Lessons Learned During The Early Phases Of A Modular Project: A Case Study Of Unlv's Solar Decathlon 2020 Project,
2022
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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, …
Hands-On Education Module For Modular Construction, 3d Design, And 4d Schedule,
2022
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Hands-On Education Module For Modular Construction, 3d Design, And 4d Schedule, Kyle A. Kithas, Jin Ouk Choi
Architecture Faculty Research
A paradigm shift in teaching modular construction in higher education and K-12 is proposed as a means to increase the future adoption of the modular construction technique. To this effect, a new education module is presented to STEM educators. This education module is based on LEGOs and directed towards educators in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. The main objectives of the education module are to increase interest and knowledge of modular construction, acknowledge the benefits of using 3D design with 4D scheduling, and create a simulating hands-on educational opportunity. The education module is designed to allow participants to …
Construction Industry Hesitation In Accepting Wearable Sensing Devices To Enhance Worker,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Construction Industry Hesitation In Accepting Wearable Sensing Devices To Enhance Worker, Harrison M. Fugate
Master's Theses
The construction industry is one of the most unsafe industries for workers in the United States. Advancements in wearable technology have been proven to create a safer construction environment. Despite the availability of these devices, use within the construction industry remains low. The objective of this research is to identify and analyze the causes behind the reluctance of the construction industry to implement two specific wearable safety devices, a biometric sensor, and a location tracking system. Device acceptance was analyzed from the perspective of the user (construction field labor) and company decision makers (construction managers). A modified unified theory of …
Sage Garden Pavilion Shade Structure,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Sage Garden Pavilion Shade Structure, Anthony Razouk Karroum, Manuel Bermudez, Matthew Kilbride, Sarah Holt, Marisa Martineau
Architectural Engineering
Form finding, testing, and construction of funicular double-layered shells in an interdisciplinary format with a focus on designing a shade structure for the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Children’s Pavilion. In the process, challenges such as connection design, materiality, storage, and more are explored and refined in relation to shell structures.
Exploring Student Feedback In Order To Help Build An International Summer Program,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Exploring Student Feedback In Order To Help Build An International Summer Program, Gillian Mcafee
Construction Management
Studying abroad presents students with the opportunity to acquire and develop a diverse range of employability and life skills. Exposure to diverse cultures introduces you to innovative ideas and ways of thinking that you might not have thought of otherwise. International travel is extremely beneficial to those working in the construction industry as they can study foreign business practices, architectural styles, and intercultural communication. While Cal Poly has had a successful summer study abroad program in the past, the faculty leaders are looking for student feedback to help better structure the program and in turn hopefully increase enrollment. This project …
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Bridge Rebuild,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Bridge Rebuild, Anthony T. Flores
Construction Management
This paper will outline the process of designing, deconstructing, and reconstructing a utility bridge at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden. The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden’s entrance was recently changed deeper into the property. The old entrance was at the front and was home to a bridge utilized by staff, volunteers, and visitors alike. This project’s goal was to rebuild the utility bridge so that it could be used by the facilities staff and volunteers when working on property. There was one student involved in this project who acted as the designer, performed the preconstruction work, and constructed the …
Paso Robles Police Department Shooting Range Shade Structure,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Paso Robles Police Department Shooting Range Shade Structure, Kevin Jaggers
Construction Management
The Paso Robles Police Department uses a private shooting range about 15 minutes from their station and nearby the Paso Regional Airfield. This range is used for training and certifications and the California Highway Patrol and other local law enforcement organizations have access to do the same. The Paso Police department received a grant from the state to make improvements to the range and they have decided to allow Cal Poly students to use much of the grant to complete senior projects at the range. With the climate in Paso Robles being quite hot, with summer temperatures frequently in the …
Estimating And Project Management For The Construction Of A Visitor Deck At City Farm Slo,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Estimating And Project Management For The Construction Of A Visitor Deck At City Farm Slo, Eric Cederstrom
Construction Management
This paper will outline the process of estimating and the project management of a visitor deck that was built at City Farm of San Luis Obispo, a local non-profit. The deck was built for the purpose of providing an area for visitors to observe the agricultural land where City Farm educates the community on ecology, nutrition, and sustainable farming. The construction of the deck was completed by three fourth-year Construction Management majors: Eric Cederstrom, Lane Lagomarsino, and Brett Jones. Each project team member was responsible for their own aspect of the project planning and all members collaborated throughout the entire …
Can The In-House Installation Of Solar Panels Increase Residential Builder’S Profits?,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Can The In-House Installation Of Solar Panels Increase Residential Builder’S Profits?, Garrison M. O'Marr
Construction Management
The purpose of this paper is to analyze and determine if the In-house installation of solar panels by Residential Builders will lead to increased profits. Specifically, this pertains to Large Residential Developers that are focused on building single-family home developments with greater than 25 homes. With the demand for solar power in new homes continuously rising year after year, it is smart to find more profitable ways to install these systems, one of which is self-installation performed by the General Contractor. The Methodology of research I used is a combination of primary and secondary research, as well as interviews with …
Skip The Grid: Solar Powered Refrigeration In The Navajo Nation,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Skip The Grid: Solar Powered Refrigeration In The Navajo Nation, Sydney Jo Sitton
Construction Management
The Skip the Grid project was a combined effort of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) students, and company sponsors SOLV Energy, Dometic, and Goal Zero, facilitated through the non-profit, Heart of America. The interdisciplinary project team successfully installed photovoltaic energy systems with refrigerators and lights for families within the Navajo Nation. Skip the Grid’s mission focuses on improving quality of life and providing access to clean, affordable off-grid energy. In the Navajo Nation, access to electricity and running water is not necessarily a given, with large disparities from family to family. This issue was exacerbated during …
Skip The Grid: Installation Of Solar Powered Refrigeration In The Navajo Nation,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Skip The Grid: Installation Of Solar Powered Refrigeration In The Navajo Nation, Connor T. Avrit
Construction Management
The Skip the Grid project was a project completed with the joint efforts of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) and many other company sponsors including Solv Energy, Dometic, Goal Zero and Heart of America a nonprofit. Skip the Grid’s project goal and outcomes was to improve the quality of life and provide clean sustainable off grid energy to families within the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation is located in the Four Corners region of the United States with approximately a third of its residents without the means or circumstances to be tied into grid level power. …
Re-Assessing The Granite Heavy Civil Minor,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Re-Assessing The Granite Heavy Civil Minor, Natalie H. Holnes
Construction Management
This research-based project analyzes issues within the Granite Heavy Civil Minor that contribute to declining student retention. This document specifically focuses on the program’s course curriculum and graduation date extensions as major drivers of student withdrawals from the minor. Two separate surveys were conducted from students within the minor and students who had dropped out of the minor, to gauge the specific issues students have with the program. The results concluded that many students dislike certain courses in the curriculum, such as CE 222 and CE 321, and felt that these required courses were unessential and unhelpful in preparing them …
Farm Stand Build And Service Days For The Ranch,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Farm Stand Build And Service Days For The Ranch, John Reis Blackwood Calhoun
Construction Management
This paper outlines the building of a farm stand and service days done for The Ranch which works with the United Cerebral Palsy of Central California. The construction of a farm stand was requested by the client because they did not have one and would like to start selling the vegetables and fruits that they grow on their property. Additionally, there was an opportunity to do other improvements around the farm and simultaneously help brothers in the fraternity get service hours. To do this set up service days were set up where miscellaneous tasks around the farm such as spreading …
Firstfruits Farm Tractor Shed,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Firstfruits Farm Tractor Shed, Gerardo Martinez, Kiana Dehpanah
Construction Management
Preconstruction lays the foundation for the overall outcome of a construction project. This project phase includes a detailed schedule, outlines the scope of work, and provides an overall estimate for the project. Devoting a sufficient amount of time and effort into the preconstruction phase is crucial. Preconstruction is an important component of what makes the entirety of a construction project successful. Preconstruction work also includes finding funders to cover the costs of material. Preconstruction and the construction for a tractor shed were completed for FirstFruits Farm in San Luis Obispo. The construction portion of this project relied on the successful …
The Effect Of Inflation And The Pandemic On A Southern California Solar Company: A Case Study,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
The Effect Of Inflation And The Pandemic On A Southern California Solar Company: A Case Study, Adrian Avila
Construction Management
Supply chain issues are causing panic in certain sectors of the economy particularly the solar sector. Solar energy already has problems that can affect its growth in the long term such as lack of government incentives, high cost, and energy curtailment. These problems are becoming more pronounced as the pandemic is prolonged. California is a state that has been encouraging the use of solar energy and has introduced incentives for its citizens to install solar. Because of this, solar companies in California may be able to more adequately circumvent issues and better excel economically than companies in other states. In …
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden - Children's Garden Observation Deck,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden - Children's Garden Observation Deck, Troy James Kauffman
Construction Management
This paper will explain the preconstruction process for an observation deck in the San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens, specifically the children’s garden. The children’s garden is a subsection of the botanical gardens dedicated to educating children through outdoor learning. The San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens reached out to the Cal Poly Construction Management department in need of a team to create an outdoor learning space. Four students were interested in the project and decided to pursue it. The team for this senior project is an interdisciplinary group consisting of 3 construction management students and 1 architectural engineering student. The team …
Landscape Storage Shed For Transitions-Mental Health Association,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Landscape Storage Shed For Transitions-Mental Health Association, Jennifer Casey Knickerbocker
Construction Management
The purpose of this paper is to outline the process of planning, designing, and constructing a storage shed for the non-profit organization, Transitions-Mental Health Association (T-MHA). This project was developed through a Cal Poly Construction Management course, CM 420, Service and Experiential Learning. The goal of this class is to gain experience through physical construction by building a service project for an organization or person who needs it. For this project, T-MHA asked that a storage chest be built for their landscaper who maintains the on-site garden. Due to multiple change orders by the owner, what was originally going to …
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Children's Learning Center Deck - The Preconstruction,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Children's Learning Center Deck - The Preconstruction, Dakota Reynolds
Construction Management
This project team consisted of three construction management majors and one architectural engineering student. The goal of this project was to build a deck at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, but due to setbacks in design, permitting, and communication with the owner, the group was unable to achieve this goal. The goal then shifted, and this group focused on delivering a preconstruction package that would be given to new students to build the deck. In addition, the architectural engineer will still be a part of this new group to make sure the project runs smoothly. This pre-construction package includes …
The Ranch Property Improvements,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
The Ranch Property Improvements, Jack Mauldin
Construction Management
The Ranch is a ten-and-a-half-acre property that offers employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. The Ranch focuses on growing small crops and plants that are then harvested by people with developmental disabilities, with the goal of giving them experience doing work on a farm-like property. The Ranch needed a more developed property; with very little areas to grow food and a chicken grazing area too small to support The Ranch’s goals, there needed to be some improvements done on the premises. The first proposed and completed improvement was to build a new garden box better equipped for the purposes …
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Alternative Learning Space- Preconstruction,
2022
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Alternative Learning Space- Preconstruction, Jonah Kirmse
Construction Management
This paper will review the process behind the preconstruction efforts for the creation of an alternative learning space within the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden. The SLO Botanical Garden is a nonprofit that serves the local community by supporting public interest in the natural environment. The project sought to aid in the garden’s aforementioned mission by building upon their ability to provide outdoor education spaces. The project’s eventual completion was a collective effort that spanned across multiple disciplines, representing the building industry. The original intention of the project group was to complete the project from concept to construction, but delays …
