Engineering Commons^™

The Adaptative Construction Industry, Rhett Cox

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry is an industry that always unites to find ways to solve problems. It is very complex and requires considerable organization, hard work, specific skills, and a whole lot of determination. In this paper, I will discuss three ways that the industry is making strides to make construction better and more efficient: (a) increased use of modular construction and prefabrication, (b) use of drones, and (c) Building Information Modeling (BIM) use. With the construction process becoming more and more complex, improving efficiency and safety has gained more attraction, especially when coping with fundamental issues such as labor shortage, …

How New, Innovative Technology And Project Execution Tools And Techniques Can Be Used To Improve The Construction Process (Including Safety And Efficiency), James L. Craig

The Professional Constructor

Humanity has often sought to utilize tools and technology to make working faster, more efficient, more comfortable, and more accurate. While humans may have started with stone tools, we have since developed complex and sophisticated mechanical and digital technologies. The construction industry has been utilizing construction technology and equipment for these same reasons for generations. While other industries have embraced the use of smart, autonomous technology and robotics, the construction industry has steadily fallen behind in this effort. In this paper, I will discuss current work using these tools and possible applications for future development.

The Impact Of Climate Change On Building Energy Demands And Mitigation Measures In Florida, Aiyin (Erin) Jiang

The Professional Constructor

Tropical and subtropical parts of the world are projected to be the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change on building energy consumption demand. Few studies, however, focus on all four greenhouse emission scenarios defined by International Panel of Climate Change, which would be useful in assessing the energy demand challenges areas such as Florida. This study applies the most recognized climate change model downscaling approach, the morphing method, to investigate the impact of climate change on the commonly used commercial buildings in Florida’s climate zones under all four emission scenarios. It also analyzes the efficacy of various mitigation …

Frequency And Magnitude Of Cost Growth In Public Works Contracts, George Fulton, Panagiotis Mitropoulos

The Professional Constructor

Cost overruns are a persistent issue in the construction industry. This paper investigates factors that may drive cost growth on public works contracts. The study collected data on 1,043 public works projects completed over a three year period. The analysis examined the impact of four factors on cost overruns: (1) Project type, (2) Contract size, (3) Contract duration, and (4) Construction placement (value per day). The data were analyzed using a combination of basic descriptive statistics along with statistical hypothesis testing of means for various factors affecting cost growth. Cost growth was found to vary significantly by project type, contract …

Case Study Of Real-World Emissions Rates Verus Epaemission Standards For Motor Graders, Boshra Karimi, Phil Lewis

The Professional Constructor

Using the Volkswagen emissions scandal as motivation, the purpose of this case study was to investigate whether or not heavy-duty diesel construction equipment exceeds EPA emissions standards for nonroad diesel engines. The equipment analyzed included four separate motor graders with EPA emissions standards Tier 0, Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 engines. The analysis was based on a dataset of real-world emissions rates collected from in-use equipment on actual jobsites. The results showed that mass per time emissions rates for hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter decreased as the EPA emissions standards became more stringent. Furthermore, there …

Understanding Sub-Contractor Selection Factors In Thebuilding Construction Industry For The Southeastern United States, Dhaval Gajjar, Cayla Anderson

The Professional Constructor

The primary entities within building construction industry consists of the owner, the architect / engineer, and the general contractor, that ensure the success of any construction project. On a traditional project, the owner selects and contracts with the general contractor to construct a building designed by the architect. A considerable amount of research has been conducted to understand the owner’s selection factors to hire a qualified general contractor. However, the general contractor selected for the project seldom self-performs the entire construction of a building. The general contractor might self-perform some aspects of the actual building construction, but they will typically …

Initial Assessment Of Liquefied Scrap Tire Concrete, Abdulkareem Kuaryouti, Christopher D. Eamon

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research Publications

A new approach to incorporate scrap tire material into concrete was investigated, where two reclaimed waste tire components, carbon black and fuel oil, were used to replace a portion of water. The effect of “liquid tire” content to water ratios from 5-40% on an otherwise typical concrete mix were assessed, where compressive and flexural strength, flexural toughness, modulus of elasticity, and several fresh concrete properties were determined. Results were compared to typically expected results of traditional shredded tire mixes with equivalent tire content. It was found that the liquid tire mixes experienced significantly less losses of compressive strength and workability …

Quantifying Materials Waste In The Egyptian Construction Industry: A Critical Analysis Of Rates And Factors, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Ahmed Osama Daoud Dr., Obas John Ebohon, Ali Bayyati

Architectural Engineering

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a critical challenge facing the construction industry. It leads to deterioration of the triple bottom line of sustainability. Unfortunately, the CDW management research in Egypt lacks studies investigating (1) the variations in CDW generation (CDWG) among different types of construction projects, and (2) the factors affecting CDW reduction (CDWR). Based on a benchmarking approach, this research (1) quantifies CDW in terms of generation rates and costs among different construction project types in Egypt, and (2) investigates the relationship between CDWG and different adopted CDWR factors. Using structured interviews, a comparative case study was conducted …

Multi-Skilled Labor Optimization With Partial Allocation Of Resources, Amira Saleh

Theses and Dissertations

The current practice of labor allocation in construction schedules assumes single-skilled workforce; meaning that each worker is assumed to be skilled in only one trade. In such practice, at any instance in the project lifecycle, some of the workforce become idle waiting for other labor types to complete their work. Traditionally, companies may relocate idle workers to other projects and return them back to their original project when needed again. This complicates the resource management process and is not often performed successfully, leading to schedule and cost overruns. Alternatively, project managers may keep the idle workforce at their projects because …

A Web-Based Change Control Management Toolkit For Lump-Sum Turnkey Contractors: Transformation To Third Generation, Ahmed Omran

Theses and Dissertations

Project deviations and changes are one of the key common particulars encountered in the Construction industry. Project changes can occur in different forms, may impact different pillars of the project, and can be caused due to the existence of various underlying factors. Mismanaging or lack of controlling these changes is one of the key contributing factors leading to project hardships. Contractors incur profit erosion, scope creep, and time slippages mainly by failing to have an effective project change management system enforced within its project execution philosophy. Such adversity is amplified for contractors engaging in lump-sum turnkey “LSTK” projects. Contractors encounter …

Wearable Sensing Devices: Towards The Development Of A Personalized System For Construction Safety And Health Risk Mitigation, Chukwuma Nnaji, Ibukun Awolusi, Jeewoong Park, Alex Albert

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Wearable sensing devices (WSDs) are increasingly helping workers stay safe and healthy in several industries. However, workers, especially in the construction industry, have shown some aversion towards the use of WSDs due to their ability to capture specific information that may be considered personal and private. However, this revered information may provide some critical insight needed by management to plan and optimize worksite safety and support technology adoption in decision making. Therefore, there is a need to develop personalized WSD systems that are mutually beneficial to workers and management to ensure successful WSD integration. The present study aims to contribute …

Using System Dynamics To Study The Effect Of Change Orders On Labor Productivity, Shrouk Gharib

Theses and Dissertations

Change orders in construction projects lead to numerous negative impacts, including loss of labor productivity, delays, and cost overruns. Owners and contractors are usually in disagreement when it comes to allocating the extent of responsibilities with respect to the resulting overruns. Each party tries to hold the other party fully responsible for such overruns through a series of claims and disputes. Several delay analysis techniques have been developed to aid in settling such disputes, however, they do not fully grasp the rippled impacts of change orders and do not assist parties in reaching consensus when it comes to finding the …

A Critical Analysis Of The Application Of Augmented Reality (Ar) For Monitoring And Documentation Of Construction Site Progress In The Irish Aec Industry., Bim Tudublin, Lukasz Sarnot

Capstone Reports

Sarnot, L. (2021) A critical analysis of the application of augmented reality (AR) for monitoring and documentation of construction site progress in the Irish AEC industry, Capstone Project from the MSc in aBIMM

An Examination Of The Use Of Geotechnical Bim To Provide Value Engineering Solutions For Coastal Infrastructure., Bim Tudublin, Eric Brennan

Capstone Reports

The digitisation of construction is taking root as Building Information Modelling is becoming more prevalent across the industry. From an Irish context, the adoption rate of BIM has been slow; nationally its advantages and merits have been welcomed and the appropriate government support is either available, soon to be implemented or in the early conceptual stage. Within the Irish governments Project Ireland 2040 framework there are significant infrastructure developments looming ahead, in particular regarding ports and harbours. The importance of this type of infrastructure is only further compounded due to the UK’s departure from the EU and the need for …

To What Extent Can Innovative International Project Delivery Strategies (Which Leverage Bim) Improve The Cost Certainty Of Large Complex Public Procurement Projects In The Context Of Irish Public Procurement?, Bim Tudublin, Roqaya Abouklaib

Capstone Reports

Cost overrun is one of the biggest issues in the construction sector, and cost certainty is one of the main aims of the public construction sector in Ireland. Studies have shown that multi-disciplinary collaboration will benefit a construction project throughout its lifecycle. BIM, Lean, and IPD are independent methodologies that encourage collaborative work, and there are existent effective synergies among these concepts. The synergetic innovative international strategies were utilised for delivering large complex projects successfully globally, and many authors have studied large complex public projects that have adopted innovative international project delivery strategies collaboratively and have shown that the cost …

Opportunities In The Irish Reinforced Concrete Industry For Lean And Bim Adoption, Bim Tudublin, Kieran Mcconnell

Capstone Reports

The Irish Reinforced Concrete (RC) sector has yet to realise the full potential of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Lean construction. The positive impacts and benefits of both BIM and Lean in the wider Architecture, Engineering and Construction sector are widely recognised; many of these are transferable to the RC sector, but there is limited research and knowledge on practical transference, uses and advantages. This research aims to fill some of the existing knowledge gaps by examining BIM and Lean adoption and awareness in the Irish RC sector across sub-sectors, professions, and organisational levels, and by exploring opportunities for increasing …

A Critical Examination Of Visual Programming And Generative Design For The Compliance Checking Of Open Plan Office Layouts Against Hse Guidelines Post Covid-19., Bim Tudublin, Ronan Byrne

Capstone Reports

The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of Visual Programming (VP) and Generative Design (GD) in assisting employers review open plan office layouts against Ireland’s HSE guidelines implemented in May 2020 in response to Covid-19. The pandemic has affected all areas of life with workplace standards requiring a complete overhaul. This study will attempt to ascertain compliance with natural ventilation and social distancing requirements through the completion of an experimental research study, utilising Computational Design (CD) tools. A GD study will be undertaken to provide the designer with numerous office layout design solutions to evaluate and evolve. …

To What Extent Can Lean Construction Processes And Principles Be Utilised In The Design Stage Of A Bim Project In The Irish Design And Construction Industry, Bim Tudublin, Barry Sheramn

Capstone Reports

Although different in many ways, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Lean Construction are two processes that are having a significant impact on the Design & Construction Industry. In recent years, the Irish AECO industry has seen a tenfold increase across numerous construction disciplines with the adoption of new workflows and processes centred around both BIM and Lean methodologies. Existing literature identifies a strong synergistic relationship between the two processes and highlights the opportunity for Lean processes and principles to be implemented into the design stage workflow. This paper investigated existing literature relating to several lean processes currently implemented in the …

Should Acoustic Simulation Technology Be Utilised In Architectural Practice? Does It Have The Potential For Bim Integration?, Bim Tudublin, Keith Harvey

Capstone Reports

The research presented in this paper, firstly, aims to convey the importance of our acoustic environment through focusing on the effects of undesirable acoustic conditions on cognitive abilities in spaces where cognitive performance is of the utmost concern, our learning environments. Secondly, it aims to investigate current state-of-the-art acoustic simulation methods, available platforms, and their levels of interoperability with architectural BIM authoring software. Structured interviews were carried out with 7 Irish architects and architectural technologists to determine if a disconnection between architectural design and acoustic performance exists and to identify the advantages and disadvantages of current workflows for acoustic performance …

Hydraulic Balsa Wood Rising Bridge, Kaitlyn Greenfield

All Undergraduate Projects

What is the solution to allowing tall vessels to navigate past a vehicle bridge that is less than 10 [ft] above the water? To answer this question, a balsa wood bridge was designed, constructed, and tested. The bridge needed to articulate by mechanical means, allow for travel through the bridge, and be able to withstand ample force while the main structure only being constructed of balsa wood and glue. The project was analyzed in sections. These sections include: the bridge structure and its members, the hydraulic lift, and the pins needed for the bridge and hydraulic lift to operate. The …

Residential Dwelling Design And Construction Planning, Jodi Beery

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report presents a step-by-step guide in building a hypothetical residential dwelling in Wayne County, Ohio. The project begins with the initial site investigation phase, which gathers general information about the physical site of proposed construction as well as the requirements of the governing body of the area; applications for permits and inspections for example. Next, phase is the site design which includes creating plans for the building footprint, pavement areas, and utility locations. The next phase in the design will be the building plans which will include floor plans and associated material lists for the construction of the home. …

Smart And Emerging Technologies: Shaping The Future Of The Industry And Offsite Construction, Rayan H. Assaad, Islam H. El-Adaway, Makarand Hastak, Kim La Scola Needy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The interest in smart, emerging technologies and offsite construction methods continues to grow. While previous studies investigated different offsite construction aspects, there is still lack of research work that explored the current and future use of smart and emerging technologies, especially those used in offsite construction. This study addresses this knowledge gap through a multi-step research methodology. First, a list of 24 technologies was identified. Second, a survey was distributed to study the current use and the experts' future perceptions of the identified technologies in offsite construction. Third, descriptive statistics and computational clustering analysis were used to quantify and classify …

A Simulation Model For Optimal Bidding Decisions, Rayan H. Assaad, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway, Amr Elsayegh

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The lowest bid approach is the most used technique in the US construction procurement environment since competitive bidding is a legal requirement in the public sector. Despite that many research studies were directed to help contractors in taking different bidding decisions, there is still insufficient research efforts that equipped contractors with decision-support tools to decide on optimal bid values. Hence, this paper takes previous research works a step further by developing a simulation model that can be adopted to determine the bid decision that would result in winning more projects. To this end, a methodology composed of multiple steps was …

New Longitudinal Error Balancing Approaches For Closed Traverses, Jose L. Manzano

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study presents two novel approaches to balance the horizontal longitudinal error of closure, E_C, in closed polygonal traverses. The standard procedure to balance E_C is the Compass Rule. This technique reduces E_C to zero by applying corrections in the lengths of all traverse sides. Those corrections are proportional to the corresponding side lengths. That is, this approach is not an error-correcting approach, but an error-balancing procedure.

The proposed new techniques are based on sensitivity analysis of E_C with respect to small variations, Δ_i, in the lengths of all sides i = 1, …

Chaos Game Optimization Method For Weight Minimization Of Steel Truss Structure, Eain Kyi Thar

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The research proposes the so-called chaos game optimization (CGO) method to perform the optimal sizing design of steel truss structures under applied loading regimes. The optimization problem aims at the minimization of the total weight (directly related to the cost function) of the designed structure subjected to the constraints describing the intrinsic structural responses complying with limit-state specifications. The CGO approach is based on the underlying chaos theory that establishes the primary patterns as fractals in responses to the systems representing them as self-organized dynamical systems. The fractal is generated as an initial Sierpinski triangle (i.e., search space of solution …

Dynamic Pricing In Electric Power Markets Affected By Distributed Energy Generation Using Agent-Based Modeling, Gasser G. Ali, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The power infrastructure in the US is facing many challenges concerning capacity, reliability, and sustainability. Some of those challenges are associated with the integration of distributed energy resources (DER) into the conventional grid system. DER may offer reliable and cost-effective distributed small-scale generation near or at end-consumers. However, it also creates new challenges for utilities and generating companies due to the uncertainties in estimating demands. Accordingly, the goal of this research is to investigate dynamic pricing in electric power markets considering the effect of the increasing penetration of DER. To achieve that goal, a complex system-of-systems model that combines agent-based …

Bim-Ar-Based System For Supporting Decision-Making Process Of Change Orders In Construction Projects, Vi Nguyen Nguyen

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Recently, the integration of building information modeling (BIM) with augmented reality (AR) has been introduced to support decision-making on change orders in construction sites. However, traditional BIM-AR-based systems have some limitations on the interaction with the changes of construction work and cost information. Therefore, this research aims to develop a BIM-AR-based system to support the decision-making process of change orders during the construction phase. It includes four main functions: (1) visualization of change models and interaction with them in real-world environments, (2) cost assessment for calculating the direct cost of changes automatically and showing the information of cost comparison, (3) …

Classification Des Sols Et Sélection Des Systèmes D’Étançonnement Pour L’Excavation Des Tranchées : Résultats Des Essais Réalisés Au Laboratoire De Géotechnique De L’Université Laval – Annexe, Bertrand Galy, Denis Lebœuf, Omar Chaallal, André Lan

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Dans le cadre du projet « Classification des sols et sélection des systèmes d’étançonnement pour l’excavation des tranchées », des tranchées et des excavations de pleine grandeur ont été réalisées dans une argile sensible typique du Québec, à Louiseville. Ces aménagements ont permis d’évaluer et de valider la résistance et le comportement de systèmes d’étançonnement, grâce aux essais suivants :

• Une excavation non soutenue de 5 m de profondeur à paroi verticale;
• Une excavation non soutenue de 4,2 m de profondeur, à paroi talutée (pente de 1,6:1);
• Une tranchée de 6 m de profondeur soutenue avec une boîte de tranchée …

ความตั้งใจต่อการใช้อุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัยสำหรับเด็กภายในตัวรถ, ตุลยา อรุณรังสิกุล

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

อุบัติเหตุทางถนนเป็นสาเหตุการเสียชีวิตอันดับที่ 1 ในกลุ่มสาเหตุภายนอกของการป่วยและการตายของกลุ่มเด็กอายุ 0 – 14 ปี ในประเทศไทย ตั้งแต่ พ.ศ. 2558 เป็นต้นมา โดยมีอัตราการใช้ที่นั่งนิรภัยสำหรับเด็กน้อยกว่าร้อยละ 1 เนื่องจากประชาชนส่วนใหญ่ยังขาดความรู้ ความเข้าใจ และความตระหนักถึงความปลอดภัยในการใช้ที่นั่งนิรภัยสำหรับเด็ก งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาความตั้งใจต่อการใช้งาน พฤติกรรมและปัจจัยที่ส่งผลต่อการใช้งานอุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัยสำหรับเด็ก เพื่อกำหนดนโยบายและข้อเสนอแนะในการเพิ่มอัตราการใช้งานอุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัยสำหรับเด็ก โดยใช้ทฤษฎีพฤติกรรมตามแผน (Theory of Planned Behavior: TPB) ซึ่งได้เก็บข้อมูลแบบสอบถามออนไลน์ จากผู้ปกครองของเด็กอายุ 0 – 12 ปี ในโรงเรียนเอกชน 2 แห่ง ในกรุงเทพมหานคร จำนวน 815 ตัวอย่าง ด้วยวิธีการสุ่มตัวอย่างแบบกลุ่ม (Cluster sampling) ผลการวิเคราะห์สถิติเชิงพรรณนาและแบบจำลองสมการโครงสร้าง (Structural Equation Modeling: SEM) พบว่า เหตุผลหลักที่ไม่ได้ใช้อุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัยสำหรับเด็ก คือ เด็กไม่ยอมใช้อุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัย โดยปัจจัยที่ส่งผลต่อความตั้งใจต่อการใช้อุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัยสำหรับเด็ก ได้แก่ ความสนใจและการแนะนำอุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัย การคล้อยตามกลุ่มอ้างอิง การเข้าถึงอุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัย การบังคับใช้กฎหมายและการจัดโครงการส่งเสริมการใช้อุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัย และความเคยชินต่อการใช้อุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัย ซึ่งระดับการศึกษาที่สูงขึ้นและจำนวนเด็กในความดูแลที่มากกว่า 1 คน มีแนวโน้มที่จะมีความตั้งใจต่อการใช้อุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัยสำหรับเด็กเพิ่มมากขึ้น อย่างไรก็ตามควรจัดโครงการส่งเสริมการเผยแพร่ความรู้การใช้อุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัยสำหรับเด็ก เพื่อให้ผู้ปกครองตระหนักถึงความสำคัญและเพิ่มการใช้งานอุปกรณ์ความปลอดภัยสำหรับเด็กอย่างถูกต้อง ตลอดจนการรับมือกับพฤติกรรมการปฏิเสธของเด็กอย่างเหมาะสม

การใช้เศษแกรนิตทดแทนมวลรวมละเอียดในคอนกรีตกำลังสูงที่ผสมซิลิกาฟูม, ศุภากร อังกินันท์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ในปัจจุบันอุตสาหกรรมการก่อสร้างมีการขยายตัวเพิ่มมากขึ้นตามความเจริญเติบโตทางเศรษฐกิจและสังคม งานด้านวิศวกรรมโยธาถือเป็นงานหลักที่สำคัญในการช่วยขับเคลื่อนความเจริญของประเทศในการพัฒนาและสรรค์สร้างระบบโครงสร้างพื้นฐานดังนั้นแล้วงานวิจัยและนวัตกรรมด้านวัสดุจะส่งผลในการส่งเสริมการเติบโตแบบก้าวกระโดดของประเทศ การศึกษาและวิจัยด้านคอนกรีตเพื่อลดปัญหาด้านสิ่งแวดล้อมรวมทั้งการพัฒนาวัสดุงานก่อสร้างชนิดใหม่ๆ จึงมีบทบาทความสำคัญอย่างมาก คอนกรีตเป็นวัสดุก่อสร้างที่ได้รับความนิยมนำมาใช้งานอย่างต่อเนื่องเป็นระยะเวลามายาวนานตั้งแต่สมัยอดีตจนถึงปัจจุบัน เนื่องจากมีความสะดวก ง่ายต่อการทำงาน และยังมีคุณสมบัติเชิงกลที่ดี อีกทั้งในปัจจุบันยังมีการทดลองและวิจัยเพื่อศึกษาการพัฒนาคุณสมบัติของคอนกรีตมาอย่างต่อเนื่อง หินแกรนิตซึ่งได้จากการระเบิดภูเขามักถูกนำมาใช้ในอุตสาหกรรมการก่อสร้าง อย่างไรก็ตามกระบวนการผลิตก่อให้เกิดเศษหินแกรนิตที่ไม่สารนำไปใช้ประโยชน์ได้ ต้องเสียพื้นที่ในการกองเก็บทำให้ส่งผลกระทบต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมที่เกิดจากฝุ่น ดังนั้นเพื่อที่จะลดผลกระทบดังกล่าวแนวทางที่สามารถทำได้ คือ การนำเศษหินแกรนิตมาใช้แทนทรายธรรมชาติ การแทนที่ทรายธรรมชาติด้วยเศษหินแกรนิตทั้งหมดเมื่อเที่ยบกับการใช้ทรายธรรมชาติร้อยละ 100 กำลังอัดจะลดลงเล็กน้อยอย่างไม่มีนัยสำคัญ ดังนั้นงานวิจัยนี้จึงมีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อใช้เศษหินแกรนิตแทนทรายธรรมชาติในการผลิตคอนกรีตกำลังสูงและใช้ซิลิกาฟูมมาปรับปรุงคุณสมบัติเชิงกลของคอนกรีตกำลังสูง