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California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

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Full-Text Articles in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Project, Courtney Huitt, Cormack Williams May 2023

Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Project, Courtney Huitt, Cormack Williams

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Offshore wind is a developing industry in the Central Coast with the advent of the future offshore wind project planned off the north coast of San Luis Obispo County. This senior design project aligns with the recently leased wind energy project as a detailed study on the structural design, geotechnical design, and construction of a single 14 MW floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) located 40 km NW of Morro Bay (NOAA buoy 46028). A preliminary design of a spar FOWT is presented in this project as a solution to the rapidly increasing water depth off the coast of Morro Bay, …

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An Introduction To Autocad For Beginners, Zoe L. Mahaney May 2023

An Introduction To Autocad For Beginners, Zoe L. Mahaney

Construction Management

This paper aims to outline the process of developing and creating an online instructional video tutorial for beginner level individuals who hope to learn and utilize AutoCAD software. AutoCAD, developed by Autodesk, is a computer-aided design software that provides users with the ability to create and edit digital 2D and 3D designs, which is more efficient than traditional hand-drawn models. The main objective of this project is to provide the public with access to learning and navigating AutoCAD software on their own, for personal gain. Construction Management students at Cal Poly have the opportunity to learn and use AutoCAD as …

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Personal Protective Equipment Usage And Injury Type, Nathan Giannini May 2023

Personal Protective Equipment Usage And Injury Type, Nathan Giannini

Construction Management

Workers in the construction industry have many injuries both minor and life-altering. The industry suffers from injuries of all kinds such as falls, electrocution, and being struck by flying objects. To protect against this, workers wear certain types of personal protective equipment (PPE) on construction sites as a last line of defense. The equipment available such as hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, respirators, and hearing protection either protects against acute injuries (those that occur instantly) or chronic injuries (those that occur over time). This study investigates whether the type of injury that PPE protects against, acute or chronic, affects the …

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Designing A Work-Life Balance Learning Module For Cal Poly Construction Management Department, Alex Jones May 2023

Designing A Work-Life Balance Learning Module For Cal Poly Construction Management Department, Alex Jones

Construction Management

The construction industry is known to create a highly stressful work environment given its unpredictability and mental/time demanding nature, which creates challenges for professionals to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This senior project aims to research and identify the key areas that foster this stress and propose a learning module for the Cal Poly Construction Management Department to implement into class curriculum. Having this learning module taught to students will raise awareness of the topic for future industry professionals and equip them with the tools to maintain a healthy equilibrium between their work demands and personal life. The learning module …

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Considerable Factors In Determining The Sustainability Benefits Of The Demolition Of An Existing Structure For A New Build And Of The Renovation Of An Existing Structure, Dev Boyd Hippenstiel Apr 2023

Considerable Factors In Determining The Sustainability Benefits Of The Demolition Of An Existing Structure For A New Build And Of The Renovation Of An Existing Structure, Dev Boyd Hippenstiel

Construction Management

The decision between whether to demolish or renovate a building comes down to which one will satisfy the owner’s needs and objectives while remaining within budget. This project will identify factors in determining sustainability benefits between a completely new construction project that demolishes the existing structure prior to rebuilding and a renovation project that reuses some or all of the existing structure. Research on construction data, interviews conducted with leading industry members, and journals that reported on both these strategies are presented. This project will examine considerations that reduce the demolition’s negative impact on the environment and improve the overall …

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Designing Safety Vests To Fit Women, Claire Peters Apr 2023

Designing Safety Vests To Fit Women, Claire Peters

Construction Management

This paper focuses on the design and construction of safety vests for women, particularly in XS and XXL sizes. Safety vests are an essential piece of protective equipment worn by individuals working in environments requiring high visibility for safety reasons. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) develop safety vest standards to ensure 360-degree visibility of workers, but these standards create limitations in manufacturer’s abilities to create a well-fitted vest for women of smaller stature, particularly in the sizes between XXS and S, as the required square inches of material result in a baggy …

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Timber Box Header Using Bamcore Side Panels: A Senior Project Study, Jonathan Frank Herrera Mar 2023

Timber Box Header Using Bamcore Side Panels: A Senior Project Study, Jonathan Frank Herrera

Architectural Engineering

The purpose of this study was to begin development of a composite box header that was able to span long openings with minimal deflection. The headers in study were comprised of BamCore side panels, nailed top and bottom each face to a 2x6 top plate, and a header of multiple specified sizes. The 2x6 top plate and headers ranging from a 6x6 to a 6x12 were made up of Douglas Fir-Larch, No.1. Analysis was performed assuming 10d common nailing at top and bottom of the BamCore side panels. Initial analysis of a composite box header was performed and analyzed as …

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Construction Of High-Bay Lab Reaction Frame Foundations, David R. Bowen, Henry E. Miller, Blaize Twisselman Mar 2023

Construction Of High-Bay Lab Reaction Frame Foundations, David R. Bowen, Henry E. Miller, Blaize Twisselman

Construction Management

This paper details the construction process of two concrete modular foundations designed to meet specific design standards for various testing methods. The project, positioned within the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) High Bay Lab, will provide the Architectural Engineering (ARCE) and Construction Management (CM) departments with valuable insight into industry structural elements. The project required extensive forethought and thoroughness due to the complex designs, including 200 all-thread coupler attachments and a cumbersome rebar cage. This paper outlines the primary phases of construction, including material procurement and quality control, and discusses how the final product was obtained. …

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Inclusive Safety Understanding The Safety Managers' Views On The Fit And Function Of Construction Safety Vests For All Body Types, Oliver Anthony Leograndis Mar 2023

Inclusive Safety Understanding The Safety Managers' Views On The Fit And Function Of Construction Safety Vests For All Body Types, Oliver Anthony Leograndis

Construction Management

With the construction industry evolving to embrace a more diverse workforce, it is crucial that personal protective equipment (PPE) adapts alongside this demographic shift to better accommodate women and those with diverse body types in the industry. To provide tangible momentum for the growing need of inclusive PPE, the Cal Poly Construction Management Department developed and hosted a “Verifying Everybody’s Safety Together” (VEST) Hackathon Event. This event provided an all-encompassing look at women’s construction vests and how they can be improved upon. The event had a variety of construction industry personnel in attendance, including five safety managers of different companies. …

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Skip The Grid: Solar Powered Systems In The Navajo Nation, Julian A. Chavez Mar 2023

Skip The Grid: Solar Powered Systems In The Navajo Nation, Julian A. Chavez

Construction Management

The Skip the Grid initiative, a collaboration between Cal Poly students, SOLV Energy, Goal Zero, and facilitated by the non-profit Heart of America, aimed to enhance the quality of life for Navajo Nation families. Facing disparities in access to electricity and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project installed photovoltaic energy systems with lights in 27 homes, benefiting students of the Red Mesa Unified School District. This initiative addressed the challenges of remote learning by providing reliable, no-cost, off-grid power solutions. Completed on March 30, 2023, the project not only improved the immediate circumstances in the Navajo Nation, but also …

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Skip The Grid: Providing Power And Light To The Navajo Nation, Esai Contreras Mar 2023

Skip The Grid: Providing Power And Light To The Navajo Nation, Esai Contreras

Construction Management

Skip the Grid was created as an initiative to power communities that are in need. This project was made possible through a collaborative effort from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) students, industry partners SOLV Energy and Goal Zero, and facilitated through the educational non-profit organization Heart of America (HOA). The goal of this project was to help families of school age children in the Navajo Nation by providing solar energy systems including a battery and lighting. We hoped to achieve a long-lasting effect on the families by installing necessities for families with school-aged children. For the …

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Garden Improvements For "The Ranch", Ayden J. Cole Mar 2023

Garden Improvements For "The Ranch", Ayden J. Cole

Construction Management

The Ranch spans over ten-and-a-half acres and provides employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The core focus of The Ranch is cultivating small crops and raising livestock, which are tended to and harvested by individuals with disabilities. The ultimate aim is to provide them with hands-on experience of working on a farm and how to take care of livestock and grow food. However, the existing property of The Ranch was not exactly what they wanted for their students' learning environment. The existing area where the crops were being grown was not fenced in so critters were getting into the garden …

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The Perceptions And Effects Of Nutrition On Worker Health And Productivity In Construction, Matthew Scott Howell Mar 2023

The Perceptions And Effects Of Nutrition On Worker Health And Productivity In Construction, Matthew Scott Howell

Construction Management

Construction workers often have poor dietary habits due to poor nutrition education, lack of nutritious food options, and social stigma. These habits often lead to health problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease which can decrease productivity and put workers at risk of on-site injury. This preliminary study examines how nutrition impacts worker safety and productivity. A survey was distributed to six students involved in construction work for Cal Poly’s Residential Construction course. This survey identified their eating habits and inhibitors for healthy eating. Two meals, one with high nutritional value and one with low nutritional value, were given to …

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New Bike Path On Highland Drive, Christian T. Pedersen Mar 2023

New Bike Path On Highland Drive, Christian T. Pedersen

Construction Management

The purpose of the following paper is to provide a breakdown of the preconstruction and construction processes for a new bike path to be built on Highland Drive. Studies about the selected construction method and materials needed to complete the project are included. Soil-cement will be at the forefront as it offers the cheapest and most efficient way for the proposed new path to be constructed. The explanation for why soil-cement was chosen along with the various other ways in which it can be used are included. One concern the paper will address is the fact that the current bike …

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Feasibility Of Funding Construction-Related Projects With Cryptocurrencies, Farbod Pourdehmobed Mar 2023

Feasibility Of Funding Construction-Related Projects With Cryptocurrencies, Farbod Pourdehmobed

Construction Management

The current method of acquiring funds for construction projects consists of loans and/or a board of investors. With the emergence of the cryptocurrency industry in the past five to ten years, an influx of cash has been inserted into the market and is simply being held captive by government regulations. With development and construction being an attractive investment for most anyone, these "crypto billionaires" are insistent on financing possible projects. The issue lies within the construction industry and the possibly outdated financial system and whether it is capable of adhering to certain requirements that come with the usage of crypto …

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Parental And Family Leave In The California Construction Industry, Hailee Malins Mar 2023

Parental And Family Leave In The California Construction Industry, Hailee Malins

Construction Management

Struggles between work life balance often result in lower levels of job and life satisfaction, and higher rates of inefficiency and employee turnover, with varying impact on employees based on seniority, gender and parenthood. Policies such as paid parental leave have shown positive effects on work life balance, but there is a lack of information on leave policies within the American construction industry. Focusing on California, this research aimed to determine employee's understanding, use and acceptance of these leave policies. Using a survey, we gain a better understanding of these goals. Rates of confidence in knowledge of paternal and family …

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Building Artificial Reefs From Recycled Construction Materials: A Feasibility Study, Nicholas H. Lew Mar 2023

Building Artificial Reefs From Recycled Construction Materials: A Feasibility Study, Nicholas H. Lew

Construction Management

Naturally occurring reefs are some of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems formed by jagged rocks tucked slightly below sea level. In recent years global warming began to pose a major threat to many reef habitats. Most relevant is the increase in surface seawater temperatures that cause coral to bleach, taking away major food sources for larger marine species. Researchers have combated this by deploying artificial reefs in substitution for naturally formed limestone rock formations in order to promote the expansion of coastal habitats. This project specifically aims to utilize construction waste towards the production of artificial reefs, effectively upcycling …

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Developments In Construction Insurance And Their Effects On General Contractors, Luke Z. Martin Mar 2023

Developments In Construction Insurance And Their Effects On General Contractors, Luke Z. Martin

Construction Management

Before a construction project can begin, insurance must be purchased by each involved construction player to ensure the financial and physical health of the project and those working to complete it. The necessity of construction insurance on every project has turned it into a behemoth of a market sector, one that significantly affects the construction industry as well as a plethora of others. Although many are unaware, developments and shifts in construction insurance deeply affect the well-being of the public, from the roads they drive on to the buildings they live and work in. This research piece will delve into …

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Cal Poly Construction Management 2022 Summer Bootcamp Team Service Project, Chris Montero Mar 2023

Cal Poly Construction Management 2022 Summer Bootcamp Team Service Project, Chris Montero

Construction Management

This paper describes the project logistics and pre-construction planning of the 2022 Cal Poly Construction Management Summer Bootcamp service-learning project, including a plan, schedule, and estimate of materials. The service-learning project will be a wooden park bench for the San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens. Four teams of six students each will be provided drawings and, throughout the week-long summer camp, each team will have nine hours and thirty minutes to interpret the plans, cut the materials, and build one bench. The first day will consist of a one-hour project introduction that focuses on the fundamentals of plan reading and preparation …

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Las Vegas Commercial Contractors' Mitigation Techniques For Inflationary Impacts, Kannen I. Caldwell Mar 2023

Las Vegas Commercial Contractors' Mitigation Techniques For Inflationary Impacts, Kannen I. Caldwell

Construction Management

Recent rises in inflation have impacted global business. The construction industry in particular has experienced a decrease in already slim margins due to a plethora of factors. Employers have had difficulty affording increased labor rates to accommodate higher costs of living, ultimately leading to a labor shortage in many areas. Supply chain issues are a product of this labor shortage, but also a myriad of other inflation related issues like the price of gas and global trade agreements. This has led to dramatically increased lead times and has posed major supply chain management issues for project management teams. Construction professionals, …

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Growing Grounds Farm, Santa Maria - Greenhouse Planter Bench Tables, Joseph Miller Mar 2023

Growing Grounds Farm, Santa Maria - Greenhouse Planter Bench Tables, Joseph Miller

Construction Management

This paper covers the planning, fundraising, design, construction, and installation associated with building the Growing Grounds Farm of Santa Maria greenhouse planter bench tables. Growing Grounds prides itself on nourishing the local community through a combination of horticulture therapy, and vocational training for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. The farm offers various opportunities for socialization and interaction with coworkers and customers. After meeting with the farm managers, Anna Wiens and Keith Bartlett, it was clear that this project was of the highest priority. Upon agreement of the project, the farm managers and I determined the future vision and …

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Urban Densification At Twin Creeks Apartments: High-Density Living With Low-Density Luxuries, Ryan Griswold Mar 2023

Urban Densification At Twin Creeks Apartments: High-Density Living With Low-Density Luxuries, Ryan Griswold

Construction Management

Urban sprawl is characterized by the rapid growth of the extent of cities and towns. In the United States, urban sprawl is greatly influenced by housing density. In the past half-century, developers have favored constructing and consumers have preferred living in neighborhoods of detached, single-family homes. This is because low-density living provides more housing services, or additional benefits, than most high-density developments, such as apartments and townhomes. Residents of low-density living often have more privacy, outdoor space, interior natural light, and many other benefits over residents of higher-density developments. However, Twin Creeks Apartments, located in San Luis Obispo, California, is …

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Future Of Augmented And Virtual Reality In Construction, Cameron Ghoddoucy Mar 2023

Future Of Augmented And Virtual Reality In Construction, Cameron Ghoddoucy

Construction Management

A series of virtual design contractors were interviewed regarding the future involvement of augmented and virtual reality software integration with construction processes. Within the construction industry, VDC specialists rely on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Computer Aided Design (CAD) to create digital models that can be used to analyze the design of a building from all points of view. The interviewees responded to questions about software implementation advantages, and related user experiences. Six interviews were conducted, amongst three industry leading companies. Their assumptions of future AR and VR usage in construction were based on learned knowledge and prior field exploration. …

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Electrochromic Smart Glass: Supplier Comparison Return On Investment Analysis, Hayden Stewart Owens Feb 2023

Electrochromic Smart Glass: Supplier Comparison Return On Investment Analysis, Hayden Stewart Owens

Construction Management

In recent years, sustainability in construction has become the focus of how the industry can progress with minimal environmental impact. As sustainability certifications become more desirable, key companies in the construction industry have started to seek greener alternatives to standard building systems. There are many sustainable products that are released, but these products are typically so complex that members of the industry are not familiar with these new systems. One novel piece of technology introduced to the industry is electrochromic glass, or smart glass. Electrochromic glass windows examine sunlight and heat exposure from the surrounding environment and change their opacity …

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United Methodist Children Center Drain Project, Ethan Mikio Lin Feb 2023

United Methodist Children Center Drain Project, Ethan Mikio Lin

Construction Management

No abstract provided.

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United Methodist Children Center Drain Project, Andy Abdelnour Feb 2023

United Methodist Children Center Drain Project, Andy Abdelnour

Construction Management

The United Methodist Children Center in San Luis Obispo is a preschool for young children in our community. Some of these students are the children of Cal Poly faculty and staff. The previous drain was not draining water properly and was uneven with bumps and dips that became a hazard for the children. Children would trip, fall, and hurt themselves on the drain. A team of two Cal Poly Construction Management students Ethan Lin and Andy Abdelnour worked together to estimate, design, coordinate, demolish, and construct a new section of the drain that would be safe for the students. The …

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Active Church Auditorium Redesign And Renovation, Jonah S. Kim Jan 2023

Active Church Auditorium Redesign And Renovation, Jonah S. Kim

Construction Management

Active Church is a life-giving and dynamic church that exists to move people from where they are to where God wants them to be. This church for most of its lifespan has been located at the Fremont Theater as they did not have a building that they owned. However, in 2022 the church closed escrow on a building that was owned by another church located at 3172 Johnson Ave, San Luis Obispo, 93401. Before moving into the building major renovations needed to be done as this was a very old building from the 1960s. The initial design of the auditorium …

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Biodegradation Of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether And Tert-Butyl Alcohol Using Bioaugmentation With Biowish® Aqua, Elizabeth Villanueva Dec 2022

Biodegradation Of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether And Tert-Butyl Alcohol Using Bioaugmentation With Biowish® Aqua, Elizabeth Villanueva

Master's Theses

Aqua, a commercial product manufactured by BiOWiSH® Technologies, was utilized in this research to study its effectiveness to biodegrade methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). Microcosms containing varying concentrations of MTBE and TBA as well as a growth media and mineral salt solution were examined. Analytical instrumentation used in this study included the use of a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC/MS) to determine concentrations of MTBE and TBA and a spectrophotometer to extrapolate approximate active biomass concentrations in each experiment. Four different environmental conditions were tested for both MTBE and TBA. The environmental conditions tested for each contaminant included: …

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Use Of Precious Plastic Method Of Bricks For The Construction Of Tiny Homes, Haylie E. Tallon Dec 2022

Use Of Precious Plastic Method Of Bricks For The Construction Of Tiny Homes, Haylie E. Tallon

Architectural Engineering

Precious Plastics, a Netherlands based company, created an open source project that can be used to create different objects from recycled plastics. The San Luis Obispo area has a large amount of recyclable plastic that is being treated as trash, adding to the pollution of the ocean and the air. This project is to determine the necessary steps to create plastic building blocks, using the Precious Plastic process, as a construction material for low-income, temporary housing. This report covers the process that was used to build two of the machines that will be used to create the bricks. This requires …

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Schematic Design And Peer Review Of Gayaza Medical Center And Walk-In Clinic, Abigail Coffing, Alexis Buhr Dec 2022

Schematic Design And Peer Review Of Gayaza Medical Center And Walk-In Clinic, Abigail Coffing, Alexis Buhr

Architectural Engineering

This report outlines the structural portion of the work done for the Gayaza Medical Center in Kampala, Uganda. This project was funded by HIINGA, an impact fund doing work in Eastern Africa, who tasked an interdisciplinary group of Cal Poly students with developing a preliminary design for the the medical center. The team consisted of Annebel van der Meulen (architecture), Abigail Coffing and Alexis Buhr (structural), and Arley Landis and Brett Shank (construction management). After completing the initial design, the structural team at Cal Poly rejoined the project the following quarter to do a peer analysis of the finalized structural …

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