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Building Services Engineering

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Building Services Engineering

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Building Services Engineering

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Building Services Engineering

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Building Services Engineering

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Building Services Engineering

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Building Services Engineering

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Building Services Engineering

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Building Services Engineering

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Realising Electronic Tendering In The Irish Construction Industry, Alan V. Hore

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Increasing Effectiveness Of Public Private Partnerships In The Irish Construction Industry, Louis Gunnigan

Doctoral

By 2003 the first Irish Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects had reached the operational stage. Media reports were emerging of significant differences in the effectiveness of these projects.

This research set out to find a means by which effectiveness of PPPs could be increased and to develop a model that would assist PPP practitioners with this task in the future. Through a literature review, the Irish PPP process was mapped, the changes encountered in the introduction of PPP were investigated and a conceptual model – based on a traditional process model - was proposed. The model was tested by examining …

Efficiency Gains To Be Won Through The Introduction Of Electronic Tendering In The Construction Industry, Alan V. Hore, Roger West

Conference papers

The tendering process predominantly adopted in the Irish construction industry is largely paper-dependent. However, the increase in the availability of high speed Information Communications Technology (ICT) has meant that construction consultants can disseminate this information more cost effectively in an electronic format. The aim of this paper is to present a status report on an industry-led network project currently being undertaken by the Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA) in Ireland. This project aims to demonstrate how greater effectiveness and efficiency can be applied to the tendering process by the application of ICT already used widely in other industries. The status …

Alternative Material Dowel Bars For Rigid Pavement Joints, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

Over the last thirty to forty years, dowel support of the joint in Rigid Joint Pavement (RJP) has been widely used. The problem of deterioration of concrete pavement joints has resulted in the search for alternate solutions. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and stainless steel represent corrosion resistant alternatives to conventional galvanized steel in this application. The recently study by the FHWA of Alternative Materials for Highway Construction demonstrated that even with extended wet-dry cycles of exposure to fluids of high chloride content, at various temperatures and PH levels, stainless steel had corrosion resistance hundreds and in many cases thousands of times …

Gfrc Facade Panels With Steel Stud/Flex Anchor Connection, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

The ability of building cladding systems to perform successfully depends primarily on their proper design and construction. Current practices in the United States utilize GFRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete) panels. However, new problems are being detected with such systems. The facade and its attachments (using GFRC) are not being adequately implemented to accommodate vertical and horizontal differential movement between the panels and concrete frame which is resulting in failure or cracking of the panels, and chipping off of the supporting concrete. With proper design and construction, steel stud-framed GFRC-skin cladding concept provides a versatile system for freedom of expression in …

Superpave System, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

The Superpave is the acronym for 'SUperior PERforming Asphalt PAVEments' system. It was developed by Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) to give highway engineers and contractors the tools they need to design asphalt pavements that will perform better under extremes of temperature and heavy traffic loads.

Ultrascreen - Sight And Sound Barrier Partition Walls, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

Panels have been widely used for many years to act as sight and sound barriers in most of the highways and in residential areas where visual privacy is needed. The United States Gypsum Company, early in the 1980's started developing technologies to improve and reduced costs using lightweight cement panels. Recently, USG along with AFM Corporation introduced ULTRASCREEN: Sight and Sound Barrier. This lightweight panels require no special equipment for installation, maintenance, or replacement making them beneficial. This latest development also creates a system with good acoustical performance and excellent strength to weight ratio.

Substiwood™ - Concrete Lumber, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

In the United States, wood lumber products have always formed the primary (and secondary) elements of many types of construction, especially in the single-and multi-family housing sector. A new cementitious material, 'concrete lumber' products (SubstiwoodTM) developed by Substiwood Inc. is structurally strong, durable, nailable with conventional screws and nails, and sawable using hand or electric saws. Unlike other construction alternatives to wood framing, the SubstiwoodTM products essentially maintain the existing wood frame construction methods, processes, equipment, and skilled labor.

Frp Rebar (Afrp, Cfrp, Gfrp), Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

Insufficient concrete cover, poor design or workmanship, and presence of large amounts of aggressive agents including environmental factors all can lead to cracking of the concrete and corrosion of the steel rebar. The problems of steel corrosion are avoided with the use of FRPs because FRP materials are nonmetallic and noncorrosive. In addition, FRP materials exhibit several properties including high tensile strength, that make them suitable for the use as structural reinforcement. Furthermore, codes and design guide provisions have been recently prepared for the use of FRP bars in concrete structures for bridges and buildings.

Dis Seismic Isolater, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

Seismic isolation bearings isolate a structure from the ground motion produced by an earthquake. The energy absorption devices are designed to absorb the energy associated with an earthquake. This seismic (Base) Isolator consists of alternate layers of rubber and steel bonded together, with a cylinder of pure lead tightly inserted through a hole in the middle. The rubber layers allow the isolator to easily displace sideways, reducing the earthquake loads felt by the building and its occupants. They also act as a spring, ensuring that the structure returns to its original position after the shaking has stopped.

Tru-Frame Steel Truss, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

After earthquakes, repair and replacement of structural elements is time consuming and expensive. This new truss system contains several diagonal elements designed to absorb seismic energy and yield at prescribed levels. Standard moment frame design requires 100% visual inspection and ultrasonic testing which is eliminated when using the Tru-Frame system. Since all Tru-Frame connections are single pass fillet welds and tension control bolts, they can be visually inspected any time after completion without need for additional testing. This allows subsequent trades to start their work sooner.

Post-Tensioned Steel Structure, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

Welded steel Moment-Resisting Frames (MRFs) were long considered as one the most earthquake-resistant types of structures. Recently, the idea of applying the post-tensioning technology to achieve moment resistant structural systems has been investigated at the University of California, San Diego. Since 1996, moment-resisting connections using post-tensioning concepts have been developed and tested for precast concrete beam-to-column connections, and concrete shear walls.

Attachment Of Steel Decking Using Mechanical Fasteners And Powder Actuated Or Pneumatic Tools, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

An alternative method of attaching steel metal decks onto open web bar joist or structural steel beams. Erectors require a fast, reliable, efficient fastening method that can be used independent of weather conditions, and is easy, cost effective and verifiable. Attachment of the deck panels has historically been performed using puddle welding, with self-drilling screws used only when necessary. Today, special nails, driven either by powder propellant (powder actuated tools) or by compressed air (pneumatic tools), are experiencing ever-increasing usage due to the speed, versatility and cost-effectiveness benefits derived by the installer and owner.

Precast Concrete Beam-To-Column Connection System, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

Compared to conventional concrete constructions, precast concrete is a better option which is more cost-effective for production, transport, and erection when columns and beams can be fabricated independently. The BSF connection is a hidden beam and connection for gravity loads that eliminates the need for projecting column corbels. From a steel box cast into the concrete beam end, a sliding steel “knife” plate with a safety notch is cantilevered into a steel box that has been cast into the concrete column.

Smart Sewer Assessment Systems, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

The need for accurate preventive assessment of sewer conditions is increasing world wide. The new method utilizes qualified inspection systems that are automated and that utilize artificial intelligence to assess whether or not a crack in the surface of the pipe exists. The KARO system is one example. Developed by the German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Technology (BMBF) and four partners from both industry and research institutions. This system is composed of a mobile control and surveillance station, and a mobile robot.

Lean Project Delivery System, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

The Lean Construction Institute, (LCI), founded in August 1997, is currently doing research to develop knowledge regarding the design and implementation of project based production systems in the design, engineering, and construction of capital facilities. Lean Project Delivery System (LPDS) model consists of 13 modules, 9 of which are organized in 4 interconnecting triads or phases extending from project definition to design to supply and assembly, plus 2 production control modules and the work structuring module, both conceived to extend through all project phases, and the post-occupancy evaluation module, which links the end of one project to the beginning of …

Dynamic Construction Visualizer, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

The Dynamic Construction Visualizer (DCV) is general-purpose 3D visualization system that allows simulation model developers to animate modeled operations with chronological and spatial accuracy in 3D virtual space. The system is independent of any particular simulation-modeling program or CAD modeling software.

Stroboscope, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

STROBOSCOPE is an acronym for STate and Resource Based Simulation of COnstructionProcEsses. It is a general-purpose simulation programming language that has been designed for the simulation of very complex construction processes that involve many different types of resources. STROBOSCOPE models are based on a network of interconnected modeling elements and on a series of programming statements that give the elements unique behavior and control the simulation.

Pneumatic Capsule Pipeline, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

Pneumatic capsule pipeline (PCP) uses wheeled capsules (vehicles) to carry cargoes through a pipeline filled with air. Modern large diameter PCP systems utilize through flow booster pumps, also known as jet pump injectors. These create the pressure differentials required to propel multiple capsules through a pipeline, while allowing both terminals at atmospheric pressure. This is done by placing a booster pump midway along the pipeline, and designing it in such a way that capsules can bypass the pump.

Hybrid Computerized Decision Support System For Infrastructure Assessment, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets

Currently, assessment techniques are performed subjectively, time consuming, and rely mostly on human visual inspection. Such subjective assessment methods have been identified as a critical obstacle to effective infrastructure management. The hybrid computerized decision support system for construction quality assessment applies concepts in the fields of machine learning, pattern recognition, and image processing. The system will automate the assessment process by acquiring digital images of the areas to be assessed and analyzing the images to identify and measure defects. Moreover, sample images will be used to train the system to acquire expert knowledge in identifying the defects and using this …