Globally, the construction industry is responsible for over 30% of the extraction of natural resources, and 25% of solid waste generated, the majority of which is designated to the landfill that could be used for other critical waste that cannot be reused/recycled (Chileshe et al., 2016; Hosseini et al., 2015). The waste generated by the industry leads to negative environmental impacts such as pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (Yusof et al., 2017). According to Lindblad and Gustafsson (2026), in sustainability and transitioning to the circular economy, the construction industry faces seven critical grand challenges, including fragmented regulation, high certification costs, low market demand for circular solutions and insufficient technological infrastructure. These “grand challenges” are defined by Ferraro et al. (2015) as being complex, entailing many interactions and associations, emergent understandings and non-linear dynamics. Likewise, Chen (2019) clarified and conceptualised four perceived grand challenges in construction management to existing strategic priorities in the world’s major economies. Chen (2019) further categorised the four topics on grand challenges in construction management as follows: people/workforce; product/production; processes; and best practice based on the management of people/workforce and product/production and processes, with each topic assigned to several grand challenges and strategic priorities for the construction sector in major economies. Therefore, each paper in this general issue is mapped to the relevant grand challenge.
While digital solutions are suggested and identified as high-potential enablers to these challenges, the awareness and state of readiness of the digital technologies (DTs) remain relatively low in the construction industry (Naji et al., 2024; Rinchen et al., 2024; Statsenko et al., 2023; Sepasgozar, 2021; Samuelson and Stehn, 2023), and due to a lack of awareness (Zulu and Khosrowshahi (2021); infrastructure constraints, and varying levels of technological readiness (Rinchen et al., 2024). Furthermore, to adequately integrate DTs into construction industry activities and processes, awareness about the technologies must be created and enhanced if already in play (Oke et al., 2024). Another challenge facing the construction industry is that of reducing the carbon footprint arising from the production of nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, the industry has continuously faced pressure to adopt more sustainable practices and reduce its environmental footprint. Hence, the research area of adopting sustainable building materials (SBMs) or sustainable construction materials (SCMs) is timely and critical. However, according to Nguyen and Ha (2025), the adoption and usage of SBMs is influenced by readiness at different levels such as market, organisation and employee. Therefore, examining such issues and being informed by several theoretical lenses including innovation diffusion theory is paramount. Conversely, this also applies to other digital disruptive technologies such as blockchain technologies and Internet of Things.
Construction procurement and sub-contractor selection are other areas fraught with challenges. As observed by Ng et al. (2026), the construction industry depends on a multi-layered sub-contracting system, where sub-contractors account for nearly 80% of project value and significantly impact outcomes. Accordingly, this poor sub-contractor selection often leads to coordination issues, quality problems and delays (Boonstra and Reezigt, 2023). This highlights the need of more research in this area. In the area of health and safety (H&S), this is well investigated due to the acknowledgement that construction remains one of the most dangerous industries, with high rates of injuries and fatalities. However, while some studies that promote H&S via procurement have been discussed often in the context of developed countries, there is a paucity of such studies in developing countries where construction is growing rapidly (Umeokafor et al., 2020). Research has shown that synergies among workplace diversity, inclusion and employee development positively influence banks’ overall and social environmental, social and governance performance. However, studies such as Dahanayake (2020) and Owusu-Boadi et al. (2025) have shown that achieving diversity among the workforce could be a challenging factor as well as a strategic capability for an organisation (Dahanayake, 2020). Therefore, more research in this area is warranted. The construction industry operates in a volatile and complex environment, which is prone to structural and economic shocks, leading to fluctuations in building material prices. This makes cost forecasting difficult as output prices respond to cost pressures but also to firms’ adjustments to changing demand and input conditions. This challenge calls for research in identifying leading macroeconomic indicators and the development of models for forecasting building cost indices (BCI). This will reduce the financial strain on the construction industry.
Thus, in response to the identified grand challenges, this general issue published in the Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology consists of 10 articles from a combined total of 34 authors drawn from 15 countries, both developing and developed and spread across five out of the seven continents as follows: Asia (China, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Lebanon and Thailand); Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe); Australia/Oceania (Australia and New Zealand); Europe (Spain and UK); and North America (Canada). The geographical distribution and settings of the studies also include countries such as Angola, Benin, Myanmar, Senegal, Syria and Yemen. This issue has papers that are informed by several theoretical lenses and using different types of research designs (qualitative and quantitative approaches and systematic literature reviews) with research outcomes such as integrated frameworks for blockchain and DT adoption, casual diagrams, taxonomies, dual-model analytic hierarchy process (AHP) frameworks for clients and contractors, scalable evidence-based frameworks, context-specific frameworks and applications with the potential of bridging the science-policy and policy-practice divide. As asserted by Dale et al. (2019), the generation of research outputs such as models, frameworks and guidelines is among the ways to improve the integration of science into policy and practice. There is a range of research focus and exploring a diverse array of issues related to procurement in sub-contractor selection, workforce diversity, H&S, emerging DTs, SCMs, sustainable development, forecasting output-based BCI and employee well-being. Overall, the papers and geographical spread of the authors are aligned with the journal’s scope and mission of having a specific focus on addressing grand challenges in construction and civil engineering management research within the built environment. Most importantly, expanding the boundaries of knowledge in these fields and providing an international forum for the interchange of information and current issues from around the world.
In their research, Al-Kayed et al. (2026) evaluate the key factors that enable the effective implementation of DTs to improve competitiveness among sub-contracting organisations in New Zealand’s residential construction industry. This research is well aligned with the grand challenge of technology usage and is nested within the process’s domain. Their quantitative study which used principal component analysis to derive core competitiveness dimensions and automatic linear modelling revealed the following five significant predictors of competitiveness variance as investment in DTs, ethical compliance, knowledge sharing, employee training and supportive digital mindsets. Their findings showed that strengthening competitiveness requires a balanced approach that integrates technological, organisational and human elements. Digital investment aligned with industry trends appears particularly influential, while ethical compliance and effective knowledge-sharing systems play central roles in enabling productive digital practices. Furthermore, workforce-related factors, skills development and employee openness to digital change also contribute meaningfully, underscoring the multidimensional nature of digital readiness. This research makes theoretical contributions by advancing the current understanding by providing one of the first quantitative models that links digital adoption conditions to competitiveness outcomes in sub-contracting SMEs, offering empirical clarity in an area where prior studies have been limited or mostly conceptual. In a multi-layered sub-contracting system, the priorities of contractors and clients in sub-contractor selection often diverge, and the client’s perspective is underrepresented. Therefore, informed by the theories of principal-agent theory, multi-criteria decision-making theory and governance theory, Ng et al. (2026) address the gap and grand challenge nested within the construction management and civil engineering domain of processes by identifying key selection factors and developing dual AHP models that explicitly capture client and contractor perspectives. The study used a qualitative approach comprising structured interviews with contractors and clients, and Delphi surveys validated through two real-world case studies. The findings establish the following seven factors: ability, client/contractor relationships, cost and resources, project control and management, risk and safety and time and scheduling. From the correlation analyses between contractor and client rankings, some alignment but also notable differences in their preferences emerged. The study makes theoretical contributions to the sub-contractor selection research and multi-criteria decision-making theory by extending and advancing sub-contractor selection scholarship by explicitly integrating client and contractor perspectives into a dual-model AHP framework. Furthermore, the dual-model approach used conceptualises sub-contractor selection as a multi- stakeholder governance process rather than a single-objective optimisation task. Some managerial implications suggest that clients and contractors systematically prioritise different appraisal criteria.
Aye et al. (2026) respond to the research gap about investigations on work values, which have largely been conducted in Western contexts, with minimal evidence from developing countries, such as Myanmar. Therefore, this study addresses this gap and grand challenge within the construction management domain of people/workforce by investigating generational work value differences and their effects on job satisfaction and turnover intentions among construction employees in Myanmar. Informed by the theoretical lenses of generational cohort theory and social exchange theory, quantitative (questionnaire) data were collected using stratified sampling with equal representation from Generations X and Y (construction employees) in Myanmar. The results revealed that Generation Y rated freedom, intrinsic- and extrinsic-related factors of work values more importantly than Generation X. It was further identified that Generation X’s work values had a more profound relationship with job satisfaction than Generation Y’s. The work value dimensions influenced the turnover intentions of Generation X and Generation Y employees differently. The findings are valuable and extend the literature further by providing insights and understanding that this is crucial as misaligned values may reduce job satisfaction and increase employee turnover.
The construction sector’s poor H&S performance is increasingly attributed to inappropriate procurement systems. In this paper, Chigara and Smallwood (2026) respond to the research gap, and processes domain-related grand challenge of the management of procurement through sound procedure and effective contract control; as well as the limited research that has investigated the key aspects of procurement management that undermine construction H&S by identifying these aspects that significantly affect construction H&S in Zimbabwe. A quantitative survey research approach was used to collect data from construction professionals in Zimbabwe. The finding identified seven aspects of procurement management that are perceived to have a significant effect on construction H&S. The top five aspects of procurement management affecting H&S are inadequate inclusion of H&S-specific clauses in contract documents, client-delays to consider H&S until after bidding and specifically during the project execution phase, appointment of designers who neglect worker H&S in their designs, the appointment of contractors who have not fully considered H&S aspects of a project, and inadequate facilitation of financial provision for H&S. By identifying the critical procurement aspects affecting H&S, the study’s finding has some implications as it offers new insights and contributes to the growing body of knowledge on this topic from a developing-country perspective, and more specific Zimbabwe, a much lesser studied context.
In this study, and responding to the limited usage of the technology grand challenge process-related issue, Osuolale and Felkner (2026) use the theoretical lenses of diffusion of innovation and institutional theory to examine why awareness of SCM fails to translate into adoption among Nigerian architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals despite widespread environmental recognition, testing whether barriers are profession-specific or sector-wide. Cross-sectional survey data of AEC professionals were collected and used to evaluate the relationship between awareness and adoption, and hierarchical regression was used to examine the predictors of adoption. The findings revealed that knowledge is necessary but profoundly insufficient for driving sustainable material usage; that adoption challenges transcend professional boundaries, with no significant differences existing across the different professions for either awareness or adoption. In addition, the sector-wide uniformity supported institutional theory’s prediction that in weak institutional environments, systemic context dominates over individual professional characteristics. The findings have some theoretical contributions through extending institutional theory by demonstrating that institutional context dominates profession-specific factors in determining adoption outcomes, and the application of a theoretical perspective in bridging and explaining the awareness-adoption gap. Despite abundant hydropower resources, expanding electricity access to rural and low-income communities is impeded by inadequate grid infrastructure and high costs in developing countries like Mozambique. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation represents a critical, yet underutilised, intervention for achieving sustainable development in tropical regions. However, a considerable research gap exists in evidence-based, context-specific frameworks and Lazaro et al. (2026) respond to this research gap and posit that EPS insulation represents a critical, yet underutilised, intervention for achieving sustainable development in tropical regions. This gap aligns with the best practice based on the product/production and processes and associated grand challenge of cost and carbon reduction across the construction, operation and maintenance. Therefore, a scalable, evidence-based framework is developed and validated to evaluate the energy, economic and environmental performance of EPS in resource-constrained contexts, with Mozambique as a primary case study. The study’s analysis confirmed that intervention delivered significant and interconnected benefits across energy, economic and environmental domains. The core contribution of this study is nested in the development and validated, holistic analytical framework that integrates localised climate, economic and cultural data. This framework enables the bridging of the gap between sustainable material science and practical, on-the-ground application model.
Gurmu (2026) addresses the research gap and is informed by producer theory in forecasting output-based BCI for building projects by integrating macroeconomic indicators into a robust econometric model. Based on the Quarterly Australian data from 1997 to 2024 on BCI, gross domestic product (GDP), construction price index, petroleum prices and producer price indexes (PPI) are analysed using Granger causality and Johansen cointegration tests to examine temporal and long-run equilibrium relationships. The findings revealed that key macroeconomic indicators – GDP, petroleum prices and PPIs of steel, electrical and other metals such as insulation and plaster products – serve as the most influential predictors of BCI. The study makes some theoretical contributions by extending the application of producer theory within the building construction sector by illustrating how builders adjust pricing strategies in response to macroeconomic shifts and material-specific cost pressures. Through the “producer theory”, this research signals a paradigm shift from generic, input-based cost forecasting towards project-specific, macro-integrated models that bridge theory and practice, enabling more accurate and context-sensitive predictions with significant economic and commercial impact. It also responds to the grand challenge of cost and carbon reduction across the construction industry within the best practices domain. In their study, Adesi et al. (2026) investigate the multivariate relationship between employee well-being and performance using canonical correlation analysis to identify the variables’ specific contributions. Data collection and analysis involved the administration of a survey questionnaire of construction workers in Ghana, and canonical correlation analysis. The findings show that quality sleep, exercise routine and balanced nutrition are key physical well-being indicators that significantly influence stress-free productivity among construction workers, and that the willingness to make extra efforts to achieve targets significantly influences completion of tasks without stress among construction workers. Furthermore, for social well-being, good relationships between supervisors and employees at the workplace significantly influence timely completion of tasks without stress. Overall, this study contributes to knowledge by enhancing our understanding and providing insights on improving workplace conditions of construction workers in society by responding to the grand challenges within the people/workforce domain. Finally, some public policy implications are evident as the study provides avenues for drafting and enacting legislation for mental health management and physical work conditions for the factory inspectorate division to implement.
In addressing the limited understanding of how emerging DTs reshape managerial functions and create adoption challenges in developing countries, Boutros et al. (2026), use the technology–organisation–environment framework to investigate the impact of four emerging technologies: artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, cloud computing and robotic process automation (RPA) on managers’ roles and the construction industry in developing countries. It captured the perspectives of managers from the construction and related sectors and examines the factors influencing their intentions to adopt these technologies. This quantitative study draws responses from managers across 15 developing countries in the Middle East and Africa. The findings identified the most influential factors shaping technology adoption with data analytics and AI emerging as the most transformative technologies for managerial practices and sector operations, followed by cloud computing and RPA (46%), indicating a clear hierarchy of perceived influence. Some organisational barriers, such as low awareness, limited financial resources, lack of hands-on experience and resistance to change, hinder adoption; these can be mitigated through structured training, skills development, financial incentives and targeted awareness campaigns. The study offers interesting insights into the area and recommends that a significant awareness–application gap must be addressed to unlock the full potential of emerging technologies. It also addresses the processes domain and grand challenge around technology usage. In their research, Mohandes et al. (2026) explored the combined adoption of blockchain and digital twin (DT) technologies in the construction industry, addressing a notable research gap where these technologies have primarily been studied in isolation and responding to the CM and civil engineering domains of processes and associated grand challenge of increasing the use of DT. This study identified and analysed the key factors influencing joint adoption by capturing their intricate relationships under an integrated environment. Their combined systematic literature review-based research methodology and fuzzy DEMATEL approach and underpinned by the fuzzy set theory to convert qualitative inputs into numerical values, and graph theory revealed 14 critical factors impacting the integrated use of blockchain and DT technologies, with several sub-factors exhibiting strong cause-and-effect relationships. Based on the SLR, four primary factors were identified: Economic and Financial Factors (MF1), Technical and Implementation Factors (MF2), Management and Operational Factors (MF3) and Industry and Regulatory Factors (MF4). The findings highlighted the critical importance of financial planning, technical expertise, effective management and regulatory compliance in construction projects. The study provides both theoretical and practical contributions to the understanding of blockchain–DT integration in construction.
