http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/19012 2026-07-21T04:02:19Z 2026-07-21T04:02:19Z Chuanni He Weilin He Min Liu Shaolong Leng Song Wei http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/4309868 2026-02-16T21:52:54Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Enriched Construction Regulation Inquiry Responses: A Hybrid Search Approach for Large Language Models Chuanni He; Weilin He; Min Liu; Shaolong Leng; Song Wei The applicability of existing automated compliance check tools in construction is limited, as they are insufficient to provide end-to-end responses given the fragmented and unstructured compliance checking requirements in practice. We explored the potential of large language models (LLMs) to fill the gap by proposing an improved retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework to conduct question-answering (QA)-based construction quality checks. The framework contains a novel hybrid search engine that integrates term frequency–inverse document frequency (TF-IDF)-based keyword search with text-embedding search to facilitate domain semantic-aware regulation information extraction. Subsequently, we established a RAG-based chatbot that enables construction managers to obtain construction quality check results and justification directly and precisely via conversations. The framework was tested using 110 real-world QA scenarios covering three concrete structure regulations of 148,170 words. Results show that the enhanced system has improved 15.1% and 11.2% in hit rate and mean reciprocal rank (MRR) compared with naïve RAG. The natural language responses demonstrate more precise and faithful results than conventional LLMs. Our research will contribute to the body of knowledge by proposing an improved RAG system to enhance the practicability of automated compliance checks. It also will push the boundary of LLM applications in construction by revealing how domain-specific terminologies facilitate knowledge extraction in LLM systems.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Jiayi Yan Qiuchen Lu Nan Li Michael Pitt http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/4309867 2026-02-16T21:52:51Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Developing Data Requirements for City-Level Digital Twins: Stakeholder Perspective Jiayi Yan; Qiuchen Lu; Nan Li; Michael Pitt Advances in city-level digital twins (CDTs) have been proposed to enable smarter, more sustainable, and resilient cities across diverse urban management scenarios for a portfolio of buildings and infrastructure in the built environment. However, implementing CDTs faces challenges due to the lack of defined data requirements (DRs) necessary for establishing a common data environment (CDE). This issue primarily arises from insufficient attention to the social and organizational aspects, particularly the complex web of stakeholder roles and their requirements, which hinders the establishment of DRs for collecting heterogeneous data sources before designing and developing a CDT. This study aims to address stakeholder engagement and stakeholder requirements (SRs) in the CDE by establishing stakeholder-driven DRs for CDT uses. To achieve this goal, 54.5 h of semistructured expert interviews were conducted in two rounds, and 22 worldwide CDT cases were summarized. The key research findings include: (1) the current CDT development and operation business model, key and overlooked stakeholders, and information dissemination directions identified through social network analysis (SNA) at network, actor, and tie levels; (2) the existing SRs analyzed using a strategic, tactical, and operational categorization framework to guide CDT development and application; and (3) a general DR framework for data source collection and a road map for generating use case–specific DRs involving stakeholders and their SRs, developed by analyzing the influences of stakeholder engagement on DRs. These outcomes can streamline the data organization processes for establishing a CDE for CDTs. Ultimately, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can benefit from this study by understanding the organizational and technological challenges in establishing CDTs caused by stakeholder and SRs issues. The established DRs can be adopted and adapted as guidelines and principles to assist in developing a more open CDE for diverse organizations, such as governmental bodies and asset owner enterprises, ultimately accelerating the digitalization process for smarter cities. This study points out the importance of stakeholder engagement and data requirements for data source collection when implementing digital technology projects such as city-level digital twins in enterprises or governmental departments for urban management. Practitioners in asset owner enterprises and city governance departments can use the research findings in this study to develop a strategic execution plan or policy for city-level digital twins implementation with a clear landscape of who should be involved in this implementation, how to collect stakeholder requirements effectively, what and how to collect required data sources and manage the sources properly in the long-term run. Practitioners in the provider organizations can benefit from the research findings by learning the crucial stakeholder requirements, providing more efficient data management solutions of data sources, and establishing harmonious stakeholder collaboration environments. Overall, this study can help practitioners to bring practical benefits of city-level digital twins for urban management to their organizations, moving beyond the concept of city-level digital twins as mere “one-shot” experiments.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Handan Kunkcu Kerim Koc Asli Pelin Gurgun http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/4309866 2026-02-16T21:52:50Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Exploring the Patterns Shaping Communication in the Turkish Construction Industry Handan Kunkcu; Kerim Koc; Asli Pelin Gurgun Communication among project team members is an indispensable requirement to provide momentum toward achieving efficiency, time, cost, quality, and safety targets in construction projects. Therefore, investigating the main patterns influencing communication in construction projects sheds light on hidden knowledge that can help improve project performance. This study aims to develop a framework that explains communication elements in construction projects with key communication constructs. To achieve the study objective, systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to probe the impact of each construct on communication and examine the importance level of the items. The model was developed based on five constructs (i.e., trust, attitude toward knowledge sharing, collaboration, reciprocal feedback, and social ties) comprising 26 items. Findings indicate that collaboration and trust are the most critical constructs, while the level of frequency in information exchange and consistent behavior of team members are the most vital items reflecting these constructs, respectively. The outcomes of this study are expected to enhance interpersonal communication abilities by considering the key indicators of communication patterns in construction projects.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Zahra Halimi Mohammad SafariTaherkhani Qingbin Cui http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/4309864 2026-02-16T21:52:48Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

A Generalized Framework for Assessing Equity in Ground Transportation Infrastructure: Exploratory Study Zahra Halimi; Mohammad SafariTaherkhani; Qingbin Cui Ground transportation infrastructure significantly impacts community connectivity, economic growth, and access to essential services such as jobs, education, and healthcare. However, in practice, these infrastructures do not provide equitable services for all, and historical disparities have led to inequitable conditions for many individuals. This paper explores diverse definitions of equity relevant to ground infrastructures, examines the consequences of inequitable transportation systems throughout the history of the US highway system, and explores various approaches for conducting equity analysis. Based on the collected information, a generalized framework is introduced to analyze the impact of these infrastructures on transportation equity. The study also provides a novel equity index that can be used to assess equity considering accessibility and affordability. Finally, the framework is applied to a case study in Baltimore, examining the equitable distribution of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. By demonstrating its practical application, the paper offers managers and policymakers a concise step-by-step approach to analyze transportation equity. This method assesses both the socioeconomic features of affected populations and the distribution of services, contributing to the development of a more sustainable ground transport system. Ground transportation infrastructure plays a crucial role in community connectivity, economic growth, improving access to education, and supporting sustainable development. However, ensuring that these benefits are equitably distributed across all communities remains a significant challenge. This study addresses critical questions about what equity means in the context of transportation and how it differs from other forms of equity. By reviewing various definitions and approaches, the paper proposes a comprehensive framework for assessing the equitable distribution of transportation infrastructure. The study also provides a novel equity index that can be used to assess equity, considering accessibility and affordability. The practical application of this framework is demonstrated through a case study in Baltimore, where it was used to analyze the distribution of EV chargers. The findings reveal that EV charging infrastructure is unevenly distributed, with nondisadvantaged communities having slightly better access to charging stations compared with disadvantaged communities. However, the results show that both communities face overall low accessibility to charging infrastructure, highlighting the need for further work to achieve equity in transportation services. These findings underscore the need for standardized approaches to ensure that future transportation infrastructure provides equitable access to services for all communities.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z