Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

Critical Evaluation Of Time And Cost Of Terrestrial Laser Scanning For Construction Automated Qa Analysis, Joao Rocha, Davitt Lamon

Capstone Reports

Many governments agencies and private owners are demanding up-to-date information related to the current conditions of their facilities. Conventional QA is time-consuming and inefficient; thus, 3D terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technology has been adopted due to the fast speed and high accuracy in acquiring data. Automated QA analysis can reduce the labour and time needed, reduce the costs, and improve the overall project efficiency. However, very few research efforts have been made to study the benefits of the automated QA analysis in a quantitative way. The process of the TLS-based geometric QA based in an automated data analysis process is …

Evaluation Of Flood Damage On Cross Laminated Timber Wall Configurations, Mustafa Nezih Kaya

Theses and Dissertations

Greenhouse gas emissions are one of the critical factors that affect climate change, increasing flooding risk and threatening human life. The use of traditional construction materials is responsible for a higher percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions when compared to the use of sustainable materials in the construction industry. The substitution of current building materials with sustainable materials is essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and positively influence climate change when the current construction demand in the world is considered. Wood is one of the primary environmentally friendly construction materials in regard to high carbon storage and low carbon emissions. …

Initial Exploration Of Reduced Gyrations For Arkansas Asphalt Mix Designs, Jocie L. Baker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The most common distresses in asphalt pavement are cracking and rutting. These distresses plague almost every asphalt roadway in the world. Finding ways to mitigate these distresses will improve the performance of asphalt pavements. One way to combat the premature cracking of asphalt in the field is to ensure there is enough asphalt binder within the mix. This will help the flexibility of the asphalt undergoing large loads and deformation. However, it is widely accepted that mix designs across the country lack the appropriate amount of asphalt binder in their mixes, causing dry mix designs that are subject to cracking …

Airborne Contaminant Dispersal In Critical Built Environments, Arup Bhattacharya

All Dissertations

The Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), being one of the most significant exposures to human beings, encompasses the concepts of comfort and safety from unwanted contaminants. Whereas the thermal comfort is controlled through proper conditioning and distribution of ventilated air, controlling the airborne contaminants requires careful investigation of the flow characteristics. IAQ translates to different requirements, depending on the intended use of the indoor environment. In critical indoor spaces such as Operating Rooms and Cleanrooms, the principal focus of IAQ is to remove/contain/divert contaminants flowing with the airstream to maintain the required sterility, as contamination can lead to adverse patient/product outcomes. …

Machine Learning-Enabled Model-Based Condition Assessment Of Water Pipelines By Leveraging Hydraulic Monitoring Data, Ahmad Momeni

All Dissertations

Overpopulation and climate change have direly challenged the freshwater resources, specifically potable water supplied by water distribution networks (WDNs). One aggravating issue associated with the WDNs is associated with the pipeline leakage, which accounts for almost 20% of freshwater loss in WDNs throughout the US. Leakage detection and severity measurement are of top
asset management priorities in water utilities to minimize and mitigate complicated risks attributed to background and burst leakage. Accordingly, decline in other pipe condition parameters such as effective hydraulic diameters and roughness coefficients, which are complex and uncertain in nature, abets leakage by worsening the WDN status …

Crack Control And Bond Performance Of Alternative Coated Reinforcements In Concrete, Sachin Sreedhara

All Dissertations

Concrete cracking in structures is a ubiquitous problem which can lead to the deterioration of the structure. Other than affecting the strength aspect of a structure, cracking impacts the serviceability criteria as well. Although cracking phenomenon in any structure is highly inevitable, it has to be minimized in order to maintain a structure’s life effectively. Cracking in reinforced concrete structures is related to the bond strength developed between the bar and the concrete. It also depends on an ability of the bar to resist the stresses due to shrinkage to minimize the crack. Another important aspect is the resistance offered …

Utilizing Prefabrication In Order To Achieve Leed Credits, Phillip E. Waldman

Construction Management

This paper is a dissertation on the concept and benefits of utilizing panelization in construction to achieve LEED credits. Panelization is the process of prefabricating construction framing materials, such as walls, floors, and roof systems, to streamline and improve the construction process. This dissertation aims to examine: (1) how prefabrication can optimize construction through effective waste management (2) how prefabrication manufacturing plants are more efficient, cost-effective, and better for the environment with regard to material use and recycling than traditional construction methods (3) how prefabrication can be used to obtain LEED credit points for the Construction and Demolition Waste Management …

Typical Demolition Waste Of Tenant Improvement Projects: A Case Study, Gregory K. Jameson

Construction Management

Sustainable approaches to the waste generated in construction demolition have been on the rise over the past two decades. In this case study research project, the demolition waste of commercial tenant improvement projects from two separate companies across multiple projects was documented and analyzed. This case study was inspired by a motivation to gain a better understanding of what waste is typical in tenant improvement remodels, what is being done to repurpose this waste and what obstacles currently stand in the way of better waste management practices. After conducting extensive research and analysis of current waste trends in the construction …

Evaluation Of The Chloride Ions Penetration Into Concrete Structure With The Surface Penetrants Served In Cold Marine Environment For 20 Years, Yanhua Kuang, Yuki Sakoi Associate Professor, Naoto Takashima Postgraduate, Minoru Aba Professor, Yoichi Tsukinaga Professor,

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The intrusion of chloride ions in concrete served in the marine environment is the leading cause of corrosion of steel bars. This paper examined the result of a long-term survey on the actual structure (the Tomakomai breakwater) treated with a set of penetrants partly. The survey was conducted twice, in the 12th and 20th years after construction.

The results showed that the penetrants could effectively reduce the penetration of chloride ions into concrete. After using the penetrants, the calculated surface chloride ion concentration was decreased by 5.04%/72.18% (the 12th year/the 20th year). As the service years increase, surface chloride ion …

Contracting Strategies: A Different Approach To Address Long-Term Performance, Maria Calahorra-Jimenez

Mineta Transportation Institute

For cost-efficiency, public safety, and sustainability, improving long-term performance in highway projects is imperative for public administrations. Project delivery and procurement methods provide an opportunity to align design and construction processes with this goal. While previous studies have explored whether project delivery methods impact the long-term performance of highway projects, these studies did not focus on how core elements within project procurement relate to long-term performance. Thus, to fill this gap, this research explores how and to what extent long-term evaluation criteria are considered in design-build best-value procurement of highway projects. To this end, the team conducted content analysis on …

Prefabrication And Modular Construction: Cm 214 Residential Construction Learning Module, Matthew V. Keeth

Construction Management

The residential construction industry in the United States has certainly stuck to the conventional methods of stick-built construction nationwide. What if there was a better way? This project seeks to educate future Construction Management students about a smarter, more efficient, and sustainable method of homebuilding: Modular Construction. Distinguishing the difference between prefabrication and modularization is a necessary standard. Prefabrication is defined as the process of manufacturing the essential structural components of a home at a factory off-site. The large scale structural components of a home are then transported to the jobsite for easy installation. In addition, Modular Construction is defined …

Connected Simulation For Work Zone Safety Application, Vahid Balali

Mineta Transportation Institute

Every year, over 60,000 work zone crashes are reported in the United States (FHWA 2016). Such work zone crashes have resulted in over 4,400 fatal and 200,000 non-fatal injuries in the last 5 years (FHWA 2016, BLS 2014). Apart from the physical and emotional trauma, the annual cost of these injuries exceeds $4 million-representing significant wasted resources. To improve work zone safety, this research developed a system architecture for unveiling high-risk behavioral patterns among highway workers, equipment operators, and drivers within dynamic highway work zones. This research implemented the use of a connected virtual environment, which is an immersive hyper-realistic …

Manual For Asphalt Pavement Repair And Resurfacing Preparation, Dingxin Cheng, Gary Hicks, Roger D. Smith

Mineta Transportation Institute

Timely repairs of pavement defects are essential in protecting an important investment and asset that public agencies have. These repairs may be made as durable “stand-alone” repairs of isolated problems, or as part of preparations for a total resurfacing. This manual provides basic information on the planning, materials and construction aspects of common pavement repairs such as crack sealing, crack filling, and patching, as well as a broader look at other preparations needed for total resurfacing a pavement, whether the resurfacing is a surface treatment or a thin hot mix asphalt (HMA) overlay.

Managing The Curb: Understanding The Impacts Of On-Demand Mobility On Public Transit, Micromobility, And Pedestrians, Susan Shaheen, Elliot Martin, Adam Cohen, Jacquelyn Broader, Richard Davis

Mineta Transportation Institute

In recent years, innovative mobility and shifts in travel and consumption behavior are changing how people access and use the curb. Shared mobility—the shared use of a vehicle, bicycle, scooter, or other mode—coupled with outdoor dining, curbside pick-up, and robotic delivery are creating new needs related to the planning, management, and enforcement of curb access. This study examines curb planning and management from several angles, such as safety, social equity, and multimodal connections. This research employs a multi-method approach to identify the changing needs for curb space management and how to meet these needs through new planning and implementation policies …

Building Services Engineering July/August 2022

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Risks Assessment Using Structural Equation Modeling: Mega Housing Projects Construction In Egypt, Mohamed Nabawy

Civil Engineering

The Mega Housing Projects (MHP) construction in Egypt is saddled with numerous risks that emerged from the risk knowledge dearth, steering these projects to elusive failure apropos to completion time and construction cost. The research's novel contribution is a risk assessment Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach that spotlights the critical risk factors confronting MHP in Egypt concerning Probability of Occurrence (POO), Impact on Time (IOT), and Impact on Cost (IOC), from the contractors’ perspective. Forty-three risk factors were amassed from the literature and lessened to 25, delineating the significant risks impacting the MHP schedule and budget resentfully. The primary paper's …

Cutting-Edge Technologies To Achieve A Higher Level Of Modular Construction – Literature Review, Seungtaek Lee, Jin Ouk Choi, Seung Song

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Cost overruns, schedule delays, and a shortage of skilled labor are common problems the construction industry is currently experiencing. Modularization and standardization strategies have the potential to resolve the various problems mentioned above and have been applied for various construction applications for a long time. However, the level of modularization remains low, and modular construction projects have not been getting the full benefits. Thus, this review investigated the cutting-edge technologies currently being utilized to develop the modular construction field. For this paper, qualified research papers were identified using predetermined keywords from previous related research papers. Identified literature was then filtered …

Legal Characterization Of The Challenges Faced By The Construction Industry During Covid-19 And Devaluation Of The Egyptian Pound, Riham Abuzaid

Theses and Dissertations

With all the challenges this past decade has inflicted on the economy on a global scale, Egypt had its share with two major events, starting with the Egyptian pound devaluation against the U.S dollar in 2016 and currently the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. These major events instigated the interference of the legal/contractual sectors in the construction market to find solutions that range from agreeable to stringent to protect the assets of their beneficiaries.

Both events are impactful and require extensive analysis to determine and classify each situation. This thesis addresses the implementation of standard internationally acknowledged legislative acts used …

The Current State And Future Directions Of Industrial Robotic Arms In Modular Construction, Seung Ho Song, Jin Ouk Choi, Seungtaek Lee

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Industrial robotic arms are widely adopted in numerous industries for manufacturing automation under factory settings, which eliminates the limitations of manual labor and provides significant productivity and quality benefits. The U.S. modular construction industry, despite having similar controlled factory environments, still heavily relies on manual labor. Thus, this study investigates the U.S., Canada, and Europe-based leading modular construction companies and research labs implementing industrial robotic arms for manufacturing automation. The investigation mainly considered the current research scope, industry state, and constraints, as well as identifying the types and specifications of the robotic arms in use. First, the study investigated well-recognized …

Lessons Learned During The Early Phases Of A Modular Project: A Case Study Of Unlv's Solar Decathlon 2020 Project, Jin Ouk Choi, Seungtaek Lee, Eric Weber

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The U.S. Department of Energy conducts the Solar Decathlon competition as a student-based achievement that encourages sustainable design with energy efficiency and solar energy technologies. In the 2020 competition, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) team designed, fabricated, and constructed a net-zero modular house that applies innovative and highly efficient building technologies. This paper focused on the lessons learned during the early phases of this ongoing modular project. The research methodology included obtaining feedback from key project participants using a well-structured questionnaire. The results showed that the major items/challenges in the project’s planning phase included selecting the modular size, …