Construction Engineering Commons^™

Building Services Engineering May/June 2021

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Facilitating The Industrial Sector's Adoption Of Collaborative Project Delivery Methods, Xavier Wood-Aliberch

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In an effort to improve outcomes in the civil and healthcare sectors, clients have adopted collaborative project delivery methods for the delivery of their capital projects. The success stories in these sectors have gathered the attention of clients in the industrial sector, where cost and schedule overruns have become the norm. The central objective of this thesis is to help clients make the transition to this new type of project delivery.

This thesis was written in a three-paper format, where each paper addresses a challenge with the adoption of collaborative delivery methods. The first paper investigates what type of industrial …

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 46, Number 01

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Underground Construction And Space Utilization: A Bibliometric Analysis, Mugdha Praveen Kshirsagar Mrs, Sanjay Kantrao Kulkarni Dr, Nilesh Vedprakash Arora Mr, Devesh Dinesh Maheshwari Mr, Ankush Kumar Meena Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Land use optimization is a major concern as the world's population grows at an exponential rate. Surface land is already being depleted at an alarming pace. As a result, buildings can be constructed safely underground, allowing for more productive land use. The primary goal of this paper is to perform a bibliometric review of the literature related to Underground Construction in order to determine the growth of Underground Construction as a method of energy or land optimization in recent years. Between 1975 and 2020 is the time span considered for this survey. The results of the Scopus database are the …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Into The Impact Of Bim On The Social Dynamics Of The Aec Professional In The Workplace., Malachy Mathews Dr.

Doctoral

A review of the literature published surrounding new digital design and construction technologies and associated processes described within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) community as Building Information Modelling (BIM) or Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) reveals a gap in the theoretical understanding of the impact these technologies are having on professionals who work in this industry. The central aim of this research is to discover if there has been a shift in social dynamics as a result of the adoption of BIM in the workplace and, if there has been, to discuss the meaning of this for the industry …

Exploiting Pull-In/Pull-Out Hysteresis In Electrostatic Mems Sensor Networks To Realize A Novel Sensing Continuous-Time Recurrent Neural Network, Mohammad H. Hasan, Amin Abbasalipour, Hamed Nikfarjam, Siavash Pourkamali, Muhammad Emad-Un-Din, Roozbeh Jafari, Fadi Alsaleem

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

The goal of this paper is to provide a novel computing approach that can be used to reduce the power consumption, size, and cost of wearable electronics. To achieve this goal, the use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors for simultaneous sensing and computing is introduced. Specifically, by enabling sensing and computing locally at the MEMS sensor node and utilizing the usually unwanted pull in/out hysteresis, we may eliminate the need for cloud computing and reduce the use of analog-to-digital converters, sampling circuits, and digital processors. As a proof of concept, we show that a simulation model of a network of …

Net-Zero Homes, The Homes Of The Future, Primo Guseppi Facchini

Construction Management

Net-Zero homes are the homes of the future (Holmes, 2018). What makes Net-zero homes unique is they rely on solar power, opposed to all standard housing that relies on the power grid. These homes use solar instead of other forms of energy generating technology because it is more affordable and better for the environment. California has blazed the trail for the rest of the United States and the world to follow with their Net-Zero housing proposition. Starting January 2020 California will require all residential buildings to be net-zero homes. Net-Zero homes are important because it is no secret that our …

Indispensable Homes In Third World Countries: Constructing A Home In Tijuana, Mexico, Myles Hubers

Construction Management

This project was created to explore a way in which poverty around the world could ultimately be reduced. The way in which this project intends to demonstrate a method used to reduce poverty is by building a home for a specific family in Tijuana, Mexico. In doing so, this home will act as a model home for a manual, comprised of steps that should be taken to construct similar homes throughout any third world country. The goal of this project is to highlight the importance of poverty in the world while also creating a buildable solution in order to reduce …

Residential Bathroom And Tile Shower Addition During Covid-19 Quarantine, Joseph Szillinsky

Construction Management

This paper outlines the design and construction of a new code compliant bathroom including: a low profile shower pan, ceramic-tile shower enclosure, and new plumbing piping and fixtures. One of the main objectives was to complete the new shower which would be easily accessible and maintenance free in order to support a local elderly couple. The selection of this project took place during the COVID-19 pandemic approximately nine months after California issued the first mandatory statewide Stay-at-Home Order. During the early design and development stages an opportunity to collaborate with a local trades-person was identified as well as the need …

Comparing The Environmental Impacts Of Using Mass Timber And Structural Steel, Khang Hoang Nguyen, Steelee Knight Morgan

Construction Management

Although mass timber has seen a gradual rise in demand in the past, there has been a lack of extensive research on the environmental impacts of using mass timber as a primary structural framing material. This paper compares structural steel, and mass timber’s total embodied carbon emissions. Accurate estimates were made using plans and specs for different projects retrieved from semi-structured interviews. The estimates were input through the EC3 Calculator to provide extensive total carbon emissions measurements between each construction material. Using structural steel framing increased the project’s overall environmental impact by roughly 84% compared to using mass timber. The …

Bs News March/April

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

How New, Innovative Technology Can Be Implemented To Combat The Construction Industry Labor Shortage, Noah David Jackson

The Professional Constructor

This essay addresses the construction industry’s need to compensate for the current and projected labor shortage through innovative technologies. In the first portion of this essay, three technologies that are most feasible for implementation – the Internet of Things (IoT), Drones, and Prefabrication – are detailed. The challenges faced are then discussed before the second major portion in which steps for implementation are outlined. These steps include forming partnerships, learning the process, communicating, training, implementing, and adapting and improving. The essay concludes with a discussion of how the AGC organization, and members within, can aid the industry in meeting this …

The Adaptative Construction Industry, Rhett Cox

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry is an industry that always unites to find ways to solve problems. It is very complex and requires considerable organization, hard work, specific skills, and a whole lot of determination. In this paper, I will discuss three ways that the industry is making strides to make construction better and more efficient: (a) increased use of modular construction and prefabrication, (b) use of drones, and (c) Building Information Modeling (BIM) use. With the construction process becoming more and more complex, improving efficiency and safety has gained more attraction, especially when coping with fundamental issues such as labor shortage, …

How New, Innovative Technology And Project Execution Tools And Techniques Can Be Used To Improve The Construction Process (Including Safety And Efficiency), James L. Craig

The Professional Constructor

Humanity has often sought to utilize tools and technology to make working faster, more efficient, more comfortable, and more accurate. While humans may have started with stone tools, we have since developed complex and sophisticated mechanical and digital technologies. The construction industry has been utilizing construction technology and equipment for these same reasons for generations. While other industries have embraced the use of smart, autonomous technology and robotics, the construction industry has steadily fallen behind in this effort. In this paper, I will discuss current work using these tools and possible applications for future development.

The Impact Of Climate Change On Building Energy Demands And Mitigation Measures In Florida, Aiyin (Erin) Jiang

The Professional Constructor

Tropical and subtropical parts of the world are projected to be the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change on building energy consumption demand. Few studies, however, focus on all four greenhouse emission scenarios defined by International Panel of Climate Change, which would be useful in assessing the energy demand challenges areas such as Florida. This study applies the most recognized climate change model downscaling approach, the morphing method, to investigate the impact of climate change on the commonly used commercial buildings in Florida’s climate zones under all four emission scenarios. It also analyzes the efficacy of various mitigation …

Frequency And Magnitude Of Cost Growth In Public Works Contracts, George Fulton, Panagiotis Mitropoulos

The Professional Constructor

Cost overruns are a persistent issue in the construction industry. This paper investigates factors that may drive cost growth on public works contracts. The study collected data on 1,043 public works projects completed over a three year period. The analysis examined the impact of four factors on cost overruns: (1) Project type, (2) Contract size, (3) Contract duration, and (4) Construction placement (value per day). The data were analyzed using a combination of basic descriptive statistics along with statistical hypothesis testing of means for various factors affecting cost growth. Cost growth was found to vary significantly by project type, contract …

Case Study Of Real-World Emissions Rates Verus Epaemission Standards For Motor Graders, Boshra Karimi, Phil Lewis

The Professional Constructor

Using the Volkswagen emissions scandal as motivation, the purpose of this case study was to investigate whether or not heavy-duty diesel construction equipment exceeds EPA emissions standards for nonroad diesel engines. The equipment analyzed included four separate motor graders with EPA emissions standards Tier 0, Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 engines. The analysis was based on a dataset of real-world emissions rates collected from in-use equipment on actual jobsites. The results showed that mass per time emissions rates for hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter decreased as the EPA emissions standards became more stringent. Furthermore, there …

Understanding Sub-Contractor Selection Factors In Thebuilding Construction Industry For The Southeastern United States, Dhaval Gajjar, Cayla Anderson

The Professional Constructor

The primary entities within building construction industry consists of the owner, the architect / engineer, and the general contractor, that ensure the success of any construction project. On a traditional project, the owner selects and contracts with the general contractor to construct a building designed by the architect. A considerable amount of research has been conducted to understand the owner’s selection factors to hire a qualified general contractor. However, the general contractor selected for the project seldom self-performs the entire construction of a building. The general contractor might self-perform some aspects of the actual building construction, but they will typically …

Quasi-Static Nonlinear Seismic Assessment Of A Fourth Century A.D. Roman Aqueduct In Istanbul, Turkey, Semih Gonen, Ece Erdogmus, Engin Karaesmen, Erhan Karaesmen

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

The majority of architectural heritage consists of load-bearing masonry components made up of stone units and relatively weak mortar joints, yielding potential weak planes for masonry structures where tension and shear failures are expected to occur. Advanced nonlinear analyses are required to simulate these phenomena and predict the corresponding nonlinear structural behavior of historic masonry constructions. In this context, this paper presents a model of a stone masonry Roman aqueduct (the Valens Aqueduct), constructed in the fourth century A.D. in Istanbul, Turkey, to explore the seismic capacity and behavior using the discrete element method (DEM). The employed modeling approach comprises …

Housing Designs For Sullivan, In, Laurie Wojak

2020 Fall Reports (Sullivan)

The city of Sullivan, IN has a neighborhood revitalization plan and requires new housing that will attract new homeowners to Sullivan. The IAD251 course offers Interior Architecture Design sophomores and juniors the opportunity to design their own unique home, so they were tasked with developing concepts and floor plans for Sullivan’s empty lots. The course developed ten housing designs, and six are represented in this report.