Fahim Ullah
National University of Sciences and Technology Islamabad, Construction Engineering and Management, Faculty Member
The University of New South Wales, Faculty of Built Environment, Casual Academic, Head Tutor, Tutor, Teaching Assistant and Marker
Dr. Fahim Ullah is a preeminent scholar and pedagogue in the realm of Construction Project Management, occupying the posts of Program Director (Construction) and Senior Lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ). His previous tenure as a lecturer at UniSQ, in addition to his attainment of a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the School of Built Environment at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, serves as a testament to his mastery of the discipline. Throughout his academic journey, he has also served as a Casual Lecturer at UNSW, Lead Lecturer at the University of Sydney, and Lecturer at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in Pakistan, where he has imparted his wealth of knowledge in the areas of Construction and Project Management to students. Prior to his academic pursuits, Fahim gained substantial practical experience through his employment as Assistant Manager (Planning) at Bin Nadeem Associates (BNA) and as Planning Engineer at Malik Abdul Hanan and Sons in Pakistan. Fahim's research interests encompass a multitude of topics within the disciplines of Construction Management, Project Management, Smart Cities, Digital Technologies, and Disruptive Innovation, and his contributions to these fields have been widely acknowledged through various research grants and awards for exceptional papers. To date, he has published over 90 research articles (including a book, original research articles, conference papers, and book chapters) of superior quality, delving into subjects such as construction management, project management, smart cities, real estate, and property management. Furthermore, he is appointed as an Associate Editor for the journals Frontiers in Built Environment and Smart Construction. He has also served as an Editorial Board Member for the section on "Smart Cities and Urban Management" of the Energies Journal from 2021 to 2022. He is currently engaged in editing multiple special issues in Q1 and Q2 journals pertaining to digital disruptions and industry 5.0 technologies in the built environment.
Phone: +61 7 3470 4152
Address: School of Surveying and Built Environment, University of Southern Queensland
Springfield Campus, Springfield Central
Phone: +61 7 3470 4152
Address: School of Surveying and Built Environment, University of Southern Queensland
Springfield Campus, Springfield Central
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Papers by Fahim Ullah
to the objectivity and reliability of assessment and high demands of time and costs. This can be
automated using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for aerial imagery of damages. Numerous
computer vision-based approaches have been applied to address the limitations of crack detection
but they have their limitations that can be overcome by using various hybrid approaches based
on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques. The convolutional neural
networks (CNNs), an application of the deep learning (DL) method, display remarkable potential
for automatically detecting image features such as damages and are less sensitive to image noise. A
modified deep hierarchical CNN architecture has been used in this study for crack detection and
damage assessment in civil infrastructures. The proposed architecture is based on 16 convolution
layers and a cycle generative adversarial network (CycleGAN). For this study, the crack images were
collected using UAVs and open-source images of mid to high rise buildings (five stories and above)
constructed during 2000 in Sydney, Australia. Conventionally, a CNN network only utilizes the
last layer of convolution. However, our proposed network is based on the utility of multiple layers.
Another important component of the proposed CNN architecture is the application of guided filtering
(GF) and conditional random fields (CRFs) to refine the predicted outputs to get reliable results.
Benchmarking data (600 images) of Sydney-based buildings damages was used to test the proposed
architecture. The proposed deep hierarchical CNN architecture produced superior performance
when evaluated using five methods: GF method, Baseline (BN) method, Deep-Crack BN, Deep-Crack
GF, and SegNet. Overall, the GF method outperformed all other methods as indicated by the global
accuracy (0.990), class average accuracy (0.939), mean intersection of the union overall classes (IoU)
(0.879), precision (0.838), recall (0.879), and F-score (0.8581) values. Overall, the proposed CNN
architecture provides the advantages of reduced noise, highly integrated supervision of features,
adequate learning, and aggregation of both multi-scale and multilevel features during the training
procedure along with the refinement of the overall output predictions.
and has affected all forms of human life and economic developments. Various techniques are used
to collect the infected patients’ sample, which carries risks of transferring the infection to others.
The current study proposes an AI-powered UAV-based sample collection procedure through selfcollection
kits delivery to the potential patients and bringing the samples back for testing. Using
a hypothetical case study of Islamabad, Pakistan, various test cases are run where the UAVs paths
are optimized using four key algorithms, greedy, intra-route, inter-route, and tabu, to save time
and reduce carbon emissions associated with alternate transportation methods. Four cases with
30, 50, 100, and 500 patients are investigated for delivering the self-testing kits to the patients. The
results show that the Tabu algorithm provides the best-optimized paths covering 31.85, 51.35, 85, and
349.15 km distance for different numbers of patients. In addition, the algorithms optimize the number
of UAVs to be used in each case and address the studied cases patients with 5, 8, 14, and 71 UAVs,
respectively. The current study provides the first step towards the practical handling of COVID-19
and other pandemics in developing countries, where the risks of spreading the infections can be
minimized by reducing person-to-person contact. Furthermore, the reduced carbon footprints of
these UAVs are an added advantage for developing countries that struggle to control such emissions.
The proposed system is equally applicable to both developed and developing countries and can help
reduce the spread of COVID-19 through minimizing the person-to-person contact, thus helping the
transformation of healthcare to smart healthcare.
landscape, forests, and wild animals. These bushfires must be managed to save a fortune, wildlife,
and vegetation and reduce fatalities and harmful environmental impacts. The current study proposes
a holistic model that uses a mixed-method approach of Geographical Information System (GIS),
remote sensing, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)-based bushfire assessment and mitigation.
The fire products of Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and Moderate-resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are used for monitoring the burnt areas within the Victorian
Region due to the 2020 bushfires. The results show that the aggregate of 1500 m produces the best
output for estimating the burnt areas. The identified hotspots are in the eastern belt of the state
that progressed north towards New South Wales. The R2 values between 0.91–0.99 indicate the
fitness of methods used in the current study. A healthy z-value index between 0.03 to 2.9 shows
the statistical significance of the hotspots. Additional analysis of the 2019–20 Victorian bushfires
shows a widespread radius of the fires associated with the climate change and Indian Ocean Dipole
(IOD) phenomenon. The UAV paths are optimized using five algorithms: greedy, intra route, inter
route, tabu, and particle swarm optimization (PSO), where PSO search surpassed all the tested
methods in terms of faster run time and lesser costs to manage the bushfires disasters. The average
improvement demonstrated by the PSO algorithm over the greedy method is approximately 2%
and 1.2% as compared with the intra route. Further, the cost reduction is 1.5% compared with the
inter-route scheme and 1.2% compared with the intra route algorithm. The local disaster management
authorities can instantly adopt the proposed system to assess the bushfires disasters and instigate an
immediate response plan.
must be mitigated to eradicate the associated harmful effects on the climate and to have a sustainable
and healthy environment for wildlife. The current study investigates the 2019–2020 bushfires in New
SouthWales (NSW) Australia. The bush fires are mapped using Geographical Information Systems
(GIS) and remote sensing, the hotpots are monitored, and damage is assessed. Further, an Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAV)-based bushfire mitigation framework is presented where the bushfires can be
mapped and monitored instantly using UAV swarms. For the GIS and remote sensing, datasets of
the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and VIIRS fire data products are used, whereas the paths of
UAVs are optimized using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The mapping results
of 2019–2020 NSW bushfires show that 50% of the national parks of NSW were impacted by the
fires, resulting in damage to 2.5 million hectares of land. The fires are highly clustered towards the
north and southeastern cities of NSW and its border region with Victoria. The hotspots are in the
Deua, Kosciu Sako,Wollemi, and Yengo National Parks. The current study is the first step towards
addressing a key issue of bushfire disasters, in the Australian context, that can be adopted by its Rural
Fire Service (RFS), before the next fire season, to instantly map, assess, and subsequently mitigate the
bushfire disasters. This will help move towards a smart and sustainable environment.
sector is regressive and uses traditional methods and approaches. Therefore, it needs
a technological transformation and innovation in line with the Industry 4.0 requirements
to transform into smart real estate. However, it faces the barriers of disruptive
digital technology (DDT) adoption and innovation that need effective management to
enable such transformation. These barriers present managerial challenges that affect
DDT adoption and innovation in smart real estate. The current study assesses these
DDTs adoption and innovation barriers facing the Australian real estate sector from a
managerial perspective. Based on a comprehensive review of 72 systematically retrieved
and shortlisted articles, we identify 21 key barriers to digitalisation and innovation. The
barriers are grouped into the technology-organisation-external environment (TOE) categories
using a Fault tree. Data is collected from 102 real estate and property managers
to rate and rank the identified barriers. The results show that most of the respondents
are aware of the DDTs and reported AI (22.5% of respondents), big data (12.75%) and VR
(12.75%) as the most critical technologies not adopted so far due to costs, organisation
policies, awareness, reluctance, user demand, tech integration, government support
and funding. Overall, the highest barrier (risk) scores are observed for high costs of
software and hardware (T1), high complexity of the selected technology dissemination system
(T2) and lack of government incentives, R&D support, policies, regulations and standards
(E1). Among the TOE categories, as evident from the fault tree analysis, the highest
percentage of failure to adopt the DDT is attributed to E1 in the environmental group.
For the technological group, the highest failure reason is attributed to T2. And for the
organisational group, the barrier with the highest failure chances for DDT adoption is
the lack of organisational willingness to invest in digital marketing (O4). These barriers
must be addressed to pave the way for DDT adoption and innovation in the Australian
real estate sector and move towards smart real estate.
conditions, construction methods, and mix factors. Working with concrete is particularly
tricky in a hot climate. This study predicts the properties of concrete in hot conditions using the
case study of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. In this research, variable casting temperatures, design factors,
and curing conditions are investigated for their effects on concrete characteristics. For this purpose,
water–cement ratio (w/c), in-situ concrete temperature (T), and curing methods of the concrete are
varied, and their effects on pulse velocity (PV), compressive strength (fc), depth of water penetration
(WP), and split tensile strength (ft) were studied for up to 180 days. Quadratic regression and artificial
neural network (ANN) models have been formulated to forecast the properties of concrete in the
current study. The results show that T, curing period, and moist curing strongly influence fc, ft, and
PV, while WP is adversely affected by T and moist curing. The ANN model shows better results
compared to the quadratic regression model. Furthermore, a combined ANN model of fc, ft, and PV
was also developed that displayed higher accuracy than the individual ANN models. These models
can help construction site engineers select the appropriate concrete parameters when concreting
under hot climates to produce durable and long-lasting concrete.
Karachi, Pakistan’s economic hub, is also showing signs of swift urbanization. Owing to the construction
of infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and associated
urbanization, Karachi’s climate has been significantly affected. The associated replacement of natural
surfaces by anthropogenic materials results in urban overheating and increased local temperatures
leading to serious health issues and higher air pollution. Thus, these temperature changes and
urban overheating effects must be addressed to minimize their impact on the city’s population. For
analyzing the urban overheating of Karachi city, LST (land surface temperature) is assessed in the
current study, where data of the past 20 years (2000–2020) is used. For this purpose, remote sensing
data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Global Digital
Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM) and Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)
sensors were utilized. The long short-term memory (LSTM) model was utilized where the road
density (RD), elevation, and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) are used as input parameters. Upon
comparing estimated and measured LST, the values of mean absolute error (MAE), mean square
error (MSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) are 0.27 K, 0.237, and 0.15% for January,
and 0.29 K, 0.261, and 0.13% for May, respectively. The low MAE, MSE, and MAPE values show
a higher correlation between the predicted and observed LST values. Moreover, results show that
more than 90% of the pixel data falls in the least possible error range of ô€€€1 K to +1 K. The MAE, MSE
and MAPE values for Support Vector Regression (SVR) are 0.52 K, 0.453 and 0.18% and 0.76 K, 0.873,
and 0.26%. The current model outperforms previous studies, shows a higher accuracy, and depicts
greater reliability to predict the actual scenario. In the future, based on the accurate LST results from
this model, city planners can propose mitigation strategies to reduce the harmful effects of urban
overheating and associated Urban Heat Island effects (UHI).
human lives and damage to property, infrastructure, and agricultural lands. To cater to this, there is
a need to develop and implement real-time flood management systems that could instantly detect
flooded regions to initiate relief activities as early as possible. Current imaging systems, relying
on satellites, have demonstrated low accuracy and delayed response, making them unreliable and
impractical to be used in emergency responses to natural disasters such as flooding. This research
employs Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to develop an automated imaging system that can
identify inundated areas from aerial images. The Haar cascade classifier was explored in the case
study to detect landmarks such as roads and buildings from the aerial images captured by UAVs
and identify flooded areas. The extracted landmarks are added to the training dataset that is used to
train a deep learning algorithm. Experimental results show that buildings and roads can be detected
from the images with 91% and 94% accuracy, respectively. The overall accuracy of 91% is recorded
in classifying flooded and non-flooded regions from the input case study images. The system has
shown promising results on test images belonging to both pre- and post-flood classes. The flood relief
and rescue workers can quickly locate flooded regions and rescue stranded people using this system.
Such real-time flood inundation systems will help transform the disaster management systems in
line with modern smart cities initiatives.
breakthroughs in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. The
pace of implementation of BIM in AEC has increased during the past decade with an enhanced focus
on sustainable construction. However, BIM implementation lags its potential because of several
factors such as readiness issues, lack of previous experience in BIM, and lack of market demand
for BIM. To evaluate and solve these issues, understanding the current BIM implementation in
construction organizations is required. Motivated by this need, the main objective of this study is to
propose a tool for the measurement of BIM implementation levels within an organization. Various
sets of indexes are developed based on their pertinent Critical Success Factors (CSFs). A detailed
literature review followed by a questionnaire survey involving 99 respondents is conducted, and
results are analyzed to formulate a BIMp-Chart to calculate and visualize the BIM implementation
level of an organization. Subsequently, the applicability of the BIMp-Chart is assessed by comparing
and analyzing datasets of four organizations from different regions, including Qatar, Portugal, and
Egypt, and a multinational organization to develop a global measurement tool. Through measuring
and comparing BIM implementation levels, the BIMp-Chart can help the practitioners identify the
implementation areas in an organization for proper BIM implementation. This study helps understand
the fundamental elements of BIM implementation and provides a decision support system
for construction organizations to devise proper strategies for the effectual management of the BIM
implementation process.
to the objectivity and reliability of assessment and high demands of time and costs. This can be
automated using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for aerial imagery of damages. Numerous
computer vision-based approaches have been applied to address the limitations of crack detection
but they have their limitations that can be overcome by using various hybrid approaches based
on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques. The convolutional neural
networks (CNNs), an application of the deep learning (DL) method, display remarkable potential
for automatically detecting image features such as damages and are less sensitive to image noise. A
modified deep hierarchical CNN architecture has been used in this study for crack detection and
damage assessment in civil infrastructures. The proposed architecture is based on 16 convolution
layers and a cycle generative adversarial network (CycleGAN). For this study, the crack images were
collected using UAVs and open-source images of mid to high rise buildings (five stories and above)
constructed during 2000 in Sydney, Australia. Conventionally, a CNN network only utilizes the
last layer of convolution. However, our proposed network is based on the utility of multiple layers.
Another important component of the proposed CNN architecture is the application of guided filtering
(GF) and conditional random fields (CRFs) to refine the predicted outputs to get reliable results.
Benchmarking data (600 images) of Sydney-based buildings damages was used to test the proposed
architecture. The proposed deep hierarchical CNN architecture produced superior performance
when evaluated using five methods: GF method, Baseline (BN) method, Deep-Crack BN, Deep-Crack
GF, and SegNet. Overall, the GF method outperformed all other methods as indicated by the global
accuracy (0.990), class average accuracy (0.939), mean intersection of the union overall classes (IoU)
(0.879), precision (0.838), recall (0.879), and F-score (0.8581) values. Overall, the proposed CNN
architecture provides the advantages of reduced noise, highly integrated supervision of features,
adequate learning, and aggregation of both multi-scale and multilevel features during the training
procedure along with the refinement of the overall output predictions.
and has affected all forms of human life and economic developments. Various techniques are used
to collect the infected patients’ sample, which carries risks of transferring the infection to others.
The current study proposes an AI-powered UAV-based sample collection procedure through selfcollection
kits delivery to the potential patients and bringing the samples back for testing. Using
a hypothetical case study of Islamabad, Pakistan, various test cases are run where the UAVs paths
are optimized using four key algorithms, greedy, intra-route, inter-route, and tabu, to save time
and reduce carbon emissions associated with alternate transportation methods. Four cases with
30, 50, 100, and 500 patients are investigated for delivering the self-testing kits to the patients. The
results show that the Tabu algorithm provides the best-optimized paths covering 31.85, 51.35, 85, and
349.15 km distance for different numbers of patients. In addition, the algorithms optimize the number
of UAVs to be used in each case and address the studied cases patients with 5, 8, 14, and 71 UAVs,
respectively. The current study provides the first step towards the practical handling of COVID-19
and other pandemics in developing countries, where the risks of spreading the infections can be
minimized by reducing person-to-person contact. Furthermore, the reduced carbon footprints of
these UAVs are an added advantage for developing countries that struggle to control such emissions.
The proposed system is equally applicable to both developed and developing countries and can help
reduce the spread of COVID-19 through minimizing the person-to-person contact, thus helping the
transformation of healthcare to smart healthcare.
landscape, forests, and wild animals. These bushfires must be managed to save a fortune, wildlife,
and vegetation and reduce fatalities and harmful environmental impacts. The current study proposes
a holistic model that uses a mixed-method approach of Geographical Information System (GIS),
remote sensing, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)-based bushfire assessment and mitigation.
The fire products of Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and Moderate-resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are used for monitoring the burnt areas within the Victorian
Region due to the 2020 bushfires. The results show that the aggregate of 1500 m produces the best
output for estimating the burnt areas. The identified hotspots are in the eastern belt of the state
that progressed north towards New South Wales. The R2 values between 0.91–0.99 indicate the
fitness of methods used in the current study. A healthy z-value index between 0.03 to 2.9 shows
the statistical significance of the hotspots. Additional analysis of the 2019–20 Victorian bushfires
shows a widespread radius of the fires associated with the climate change and Indian Ocean Dipole
(IOD) phenomenon. The UAV paths are optimized using five algorithms: greedy, intra route, inter
route, tabu, and particle swarm optimization (PSO), where PSO search surpassed all the tested
methods in terms of faster run time and lesser costs to manage the bushfires disasters. The average
improvement demonstrated by the PSO algorithm over the greedy method is approximately 2%
and 1.2% as compared with the intra route. Further, the cost reduction is 1.5% compared with the
inter-route scheme and 1.2% compared with the intra route algorithm. The local disaster management
authorities can instantly adopt the proposed system to assess the bushfires disasters and instigate an
immediate response plan.
must be mitigated to eradicate the associated harmful effects on the climate and to have a sustainable
and healthy environment for wildlife. The current study investigates the 2019–2020 bushfires in New
SouthWales (NSW) Australia. The bush fires are mapped using Geographical Information Systems
(GIS) and remote sensing, the hotpots are monitored, and damage is assessed. Further, an Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAV)-based bushfire mitigation framework is presented where the bushfires can be
mapped and monitored instantly using UAV swarms. For the GIS and remote sensing, datasets of
the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and VIIRS fire data products are used, whereas the paths of
UAVs are optimized using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The mapping results
of 2019–2020 NSW bushfires show that 50% of the national parks of NSW were impacted by the
fires, resulting in damage to 2.5 million hectares of land. The fires are highly clustered towards the
north and southeastern cities of NSW and its border region with Victoria. The hotspots are in the
Deua, Kosciu Sako,Wollemi, and Yengo National Parks. The current study is the first step towards
addressing a key issue of bushfire disasters, in the Australian context, that can be adopted by its Rural
Fire Service (RFS), before the next fire season, to instantly map, assess, and subsequently mitigate the
bushfire disasters. This will help move towards a smart and sustainable environment.
sector is regressive and uses traditional methods and approaches. Therefore, it needs
a technological transformation and innovation in line with the Industry 4.0 requirements
to transform into smart real estate. However, it faces the barriers of disruptive
digital technology (DDT) adoption and innovation that need effective management to
enable such transformation. These barriers present managerial challenges that affect
DDT adoption and innovation in smart real estate. The current study assesses these
DDTs adoption and innovation barriers facing the Australian real estate sector from a
managerial perspective. Based on a comprehensive review of 72 systematically retrieved
and shortlisted articles, we identify 21 key barriers to digitalisation and innovation. The
barriers are grouped into the technology-organisation-external environment (TOE) categories
using a Fault tree. Data is collected from 102 real estate and property managers
to rate and rank the identified barriers. The results show that most of the respondents
are aware of the DDTs and reported AI (22.5% of respondents), big data (12.75%) and VR
(12.75%) as the most critical technologies not adopted so far due to costs, organisation
policies, awareness, reluctance, user demand, tech integration, government support
and funding. Overall, the highest barrier (risk) scores are observed for high costs of
software and hardware (T1), high complexity of the selected technology dissemination system
(T2) and lack of government incentives, R&D support, policies, regulations and standards
(E1). Among the TOE categories, as evident from the fault tree analysis, the highest
percentage of failure to adopt the DDT is attributed to E1 in the environmental group.
For the technological group, the highest failure reason is attributed to T2. And for the
organisational group, the barrier with the highest failure chances for DDT adoption is
the lack of organisational willingness to invest in digital marketing (O4). These barriers
must be addressed to pave the way for DDT adoption and innovation in the Australian
real estate sector and move towards smart real estate.
conditions, construction methods, and mix factors. Working with concrete is particularly
tricky in a hot climate. This study predicts the properties of concrete in hot conditions using the
case study of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. In this research, variable casting temperatures, design factors,
and curing conditions are investigated for their effects on concrete characteristics. For this purpose,
water–cement ratio (w/c), in-situ concrete temperature (T), and curing methods of the concrete are
varied, and their effects on pulse velocity (PV), compressive strength (fc), depth of water penetration
(WP), and split tensile strength (ft) were studied for up to 180 days. Quadratic regression and artificial
neural network (ANN) models have been formulated to forecast the properties of concrete in the
current study. The results show that T, curing period, and moist curing strongly influence fc, ft, and
PV, while WP is adversely affected by T and moist curing. The ANN model shows better results
compared to the quadratic regression model. Furthermore, a combined ANN model of fc, ft, and PV
was also developed that displayed higher accuracy than the individual ANN models. These models
can help construction site engineers select the appropriate concrete parameters when concreting
under hot climates to produce durable and long-lasting concrete.
Karachi, Pakistan’s economic hub, is also showing signs of swift urbanization. Owing to the construction
of infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and associated
urbanization, Karachi’s climate has been significantly affected. The associated replacement of natural
surfaces by anthropogenic materials results in urban overheating and increased local temperatures
leading to serious health issues and higher air pollution. Thus, these temperature changes and
urban overheating effects must be addressed to minimize their impact on the city’s population. For
analyzing the urban overheating of Karachi city, LST (land surface temperature) is assessed in the
current study, where data of the past 20 years (2000–2020) is used. For this purpose, remote sensing
data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Global Digital
Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM) and Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)
sensors were utilized. The long short-term memory (LSTM) model was utilized where the road
density (RD), elevation, and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) are used as input parameters. Upon
comparing estimated and measured LST, the values of mean absolute error (MAE), mean square
error (MSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) are 0.27 K, 0.237, and 0.15% for January,
and 0.29 K, 0.261, and 0.13% for May, respectively. The low MAE, MSE, and MAPE values show
a higher correlation between the predicted and observed LST values. Moreover, results show that
more than 90% of the pixel data falls in the least possible error range of ô€€€1 K to +1 K. The MAE, MSE
and MAPE values for Support Vector Regression (SVR) are 0.52 K, 0.453 and 0.18% and 0.76 K, 0.873,
and 0.26%. The current model outperforms previous studies, shows a higher accuracy, and depicts
greater reliability to predict the actual scenario. In the future, based on the accurate LST results from
this model, city planners can propose mitigation strategies to reduce the harmful effects of urban
overheating and associated Urban Heat Island effects (UHI).
human lives and damage to property, infrastructure, and agricultural lands. To cater to this, there is
a need to develop and implement real-time flood management systems that could instantly detect
flooded regions to initiate relief activities as early as possible. Current imaging systems, relying
on satellites, have demonstrated low accuracy and delayed response, making them unreliable and
impractical to be used in emergency responses to natural disasters such as flooding. This research
employs Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to develop an automated imaging system that can
identify inundated areas from aerial images. The Haar cascade classifier was explored in the case
study to detect landmarks such as roads and buildings from the aerial images captured by UAVs
and identify flooded areas. The extracted landmarks are added to the training dataset that is used to
train a deep learning algorithm. Experimental results show that buildings and roads can be detected
from the images with 91% and 94% accuracy, respectively. The overall accuracy of 91% is recorded
in classifying flooded and non-flooded regions from the input case study images. The system has
shown promising results on test images belonging to both pre- and post-flood classes. The flood relief
and rescue workers can quickly locate flooded regions and rescue stranded people using this system.
Such real-time flood inundation systems will help transform the disaster management systems in
line with modern smart cities initiatives.
breakthroughs in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. The
pace of implementation of BIM in AEC has increased during the past decade with an enhanced focus
on sustainable construction. However, BIM implementation lags its potential because of several
factors such as readiness issues, lack of previous experience in BIM, and lack of market demand
for BIM. To evaluate and solve these issues, understanding the current BIM implementation in
construction organizations is required. Motivated by this need, the main objective of this study is to
propose a tool for the measurement of BIM implementation levels within an organization. Various
sets of indexes are developed based on their pertinent Critical Success Factors (CSFs). A detailed
literature review followed by a questionnaire survey involving 99 respondents is conducted, and
results are analyzed to formulate a BIMp-Chart to calculate and visualize the BIM implementation
level of an organization. Subsequently, the applicability of the BIMp-Chart is assessed by comparing
and analyzing datasets of four organizations from different regions, including Qatar, Portugal, and
Egypt, and a multinational organization to develop a global measurement tool. Through measuring
and comparing BIM implementation levels, the BIMp-Chart can help the practitioners identify the
implementation areas in an organization for proper BIM implementation. This study helps understand
the fundamental elements of BIM implementation and provides a decision support system
for construction organizations to devise proper strategies for the effectual management of the BIM
implementation process.