- Eastern Mediterranean University, Civil Engineering, Faculty Memberadd
- Ibrahim Yitmen received his PhD in Building Technology-Construction Management from Istanbul Technical University-Tur... moreIbrahim Yitmen received his PhD in Building Technology-Construction Management from Istanbul Technical University-Turkey Faculty of Architecture in 2002. He spent 11 years as a faculty member at European University of Lefke-North Cyprus where he has been appointed as Associate Professor of Project and Construction Management. In 2014, he joined to Eastern Mediterranean University-North Cyprus and served as the coordinator of Construction Management Division at Department of Civil Engineering. He has been employed at the School of Engineering in Jönköping University since February 2018, as an Associate Professor of Management in Construction Production.Ibrahim Yitmen's research focus is mainly on Innovation in Construction involving socio-technical issues i.e organizational capabilities regarding digital transformation in AEC industry. Recent special interest is on Blockchain technology in Construction, Automated BIM-based Construction Project Progress Monitoring, BIM-based Collaborative Working, Risk Assessment in Large -Scale Transport Infrastructure Projects, and Stakeholders Engagement in Large- Scale Transport Infrastructure Projects.edit
ABSTRACT Large-scale bridge projects (LSBPs) have emerged due to the gradually increasing transportation needs of the connections between isolated regions. In planning, construction or completion of today’s LSBPs, responses are applied to... more
ABSTRACT Large-scale bridge projects (LSBPs) have emerged due to the gradually increasing transportation needs of the connections between isolated regions. In planning, construction or completion of today’s LSBPs, responses are applied to risks arising in areas such as financial, design, environmental and managerial. The main objective of this study is to prioritise the risk responses from the contractors’ point of view used in LSBPs in Europe and the Middle East by using the analytical network process (ANP). The priorities obtained separately for Europe and the Middle East were compared between each other. The results display that Europe and the Middle East include both common and different risk responses. Two case studies, one in each region, have been conducted to further support the priority values acquired in this study. The priorities and responses obtained in this study can be used as standard risk response list for the prevention or elimination of risks during the planning, construction or completion phases of projects to be implemented in the field of LSBPs in various countries. Lastly, the priorities obtained in this study could be a mirror to detect or juxtapose changes in future studies in the same field.
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The normal development of “smart buildings,” which calls for integrating sensors, rich data, and artificial intelligence (AI) simulation models, promises to usher in a new era of architectural concepts. AI simulation models can improve... more
The normal development of “smart buildings,” which calls for integrating sensors, rich data, and artificial intelligence (AI) simulation models, promises to usher in a new era of architectural concepts. AI simulation models can improve home functions and users’ comfort and significantly cut energy consumption through better control, increased reliability, and automation. This article highlights the potential of using artificial intelligence (AI) models to improve the design and functionality of smart houses, especially in implementing living spaces. This case study provides examples of how artificial intelligence can be embedded in smart homes to improve user experience and optimize energy efficiency. Next, the article will explore and thoroughly analyze the thorough analysis of current research on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in smart homes using a variety of innovative ideas, including smart interior design and a Smart Building System Framework based on digit...
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Serviceability in terms of springiness, vibration and deflection [1], as well as sustainability in terms of climate impact and costs [2] have been identified as the most important aspects for appropriate functioning in residential... more
Serviceability in terms of springiness, vibration and deflection [1], as well as sustainability in terms of climate impact and costs [2] have been identified as the most important aspects for appropriate functioning in residential multi-storey timber-buildings. Thus, the aim of this study is focused on product development of a timber-concrete composite (TCC) floor system by 1) enhancing serviceability performances of the floor for larger spans (above 6 m) in terms of stiffness and dynamic response, and 2) reducing both climate impact (CO2-emissions) and costs, by optimizing material usage. As the case study a timber structure of a residential multi-storey building, including concrete ground floor and shaft, with the overall dimensions ܮൈܹൈܪൌ30ൈ11ൈ14 ሾ݉ଷሿ has been studied. The geometry of the load bearing structural elements has been modelled using finite element programs. As serviceability criteria for the floors, the deflection due to a point load was chosen. The deflections were related to comfort classes given in [3] and transverse load distribution was taken into account according to [4]. The deflection and effective bending stiffness (EIef in EC5 Annex B) were chosen as objective functions, while thickness of concrete slab and shear stiffness of the connection between glulam beam and concrete slab were chosen as design variables in a multi-objective optimization. The relationship between connection stiffness and height of the concrete slab for comfort class B can be seen in Figure 1. In the figure the cross-section of the TCC floor structure, with a span of 7.5 m, is also depicted. Figure 1: Connection stiffness-concrete thickness relationship and cross-section for the TCC floor. After optimization, a multi-criteria analysis was applied to select a design solution from the Pareto optimal front, satisfying some subjective preferences of the stakeholders for value-driven design. The results in this study integrates serviceability, environmental and economic performances for value-driven design and supports decision making in the early phases of a project, where various alternatives can be analyzed and evaluated
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of virtual collaboration on project progress monitoring in international construction projects. The research is based on a survey of contracting and engineering consulting firms in... more
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of virtual collaboration on project progress monitoring in international construction projects. The research is based on a survey of contracting and engineering consulting firms in the Middle East, Mid-Asia, Europe, North America, and Far East. The useable survey comprised 326 individual responses from 500 distributed, giving a response rate of 65.2 percent. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was proposed as an effective tool to identify the relations between various factors of project progress monitoring, virtual collaboration, and project performance control. The results revealed that there was a strongly significant relationship between virtual collaboration and project performance (time, cost and quality) control. The research findings support the virtual collaborative working environments, as the output of an automated monitoring system is real-time, accurate, and cost effective.
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ABSTRACT Learning rapidly and competently has become a pre-eminent strategy for improving organizational performance in the new knowledge era. Improving dynamic learning capability is an exclusive strategy for corporate success in... more
ABSTRACT Learning rapidly and competently has become a pre-eminent strategy for improving organizational performance in the new knowledge era. Improving dynamic learning capability is an exclusive strategy for corporate success in construction industry. Thus engineering design firms should implement OL to accomplish a state of readiness for change and develop a competence to respond and identify future business potentials. This study aims to analyze the relationship between organizational learning (OL) and performance improvement (PI) in civil engineering design firms of Turkish construction industry. OL structure in engineering design firms incorporates five constructs: organizational environment, strategy development and implementation, supportive leadership, leveraging knowledge, and learning capability. The empirical data was collected through a questionnaire survey conducted to engineering design firms registered to the Turkish Chamber of Civil Engineers. The hypothesized model relationships were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results show that each of the variables has a different role and significant positive impact on the OL process and organizational PI. The variables "Supportive leadership" and "Learning capability" proved to be strongly significant and positively related to organizational performance in engineering design firms. In engineering design firms, supportive leadership is needed in order to establish a participative cultural environment that helps design a new form of organization which emphasizes learning, flexibility, and rapid response. Learning capability is the potential to explore and exploit knowledge through learning flows that make possible the development, evolution and use of knowledge stocks enacting engineering design firms and their members to add value to the design business.
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... Mimarlık, mühendislik ve yapım endüstrisi'nde (AEC) genelde bilgiyi proje evre ... şemalar, toplanan, organize edilen ve birimler arasında akan enformasyonun hacmi büyümekte ... Güncel bilişimteknolojileri yapım yönetiminde... more
... Mimarlık, mühendislik ve yapım endüstrisi'nde (AEC) genelde bilgiyi proje evre ... şemalar, toplanan, organize edilen ve birimler arasında akan enformasyonun hacmi büyümekte ... Güncel bilişimteknolojileri yapım yönetiminde rolleri bulunan çeşitli katılımcılara, üstlendikleri görev ...
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ABSTRACT Intellectual Capital (IC) is recognized as a key strategic asset for organizational performance, and innovative solutions and its management is critical for the competitiveness of organizations. The aim of this article is to... more
ABSTRACT Intellectual Capital (IC) is recognized as a key strategic asset for organizational performance, and innovative solutions and its management is critical for the competitiveness of organizations. The aim of this article is to analyze the relationships among intellectual capital, competitiveness, and innovation drivers in engineering design firms of the Turkish construction industry. The research involves a questionnaire survey administered to engineering firms on intellectual capital constructs, competitiveness, and innovation drivers in construction. The article provides details on how firms can leverage their intellectual capital as the main competitive asset for innovative solutions to offer their clients.
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Research Interests: Business, Computer Science, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Relations, Construction, and 9 moreSupply Chain, Models, Building, Management Engineering, International Collaboration, Disaster Recovery Using Operations Research and Management Science, Blockchain, Ethereum, and Strategy and Management
Modular production has been recognized as a pivotal approach for enhancing productivity and cost reduction within the industrialized building industry. In the pursuit of further optimization of production processes, the concept of... more
Modular production has been recognized as a pivotal approach for enhancing productivity and cost reduction within the industrialized building industry. In the pursuit of further optimization of production processes, the concept of cognitive modular production (CMP) has been proposed, aiming to integrate digital twins (DTs), artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into modular production systems. This fusion would imbue these systems with perception and decision-making capabilities, enabling autonomous operations. However, the efficacy of this approach critically hinges upon the ability to comprehend the production process and its variations, as well as the utilization of IoT and cognitive functionalities. Knowledge graphs (KGs) represent a type of graph database that organizes data into interconnected nodes (entities) and edges (relationships), thereby providing a visual and intuitive representation of intricate systems. This study seeks to investigat...
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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the key data categories and characteristics defined by asset information requirements (AIR) and how this affects the development and maintenance of an asset information model (AIM) for a... more
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the key data categories and characteristics defined by asset information requirements (AIR) and how this affects the development and maintenance of an asset information model (AIM) for a blockchain-based digital twin (DT).Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method approach involving qualitative and quantitative analysis was used to gather empirical data through semistructured interviews and a digital questionnaire survey with an emphasis on AIR for blockchain-based DTs from a data-driven predictive analytics perspective.FindingsBased on the analysis of results three key data categories were identified, core data, static operation and maintenance (OM) data, and dynamic OM data, along with the data characteristics required to perform data-driven predictive analytics through artificial intelligence (AI) in a blockchain-based DT platform. The findings also include how the creation and maintenance of an AIM is affected in this context.Practi...
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The pressing concern of climate change and the imperative to mitigate CO2 emissions have significantly influenced the selection of outdoor plant species. Consequently, evaluating CO2’s environmental effects on plants has become integral... more
The pressing concern of climate change and the imperative to mitigate CO2 emissions have significantly influenced the selection of outdoor plant species. Consequently, evaluating CO2’s environmental effects on plants has become integral to the decision-making process. Notably, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings is significant in tackling the consequences of climate change and addressing energy deficiencies. This article presents a novel approach by introducing plant panels as an integral component in future building designs, epitomizing the next generation of sustainable structures and offering a new and sustainable building solution. The integration of environmentally friendly building materials enhances buildings’ indoor environments. Consequently, it becomes crucial to analyze manufacturing processes in order to reduce energy consumption, minimize waste generation, and incorporate green technologies. In this context, experimentation was conducted on six distin...
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) simulation models and digital twins (DT) are used in designing and treating the activities, layout, and functions for the new generation of buildings to enhance user experience and optimize building... more
Artificial Intelligence (AI) simulation models and digital twins (DT) are used in designing and treating the activities, layout, and functions for the new generation of buildings to enhance user experience and optimize building performance. These models use data about a building’s use, configuration, functions, and environment to simulate different design options and predict their effects on house function efficiency, comfort, and safety. On the one hand, AI algorithms are used to analyze this data and find patterns and trends that can guide the design process. On the other hand, DTs are digital recreations of actual structures that can replicate building performance in real time. These models would evaluate alternative design options, the performance of the building, and ways to improve user comfort and building efficiency. This study examined the important role of intelligent building design aspects, such as activities using multi-layout and the creation of particular functions ba...
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Hybrid learning is a complex combination of face-to-face and online learning. This model combines the use of multimedia materials with traditional classroom work. Virtual hybrid learning is employed alongside face-to-face methods. That... more
Hybrid learning is a complex combination of face-to-face and online learning. This model combines the use of multimedia materials with traditional classroom work. Virtual hybrid learning is employed alongside face-to-face methods. That aims to investigate using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase student engagement in hybrid learning settings. Educators are confronted with contemporary issues in maintaining their students’ interest and motivation as the popularity of online and hybrid education continues to grow, where many educational institutions are adopting this model due to its flexibility, student-teacher engagement, and peer-to-peer interaction. AI will help students communicate, collaborate, and receive real-time feedback, all of which are challenges in education. This article examines the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid education and the optimal approaches for incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in educational settings. The research findings suggest that ...
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Insaat yapim sureci cok sayida proje katilimcisini, degisik formlarda ve sorumluluklarda proje organizasyonlarini ve farkli tiplerde bilgisayar uygulamalarini icerir. Bu ozellikler uygulamalardaki entegrasyona dayanan buyuk miktarda veri... more
Insaat yapim sureci cok sayida proje katilimcisini, degisik formlarda ve sorumluluklarda proje organizasyonlarini ve farkli tiplerde bilgisayar uygulamalarini icerir. Bu ozellikler uygulamalardaki entegrasyona dayanan buyuk miktarda veri degisimi ve bilgi paylasimi ihtiyacini ortaya cikarmaktadir. Yapi uretim surecinin her asamasini kapsayan ve katilimcilar arasindaki iletisim kopuklugunu sanal ortamda ortadan kaldiran “ Web-tabanli Butunlesik Yapim Yonetim Sistemi Modeli” gelistirilmistir. Onerilen sistem ile yonetim kademelerine guncel, dogru ve hizli veri akisi saglama, ayrik ortamlardan bilgiye kolay erisme ve coklu-proje ortamin-da etkin surec yonetimi hedeflenmistir. Bu calismada onerilen modelin insaat yapim surecinin tum asamalarindaki proje yonetimine ve sektorun gelisimine sagladigi katkilar tartisilacaktir.
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The Construction 5.0 paradigm is the next phase in industrial development that aims to combine the skills of human experts in partnership with efficient and precise machines to achieve production solutions that are resource-efficient and... more
The Construction 5.0 paradigm is the next phase in industrial development that aims to combine the skills of human experts in partnership with efficient and precise machines to achieve production solutions that are resource-efficient and preferred by clients. This study reviewed the evolution of the Construction 5.0 paradigm by defining its features and diverse nature. It introduced the architecture, model, and system of Construction 5.0 and its key enablers: Operator 5.0, Society 5.0, human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience. The study used the SEM method to evaluate the research model and investigate the causal relationships among the key enablers of the Construction 5.0 paradigm. Nine vital hypotheses were proposed and assessed comprehensively. The critical enablers’ variables were measured to examine the constructs’ reliability and validity. The key findings showed that Construction 5.0 prioritizes collaboration between humans and machines, merges cyberspace with physica...
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PurposeRapid advancements in blockchain technology transform various sectors, attracting the attention of industrialists, practitioners, policymakers and academics, and profoundly affect construction businesses through smart contracts and... more
PurposeRapid advancements in blockchain technology transform various sectors, attracting the attention of industrialists, practitioners, policymakers and academics, and profoundly affect construction businesses through smart contracts and crypto-economics. This paper explores the blockchain innovation ecosystem in construction.Design/methodology/approachThrough a qualitative study of 23 diverse interviewees, the study explores how open or closed the blockchain innovation ecosystem in construction is and who its emerging orchestrators are.FindingsThe data showed that construction aims towards an open innovation blockchain ecosystem, although there are elements of hybridisation and closedness, each system pointing out to different orchestrators.Practical implicationsThe study has implications for governments and large companies in construction, showing that open innovation initiatives need to be encouraged by policymakers through rules, regulations and government-sponsored demonstrato...
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Research Interests: Business and Blockchain
AbstractBuilding up knowledge stocks in a firm is achieved through organizational learning, an important activity in a rapidly changing and competitive business environment. This paper investigates the impact of organizational learning on... more
AbstractBuilding up knowledge stocks in a firm is achieved through organizational learning, an important activity in a rapidly changing and competitive business environment. This paper investigates the impact of organizational learning on the performance of architectural design firms in Turkey. A questionnaire survey was administered to Turkish architectural design firms to collect information about the extent of learning at individual, project, and organizational levels and to measure the performance of the firm. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. Three hypotheses were tested to explore the interrelationships between learning at different levels and firm performance. The findings indicate that the extent of learning at the individual level positively affects the extent of learning at the project level, which in turn affects learning at the firm level. It is the extent of learning at the firm level that governs the firm’s performance, while learning at individual and project ...
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Construction is one of the industries of strategic economic importance. Governments using their national institutions are involved in the collection of economic statistics, which indicate the state of their economy in an annual time... more
Construction is one of the industries of strategic economic importance. Governments using their national institutions are involved in the collection of economic statistics, which indicate the state of their economy in an annual time series. However the completeness and accuracy of these statistics are always questionable by the stakeholders within the sector. Therefore there is an increasing need of accurate, manageable and reliable statistics for the sound analysis of the construction sector. The main purpose of this research is to review construction statistics in North Cyprus. The objectives of the review are to 1) engage with users to ascertain their views on the statistics and to identify their needs, and 2) investigate whether the statistics in their present form continue to meet user needs, and identify options for change. As part of the review, a user consultation exercise aimed to identify whether there are needs that justify continuing the statistics, as well as to ascerta...
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential integration of deep learning (DL) and digital twins (DT), referred to as (DDT), to facilitate Construction 4.0 through an exploratory analysis.Design/methodology/approachA... more
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential integration of deep learning (DL) and digital twins (DT), referred to as (DDT), to facilitate Construction 4.0 through an exploratory analysis.Design/methodology/approachA mixed approach involving qualitative and quantitative analysis was applied to collect data from global industry experts via interviews, focus groups and a questionnaire survey, with an emphasis on the practicality and interoperability of DDT with decision-support capabilities for process optimization.FindingsBased on the analysis of results, a conceptual model of the framework has been developed. The research findings validate that DL integrated DT model facilitating Construction 4.0 will incorporate cognitive abilities to detect complex and unpredictable actions and reasoning about dynamic process optimization strategies to support decision-making.Practical implicationsThe DL integrated DT model will establish an interoperable functionality and deve...
Driving forces in construction industry indicate that the ability to innovate is quickly becoming a competitive necessity. However construction industry has been generally slow to embrace innovation and radical changes as fundamental... more
Driving forces in construction industry indicate that the ability to innovate is quickly becoming a competitive necessity. However construction industry has been generally slow to embrace innovation and radical changes as fundamental changes in construction processes require shifts in the conservative management perspectives of construction contractors. Thus the strategic leadership has a crucial role in change initiatives for innovation in construction contractors. Our research focus is to investigate the role of strategic leadership in creating change for innovation in North Cyprus construction industry. Main objectives are to 1) analyze the current strategic role of leadership in change initiatives for innovation, 2) identify the innovation driving leadership models, roles, and styles 3) assess the effectiveness of innovation leadership models, roles, and styles in construction contractors. The research includes review of background literature, interviews with project/construction managers in the industry on change initiatives for innovation in construction processes, analysis of this information to develop findings and extending these to present the key strategic issues that could be targeted for creating wider awareness of existence and persistence of incumbent and prevailing innovation initiatives in the management perspectives of construction contractors. The paper commences on understanding the current management perspectives of construction industry leaders in change for innovation in North Cyprus. The paper concludes how the changes in owners’ demands and more complex new facilities require innovative change initiatives to leave the old paradigms in construction organizations. Besides technology and project-oriented perspectives, social issues like organizational change and strategic focus on clients (market oriented) can be regarded as the most important change initiatives for the construction industry leaders in North Cyprus.
Research Interests: Business and Leadership
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of cross-cultural communication (CCC) on stakeholder management process (SMP) in international construction projects from the Turkish stakeholders’ perspective. The research is... more
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of cross-cultural communication (CCC) on stakeholder management process (SMP) in international construction projects from the Turkish stakeholders’ perspective. The research is based on a survey of Turkish stakeholders (contractors, consulting engineers, insurance brokers, and financial advisors) operating internationally. The useable survey comprised 141 individual responses from 205 distributed, giving a response rate of 68.78 percent. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is proposed as an effective tool to investigate the relations between various factors of cross-cultural communication and stakeholder management process and data regarding the Turkish stakeholders have been used to demonstrate its applicability. The results demonstrate that “Communication behaviours” and “Communication strategies” proved to be strongly significant and positively related to SMP, whereas “Communication barriers” have significantly negative ef...
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PurposeThe purpose of this research is to develop a generic framework of a digital twin (DT)-based automated construction progress monitoring through reality capture to extended reality (RC-to-XR).Design/methodology/approachIDEF0 data... more
PurposeThe purpose of this research is to develop a generic framework of a digital twin (DT)-based automated construction progress monitoring through reality capture to extended reality (RC-to-XR).Design/methodology/approachIDEF0 data modeling method has been designed to establish an integration of reality capturing technologies by using BIM, DTs and XR for automated construction progress monitoring. Structural equation modeling (SEM) method has been used to test the proposed hypotheses and develop the skill model to examine the reliability, validity and contribution of the framework to understand the DRX model's effectiveness if implemented in real practice.FindingsThe research findings validate the positive impact and importance of utilizing technology integration in a logical framework such as DRX, which provides trustable, real-time, transparent and digital construction progress monitoring.Practical implicationsDRX system captures accurate, real-time and comprehensive data a...
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In the digital transformation era in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, Cognitive Digital Twins (CDT) are introduced as part of the next level of process automation and control towards Construction 4.0. CDT... more
In the digital transformation era in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, Cognitive Digital Twins (CDT) are introduced as part of the next level of process automation and control towards Construction 4.0. CDT incorporates cognitive abilities to detect complex and unpredictable actions and reason about dynamic process optimization strategies to support decision-making in building lifecycle management (BLM). Nevertheless, there is a lack of understanding of the real impact of CDT integration, Machine Learning (ML), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT), all connected to self-learning hybrid models with proactive cognitive capabilities for different phases of the building asset lifecycle. This study investigates the applicability, interoperability, and integrability of an adapted model of CDT for BLM to identify and close this gap. Surveys of industry experts were performed focusing on life cycle-ce...