Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

National Association Of Home Builders' Residential Construction Management Competition Guidebook, Eric Angelo Bet

Construction Management

With today’s universities, especially Cal Poly, stressing the concept of “Learn by Doing” to prepare students for successful careers, case competitions are gaining popularity and prestige amongst recruiters. By working well in team settings and showcasing one’s knowledge in front of a panel of industry judges, case competitions give students great undergraduate experience and confidence once they begin their full-time careers. One of these case competitions is the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Residential Construction Management Competition (RCMC). The NAHB RCMC asks students to create a fully-encompassing development proposal on a real-world site located in the United States. This …

Case Study Analysis Of Improving Productivity Rates For Self-Perform Concrete, Johnny Mcdermott

Construction Management

Productivity is one of the most important aspects of a successful construction project, especially if the work is self-performed and not sub-contracted out to another contractor. Usually the success of a project is directly correlated to how well the production has been throughout the course of the job. Often when a project manager notices their job is not doing well and not making their target profits or man-hours, productivity is usually the answer to that problem. This paper will examine the different ways and methods of tracking production that was used by Overaa construction. The focus of this study is …

Journeyman International: Hut2hut, Rwanda, Faith E. Johnson

Construction Management

This report details the project titled Hut2Hut, completed through the nonprofit humanitarian design organization, Journeyman International. Hut2Hut is a housing project designed to provide lodging for tourists backpacking through Rwanda. The structure is designed to house up to eight people. Features include an enclosed bunk space, a kitchen with basic appliances, wood-burning fireplace, collapsible wall-deck system to open up the living space to the outside, and two main outdoor deck spaces. The building will provide an affordable alternative to the more expensive resorts in Rwanda and aims to connect the visitors to the site and local culture. The proceeds will …

Quantifying The Impact Of Truck Only Lanes On Vehicular Emissions On A Limited-Access Highway, Edward Chee Tang

Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to estimate CO₂ emissions on a portion of the U.S. 101 highway in San Luis Obispo County before and after construction of a truck only lane on the Cuesta Grade. Towards that aim, the microsimulation software, VISSIM, was used in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency’s emissions model, MOVES. The microsimulation model was calibrated and validated against historical and present traffic volumes obtained from Caltrans with good results using several validation measures. It was found that CO₂ emissions did decrease between 1998 and 2012 (pre and post lane addition), but this effect was shown to …

Evaluation Of Pc-Based Virtual Reality As A Tool To Analyze Pedestrian Behavior At Midblock Crossings, Kristina Lynn Mai

Master's Theses

The aim of this research was to analyze if current generation PC-driven virtual reality simulations can be used to accurately mimic and therefore, observe behavior at a crosswalk. Toward that goal, the following research tasks were carried out: a) Designing a 3D virtual crosswalk and recruiting volunteers to wear the HTC Vive headset and to walk across the street, b) Setting up cameras near the midblock crosswalk on University Drive at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo to observe pedestrians, and c) Comparing pedestrian behavior data from both the virtual and real midblock crosswalk. The comparison was based on …

Estimating Transit Ridership Patterns Through Automated Data Collection Technology: A Case Study In San Luis Obispo, California, Ashley Kim

Master's Theses

Public transportation offers a crucial solution to the travel demand in light of national and global economic, energy, and environmental challenges. If implemented effectively, public transit offers an affordable, convenient, and sustainable transportation mode. Implementation of new technologies for information-harvesting may lead to more effective transit operations. This study examines the potential of automated data collection technologies to analyzing and understand the origin-destination flow patterns, which is essential for transit route planning and stop location placement.

This thesis investigates the collection and analysis of data of passengers onboard San Luis Obispo Transit buses in February and March 2017 using Bluetooth …

Modular House Revival, Kevin Chiang, Spencer Dilley, Sarah Dowthwaite, Trevor Houghton, Ryan Lefebvre, Michele Leung, Cameron Lober, Chris Martinez, Katie Mayer

Architectural Engineering

The Modular House, located in Poly Canyon, has seen extensive damage since the last caretaker left nearly ten years ago. To prevent further damage and improve the safety and appeal of the structure, we are proposing a renovation of the existing building that removes the existing cladding and partitions. By the end of Spring Quarter 2017, the Modular House will have a guardrail system replacing the wood paneling on the walls and a new steel composite deck to replace the current flooring system. The structural steel framing system will remain as is.

Taruc: A Topology-Aware Resource Utility And Contention Benchmark, Gavin Baker, Chris Lupo

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Computer architects have increased hardware parallelism and power efficiency by integrating massively parallel hardware accelerators (coprocessors) into compute systems. Many modern HPC clusters now consist of multi-CPU nodes along with additional hardware accelerators in the form of graphics processing units (GPUs). Each CPU and GPU is integrated with system memory via communication links (QPI and PCIe) and multi-channel memory controllers. The increasing density of these heterogeneous computing systems has resulted in complex performance phenomena including nonuniform memory access (NUMA) and resource contention that make application performance hard to predict and tune. This paper presents the Topology Aware Resource Usability and …

Temperature Effects On The Swelling And Bentonite Extrusion Characteristics Of Gcls, James L. Hanson, Nazli Yesiller, Everett P. Allen

Civil and Environmental Engineering

This investigation was conducted to evaluate effects of temperature on swelling and bentonite extrusion properties of GCLs. The swelling characteristics were determined using standardized test procedures and extrusion characteristics were determined using a new test method developed by the authors. Tests were conducted on a conventional medium-weight woven/nonwoven GCL. The range of test temperatures was 2 to 98°C (swelling tests) and -5 to 100°C (extrusion tests). The extrusion tests were conducted under stresses between 100 and 400 kPa and moisture contents between 50 and 150%. Temperature had significant effects on both swell and extrusion. The swell index ranged from 21 …

An Analysis Of The Benefits In Estimating At Different Pipe Union Labor Rates, A.J. Chamorro

Construction Management

This paper is an analysis of the costs and benefits of estimating at different union labor rates, based on the location of the project and which jurisdiction the project falls in. The basis of the research is a case study of a Bay Area mechanical contractor (Contractor X) which previously estimated at a single labor rate, and recently developed variable estimating. Through that case study, best practices are developed for union pipe trade estimating. The results of the case study show that estimating protocol should be determined on a project by project basis, and company resources and manpower have to …

Aei Student Design Competition: Texas Tech Sports Performance Facility, Jacob G. Kockrow

Construction Management

The AEI Student Competition is an annual event that pushes students in the disciplines of engineering and construction management to collaborate and demonstrate creative solutions to the challenges presented. This year, the competition is focused on the new Texas Tech Sports Performance Sports Facility located in Lubbock, Texas, where they tore down the existing building and are in the process of completing the new facility. Instead of recreating the plans given, we designed a brand new building to meet the project requirements, which included a $48 million budget and a 34-month construction duration. As the Construction Manager for the project, …

Roman Catholic Elementary Photovoltaic Project, Joe Gugale

Construction Management

The use of photovoltaic panels in construction is rapidly growing all around the world. This paper summarizes the findings of a student-based project in Belize that was installed December 2016. The San Pedro Roman Catholic Primary School is the largest school on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize with over 700 students in 22 classrooms ranging from Kindergarten to 8th grade. Although the school has power supplied from the local electrical utility, power outages occur frequently and the cost of electricity is considerable.

The project had several issues related to preparing the design, acquiring the materials and equipment, and developing …

Implementing A Working Bim Model Halfway Through A Public Cm Multi-Prime Project: A Case Study, Jim Roth

Construction Management

The development of a BIM (building information model) model is a standard practice in today’s construction world. While the process of model adoption nearly has a written formula, implementing a BIM model in the midst of a project is a rare occurrence. This paper will examine the implementation of a working BIM model halfway through a public multiple prime contractor project managed by a construction manager (CM) in California. The project cost is roughly $20 million and of moderate complexity. This paper will outline the factors leading up to the ultimate decision of creating a working model, the process of …

Investigation Into Feasibility Of Off-Grid Small Dwelling In Slo County, Sam Labberton

Construction Management

The trend towards green, sustainable living has grown more and more in the housing industry each year since before the turn of the century; solar in the last decade alone has grown by 60% (http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-industry-data). Living on a grid that runs on unclean sources of energy already has led us into an environmental disaster some call irreversible. This paper takes a detailed look into the feasibility of a small, off-grid, dwelling that utilizes modern technology in order to live more modestly. In conjunction with great advancements in solar technology along with energy storage such as deep cycle lead-acid batteries, on-site …

Tidal Energy And How It Pertains To The Construction Industry, Armin Latifi

Construction Management

Renewable Energy is on the forefront of many global discussions. The concern of numerous scientific findings on the impact humanity has had on the environment has grown in recent years. Since alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind, have already made substantial progress, I have decided to focus my attention on tidal energy specifically. This topic will serve as the main focus of this essay. Within this essay, I will examine how tidal energy pertains to the construction industry through four distinguished chapters: (1) What kind of tidal technology exist and what does the construction aspect of these tidal …

Case Study: Laborer Safety Training For Small To Mid-Sized General Contractors, Shawn Kuehter

Construction Management

The purpose of this study is to determine a relationship between safety spending and the resulting safety records for small to mid sized construction companies, particularly general contractors, and build on existing safety practices. It will shed light on why safety spending in construction is a very important aspect to include in any company’s budget. A case study of Quiring General, LLC, a small to mid sized general contractor based out of Fresno, CA will be the core of this paper as it includes examples of injuries of laborers and their impact they have. The impact focused on in this …

Photovoltaic System Installation In Belize, Austin J. Stewart

Construction Management

California Polytechnic State University’s National Electrical Contractors Association Student Chapter (NECA) was selected by the ELECTRI Council to take part in its Student Passport Initiative program, through which participants engage in meaningful service-learning experiences in developing communities. The team was tasked with the design and construction of a photovoltaic system for San Pedro Roman Catholic Primary School in San Pedro, Belize, with the purpose of enabling the school to achieve carbon neutrality with respect to utility grid power consumption. The team of five students collaborated primarily with two professors, two alumni, and an accomplished electrical contractor from Belize to perform …

Value Of Prefabrication Of Fire Sprinkler Components In The Fire Sprinkler Industry, Matt Fisher

Construction Management

Every day the construction industry is looking for new ways to improve time efficiency and project profitability. Companies in the past have tried value engineering and schedule crashing to save time and money. As the industry continues to grow and innovate, new concepts are being applied. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is one of these ideas that has made a large impact in the construction industry. BIM is a digital 3D modeling system that allows the user to create a complete rendering of a construction project complete with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing integrated into the model. With this model a prospective …

In-Plane Shear Wall Performance As Affected By Compressed Earth Block Shape, Steven Ellis Ambers

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the in-plane shear performance of full-scale walls made from compressed earth blocks. Compressed earth blocks are a type of masonry where the blocks are composed of compressed soil and typically dry-stacked without mortar. Prior research has demonstrated that the in-plane shear strength of these blocks falls far short of capacities predicted by conventional masonry building codes, requiring new testing to develop effective and safe designs for seismic conditions. This thesis specifically studies the effects of block type and the use of grouted shear keys at the block head joints.

Three full-scale walls were constructed and tested under …

The Effect Of Biocomposite Material In A Composite Structure Under Compression Loading, Benjamin Andrew Sweeney

Master's Theses

While composite structures exhibit exceptional strength and weight saving possibilities for engineering applications, sometimes their overall cost and/or material performance can limit their usage when compared to conventional structural materials. Meanwhile ‘biocomposites’, composite structures consisting of natural fibers (i.e. bamboo fibers), display higher cost efficiency and unique structural benefits such as ‘sustainability’. This analysis will determine if the integration of these two different types of composites are beneficial to the overall structure. Specifically, the structure will consist of a one internal bamboo veneer biocomposite ply; and two external carbon fiber weave composite plies surrounding the bamboo biocomposite. To acquire results …

Advances Of Cone Penetration Testing In Earthquake Engineering Applications, Robb E.S. Moss, R. Moffat

Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Cone Penetration Test (CPT), because of its precision, accuracy, and utility has been increasingly used in earthquake engineering applications in the last decade. This paper provides a brief survey of recent advances in applying the CPT to; liquefaction triggering, post-liquefaction deformations, cyclic failure of clays, dynamic slope stability, and seismic site response. In granular soils the continuous CPT measurements of tip and sleeve resistance are well correlated with the engineering properties of relative density and friction angle. In clay soils the CPT tip resistance is directly proportional to the undrained shear strength. CPT measurements are ideal for weak or …

Enhancing Capacity And Managing Demand To Increase Short-Term Throughput On The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, Kevin Reid Carstens

Master's Theses

While there are many proposals for fixing congestion between San Francisco and Oakland in California by adding a new bridge or tube, these solutions will take decades to implement even though a solution is needed now. This thesis assesses sixteen different strategies for reducing congestion in the short-term in the four categories of improving transit, promoting carpooling, implementing intelligent transportation systems practices, and incentivizing alternatives to using the Bay Bridge. Top priorities include HOV improvements on the West Grand Avenue and Powell Street onramps, altering WestCAT Lynx and BART transit services, partnering with rideshare apps to increase transit station accessibility …

Determination Of Seismic Earth Pressures On Retaining Walls Through Finite Element Analysis, Michael Iannelli

Master's Theses

Seismic pressures on displacing or rigid retaining or basement walls have been derived based on the original work of Mononobe and Okabe, who used a shake table to calculate dynamic pressures of displacing retaining walls existing in cohesionless soils. Since this original work was done over eighty years ago, the results of Mononobe and Okabe, colloquially known as M-O theory, have been applied to different conditions, including non-displacing basement walls, as well as changes in soil properties. Since the original work of M-O, there have been numerous studies completed to verify the accuracy of the original calculation, most notably the …

Lap Splice Development Length Of Rebar In Stabilized Hollow Interlocking Compressed Earth Blocks, Thomas S. Bowdey

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the tensile performance of unconfined lap splices in specimens constructed from interlocking compressed earth block (ICEB) units. All lap splice specimens were constructed from hollow ICEB half units with one side grouting channel. ICEB units used in this research were exclusively produced from the Soeng Thai Model BP6 block press. The BP6 block press is currently manufactured in Thailand under the guidance and direction of the Center of Vocational Building Technologies (CVBT). All ICEB units and grout constructed for this research were created from mix proportions of soil, sand, cement, and water. Rebar bar sizes were restricted …

Photovoltaic Installation In Ecuador And The Amazon, David Mulder

Construction Management

The Photovoltaic Installation in Ecuador and The Amazon is part of a collaborative effort between two major construction clubs at Cal Poly: NECA and MCAA. Four students, two from each club, traveled with two faculty to install photovoltaics for two different communities. The first project was a solar installation to provide fresh water for the community of Santa Rosa. Project number two, was a sixteen-panel installation in Shell, Ecuador for the non-profit Reach Beyond. The main goals of each project were to provide fresh water, and achieve net zero electrical consumption.

Feasibility Study Of Using Recyclable Polyethylene (Pet) Materials As Coarse Aggregate For Concrete Mixtures, Philip M. Angelo

Construction Management

The feasibility of using recyclable household plastics, specifically those made of polyethylene, commonly used in water and soda bottles, as a replacement for concrete coarse aggregate, was assessed. A method was developed for cutting polyethylene materials into fibrous strips. These strips were then used as a replacement for the rock coarse aggregate in batches of concrete. Standard 6” x 12” test cylinders were made using the concrete mixture and subject to destructive compressive testing in order to yield the compressive strength of the concrete mix 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after pouring. Three mixtures were tested, one control with …

Carpenters Apprenticeship Internship: Student And Industry Perspectives, Chris Falco

Construction Management

The Carpenters Apprenticeship Internship program is designed to provide students the opportunity to work as a construction laborer and get hands-on work experience. The goal of this study is to address the perceived benefits of the Carpenters Apprenticeship Internship with respect to the students, the industry members, and the union. In looking at the benefits this opportunity presents, any value that is aligned among the parties involved will be highlighted to convey the mutual advantages. Lastly, the demand among students for experience such as this will be assessed to see what the perceived value of labor experience is among students …

Technology Adoption By California Central Coast Contractors, Nicholas A. English

Construction Management

Technology is trending in Construction, but it is unclear if smaller contractors have kept up with these trends like larger national companies have. This survey of San Luis Obispo County specialty and general contractors queried technology adoption, specific software use, estimator age, and opinions of various estimating attributes. It found that the majority of contractors use traditional estimating and quantity takeoff methods, the majority of contractors are 31 years old or older, and that local estimators value experience and knowledge as opposed to computer expertise. Local contractors recognize the value technology can provide, but have not adopted it in a …

Construction Of A Chicken Coop For Use By An Early Education Facility, Luke Cypress

Construction Management

There is a demand in the early education field for methods of exposing early learners to where our food comes from and how it’s produced. An excellent source of this exposure is commonly utilized in an onsite chicken-coop. These coops are in essence working farms, producing eggs and in some cases meat. While coops are not prohibitively expensive they often fall outside the scope of normal operating or educational budgets and can be difficult to fund. The purpose of this project was to identify a school that could use and benefit from a coop at no cost to the school. …

Kihefo Vocational Center: Kabale, Uganda, Jason Matthew Angerer

Construction Management

Journeyman International (JI) is a non-profit organization which acts as a platform for bringing together volunteer Architects, Designers, Engineers, and Construction Managers with humanitarian projects around the world. Kigezi Healthcare Foundation (KIHEFO) a non-profit NGO located in Kabale, Uganda is a client seeking to build a vocational center to educate the workforce of Uganda. The center will include multi-purpose class rooms, a dining hall, rabbit farm, carpentry shop, and living complex. The Architect on the project was Courtney Wedel from Cal Poly. As the Construction Manager on the project my responsibilities include; Design Assist, Feasibility Analysis, Scheduling, Estimating, and Managing …