Delay is the leading challenge in completing Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects. Delay can cause excess costs, which reduces company profits. The relationship between subcontractors and the main contractor is a critical factor that can support the success of an EPC project. The problematic financial condition of the main contractor can cause delay in payments to subcontractors. This research will set a model that combines the system dynamics and earned value method to describe the impact of subcontractor advance payments on project performance. The system dynamics method is used to model and analyze the impact of interactions between variables affecting project performance, while the earned value method is applied to quantitatively evaluate project performance and forecast schedule and cost outcomes. These two methods are used complementarily to achieve a holistic understanding of project dynamics and to optimize decision-making. The designed model selects the optimum scenario for project time and costs. The developed model comprises project performance, costs, cash flow, and performance forecasting sub-models. The novelty in this research is a new model for optimizing project implementation time and costs, adding payment rate variables to subcontractors and subcontractor performance rates. The designed model can provide additional information to assist project managers in making decisions.
The architecture and engineering industry employs resource-efficient sustainable building design (SBDC) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate environmental damage. This study examines the understanding and practice of SBDC among Chinese architecture students. A survey of 555 undergraduates from China’s architecture universities was conducted. Two independent and seven dependent variables were analyzed to evaluate the impact of academic stages and practical experiences on students’ awareness. The findings reveal that over 70% of respondents consider SBDC important in architecture. More than half have taken courses with over 30% SBDC content. However, 45.85% of respondents only have a basic understanding of SBDC. This result underscores the significance of educational disparities, this insufficiency is likely due to inadequate coverage and representation of SBDC in the curriculum. Our study highlights the necessity of enhancing SBDC-related education within the current curriculum framework to ensure all students receive a systematic and comprehensive knowledge of sustainable building design.
