Architecture Commons^™

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 …

Washing Away Our Heritage: The Impacts Of Rising Sea Levels On National Historic Landmarks In Boston, Massachusetts And Charleston, South Carolina, Melanie Weston

All Theses

Rising sea levels not only threaten coastal infrastructure and private property, but also the world’s historic resources. This thesis examines the impacts of rising sea levels on the historic resources of Charleston, South Carolina and Boston, Massachusetts. These two cities are prominent in American history, home to a significant number of National Historic Landmarks, and are recognized as the cultural capitals of their regions. These cities will be studied closely in this work not only for their effects from rising sea levels but also for possible adaptations and mitigation policies against the predicted effects of sea level rise.

Fifty Shades Of Beige: Comparative Paint Analysis Of Three Charleston Parlors, Alison Page Dunleavy

All Theses

This research diachronically examines color in three parlors in Charleston, South Carolina: 35 Legare Street (ca. 1790); 18 Bull Street (ca.1800); and 61-63 Smith Street (ca. 1823-24) in order to determine the impact of wealth on pigment and binder selection. Cross-sectional analysis of interior finishes reveals the layers of paint on architectural elements, which identifies the evolution of color in an interior space. With additional types of analysis such as fluorochrome staining and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), the samples also provide insight into the evolution of pigments and binders. Interpretation of the findings results in an …

The Architecture Of Rural Healthcare: Supporting Access To Health In Remote And Rural Areas, Kirsten Staloch

All Theses

Many remote and rural areas in the United States lack adequate access to basic healthcare services such as primary, urgent, and emergency care typically provided by healthcare systems and hospitals. In addition, many rural communities are comprised of an increasingly aging population, a growing number of patients with chronic illnesses, and in some communities a high volume of tourists that need urgent care. Remote communities struggle with providing access to these basic but essential healthcare services taken for granted in more populated areas. Changing reimbursement, evolving patterns of care delivery and advances in technology are all altering how access to …

On The Periphery: A Survey Of Nineteenth-Century Asylums In The United States, Lauren Hoopes

All Theses

State and federal government purpose-built asylums constructed in the 'moral treatment' era of mental healthcare, here defined as 1835 to 1900, mark a period of great change in the nation. Establishment of moral treatment asylums occurred between two very different eras. The eighteenth century, in which mental illness was seen as a punishment from God, precedes the moral treatment asylums. Twentieth-century thinking favored a medical view in which mental illness can be treated or controlled with medical drugs. Asylums built in the nineteenth century relied on 'moral' treatments--treatments that utilized no restraints unless absolutely necessary and used the environment and …

"Nine Mahogany Table…Two Marble Slabbs And Stands…And A Cow": The First Generation Furniture Of Drayton Hall, Shannon Marie Devlin

All Theses

When the National Trust for Historic Preservation purchased Drayton Hall in 1974, they made a groundbreaking decision. The Trust took a conservation approach to the house, preserving Drayton Hall as found and presenting it to the public unfurnished. The decision proved to have significant ramifications and as a direct result, interpreting the material culture at the site slid to the side. Drayton Hall has over a million objects in its collections ranging from archaeological sherds to pieces of furniture, yet the collections play little to no role in site interpretation to the public. The first generation furniture (ca. 1738-1779), at …

"A Posture Of Defence": A Forensic Brick Analysis Of Charleston's Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century Walled Fortifications, Jacqueline Don

All Theses

The fortification walls that once protected the bustling colonial port of Charles Town, South Carolina lie buried under a thriving, modern city. After almost a century of rediscovery and neglect, local scholarly expertise in the form of a city task force regularly explore the history and structure of the walls that once played an integral role in the daily operations, survival, and success of the young and isolated British colony. Archaeological excavations and archival research within the last decade have made significant progress in unearthing information previously lost to development and memory. These methods have experienced limitations, however, since access …

The Forgotten Stone: A History And Analysis Of Bermuda Stone In Charleston, South Carolina, Justin M. Schwebler

All Theses

Throughout the historic streets of Charleston, South Carolina there is a forgotten and overlooked stone. It is in the narrow gaps between houses, along carriageway walls, underfoot on garden paths, and in foundations of many historic buildings. The forgotten stone of Charleston is Bermuda stone. This thesis provides the history of Bermuda stone in Charleston, South Carolina. This history was written answering the following research questions. How and why was Bermuda stone imported to Charleston? Who were the people bringing Bermuda stone to Charleston and who were the people using it as a building material? When was the period of …

The Analysis Of A Secondary Space: Bathrooms At Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, Amber Marie Anderson

All Theses

When observing Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterwork, Fallingwater, few people contemplate the significance of the property’s six finished bathrooms. However, similar themes which underscore the importance and wonder of the overall house itself, such as the use of technological innovation and careful attention to detail, were also employed throughout the bathrooms despite their designation as secondary spaces. This thesis examines these themes via the original process of design and the post-construction treatment of these spaces. In order to do this, architectural drawings, correspondence, family papers, visual observation, oral interviews, related project documents and both Preservation and Maintenance department manuals were analyzed. …

Commemoration And Controversy: The Memorialization Of Denmark Vesey In Charleston, South Carolina, Sarah Katherine Dykens

All Theses

The commemoration of contested historical figures is a topic that is increasingly addressed by preservationists, historians, and those in local government. One such figure is Denmark Vesey, whose failed slave insurrection plot in 1822 forever altered the social and physical fabric of the United States. The ways in which this polarizing figure has been memorialized in Charleston, South Carolina, speak to the multivalent nature of Vesey himself as well as the shifting and complex racial politics in Charleston. In studying the four major commemorative efforts for Vesey that exist in Charleston, this thesis sheds light on the ways in which …

Building Information Modeling (Bim): The Untapped Potential For Preservation Documentation And Management, Laura Lee Worrell

All Theses

The preservation field has few software programs specifically created to store historic and management documentation. Some programs and techniques are utilized in combination to aid in the management and documentation process of historic resources that include, laser scanning, AutoDesk AutoCAD programs, Rhino 3D, photogrammetry, geographic information system, and even Microsoft Excel. This thesis examines the applicability of the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry's Building Information Modeling (BIM) to create a three dimensional user interface for tracking and storing historic and management documentation. The case study performed for this thesis employs the Nathaniel Russell House owned by the Historic Charleston …

The Structural And Material Evolution Of Molana Abbey, Ballynatray Demesne, County Waterford, Ireland, Site Wa037-011: A Mortar Composition Study, Claire Alice Achtyl

All Theses

Molana Abbey, a ruin located in Ballynatray Demesne, County Waterford, Ireland, has religious roots in the sixth century but much of the structure dates to the eleventh-century. Molana became an important center of religion and education in southern Ireland. After Henry VIII dissolved Irish monasteries in 1546, the former abbey became a part of the land holdings of Sir Walter Raleigh. The abbey was then converted from a religious to a residential structure occupied briefly by English polymath Thomas Harriot. The structure fell into disrepair until the nineteenth-century when Grice Smyth, a new owner, transformed the ruin into a garden …

Lowcountry Ghost Signs: A Study And Preservation Of Historic Signage In The South Carolina Lowcountry, James Wilson Smith

All Theses

Outdoor advertisements have enlivened America's commercial landscape since the seventeenth century. Hand-painted advertisements applied to the sides of buildings, from barns in rural settings to stores in the nation's towns and cities, were once ubiquitous but have, as both message and medium have evolved, generally fallen out of everyday use. Once common, hand-painted wall signs have faded from America's commercial landscape and have become objects of nostalgia more than a method of merchandising.

One Land, Two American Dreams: Rediscovering The Secondary Dupont Narrative At James Madison's Montpelier, Sarah A. Sanders

All Theses

Secondary narratives are most easily defined as narratives deemed non-essential to the primary interpretation goals of a historic site. Given the established significance criteria in the United States, secondary narratives are currently undervalued and are challenging to address. James Madison's Montpelier in Orange County, Virginia serves as an ideal lens through which to explore this challenge, given that the estate clearly embodies more than one period of significance.

In 1901 William duPont Sr. of the illustrious Delaware duPont family purchased a large area of land just outside of the small rural town of Orange ,Virginia. Located over two hundred miles …

The Challenge Of Balance: A Study Of The Recent History Of The Board Of Architecture Review And Its Design Standards On The Calhoun Street Corridor In Charleston, South Carolina, Taylor Johnston

All Theses

Applauded as the United States’ first city to create a historic preservation ordinance, Charleston, South Carolina boasts a strong tradition in architectural protection. Presiding over this process of design review and its connected provisions, the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) evaluates any new construction, additions, and changes to any property visible in the public-right-of-way that falls within the historic district. According to the zoning ordinance, this governing body protects and preserves “the old historic or architecturally worthy structures and quaint neighborhoods which impart a distinct aspect of the city and which serve as visible reminders of the historical and cultural …

The Progressive Club: Johns Island, South Carolina, Historic Preservation With Clemson University And College Of Charleston

Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation - Research Reports

The Graduate Program in Historic Preservation with Clemson University/College of Charleston has spent one month researching and documenting the Progressive Club on Johns Island, South Carolina.

We spent time researching the history of the Progressive Club so that we had a bet- ter understanding of the structure we would be studying and documenting. Our first day on site, the class divided into small teams, each focusing at a different section of the building and working on measured drawings. All interior and exterior walls have been measured to 1/8 inch per the Historic American Buildings Survey standards. The field drawings and …

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.

Solar Orientation For Low-Energy Residential Building In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Torry D. Hessman, Caroline M. Clevenger, Maryellen C. Nobe, Katharin Leigh

The Professional Constructor

This research compares the energy performance of 43 homes. Seven homes, constructed by a single builder using passive design principles, are the focus of the study. The remaining 36 homes, more conventionally built, establish a baseline for local residential energy performance. All of the homes are located within a six square-mile geographical region in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Researchers collected utility data over a two year period, from September 2009 to August 2011. While other factors impact performance, for this study the dependent variable was energy consumption in British Thermal Units (BTUs) per square foot per season. The independent variable was …

Adoption Of Green Building Guidelines In Usa, India, And China, Matt Syal, Yunhui Yang, Gayatri Kumar, Jawanda Jackson

The Professional Constructor

Green Building Guidelines (GBGs) have played a major role in the global efforts to develop environmentally responsible buildings and infrastructure. These guidelines serve as ratings tools to evaluate sustainable practices used in buildings’ design, construction, and operations. Although, the acceptance of these guidelines has begun to increase globally, only a few countries have seen their widespread adoption. The acceptance of GBGs is dependent upon various factors specific to the country and society in which they exist. USA, India, and China were selected to be the focus of this study since each of these countries present a unique set of societal …

Characterizing Equipment Cost, Fuel Use, And Emissions For Earthwork Activities, Phil Lewis, Yongwei Shan, Apif Hajji, Elizabeth Hazzard

The Professional Constructor

The objective of this paper is to examine the relationships between construction equipment costs, fuel use, and air pollutant emissions to make more informed decisions in construction planning and achieve more sustainable construction activity. This paper presents an estimating approach that combines both construction and environmental data to assess the relationships between equipment costs, fuel use, and emissions. To characterize these relationships, a case study is presented for a dozer performing a bulk excavation activity. Sensitivity analyses based on soil type, dozing distance, and engine horsepower rating are presented. Results indicate that there is little difference in the equipment total …

General Interest Articles, American Institute Of Constructors

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Economic, Energy, And Environmental Impacts Of A Bridge Replacement Project, Elizabeth Hazzard, Phil Lewis

The Professional Constructor

As the nation moves toward more sustainable energy and environmental standards, it is important to examine all sources of fuel consumption and pollution, including heavy-duty diesel (HDD) construction equipment. In order to quantify these sources at the project level, they must be identified with their respective activities. A case study was performed on an Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) bridge replacement project in order to establish a baseline estimate of real-world equipment activity, fuel use, and emissions data. These data were collected on a daily basis via jobsite visits and included specific information such as the equipment’s model year, engine …

In Memory Of Fran Dugan, American Institute Of Constructors

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Green Building Initiatives On U.S. University Campuse, Dennis C. Bausman, Ben Mueller

The Professional Constructor

As population expands and resource consumption grows, interest in sustainable practices continues to intensify. Universities and colleges in the U.S. have been leading the trend toward building certification and green initiatives to reduce energy consumption, lower water consumption, and recycle solid waste. This study investigates the extent to which green practices are implemented on new construction and the renovation of existing building stock on university campuses across the United States. The study also examines the financial analysis techniques institutions use to assess and prioritize green initiatives on new and existing facilities. The population selected for this study was two hundred …

Full Issue, Volume 39, Number 1

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Comprehensive Cancer Care: An Outpatient Treatment Facility, Braden Abrams Reid

All Theses

A cancer diagnosis can result in a loss of decision-making and control for patients. The majority of clinical treatments fail to adequately address corollary symptoms and needs that arise both from treatment and from the disease itself. Thus, the architectural problem identified in this thesis inquiry is how can an outpatient cancer centre treat the whole patient comprehensively, while at the same time instilling control and re-empowering the patient? This thesis project proposes a patient-centered environment designed to support the myriad and nuanced needs of the cancer patient, as well as a site-specific proposal for a comprehensive outpatient cancer treatment …