Engineering Commons^™

Evaluation Of Ndot’S Sediment Barrier Practices Using Performance Data, Michael A. Perez, Wesley N. Donald, J. Blake Whitman, Brian G. Roche

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

To protect waterways adjacent to construction projects with disturbed land, a 50 ft (15 m) vegetated buffer or equivalent sediment controls are required. However, there is little guidance on the effectiveness of vegetated buffers in removing sediment or how sediment barriers can aid shorter buffers or replace buffers. A modeling methodology was developed and used to determine the performance of 11,664 50 ft (15 m) vegetated buffer configurations with Nebraska conditions; sediment capture averaged 92.6% and ranged from 18.5% to 99.5%. To determine the performance of Nebraska Department of Transportation standard and modified sediment barrier installations, a large-scale testing methodology …

Lemur Enclosure, Joshua Mancio, Justin Krietzberg

Construction Management

Zoo-to-You, a local wildlife conservation zoo, proposed a project to construct a new shelter for their lemurs due to the inadequacy of protection for extreme heat or cold weather of their previous enclosure. With three lemurs in residence, the zoo sought to create a spacious and insulated shelter that would provide protection from the elements while allowing connectivity to the adjacent enclosures. Situated amidst two existing circular cages with a gap in between, the project presented unique site conditions on a concrete slab. The scope of the project encompassed estimating, design, material procurement, build-out, and owner turnover, with the objective …

Taxonomy Of Trust And Maslow’S Hierarchy Of Needsin The Construction Industry, Ann B. Lyons, Vivek Sharma, Shima Clarke

The Professional Constructor

Trust is vital in every facet of life, enabling collaborative efforts and valuing contributions from various individuals. This is particularly true in the construction industry, where teamwork is essential for success. Prior research has consistently demonstrated that heightened trust levels significantly contribute to better project outcomes and increased client satisfaction. Despite its critical role, the construction industry has yet to adopt a structured hierarchical perspective of trust that aligns with its unique demands. This study aims to fill this gap by validating a comprehensive taxonomy of trust specifically designed for the construction sector. Through literature review, this study identifies key …

Student Solutions For Leaf Drying: A Collaborative Approach To Enhance Moringa Production In Ghana, Daniel Desoto

Construction Management

This paper expands on a project that seeks to address the need for an updated mechanical leaf drying system for local farmers in Ghana, Africa. Working with the local organization, Moringa Connect, we were able to connect and identify potential areas of improvement within the current existing system. This project involved aspects of design, fundraising, and the construction of a rotating metal hopper. This hopper was identified as a solution for a crucial pinch point currently seen in the processing of the leaves from a wet stage to the final dry product. The design and construction process had a multidisciplinary …

Computer-Integrated Construction Management With Procore, Vedanth Ashoka, M.G. Matt Syal

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry faces difficulties in managing the enormous amounts of data generated at each stage of a project, impacting project coordination and decision-making. Currently the industry is facing the issue of a lack of interoperability among the multiple software programs being used for different functions. To address this lack of interoperability, there is a need for an integrated environment that allows seamless flow of data between different functions. Among the few software tools that have emerged in recent year, Procore, a cloud-based construction project management software, has emerged as a widely used solution in the industry, enabling collaboration among …

Construction Software: Use, Selection, And Performance In Low-Bid Contracting, David R. Cazares

Construction Management

The qualitative research included in this study evaluates the use, selection, and perceived gaps of current construction software suits in low-bid contracting. In addition, the data aims to provide merit to the correlation between construction software use and company performance. The intended stakeholders of this study include entrepreneurs in software development and construction, along with researchers looking to gather knowledge pertaining to this niche industry. Through a Google Forms questionnaire distributed via email, participants provide insight on the current status quo. The study’s responses show clear trends in the types of software currently in use and the subsequent reasons for …

Integrated Project Delivery (Ipd): A Contractual Framework For The Egyptian Construction Industry, Sarah Hussain

Theses and Dissertations

This abstract highlight the significant findings and contributions of the study, which aimed to develop model clauses specifically tailored to the Egyptian construction industry for multi-party construction contracts. The research methodology encompassed several key components. Firstly, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to explore the various construction delivery methods prevalent in Egypt. This review provided a solid foundation for understanding the existing practices and identifying areas for improvement. The study also delved into the concept of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and its potential benefits as well as an analysis of the commonly used standard forms of contract and successful case …

Opportunities And Challenges Of Generative Ai In Construction Industry: Focusing On Adoption Of Text-Based Models, Prashnna Ghimire, Kyungki Kim, Manoj Acharya

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

In the last decade, despite rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) transforming many industry practices, construction largely lags in adoption. Recently, the emergence and rapid adoption of advanced large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT, Google’s PaLM, and Meta’s Llama have shown great potential and sparked considerable global interest. However, the current surge lacks a study investigating the opportunities and challenges of implementing Generative AI (GenAI) in the construction sector, creating a critical knowledge gap for researchers and practitioners. This underlines the necessity to explore the prospects and complexities of GenAI integration. Bridging this gap is fundamental to optimizing GenAI’s …

Balsa Bridge, Caleb T. Lovett

All Undergraduate Projects

The problem presented throughout this report was to create a small-scale bridge made entirely out of balsa wood and glue, that could withstand substantial force, as well as perform a lifting/lowering cycle. Other requirements associated with the bridge were properties of weight, deflection, size, and shape. This problem presented a challenge that tested the mathematical side of engineering, being strongly reliant on statics, mechanics of materials, and mechanical design analyses.

To approach this problem, the first step was to complete in depth calculations of the chosen design. With this done, manufacturing and assembly was able to be completed. With a …

Project Control System (Pcs) Implementation In Engineering And Construction Projects: An Empirical Study In Saudi's Petroleum And Chemical Industry, Sahar Jawad, Ann Ledwith, Rashid Khan

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

Purpose

There is growing recognition that effective project control systems (PCS) are critical to the success of projects. The relationship between the individual elements of PCS and successfully achieving project objectives has yet to be explored. This research investigates the enablers and barriers that influence the elements of PCS success and drive project objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a mixed approach of descriptive analysis and regression models to explore the impact of six PCS elements on project outcomes. Petroleum and chemical projects in Saudi Arabia were selected as a case study to validate the research model.

Findings

Data from a …

Barriers To The Adoption Of Digitalization In The Construction Industry: Perspectives Of Owners, Consultants, And Contractors, Rawan Al-Omari, Ghaleb Sweis, Waleed Abu-Khader, Rateb Sweis

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Construction organizations are moving toward adopting digitalization in response to Industry 4.0. However, the slow adoption of digitalization has been observed. This study aimed to assess the level of digitalization adoption and evaluate the barriers to adopting digitalization in the Jordanian construction industry by all project parties in the public and private sectors. The study targets were achieved through a structured questionnaire using SPSS software for analysis through the following statistical tests: Normality test, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Most respondents used software at the design stage, and less than half did not use any software …

Highlighting The Key Differences In Project Management When Using Mass Timber: Case Study, Kevin Krueger

Construction Management

Mass Timber or Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is structurally engineered wood designed to be used as the structural components of a building. As the Construction Industry shifts toward using more renewable materials, mass timber becomes more relevant. This paper presents a comprehensive case study focusing on the construction process innovations implemented in a recent mass timber project located in San Francisco. The project involves the construction of a secure facility for a prominent biotechnology company. This research aims to learn the innovative techniques and strategies that contributed to the successful completion of this unique project. Key stakeholders, including the project …

Improving Multi-Crane Planning On Construction Sites, Ali Khodabandelu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Designing the configuration of tower cranes, managing their operations, and coordinating material logistics are intricate processes that wield significant influence over the time, cost, productivity, and safety of construction projects. This complexity stems from the multitude of layout configurations, diverse crane types, varied tasks, and material supply points, all interacting within a dynamic environment. Collisions pose a heightened risk due to overlapping crane areas, further adding complexity to the planning of crane layouts and operations. Optimizing crane layout and operational planning while ensuring safety requires establishing effective connections between tasks, cranes, and material supply locations. Traditionally, research and industry practices …

Synergising Bim And Real-Time Data For Improved Efficiency: An Irish Case Study, Ahmed Hassan, Ankur Mitra, Alan Hore, Mark Mulville

Conference Papers

The evolution of 3D visualisation and the Internet of Things (IoT) presents a substantial opportunity for integrating real-time data with Building Information Models (BIM) to improve its functionality and construction workflow efficiency. Integrating real-time data with BIM can enhance the digital representation of construction buildings’ physical and functional characteristics and provide recordable status of on-site operations. Nevertheless, the integration between Visualisation and IoT technologies with BIM remains in its preliminary stages and faces a myriad of technical and operational challenges. Furthermore, developing advanced solutions to facilitate this complex integration requires a considerable understanding of the viability and feasibility of merging …

Digital Construction Annual Survey 2022 Report, Davitt Lamon, Ted Mckenna

Reports

The Annual Survey 2022 was conducted to assess the state of digital transformation in the Irish construction and built environment sector. This report presents the analysis of survey data, with a focus on implications for the Build Digital project and Build Digital’s five pillars: Digital Leadership & Cultural Change, Digital Standards, Digital Education & Training, Digital Procurement, and Sustainability & Circular Economy. Key findings from the survey indicated that a significant number of organisations have started their digital transformation journey, with many identifying themselves as proactive and possessing a clear business-focused strategy. However, a considerable cohort of respondents are keen …

International Information Management And Bim Best Practice Report, Ted Mckenna, Davitt Lamon

Reports

In order to inform the Digital Leadership and Cultural Change pillar of the Build Digital, a study of international best practice in digital adoption within the built environment sector globally was undertaken and is presented here-in. In order to identify key learnings for Ireland in the context of digital transformation, eight countries were included in this study, namely, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. These countries were selected for various reasons, including the level of digital maturity, the scale of the built environment sector and geographic spread. Key data for each country is included …

Sustainability And Circular Economy Horizon Scan And Needs Analysis, Sadaf Dalirazar, Mark Kelly, Derek Sinnott, James O'Donnell

Reports

The construction industry plays a crucial role in addressing the climate crisis as it is the largest global consumer of raw materials and contributes significantly to global energy consumption and emissions. Considering the world’s continuous population growth and the imperative to address infrastructure and housing demands the construction sector needs to adopt further sustainable strategies in its activities to reduce the pressure on natural resources. In addition, the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector is responsible for generating substantial amount of waste known as Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW), which is projected to increase due to the future construction developments. …

Information Management And Bim Standards And Supports Inventory, Ryan Dempsey, Barry Mcauley, David Burke

Tools

The Digital Standards pillar consists of industry experts who champion the benefits of common rules, guidelines, and workflows that facilitate the improvement of information flow and information management across asset life cycles. Digital standards provide a common language that can be translated to technical specifications enabling clients, designers, contractors, and facilities managers, irrespective of their preferred tools, to communicate efficiently and reduce cost, rework, and disputes. Working closely with the Digital Procurement and Digital Education and Training pillars, this pillar is developing and delivering Irish Information Management/BIM (Digital Construction) guidelines for the sector.

This report summarises existing digital construction standards, …

Industry Colloquium Report, Robert Moore

Reports

In the ever-evolving landscape of the construction industry, digital transformation has emerged as a pivotal force reshaping the way projects are conceived, executed, and delivered. This transformation, fuelled by cutting-edge technology and innovative practices, holds the promise of greater efficiency, sustainability, and collaboration within the construction sector.

This report offers a comprehensive summary of the Build Digital Project colloquium. It provides actionable insights and recommendations for clients, supply chain partners, and for prioritisation within the Build Digital Project pillars. As the industry partners seek to build a more efficient, sustainable, and collaborative construction sector, understanding and harnessing the invaluable insights …

Skills Matter – Up-Skilling Across Construction Stakeholders For Emerging Roles, Avril Behan, Paul Mccormack, Barry Mcauley

Conference Papers

The EU’s Climate Target Plan To 2030 (European Union 2020b) of achieving at least 55% reduction in Green House Gas emissions from 1990 levels, delivering towards a climate-neutral economy by 2050, requires systems-level change in the way we design, construct, and operate our built assets. Funding initiatives, such as co-ordinated by BUILD UP Skills, aim to deliver upskilling to the market but targets set by the European Skills Agenda may not be reached at current achievement levels. This paper presents the results of one completed and the progress of one ongoing Horizon 2020 funded project, BIMcert and ARISE, respectively. Learning …

Analysis Of The Impact Of Covid-19 On Construction Cost And Schedule Overruns, Nikhitha Adepu

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The construction industry, renowned for its dynamic nature, encountered unprecedented uncertainties throughout its history. However, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic served as a powerful catalyst, underscoring the urgent need for a deeper comprehension of the challenges it introduced and their potential implications for the industry's future. While numerous studies have explored this topic, a comprehensive understanding of the specific factors that disrupted the construction sector during the pandemic remains elusive. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study identifies, categorizes, and ranks these challenges, while also proposing effective management strategies to mitigate their detrimental impact on construction projects. To lay …

Analyzing The Labor Shortage In The Construction Industry And The Best Practices To Increase Worker Satisfaction, Cade Batchman

Construction Management

The construction industry is facing a significant labor shortage, which has far-reaching implications for the industry and the economy. This paper explores the causes of the shortage and the practices being implemented to address it. Economic changes, technological advancements, union/open shop dynamics, educational shifts, and the industry's image all contribute to the shortage. The economic rebound from the 1980s recession and the lack of new entrants into the field have created a demand-supply gap. Additionally, slow adoption of technology and the perception of construction work as physically demanding and risky have deterred potential workers. The decline in union membership has …

Construction Semantics And Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (Gpt) Language Models, Ankur Mitra, Ahmed Hassan, Mark Mulville

Articles

The article explores the impact of ChatGPT, a powerful language model developed by OpenAI, on the construction industry. ChatGPT, with its ability to provide contextually accurate responses to a wide range of queries, has the potential to enhance safety, scheduling, and knowledge dissemination in construction. While it shows promise in tasks like hazard recognition and project scheduling, the article emphasizes the need for cautious optimism and human oversight. The construction industry could benefit from ChatGPT's digital assistance to boost productivity and address skills shortages, but it is essential to recognize the value of human expertise alongside AI advancements.

Dg Pathway For City Farm Slo, Kieran Barker

Construction Management

City Farm SLO is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to empower the next generation to live healthier, more prosperous lives through sustainable agriculture and farm-based education. Located in San Luis Obispo on the outskirts of San Luis Ranch, City Farm SLO’s latest project known as “A Garden for All” aims to create a fully accessible garden that can serve all the students in the community they serve. A key part of this project is the pathway connecting the various garden elements which were previously not accessible to wheelchairs and susceptible to water damage and flooding during rain …

Storage Shed Construction For Local Charity, Veda Maisie Guillermo

Construction Management

This paper presents a project of the successful construction of a storage shed for Taproot Charities, a non-profit organization based in Templeton, California that aims to support young women furthering their education in Uganda. The project aimed to provide a storage solution for the organization's supplies and materials. The planning phase considered the available donated materials to determine the shed's dimensions and design features. This paper highlights the methods and materials used to build a storage shed and emphasizes the importance of communication during the construction process. During the construction process there were several weather-related project schedule setbacks which were …

Development Of The New Hasslein Caed Collaborative, Catie Dines

Construction Management

This paper outlines the development and execution of the new Hasslein CAED Collaborative student competition which engages students of all five majors in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design in a Request for Proposal style competition. CAED houses students studying Architecture, Architectural Engineering, City and Regional Planning, Construction Management, and Landscape Architecture. There is little opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration within the CAED, despite our future career paths being heavily intertwined. This competition followed research by Greta Stout, class of 2022, on the benefits and support of interdisciplinary collaboration at Cal Poly SLO in CAED. The competition is named after …

Tehachapi Mountain Trail Association – Trail Bridge Construction, Michael Bowman

Construction Management

The Tehachapi Mountain Trail Association is a nonprofit organization which operates 32 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails year-round. The 650-acre property is located in the foothills above Tehachapi, CA and offers local residents and enthusiasts from around the area an area to exercise and enjoy nature. TMTA is able to operate through yearly memberships that allow the association to hold insurance as well as continue to maintain and build new trails year-round. After completing a separate project for TMTA in Winter 2022 for CM 420 Construction Service Learning, the President, Brandon Griffiths approached me with the idea of …

Case Study: Uplifting The Interest Of Santa Maria High School Students Into The Construction Industry, Juan Zacarias Jr

Construction Management

The central coast of California, has not been a historically proclaimed region that produces large construction projects. The area is well known for other industries, such as the agriculture industry. It is an area that continues to grow interest and persuade these high school students into. Over the years, construction has been growing in the area and can be perceived through the development projects happening in the Central Coast region. Various general contractors have made a move into the central coast looking into expanding their company. This can potentially generate various employment opportunities. This qualitative case study aims to examine …

Construction Panel Discussion At San Luis Obispo High School, Morgan P. Conway

Construction Management

Jake Ornellas and Morgan Conway conducted a panel discussion during the “tutorial” session on Monday, May 22, 2023, in the San Luis Obispo High School theater with three guest speakers, asking them questions about their respective organizations, then opening the floor for students to ask questions. Jake Ornellas and Morgan Conway also distributed flyers to students which included information about the organizations discussed and a survey to gauge student interest. This project was designed to expose high school students to opportunities they have in the construction industry as well as to create a connection between Cal Poly Construction Management and …

Construction Panel Discussion At San Luis Obispo High School, Jake T. Ornellas

Construction Management

The senior project idea for conducting a panel discussion presentation at San Luis Obispo (SLO) High School during a tutorial period was completed by Jake Ornellas and Morgan Conway. This paper provides details on the entire process of reserving a tutorial session at SLO High School, contacting and coordinating with trade representatives and university faculty, and executing the group panel discussion. The purpose of the project was to share and inform local high school students with the information regarding what careers in the different construction industry branches look like and what opportunities are there. The goal of this project was …