*Proceeding Paper* **Project Management Practices in Construction Projects and Their Roles in Achieving Sustainability—A Comprehensive Review †**

**Fakhar Hassan Shah 1, Omer Shujat Bhatti <sup>2</sup> and Shehryar Ahmed 1,\***


**Abstract:** Effective project management practices are crucial in the construction sector, providing a structured approach to planning, executing, and controlling projects. They set clear objectives, define scopes, allocate resources efficiently, and manage risks effectively. However, challenges can arise throughout all project phases. This study focuses on literature from reputable journals over the last decade, and, considering the post-COVID scenario for inadequate scope definition, poor communication, resource mismanagement, and regulatory barriers were identified as major barriers to project success. To achieve sustainable construction projects, specific targets like energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, and social responsibility must be set. Integrating project management with sustainability involves incorporating green building design, sustainable materials, waste management, water conservation, biodiversity promotion, smart technologies, and performance measurement systems. By adopting sustainable approaches and effective project management practices, construction projects can achieve successful outcomes while ensuring environmental responsibility, social equity, and economic viability. Future research should explore identified barriers, their local implications, and project management practices for successful project outcomes.

**Keywords:** construction projects; project management; sustainability targets; project phases

#### **1. Introduction**

Effective communication is crucial for project success, managing triple constraints, and sustainable practices. This involves environmental responsibility, social equity, and economic viability [1]. Project management methods control construction costs through precise estimation and cost control. Engaging stakeholders with effective communication ensure project success and quality assurance [2]. Proactive planning, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and continuous monitoring mitigate cost overruns, improving project progress for timely completion with minimized costs.

Energy efficiency, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications [3], greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets [4], and waste management are vital for sustainability [1]. Water conservation aims for efficient water management [1]. Challenges in achieving sustainability objectives include inadequate leadership support, limited resources, poor planning, and competing goals, as well as insufficient collaboration, communication, monitoring, and evaluation, and inconsistent regulations and policies creating barriers and uncertainties in reaching goals.

To achieve effective project planning and execution, define clear objectives, scope, deliverables, and success criteria. A detailed project plan and efficient communication with stakeholders prevent misunderstandings [1]. Implement risk management to maintain

**Citation:** Shah, F.H.; Bhatti, O.S.; Ahmed, S. Project Management Practices in Construction Projects and Their Roles in Achieving Sustainability—A Comprehensive Review. *Eng. Proc.* **2023**, *44*, 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/ engproc2023044002

Academic Editors: Majid Ali, Muhammad Ashraf Javid, Shaheed Ullah and Iqbal Ahmad

Published: 22 August 2023

**Copyright:** © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

timelines and budgets [2]. Optimize resource management and adhere to quality standards [2]. Employ a structured change management process to handle changes. Monitor progress using KPIs while embracing innovative technologies, best practices, and green building principles for enhanced outcomes [2].

In view of deficient integration, adopting sustainable approaches, and implementing effective project management practices, construction projects can achieve successful outcomes while ensuring environmental responsibility, social equity, and economic viability.

#### **2. Project Management Practices in Construction Sector**

#### *2.1. Role of Project Management in Construction Sector*

Project management practices are crucial for successful construction projects, encompassing aspects like time, budget, quality, and resources. They prevent cost overrun issues through goal setting, feasibility studies, and realistic schedules [5]. Risk assessment and cost-control measures ensure staying within the budget [2]. In conclusion, project management is pivotal, providing a structured approach for planning, controlling, and executing, leading to successful project delivery.

#### *2.2. Issues Related to Project Management during Various Project Phases*

Project management involves distinct project lifecycle phases and challenges, as shown in Figure 1. Unclear initiation objectives and scope lead to stakeholder misalignment [2]. Inadequate feasibility assessment causes unrealistic goals and resource shortages [2]. Planning scope creep increases costs and delays [1]. Underestimating project duration and resource needs results in conflicts [1]. Proactive planning, communication, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and continuous monitoring are crucial for project success.

**Figure 1.** Issues related to project management during various project phases.

#### **3. Sustainability in Construction Projects**

*3.1. Targets for Achieving Sustainability in Construction Projects*

Achieving sustainability in construction requires specific targets for environmental, social, and economic responsibility. Table 1 lists common targets: energy efficiency to reduce consumption [6], (GHG) emissions reduction [4], waste management to minimize generation [1], water conservation [7], and sustainable materials use [8]. Realistic goals aligned with regulations, project type, and stakeholders' priorities contribute to a responsible built environment.


**Table 1.** Targets for achieving sustainability in construction projects.

#### *3.2. Issues Leading to Failure of Sustainability Goals*

Challenges in building projects for sustainability include limited knowledge, poor planning, resource constraints, and competing goals. Leadership support, budget constraints, and rapid construction also pose difficulties. Inadequate monitoring hampers progress tracking [2]. Limited awareness, sustainable technology availability, and resistance to change hinder adoption [2]. Holistic sustainability demands strong leadership, stakeholder engagement, planning, communication, and resource allocation.

#### **4. Integration of Project Management Practices with Sustainability**

#### *4.1. Effective Project Management Practices for a Successful Project*

Effective project management practices are vital for successful construction projects, as shown in Figure 2. Key practices include well-defined objectives, scope, and deliverables, as well as effective communication with stakeholders [2]. Quality standards and a structured change management process are essential for meeting project standards. Systematic monitoring and reporting using KPIs is necessary [2]. A capable and motivated project team fosters a positive team culture. Embracing innovative technologies and industry best practices enhances project success and stakeholder satisfaction [9].

**Figure 2.** Effective project management practices to avoid cost overrun in construction projects.

#### *4.2. Sustainable Approaches for a Successful Project*

Table 2 shows achieving construction project sustainability through green building principles, using energy-efficient designs, sustainable materials, and renewable energy systems. Obtain certifications from recognized green building rating systems like LEED or other international standards [3]. Utilize water-efficient fixtures, rainwater harvesting, and greywater reuse [7]. Implement smart technologies like Building Management Systems (BMS) and IoT devices for energy efficiency and occupant comfort [9]. Set sustainability KPIs for energy, water, waste, and carbon emissions, regularly assessing and reporting progress for continuous improvement and transparency.


**Table 2.** Sustainable approaches for successful construction project.

#### **5. Conclusions**

Project management ensures construction project success, aiding resource allocation, risk management, and communication. Integrating sustainability, green design, and smart technologies fosters environmental responsibility, social equity, and economic viability.


#### **6. Recommendations**

The research explores existing knowledge regarding practical aspects in construction projects, including training, deployment, standardization, and implications. Utilize key tools like scheduling, risk strategizing, quantitative analysis, and earned value management. Future research should focus on critical variables, variations, and reasons, guiding sustainable construction projects through project management skillset implications.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, S.A.; methodology, S.A. and O.S.B.; investigation, F.H.S.; data curation, F.H.S.; writing—original draft preparation, F.H.S.; writing—review and editing, S.A. and O.S.B.; supervision, S.A. and O.S.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** Not applicable.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors would like to thank every person who supported in conducting this research through accessibility to the information and the review of the literature, published data, and reports.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

#### **References**


**Disclaimer/Publisher's Note:** The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

### *Proceeding Paper* **Effectiveness of Mono Sand Piles in Soft Cohesive Ground †**

**Qazi Umar Farooq \* and Muhammad Tayyab Naqash**

Department of Civil Engineering, Islamic University of Madinah,

Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah 42351, Saudi Arabia; engr.tayyabnaqash@gmail.com

**\*** Correspondence: umar@iu.edu.sa

† Presented at the 5th Conference on Sustainability in Civil Engineering (CSCE), Online, 3 August 2023.

**Abstract:** Soft cohesive formations are extensively distributed across the earth's land mass. They mainly comprise medium to high plastic clays deposited by thousands of years of geological activity. In Pakistan, the upper and lower plains of the Indus Valley have several square kilometers of cohesive ground. The cohesive soils are vulnerable to moisture variations and lack friction. Hence, they are not considered an ideal ground for foundation support. The raft foundation and traditional reinforced concrete piles are effective solutions, but are uneconomical. Sand piles can replace these expansive foundations for moderately loaded structures; however, their effectiveness is required to be supported by field and research investigations. This study presents FEM-based numerical investigations on the performance of a single sand pile on soft cohesive ground. The pile is loaded with the 100 kPa pressure, representing a moderately loaded structure. The stress–strain behaviors and overall pile settlement results are graphically presented. The sand pile, the stiffer material, could hold most of the stresses while maintaining volumetric strains up to 10%, thus allowing better load transfer to the naturally soft ground.

**Keywords:** cohesive soil; foundation settlement; numerical modeling; sand pile; stress distribution

#### **1. Introduction**

Fine-grained soils (less than 0.075 mm in size) are problematic when they comprise medium to high plastic clays. The fertile agricultural plains of Punjab and Sindh mainly consist of cohesive soils formed by the alluvial deposits of the river Indus and its tributaries. Cohesive soils have threaded particles that lack friction but have reasonable cohesion in a dry state; however, under moist conditions, they lose their strength and become soft. Therefore, they are considered inadequate for sustaining foundations [1]. Traditional solutions like raft foundations and reinforced concrete piles function well. However, they might not be economically viable, especially for moderately loaded structures. On the other hand, conventional RC piles sometimes require unique and complex driving techniques [2]. Sand piles have been proposed as a potential replacement for conventional deep foundations up to a certain degree. Sand piling is a ground-improvement technique that replaces the inadequate soil layer with sand piles produced by drilling holes into the ground and filling them with dense sand [3]. These piles are used to construct a sequence of columns that support the foundation. Since they can reduce settlement and increase the bearing capacity of the soft ground, sand piles are a possible replacement for traditional deep foundations. The performance of sand piles can be affected by several variables, including the pile's size and shape, the soil's characteristics, and the load circumstances. Therefore, numerical modeling is a valuable tool for analyzing the performance of sand piles under various conditions [4]. Nevertheless, sand piles cannot be applied to structures subjected to complex loading and specific drainage requirements [5]. Numerical simulations utilizing various codes, such as PLAXIS and COMSOL [6], have become an effective tool for researching the behavior of soils under various loading circumstances; these models can assist engineers in designing more stable and dependable soil structures. Recent studies have stressed the

**Citation:** Farooq, Q.U.; Naqash, M.T. Effectiveness of Mono Sand Piles in Soft Cohesive Ground. *Eng. Proc.* **2023**, *44*, 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/ engproc2023044003

Academic Editors: Majid Ali, Muhammad Ashraf Javid, Shaheed Ullah and Iqbal Ahmad

Published: 22 August 2023

**Copyright:** © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

importance of taking time-dependent behavior into account when evaluating the stability and performance of soil by utilizing numerical simulations [7].

Research investigations to assess the efficacy of sand piles in soft cohesive ground are limited; an effort has been made in this brief study to analyze stress–strain behaviors and overall sand pile settlement. An FEM-based numerical model using COMSOL Multiphysics code has been used in this perspective. This will give readers an insight into how sand piles perform under static loads.

#### **2. Materials and Methods**

The natural ground was represented by fine-grained soil with a soft consistency, whilst dense sand simulated the sand pile. The fundamental properties of geomaterials were determined in the laboratory, and elastic properties were estimated using classical correlations [6]. The mechanical properties of both components of the sand pile system are shown in Table 1.

**Table 1.** Soil characteristics of natural ground and the sand pile.


The 2-D model was developed to analyze the 6 m long sand pile embedded in a 12 m deep natural ground comprising soft cohesive soil. The analysis was carried out using the COMSOL Multiphysics program's geomechanics module. The model geometry's main features and boundary conditions required to precisely reproduce pile behavior can be seen in Figure 1. A moderately loaded structure was simulated using 100 kPa applied stress.

**Figure 1.** Cross-section of the sand pile and boundary conditions.

#### **3. Results and Discussion**

The sand pile stress absorption was examined through the resultant stress diagram. Figure 2a depicts the stress variation in the sand pile system, demonstrating the lower stress distribution in the natural ground compared with that in the sand pile. The stress distribution around the sand pile is focused on the applied stress contact point, demonstrating that the pile holds most of the stresses and facilitates better load transfer to the natural ground. Since the sand pile is stiffer than the surrounding soft soil, there is stress concentration around the pile cap. The sand pile stress distribution and soil displacement behavior are, respectively, illustrated in Figure 2a,b. The soil displacement behavior is a key performance indicator of the sand pile in soft cohesive soils. The analytical results show slight displacement within the sand pile system under the specified load settings. Compared with the nearby soil, the displacement is predominantly centered around the pile and is relatively minimal. The increased stiffness of the sand pile, which prevents the surrounding soil from deforming, is the reason for the sand pile system's displacement behavior.

**Figure 2.** Stress-displacement behavior of the sand pile system. (**a**) Stress Distribution, (**b**) Soil Displacement.

The stress–strain range at the cap and tip of the pile is shown in Figure 3. The analysis's findings show the pile's ability to support loads and its distortion. The volumetric strain gauges the volume change in the soil surrounding the pile. The pile's cap and tip's negative values for volumetric strain indicate soil compression around the pile; the volumetric strain is more significant at the pile cap than the pile tip.

**Figure 3.** Stress–strain range at pile extremes.

The sand pile was subjected to a static load. However, the consolidation phenomena in cohesive material affected the overall performance. The settlement rate was measured using the system displacement measured at the start, i.e., 0 min, and at 30 min and 60 min intervals. Figure 4a demonstrates how the applied load deforms the sand pile. The displacement of the pile increases over time, reaching its maximum displacement at 60 min. This implies that the pile deforms more with time, proving that a time-dependent deformation under a sustained load is occurring.

**Figure 4.** Consolidation effects of the sand pile system. (**a**) Depth (m) vs. displacement (mm), (**b**) Displacement history.

It is also important to note that the deformation rate changes over time. At the start of the simulation, the deformation rate is the fastest. As time goes on, the displacement increases at a slower phase (see Figure 4b). This non-linear behavior is typical for soils since soils display complicated stress–strain behavior based on the type, moisture content, and applied load. Overall, the results shed light on the sand pile's time-dependent behavior and emphasize the significance of considering it for the stability of structures.

#### **4. Conclusions**

The following conclusions can be drawn from the presented results.


The research outcomes can be a benchmark for analyzing the substructures required to be built in complex soil conditions.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, Q.U.F.; methodology, Q.U.F. and M.T.N.; software, M.T.N.; validation, Q.U.F. and M.T.N.; formal analysis, Q.U.F.; investigation, Q.U.F.; resources, M.T.N.; data curation, M.T.N.; writing—original draft preparation, Q.U.F.; writing—review and editing, Q.U.F. and M.T.N.; visualization, Q.U.F. and M.T.N.; supervision, Q.U.F.; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** The laboratory test results, figures, and tables used to support the findings of this study are included within the article.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

#### **References**


**Disclaimer/Publisher's Note:** The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
