Education Commons^™

An Investigation Into Ireland’S Bim Skills Gap, Guadalupe Centanni, Barry Mcauley

Conference Papers

The adoption of digital skills within the Irish AEC Sector has the potential to enhance efficiency and competitiveness among its stakeholders. Despite this opportunity, there is still a high demand for skilled BIM professionals, which cannot be currently met. To meet this skills demand and directly target future skills gaps within Ireland, several challenges must be addressed to facilitate broader BIM adoption. This paper focuses on addressing this gap by identifying steps to be followed to develop skilled professionals within BIM. This has been achieved by investigating the extent to which construction stakeholders in Ireland comprehend BIM and, examiningthe training …

Skills Matter – Up-Skilling Across Construction Stakeholders For Emerging Roles, Avril Behan, Paul Mccormack, Barry Mcauley

Conference Papers

The EU’s Climate Target Plan To 2030 (European Union 2020b) of achieving at least 55% reduction in Green House Gas emissions from 1990 levels, delivering towards a climate-neutral economy by 2050, requires systems-level change in the way we design, construct, and operate our built assets. Funding initiatives, such as co-ordinated by BUILD UP Skills, aim to deliver upskilling to the market but targets set by the European Skills Agenda may not be reached at current achievement levels. This paper presents the results of one completed and the progress of one ongoing Horizon 2020 funded project, BIMcert and ARISE, respectively. Learning …

Engineering Students' Perceptions Of Their Development Of Professional Skills, Caitriona Depaor, Una Beagon, Aimee Byrne, Darren Carthy, Patrick Crean, Louise Lynch, Dervilla Niall

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Building Our Future: Positive Steps Forward For Apprenticeship Education And Training In Ireland, Roisin Murphy Dr

Level 3

The construction labour market has undergone a period of considerable turbulence resulting from economic cyclicality over the last decade. While some facets of the labour market have recovered in line with economic growth, there remain challenges in attracting new apprentices. The issue is particularly pronounced for certain “wet trades”; namely bricklaying, floor and wall tiling, painting and decorating and plastering.

A mixed method research strategy was employed for the purpose of determining labour market trends for these trades, comprising of employer and apprentice surveys in addition to semi-structured interviews. Findings from the research uncover not only a shift …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Into The Impact Of Bim On The Social Dynamics Of The Aec Professional In The Workplace., Malachy Mathews Dr.

Doctoral

A review of the literature published surrounding new digital design and construction technologies and associated processes described within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) community as Building Information Modelling (BIM) or Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) reveals a gap in the theoretical understanding of the impact these technologies are having on professionals who work in this industry. The central aim of this research is to discover if there has been a shift in social dynamics as a result of the adoption of BIM in the workplace and, if there has been, to discuss the meaning of this for the industry …

An Approach To Mapping The Development Of Professional Skills In A Structural Engineering Programme, Patrick Crean, Dervilla Niall, Una Beagon, Aimee Byrne, Darren Carthy, Caitríona De Paor, Louise Lynch

Conference Papers

Engineers of the future will be presented with complicated, complex problems and their role in the development of sustainable solutions to global problems will become even more critical. Recent literature highlights the need for the development of a set of professional skills in order to address these challenges. These skills include technical, non-technical and attitudinal skills. This paper describes a case study of a whole-of-programme review of teaching and assessment of professional skills in a structural engineering programme. In a systematic process, lecturing staff mapped the modules they teach against a set of professional skills, which were distilled from literature …

Development Of Graduate Attributes In Civil Engineering In Dit - Provisional Methodology, Caitriona Quinn

Other resources

1.1 The Questions

Question 1: What is the student experience as they participate in knowledge during the Design Project, particularly in relation to development of Graduate Attributes?

The intent behind this question is to examine the module and its effectiveness from the perspective of those taking the module, the students. It is postulated that the transformative experience will result in development of relevant graduate attributes.

Question 2: To what extent dodelivery and assessment within this module contribute to the development of Graduate Attributes?

The intent behind this again is to more closely examine how the module's current design, content, delivery …

Creativity As A Graduate Attribute, Caitriona Quinn

Other resources

This position paper examines the value, delivery and assessment of creativity as a graduate attribute in civil engineering. Creativity is an essential skill for modern civil engineering graduates to allow them to respond to the variety of challenges within the industry. In addition, the need for creativity within their work is both directly and indirectly referenced within accreditation requirements from engineering professional bodies. How to deliver on creativity as a learning outcome requires time and space within the timetable, a difficult challenge in the technical content heavy subjects the make up civil engineering programmes. Added to this are the difficulties …

Position Paper: Collaborative Research, Caitriona Quinn

Other resources

This position paper is written on the topic of collaborative learning and how it might improve the ability of students, specifically third level students, to achieve learning outcomes within the construct of a project-based module. It is the author’s position that this statement is true. The topic is be discussed in relation to two specific aspects within the topic, student motivation and achievement of learning outcomes. Collaborative learning is based in social constructivism learning theory, which says that learning is co-created in a social context by learners. This is in contrast to the transmission method of learning, typified by traditional-style …

Linking Geospatial Engineering Into Collaborative Multidisciplinary Bim Projects - An Educational Perspective, Avril Behan, Helen Murray, Jonathan Argue, Ronan Hogan, Audrey Martin, Pat O'Sullivan, Robert Moore, Malachy Mathews

Conference papers

This paper describes the background to and execution of a postgraduate project undertaken by students on DIT's MSc in Geospatial Engineering (GeoEng) in support of a project on level 2 BIM being undertaken by students on the MSc in applied Building Information Modelling & Management (aBIMM) around the retrofit of and new build extension to the Grangegorman Clock Tower Building. In support of this requirement, an external and internal survey of the existing structure and its surrounding topography was required. The aBIMM students and staff acted as the Design Team who subcontracted the Geo Eng group who were organised into …

Developing Graduate Attributes To Meet The Grand Challenges: What Pedagogical Factors Influence The Development Of Graduate Attributes And Does Engineering Education Ensure Graduates Can Address The Global Grand Challenges?, Una Beagon, Brian Bowe

Conference papers

My interest in preparing graduates for a successful career in industry stems from personal experience of employing graduates as civil and structural engineers in an engineering consultancy role. The range of skills, abilities and values of each graduate was varied, and it became apparent that academic achievement, whilst important was not the defining skill for achieving early responsibility or promotion within the company. More often, the graduate who was able to communicate well and self-direct his/her work was given more responsibility and opportunity. Many graduates would define early promotion, advanced responsibility and the associated increase in salary as the beginnings …

Cultural Change Through Bim: Driving Lean Transformation In Education, Avril Behan, Malachy Mathews, Kevin Furlong, Ciara Ahern, Una Beagon, Peter Brennan, Colin Conway, Lee Corcoran, Pierce Fahy, Alan Hore, Barry Mcauley, Trevor Woods

Conference papers

This paper presents a case study of how the adoption of BIM-based practices in the AECO industry is being reflected by cultural change in higher education in Ireland. The silo-mentality that has dominated the AECO sector for more than a century has, despite numerous reorganisations, been replicated in the structures of educational institutions, including in Dublin Institute of Technology since the inception of its founding colleges in the late 1800s. Most AECO programmes must include content that is external to the programme’s specific discipline. Through the School structures of the Institute, delivery of such content is known as "service teaching" …

Using Theory To Improve Design Instruction In A New Common First-Year Programme For Engineers, Una Beagon, Ted Burke, Shannon Chance, Fionnuala Farrell, John Mcgrory

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Research Methodology: A Novice Researcher’S Approach, Cormac Flood, Lloyd Scott

Other resources

ABSTRACT

This research is a detailed study on the performance of external walls aimed at providing a guidance tool which will enable designers to determine the appropriate thermal upgrade system for a housing retrofit, particularly in Ireland; taking into account wall type, climatic conditions and orientation. This paper explains the steps taken to establish a research design and methodological approach suited to the topic at hand.

The choice of research methodology is a difficult step for the researcher to decide upon in the research process. When it comes down to an architectural technologist, the process becomes even more difficult. Throughout …

Enhancing Building Performance And Environmental Learning: A Case Study Of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Shannon Chance, John Timothy Cole

Books/Book Chapters

School buildings directly affect their natural and socio-cultural environments. They do this through their construction, maintenance, operation, and demolition. Most of the school buildings we have in stock today drain natural resources and inadvertently perpetuate a culture of environmental, social, and long-term economic ignorance and misuse. When approached thoughtfully, however, the design of school buildings can help inform and enrich society. Well-designed buildings can impart environmental knowledge and values. They can foster more effective behaviors among the people who learn in and from them. Effectively designed buildings can also conserve natural resources and—at their best—even help replenish the natural environment. …

Framework For Formative Assessment Learning Strategies In Built Environment Higher Education Programmes, Lloyd Scott, Christopher Fortune

Conference papers

Formative assessment has begun to be recognized as a driving force for enhancing student learning. This paper addresses the context of Built Environment (BE) undergraduate programmes and the findings from a research project in the context of the changing Higher Education (HE) environment. The analysis of the literature on formative assessment shows that there is a common concern among the educational researchers about the function and position of assessment in HE today. The overall aim of this research is to contribute to an improvement in the quality of student learning in BE undergraduate education through the development of a theoretical …

Life Cycle Cost Analysis Under Ireland's Capital Works Management Framework, Dermot Kehily, Alan Hore

Conference papers

The Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF) is a structure that has been developed to deliver the Irish government’s objectives in relation to public sector construction procurement reform. This research provides practical guidance and assistance for construction cost professionals in carrying out Whole Life Cycle Cost Analysis (WLCCA) and producing Life Cycle Cost Models(LCCMs) under the CWMF. The research outlines how LCCA calculations can be carried out for cost planning purposes and recommends a standard methodology for presenting LCCMs under the CWMF. The CWMF states that Whole Life Costs (WLC) are an important consideration throughout the design process and should be …

Combining A Virtual Learning Tool And Onsite Study Visits Of Four Conservation Sites In Europe, Alain Chenaux, Maurice Murphy, Garrett Keenaghan, James Jenkins, Eugene Mcgovern, Sara Pavia

Conference papers

The design and evaluation of virtual learning environments for construction and surveying students is presented in this paper; by combining virtual learning environment and on-site student surveys to model and replicate practice in the architectural heritage sector. The Virtual Learning Environment is enhanced with real live survey projects whereby students collect the data to build virtual historic buildings from onsite surveys using advanced survey equipment. The survey data is modelled in HBIM; Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) is currently being developed as a virtual learning tool for construction and surveying students in the Technological University of Dublin. HBIM, is a …

A Flexible Web Based Learning Tool For Construction And Surveying Students Using Building Information Modelling And Laser Scanning, Maurice Murphy, Garrett Keenaghan, Eugene Mcgovern, Sara Pavia

Conference papers

Teaching and training construction and surveying students using computer simulations of buildings although recently developed is not new. In the case of this project a novel aspect is introduced through applying advanced recording and building modelling techniques developed in the Faculty of the Built Environment in the Technological University of Dublin. In summary this learning software uses parametric objects representing intelligent building components which are brought together virtually by the student to create or form an entire building. The library of parametric objects contain the real world geometry, texture and specification of building parts allowing the student to virtually analyse …

Heat Transfer Correlations For Low Approach Evaporative Cooling Systems In Buildings, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Articles

The experimental performance of an open industrial scale cooling tower, utilising small approach temperature differences (1–3 K), for rejection of heat at the low water temperatures (11–20 °C) typical of chilled ceilings and other sensible air–water heat dissipation systems in buildings, is examined. The study was carried out under temperate maritime climatic conditions (3–18 °C wet-bulb temperature range). Initially a theoretical analysis of the process at typical conditions for this climate was conducted, which indicated that a water to air (L/G) mass flow rate ratio of less than 1.0 was required for effective operation. Consequently for these low L/G ratios, …

Changing Training Needs Arising From The Introduction Of Off-Site Construction Techniques, Louis Gunnigan, John Mcdonagh

Conference papers

The objective of this paper is to examine the changes in training needs arising from the increase of off-site construction in the Republic of Ireland. The methodology employed was a case study using a participant observation research technique. For a period of three weeks, the researcher observed the construction of residential housing, constructed using off-site techniques. From the practices observed and from interviews with the operatives on-site, an account of the differences in skills required between those employed in traditional construction and off-site construction was compiled. Each of the different trades involved in traditional construction was addressed and a comprehensive …

Thermal Effectiveness Characteristics Of Low Approach Indirect Evaporative Cooling Systems In Buildings, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Articles

Meteorological enthalpy analysis of temperate and maritime climates above latitude 45°N suggests that the water-side evaporative cooling technique has considerable unrealised potential with contemporary “high temperature” building cooling systems—such as chilled ceilings and displacement ventilation. As low approach conditions are the key to exploiting the cooling potential of the ambient air, thermal performance at such conditions needs to be investigated. To address the research issues, an industrial scale test rig, based on a low approach open cooling tower and plate heat exchanger and designed to maximise evaporative cooling potential, has been constructed. The thermal effectiveness of such systems (as a …

Tradition Versus Technology: Careers Fairs In The 21st Century, Christiane Brennan, Margaret Daly, Eileen Fitzpatrick, Edward Sweeney

Articles

The traditional methods of graduate recruitment do not adequately meet the needs of the changing profile of students and graduates. As industry becomes internationalized, the needs of employers are also changing. Graduate recruitment is in response to short term needs and varying levels of experience are required. A case study method was used in Technological University Dublin to evaluate effectiveness of a virtual careers fair in providing greater access to job opportunities for students and graduates. Access by employers to potential employees was also measured. Findings showed that while access improved, other issues requiring attention emerged.

Indirect Evaporative Cooling Potential In Air-Water Systems In Temperate Climates, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Articles

Recent developments have prompted a review of evaporative cooling technology as an effective means of cooling modern deep plan buildings. Prominent among these developments is the success of high temperature sensible cooling systems, particularly, chilled ceilings, which require a supply of cooling water at 14–18 °C. Crucial to the success of evaporative cooling technology, as a significant means of cooling in modern applications, is the ability to generate cooling water, in an indirect circuit, at a temperature which closely approaches the ambient adiabatic saturation temperature (AST) or wet bulb temperature (WBT). Recent experimental research has demonstrated that it is technically …