Engineering Commons^™

Analyzing Steel Supply Chain Factors With Analytic Hierarchy Process, Edilberto Urena Jr

Construction Management

The global steel supply chain is a critical component of construction and manufacturing industries. It is a fundamental pillar supporting infrastructure development, economic growth, and technological innovation. However, disruptions in supply, price volatility, and logistical challenges necessitate an in-depth evaluation of key factors affecting the steel supply chain. These uncertainties can pose significant risks to project timelines, cost efficiency and sustainability. This study employes the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision-making approach to systematically rank and prioritize factors influencing the supply chain. A literature review identified critical variables, which are then structured into a hierarchical model after the opinion …

Early Mechanical Coordination For Gateway Decathlon, Benjamin Nunes-Dyer

Construction Management

This senior project focuses on finding an efficient mechanical system for the Gateway Decathlon prefabricated house unit. As a collective group, students working on the project decided to focus on using mass timber for the construction of the housing unit. Over the past year, the layout and design of the housing unit has been in the planning stage. Once drawings were made, the next step was to focus on the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system. Research and professional help allowed for a team of students to come together and design these systems. Choosing the equipment for the mechanical system was …

Case Study: Cal Poly Housing Program (Cphp) - Student Housing Project At California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, Aidan Michael Toole

Construction Management

Full volumetric modular construction is a building technique that involves the off-site prefabrication of three-dimensional modular units, which are later transported and assembled on-site. California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and general contractor, Whiting-Turner, are building new on-campus student housing by utilizing full volumetric modular construction techniques. The buildings will be produced in modules that, when put together, reflect the identical design and intent of a site-built building. This paper will analyze the effectiveness of modular construction on a large-scale project and look at the project cost, schedule, and waste impacts from choosing this approach. The main driver …

Exploration Of Mental Health Stressors And Proposing Interventions Among Heavy-Civil Construction Workers, Enrrique Zarate

Construction Management

The mental health of heavy civil construction workers is an often-overlooked issue. Long hours, job insecurity, physically demanding work, and workplace culture contribute to significant stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges among workers in this industry. This research aimed to assess the mental health conditions of heavy civil construction workers, identify key stressors, and propose effective intervention strategies to improve overall well-being. Using a combination of surveys and interviews, this study gathered both quantitative and qualitative data to gain a comprehensive understanding of workers’ mental health. The surveys provided broad insights into common stressors and overall mental health of …

Cal Poly Gateway Decathlon Workplan: Transportation Development, Jessie A. Santos

Construction Management

This paper outlines a detailed work plan for the transportation logistics of pre-packaged modular home components, developed for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's participation in the 2026 Gateway Decathlon competition. The project focuses on the safe and efficient transport of mass timber panels and associated modular elements from the university campus in California to the competition site in Missouri, utilizing standard packaging procedures. This document details a comprehensive strategy for loading and securing the pre-packaged components, emphasizing a systematic approach to mitigate potential risks during transit. Key aspects of the work plan include a thorough material checklist, a breakdown of …

Cal Poly Gateway Decathlon: Cost Estimation And Planning For A Sustainable Mass Timber Home, George Stasinos

Construction Management

The Gateway Decathlon is an international collegiate competition that challenges university teams to design, build, estimate, and operate innovative and sustainable housing solutions. Cal Poly SLO’s entry to the competition is a mass timber single family home addressing sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate change issues in California. The research of this paper focuses on cost estimation and project planning concerning equipment and labor specifically. The aim is to create a feasible and accurate construction budget. While previous efforts have been conducted on this project, design changes and new scope additions require a comprehensive reassessment of the material, labor and equipment …

Modular Construction And Integrated Project Delivery: Cal Poly Slo’S Student Housing Expansion, Nikita Taktarov

Construction Management

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is addressing the increasing demand for on-campus housing through an innovative modular dormitory project. This project, which adds approximately 4,000 new beds, marks a shift from traditional construction methods to a more efficient and collaborative approach using the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model. Unlike traditional CSU contracts that place most of the risk on contractors, this model promotes shared responsibility between the university, architects, and builders, leading to better cost control and project efficiency. A key feature of this program is the use of prefabricated construction, where building components are assembled off-site and then transported …

Augmented Reality In Construction, Brendan Trinh

Construction Management

This research focuses on how augmented reality (AR) technology could assist construction projects by increasing quality control, efficiency, and collaboration. AR tools, such as Revizto, overlay 3D models into real-world construction sites, allowing the project teams to test installations and discover issues before they occur. This study aims to determine how AR affects project costs, the construction schedule, and quality. To further understand this, interviews were conducted with McCarthy Builders' Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) employees. They discussed their experiences with AR on active job sites, including its benefits, limitations, and potential improvements. Studies from an internship with McCarthy Builders …

An Analysis Of Factors Affecting Retention Of Skilled Trades Workers At Construction Companies, James R. Walsh

Construction Management

Construction trades are going through a difficult time in recruiting right now and have been for the past 5 to 10 years. More tradesmen and women from the baby boomer generation are retiring and the rate of replacement by younger people is not enough to keep the workforce at the numbers that would be ideal for a healthy construction industry. This paper delves into what companies can do to make work a place that employees want to be and aims to provide strategies companies can use to retain a quality workforce.

Cal Poly Construction Spanish Class, Josue E. Basilio

Construction Management

This project develops a Construction Spanish & Communication course for Cal Poly’s Construction Management program to address the growing need for bilingual communication on job sites. The course equips students with essential Spanish language skills for safety meetings, work instructions, and team coordination, improving job site efficiency and inclusivity. Deliverables include a detailed course outline in preparation for the semester conversion, curriculum, course catalog entry, and a first-day lecture presentation. The course blends lecture-based instruction with hands-on activities like role-playing, translation exercises, and real-world simulations. Assessments include scenario-based quizzes, a reflection essay, participation grading, and a final exam to ensure …

Bike Lane Improvement Proposal On Foothill Boulevard, Victor Wan

Construction Management

This project focuses on improving bike lane safety on Foothill Boulevard, a critical commuter route in San Luis Obispo. Outdated and unprotected lanes pose serious risks to cyclists due to high vehicle speeds, faded markings, and a lack of physical separation. This proposal introduces safety improvements, including steel bollards and armadillo humps for protection, high-visibility thermoplastic lane markings, and concrete refuge islands at key intersections. The study evaluates engineering challenges, material selection, installation methods, and cost implications to enhance cyclist safety and promote sustainable transportation.

Effect Of Wall Assemblies On Wi-Fi 6e Signal Strength, Connor C. Borges

Construction Management

This project investigates the signal strength of Wi-Fi signals through different wall assemblies under the new Wi-Fi 6E standard. The project focuses on measuring the signal strength (-dBm) at three distinct frequencies, 6 GHz, 5 GHz, and 2.4 GHz. The 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies serve as a baseline for comparison with the emerging 6E standard. Wi-Fi 6E offers much higher speeds at the cost of high signal attenuation. The primary objective is to analyze how different construction materials impact Wi-Fi signal strength and to provide comprehensive data on wall assembly attenuation. Wi-Fi 6E signals experience significantly greater attenuation …

Drilled Displacement Columns As A Method To Mitigate San Francisco 'Bay Mud', Cole Soderman

Construction Management

This case study investigates the process of drilled displacement columns as a substitute for traditional pile foundations. The setting for the project is in California's infamous 'bay mud' which poses in the form of building settlement. The case study begins with a run down of what drilled displacement columns are compared to traditional pile foundations. To gain a diverse perspective several parties were interviewed on the process of drilled displacement columns. The interviewees include members of the general contractor's team, the subcontractor, and the Owner's Representative. The universal positives were time and materials which result in reducing the price for …

Asphalt Rubber Chip Seals A Cost Effective And Sustainable Solution For Road Infrastructure, Gunnar C. Bertsch

Construction Management

Asphalt Rubber Chip Seals provide a durable, cost effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional paving methods by incorporating recycled waste tires. This study evaluates Asphalt Rubber Chip Seals implementation in Arizona and Michigan comparing its effectiveness to conventional paving approaches and the current applications in California. Variations in state funding for road maintenance significantly impact infrastructure quality and longevity, influencing the choice of paving solutions. ARCS has demonstrated resilience in extreme weather conditions, making it a viable option for expansion to states like Arizona and Michigan, where climate variations pose challenges for pavement longevity. The research assesses construction costs, …

Development Of A Work Plan For The Mass Timber Installation Phase In The Gateway Decathlon, Eduardo Contreras

Construction Management

This project was the development of detailed work plan for the installation of mass timber components in the Gateway Decathlon project, which emphasizes sustainable construction practices aimed at reducing environmental impact. The work plan provides a step-by-step guide for the efficient and safe assembly of structural elements, covering the sequence of tasks, necessary materials and tools, safety procedures, and quality checks to ensure proper execution. By connecting theoretical design concepts with practical construction activities, the plan addresses various logistical challenges encountered during building phases. It highlights the advantages of using mass timber, such as reduced carbon emissions and reliance on …

The Utilization Of Ai To Improve Efficiency In Construction Management, Sam Balestreri

Construction Management

The construction industry is undergoing a technological transformation, with artificial intelligence emerging as a tool to enhance efficiency, communication, and decision-making. However, the industry has been slow to adopt these advancements due to challenges in integrating new technologies with traditional workflows. This research examines the potential of AI to improve construction management by automating processes such as submittal logs and scope of work documents. The study evaluates ProjectEngineer.ai, an AI-powered co-pilot, to determine its impact on workflow efficiency, writing enhancement and precision, and project outcomes. An analysis of AI-assisted document management methods was conducted in CM 411 Specialties Construction Management, …

Assessing Experiences Of Women In Mep Field And Project Management Roles, Lily K. Brown

Construction Management

Despite increased enrollment of women in construction education programs, the industry is not seeing significant gains in the percentages of women, especially in field and project management roles. This study looks specifically at the experiences of women in the Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) sector working in field and project management. Women in different career stages were interviewed to gain perspective on the state and climate of the industry from a woman’s perspective. The interviews were analyzed for recurring themes and three primary themes that emerged were: 1) women see themselves as able to bring about better team synthesis than …

Introduction Of An Industial Construction Topics Course In The Cal Poly Cm Curriculum, Connor N. Merz

Construction Management

The industrial construction sector represents a significant portion of the construction industry, yet it remains underrepresented in many academic programs, including the Construction Management (CM) curriculum at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). This research investigates the feasibility and interest in introducing a dedicated industrial construction elective course to bridge this gap. A student survey was conducted to assess interest levels and determine relevant topics for the course, while an industry interview provided professional insight into necessary competencies. Survey results indicated strong student interest, with 71% expressing a willingness to take the course. The study identified key topics such as …

Comparing The Work-Life Balance And Stress At General Contractors And Cm Agencies, Lucca A. Arcolino

Construction Management

The struggle for a work-life balance has become a significant issue in the construction industry, resulting in personal and organizational challenges. This paper will compare work-life balance and stress between industry professionals working at a CM agency and those at a general contractor. A CM agency is responsible for overseeing the construction project alongside the owner by providing planning, cost estimation, scheduling, and quality assurance. In contrast, the general contractor is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations on-site. A survey was distributed to both types of construction firms to collect data about work hours, work-life balance, stress, and biggest stressors. …

The Application Of Decision Analysis Theory For Space Allocation At The Air Force Institute Of Technology, Damian N. Soriano

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the application of Decision Analysis Theory to optimize space allocation at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Through a Multi-Objective Decision Analysis (MODA) framework, this study addresses existing methodologies for space allocation in military, academic, and office settings; the rules, limitations, and factors influencing space utilization at AFIT; and approaches to improve office and lab allocations for institutional efficiency and fairness. This research incorporates qualitative and quantitative metrics, including faculty and student data, research outputs, and historical space usage. These findings highlight significant complexities in space allocation, particularly in reconciling administrative and research requirements with structural …

Quantum Ghost Imaging Through An Atmospheric Turbulence Simulator, Mikaela R. Morris

Theses and Dissertations

The use of single photons and photon pairs has become a cornerstone for new developments in the sensing and imaging community for their ability to improve image resolution and signal to noise readings in low light environments and large standoff distances. Quantum imaging techniques have an ability to overcome the fundamental limits of classical imaging, like diffraction. Quantum ghost imaging, a specific type of quantum imaging, uses a bi-photon pair produced during the process of spontaneous parametric down conversion to produce an image. The pair is split using a beam splitter, the signal photon is transmitted through an aperture and …

Yolot: A Recurrent Yolo Model For Robust Video-Based Automotive Object Detection, Dylan Jay Baxter

Master's Theses

Though incredibly effective at detecting objects in isolated frames, modern object detection models are often not designed to take advantage of information present in previous frames of a video stream, despite that data being readily avail- able. To address this shortcoming, this paper proposes YOLOT, a modification of the widely used YOLOv8 object detection model, which seeks to utilize this temporal information with the addition of recurrent structures. In the design of YOLOT, a series of recurrent convolutional modules were inserted at backbone and neck outputs and the final and most effective design was found to be the insertion of …

Float Element Design, Bryn Lewis

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

I have spent the last three years as a Design team member of Cal Poly Rose Float, the last year as a Design Lead. As a member of the design team, I followed blueprints, bent pencil steel into shape, and welded those pieces together. I worked as part of a team, and eventually led my own small team. Cal Poly Rose Float teaches its members many skills and abilities. Not just bending and welding metal, but also teamwork and leadership skills. However, it doesn’t teach us everything. Every leadership member gives input on the overall theme and design of the …

Design, Test, And Comparison Of A Photovoltaic Thermal Hybrid Solar Collector Utilizing A Thermosiphon, And Theory And Analysis Of Related Predictive Computer Model, Lance Brown

Master's Theses

Design, construction and testing of a photovoltaic thermal collector, or PVT, was completed to determine efficiency improvements of this system compared to a conventional solar panel and to find the thermal energy gained through hot water storage. Flow, driven by density changes from solar radiation, creates a thermosiphon, moving water without the use of a pump and ultimately drawing heat away from the solar panel. This is done to create a more efficient solar panel as well as decreasing potential damage due to high temperatures. Evaluation of electrical efficiency, thermal efficiency and flowrate allow for comparison between other PVT systems. …

Development Of Ex-Situ Accelerated Chemical Stress Test Protocol For Common Anionic Exchange Membrane Chemistries, Michael D. Friend, Michael D. Friend

Master's Theses

The development of sustainably produced hydrogen fuel (“green hydrogen”) is key for the transition to clean energy sources. Green hydrogen is produced via water electrolysis. As with many clean energy sources, one of the major barriers for scaling water electrolysis is cost. A newer category of water electrolysis is Anionic Exchange Membrane (AEM) water electrolysis. AEM electrolysis systems have the potential to cost less as they do not require the expensive precious metal catalysts the current high preforming Proton Exchange Membrane water electrolysis technologies do. However, AEM lifetimes must be long enough to be cost competitive and AEM chemical durability …

Risc-V Gpu Acceleration On Low-Cost Embedded Systems, Fadi M. Alzammar

Master's Theses

The Vortex project from Georgia Institute of Technology was created to provide an open-source hardware and software GPGPU research platform based on RISC-V. Skybox was introduced as an extension to Vortex to provide dedicated support for 3D graphics rendering acceleration as a complete GPU platform. This work presents contributions to the render output unit of Skybox, including the development of a blend unit, cache bypassing mechanisms, and performance monitoring metrics. With these, Skybox has succeeded in its goal of accelerating graphics rendering on RISC-V platforms. This work also establishes a foundation for adapting Vortex to low-cost embedded platforms such as …

Treating Ground Water For Agricultural And Individual Consumption, Gabby Miller, Bronson Scott, Michael Clawson

Biomedical Engineering

This project, conducted in collaboration with Cal Poly seniors and Da Vinci High School students, aims to develop a solar-powered groundwater purification system. This system is designed to provide clean water for agricultural use and individual consumption, addressing the growing concerns of groundwater contamination and accessibility needs. The final prototype integrates a gravity filtration system combined with chemical purification, utilizing aluminum sulfate and chlorine to remove particulates, bacteria, and organic compounds.

The research phase involved an extensive review of groundwater contamination issues, existing filtration technologies, and market analysis. Key design constraints included cost-effectiveness, ease of maintenance, and minimal energy consumption, …

Tiny Temp Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infant Temperature Monitor, Alexandria Lukacsffi, Sydney Dedrick

Biomedical Engineering

This document outlines the key steps taken in the specification, design, and functionality of the Tiny Temp Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infant Temperature Monitor. The BICEP team identified temperature monitors for infants in incubators in the NICU as an area of need after surveying hospitals in the San Luis Obispo area. Current thermometers are oversimplified in design, consisting of only the temperature probe and a piece of adhesive holding the probe directly onto the infant's skin. As a result, the adhesive is weak to prevent harm to the infant and, therefore, falls off the infant easily and frequently, posing a …

Peripheral Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Pvns) Device For Epilepsy, Logan P. Beckstrand, Alexander P. Crary, Grace E. Heller

Biomedical Engineering

Our research team developed a PVNS for Epilepsy device which is intended to act as a preventative measure against seizures for patients with epilepsy. The device is a less invasive alternative to the VNS device on the market using electroacupuncture at the Shenmen and Xin points along the posterior pinna to stimulate the vagus nerve.

Sprinter Start Block Training Aid, Kayla Lovejoy, Kevin Almontes

Biomedical Engineering

Currently, track and field sprinters ranging from beginner level to world-class have no practical tool that provides quantitative feedback of value on quality of start and quality of the three distinct phases of their sprint race, such that they can quantify the value of their adjustments. Our team will create a device that integrates with the sprint starting block to provide quantifiable data on the quality of a sprinter’s start. This Statement of Work describes drawbacks of current solutions, existing patents, customer requirements, engineering specifications, and our project plan.