Characteristics Influencing the Interaction Between Members of Design Teams on Construction Projects

Abstract

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is highly fragmented, yet decisions made during the design phase critically shape downstream sustainability performance. Unlike prior research that primarily weighted interactions by frequency, this study introduces an Interaction-Quality Index that evaluates the quality of design team interactions. This represents a novel approach, as it combines Social Network Analysis with Monte Carlo simulation to quantify how collaboration, coordination, and trust influence sustainable outcomes in construction projects. Through a structured literature review, three systemic interaction drivers; collaboration, coordination, and trust were identified. An interaction-quality index was then formulated, weighting each driver according to its relative impact on sustainable outcomes. Social Network Analysis coupled with Monte Carlo simulation validated the index in a real-world building project, demonstrating its usefulness in identifying critical interaction nodes and highlighting how improvements in collaboration, coordination, and trust can strengthen network cohesion and enhance sustainability-oriented decision-making. The proposed index offers construction managers a quantitative tool to integrate social dynamics into holistic sustainability strategies, advancing practice in line with systems-thinking approaches to sustainable construction management.