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2021

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Articles 6811 - 6840 of 9983

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Cal Poly Wind Power - Blade Pitching System, Jenna Hartley, Ben Santos, Willie Bass Mar 2021

Cal Poly Wind Power - Blade Pitching System, Jenna Hartley, Ben Santos, Willie Bass

Mechanical Engineering

The Cal Poly Wind Power club (CPWP) has sponsored our senior project team to design and implement a system to dynamically pitch the blades of their prototype horizontal-axis wind turbine. A blade pitching system can improve a turbine’s efficiency under certain operating conditions and prevent failure under extreme wind speeds. To ensure reliable control, the pitching system must be able to pitch quickly and accurately. Turbine efficiency can be improved by a pitching system with low power draw and low inertia about the rotor axis. The turbine is subjected to static and dynamic loading occurring due to changing aerodynamic forces, …

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The Time-To-Graduation Problem (Survival Analysis For Education Outcomes), Don R. Hush, Tushar Ojha, Wisam Al-Doroubi Mar 2021

The Time-To-Graduation Problem (Survival Analysis For Education Outcomes), Don R. Hush, Tushar Ojha, Wisam Al-Doroubi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Technical Reports

This report provides a comprehensive treatment of the time-to-graduation (TTG) problem. The goal of this problem is to make predictions about the time it takes for a student to graduate from a particular institution. We develop a complete mathematical description of the TTG problem which includes data synthesis models that reveal details of the problem that are often hidden or overlooked in the literature. This report explores two vastly different approaches to this problem, including detailed algorithmic descriptions and practical examples where specific solution methods are applied to both synthetic data and real UNM student data. The first approach is …

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Design And Implementation Of Kawaii Robots By Japanese And American University Students Using Remote Collaboration, Dave Berque, Hiroko Chiba, Michiko Ohkura, Midori Sugaya, Peeraya Sripian, Tipporn Laohakangvalvit Mar 2021

Design And Implementation Of Kawaii Robots By Japanese And American University Students Using Remote Collaboration, Dave Berque, Hiroko Chiba, Michiko Ohkura, Midori Sugaya, Peeraya Sripian, Tipporn Laohakangvalvit

Computer Science Faculty publications

This paper describes our approach to the design and implementation of virtual Kawaii robots and spaces by Japanese and American university students using remote collaboration. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to change our planned 7-week collaboration from in-person to virtual with a resultant change in the target product of our collaboration from real robots to virtual robots. Based on our new plan, students designed virtual spaces with robot pairs, proposed evaluation items for the robot pairs, evaluated their designs, and analyzed the results. The students designed each robot pair with the goal that one robot would be more …

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Wg2An: Synthetic Wound Image Generation Using Generative Adversarial Network, Salih Sarp, Murat Kuzlu, Emmanuel Wilson, Ozgur Guler Mar 2021

Wg2An: Synthetic Wound Image Generation Using Generative Adversarial Network, Salih Sarp, Murat Kuzlu, Emmanuel Wilson, Ozgur Guler

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

In part due to its ability to mimic any data distribution, Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) algorithms have been successfully applied to many applications, such as data augmentation, text-to-image translation, image-to-image translation, and image inpainting. Learning from data without crafting loss functions for each application provides broader applicability of the GAN algorithm. Medical image synthesis is also another field that the GAN algorithm has great potential to assist clinician training. This paper proposes a synthetic wound image generation model based on GAN architecture to increase the quality of clinical training. The proposed model is trained on chronic wound datasets with various …

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Los Angeles Homeless Epidemic - An Analysis Of Proposition Hhh, Howard T. Duong Mar 2021

Los Angeles Homeless Epidemic - An Analysis Of Proposition Hhh, Howard T. Duong

Construction Management

Passed in 2016, Proposition HHH is a $1.2 billion bill hoping to curb the homelessness epidemic that is rising in the city of Los Angeles with the newly added construction of 10,000 supportive housing units. This study serves to analyze and detail the homelessness epidemic in the Los Angeles Area, familiarizes the reader with how Proposition HHH funding works together with developers, as well as some of its shortcomings to date so far. To garner additional research, a survey was performed with a sample size from both the developers engaged with Proposition HHH and residents of the product in order …

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Field Welding Repair Of Heavy Equipment, Phil Akahori Mar 2021

Field Welding Repair Of Heavy Equipment, Phil Akahori

Construction Management

Welding repairs of heavy equipment in the field can vary in levels of success. This can be due to the high strength steels used in the manufacture of heavy equipment implements that require special metallurgical considerations. Repair difficulties can be further compounded by the limitations of tooling typically found on a construction site and schedule commitments. Overloading or excessive impacts can cause damage to the bucket teeth of an excavator or bulldozer rippers. A shop could perform a proper repair but that increases cost and takes precious time. A successful repair of these items done out in the field can …

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How Green Buildings Effect Both Price And Desire In The Real Estate Housing Market, Bryson Lino Mar 2021

How Green Buildings Effect Both Price And Desire In The Real Estate Housing Market, Bryson Lino

Construction Management

There has been a recent emphasis on green building certification. Unlike other conventional building approaches, green building has emerged as a sustainable way of building in the real estate housing market. As a result of the green building revolution, the real estate developers have been prompted to acknowledge the essence of environmental and social factors on the investment properties’ value. It is through such a paradigm shift that the green building has redefined the real estate business. Given that climate change has emerged as a major global issue, interventions have been made to avert the emission of high levels of …

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The Use Of Virtual Reality In Construction Safety Training, Matthias S. Guegler Mar 2021

The Use Of Virtual Reality In Construction Safety Training, Matthias S. Guegler

Construction Management

The emergence of virtual reality has seemingly limitless possibilities in the construction industry. One of the most significant applications of this technology in construction, is its use in virtual reality safety training, as it allows for more immersive and retainable training programs. Construction VR training programs have been developed to allow workers to train in a safe working environment and develop the necessary skills in recognizing hazardous jobsite situations. The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness and potential of virtual reality construction training as it compares to traditional industry training through attitudinal research. To this end, a …

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Net-Zero Homes, The Homes Of The Future, Primo Guseppi Facchini Mar 2021

Net-Zero Homes, The Homes Of The Future, Primo Guseppi Facchini

Construction Management

Net-Zero homes are the homes of the future (Holmes, 2018). What makes Net-zero homes unique is they rely on solar power, opposed to all standard housing that relies on the power grid. These homes use solar instead of other forms of energy generating technology because it is more affordable and better for the environment. California has blazed the trail for the rest of the United States and the world to follow with their Net-Zero housing proposition. Starting January 2020 California will require all residential buildings to be net-zero homes. Net-Zero homes are important because it is no secret that our …

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Indispensable Homes In Third World Countries: Constructing A Home In Tijuana, Mexico, Myles Hubers Mar 2021

Indispensable Homes In Third World Countries: Constructing A Home In Tijuana, Mexico, Myles Hubers

Construction Management

This project was created to explore a way in which poverty around the world could ultimately be reduced. The way in which this project intends to demonstrate a method used to reduce poverty is by building a home for a specific family in Tijuana, Mexico. In doing so, this home will act as a model home for a manual, comprised of steps that should be taken to construct similar homes throughout any third world country. The goal of this project is to highlight the importance of poverty in the world while also creating a buildable solution in order to reduce …

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The Effects Of Covid-19 On A Commercial Construction Company: A Case Study, Dylan Reynolds Mar 2021

The Effects Of Covid-19 On A Commercial Construction Company: A Case Study, Dylan Reynolds

Construction Management

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021 resulted in many states issuing stay-at-home orders and closing businesses. In some states, construction was deemed essential and allowed to remain open. Dempsey Construction, Inc. is a Southern California commercial construction company that was permitted to continue operation with the exception of a brief lockdown in March and April of 2020. Despite being permitted to remain open, the company had to face many direct and indirect challenges resulting from the worldwide pandemic. In addition to schedule adjustments, daily cleaning on jobsites and in the office, and increased material prices and lead times, Dempsey …

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The Effects Of Waste Marble Powder On Sustainable Concrete, Jeremy S. Tennesen Mar 2021

The Effects Of Waste Marble Powder On Sustainable Concrete, Jeremy S. Tennesen

Construction Management

Sustainability has been growing consistently more popular in construction, with projects introducing innovative ideas to build greener every year. One material that has not experienced many innovations since emerging in building use is concrete. The reason behind this could be the chemical process of curing concrete being unique compared to most materials. While concrete can be broken down into some of its original components, water, cement, and admixtures used are not retainable. This makes it difficult to recycle the material, and the aggregates recovered from recycling also experience a loss in strength. With admixtures being involved in most concrete mixes …

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Best Practices For Bridge Crane Implementation And Installation: A Case Study, Sterling D. Treloar Mar 2021

Best Practices For Bridge Crane Implementation And Installation: A Case Study, Sterling D. Treloar

Construction Management

Overhead Cranes, which are more commonly referred to as bridge cranes, provide a substantial amount of flexibility with respect to the user’s ability to move material and heavy equipment throughout a factory or manufacturing facility. Oftentimes, the client is not aware of the benefits of implementing bridge cranes rather than using mobile gantry cranes. The client may not be aware of the benefits of bridge crane installation occurring at the beginning of a project or in fact, including it in the initial design of the project, rather than considering it in the middle of the project. This case study will …

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Wood Post And Non-Climb Fencing Construction For Hoofstock Pasture, Jessica Miller Mar 2021

Wood Post And Non-Climb Fencing Construction For Hoofstock Pasture, Jessica Miller

Construction Management

This paper covers the planning, site clearing and construction of a new 7,100 square foot hoofstock pasture for the nonprofit group Conservation Ambassadors at their Northern campus in Weimar, California. The project involved planning the layout of the new pasture based on the owner’s preferences for pasture size, material type and location as well as removing several old pre-existing posts to prepare for the new fence to be built. New two-foot deep post holes were dug and the four-inch diameter, eight-foot long wood posts were leveled and set in concrete. Horizontal H-braces and cross brace tension wire were added to …

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Paso Robles Police Department Outdoor Training Facility Improvements - Phase 1, Zachary T. Stellini Mar 2021

Paso Robles Police Department Outdoor Training Facility Improvements - Phase 1, Zachary T. Stellini

Construction Management

This paper outlines the pre-construction and construction of the 24,300 square foot Paso Robles Police Department outdoor training facility improvements. The project focuses 12,000 square feet of the total site with improvements that include earthwork and new concrete flatwork. This project is group project with Gavin Abraham and Nic Petri that is broken up into 3 phases, this paper will primarily focus on the phase 1 which includes grading and excavation. The purpose of this project was to provide the Paso Robles Police Department with a modern, functional facility that allows its officers to be better equipped to protect the …

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Case Study: Infection Control On The Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Emergency Room Expansion And Remodel Project, Daniel E. Romero Mar 2021

Case Study: Infection Control On The Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Emergency Room Expansion And Remodel Project, Daniel E. Romero

Construction Management

California hospital and healthcare projects typically involve California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Department (OSHPD) which is governed by the state of California and the Fire Marshal. Along with OHSPD as the governing organization, healthcare and hospital projects often must incorporate infection control practices. The Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Emergency Room Expansions and Remodel project incorporated infectious control practices. Qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews of the project management team along with primary and secondary sources. The tools and practices used on this project included negative air machines, temporary walls with sound barriers, zip walls with fire rated …

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Sustainable Bus Stop: Design & Pre-Construction, Nadov O. Rader Mar 2021

Sustainable Bus Stop: Design & Pre-Construction, Nadov O. Rader

Construction Management

The objective of this project is to design and prepare to build a sustainable bus stop for the City of San Luis Obispo (SLO). Compiled are pre-construction plans and documents for delivery of a sustainable bus stop. All pre-construction services include: project budget/estimates, construction plans and specifications including architectural and electrical plans, timeline/schedule, and materials lists. With a strong focus on sustainability, the design incorporates the use of photovoltaic panels as a form of renewable energy to power features of the sheltered bus stop. This includes a light fixture and a pump to use collected rainwater to nourish native vegetation …

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Common Issues Of Compliance With Personal Protective Equipment For Construction Workers, Alexandra N. Gattuso Mar 2021

Common Issues Of Compliance With Personal Protective Equipment For Construction Workers, Alexandra N. Gattuso

Construction Management

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is an essential component to the safety of workers on construction jobsites. Construction is ranked one of the most dangerous industries to work in, with the highest reports of fatal work injuries. For this reason, it is required that construction employees wear PPE to keep them safe during work. Despite this requirement, many workers neglect to wear PPE, exposing themselves to high risk of injury and death. A survey was conducted on thirty-three (33) construction workers in California to gain a better understanding of issues with PPE and reasons for non-compliance. The survey found that only …

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Industry Perceptions On Public Sector Construction Delivery Methods, Evan Mccollough Mar 2021

Industry Perceptions On Public Sector Construction Delivery Methods, Evan Mccollough

Construction Management

The public construction sector in the United States has predominantly used the traditional delivery method, also known as design-bid-build, to obtain and deliver projects. Accurately assessing the direction of the public construction sector must include analysis of the emergence of Public-Private Partnerships (P3) and alternative delivery methods. P3 projects in the United States are relatively new, an emerging trend from the late 2000s as an innovative way to utilize private capital to finance public projects, beyond a typical bond sale. Alternative delivery methods refer to any project award or management arrangement other than the typical design-bid-build, lump sum, competitive bidding …

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A Case Study On The Capacity And Competitiveness Of Small-Sized Contractors On The Central Coast Of California, Lev S. Garcia Mar 2021

A Case Study On The Capacity And Competitiveness Of Small-Sized Contractors On The Central Coast Of California, Lev S. Garcia

Construction Management

The market conditions in which small-sized construction firms in California compete can be significantly influenced by the regional location of their projects. This research paper reviews a qualitative case study executed through semi-structured interviews with two construction firms on the Central Coast of California. Through gaining the perspectives of two companies, one that recently grew into a medium sized company and one that is small-sized, this case study aims to identify market characteristics that influence small-sized companies’ abilities to compete on the Central Coast. The case study indicates that competition between existing companies, the threat of new arrivals, the cost …

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Residential Bathroom And Tile Shower Addition During Covid-19 Quarantine, Joseph Szillinsky Mar 2021

Residential Bathroom And Tile Shower Addition During Covid-19 Quarantine, Joseph Szillinsky

Construction Management

This paper outlines the design and construction of a new code compliant bathroom including: a low profile shower pan, ceramic-tile shower enclosure, and new plumbing piping and fixtures. One of the main objectives was to complete the new shower which would be easily accessible and maintenance free in order to support a local elderly couple. The selection of this project took place during the COVID-19 pandemic approximately nine months after California issued the first mandatory statewide Stay-at-Home Order. During the early design and development stages an opportunity to collaborate with a local trades-person was identified as well as the need …

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Comparing The Environmental Impacts Of Using Mass Timber And Structural Steel, Khang Hoang Nguyen, Steelee Knight Morgan Mar 2021

Comparing The Environmental Impacts Of Using Mass Timber And Structural Steel, Khang Hoang Nguyen, Steelee Knight Morgan

Construction Management

Although mass timber has seen a gradual rise in demand in the past, there has been a lack of extensive research on the environmental impacts of using mass timber as a primary structural framing material. This paper compares structural steel, and mass timber’s total embodied carbon emissions. Accurate estimates were made using plans and specs for different projects retrieved from semi-structured interviews. The estimates were input through the EC3 Calculator to provide extensive total carbon emissions measurements between each construction material. Using structural steel framing increased the project’s overall environmental impact by roughly 84% compared to using mass timber. The …

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Subcontractor Claim Management And Dispute Resolution Methods In The State Of California Versus The Province Of British Columbia: A Case Study, Harrison A D Grant Mar 2021

Subcontractor Claim Management And Dispute Resolution Methods In The State Of California Versus The Province Of British Columbia: A Case Study, Harrison A D Grant

Construction Management

In the construction industry, discordance between what is expected versus what is delivered often arises. This disparity is commonly handled using informal negotiation. However, if negotiations fail, then claims and disputes often emerge. Issues involving scope of work, change orders, schedule, and payment can lead to conflicts. Companies try to employ the best alternative dispute resolution method to settle subcontractor claims and disputes without the need for litigation. Speaking with construction professionals in California and British Columbia, a difference in opinion exists as to which method is considered most effective when dealing with subcontractor claims and disputes. In California, the …

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Bilingual Training Course For Redwood Residential Fence Company, Adriana Bernabe Martinez Mar 2021

Bilingual Training Course For Redwood Residential Fence Company, Adriana Bernabe Martinez

Construction Management

The Hispanic population has been increasing in the US over the past twenty years, and made up 42.9% of the construction workforce in 2018 (Data USA, n.d.). Because of this population increase, it’s expected that 1 in 4 persons will be of Hispanic descent by the year 2050 (Canales, 2009). Due to this increase, many language barriers exist that can create serious issues in construction. Language barriers cause productivity to decrease and increase concerns for the workers’ safety. Although OSHA trainings are available in Spanish, the opportunity to take these courses vary from company to company and it is rare …

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Risk Management In Response To Covid-19: Comparative Case Study, Justin Hong Mar 2021

Risk Management In Response To Covid-19: Comparative Case Study, Justin Hong

Construction Management

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of the construction industry. Construction industry members such as owners, developers, subcontractors have experienced varying degrees of impacts because of COVID-19. It is important for companies to adopt risk management strategies to mitigate risk and reduce potential injuries. Due to new rules and regulations mandated by the government, companies had to change the way they operate. This comparative case study focuses on how the pandemic has affected large and small residential companies and compare the risk management strategies set in place by different companies. It was determined that most residential companies were not …

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Schedule Efficiency Associated With The Tilt-Up Construction Method: A Case Study, Jake A. Barron Mar 2021

Schedule Efficiency Associated With The Tilt-Up Construction Method: A Case Study, Jake A. Barron

Construction Management

Tilt-up is an efficient method of project delivery that is best suited for large, flat projects such as commercial warehouses and distribution centers. The hypothesis is that this method of casting wall panels on site, and then tilting them upright, allows for certain unique activity sequences which could provide faster project completion. In order to prove this theory, analysis of two tilt-up projects completed within a mile of each other by the same contractor, and assessment of their schedules, will provide insight into the specific tasks that allow for better delivery speed. This methodology paired with interviews of team members, …

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Possible Use For Recycled Disposable Face Masks In Concrete, Lauren Douglas Mar 2021

Possible Use For Recycled Disposable Face Masks In Concrete, Lauren Douglas

Construction Management

Disposable face masks are one of many single use products that are detrimental to the environment. The construction industry has been introducing new ways to incorporate recycled products into their materials. This paper addresses one possible way to use more environmentally friendly materials in the construction industry. 16 concrete cylinders were prepared using 4x8 forms. The mix was manipulated to test the impact of incorporating varying levels of disposable shredded face masks. Compressive strength and workability were measured in these cylinders. Eight cylinders were prepared for the control batch. Four cylinders were prepared using 10 oz. of shredded face masks …

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Coded Caching In The Presence Of A Wire And A Cache Tapping Adversary Of Type Ii, Mohamed Nafea, Aylin Yener Mar 2021

Coded Caching In The Presence Of A Wire And A Cache Tapping Adversary Of Type Ii, Mohamed Nafea, Aylin Yener

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper introduces the notion of cache-tapping into the information theoretic models of coded caching. The wiretap channel II in the presence of multiple receivers equipped with fixed-size cache memories, and an adversary which selects symbols to tap into from cache placement and/or delivery is introduced. The legitimate terminals know neither whether placement, delivery, or both are tapped, nor the positions in which they are tapped. Only the size of the overall tapped set is known. For two receivers and two files, the strong secrecy capacity–the maximum achievable file rate while keeping the overall library strongly secure–is identified. Lower and …

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Adaptive Kriging Method For Uncertainty Quantification Of The Photoelectron Sheath And Dust Levitation On The Lunar Surface, Xinpeng Wei, Jianxun Zhao, Xiaoming He, Zhen Hu, Xiaoping Du, Daoru Han Mar 2021

Adaptive Kriging Method For Uncertainty Quantification Of The Photoelectron Sheath And Dust Levitation On The Lunar Surface, Xinpeng Wei, Jianxun Zhao, Xiaoming He, Zhen Hu, Xiaoping Du, Daoru Han

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents an adaptive Kriging based method to perform uncertainty quantification (UQ) of the photoelectron sheath and dust levitation on the lunar surface. The objective of this study is to identify the upper and lower bounds of the electric potential and that of dust levitation height, given the intervals of model parameters in the one-dimensional (1D) photoelectron sheath model. To improve the calculation efficiency, we employ the widely used adaptive Kriging method (AKM). A task-oriented learning function and a stopping criterion are developed to train the Kriging model and customize the AKM. Experiment analysis shows that the proposed AKM …

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Bs News March/April Mar 2021

Bs News March/April

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

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