Construction Engineering Commons^™

Seeps And Springs At A Platteville “Observatory” On The River Bluffs, Bj Bonin, Greg Brick, Julia R. Steenberg

Sinkhole Conference 2015

Residential building construction along the Mississippi River bluffs in the 1970s created a unique enclosed outcrop of the Late Ordovician Platteville Formation at Lilydale, Minnesota. This outcrop was examined in early 2013 after a newly-formed spring flooded an elevator shaft the previous year, drawing attention to the foundation conditions. The Lexington Riverside property is a six story condominium complex constructed within the top of the bluff. A two-level underground parking garage was built into the bluff. Bedrock was mechanically excavated to accommodate the construction of the building, creating an unweathered rock surface. The space between the structure and the excavated …

Composing Descriptions For Bills Of Quantities In Accordance With Arm 4 – Worked Examples, Tony Cunningham

Other Resources

Two basic skills are at the heart of the measurement process: quantification and description. Descriptions answer the question, what is it? This paper examines the process of composing descriptions for bills of quantities measured in accordance with the ARM4 (Agreed Rules of Measurement). This process involves ‘translating’ design information contained in models, drawings and specifications into bill descriptions in order to enable tendering contractors to accurately price the work. The quantity surveyor’s task is to effectively communicate the cost significant information so that the estimator can visualise what is being described.

Descriptions contained in bills of quantities measured in accordance …

Measuring Building Perimeters And Centrelines - Worked Examples, Tony Cunningham

Other Resources

Quantity surveyors are expected to be able to measure the perimeters of buildings as part of their routine practice. Building perimeter measurements are very useful in finding out the overall lengths of foundations, external walls, external wall finishes and associated items. One of the earliest difficulties faced by quantity surveying and construction management students, is mastering the technique of calculating perimeters of awkwardly shaped building plans. The student is typically required to calculate a perimeter and adjust this to derive the centrelines of various elements in the associated construction details. In this paper, the author aims to explain these processes, …

Ua66 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter, Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 39, Number 02

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Bim; Postgraduate Multidisciplinary Collaborative Education, Malachy Mathews

Conference papers

BIM Technologies and Process are steadily increasing in the design and construction industry. The amount of undergraduate courses delivering BIM based applied and theory courses is also on the rise. These students will be entering a job market where their skillsets in digital modelling and collaborative practice will be in demand. However, existing AEC (architectural, engineering, construction) professionals are recognising the changes happening in the industry. Each domain is influenced and challenged by BIM. The traditional process and workflows will change as BIM adoption grows. Tobin [1] states the long-term impact of any innovation is often not understood when it …

Bs News September/October

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

A Cost-Effective Integral Bridge System With Precast Concrete I-Girders For Seismic Application, Justin R. Vander Werff, Rick Snyder, Sri Sritharan, Jay Holombo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

To promote accelerated bridge construction in seismic regions, a large-scale experimental investigation was conducted to examine the seismic sufficiency of precast concrete I-girders in integral bridge super-structures. Such structures are not frequently used in high seismic regions due to lack of design guides and overly conservative design approaches. A half-scale,17.8 m (58.5 ft) long test unit modeling a portion of a prototype bridge incorporating a concrete column, ten I-shaped precast concrete girders, and an inverted-tee concrete cap beam was used to experimentally verify that precast concrete members employing accelerated construction techniques can be used in integral super-structures and provide excellent …

Project Delivery Methods For The Construction Of Public Schools In The Southeastern United States, Dennis C. Bausman

The Professional Constructor

Construction of new facilities is a risky enterprise due to the situational aspects of the project, multiple parties involved in the process, timing and budget constraints, and the design features and quality levels required by the owner. Decision makers are charged with selecting a project delivery system to successfully manage the design and construction process in order to meet the owner’s needs. This paper documents the delivery methods utilized for the construction of public schools in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina from 2006 to 2012 and provides insight into the reasons for the delivery method selections made by …

Construction Degree Graduates: An Evaluation Of Depth Of Skill Understanding And Skill Priority By Construction Industry Professionals, Ben F. Bigelow, Edelmiro Escamilla, Lauren Kuecker

The Professional Constructor

Previous studies have been conducted to determine the skills the construction industry expects graduates and entry level professionals to possess. The majority of those studies report soft skills and technical expertise as the main qualities graduates should have upon entering the industry. Many differing skills have been reported, but neither the expected depth of understanding in those skills nor the industry’s priority of those skills have been explored. To do so, a survey was administered to members of the Construction Industry Advisory Council at Texas A&M University asking these questions. Depth of understanding was evaluated on a four level basis …

Accident Patterns In Road Construction Work Zones, Tariq Shehab, Leah Phu

The Professional Constructor

Traffic safety in road construction zones has always been a major concern for engineering practitioners, departments of transportation, law enforcement professionals, researchers and many others. Due to the deteriorated condition of road and underground infrastructure facilities in the United States, the number of rehabilitation projects and their associated traffic accidents have increased over the past few years. To perform the needed road and underground utility rehabilitation activities in safer environments, researchers need to understand the causes behind these accidents. Although many researchers have been exploring the safety of many construction activities, research pertaining to road construction projects is lacking and …

Reviewer Thank You, Jason Lucas

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

A Framework For Small-Scale Construction Projects By Ngos In Developing Countries, James D. Goedert, Bradley Cory

The Professional Constructor

This paper outlines a theoretical framework for NGOs who are building small-scale construction projects in developing countries. The framework is a step-by-step procedure to guide NGOs from developing project parameters at the start of the project with the partner to a locally controlled sustainable project closeout. The authors used the integrative project delivery approach along with past construction research models and personal experience to guide the development of the framework. Steps within the framework are illustrated using five projects from three countries. This work assumes that the ultimate objective of the project is local operational sustainability with the NGO’s presence …

Bs News July/August

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Ua66 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter, Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

Assessing Gait And Postural Stability Of Construction Workers Using Wearable Wireless Sensor Networks, Houtan Jebelli

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Falling accidents are a leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the construction industry. This fact demonstrates the need for a comprehensive fall-risk analysis that incorporates the effects of construction workers’ physiological characteristics. In this context, the objective of the thesis is to investigate and validate the usefulness of the gait- and postural-stability metrics in assessing construction workers’ fall risks. Diverse metrics that assess the capability to keep the body balanced and maintain coordination of body segments during locomotion (gait stability) and stationary postures (postural stability) have been introduced and used in clinical applications. However, their usefulness in the …

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Ua66 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter, Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

Building And Growing With Mobile Technology, Chris Lierheimer

The Professional Constructor

Today’s construction managers have an arsenal of mobile technologies at their disposal, all of which make managing projects vastly more organized and efficient than ever before. In this paper, I will explore in detail three different mobile technologies that the modern contractor has at his or her disposal, their benefits, potential pitfalls that they may present, and my thoughts on the future of these tools. I will share personal experience with, and research based on topics ranging from building information modeling, to RFID chip tracking of resources, to cloud based programs that streamline information flow.

Using Mobile Technology For Managing Construction Projects, Paul Shaw

The Professional Constructor

This essay examines the use and application of emerging mobile technologies in the construction industry. Mobile phones and tablets are discussed in-depth, and can be used to replace office tools, to collaborate, and to bring building information modeling (BIM) technology out into the field. Next, wearable computing technology is discussed, including Google Glass and smart hard hats. This technology provides another avenue for construction information access in the field. Finally, unmanned aerial vehicles are discussed, along with their challenges and potential benefits. Increased technology use will absolutely improve efficiency and profitability in the construction industry.