Construction Engineering Commons^™

Discrete Rigid Block Analysis To Assess Settlement Induced Damage In Unreinforced Masonry Façades, Ryan Ehresman, Nathan Taylor, Bora Pulatsu, Ece Erdogmus

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

In this study, a system of discontinuous rigid blocks is employed to simulate the possible damage mechanisms in unreinforced masonry (URM) façades and load-bearing frame systems subjected to settlement using the discrete element method (DEM). First, the employed modeling strategy is validated utilizing the available experimental results presented in the literature. Once there is a good agreement between the computational models and experimental findings, a sensitivity analysis is performed to quantify the influence of the input parameters defined in the DEM-based numerical model. Finally, the proposed modeling strategy is further utilized to assess the damage pattern that may develop in …

Building Services Engineering July/August 2021

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Between Ultrasonic Guidedwave Leakage And Half-Cell Potential Methods In Detection Of Corrosion In Reinforced Concrete Decks, Ahmad Shoaib Amiri, Ece Erdogmus, Dana Richter-Egger

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This article presents the advantages and limitations of a recently developed Ultrasonic Guided Wave Leakage (UGWL) method in comparison to the well-known Half-Cell Potential (HCP) method in their ability to detect corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) bridge decks. This research also establishes a correlation between UGWL data and chloride content in concrete RC slabs. Concrete slabs submerged in a 10% NaCl solution were monitored using both methods over a period of six months. The chloride content from the three cores (0.84, 0.55, and 0.18%) extracted from the slab after the 6-month long process all exceeded the chloride threshold values suggested …

Assessment Of Carbon Dioxide Emission And Its Impact On High-Rise Mixed-Use Buildings In Egypt, Ahmed Salah Hamza

Theses and Dissertations

With Egypt's vision of 2030 focusing on sustainable development with a true emphasis on Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) emission reduction in the newly built cities and high-rise buildings, efforts are exerted on various levels towards accomplishing the vision’s goals. This is achieved through multiple tools and models associated with aiding the reduction of carbon emissions, yet not a clear one was introduced for the mixed-use buildings in Egypt.

Through this work, a significant gap was identified with respect to high-rise buildings carbon emission assessment in Egypt. This was a main driving force for this work in an attempt to …

The Nolan House, Keiko-Ann K. Sanders, Gilbert C. Munoz, Michael A. Bahr, Titas Kalvalnis

Architectural Engineering

As a precedent, The Green Team analyzed the history of glass architecture, literature, and culture. Based on our research, we found that glass is often depicted as breakable, delicate, and a way to expose or display aspects that would otherwise be hidden. We challenged ourselves to incorporate safety and privacy into our glass house as a way to combat the pre-existing notions of glass in architecture.

Reconceptualizing Mies' Glass House, Araceli Avelar, Armando Castaneda Jr, Madison Lam, Ignatius Malari, Alejo Favero, Augusta Orlauskaite, Ella Gleason

Architectural Engineering

Our team used the glass house studio to explore class stratification, particularly using the glass as a reflection of class dichotomy in our society. The glass and Miesian design approach glorifies the clean cut, picture-perfect utopia only accessible to the wealthy few. But reality proves that there is more to this. As architects and engineers, we should strive to create environments that may uphold our values of equity and diversity and ultimately serve all sectors of society.

Take Heart School, Quentin John Porter

Architectural Engineering

Journeyman International, also known as JI, is a non-profit organization that groups together design and construction students with organizations looking to build humanitarian projects around the world. This pairing is beneficial for both the organization because they get free design and construction expertise, as well as for the students who get real-world experience. The Take Heart School is a planned school and grounds for the region of Migori Kenya. Take Heart Africa is a fair trade store with all profits going to help the impoverished communities of Kenya. The three-acre site will have a school with eight classrooms, offices, a …

A Case Study On The Ucsf Transplant Center Renovation: Mitigating Covid-19 Risks And Tracking Cost Impact, Alec Steven Woodyatt

Construction Management

At the beginning of 2020, the world was turned upside down at the hands of the global coronavirus pandemic. Today, economies and business are counting the costs and wondering what recovery will look like – how to navigate and adapt to a new style of life after returning from government-mandated lockdowns. The question on everyone’s minds is, “how do we continue to work while keeping people safe?” This question is extremely relevant in the construction industry where, for most people, working from home is not an option. This case study will delve into how Dome Construction, along with their client, …

Outsourcing Vdc Workflows, Kyle K. Bresnahan

Construction Management

In an increasingly demanding world for infrastructure, technological methods have been found to assist construction project's. As innovative construction methods are constantly increasing, so is the demand for technological needs within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. To ensure technological adoption, many countries have started to mandate higher levels of building information modeling (BIM) documentation beyond the 2D construction documents traditionally required throughout construction review and permitting. Some companies have capitalized on this change to the extent of making BIM their primary business. These companies focus solely on virtual design and construction (VDC) and determine whether clients lacking this …

The Leed Decision-Making Processes For Northern California Commercial Construction, Shannon Marie Coyle

Construction Management

The purpose of this project was to establish a common decision-making process behind selections on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) scorecard. This report describes the similar and dissimilar motives and processes that lead construction project teams to choose the LEED credits to be implemented. By interviewing experienced project executives, architects, project managers, and LEED accredited professionals at industry-leading companies in the Bay Area, a summarization of the motives behind credit selection have been reported and commonalities and differences in the process have been noted. Through these interviews, time, cost, efficiency, and sensibility have all been considered prioritizing …

Difficulties Building Low-Income Housing And The View Of One Company: A Case Study, Kyle Henriken

Construction Management

This case study investigates low-income housing and why it can be more difficult to build compared to other construction projects. Five individuals of PREMIER Design + Build Group were interviewed and gave their opinions on the subject. Each person interviewed has a different role in the company a market leader, project manager, superintendent, and a project engineer to gain a more diverse view on low-income housing. These interviews were semi-structured and open ended to create dialogue about their experiences in affordable housing. This paper investigates a single project called The Cottages located in Lake Elsinore CA. This process found that …

Use Of Biomimicry Design Approach In Constructing Sustainable Resilient Structures (Case Study: Port Of Beirut), Farouk Bader, Marwan Halabi, Hiba Mohsen, Maged Youssef

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Resiliency is not the same as sustainability, nor its substitute, but definitely the two concepts complement each other’s. Sustainability is the avoidance of depletion of natural resources to maintain ecological balance whereas resiliency is to recover, adapt and keep going in the face of setbacks. While designing with green approach is important but what will happen to leed points if the building becomes uninhabitable due to disasters, that’s where resiliency comes into play. The 2019 statistics showed that natural disasters accounted for 133 billion dollars losses and manmade ones accounted for other 7 billion in addition to 11,755 people worldwide …

Computational Design Of Nonlinear Stress-Strain Of Isotropic Materials, Askhad M.Polatov, Akhmat M. Ikramov, Daniyarbek Razmukhamedov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article deals with the problems of numerical modeling of nonlinear physical processes of the stress-strain state of structural elements. An elastoplastic medium of a homogeneous solid material is investigated. The results of computational experiments on the study of the process of physically nonlinear deformation of isotropic elements of three-dimensional structures with a system of one- and double-periodic spherical cavities under uniaxial compression are presented. The influence and mutual influence of stress concentrators in the form of spherical cavities, vertically located two cavities and a horizontally located system of two cavities on the deformation of the structure are investigated. Numerical …

Construction Reconstructed: A Prototype For Adaptable, Reusable, And Recoverable Building Assemblies, Jaclyn Roth

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

This project began with an examination of housing design, finding that our building methods and practices do not meet the current and changing needs of its inhabitants - and a call for a new approach, an adaptable, plastic approach, to space that would allow buildings to fulfill the needs of the user over their lifetime and into the future. The research completed, however, revealed a more systemic problem with the way that we build that, while easily highlighted by, goes beyond residential architecture. We construct our built environment with the intent of permanence. These structures are static and stoic, parts …

Understanding Time, Cost, Quality, And Risk Trade-Off In Construction Projects Through A Review Of Literature & Survey Distribution, Aalaa Mohammed

Publications and Research

In the construction industry, projects consist of many different variables that affect successful completion. These variables may be scope, cost, time, quality, risk management and assessment, and more. Although all factors affect various construction projects differently, the three main variables that often result in a need for a trade-off decision are cost, quality, and time. Often referred to as the “Iron Triangle” or the “Triple Constraint”, many times owners and project managers are put under the pressure of having to choose two out of the three variables. If the project is cheap, it cannot be completed quickly and be of …

On The Computational Efficiency Of Les And Hybrid Rans-Les Models In Building Aerodynamics, Aly Mousaad Aly, Faiaz Khaled

Faculty Publications

Large-eddy simulation (LES) has proven to offer superior accuracy in regards to predicting surface pressures compared to the Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) models. However, the primary impediment is the high computational cost associated with LES. The authors attempt to investigate the computational cost and accuracy by employing different sub-grid scale (SGS) models in LES and hybrid RANS-LES models. One of the prerequisites of accurate pressure estimations is to ensure a horizontally homogeneous empty computational domain. This study aims to compare the computational competence qualitatively and quantitatively using an empty domain in regards to the ability to maintain horizontal homogeneity. The …

On The Computational Efficiency Of Les And Hybrid Rans-Les Models In Building Aerodynamics, Faiaz Khaled, Aly Mousaad Aly

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Building Services Engineering May/June 2021

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Journeyman International: Canopy Life School, Housing & Training Complex In Kenya, Spencer P. Mishky

Construction Management

The purpose of this project was to provide a master plan for a primary school complex in a rural village in Migori County, Kenya. This facility aims to eliminate any issues for students growing up in the area. The master plan includes a primary school, housing accommodations, a training center, and a dining hall to cultivate success through all stages of these children’s lives. The project is headed by a non-profit organization, Journeyman International in conjunction with Canopy Life International and Take Heart Africa. The project was interdisciplinary involving a construction manager, an architect, and two architectural engineers all working …

Cm Member Of Slocoe Peace Conference Center Feasibility Study, Jackson Reynolds

Construction Management

This paper describes the parking design and estimate portion of a whole feasibility study conducted by an interdisciplinary team. The interdisciplinary team consisted of three senior undergraduate industrial engineering students, and one senior undergraduate construction management student. This feasibility study was conducted for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (SLOCOE) to determine if it is feasible to construct a new, 400-person conference center on a site in San Luis Obispo, CA. The complete study includes analyses of the following topics: economic, utilities, traffic/road, approval from Chumash Tribe, social/historical, climate, geological, vegetation and wildlife, noise and pollution, parking, mandatory …