Engineering Commons^™

Risk Identification, Classification And Response Methods In The Sudanese Construction Industry, Zena Alwan

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Accounting Methods Used By Builders Producing Twenty-Five Or Fewer Homes Per Year, David Andrus

Theses and Dissertations

Accounting plays a crucial role in the success of any business, but it is particularly vital in the construction industry, a complex field that typically requires the coordination of multiple subcontractors and multiple jobs in any given year. Although small-volume home builders make up 70 percent of the membership of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a trade association of the home building industry, little is known about the accounting practices of these builders. This thesis undertook to study the accounting practices of small-volume home builders. Small-volume home builders were defined as those producing 25 homes or fewer in …

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Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Computer Model To Select Leed Certification For Building Projects, Ruba Mirghani Mohammed

Masters Theses

According to the US Green Building Council (USGBC) residential and commercial buildings in the United State consume huge amounts of natural resources; pollute the environment, and generate large amounts of waste, all of which affect the environment, economy, public health, and productivity. As a result, USGBC committees developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system to help professionals improve the quality of buildings and lessen their impact on the environment.

The (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a point-based system for certifying the level of a building's sustainability. There are four LEED certification categories: (1) Certified, (2) …

Simulation Based Evaluation Of Parking Facilities, Niru Tiwari

Masters Theses

Transportation facility has emerged as one of the main indicators of a national's prosperity at the advent of 21^st century and is the backbone of American commerce and industry. There are over 600 million motor vehicles that are driven in the world today and the number of cars in use is expected to be doubled in next 30 years. As the number increases, more parking spaces should also be provided; however, it is difficult to supply sufficient parking space due to space limitations. To meet the need, new types of parking and new parking technologies have been introduced. However, …

A New Spectroscopic Method For The Non-Destructive Characterization Of Weathering Damage In Plastics, Andrew Robert George

Theses and Dissertations

The weathering of plastics and composites is a problem because of the loss of both physical and mechanical properties that it causes in these materials. But this weathering effect has been difficult, and in some cases, impossible to characterize without the destruction of the plastic or composite part. Clearly a rapid, reliable, and non-destructive test for the extent of the weathering damage is critically needed. A recent problem that arose at Superyacht Solutions, a boat repair company in Australia, required a solution to just this problem. Such a test was developed for Superyacht Solutions, and is being applied across a …

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Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

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Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

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Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Numerical Modeling Of Concrete Masonry Walls Strengthened By Fiber Reinforced Polymers Under Lateral Loads, Mohamed Salama

Archived Theses and Dissertations

The use of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) for the seismic retrofit of masonry walls is on the rise. Design formulae are available to estimate the lateral load capacity of the strengthened walls. However, recent experimental data from tests conducted on full scale concrete masonry walls under cyclic lateral loads have shown that these design capacities have not been reached because of the occurrence of other failure modes not accounted for in the design formulae. The limiting failure mode in all test samples referred to in this work was due to premature compression failure of the masonry units at the wall …

Determining The Value Of A Master's Degree In Construction Management, Benjamin K. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the value of a master's degree in construction management in southern Idaho. A telephone and Internet survey was employed to determine the value that members of the construction industry in southern Idaho place on construction management (CM) degrees, both graduate and undergraduate. The survey included 27 self-described general contractors who are members of The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) in regions 3 and 4 in the state of Idaho. Regions three and four include Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Ketchum, Burley and surrounding communities. Following the compilation of surveys, it was …

Comparing Time And Accuracy Of Building Information Modeling To On-Screen Takeoff For A Quantity Takeoff Of A Conceptual Estimate, Morgan A. Alder

Theses and Dissertations

Estimating is a critical aspect of every construction project. The most tedious component of an estimate is the quantity takeoff. Different tools are available to improve an estimator's productivity for a quantity takeoff. Faster quantity takeoffs enable estimator to bid more jobs. This study analyzed the time and accuracy of performing quantity takeoffs when using building information modeling (BIM) through a comparison study using Revit (BIM software) and On-Center's OST. In preparation for the study the researcher conducted a pilot study. Participants of the study were asked to perform a quantity takeoff using both Revit and OST. Their resulting data …

Contractor Variability In Construction Of Cement Treated Base Layers, Maile Anne Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purposes of this research were to identify construction factors most correlated to specific mechanical properties of cement-treated base (CTB) layers and to determine which construction factors exhibit comparatively high variability within individual construction sections of the two pavement reconstruction projects included in this study. In addition, differences between construction sections tested in this research were evaluated. The research focused on the construction of CTB layers in two pavement reconstruction projects in northern Utah, one along Interstate 84 (I-84) near Morgan and one along U.S. Highway 91 (US-91) near Richmond. The significant predictor variables associated with California bearing ratio …

Incorporating Wireless Power Transfer In An Led Lighting Application, Jonathan S. Shipley

Theses and Dissertations

There are various situations in which electrical energy is desired but cannot by conveniently supplied. Since the days of Hienrich Hertz and Nikola Tesla, scientists have tried to solve this problem using different methods of wireless power transfer. Today, wireless power transfer has only been commercially demonstrated at small distances through use of induction. This thesis demonstrated the transfer of wireless power at relatively large distances through radio frequencies in the development of a prototype for a commercial product - a wireless household lamp.

A Solution For Commodity Field Hauling With Self-Unloading Semi-Trailers, Lee Pagens Wilkerson

Theses and Dissertations

Commodity hauling of bulk goods is a growing enterprise that has expanded from hauling agricultural products to hauling many other bulk products. Commodity trailers are used to haul agricultural products from storage facilities to processing plants. These trailers are designed for highway use but are frequently required to work in field conditions as well. In many cases this environment overstresses these trailers and results in permanent irreparable damage. In addition to the structural problems of these trailers, the current systems for unloading the bulk produce from these trailers have serious inadequacies. While functional, the currently used chain and non-chain driven …

A Study Of Home Builder Advertising For Smart Home Technologies, Jared Don Bingham

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to discover if home builders along the Wasatch Front in Utah are advertising smart home technologies. Research was conducted by a review of the display advertisements placed in the Saturday and Sunday editions of The Deseret Morning News/Salt Lake Tribune from March 4, 2006 through April 1, 2006. An internet search for smart home terminology was performed on the web sites of home builders advertising in The Deseret Morning News/Salt Lake Tribune. A review of the display advertisements for the Deseret Morning News/Salt Lake Tribune revealed that home builders are not using that medium …

Comparing Linkages Of Real Estate And Construction By The Consideration Of The Impact Of Capital, Yu Song, Chunlu Liu, Craig Langston

Craig Langston

Based on the recently published Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) input-output database at constant prices, this research proposes a new model to compare the linkages of the construction and real estate sectors in national economies with the consideration of the impact of capital. Empirical results indicate that the linkages are extremely underestimated in previous research. The backward and forward linkages of the real estate sector are smaller than those of the construction sector, which means in economic development, construction plays a more important role than real estate, given the impact of capital. More importantly, the findings prove that …

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Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Payback Information: It's Effect On Home Buyers Regarding Energy Efficiency, Steven E. Sparti

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to find out how payback analysis would affect consumer decision making with regards to home energy efficient upgrade packages. Three different home plans were obtained from a local builder and seven different energy efficient packages were created. Using Hot2000 the heating and cooling loads were calculated for each building, with each energy efficient package, in each of the four major cardinal directions. The averages were taken and the payback information was calculated. The payback information included the increased cost of the package, the increase in the mortgage payment, the annual savings from heating and cooling bills, …

Numerical Modeling Of Infill Rc Walls In Seismic Retrofit Of Rc Frames, Mohamed Mohamed Slah El-Din Darwish

Archived Theses and Dissertations

Columns designed and built according to older standards may be subject to damage due to seismic loading during earthquakes as a result of the lack of shear reinforcement and/or insufficient lap-splice length. An experimental program on the use of ifill RC walls in seismic retrofit of RC frames under cyclic loading was conducted in 2002. The output of this experimental work formed the basis for the validation of a numerical finite element model, in predicting forces and displacements. Subsequently the finite element model was used to perform a parametric analysis on the effects of the thickness, overall reinforcement and concrete …

Effective Modeling Of Mass Concrete Foundation Under Dynamic Loads, Ossama Salem Ali Ahmed

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Quantification Of Contractors' Quality Costs In Construction Projects, Nihal Fathi El Sabbagh

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Development Of Ferrocement U-Shaped Beams Infilled With Core Materials, Ahmed Mahdy Abdelnaby

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

User Friendly Computer Software For Construction Projects Delay Analysis, Kamel Ahmed Salem El Sayed

Archived Theses and Dissertations

Construction industry around the world is facing a huge revolution in terms of number of executed projects. Projects are no longer simple ones managed by few persons. Commercial buildings, high rise towers and bridges are being built everywhere. The majority of these projects are complex ones that face a lot of obstacles. Delays are one of the major obstacles that construction projects face and are very likely to occur. Generally, claims are the result of any delay in the construction progress. To be able to analyze the claim and assign the responsibility, the analyst has to perform a delay analysis. …

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Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Off Campus Furniture Retail Development, Dan E. White, Richard D. Mccarthy, Christopher T. Cowgill

Honors Theses

The development of a 3.3 acre parcel of land at 5110 S. Westnedge, City of Portage, Kalamazoo County, Michigan is being proposed by Cowgill and Associates Inc. This will be a commercial development project with Off Campus Furniture taking occupancy after construction is complete. The building will be two stories with 57,500 square feet of usable floor space. All design was completed in accordance to the City of Portage, and the Michigan building code with design being done in accordance to ACI Code 318-05. The development includes but is not limited to site work, including storm water runoff and design, …

Course Portfolio For Arch333/Cnst305: Building Environmental Technical Systems, Tim Wentz

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Due to the critical nature of team-based learning in this course, I propose to study the learning aspects of team-based learning, as I envision it in this course. Not having formally investigated this issue previously, I am left with a sense that some teams perform much better than other teams. I am looking for those criteria that separate the good teams from underperforming teams. Some of the issues that occur to me as I start this process include the following: - Team size - Academic diversity - Discipline diversity - Gender diversity - Geographic diversity How students best learn in …

Repair, Inspection And Maintenance Methods Of Steel Bridges, Deepak Koirala

Masters Theses

Transportation infrastructure is the backbone of American commerce & industry at the advent of the 21^st century. Bridges are the key elements of the transportation system of a country. According to National Bridge Inventory 2005, there are approximately six hundred thousand bridges in United States, among them nearly one third of bridges are functionally obsolete. A lack in performance of such structures, with respect to minimum acceptable standards, has direct impact not only on the highway system but also on public safety as well as economic growth. Systematic and well-designed research will provide the most effective approach to the …

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Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.