Methodology for Extended Reality–Enabled Experimental Research in Construction Engineering and Management

Long-term Trends in Construction Engineering and Management Research in Korea

Construction engineering and management (CEM) involves multiple stakeholders, complex interest relationships, and conflicts. All stakeholders must comprehensively consider the interests relating to a project to make decisions. Appropriate multi-agent decision-making can effectively coordinate and integrate the needs or expectations of all stakeholders, which can reduce conflicts, improve the success probability of the project, maximize the overall returns on interest, and contribute to the project’s sustainability. Existing studies have begun to explore the associated theoretical framework and practical methods for multi-agent decision-making. However, early studies mainly focused on the conceptual theories of decision-making models and processes, such as stakeholder analysis, decision evaluation, and risk management. In recent years, increasing research has concerned the application of multi-agent decision-making in CEM. This paper is the first to use a comprehensive review approach to analyze multi-agent decision-making in CEM, providing an overall perspective. In this paper, 105 journal papers are identified and classified into four categories: (1) main concerns regarding multi-agent decision-making in CEM; (2) tools and methods of multi-agent decision-making in practice; (3) research tools and methods of multi-agent decision-making in CEM; (4) critical points on how to solve multi-agent decision-making problems. The findings of this study offer references for future trends in four regards, namely (1) knowledge management, (2) decision resilience, (3) the fusion of many techniques, and (4) technologies for future research.

The use of blockchain technology in construction engineering and management (CEM) is increasing, yet current presentations of blockchain-based data management processes (DMP) are considered too primitive to encourage the technology’s broader diffusion in CEM. This research aims to provide a set of guidelines for visualizing blockchain-based DMP in CEM. First, a conceptual model is proposed to guide the research design. Next, 49 cases published in scholarly papers are reviewed, revealing an increasing use of dashboards to visualize blockchain-based DMP. Then, four challenges for visualizing blockchain are identified, namely, data diversity, visualization tools, visualization mediums, and visualization domain. Finally, we present guidelines for visualizing blockchain in construction projects, which involve: (1) targeting the visualization domain, (2) planning the blockchain visualization, (3) choosing a visualization tool, (4) selecting a visualization medium, and (5) fine-tuning the visualization solution. This research encourages researchers to further develop visualization solutions to harness blockchain benefits in CEM.

The University of Washington’s Department of Construction Management is in the process of developing interdisciplinary research and experiential education in construction engineering and management (CEM) with the creation of the 28,000 ft2 Pacific Northwest Center for construction research and education (PNCCRE). In doing so, the department has identified challenges, limitations, and issues centered on bringing industry experience into the classroom and bringing researchers together from diverse disciplines from across the university. The University of Washington envisions the PNCCRE as a place where learners will experience CEM theory and skills firsthand in an interdisciplinary research environment that will foster innovation. This paper focuses on how the Department of Construction Management at the University of Washington is reenvisioning its research and education activities to take advantage of the new PNCCRE facility. In the education front, this paper introduces “the experience learning model,” a...

Academic research in applied disciplines such as construction engineering and management (CEM) has the dual mission of simultaneously contributing to the solution of practical problems and creating theoretical and conceptual knowledge. To do so, appropriate research approaches are needed. However, extant literature in the field has paid little attention to this issue and research methods used have been almost entirely either quantitative surveys or case studies. In this paper, action research (AR) is proposed as an answer to this knowledge gap. AR aims at building and testing theory within the context of solving an immediate practical problem in a real setting. The paper describes the underlying philosophy and application procedure of AR and highlights its strengths and weaknesses. Then, the applicability of the method to CEM is illustrated through a case study of improving access to information to support planning and decision making in a construction owner organization through designing and implementing a data warehouse. The findings indicate that AR is a reliable, structured, and rigorous research approach that is very useful for conducting applied research in construction and enabling academia to influence and improve construction industry practices. It can also effectively help to improve collaboration between academic researchers and industry practitioners in research and development projects.

This pedagogical study aimed to demonstrate an updated Building Information Modelling (BIM) educational activity in CEM (i.e., construction engineering and management) students’ final semester project. It investigated students’ perceptions of BIM and the project. Student feedback provided insights for linking education to practice, for example, what caused differences between manual estimates and BIM-generated quantity take-off. Four different project deliverable options demonstrated how educational theories could be embedded in BIM education. The novelty of this study lies in two aspects: firstly, this pedagogical research views the CEM education at the curriculum level by linking earlier years’ core CEM courses into the final project work; secondly, by designing four different options of BIM-related deliverables, subgroup analyses test how different factors, such as teamwork verse individual work, and BIM application level, could affect students’ learning outcomes. The current study also led to more future explorations in research-informed teaching in the CEM curriculum.

This study proposes incorporating generative artificial intelligence large language models (LLMs) into the Master of Science (M.Sc.) curriculum on digitization in construction. The aim was to help students generate computer code to solve, automate, and streamline practical challenges in advanced construction engineering and management (CEM). To this end, a host of problem-based learning (PBL) individual assignments and collaborative team projects were developed, alongside a combination of flipped classroom models and blended learning lessons, in order to teach effective interactions with LLMs and mitigate concerns, such as bias and hallucination. The effective interaction with LLMs not only facilitated code generation, which would otherwise be complex without additional formal training, but also provided a platform for strengthening basic project management skills, such as departmentalization, work breakdown structuring, modularization, activity delegation, and defining key performance indicators. The effectiveness of this approach was quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated within two new modules, Digital Engineering and Construction and Digital Technologies in Field Information Modeling. These modules were offered over three semesters each as part of a new M.Sc. program in Technology and Management in Construction at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. It was observed that 86.4% of students fully completed the PBL projects, while the remaining 13.6% achieved over 50% completion across all six semesters. Furthermore, anonymous student surveys indicated a teaching quality index of 100% in five semesters and 96.4% in one semester. These preliminary results suggest that the proposed strategy can be used to effectively integrate LLMs to support students in code generation for open-ended projects in CEM. Further research was, however, found to be necessary to ensure the sustainable revision and redesign of the problems as LLM capabilities evolve.

Gathering knowledge from expert practitioners is a hallmark of construction engineering and management research. However, the knowledge gathered is dependent on the knowledge of the people we talk to. Accordingly, this paper used a content analysis of 12 months of recent technical articles and case study publications in the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management to explore characteristics of research respondents that authors publishing in this journal feel are important to document. Authors report some subset of research respondents' job type or role, years of experience, subject matter expertise, geography or nationality, organization and sector details, project type, professional qualifications, sex, race and ethnicity, ability, and language. Accordingly, this paper recommends that researchers should report at least these categories, and that researchers also should discuss research limitations that may result from the types of people they collect knowledge from. This change will make visible voices that are dominant or underrepresented in construction engineering and management research. In addition, by eliminating an otherwise unstated limitation, this change will result in improved construction engineering and management science.

The rapid growth of construction megaprojects worldwide has triggered a growing number of papers published in this area in the past two decades, suggesting that construction megaproject management has become an emerging area in the field of construction engineering and management (CEM). This study aims to investigate the status and the trends in megaproject research by conducting a structured literature review. A total of 85 relevant articles identified from eight peer-reviewed CEM journals between 2000 and 2010 were analyzed based on the number of articles published annually, institutional and regional contributions, citations, and categorization of research interests and methodologies. Analysis results indicated that developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, have enjoyed significant advantages in megaproject research because of their greater experience, while megaproject research in developing countries, such as Russia, India, Turkey, and Vietnam, remains weak or lacking. These results also revealed that many theory-based findings have been reported in five subareas; namely, construction and site management, cost and schedule management, risk analysis and management, innovation and utilization of information technology, and leadership and professional development. The subareas of organization and stakeholder management, project planning and procurement, and project monitoring and control remain to be promising domains for future research, particularly in developing countries which have yet to develop a research tradition. Incorporating the complexity theory and institutional theory as the theoretical foundation in these subareas can develop megaproject research further through strengthened global collaboration in the future.

.The collection of research papers under this RT aims to provide a unique platform for both doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, as well as their supervisors and collaborators, to present excellent research outcomes in the subject field of construction management. This RT is therefore open to all academics and professionals who have been making the best endeavors for outstanding doctoral research in construction management. Issues under this RT should relate to all theoretical and practical developments of construction management. An annual collection of published papers under this RT helps to form an ebook series on the same topic to stimulate discovery and innovation among doctoral researchers around the world.Papers published within this topical collection are eligible for the Frontiers Best Doctoral Research Award for Construction Management. The winner of this award, as adjudicated by Frontiers and the RT editors of this collection, will receive a certificate and a prize equivalent to about $2000 in the form of a full waiver for a free Open Access publication in Frontiers in Built Environment. This RT is supported by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)one of the most influential professional body for construction management around the worldon the "CIOB Award for Outstanding Doctoral Research Contributions to Construction Management".This RT has achieved the first volume of topical collection consisting of ten full-length papers by PhD candidates, their supervisors and collaborators. These papers are contributions from 27 authors (See Table 1). A brief introduction about these published papers is given below to readers. for decentralizing decision-making in Takt production). The outcomes from research described in this paper have both theoretical and practical implications for enhanced decision making support in construction process management. .Table 2 gives a summary of these ten papers with regard to their contributions through research to the Construction Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK) (Chen, 2019) in related domains.TABLE 2: A reflection on research contributions.Special thanks to three academic colleagues, including Yongkui Li at Tongji University in China, Samad Sepasgozar at the University of New South Wales in Australia, and Søren Wandahl at Aarhus University in Denmark, for their time and strong supports as Handling Editor in the peer review process when the editors were not available. The Construction Management section of Frontiers in Built Environment has their continuous supports as Associate Editor.The editors are grateful to colleagues at Frontiers for their professional supports to launch this research topic, invite participants, coordinate peer reviews, and produce publications.This RT is strongly supported by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) for the CIOB Award for Outstanding Doctoral Research Contributions to Construction Management. The editors are grateful to Lynne McKay, Regional Manager Scotland at the CIOB, for the establishment of this new academic award to encourage doctoral research in construction management around the world. Special thanks to Wilma Marshall at the CIOB for coordinating this unique award.

BackgroundMental health systems worldwide face unprecedented strain due to rising psychological distress, limited access to care, and an insufficient number of trained professionals. Even in high-income countries, the ratio of patients to health care providers remains inadequate to address demand. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR) are being explored to improve access, engagement, and scalability of mental health interventions. When integrated into immersive metaverse environments, these technologies offer the potential to deliver personalized and emotionally responsive mental health care.ObjectiveThis scoping review explores the state-of-the-art applications of AI and XR technologies in metaverse frameworks for mental health. It identifies technological capabilities, therapeutic benefits, and ethical limitations, focusing on governance gaps related to data privacy, patient-clinician dynamics, algorithmic bias, digital inequality, and psychological dependency.MethodsA systematic search was conducted across 5 electronic databases—PubMed, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar—for peer-reviewed literature published between January 2014 and October 2024. Search terms included combinations of “AI,” “XR,” “VR,” “mental health,” “psychotherapy,” and “metaverse.” Studies were eligible if they (1) involved mental health interventions; (2) used AI or XR within immersive or metaverse-like environments; and (3) were empirical, peer-reviewed articles in English. Editorials, conference summaries, and articles lacking clinical or technical depth were excluded. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, with Cohen κ values of 0.85 and 0.80 indicating strong interrater agreement. Risk of bias was not assessed due to the scoping nature of the review. Data synthesis followed a narrative approach.ResultsOf 1288 articles identified, 48 studies met the inclusion criteria. The included studies varied in design and scope, with most studies conducted in high-income countries. AI applications included emotion detection, conversational agents, and clinical decision-support systems. XR interventions ranged from virtual reality–based cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy to avatar-guided mindfulness. Several studies reported improvements in patient engagement, symptom reduction, and treatment adherence. However, many studies were limited by small sample sizes, single-institution settings, and lack of longitudinal validation. Ethical risks identified included opaque algorithmic processes, risks of psychological overdependence, weak data governance, and the exclusion of digitally marginalized populations.ConclusionsAI and XR technologies integrated within metaverse settings represent promising tools for enhancing mental health care delivery through personalization, scalability, and immersive engagement. However, the current evidence base is limited by methodological inconsistencies and a lack of long-term validation. Future research should use disorder-specific frameworks; adopt standardized efficacy measures; and ensure inclusive, ethical, and transparent development practices. Strong interdisciplinary governance models are essential to support the responsible and equitable integration of AI-driven XR technologies into mental health care. The narrative synthesis limits generalizability, and the absence of a risk of bias assessment hinders critical appraisal.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the value of interdisciplinary learning specifically in the architecture (ARCH), building construction (BC) and construction management and engineering (CEM) disciplines within the USA’s higher education system. The study attempts to expand the existing literature on integrated design and construction education and offer an alternative model for academic students’ collaboration when restructuring curriculums is not possible in the short term. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a qualitative research methodology, which involved designing a structured learning experiment, then followed it with collecting the “lived experience” of 31 participants from three majors according to the institution’s institution review board (IRB) office’s guidelines. The author hypothesized that students from different, but related disciplines working on a real-life project, would better understand the value of each other’s knowledge brought to the teamwork before graduation. The data were analyzed and compared to existing literature on integrated project delivery, and collaborative learning models. Data collection (surveys) was approved by the higher education’s IRB No. 13-021. Findings Despite the already-existing curriculum obstacles, the majority of students were very pleased with this collaborative experiment. The results confirmed many of the expectations about how students viewed each other’s discipline. The preconceived notions were dissipated at the end of the study, and students expressed more appreciation for each other’s field and expressed interest in learning more about the thought processes of other disciplines. Research limitations/implications Typical conflicting academic schedules were the greatest obstacle in this experiment. Architecture students often devote majority of their time to design studios and therefore are unable to fully engage in an integrated capstone project like this one as extracurricular. Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications It is possible to develop a successful collaborative experience in the architecture, engineering and construction higher education system without major restructuring of the curriculums. The impact on students’ learning experience is greater than the existing separated education model. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need to study how integrated design and construction education occurs without creating new dedicated programs or coursework.

For past decades, design for safety (DfS) has gained growing interest among scholars and practitioners in different geographical contexts as one of the innovative practices integrating worker health and safety in the front-end of the project lifecycle. However, a systematic scientometric study appraising the research development in DfS practice in construction domain remains elusive. This paper aims to bridge this gap by conducting a scientometric review of the available DfS literature in the construction domain. A total of 167 relevant articles were retrieved using a systematic data acquisition approach from Scopus and snowballing and then put forward into a scientometric analysis to construct science maps. The scientometric review identifies the most prolific journals, authorship, cooccurrence network of keywords, article citations, and regions. An in-depth qualitative discussion is presented to provide deeper insights into the existing studies and opportunities for future research in five main DfS research themes as follows: (1) DfS concept and management; (2) DfS technological advancement; (3) DfS capability and competency; (4) DfS education; and (5) DfS sustainability. The value and uniqueness of this review study lie in its novel contribution to the body of DfS knowledge through synthesizing the wider DfS literature landscape in the construction domain. The findings offer a point of reference for both academia and industry in bridging the deficiencies in the current research and providing pathways for future directions in DfS research.

Moreover, there is an increasing amount of literature covering specific geotechnical risk analysis and management topics. Examples of these are the difference between unsafe geotechnical certainty and safe geotechnical uncertainty (Barends, 2005), the role of the human factor in achieving geotechnical reliability (Bea, 2006), objective and subjective ways of geotechnical risk classification (Altabba et al., 2004), and contractual allocation of geotechnical risk (Essex, 2007).

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to characterize construction management research at the interface of explanatory science and design science.Design/methodology/approach – The dual nature of construction management research is analyzed by relating this field of research to natural science, design science and its interface. Research at the interface of explanatory science and design science is characterized by identifying studies published on this interface in high quality construction management journals.Findings – Research at this interface should focus on technological rules developed through testing in practical contexts as in design science as well as grounding in the explanatory sciences. The nature of testing technological rules is highly similar to the replication logic recommended for comparative case studies.Research limitations/implications – Developing and testing technological rules combines the design science and the explanatory science mode of knowledge production in construction manage...