Construction Engineering Commons^™

Leadership Behaviour And Worker Performance In The Nigerian Construction Industry, Abiodun Kolawole Oyetunji, John Adebiyi, Nathaniel Ayinde Olatunde

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Leadership is a dynamic process in which an individual influence other to contribute to the achievement of an assigned task. This paper investigates leadership behaviour and its impact on construction workers’ performance in Lagos, Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to select 50 site-supervisors and 250 construction-workers involved in simple construction works. An investigation was carried out using a questionnaire survey method. The leadership variables investigated were ranked, regressed and correlated to workers performance. From the primary data analysis, leadership behaviour exhibited by supervisors were found to influence the site workers commitment to achieving the goal of the construction projects. …

Financial Feasibility Of Leed Certified Buildings For Developers And Investors, Erik P. Henriksen

Construction Management

This is a case study on a small to mid-size private equity firm that deals with real estate development as well as investment to find out the financial feasibility of LEED certified buildings in today’s building climate. Interviews with two investment analysts at this firm who are versed in LEED certification about how it is looked at in their company as well as the broader industry will give insights into the feasibility of developing or investing in environmentally friendly buildings. This impacts the real estate and construction industries due to the fact that developers and investors are often times a …

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 44, Number 01

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Implementing Unbiased Decision-Making In Construction: A Lean Approach, Somik Ghosh, Michelle Robinette, Howard Tapia

The Professional Constructor

Construction project-teams are frequently faced with the task of decision-making as part of their responsibility. The positive effects of the decisions made at various stages of the projects lead to improved project performances, while negative effects can hinder the performances. The project teams take up the task of decision-making surrounded by multiple criteria, which can be arduous and clouded with subjectivity. This paper presents an approach based on the Lean principle of providing more autonomy to the project-teams and supporting collaborative and decentralized process in pursuit of unbiased decision-making. This Lean way of decision-making is formalized as Choosing by Advantage …

Attracting And Retaining Future Top Performing Employees: A Student Perspective, Julia Allen

The Professional Constructor

This essay provides insight as to how construction companies can both attract and retain top performing employees. By making the standard interview and recruiting processes more personal, construction companies can evaluate potential hires to see is they are a good fit for the company for years to come. Once employees are hired, companies then need to provide opportunities for both personal and professional growth. From personal experiences, I share the characteristics I find most important in an ideal employer and emphasize the importance of having an in-depth, genuine conversation with potential hires.

Attracting And Retaining Top Employees By Placing Proper Value On Their Contribution To The Company, Joseph Franklin Iii

The Professional Constructor

Due to an optimistic economic future, construction companies want to attract and retain the best employees to ensure company success. Because of a larger job market, employees now look for the optimal work values to be met in long-term employment opportunities. Construction companies have many challenges when attracting and retaining top employees in a growing market. Therefore; it is beneficial for employers to consider the evolving work values of employees and for these values to be promoted throughout company culture. Offering employees good value for their contribution to the company attracts and retains top employees.

Social Resources Of Mechanical Contracting Management Personnel, Blake Wentz, Sarabeth Gandara

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry in the United States is projected to grow faster than average compared to other industries through 2026. The Baby Boomer generation is leaving a significant gap in the labor force as they reach retirement. Retention of high quality management personnel is a priority for all companies in the construction industry, including mechanical contracting companies. Firms that fail to retain these employees will be left with an understaffed and underqualified workforce, which will hinder their ability to be competitive in the marketplace. In order to aid in retention efforts, mechanical contracting firms need to focus their attention on …

Essay Winners, American Institute Of Constructors

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Attracting And Retaining Future Top Performing Employees, Caleb Bardin

The Professional Constructor

The goal of this essay is to explore the key factors that influence top-performing employees’ decisions to change companies or remain with their current employers. A few of these factors are salary and benefits, work environment, and corporate advancement. This essay will address such factors and propose solutions using my own educational and professional experience. A key theme to note is the constant evaluation of employees and workplace environment by employers. No company can hope to be successful or have the best people if this skill is not enhanced and implemented well.

Study Of Various Construction Job Functions To Address Workforce Challenge, Abraham Bonilla, Dhaval Gajjar, Kenneth Sullivan

The Professional Constructor

Lack of construction workforce is one of the most predominant challenges faced by the construction industry. It is predicted that the industry will have a major shortage of skilled labor in the next decade due to the retirement of baby boomers and the lack of new talent entering the industry to replace these baby boomers. To attract young talent into the construction industry, it is critical to make them aware about the industry regarding various job functions as it relates to job satisfaction, compensation and career fulfilment. The purpose of this study is to gain insight of various construction job …

Consumer Perception And Willingness To Pay For Extended New Home Warranties, C. Todd Usher, Joseph M. Burgett

The Professional Constructor

Construction standards and methods for building new homes has improved over the last two decades resulting in significant improvements in energy efficiency, comfort, indoor air quality, and durability of new homes. Despite these improvements, the most common builder warranty for a new home in the United States ranges from 6 months to two years in duration. During the past two decades, manufacturer warranties on other durable goods such as automobiles has increased significantly. This study measures consumer perceptions of extended 12 year new home warranties with a survey completed by 162 adults in the United States. The results indicate that …

Ua66/2 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Architectural & Manufacturing Sciences, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by the Architectural & Manufacturing Sciences.

Files are arranged in the following subseries:

1. Administration
2. Publications
3. Centers & Institutes

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 43, Number 02

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Examining The Microeconomics Of Bid Difference Of Engineer & Contractor Bids In Highway Construction, Robert Ryan, Randy R. Rapp, Mark Shaurette, Sarah Hubbard

The Professional Constructor

This study examines microeconomic factors that affect Bid Difference between the designer’s Engineer’s Estimate and the contractor’s Winning Bid. Historically, the accuracy of the Engineer’s Estimate and the Winning Bid vary. To account for this discrepancy, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recommends a contingency be included in all Engineer’s Estimates. Statistical analysis was performed to determine if state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) were currently meeting the recommended Bid Difference values. Data was collected from California, North Carolina, and Ohio from 2012 through 2014. Statistical analysis indicates that current practices to develop an Engineer’s Estimate met the FHWA recommended values. With …

Designing A Modular Building: A Case Study For Modular Vs.Conventional Design For An Apartment Building, Christine Piper, Arun Thodupunoori

The Professional Constructor

To alleviate the diminishing number of tradespeople in the US construction industry, modular construction is an alternative construction process that could be used for repetitive construction applications. However, there are some misconceptions about modular construction including: limited architectural design options, design restrictions, lower quality, unaffordable and inability to design for sustainability. Modular construction is a process that streamlines the construction process and saves a significant amount of time while delivering a high quality building. In response to the misconception of design options, this case study presents the design considerations for transforming an apartment building that was designed and constructed using …

Application And Usage Of Design-Build By State Dots, Dennis Bausman, Mashrur Chowdhury, Christopher Cummings, Sasi Selvan

The Professional Constructor

This study examines the usage of design-build by the Department of Transportation (DOT) of the 50 states in the United States. Design-build has been growing in popularity as a procurement form in both the private and public sectors, and in the last ten years many DOTs have started or expanded programs to use design-build for infrastructure projects. However, many DOTs are still struggling to determine the best application of design build and how to incorporate its use as a procurement method for DOT projects. This study examines how state DOTs are using design-build, when they are using this delivery method, …

Assessment Of Electrical Contractors’ Perception And Practices With Project Risk Management, Anthony J. Perrenoud

The Professional Constructor

Project Risk Management is a critical construction management skillset for identifying risks, assessing risks, strategizing, and executing risk mitigation plans. Proactive risk management has been found to reduce negative impacts to project objectives and increase customer satisfaction. To improve project risk management contractors have a method of measuring perceptions and practices of risk management, also known as risk maturity. Previous research has identified a model for measuring five major attributes of risk maturity they are (1) management’s perspective of risk management; (2) organizational risk culture; (3) risk identification; (4) risk analysis; and, (5) standardized risk management process. This study presents …

Collaborative Risk Mitigation Through Construction Planning And Scheduling, Lane Kay Coble

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Construction Disputes In The United States And The United Kingdom: A Comparison, Anusree Saseendran, Ben F. Bigelow, Zofia Rybkowski, Dawn Jourdan

The Professional Constructor

Construction disputes are on the rise globally. They adversely affect the progress and quality of a construction project by resulting in cost overruns and delays. They are also time-consuming and expensive to resolve. Hence it is valuable to identify the most disputed topics in construction in the US and compare them to those in a different country. This helps better understand disputes, and the influence that culture and the difference in the nature of construction in the regions may have on disputes. This study was an attempt to identify and compare the most disputed topics in construction in the United …

A Study Of Delays And Cost Overruns In Construction Projects, Ibekwe Francis Chibuikem

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science by Ibekwe Francis Chibuikem on April 21, 2018.

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 43, Number 01

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

What Lessons Can Be Learned From The Delivery Of The First Building On The Grangegorman Campus Using Building Information Management (Bim)?, Pat O'Sullivan, Avril Behan

Conference papers

There is an acceptance that BIM, via data management, can be integrated with FM to reduce costs during the Operations and Maintenance stage of a project. However, what has not been documented is the ‘on the ground’ reality which can be reviewed as a lessons learnt exercise to improve the implementation of BIM FM for future projects. This case study sets out to explore the realities of a client’s adoption of BIM based upon the actual experience of the Greenway Hub. Rather than relying on anecdotal evidence the research was based upon the real practices and experiences of the Dublin …

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 42, Number 02

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 42, Number 01

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

A Laboratory Evaluation Of Warm Mix Technology For Use In Asphalt Rubber - Asphaltic Concrete Friction Courses: A Case Study Of Arizona, Michael Myung Jeong, Douglas I. Hanson

The Professional Constructor

The objective of this study was to determine if warm mix additives currently used in Arizona can be added for the production of an Asphalt Rubber - Asphaltic Concrete Friction Course (AR-ACFC) without detrimental effects on performance of the pavement. Three warm mix additives (Evotherm®, Sasobit®, and Advera®) approved by Arizona Department of Transportation were investigated through a laboratory study along with statistical analysis. Three major concerns on performance of an AR-ACFC considered in this study are asphalt draindown, durability, and moisture susceptibility. The laboratory binder test results show there is no clear evidence that the use of Evotherm and …

How U.S. Universities Intend To Meet Their Carbon Neutral Goals, Dennis C. Bausman, Avinash Venugopal

The Professional Constructor

Universities have been on the leading edge for implementation of sustainable practices, green building certification, and the push to limit emission of greenhouse gases. In 2006 leadership at twelve universities was instrumental in the creation of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The two overall goals of the ACUPCC were to gain university commitment to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from their campus operations and to promote sustainability education and research. A decade later there are over 650 that have officially pledged their support to the ACUPCC and in doing so have established a goal toward carbon neutrality …

Using Percent Complete Metric To Highlight The Root Causes Of Delays In Home Building Industry, Somik Ghosh

The Professional Constructor

Based on the prediction of US Housing and Urban Development (US HUD), the demand for new homes will increase in the coming months to accompany the steady sales of existing homes. To meet the future demand, the home building industry has to continuously improve and get rid of inherent problems such as frequent delays. While delays have been a common occurrence in the residential and commercial construction alike, investigations of delays in the residential sector has not received much attention. With the goal of exploring the causes of delays in the home building industry, a multiple case study approach was …

Are We On The Same Jobsite? The Millennial Generation Vs. Construction Industry Employees, Christine Piper, Varahee Madadi

The Professional Constructor

This paper gives an overview of a study conducted in a geographical area of the US to understand the millennial generation’s perception of the workplace of the construction industry. Many organizations face the challenge of integrating diverse generations in a workplace. With the retirement of a large number of Boomers and the current intake of Millennials in the workplace, organizations are facing a challenge to attract and retain the millennial generation. Workplace expectations of the millennial generation and employees are compared with the expectations of the workplace amongst different generations in the construction industry.

Math Skills That Don’T Add Up; A Comparison Between Eighth Grade And College Students, Nathan Barry, Angela Hollman, Dale Porter

The Professional Constructor

Among 34 participating countries within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States performed below average in mathematics earning a rank of 27. The World Economic Forum (2014) ranks the United States 51 out of 144 countries scoring a 4.4 out of 7 (7 = excellent) in the quality of mathematics and science education. Although the United States’ competitive advantage and economic growth is directly connected to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, only 28 percent of those students choose to major with these fields in college. In addition, 48 percent of students that choose to …

International Construction Measurement Standard, Charles Mitchell

Other Resources

The International Construction Measurement Standard Coalition (the Coalition) was formed on 17 June 2015 after meeting at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, USA. The Coalition, comprising the organisations listed below at the date of publication, aims to bring about consistency in construction cost reporting standards internationally. This is achieved by the creation and adoption of this ICMS, an agreed international standard for the structuring and presentation of cost reports. ICMS sets out a structure for describing construction costs in terms of project scope, attributes and values descriptors. This document setting out the provisions of ICMS is the first …