Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Beyond Sustainability: The Contractor’S Role In Regenerative System Design, Rebecca Mirsky, Anthony Songer

Construction Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Current business models employ the concept of the triple bottom line to integrate three aspects of sustainability into the organizational process: economic growth, environmental protection and social equity. This concept is evolving toward a regenerative design approach that promotes a triple "top" line, moving accountability to the beginning of the design process by assigning value to a variety of economic, environmental and social factors. There is an increasingly important need for proactive participation from the construction community in this new generation of sustainability efforts. Otherwise, there will be a widening gap between design and construction, in which the contractor role …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Embodied Co2eq In Buildings Towards A Sustainable Building Design And Construction, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy, Biswajit Basu

Conference Papers

Research studies have shown that the initial energy embodied in a building can be as much as 67% of the operational energy over a 25 year period. With growing global concerns over material and resource consumption and the emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, the energy embodied in buildings constructed in town and cities becomes important and one of the key issues that needs to be tackled in the design stages in order to strive towards sustainable buildings design. In this paper, a hybrid embodied carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) methodology used to assess the CO2eq embodied in buildings is presented. …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Hot Mix Asphalt Longitudinal Joint Evaluation, Annette Porter

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Longitudinal joints are the portion of the road where two lanes meet and are formed because the lanes are paved at different times. Longitudinal joints tend to be the weakest portion of the roadway, and yet few regulations exist to control their quality. Currently, Arkansas specifications for asphalt pavement do not include any requirements for the measurement of joint quality. The purpose of this research project is to determine the most effective method for evaluating longitudinal joints in hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavements. Most of the literature concerning longitudinal joints focuses on density as the determining factor of quality because density …

Housing Market Outlook: San Luis Obispo, Ca And Surrounding Area, Gabe Randall, Scott D. Kelting

Construction Management

Starting between 1999 and 2000, national home prices began a period of unprecedented growth, increasing at a pace more than 8 times their annual average until peaking in early 2006. National home prices appreciated over 100% on average during the 6 year period before declining 27% from 2006 through Q4 2008. Markets across the sunbelt, namely Florida, Southern California, and Arizona saw prices appreciate as much as 180 % from 2000 to their peak in 2006; these areas have also declined the fastest and hardest, falling as much as 50% and boasting the highest foreclosure rates in the country.

Case Study In Implementing A Service-Learning Class In A Construction Management Curriculum, Philip L. Barlow

Construction Management

Service-learning is a pedagogical approach which gives the students an opportunity to develop professional and social skills in concert with learning and reflecting on curricular material. This is achieved through a student’s active participation in a meaningful community service project, open and interactive reflection, formal class lectures, and discussions. This case study discusses the results of implementing a pilot service-learning undergraduate class in a state university construction management program. The course was offered as a two-credit hour voluntary technical elective in the Spring quarter of 2008. The organization of this study first puts service-learning into context by giving a brief …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

An Economic Analysis Of Military Family Housing: Should The Government Continue To Privatize?, Chad A. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Providing military family housing has always been a difficult task for the United States government. To solve the latest housing short fall, the government signed the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) into law in 1996. Under this program the government contracts private developers to build, own, and operate housing units. The developer then collects rent through housing allowance payments. At the time MHPI was signed into law, military members were expected to pay 15 percent of their housing costs out of pocket. Subsequent legislation has increased housing allowance to provide 100 percent of all housing costs eliminating out of pocket …

The Utilization Of Light Gauge Steel In Residential Construction On The State Of Utah, Matthew Zaugg Perkins

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis researched why light gauge steel framing members are not used more in single-family residential construction. A survey was designed to extract information from licensed contractors in Utah on uses of light gauge steel framing members in residential homes. The purpose of the research was to discover what Utah builder's perception was concerning light gauge steel framing. Also, the researcher tried to learn a little about the contractors to see if there was a correlation between contractors that used light gauge steel and those that did not. Names of licensed general building contractors and residential contractors and their contact …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Construction Contractor Performance Evaluation System, Rebecca S. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

A rigorous system for rating construction contractor performance does not exist for the USAF as identified by the Air Force Civil Engineer (USAF CE), Major General Del Eulberg (Eulberg, 2007). The United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) uses DD Form 2626 for contractor performance evaluation and contractor selection. The objective of this research is to strengthen the USAF contractor rating system by exploring USACE‘s use of DD Form 2626. Using data from DD Form 2626, statistical analysis was conducted to determine if the measured performance sub-items reflect their respective performance elements, whether the resulting performance elements relate to the …

A Condition Assessment Approach For Buildings, Sally Maher Naguib El-Gizawy

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Future Scenario Of Creating A Digital Sme Community In The Irish Construction Industry, Alan V. Hore, Roger West, Alan Redmond

Conference papers

The problems associated with the Construction Industry not being able to manage and com-municate electronically product and project data between collaborating firms and within individual companies is compounded by the large number of small companies that have not adopted advanced Information Com-munication Technology (ICT). The typical nature of the service provided in construction, being an on-site and often highly customised service are generally identified as the reason for the low ICT uptake. The majority of Irish companies in the construction sector are Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs). As eBusiness opens up the Irish economy to international competition Irish SMEs …

A Flexible Web Based Learning Tool For Construction And Surveying Students Using Building Information Modelling And Laser Scanning, Maurice Murphy, Garrett Keenaghan, Eugene Mcgovern, Sara Pavia

Conference papers

Teaching and training construction and surveying students using computer simulations of buildings although recently developed is not new. In the case of this project a novel aspect is introduced through applying advanced recording and building modelling techniques developed in the Faculty of the Built Environment in the Technological University of Dublin. In summary this learning software uses parametric objects representing intelligent building components which are brought together virtually by the student to create or form an entire building. The library of parametric objects contain the real world geometry, texture and specification of building parts allowing the student to virtually analyse …

Structural Behaviour And Analysis Of A Steel-Concrete Balcony Bracket, Sean Carroll

Theses

For commonly used moment connections, such as the various types of beam to column endplates, a large amount of information in relation to testing data and suggested design methods exist. Engineers can use this information to safely design such connections. When developing new and unique types of connections however, usually no prior testing information is available to engineers due to the unique design. At the present time, the most effective method of designing and developing any structural element or connection is through testing. Testing and detailed analysis of the results gives factual information on the behaviour of the structure, which …

Creating A Software Marketplace For The Sme Community In The Irish Construction Industry, Alan V. Hore, Roger West, Alan Redmond

Conference papers

The Construction Industry is a sector where Information Communication Technology (ICT) and e-Business are used to a lesser extent than in most other sectors. The high concentration of Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the industry and the typical nature of the service provided, being an on-site and often highly customised service are generally identified as the reason for the low ICT uptake. The majority of Irish companies in the construction sector are SMEs. E-Business has provided the construction SME industry the opportunity to compete globally. The Construction IT Alliance (CITA) has identified a programme that can create a …

Icpma Knowledge Management Centre – Sharing Knowledge In The International Construction Project Management Community, Louis Gunnigan, Wilhelm Reismann

Conference papers

In 2007, The International Construction Project Management Association (ICPMA) established a Knowledge Management Centre (KMC) the objective of which is to share experiences of construction project management amongst academics and practitioners across the globe. A strategy for the KMC was developed and a number of areas were identified as being relevant to the members of the international construction project management community. This paper examines the development of the KMC to date and establishes the achievements to date. The difficulties encountered in the development of the KMC are identified and the causes of these difficulties established. The plan for the future …

Creating A Digital Sme Community In The Irish Construction Industry, Alan V. Hore, Roger West, Alan Redmond

Conference papers

The Construction Industry is a sector where ICT and e-business are used to a lesser extent than in most other sectors. The high concentration of SMEs in the construction industry and the typical nature of the service provided in construction, being an on-site and often highly customised service are generally identi-fied as the reason for the low ICT uptake. The majority of Irish companies in the construction sector are SMEs. It is essential that Irish companies become more effective and efficient with eBusiness technologies in order to compete in the global economy. The Construction IT Alliance in Ireland has identified …

Quantity-Based Cost Forecasting System For Street Construction Projects, Nipesh Pradhananga

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Construction projects typically are not withdrawn after going into the competitive bidding process. The decision of contracting authorities regarding which projects will proceed to the bidding stage depends, in part, upon the early estimates of probable cost. Efforts are made to make this estimate as realistic as possible. Irrespective of the estimate of probable cost, the actual project cost is established by the amount of the winning bid.

This study analyzed historical bid data of street construction projects undertaken by the Public Works Department, Clark County, Nevada, from 1991 through 2006. The focus of this study was on utilizing statistical …

Thermomechanical Modeling And Optimization Of Friction Stir Welding, Manthan Malde

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis research implemented an existing thermomechanical model of friction stir welding process, and studied the surrogate model-based optimization approach to obtain optimal process parameters for the modeled friction stir welding process. As an initial step, the thermomechanical model developed by Zhu and Chao for friction stir welding of 304L stainless steel was replicated using ANSYS. The developed model was then used to conduct parametric studies to understand the effect of various input parameters like total rate of heat input, welding speed and clamping location on temperature distribution and residual stress in the workpiece. With the data from the simulated …

Neck Muscles Activity And Upper Body Extremity Angles In Dynamic Overhead Lifting, Mohamed Wassim Mokrani

LSU Master's Theses

Injuries of the neck and shoulders are common among workers who perform overhead tasks. In order to develop an injury-free working environment with regards to occupational musculoskeletal stress, it is pivotal to understand the pathophysiology of mechanical stress on the musculoskeletal system. The objective of this research was to study the effect of overhead lifting on the sternocleidomastoid and upper Trapezius muscles. Upper body joint angles were also analyzed using APAS during the overhead lifting. This study was conducted using two devices. The set of equipment incorporates an electromyography device, and the APAS. Two electrodes were placed at the muscle …

Laser Assisted Friction Stir Welding: Finite Volume Method And Metaheuristic Optimization, Shivani Daftardar

LSU Master's Theses

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state joining process that uses a non-consumable rotating welding tool to generate frictional heat at the welding location. Large forces are required to produce friction between the welding tool and the work piece which increases the wear rate of the welding tool in welding materials with high melting temperature. Several different approaches have been developed to address this problem. This thesis focuses on a new modification of friction stir welding, called Laser Assisted Friction Stir Welding, a process developed in the last decade. This process uses laser energy to preheat the work piece …

Hearing Assessment Of Forest Loggers, Antonio A. Fonseca

LSU Master's Theses

Forest logging is the process in which trees are cut down for forest management and/or timber harvest. According to OSHA, logging is the most dangerous occupation in the United States. It consistently represents one of the most hazardous industries, with a fatality rate more than 21 times higher than the rate for all workers in the United States. Yet, little research has been performed to determine the long term effect of noise on forest loggers. OSHA regulations state that the maximum permissible hearing in an 8 hour shift should not exceed 90 dB. Occupational noise exposure is recognized as a …

Assessing The Accuracy Of Task Time Prediction Of An Emerging Human Performance Modeling Software - Cogtool, Oluwakemi Damilola Adio

LSU Master's Theses

There is a need for a human performance modeling tool which not only has the ability to accurately estimate skilled user task time for any interface design, but can be used by modelers with little or no programming knowledge and at a minimal cost. To fulfill this need, this research investigated the accuracy of task time prediction of a modeling tool – CogTool - on two versions of an interface design used extensively in the petrochemical industry – DeltaV. CogTool uses the KeyStroke Level Model (KLM) to calculate and generate time predictions based on specified operators. The data collected from …

Effects Of Physical And Mental Tasks On Heart Rate Variability, Satya Anasuya Paritala

LSU Master's Theses

Demands at work are associated with an increased risk of cardio vascular diseases, but little is known about its underlying connection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of physical and mental tasks that induced stress, on Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Another aim was to observe the trends in subjective workload ratings in conjunction with the physiological response of the heart and also to assess the comfort level of the participants while wearing the heart rate monitor and performing tasks. Heart rate was recorded while at rest and while performing the tasks. Subjective workload ratings were obtained …

Filterpave Systems, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

The need for hard-surfaced porous pavements has grown over the past few years as the market accepts PPS technology as a viable solution, as regulations leave few other options and as frequency of use increases. The FilterPave system is a unique porous pavement system that uses post-consumer recycled glass as the open-graded aggregate. Approximately 90 glass beverage bottles are used in just one square foot of pavement, making constructive use of abundant recycled materials that are traditionally sent to the landfill and used as daily cover.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Measuring Performance Of Innovative Pavement Features, Wayne Jensen, Zhigang Shen, Cody Kluver

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Faculty Publications

The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) conducts annual examinations of the state's interstate and federal highway pavements. During these examinations, numerous indicators of pavement performance are measured directly or compiled from parameters recorded by a vehicle passing over the pavement section. Parameters are documented and analyzed for each one-tenth mile pavement segment. Seven sections where innovative features have been incorporated into the pavement were selected by the NDOR for comparison to nearby conventional pavement sections. This study used various parameters recorded by the NDOR as well as field observations to compare the performance of seven pairs of pavement sections. Each …