Education | Scholars | Training & CPD

 

 

Robert Lopez

 

 

Current course of study:

 

Doctor of Philosophy (Construction Management)

Research topic:

 

Design errors and strategies to mitigate them

Start/anticipated completion date:

 

April 2007 - April 2010

Research contribution to theory:

 

A myriad of information already exists about documentation quality in general. In particular, several causes of design errors have already been identified from previous research. Consequently this research will significantly contribute to the existing knowledge base on documentation quality by:
  • focussing on identifying the casual nature of design errors and quantifying their financial impact;
  • developing a casual model of design errors; and
  • designing and developing strategies to reduce or mitigate them.

Research contribution to industry practice:

 

Anecdotal evidence from previous research suggests that in reality errors in design documentation are generally considered inevitable, and they will result in rework or waste (Manavazhi, 2004: pp. 48-49 and Love, 2005: p. 6). It is therefore anticipated that fewer design errors encountered by project team members would result in less waste, fewer cases of rework, and improved overall project performance in terms of schedule and cost.
 
From the research it is intended that the designed and developed strategies, when adopted in the building industry, will mitigate or at least contribute to reducing design errors which adversely affect on project progress.

Previous qualifications:

 

  • Diploma of Building Design and Drafting
  • Bachelor of Applied Science (Construction Management and Economics) (Honours)

Awards / Conferences /Journal articles:

 

Awards
  • WorkSafe Smart Move Certificate, WorkSafe Western Australia, 1999
  • Certificate of Merit (for an independent research project on the discourse of Construction Management), Curtin University of Technology, 2003
  • Certificate of Appreciation (for valued contribution to the Faculty Peer Mentor Programme), Faculty of Built Environment, Art & Design Curtin University of Technology, 2004

Professional memberships:

 

  •    Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (since 2003)

     

References:
 

Love, P.E.D. 2005, Forensic project management: an exploratory examination of the casual behaviour of design induced rework, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, (In press).

Manavazhi, M.R. 2004, Assessment of the propensity for revisions in design projects through the dichotomous characterization of designer effort, Construction Management and Economics, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 47-54.