Engineering Commons^™

Establishing Key Performance Indicators To Measure The Benefit Of Introducing The Facilities Manager At An Early Stage In The Building Information Modelling Process - Presentation, Barry Mcauley

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Bs News November/December

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Creating Interactive Facilities Management Capabilities Through Building Information Modelling As A Tool For Managing The Irish Public Sector Estates - Presentation, Barry Mcauley

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Compression Testing And Failure Modes Of Steel-Concrete Composite (Sc) Structures For Nuclear Containment, Patrick Michael Wanamaker, Amit H. Varma

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Although being able to provide much cleaner power than burning coal and other fossil fuels, nuclear power plants are still a tough sell to the general public due to their history of being spontaneously dangerous. The containment structures surrounding these nuclear plants, however, can play a huge role in reducing the risks associated with them. Relatively new designs for these containment assemblies, known as SC (steel-concrete composite) structures, aim to increase the strength and durability of the containment facilities while keeping costs down. By varying the spacing between shear studs, the ratio of concrete to steel, and the ratio of …

Using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (Upv) To Predict Properties And Performance Of Pervious Concrete, Jeremy Adato, Norbert Delatte

Undergraduate Research Posters 2013

Pervious concrete is a type of porous portland cement concrete with interconnected voids. This material has been increasingly used to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff from paved areas. It has also been shown to improve the water quality near low volume and low speed pavements as well as in parking lots. Due to the low compressive strength of pervious concrete associated with the high void content, it currently is not used in highway structures except perhaps as an overlay for conventional concrete pavement. The large, open pore structure of this material allows water to pass through its structure, thereby …

Advancing The Facilities Management Process In Ireland Through The Implementation Of Building Information Modelling Within The Public Sector, Barry Mcauley, Alan V. Hore, Roger West

Conference papers

It is widely accepted that it costs up to five times more to operate and maintain a building than to construct it. Despite this statistic the Irish construction sector has done little to move towards cutting edge technologies that will help in addressing this impact on life cycle cost. This is due partly to the fact that the Irish construction sector continues to operate in a depressed state. Despite this harsh reality Ireland must find a way to create a public sector that has a more energy efficient and enhanced physical environment in which to operate without sacrificing user thermal …

Bs News September/October

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Parameterizing Analytical Models To Support An Empirically Based Warehouse Design Methodology, Lisa Thomas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research in the area of warehouse design is characterized by a myriad of analytical models that address one, typically small and isolated, area of the warehouse. These models, although important in gaining insight into one question of warehouse design, are of limited value when one considers the larger question of overall warehouse design. Thus, research in the area of overall warehouse design typically consists of procedure-driven processes based on qualitative factors and not the quantifiable results of analytical models.

In contrast, practitioners have significant empirical data related to how a design alternative performs in an industry, a company, or a …

A Comparative Analysis Of Energy Modelingmethods For Commercial Buildings, Spencer Mark Salmon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis researched the accuracy of measured energy data in comparison to estimated hand calculation data and estimated building energy performance simulation data. In the facility management industry, there is minimal evidence that building energy performance software is being used as a benchmark against measured energy usage within a building. Research was conducted to find examples of measured energy data compared to simulated data. The study examined the accuracy of a simulation software and hand calculations to measured energy data. Data suggests that comparisons may be made between building energy performance simulated data and measured data, though comparisons are solely …

Observations Of Peak Strength Behavior In Csa Cement Mortars, Joshua V. Brien, Kevin R. Henke, Kamyar C. Mahboub

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to assess the mechanical property performance behavior of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement mortar when cured at ambient laboratory temperature of ~23°C (73°F) and constant 50% relative humidity for an extended period of time. Four CSA cement mortars were tested. Three CSA cement mortars contained equivalent mass amounts of calcium sulfate; whereas, the fourth mortar contained double the amount of calcium sulfate. The three CSA cement mortars containing constant mass amounts of calcium sulfate differed as the specific type of calcium sulfate varied across the three formulations—one mortar containing solely anhydrite, one mortar contained half …

Bs News July/August

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Prevailing Wages On The Cost Among The Various Construction Trades, Alan Atalah

Construction Management Faculty Publications

In 1997, the Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 102 which established the Ohio School Facilities Commission as a separate agency to oversee the rebuilding projects of the public schools in Ohio. The bill also exempted the construction contractors from paying prevailing wages on these projects on the hypothesis that this exemption would lower the construction cost. The purpose of this study is to investigate this hypothesis through the statistical analysis of 8,093 bids received from the years 2000 through 2007 for the schools’ construction. Union contractors who paid their workers union wages and non-union contractors who did not pay prevailing …

1976 Montreal Olympics: Case Study Of Project Management Failure, Ashish Patel, Paul A. Bosela, Norbert Delatte

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A successful engineering project must include its timely and economic completion. A project management failure can lead to delays and cost overruns. One example of a project that greatly exceeded its projected budget is the construction of the multiple facilities for the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. These included the Olympic Stadium, a velodrome for bicycle events, and the Olympic Village to house the athletes. This case study reviews the circumstances of the cost increases and the design decisions and other circumstances that led to them. The difficulties were brought on by an unrealistic schedule to complete the facilities before …

Design, Construction, And Evaluation Of A Hydraulic Oil Filtration Cart, Eric Steiger

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This report discusses the design, construction, and evaluation of a hydraulic oil filtration car sponsored by Papich Construction Inc. This company developed the need for a filter cart system to service equipment by flushing and cleaning the oil in hydraulic reservoirs and systems. The opportunity of reviewing an existing product from Caterpillar was taken to obtain basic design parameters. This car however, did not meet all the needs preferred by the service technicians of Papich; thus leading to the idea of a custom filter cart.

The filter cart is composed of a square tube frame sitting on pneumatic no-flat castor …

Airport Runway Heating System, Greg Wang, Curtis Reedy

Electrical Engineering

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, flight delays cost airlines $22 billion annually (Rapajic 16). Snow and ice buildup on the tarmacs are a major contributor to these delays in regions where freezing weather conditions are common. Current solutions such as anti-freeze chemicals and snowplows are ineffective and costly. Implementing a radiant heating system, specifically pipes running hot liquid within or below the runways, can help maintain the surface above freezing temperatures. Such a system has yet to be installed in a functioning airport because of its complexity and high cost. However, the FAA provides funding for infrastructure improvements, and …

Spurlock, Christy Leigh, B. 1963 (Mss 451), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 451. Paper titled “White Stone Quarry of Bowling Green, KY” written by Christy Leigh Spurlock for a Western Kentucky University history department independent study project. Includes research materials such as maps, deeds, photos, and transcriptions of interviews with former quarry employees and their family members.

American Architectural, Engineering And Construction Companies Working In The Green Building Industry In The Republic Of India, Matthew O. Harbour

Construction Management Theses

This research paper has addressed the problem statement "Too few American Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) companies are participating in the green building market in the Republic of India." This paper provides a conceptual model to support American AEC companies to become involved in the green building market in the Republic of India. This model is a result of a literature review, an analysis of an online survey and a personal interview. This paper addresses the need for American AEC companies to remain competitive in the green building market in the Republic of India. This paper provides a brief history …

Comparison Of Personality Traits Among Estimators, Project Managers, And The Population, Alan Atalah

Construction Management Faculty Publications

The intuitive hypothesis that Construction Management Professionals (CMP) must have a high level of people skills implies that they should be different than the population at large in terms of people skills. In addition, estimators do not deal with as many people as project managers; therefore, they may not have/need as high of people skills as project managers. This paper tests these hypotheses through the analysis of 47 personality traits of 102 experienced applicants for construction management positions and compares this analysis to the traits of the overall population. The analysis suggested that (1) CMP were significantly different from the …

Pump Controller Design For Variable Primary Flow Configuration Systems, Yifan Shi

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pump systems are utilized widely in Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. There are mainly three configuration types: (1) the constant primary-only flow configuration, (2) the constant primary/variable secondary flow configuration, and (3) the variable primary-only flow configuration. This thesis focuses on finding the optimal control strategy for it and programming a controller for easy in-field usage.

In this thesis, the pump brake horse power (BHP) of the three pump configurations is simulated and compared using varying control methods. The best pump efficiency staging and DP reset control methods are implemented into the pump controller. A one month field experiment …

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Vulnerability Of Progressive Collapse In Reinforced Concrete Flat-Plate Buildings, Jinrong Liu

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• Progressive collapse is the spread of initial local failure, causing partial or
  even total collapse of a building.
• Flat plate structure is widely used for office and residential buildings.
• There is a large inventory of older flat plate building without continuous slab bottom reinforcement through columns.
• Limited knowledge exists regarding the risk of disproportionate collapse in
  older flat-plates under sudden column removal during abnormal events.
• Reliable mechanical model is needed for structural evaluation.

Precast Concrete Insulated Wall Panel Corbels Without Thermal Bridging, Mohamed Elkady

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The common practice in corbel design is to block out the insulation in order to provide a solid concrete area at the corbel location. This connection practice results in thermal bridging, which significantly reduces the energy performance of the panel. For example, the PCI Design Handbook indicates that the reduction in thermal resistance caused by a solid part with an area equal to 9% of the total panel surface area is as high as 42%. This paper presents a discussion of a new concept for corbel design of insulated wall panels with the thermal break totally preserved. Two different designs …

Finishing The Job: A Partnership For Diversity In The Construction Workforce, Susan Moir, Liz Skidmore, Janet Jones, Brian Doherty

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues (PGTI) is a regional collaboration of construction industry stakeholders working together since 2008 to tackle the persistent failure of policies enacted to open up good paying jobs in the construction trades to women. Our focus on women explicitly supports efforts to increase all forms of diversity in the construction industry. Following the publication of our 2011 founding document, Unfinished Business: Building Equality for Women in the Construction Trades, PGTI has focused on the development and implementation of best practices for a diverse construction workforce in public and non-profit construction.

The Application Of Cobie To Increase The Functionality Of Existing Software, Barry Mcauley, Alan V. Hore, Mark Mccormack

Conference papers

Building Information Modelling (BIM) can provide a focus on collaboration between the designers, constructors and facility management (FM) personnel leading to major efficiencies in the operational and maintenance phase of a building. The information within a model can be extracted at various stages throughout the project life cycle using the Construction-Operation Building Information Exchange (COBie) schema that provides an open framework for the exchange and delivery of construction handover information. However, it is then up to the FM software companies to take the information and display it in a user friendly way. The authors have set about enhancing an established …

Control Charts As A Productivity Improvement Tool In Construction, Jospeh Hubert Ault

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

This study examined the use of individuals control charts to facilitate the productivity improvement of repetitive construction processes. Cycles times for excavation, forming, and reinforcing processes were observed using stratified random sampling during the construction of six residential home foundations. The cycle time information was plotted on control charts followed by an intervention, with the applicable crew members and management, to analyze the charts and propose solutions to any problems identified. Following the intervention, more samples were collected for comparison to the baseline observations collected before the intervention. The mean cycle times were compared before and after the interventions using …

The Impact Of Various Steel Stud Wall Frame Components On Energy Efficiency Analysis – Case Study, Aiyin Jiang, John Dryden

Construction Management Faculty Research and Scholarship

Steel stud framing is an excellent alternative to wood stud framing in residential construction. Steel framing is structurally sound, sustainable, and resistant to mold and insect infestation. However, the use of steel framing in the residential market remains low, due in large part to concerns on the thermal performance of steel. Over the past several years, engineers and constructors have increased the thermal resistance of steel stud walls through various wall assembly improvements, the impact of these components on energy efficiency is unclear. This study applies computer software to simulate the performance of various steel stud wall system assemblies. This …

An Automated Approach To Dynamic Site Layout Planning, Duy Huu Nguyen

Masters Theses

Dynamic site layout planning involves determining the optimum location of resources on the construction site. Site layouts are considered dynamic because construction activities and the number and nature of associated resources change as the project progresses. Previous research has focused on the use of several algorithms to address dynamic site layout problems. These efforts do not enable automated tracking of the dynamic context of construction resources, site space and activities. This research presents an automated adaptive component level system capable of generating layouts which are optimized throughout the phases of construction projects. The system involves the integration of building information …

Cyber-Adaptive Physical Systems For Automated Construction Progress Monitoring And Asset Tracking, Syed Hammad Rasheed

Masters Theses

Despite the benefits of building information models as a means of communication, collaboration and integration in construction projects, their use is often limited to the design and tendering/bidding stage. Potential of building information models lies in its implementation during construction, operations and maintenance phases of a facility’s lifecycle. Tight Integration of building information model and physical facility by means of computational resources is required to achieve this potential such that changes in one environment are automatically reflected in the other. This is termed a cyber-adaptive physical systems approach. This research investigates the applicability of a cyber-adaptive physical systems approach in …

Successfully Implementing Net-Zero Engergy Policy Through The Air Force Military Construction Program, D. Gavin Brost

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Government has issued numerous policies aimed at reducing federal facility energy consumption; the most recent, Executive Order 13514, requires that new construction designed after 2020 can achieve net-zero energy by 2030. The policy defines a Zero-Energy Building as one that is designed, constructed, and operated to reduce energy demand to a level which can be offset from sources of renewable energy. This research develops and evaluates a feasibility assessment model based on life-cycle cost. It incorporates geospatial analysis to calculate and summarize input values for all Air Force installations in the Contiguous U.S. A comparative analysis is then …

An Analysis Of Cost Premiums And Losses Associated With Usaf Military Construction (Milcon), Daniel L. Blomberg

Theses and Dissertations

Military construction (MILCON) represents 40% of the federal government's $30 billion construction budget. The federal budget is fixed; therefore, any cost overages likely affect project scope or requirements. This study investigated if MILCON procurement costs more than private industry construction and if so, what causes the cost premiums. A combination of in-depth literature review, expert interviews, a unique case study, expert surveys, and geospatial statistical analysis answered the research question. The case study evaluated two nearly identical projects to determine how internal factors affect MILCON cost premiums. This study confirmed the existence of MILCON cost premiums. Additionally, 11 major cost …