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Construction Management

2023

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Full-Text Articles in Civil and Environmental Engineering

United States Army Corps Of Engineers Info Session At California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Gabriel L. Vesneski Dec 2023

United States Army Corps Of Engineers Info Session At California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Gabriel L. Vesneski

Construction Management

Gabriel Vesneski facilitated an Info Session on Thursday, November 2, at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for the United States Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District Civil Works. Three guest speakers from the Sacramento District Civil Works office presented their educational background, experience as employees for the Corps of Engineers, occupational benefits, and finally opened a question-and-answer forum for the students attending the Info Session. Upon completion of the Info Session, a survey was provided for attendees, in order to track interest in employment or internship opportunities provided by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Finally, there …

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Compressive And Flexural Tensile Strength Impacts Of Aluminum Shavings In Concrete, Ian Smith Dec 2023

Compressive And Flexural Tensile Strength Impacts Of Aluminum Shavings In Concrete, Ian Smith

Construction Management

Concrete is one of the most utilized construction materials around the world, but new and cutting-edge methods are constantly pushing the envelope for concrete’s applications and feasibility as a construction material. Unfortunately, concrete has a general lack of resistance to bending and stretching. Studies have shown several successful attempts to enhance the mechanical properties of concrete through implementation of various admixtures and methods. Steel is widely considered the primary material capable of reinforcing concrete. This paper evaluates concrete’s change in strength of flexural tension and compression as a result of implementing aluminum as a reinforcing agent. To determine the full …

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2nd Annual Girls Build Summer Academy: Logistics And Scheduling, Matteo Cade Cuccaro Dec 2023

2nd Annual Girls Build Summer Academy: Logistics And Scheduling, Matteo Cade Cuccaro

Construction Management

This paper discusses the logistics and scheduling involved for Cal Poly construction management department’s second annual Girls Build Summer Academy. The week-long academy was hosted to introduce construction related activities to 19 high school-aged girls so they could learn more about the careers available within the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, while learning skills to build individual and team projects. To achieve this goal, a full schedule was developed for each day of the camp, allowing for a variety of activities, including listening to guest speakers, completing building projects, and training to safely use tools. There were many challenges that …

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Vegetation And Its Effectiveness In Replacing Traditional Cooling Systems, Bryce Isaiah Trump Dec 2023

Vegetation And Its Effectiveness In Replacing Traditional Cooling Systems, Bryce Isaiah Trump

Construction Management

This project aimed to analyze if vegetation is effective in replacing traditional cooling systems, when utilized as green roofs and walls. It serves to provide information to the construction industry, designers, architects, and homeowners. Information gathered through a field experiment will be used to give quantitative data on if vegetation is effective and practical in replacing traditional cooling systems in buildings and homes. The basis for the idea of this project stems from two main courses in the Construction Management program, those courses being Principles of Environmental Design, and Sustainability and the Built Environment. The stated courses introduce the idea …

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2nd Annual Girls Build Summer Academy: Apprentice Ii Service Project, Angeline Witt Dec 2023

2nd Annual Girls Build Summer Academy: Apprentice Ii Service Project, Angeline Witt

Construction Management

Cal Poly’s construction management department hosted the second annual Girls Build Summer Academy in July 2023. This paper highlights the service work project that the three returning academy participants completed during the week-long day camp. The academy’s goal was to provide high school-aged girls the opportunity to learn about the various career paths in the construction industry while emphasizing skilled trade opportunities including concrete, framing, drywall, electrical, and equipment operators. The girls worked to enrich their construction knowledge and grow their skills with hands-on building activities. By the end of the week, each girl had gained the skills and confidence …

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San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum Accessibility Ramp, Noah Atticus Callahan Dec 2023

San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum Accessibility Ramp, Noah Atticus Callahan

Construction Management

The San Luis Obispo’s Railroad Museum is a local organization that aims to preserve the history of the Southern Pacific Railroad and educate the community. The mission of this organization is to collect and display various historic artifacts for the public to see. This project serves to aid in the development of a 1923 boxcar into a future exhibit for the museum by creating a ramp that bridges the platform of the station to the boxcar. The ramp was constructed out of pressure treated lumber, angle iron to bind the lumber together, and hinges to allow it to fold. Both …

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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 …

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Paso Robles Police Department Shooting Range Stairs, Emily Ann Andres Dec 2023

Paso Robles Police Department Shooting Range Stairs, Emily Ann Andres

Construction Management

The Paso Robles Police Department has a shooting range located just outside the Paso Robles Airport. The range is a newer facility that is used for training by the Paso Robles Police, as well as departments from surrounding cities. The flagpole for the range, located at the top of the hill, was inaccessible due to the brush overgrowth, gopher holes, and uneven terrain. Thus, the department needed a new staircase to improve accessibility to the flagpole so the red flag can be flown while the shooting range is in use. With many neighboring facilities, such as the remote-control plane club, …

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Artificial Intelligence Integration In Construction: A Cal Poly Curriculum Assessment, Carter James Hahn Dec 2023

Artificial Intelligence Integration In Construction: A Cal Poly Curriculum Assessment, Carter James Hahn

Construction Management

In a rapidly evolving industry where AI enhances efficiency and safety, questions are being raised on whether it should be introduced in the classroom. This research project is with the intention of understanding if and how artificial intelligence should be incorporated into Cal Poly’s construction management curriculum. The research combines a literature review establishing AI's relevance in construction project management with a survey-based methodology to gauge industry perspectives. Today, the global construction market witnesses a surge in AI adoption in its planning, construction, and O&M phases. In turn, the industry has benefited from its application in mitigation of risks, improved …

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Skip The Grid: Solar System Installations In The Navajo Nation, Gina H. Chun Nov 2023

Skip The Grid: Solar System Installations In The Navajo Nation, Gina H. Chun

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary project that involves installing solar energy systems in the Navajo Nation. The project’s mission was to support the Navajo families, specifically the students that have limited access to light which directly affects their education. On March 26, 2023, a team of 20 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) students, across eight different majors, travelled to Arizona to collaborate with the Red Mesa and Chinle Unified School Districts to install “off-grid” solar energy systems and lights. Through this project the Cal Poly students learned about the people of Navajo Nation, solar energy, …

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Slab Extension At Woods Humane Society, Corey K. Smith Jun 2023

Slab Extension At Woods Humane Society, Corey K. Smith

Construction Management

Woods Humane Society is an animal shelter that provides pet rehabilitation and adoption services to San Luis Obispo and surrounding areas. The Woods’ facility contains a number of kennels for dogs as well as numerous outdoor, fenced-in, concrete exercise yards. These yards give dogs the opportunity to play outside a few times a day allowing them to get vital exercise. One of these yards on the south side of the property had an exterior fence that was offset from an existing slab on the interior of the fence by one foot. This was an issue for the shelter as dogs …

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City Farm Slo ‘Garden For All’ – Shade Structure, Reed Aitken Jun 2023

City Farm Slo ‘Garden For All’ – Shade Structure, Reed Aitken

Construction Management

Local non-profit, City Farm SLO, recently presented an opportunity for four Cal Poly Construction Management students to complete senior projects to construct their vision of a “Garden for All.” This paper will focus on the design, preconstruction, and construction processes necessary to complete the shade structure. The project will provide much needed shade to an outdoor classroom area where City Farm SLO hosts farm based education programs all year round. The completion of this senior project required thorough design, estimating, coordination, and construction efforts, while keeping safety and sustainable building practices at the forefront of every decision. This was particularly …

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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 …

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Assessing The Effectiveness Of Noise Ordinances On Residential Construction: A Case Study In San Luis Obispo, Duncan Catley Jun 2023

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Noise Ordinances On Residential Construction: A Case Study In San Luis Obispo, Duncan Catley

Construction Management

Construction activities inherently generate substantial noise. As a result, construction becomes a notable source of ambient sound that permeates populated areas daily. This sound, especially at extreme volumes, can be the source of significant public annoyance and anger. Studies have shown that prolonged noise exposure can lead to hypertension, distraction, and even cognitive impairment in children. For these reasons, local governments will set noise ordinances to limit when and at what volume construction sounds can be made. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of these noise ordinances set by the city of San Luis Obispo. The …

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Technology Update Recommendations For Construction Management Classrooms, Julia M. Ralston Jun 2023

Technology Update Recommendations For Construction Management Classrooms, Julia M. Ralston

Construction Management

This paper outlines the process of creating the design for technology updates to a classroom with outdated and unreliable equipment. Key features of the design include updates to the classroom’s audio and visual display systems, improved connection accessibility for presenters using personal devices, the implementation of modern recording technology to assist with virtual teaching methods, and better support for students using personal technology as their primary note-taking and working mediums. The completed elements of the project include input gathered from students, faculty, and professionals on suggestions for the design, equipment selection and justification, preliminary coordination efforts with project contractors, and …

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A Guide To An Effective Cal Poly Construction Management Internship, Vincenzo Lucich Jun 2023

A Guide To An Effective Cal Poly Construction Management Internship, Vincenzo Lucich

Construction Management

Internships provide a multitude of opportunities for students to learn and apply curriculum concepts. Internships are a window providing students with a glimpse of industry standards and practices. For employers, internships can provide value in the form of assistance with documentation, providing a fresh pair of eyes, and providing potential hires. That being said, currently there is no common set of internship standards, producing varying results for interns. The purpose of this research paper is to provide a professional blueprint for current and future CM companies to integrate in their internships. Student surveys and industry professional interviews were conducted to …

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Attainable And Sustainable Home Building Solutions, Katrina Matthews Jun 2023

Attainable And Sustainable Home Building Solutions, Katrina Matthews

Construction Management

Sustainability has fortunately been a recent concern in the construction industry as climate change continues to impose potentially insurmountable threats to the global environment. Although many new methods have been adopted in efforts to lessen the adverse environmental effects of construction-related activities, as a society, we still have much room for growth as the built environment accounts for almost 50% of global emissions. Many changes and standards must be adopted to make these solutions efficiently beneficial. To set industry standards, we must start with the most basic form of construction- residential building. This report covers two attainable framing solutions for …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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The Sonoma Developmental Center Redevelopment Project: A Stakeholder Salience And Conflict Analysis Case Study, Leo Dickson Jun 2023

The Sonoma Developmental Center Redevelopment Project: A Stakeholder Salience And Conflict Analysis Case Study, Leo Dickson

Construction Management

This analytical case study is an experimental exploration into the utilization of stakeholder salience research to analyze land redevelopment projects from a managerial perspective. The study attempted to develop and apply a simple and approachable research model to a real redevelopment project. The research design is derived from an existing mathematical model designed to quantitatively measure stakeholder salience. Stakeholder salience theory and Pawlak’s conflict theory are the fundamental concepts used to create the research design model. The objective of this research was to assess its effectiveness when applied to a rural land redevelopment setting in the United States. The Sonoma …

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Using Virtual Reality And Construction Software To Transform Construction Facilities, Jacqueline Ana Badal Jun 2023

Using Virtual Reality And Construction Software To Transform Construction Facilities, Jacqueline Ana Badal

Construction Management

The objective of this project is to analyze construction jobsite facilities, specifically portable restroom facilities, and brainstorm how they can be redesigned to better suit the needs of women and individuals working on site. Portable toilets endure a great amount of weathering throughout the duration of the project and can become extremely unsanitary and often riddled with profanity. This can create an unclean and unwelcoming environment, especially for women working on the jobsite. The purpose of this project is to create a discussion around jobsite safety, starting with portable toilets. This is done using construction technology. Virtual reality was used …

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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 …

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Floating Dock At Santa Rita Ranch: A Design And Cost Estimate Package Prepared For The Land Conservancy Of San Luis Obispo, Sophia Ann Federico Jun 2023

Floating Dock At Santa Rita Ranch: A Design And Cost Estimate Package Prepared For The Land Conservancy Of San Luis Obispo, Sophia Ann Federico

Construction Management

The purpose of this project is to provide the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo with three design options for a floating fishing/boat dock system that they want to build on a small lake located on a plot of land that they own and preserve called Santa Rita Ranch. The design package that I created includes drawings, weight and buoyancy calculations, a cost estimate, and product specs. My approach was to utilize my estimating skills that I have acquired from my construction management classes and from my work at a general contractor’s office in the preconstruction department. The design and …

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Ranking And Analyzing Soft Skills Of Cal Poly Cm Students During Their Internships And Importance Of Possessing Them In The Cm Industry, Alex Cervantes Jun 2023

Ranking And Analyzing Soft Skills Of Cal Poly Cm Students During Their Internships And Importance Of Possessing Them In The Cm Industry, Alex Cervantes

Construction Management

Possession of a strong set of soft skills is essential to leading a successful career in the construction industry. Soft skills allow one to become an indispensable, well-respected, and effective member of one’s team. Should one need to facilitate processes, solve problems, positively influence others and even just complete day to day tasks, a well-versed construction industry professional can rely on soft skills to manage any situations that cross their path. This study determines the perception and value of certain soft skills of student interns along with construction industry professionals alike. Along the dimensions of the study, the soft skills …

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Meadow Park Community Gardens Improvements, Ryan D. Preciado Jun 2023

Meadow Park Community Gardens Improvements, Ryan D. Preciado

Construction Management

The San Luis Obispo Community Gardens offer space for residents to grow food at a low-cost yearly lease. Among the five Community Gardens in the city, there are over 100 plots available to purchase. These plots can vary from in-ground garden beds, off-ground raised garden beds, and ADA accessible garden beds. The goal with this project is to provide the Community Gardens with infrastructure to allow for a better garden experience and to increase the volume at which San Luis Obispo residents can utilize the gardens. Through communication with the San Luis Obispo Community Gardens, we were able to determine …

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Standardizing Hands-On Building Activities In Commercial Construction Management And Recommendations For Semester Conversion Adaptations, Lauren T. Mcclurg Jun 2023

Standardizing Hands-On Building Activities In Commercial Construction Management And Recommendations For Semester Conversion Adaptations, Lauren T. Mcclurg

Construction Management

CM 313 Commercial Construction Management at Cal Poly is an integrated lab course and one of the main hands-on learning experiences construction management students participate in. It is currently administered in the quarter system and as the university transitions to the semester calendar, the lab needs to be converted in order to accommodate this change. The main purpose of this project was to document existing practices and improve the process and experience for students, instructional students assistants, Simpson Strong Tie coordinator, and other professors of CM 313. This project included creating a builders guide to help the student assistants by …

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Skip The Grid: Restoring Light To The Navajo Nation, Diego Isaias Gonzalez Jun 2023

Skip The Grid: Restoring Light To The Navajo Nation, Diego Isaias Gonzalez

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary service project through California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) where students and faculty partnered with sponsors including SOLV Energy and Goal Zero, and facilitation by Heart of America, an educational equity non-profit, to bring solar power to 27 families of school aged children in the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation is a historically disadvantaged community which lacks the infrastructure and financial capacity to provide electrical service to about a third of the families living on the reservation. Families in the Red Mesa and Chinle School Districts were the focus for this …

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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 …

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Effects Of Admixes On The Compressive Strength Of Permeable Concrete, James T. Lyon Jun 2023

Effects Of Admixes On The Compressive Strength Of Permeable Concrete, James T. Lyon

Construction Management

Compression tests were performed on three samples of permeable concrete to evaluate the effects of admixes on a conventional permeable concrete. The first mix served as the control, representing a standard permeable concrete sample. The second mix replicated the control but added a small amount of fiberglass, accounting for 0.5% of the cement's weight. The third mix again mirrored the control and incorporated the manufacturer's recommended amount of a water reducing admix known as "Reducer 555". The objective of testing the two new mixes against the control mix was to evaluate the potential increase in ultimate compressive strength. Four 6” …

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