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Building Services Engineering September/October 2026

Building Services Engineering

This issue of Building Services Engineering explores Ireland's net-zero transition, highlighting AI data centre liquid-cooling innovations, critical energy infrastructure updates, ASHRAE and CIBSE safety insights, commercial heat pump selections, decarbonising elevators, and examples of engineering innovation and leadership across the building services sector.

Electricity Generation From Hydro, Wind, Solar And The Environment, Olumide Towoju, Oluwatoyin Oladele

Engineering and Technology Journal

Human actions such as electricity generation are contributory causes of climate change. In a quest to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases associated with electricity generation from fossil fuels, the world is turning to renewables. Renewable sources, however, also do have an impact on the environment. Likewise, renewable electricity generation is also dependent on the climate. Hydro, Wind, and Solar are the popular renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. This work reviews the impact of these renewables in electricity generation on the environment. It also considers the effect of climate change on its use. The construction of renewable …

Can I Be An Engineer? Factors Influencing Women’S Decisions To Pursue Undergraduate Engineering Studies In The Middle East And North Africa, Rasha Malaeb, Elsa Maalouf, Aya Mouallem, Jana Sabra

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), different institutional and cultural factors seemingly play a significant role in influencing women’s decisions to enroll in undergraduate engineering programs. In this work, we aim to uncover key influences that affect young women’s decisions to pursue undergraduate engineering studies in Lebanon, an Arab country in the MENA region. First, we conducted a survey during a student-led engineering summer program in 2024 at the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at the American University of Beirut. The survey participants were 47 high school female students from diverse regions and backgrounds in Lebanon. …

Designing An Interactive Exit Ticket System To Enhance Learning In Engineering Education, Tapanga Witt

McNair Scholars Manuscripts

Within Grand Valley State University's (GVSU) Padnos College of Engineering, many first-year Engineering courses consistently see pass rates below 70%, signaling a need for stronger academic support. This is an issue across many universities; students are underprepared and face a lot of challenges with workload, pace, and independence due to the transition from high school to college (Flanigan, 2024). For this project, I designed and developed a website-based exit ticket system to support student reflection and instructor feedback. Using UX design principles, the platform offers a weekly self-reflection form that recommends resources like tutoring, office hours, or study groups. Gamification …

Spectrophotometric Device For Early Malaria Detection, Adrian Wasylewski, Christopher Faber, Victor Lin

Honors Thesis

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, with millions of cases reported annually, particularly in resource-limited regions. Timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and disease management. Unfortunately, there are still significant challenges in existing testing procedures, which are often expensive, inaccurate, or impractical for mass testing. While spectrophotometry has been proposed as a detection tool for other tropical diseases such as dengue fever, no prototype has been made for any disease, including malaria. This report addresses this gap by presenting a spectrophotometric-based malaria detection tool that achieves high sensitivity at a low cost. The inclusion of a …

Clpfudatabase: A Suite Of R Packages For Energy Conversion Chain Analysis, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Zeke Marshall, Emmanuel Aramendia

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Energy flowing through societal energy conversion chains (ECCs) enables economic activity and facilitates human flourishing. To understand economic growth and human well-being, the field of societal energy analysis (Common, 1976) evaluates ECCs from the primary stage (resources extracted from the environment, such as coal, oil, natural gas, wind, and solar), to the final stage (energy purchased by consumers, such as refined petroleum and electricity), to the useful stage (energy desired by the end user, such as heat, motion, and light), and sometimes to energy services (such as thermal comfort, transport, and illumination). Societal exergy analysis (SEA) (Ertesvåg, 2001), an extension …

Understanding Patient Profiles In Sickle Cell Disease Using Unsupervised Machine Learning, Raj Kamal Somavarapu

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is one of the most prevalent genetic blood disorders affecting millions of people worldwide. It is often accompanied by acute and/or chronic pain leading to increased healthcare costs and adverse outcomes. Effective management of SCD requires an understanding of the diverse physiological profiles. This study employs unsupervised machine learning, specifically K-means clustering to categorize the patients suffering with SCD into different clusters based on their vital signs. The main aim is to identify the groups that reflect similarities in physiological and pain profiles, allowing an in-depth analysis to reveal distinctive features distinguishing patient clusters. The project …

The Experience Of Women In Engineering Apprenticeships | A Scoping Review, Joy Herron, Brian Bowe, Richard Gallery, Una Beagon

Research Papers

This scoping review aims to synthesise the existing literature on the experience of women in engineering and trade apprenticeships, discuss the common themes and highlight areas for future research. Apprenticeships are not only required to address the current skills shortage in the engineering profession which threatens to impede our ability to deliver on our sustainability goals and restrict economic growth they are also a proven pathway for women to enter engineering programmes. Despite growing social and political interest in increasing gender diversity in the workforce, data shows that women remain significantly underrepresented in engineering apprenticeship programs.

Data-Driven Strategies For Pain Management In Patients With Sickle Cell Disease, Swati Padhee

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This research explores data-driven AI techniques to extract insights from relevant medical data for pain management in patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). SCD is an inherited red blood cell disorder that can cause a multitude of complications throughout an individual’s life. Most patients with SCD experience repeated, unpredictable episodes of severe pain. Arguably, the most challenging aspect of treating pain episodes in SCD is assessing and interpreting the patient’s pain intensity level due to the subjective nature of pain. In this study, we leverage multiple data-driven AI techniques to improve pain management in patients with SCD. The proposed approaches …

Advancing An Integrative Perspective Of Identity In Engineering Education (Chapter 9), James L. Huff Ph.D., Monique S. Ross Ph.D.

Faculty Research and Publications

Existing research has used identity as a theoretical construct to help us understand a wide array of phenomena, such as engagement and persistence in engineering. By understanding the personal, social, and sociocultural forces that operate in the developmental processes of an individual, we understand how they come to make sense of who they are. Further, we come to learn how they position themselves in relation to what it means to be an engineer. However, identity research in engineering education has supported a diffuse set of theoretical perspectives that do not organically coalesce. This chapter advances an integrated conceptualization of engineering …

Biogeography Of Functional Traits And Fire Regimes In Oak Species (Quercus) Across The United States, Ashley Selee

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis is submitted in the form of two chapters. The first chapter encompasses background research, a literature review, important information, as well as motivation for our study. This first chapter provides insight into fire ecology, functional traits, and context about Quercus. The second chapter is written as a standalone paper for submission to the journal of Global Ecology and Biogeography, thus this second chapter can be read and understood independently of the first chapter. The study of biogeography is a discipline encompassing a species distribution across varying ecosystems in space and time. Biogeography allows for the synthesis of large-scale …

Amplifying New Voices And Making Space For Alternative Knowledge Systems In Engineering Curricula – The Example Of Ubuntu, Anita Occhio, Fiona Caroline Saunders, Gladson Chikwa, Dawn Theresa Nicholson

Practice Papers

Engineering projects are ubiquitous; from developing COVID-19 vaccines to building new cities and developing climate change solutions. An inclusive approach to teaching engineers how to master the complexities of engineering project management is vital to the deliverability of sustainability and net zero initiatives (Hockings 2010). Yet, our engineering curricula remain deeply rooted in Western epistemology (Winter et al. 2022, Mbembe 2015). Arguably, this is an opportune time to consider decolonising our curricula. At a fundamental level, ‘decolonising the curriculum’ means introducing previously ignored voices, images, authors, theories and arguments into our teaching (Rogers et al. 2022). This is a challenge …

Economic Feasibility Analysis Of Variable-Speed Pumps By Simulating 15 Multiple Water Distribution Systems, Conrad B. Truettner, Brian D. Barkdoll

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The UN Sustainability Goals address measures to reduce environmental pollution. Water distribution systems (WDSs) use electric energy, which pollutes the atmosphere through, at least partly, the burning of coal. This study simulates, through modeling, variable-speed pumps (VSPs) on 15 different real WDSs on the network solver EPANET and analyzes the payback period. An algorithm is introduced here to select the optimal pump speed pattern to save the most energy while satisfying the constrain of sufficient pressure at all times and all locations. It was found that five of the 15 systems operated unsuccessfully using a VSP, due to the VSP …

The Production Of Epistemic Culture And Agency During A First-Grade Engineering Design Unit In An Urban Emergent School, Heidi B. Carlone, Alison K. Mercier, Salem R. Metzger

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Primary school practices are often bound by traditions that perpetuate compliance and skills-based, decontextualized, rote memorization activities. These histories of practice, prevalent in schools serving mostly Black and Brown children, make it inordinately difficult for students to author themselves as knowledge builders (i.e., with epistemic agency), which is a form of injustice. Engineering is a potentially fertile context to support the creation of epistemic culture, whereby young students’ assets are recognized, named, and leveraged as they create and shape the group’s disciplinary knowledge. The authors investigated this potential. The primary research question was: How do first-grade students in an urban …

Building Services Engineering May/June 2021

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News March/April

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Arab American Women In Engineering: How Did Their Culture Influence Their Achievement?, Iktimal Bia Hamed

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This body of research examined the Arab American culture and its impact on women who studied the male-dominated major of engineering. Through a qualitative approach, women born and raised in an Arab American home unpacked their experiences since childhood that made them who they are today. The 10 female Arab American participants shared how they made it through and successfully completed their major in engineering. This study focused on engineering, since there has been little to no growth in women who major in this male-dominated subject. This research examined how the participants’ parents, extended family, friends, community, and both K-12 …

Rees/Aaee Special Focus On Ethics: Introduction By Guest Editor, Shannon Chance, Shannon Chance

Articles

Today, more than ever, we see the significance of ethics in developing and sustaining the built, social, and natural environments around us. We also recognise the need to develop engineering students’ knowledge, skills, and values regarding engineering, innovation, design, production, and the like. Engineers’ actions can have intended as well as unintended consequences, and we as a community need to become more aware of the outcomes and implications of our work. In response to the many topics presented at the REES 2019, the REEN Board selected ethics as the focus for this special issue and joined with AAEE to publish …

Bs News November/December

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News September/October

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Promoting The Sustainable Utilization Of Groundwater Resources In Ethiopia Using The Integrated Groundwater Footprint Index, Xinyu Lin

Honors Scholar Theses

The country of Ethiopia is highly vulnerable to human-caused climate change and is already suffering from the effects. The predominately rural population relies heavily on small-scale agriculture, with 78% of households having at least one member engaged in the field, yet staple crops are highly susceptible to droughts and other weather shocks. Total and agricultural GDP growth in the country have been strongly linked to inter-annual rainfall variability, of which Ethiopia has among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. A decrease in rainfall since the 1970s has been one of the primary causes of low crop yields, and stresses the immediate …

Irrigation Design In Montana: Accommodating Varying Water Accessibility Across The Continental Divide., John Garrett Lampson

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The design work performed in this project was conducted over two summers (2018, 2019) of internship experience with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) across the state of Montana. The first summer’s design work was based out of Glendive, MT, in Dawson County, approximately 50 kilometers from the North Dakota border. The second summer was in Missoula, MT, in Missoula County, near the Idaho border. The two areas differ significantly in topography, weather, and water availability with the main separating geographic influence being the Rocky Mountains.

This paper focuses on the design process and requirements for two farms located outside …

An Assessment Of Renewable Energy Technology Implementation In Storrs, Connecticut: Emissions Reduction And Feasibility Of A Microgrid System At Uconn, Sophie Macdonald

Honors Scholar Theses

The purpose of this project is to design a clean energy-sourced microgrid for UConn’s main campus that would reduce the university’s energy emissions while remaining within the geographic boundaries of viable UConn-owned land. Economic cost was not considered in this analysis; instead, emissions and space constraints were the optimized measures of value and feasibility. Sources of energy that were considered include photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, hydrokinetic systems, and fuel cells. Energy storage capacity was included in the analysis as well. The overall system was optimized first by ignoring space constraints and for a minimum of 10% reduction from the current …

Assessing The Grit And Mindset Of Incoming Engineering Students With An Emphasis On Gender, Inês Direito, Shannon Chance, Emanuela Tilley, John E. Mitchell

Conference papers

Engineering programs can be very demanding, particularly in the first years where students encounter new forms of highly challenging coursework. To better prepare and support students, educators must acknowledge non-academic factors, such as the role of self-beliefs and personal attributes. Education research suggests that students are more likely to give up and disengage from their studies when they lack grit or assume a fixed mindset. Previous studies suggest that female students are generally grittier but less confident when compared to male students. This paper presents the initial work of an ongoing study to explore self-confidence and motivations to study engineering …

Assessing The Grit And Mindset Of Incoming Engineering Students With An Emphasis On Gender, Ines Direito, Shannon Chance, Emanuela Tilley, John Mitchell

Conference papers

Engineering programs can be very demanding, particularly in the first years where students encounter new forms of highly challenging coursework. To better prepare and support students, educators must acknowledge non-academic factors, such as the role of self-beliefs and personal attributes. Education research suggests that students are more likely to give up and disengage from their studies when they lack grit or assume a fixed mindset. Previous studies suggest that female students are generally grittier but less confident when compared to male students. This paper presents the initial work of an ongoing study to explore self-confidence and motivations to study engineering …

Identification Of Phase-Based Key Performance Factors And Their Best Practices In Construction Projects, Mohammadreza Habibi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Delay and cost overrun in construction projects are two widespread problems arousing practitioners’ and scholars’ concerns as poor time and cost performance lead construction projects to failure. It is estimated that more than half of the construction industry’s projects encounter significant cost overruns and major delays, resulting in the industry having a tarnished reputation. Despite the attempts of numerous researchers to identify key performance factors, their results have been inconsistent. Most of the literature has focused solely on the construction phase budget and time overruns; the engineering/design and procurement phase costs and schedule performances have been rarely studied. Therefore, the …

Infographic: Lessons Learned From Successful Black Male "Buoyant Believers" In Engineering And Engineering-Related Fields, Leroy L. Long Iii, William Wanyagah

Publications

Infographic about lessons learned from successful black male "buoyant believers" in engineering and engineering-related fields.

Steam In Arabia, Troy Bickham

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

In late 2014 Texas A&M University at Qatar, which is a small branch campus focusing on engineering, launched its own STEAM initiative. Its goals are to better integrate the liberal arts into the engineering curriculum and to demonstrate the relevance of the arts to STEM-based education and research. What follows is a description of the initiative and the reception it has received.

Farewell Bruce Bishop | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Oct. 31, 2015 – For Bruce Bishop, a cozy retirement is still a ways off. On his last official day of work in June, the former dean and professor of civil engineering was waist deep in activities at the Water Lab and taking on a new project to showcase the College of Engineering across South America.

African American Female Engineering Students' Persistence In Stereotype-Threatening Environments: A Critical Race Theory Perspective, Stacie Lesure Gregory

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

African American women are grossly underrepresented in engineering. Despite their low representation in engineering colleges, some are able to persist and earn their degrees. This qualitative study sought to better understand the strategies 10 African American women employed to help them remain resilient in engineering degree programs. For this investigation, there was an underlying assumption that African American women who persist in engineering must contend with stereotype threat. Stereotype threat is a psychosocial phenomenon in which people in stigmatized social categories fear confirming negative stereotypes about their group.

Ten African American female women who have persisted in engineering degree programs …