Topic: Systems Thinking in Construction

Guest editors:
Peter E.D. LOVE
John Curtin Distinguished Professor
Curtin University, Australia
Email: plove@iinet.net.au 

Hanbin LUO
Professor
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Email: luohbcem@hust.edu.cn

Description
     Frontiers of Engineering Management is a research journal sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, administered jointly by Higher Education Press, Tsinghua University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and published by Higher Education Press, China. The journal is international in its scope and mission. It is published quarterly in English in both print and online versions. Frontiers of Engineering Management provides a high-quality international platform for academic researchers, industry professionals and other constituent communities in the broad field of engineering management to impart and share the latest research results and knowledge in the form of research articles, reviews and special reports.
     Frontiers of Engineering Management strives to promote the advancement of the science of engineering management, the improvement of the practice of engineering management, and the preparation of researchers and practitioners to address contemporary and future challenges in engineering management. The topics covered by the journal include general, specialty and cross-disciplinary studies in engineering management, both theoretical and applied, and studies related to engineering management education worldwide.

Aims and Scope
     Investment in infrastructure is required to meet the growing needs of an increasing population, as well as to sustain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. Yet history explicitly indicates the capital expenditure (CAPEX) of infrastructure projects routinely overrun their initial cost estimates leaving asset owners, financiers, contractors and the public dissatisfied; the productivity of organizations is also adversely impacted. It has been observed that on average, 48% of infrastructure projects fail to meet their baseline time, cost and quality objectives. Well-known infrastructure projects that have attracted the attention of the popular press due to cost overrun include Boston’s Big Dig, the Denver International Airport.
     Despite the considerable amount of research that has been undertaken, the performance of infrastructure projects remains a problem for governments worldwide. Understanding infrastructure projects by examining their linkages and interactions between their components can provide the impetus for developing strategies to improve their performance.
     Thus, this special issue on Frontiers of Engineering Management aims to explore how the concept of ‘systems thinking’ can be used to better understand the ‘problem’ that confronts governments and develop new ways to improve the performance of infrastructure projects. Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to:

 ● examining and explaining the dynamics that lead to cost and schedule overruns, safety incidents, quality failures and environmental problems; 
 ● collaborative and integrated procurement methods (e.g. Public-Private-Partnerships);
 ● digitally integrated processes and the use of predictive artificial intelligence techniques;
 ● intelligent assets and systems that react to asset data; and
 ● new forms of contract and insurance to respond to integrated supply-chains in real-time;

Submission Details
     To submit a manuscript, please visit https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fem. Under “Manuscript Type”, please select “Systems Thinking in Construction”. All manuscripts will be peer-reviewed in accordance with the established policies and procedures of the journal. Papers will be selected for publication following the outcome of the peer review process and subsequent decisions of the Guest Editors and the Editor-in-Chief.

Important Dates 
 ● Submission deadline: 30^th June 2018    
 ● Final decision notification: Feb.1, 2019
 ● Expected publication date: March, 2019 (to be determined by the journal editor)