Engineering Commons^™

Feasibility Of Collaborative Alliance Association For Non-Competitive Small Business Contractors, Brody Allen Gill

Construction Management

Small business construction contracting firms around the country struggle with growing their business successfully. This is a result of unknown results from new business practices and few resources to initiate programs that can improve productivity and efficiency. A simple solution could give small business construction contractors the opportunity to share ideas, compare company analytics and promote professional networking in a non-competitive, collaborative alliance. The goal of this project is to determine if a collaborative alliance association using data benchmarking would be an effective solution for non-competitive small business contractors to grow their businesses. Thereafter being proven effective, is such an …

Stem And The Skilled Labor Shortage In The United States, Nicolo Tetsuo Hoshizaki

Construction Management

There is a growing shortage of skilled labor in the United States construction industry. As the baby boomer generation prepares to leave the workforce, this problem is getting exponentially worse. As Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programs have become the U.S. Department of Education’s top priority, more young adults are pursuing higher education and entering the STEM workforce. Using quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, this paper provides an explanation as to why a logical method to assuage the labor shortage in construction is to employ vocational programs that prepare young adults to enter the industry similar to how STEM programs …

Online Platform For Construction Management Internship Reviews, Erica Zetterquist

Construction Management

This paper discusses the process I went through to develop a website for Construction Management students to review their internships. The scope of the project was to create an online platform similar to “Polyratings” and “Rate My Professors” for Cal Poly Construction Management students to review internships. Reviews from peers would be accessible to students to help them through their job search process. Relative information such as salary, company culture, and other information collected in my survey allows peers better context of the internship experience. Part of the creating process of my website included research into web design sites like …

The Need For A Real Estate Development Capstone Course, Will Robert Kieckhefer

Construction Management

Cal Poly has extremely well-known programs in Construction Management, Business, Engineering, and Architecture. All of these programs have contributed multiple leaders to the building industry every year yet have neglected to integrate the different disciplines that overlap within the industry. The research the author has collected to support the need for a real estate development capstone course included in-person interviews, online research, personal experience, and team surveys. The research concluded the need for a real estate development capstone course that would integrate students from the school of Business, Architecture, and Construction Management. In order to build a successful project, all …

Interdisciplinary Studio Pavilion [Isp] 2019, Albert J. Gutierrez

Construction Management

Historically Cal Poly’s motto has been ‘Learn by Doing’ and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) is one of the leading examples of this. Many students gain valuable hands-on and real-world experience through collaborative projects and assignments. Through this learn by doing philosophy and collaborative learning approach Cal Poly construction management, architecture and architectural engineering students worked together in 8 separate studio teams to design and construct a portable pavilion for the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County. Acting as a client they requested that we design a portable pavilion space that will be used to …

Assessment Of Project Risks In Fast-Track Construction Projects, Claudia Garrido Martins

Civil Engineering ETDs

Fast-tracking has been extensively used to respond to demands for reduced construction project delivery times. Unique risks arising from the overlapping of activities can threaten the project. A framework is proposed to assess project risks in fast-track construction projects to better understand the intersection of fast-track, risks, and construction. The research used a commercial construction renovation project as a case study, semi-structured interviews, simulation and optimization methods to identify risks of overlapping activities, classify the risks, evaluate the impact of risks and risk mitigation actions, and optimal combinations to minimize the risk impact and mitigation costs. This study resulted in …

Inception Through Inspection: Quality Control In The Simspon Strong Tie Materials Demonstration Lab, Allyson G. Forster

Construction Management

The purpose of this senior project is to create a quality control program in the Simpson Strong Tie (SST) Materials Demonstration Lab using BIM 360. The goal of this program is to help streamline the building process of the six-foot by eight-foot tiny home in Residential Construction Management. The SST laboratory activities have been developed in the true spirit of “learn by doing” and serve as a way for Construction Management (CM) students to interact with the building process directly. Students in the CM department are taught that quality begins at the inception of a job and should be monitored …

Investigation Of Grout - A Comparison Of Standard Grout Mix To Self-Consolidating Grout Mix, Rachel Garcia Chandler

Architectural Engineering

Masonry is a major structural material for low rise buildings, however the design of masonry buildings is rarely taught as a formal course at most universities. As part of the educational experience and to become familiar with the specifications and testing procedures for grouted masonry, a student run experiment on varying the water to cement ratio of masonry grout was conducted. The purpose is to report on the effects of changing the water-to-cement (W/C) ratios in a standard grout mix. The typical W/C ratio is approximately 0.80:1.00. In order to show the effects of increasing water in a grout mix, …

Zero Emission Zero Waste Construction Sites In California Commercial Construction: A Case Study, Joseph E. Anderson

Construction Management

Zero emission refers to the absence of waste products that pollute the environment or disrupt the climate from any engine, motor, process, or other energy source systems. CO2 emissions through equipment and machinery, along with toxic chemicals, carcinogens, ash and dust are founded most common in the Construction Industry. Although these findings may not raise an eyebrow, it is quite overlooked, and the numerical data is staggering. Zero waste is also examined in this paper—the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, recovery of products and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Studying Spanish And Construction In Tandem, Daniel Joseph Eide

Construction Management

Does Spanish bilingualism have measurable fiscal value in the U.S. construction industry? Studying and becoming proficient in Spanish is feasible, affordable, and can be accomplished at Cal Poly in conjunction with a Construction Management major. In a dynamic industry that values versatile employees, where communication is key to success, the capability of speaking Spanish is a substantial value-add in the workforce. Using qualitative and quantitative data analysis, it is concluded that individuals who possess English and Spanish-speaking abilities in the U.S. construction industry can expect a 3 percent wage premium when compared to English-only speakers. This study weighs the costs …

Operations Constructed - Jobsite Material Delivery Website, Lorcan Yeung

Construction Management

Operations Constructed is a program a couple students developed to help enhance the material delivery process on-site through innovation. Through partnering a construction management student and a computer engineering student the team developed Operations Constructed which modernized the material delivery process. Through industry research, Cal Poly Entrepreneurship mentorship, and faculty input the team produced a program that is simplistic enough for the old-school construction industry. Presently many construction companies use white boards or excel sheets to schedule their material deliveries whereas Operations Constructed would provide an automated means of coordination, confirmation, and execution of the same deliveries. The final product …

Implementing Ipd Principles On Custom Residential Projects: Tools And Best Practices, Giuseppi K. Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to see how Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) principles and practices can be used on high end custom residential construction projects to increase the collaboration and efficiency of the project team. A case study was conducted on a custom home project to observe how and what IPD principles were used. Observations, interviews and a survey were used as part of that case study to gain insights. This research found that IPD principles and practices could be used on residential projects. In addition, the research found that those involved found the experience positive and beneficial to …

Confronting Retainage And Its Disruptive Effects On The Business Practices Of Commercial Concrete Subcontractors, Arlen Karl Hartoonian

Construction Management

This paper aims to explore the extent of the damage that retainage is capable of inflicting on the financial health of commercial concrete subcontractors and strategies which can be utilized to mitigate or avoid damage to their financial health. The methodology implemented to conduct this exploration is a series of interviews with commercial concrete subcontractors. An analysis of these interviews in conjunction with a thorough literature review demonstrates that retainage does indeed impact financial health of commercial concrete subcontractor though the scale of the operation does make a difference in the severity of this impact. Whether or not the construction …

Development Of A Topics Course For Construction Management, William Harrison Wygal

Construction Management

The Cal Poly Construction Management program has been proven to produce some of the most prepared graduates heading into new careers in every facet of the construction industry. Speaking with faculty member Tom Kommer, we have concluded that there is a need for an increased focus on construction risk management within the curriculum. In order to develop a course which would suitably educate Cal Poly Construction Management students in the topic of risk management, I performed a literary review during which I determined which risks are most prevalent within the construction industry and how firms in the construction industry manage …

Feasibility Of Utilizing Autonomous, Trenchless Tunneling Technology, Thomas Arthur Fuentez

Construction Management

The construction industry as a whole has not increased its productivity level as much as other industries in the world. Professionals are constantly trying to think of new ideas and methods to improve the efficiency of construction through new technology. One area in which productivity needs improvement, is in land development. Trenching for underground utilities and services uses a lot of time in a project’s schedule as well as costs which can be reduced with the use of autonomous, trenchless tunneling technology such as the “BADGER”, (RoBot for Autonomous unDerGround trenchless opERations). This technology is being designed to use a …

Develop An Mep Based Scheduling Learning Module With Industry Support And Guidance To Understand The Impact On The General Contractor, Andy S. Rios

Construction Management

The Construction Management (CM) program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo is recognized as one of the best construction programs in country. The curriculum does an extraordinary job at teaching how to utilize software and technology to create a project schedule. The one thing that the curriculum lacks is learning sequencing of events when it comes to scheduling, and where to look to obtain this information. Although learning sequencing for scheduling is hard to teach because it comes with years of industry experience, it is important to have a basic understanding of how things come together to create a functioning …

Interim Field Guide For Construction And Testing Of Concrete Shear Wall With Added Frp Layer, Carlos Alberto Espitia

Construction Management

In Los Angeles, many of the hospitals are no longer up to code as they were built in the 1970’s. The shear walls that the hospitals were constructed on stand to experience major failures in the event of a seismic event and this is the issue that this student research team was assigned with. This project was to design, procure, and construct all necessary constraints to be able to test a wall that is fundamentally similar to that of the sheer walls in these hospitals. Once this was complete the goal was to test two walls with an added FRP …

Implementing An “Intro To Sst” Topics Course, Connor M. Cody

Construction Management

This study is designed to gauge Cal Poly Construction Management students interest level in a potential new topics course, “Intro to SST”, that will feature small building projects and emphasize construction safety. With this course, students will be more experienced and safe with building in the SST prior to the Residential and Commercial building labs, as well as receiving a brief knowledge of what goes into the trade jobs on a day to day basis. Students were asked to answer ten questions – nine survey and one free response. These questions were designed to provide quantitative and qualitative data that …

Opportunities And Challenges Of Modular Construction In A Hospitality Centric Environment, Shreyansh Paliwal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Modular construction techniques can substantially decrease project schedules and costs, effectively maintaining or increasing the quality of an end product by shifting a percentage of site-based work to an off-site fabrication shop. Modular construction can also significantly contribute to sustainability by reducing site disruption, reducing waste generated, creating better relocatability and reusability, causing less dust and noise pollution, and reducing the probability of loss, theft, and damage to equipment. The primary goal of this research is to identify the opportunities and challenges of implementing modular construction techniques in a hospitality-centric environment, by investigating the current situation and characteristics of modular …

The Skills Students Coming Out Of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Lack To Become Effective Superintendents, Armando Pulido-Melendrez

Construction Management

The construction superintendent plays a very important role throughout the construction process in order to deliver a successful project. This paper analyzes the skills Cal Poly SLO graduates lack to become effective superintendents. It does so by first analyzing quantitative research on papers that state which skills are important. Several interviews were conducted with professionals in the construction industry. These interviews provided input regarding what makes an effective superintendent. From this research, an effective superintendent must have an understanding of scheduling and sequencing of construction processes. Additionally, they must have the strength and stamina for construction supervision in the field …

The Mechanics Of Precision Presplitting, Anthony Joseph Konya

Doctoral Dissertations

"Precision Presplitting is a widely used method of presplit blasting for the mining and construction industries. In recent years considerable effort has gone into the development of empirical equations based on field data to be able to better design the Precision Presplit for various rock types and structural environments. However, the most widely discussed theory about the mechanics of the presplit formation, that of shockwave collisions, does not appear to be applicable for this method of presplitting.

This research has disproven this theory based on insufficient magnitude of the shockwave from modeling with basic wave mechanics. Other authors have suggested …

Implementation Of Blockchain Technology In The Construction Industry, Steven Graham

Construction Management

In general, the construction industry has been pretty resistant to change. While most industries have gained in productivity over the years through implementation of new technologies and other factors, construction industry productivity has been on a steady decline since the 1960s. Even though there are a multitude of reasons for this, including more complex building types and a decline in the workforce, the major problem holding construction back are project management issues and alienation of project stakeholders in the construction process. Some improvements have been made to help with collaboration between parties, like BIM (building information modeling) and project management …