approach to identify and refine key factors. Next, we utilized the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and fuzzy logic to examine causal relationships among the factors. Additionally, we prioritized the factors based on their relative importance using the fuzzy analytic network process (FANP). This research provides a practical framework for CSL optimization that helps improve safety and reduce costs in construction projects.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/7/1089construction site layoutsafetycostFANP-DEMATELIran
spellingShingle Amirhossein Javaherikhah
Payman Alimohammadi
Hadi Sarvari
David J. Edwards
Daniel W. M. Chan
Clara Cheung
Factors Influencing the Safety Enhancement and Cost Reduction in Site Layouts of Construction Projects
Buildings
construction site layout
safety
cost
FANP-DEMATEL
Iran
title Factors Influencing the Safety Enhancement and Cost Reduction in Site Layouts of Construction Projects
title_full Factors Influencing the Safety Enhancement and Cost Reduction in Site Layouts of Construction Projects
title_fullStr Factors Influencing the Safety Enhancement and Cost Reduction in Site Layouts of Construction Projects
title_full_unstemmed Factors Influencing the Safety Enhancement and Cost Reduction in Site Layouts of Construction Projects
title_short Factors Influencing the Safety Enhancement and Cost Reduction in Site Layouts of Construction Projects
title_sort factors influencing the safety enhancement and cost reduction in site layouts of construction projects
topic construction site layout
safety
cost
FANP-DEMATEL
Iran
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/7/1089
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