Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 25 of 25

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Highlighting The Key Differences In Project Management When Using Mass Timber: Case Study, Kevin Krueger Dec 2023

Highlighting The Key Differences In Project Management When Using Mass Timber: Case Study, Kevin Krueger

Construction Management

Mass Timber or Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is structurally engineered wood designed to be used as the structural components of a building. As the Construction Industry shifts toward using more renewable materials, mass timber becomes more relevant. This paper presents a comprehensive case study focusing on the construction process innovations implemented in a recent mass timber project located in San Francisco. The project involves the construction of a secure facility for a prominent biotechnology company. This research aims to learn the innovative techniques and strategies that contributed to the successful completion of this unique project. Key stakeholders, including the project …


The Current State Of Practice Of Building Information Modeling, Kevin P. Brooks Aug 2023

The Current State Of Practice Of Building Information Modeling, Kevin P. Brooks

Masters Theses

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become extremely prominent in the construction industry in the past twenty years. It serves as a digital repository that can, when used to its fullest potential, combine all aspects of designing, building, and managing a structure in one place, alongside all the data produced in those processes. The construction industry has to date struggled to increase productivity alongside similar fields, such as the manufacturing industry, though the construction industry generally has far more stakeholders on one project than the manufacturing industry. Further, building designs are becoming more complex while project schedules are becoming tighter. As …


City Farm Slo Garden For All Accessible Planter Beds, Allison C. Wild Jun 2023

City Farm Slo Garden For All Accessible Planter Beds, Allison C. Wild

Construction Management

This paper outlines the design, coordination, and construction efforts to build the Accessible Planter Boxes for the City Farm SLO’s Garden for All. The Garden for All was a concept created by the City Farm SLO staff to meet the need for an accessible learning space for students. The full design for the Garden for All also included mobile benches and tables, a shade structure, and decomposed granite pathways that were completed by other students. This project included the construction of 6 raised planter beds of differing heights and designs. Each planter bed was approximately 10 feet long and varied …


Tehachapi Mountain Trail Association – Trail Bridge Construction, Michael Bowman Jun 2023

Tehachapi Mountain Trail Association – Trail Bridge Construction, Michael Bowman

Construction Management

The Tehachapi Mountain Trail Association is a nonprofit organization which operates 32 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails year-round. The 650-acre property is located in the foothills above Tehachapi, CA and offers local residents and enthusiasts from around the area an area to exercise and enjoy nature. TMTA is able to operate through yearly memberships that allow the association to hold insurance as well as continue to maintain and build new trails year-round. After completing a separate project for TMTA in Winter 2022 for CM 420 Construction Service Learning, the President, Brandon Griffiths approached me with the idea of …


Integration Of Autonomous Equipment In The Heavy Civil Industry, Jack Ryan Gutierrez Jun 2023

Integration Of Autonomous Equipment In The Heavy Civil Industry, Jack Ryan Gutierrez

Construction Management

The heavy civil industry plays a pivotal role in shaping the infrastructure landscape, with construction equipment serving as the backbone of any project. In an industry that is constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency, productivity, and safety, autonomous construction equipment has emerged as an innovative solution to help improve these factors on a heavy civil project. The purpose of this paper is to present an in-depth look at the current state of new technology involving autonomous construction equipment, and how prevalent it is in today's heavy civil industry. Qualitative interviews that were completed with a project manager, superintendent, and …


The Importance Of Implementing Safety Programs For Spanish-Only Workers In Mep, Izak J. Lozano Jun 2023

The Importance Of Implementing Safety Programs For Spanish-Only Workers In Mep, Izak J. Lozano

Construction Management

Hispanics make up 30% of the construction workers, the highest percentage of any non-Hispanic minority group. Unfortunately, evidence also suggests Hispanic and Latino workers with limited to no English language skills are not receiving an adequate amount of safety training which is a growing concern. A lack of safety training and language barriers on the jobsite are seen as the cause for Hispanic workers having 41.6% higher injuries and non-fatal injuries in construction as compared to non-Hispanics in 2020. Three contractors were interviewed about their safety training programs for Spanish-only workers to find what strategies were found to be effective. …


Development Of The New Hasslein Caed Collaborative, Catie Dines Jun 2023

Development Of The New Hasslein Caed Collaborative, Catie Dines

Construction Management

This paper outlines the development and execution of the new Hasslein CAED Collaborative student competition which engages students of all five majors in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design in a Request for Proposal style competition. CAED houses students studying Architecture, Architectural Engineering, City and Regional Planning, Construction Management, and Landscape Architecture. There is little opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration within the CAED, despite our future career paths being heavily intertwined. This competition followed research by Greta Stout, class of 2022, on the benefits and support of interdisciplinary collaboration at Cal Poly SLO in CAED. The competition is named after …


Case Study: Uplifting The Interest Of Santa Maria High School Students Into The Construction Industry, Juan Zacarias Jr Jun 2023

Case Study: Uplifting The Interest Of Santa Maria High School Students Into The Construction Industry, Juan Zacarias Jr

Construction Management

The central coast of California, has not been a historically proclaimed region that produces large construction projects. The area is well known for other industries, such as the agriculture industry. It is an area that continues to grow interest and persuade these high school students into. Over the years, construction has been growing in the area and can be perceived through the development projects happening in the Central Coast region. Various general contractors have made a move into the central coast looking into expanding their company. This can potentially generate various employment opportunities. This qualitative case study aims to examine …


Construction Panel Discussion At San Luis Obispo High School, Morgan P. Conway Jun 2023

Construction Panel Discussion At San Luis Obispo High School, Morgan P. Conway

Construction Management

Jake Ornellas and Morgan Conway conducted a panel discussion during the “tutorial” session on Monday, May 22, 2023, in the San Luis Obispo High School theater with three guest speakers, asking them questions about their respective organizations, then opening the floor for students to ask questions. Jake Ornellas and Morgan Conway also distributed flyers to students which included information about the organizations discussed and a survey to gauge student interest. This project was designed to expose high school students to opportunities they have in the construction industry as well as to create a connection between Cal Poly Construction Management and …


Creating A Demolition Estimate Lab Assignment, Alex Domine Jun 2023

Creating A Demolition Estimate Lab Assignment, Alex Domine

Construction Management

This senior project aims to create a Demolition Estimate Lab as part of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo's Demolition Topics Course, with the goal of enhancing construction education through practical experience in estimating demolition costs. The Lab will be equipped with industry-standard tools and software to simulate diverse demolition scenarios, covering site preparation, equipment requirements, waste disposal, labor needs, and environmental considerations. The project methodology entails extensive research and the integration of interactive learning activities. This initiative is expected to yield several benefits for students. Firstly, it will lead to improved learning outcomes by providing hands-on experience in estimating demolition …


Construction Panel Discussion At San Luis Obispo High School, Jake T. Ornellas Jun 2023

Construction Panel Discussion At San Luis Obispo High School, Jake T. Ornellas

Construction Management

The senior project idea for conducting a panel discussion presentation at San Luis Obispo (SLO) High School during a tutorial period was completed by Jake Ornellas and Morgan Conway. This paper provides details on the entire process of reserving a tutorial session at SLO High School, contacting and coordinating with trade representatives and university faculty, and executing the group panel discussion. The purpose of the project was to share and inform local high school students with the information regarding what careers in the different construction industry branches look like and what opportunities are there. The goal of this project was …


City Farm Of Slo Animal Feed Shed, Jacob Ryan Pizzifred Jun 2023

City Farm Of Slo Animal Feed Shed, Jacob Ryan Pizzifred

Construction Management

The City Farm of SLO is a local nonprofit for San Luis Obispo that functions as an education center for individuals looking to live more sustainably. This organization teaches different aspects of farming such as planting crops, taking care of them, how to care for a wide variety of farm animals, and maintain the health of the farm. To achieve all these objectives, facilities must be in place to ensure the correct number of materials are available. One lacking feature of this farm is the space to store animal feed. Before this project the food was stored outside subject to …


Dg Pathway For City Farm Slo, Kieran Barker Jun 2023

Dg Pathway For City Farm Slo, Kieran Barker

Construction Management

City Farm SLO is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to empower the next generation to live healthier, more prosperous lives through sustainable agriculture and farm-based education. Located in San Luis Obispo on the outskirts of San Luis Ranch, City Farm SLO’s latest project known as “A Garden for All” aims to create a fully accessible garden that can serve all the students in the community they serve. A key part of this project is the pathway connecting the various garden elements which were previously not accessible to wheelchairs and susceptible to water damage and flooding during rain …


Storage Shed Construction For Local Charity, Veda Maisie Guillermo Jun 2023

Storage Shed Construction For Local Charity, Veda Maisie Guillermo

Construction Management

This paper presents a project of the successful construction of a storage shed for Taproot Charities, a non-profit organization based in Templeton, California that aims to support young women furthering their education in Uganda. The project aimed to provide a storage solution for the organization's supplies and materials. The planning phase considered the available donated materials to determine the shed's dimensions and design features. This paper highlights the methods and materials used to build a storage shed and emphasizes the importance of communication during the construction process. During the construction process there were several weather-related project schedule setbacks which were …


Integrating Steel Slag Aggregates Into Asphalt Paving By Harmonizing Availability, Quality, Economics, And The Environment, Timothy R. Murphy May 2023

Integrating Steel Slag Aggregates Into Asphalt Paving By Harmonizing Availability, Quality, Economics, And The Environment, Timothy R. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides guidance on how to balance matters related to the environmental stewardship, market sources, origin and uses, material properties, performance, and economic impact of using slag materials in pavements. The literature on this topic provides numerous references on the use of slag materials for specific applications, and this thesis aims to make use of those references along with other data from the author to describe slag materials from a holistic perspective and provide some suggestions for balancing several factors that impact optimal use of this resource within pavement structures. Discussion is given to the increased importance of recycling …


Personal Protective Equipment Usage And Injury Type, Nathan Giannini May 2023

Personal Protective Equipment Usage And Injury Type, Nathan Giannini

Construction Management

Workers in the construction industry have many injuries both minor and life-altering. The industry suffers from injuries of all kinds such as falls, electrocution, and being struck by flying objects. To protect against this, workers wear certain types of personal protective equipment (PPE) on construction sites as a last line of defense. The equipment available such as hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, respirators, and hearing protection either protects against acute injuries (those that occur instantly) or chronic injuries (those that occur over time). This study investigates whether the type of injury that PPE protects against, acute or chronic, affects the …


The Influence Of The Addition Of Recycled Asphalt Shingles On The Compressive Strength Of Concrete, William E. Webb Apr 2023

The Influence Of The Addition Of Recycled Asphalt Shingles On The Compressive Strength Of Concrete, William E. Webb

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) as an additive on the compressive strength of concrete. This was accomplished by designing a concrete mix and creating 4” by 8” cylindrical test specimens containing 0, 5, 10, and 15 percent RAS by weight. The compressive strength was measured through axial loading until failure utilizing a compression testing apparatus. With these results, a relationship between the content of RAS and compressive strength was able to be developed, giving insight as to how RAS could be used in concrete mixes in the future. This study …


Highway 17 Wildlife Crossing, Taryn Chisholm, Seema Singh, Justin Uyeno Apr 2023

Highway 17 Wildlife Crossing, Taryn Chisholm, Seema Singh, Justin Uyeno

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

Highway 17 is an essential corridor for people to commute between the Bay Area and the Santa Cruz regions, but this highway also creates a barrier between wildlife territories, fragmenting their habitats and stranding animal populations on either side. The lack of crossing infrastructure along Highway 17 forces wildlife to attempt to cross the highway into oncoming traffic, causing wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) which endangers the lives of motorists and animals alike. In order to address this problem, the team designed a precast, concrete culvert crossing underneath Highway 17 to provide a safer passageway to increase habitat connectivity as well as …


Considerable Factors In Determining The Sustainability Benefits Of The Demolition Of An Existing Structure For A New Build And Of The Renovation Of An Existing Structure, Dev Boyd Hippenstiel Apr 2023

Considerable Factors In Determining The Sustainability Benefits Of The Demolition Of An Existing Structure For A New Build And Of The Renovation Of An Existing Structure, Dev Boyd Hippenstiel

Construction Management

The decision between whether to demolish or renovate a building comes down to which one will satisfy the owner’s needs and objectives while remaining within budget. This project will identify factors in determining sustainability benefits between a completely new construction project that demolishes the existing structure prior to rebuilding and a renovation project that reuses some or all of the existing structure. Research on construction data, interviews conducted with leading industry members, and journals that reported on both these strategies are presented. This project will examine considerations that reduce the demolition’s negative impact on the environment and improve the overall …


Feasibility Of Funding Construction-Related Projects With Cryptocurrencies, Farbod Pourdehmobed Mar 2023

Feasibility Of Funding Construction-Related Projects With Cryptocurrencies, Farbod Pourdehmobed

Construction Management

The current method of acquiring funds for construction projects consists of loans and/or a board of investors. With the emergence of the cryptocurrency industry in the past five to ten years, an influx of cash has been inserted into the market and is simply being held captive by government regulations. With development and construction being an attractive investment for most anyone, these "crypto billionaires" are insistent on financing possible projects. The issue lies within the construction industry and the possibly outdated financial system and whether it is capable of adhering to certain requirements that come with the usage of crypto …


Future Of Augmented And Virtual Reality In Construction, Cameron Ghoddoucy Mar 2023

Future Of Augmented And Virtual Reality In Construction, Cameron Ghoddoucy

Construction Management

A series of virtual design contractors were interviewed regarding the future involvement of augmented and virtual reality software integration with construction processes. Within the construction industry, VDC specialists rely on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Computer Aided Design (CAD) to create digital models that can be used to analyze the design of a building from all points of view. The interviewees responded to questions about software implementation advantages, and related user experiences. Six interviews were conducted, amongst three industry leading companies. Their assumptions of future AR and VR usage in construction were based on learned knowledge and prior field exploration. …


The Perceptions And Effects Of Nutrition On Worker Health And Productivity In Construction, Matthew Scott Howell Mar 2023

The Perceptions And Effects Of Nutrition On Worker Health And Productivity In Construction, Matthew Scott Howell

Construction Management

Construction workers often have poor dietary habits due to poor nutrition education, lack of nutritious food options, and social stigma. These habits often lead to health problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease which can decrease productivity and put workers at risk of on-site injury. This preliminary study examines how nutrition impacts worker safety and productivity. A survey was distributed to six students involved in construction work for Cal Poly’s Residential Construction course. This survey identified their eating habits and inhibitors for healthy eating. Two meals, one with high nutritional value and one with low nutritional value, were given to …


Growing Grounds Farm, Santa Maria - Greenhouse Planter Bench Tables, Joseph Miller Mar 2023

Growing Grounds Farm, Santa Maria - Greenhouse Planter Bench Tables, Joseph Miller

Construction Management

This paper covers the planning, fundraising, design, construction, and installation associated with building the Growing Grounds Farm of Santa Maria greenhouse planter bench tables. Growing Grounds prides itself on nourishing the local community through a combination of horticulture therapy, and vocational training for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. The farm offers various opportunities for socialization and interaction with coworkers and customers. After meeting with the farm managers, Anna Wiens and Keith Bartlett, it was clear that this project was of the highest priority. Upon agreement of the project, the farm managers and I determined the future vision and …


Investigating Michigan’S Skilled Construction Laborer Shortage Within The Great Lakes Region, Jennifer E. Russell Jan 2023

Investigating Michigan’S Skilled Construction Laborer Shortage Within The Great Lakes Region, Jennifer E. Russell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The construction industry has been facing a decline in skilled trade labor for decades. This study asks three overarching questions: (a) What are the causes and influencing factors of Michigan’s skilled construction laborer shortage? (b) How are Michigan stakeholders in the Great Lakes Region remedying the shortage? (c) What new solutions can be implemented to remedy Michigan’s skilled construction laborer shortage? A literature review was conducted to identify causes, influencing factors, and research gaps. Closed surveys questioning 69 construction project managers and 101 skilled trade laborers in Michigan were conducted online and on construction sites. A quantitative analysis of the …


Exploring Opportunities And Challenges Of Adopting Exoskeletons And Exosuits In Construction: Identifying Facilitators, Barriers, And Potential Solutions To Those Barriers, Dilruba Mahmud Jan 2023

Exploring Opportunities And Challenges Of Adopting Exoskeletons And Exosuits In Construction: Identifying Facilitators, Barriers, And Potential Solutions To Those Barriers, Dilruba Mahmud

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Exoskeletons and exosuits (collectively termed as EXOs) have the potential to reduce the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) by protecting workers from exertion and muscle fatigue due to physically demanding, repetitive, and prolonged work in construction workplaces. However, the use of EXOs in construction is in its infancy, and much knowledge for driving acceptance, adoption, and application of this technology is still lacking. This paper aims to identify the potential facilitators and barriers to adopting EXOs in the construction industry, along with potential solutions to those identified barriers to fostering the adoption of EXOs in construction workplaces through a …