Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Enabling The Re-Engineering Of Material Purchasing In The Construction Industry By The Effective Use Of Information Technology, Alan V. Hore, Roger West

Conference papers

The current methods of ordering, delivering and invoicing of materials in the construction industry is enormously inefficient, with vast quantities of paperwork, duplication of effort, scanning, re-keying and resolving mismatches between invoices, delivery dockets and purchase orders. This paper sets out the results of a successful 2005 pilot project which achieved a three-way electronic match of the purchase order, delivery note and supplier invoice information. The paper goes on to describe the opportunities and challenges of introducing such a system in the Irish construction industry

3d Engineering With Prototyping, Jerome Casey, David Copperwhite, Barry Duignan

Books/Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Tradition Versus Technology: Careers Fairs In The 21st Century, Christiane Brennan, Margaret Daly, Eileen Fitzpatrick, Edward Sweeney

Articles

The traditional methods of graduate recruitment do not adequately meet the needs of the changing profile of students and graduates. As industry becomes internationalized, the needs of employers are also changing. Graduate recruitment is in response to short term needs and varying levels of experience are required. A case study method was used in Technological University Dublin to evaluate effectiveness of a virtual careers fair in providing greater access to job opportunities for students and graduates. Access by employers to potential employees was also measured. Findings showed that while access improved, other issues requiring attention emerged.

Purchasing Consortia And Electronic Markets: A Procurement Direction In Integrated Supply Chain Management, Bernd Huber, Edward Sweeney, Austin Smyth

Articles

In supply chain management literature, there has been little empirical research investigation on purchasing consortium issues focusing on a detailed analysis of information and communication (ICT) based procurement strategies. Based on the exploration of academic literature and two surveys among purchasing organisations as well as e-Marketplaces / procurement service providers (PSPs) in the automotive and electronics industry sectors, the research methodology follows a positivistic approach in order to assess the overall statement: ‘Effective participation in electronic purchasing consortia (EPC) can have the potential to enhance competitive advantage. Implementation therefore requires a clear and detailed understanding of the major process structures …

Rationalising The Construction Materials Purchasing Process, Alan V. Hore

Conference papers

This paper is concerned with the process used in locating and removing inefficiency in the construction materials purchasing process. In the first part, a case study is presented showing the build-up of costs involved in purchasing materials. Potential for substantial savings is revealed. The second part of the paper gives a status report on a rationalisation pilot project currently being undertaken by the Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA). This project aims to show how greater effectiveness and efficiency can be applied to the administration of the construction materials purchasing process by the application of information technology already used widely in …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

A Proposal For Re-Engineering The Procurement Of Building Materials By Effective Use Of Ict, Alan V. Hore, Roger West

Conference papers

This paper seeks to establish the case for re-engineering the procurement of materials in the Irish construction industry. The authors make their observations from witnessing, first-hand, the operation of a purchasing function in a large contracting organisation in the Republic of Ireland. The authors identify the core problems that exist in the current mainly paper-based process and present a strong case for the re-engineering of the process by the adoption of a fully integrated Information Communications Technology (ICT) solution

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Finite Element Modelling Of Moisture Movement In Concrete Floors, Niall Holmes, Roger West

Conference papers

Predictive methods for determining the point at which it is safe to apply floor coverings to concrete floors can save time and money for the client, contractor and the floor installer. The current standard states that impervious floor coverings should not be applied until the surface of the floor reaches a relative humidity (RH) of 75%, established using a surface hygrometer test. Tests at Trinity College Dublin on drying concrete slabs in natural and forced drying environments show that there is a large variation in the residue of moisture deep in the concrete when the floor covering is applied, particularly …

Moisture Re-Distribution In Concrete Under Impermeable Coverings, Niall Holmes

Conference papers

It is normally considered safe to apply an impermeable floor covering to concrete surfaces when the surface relative humidity reaches 75% as determined by a surface hygrometer. However, over time, defects can appear on the covering such as blistering of vinyl and rising of tiles from the surface. One cause is the on-going diffusion of the residual moisture deep within the slab to the surface. The covering traps this residual moisture, thus preventing evaporation to the ambient air and gradually generates a vapour pressure underneath the covering, which can result in damage.

Here, experimental results on the long-term influence of …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Rainwater Harvesting And Grey Water Recycling Systems, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain

Articles

The benefits of water efficiency measures, rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse are principally water savings and reduced volume of consumption. Cost savings can accrue to the water supplier and water user. These benefits can be felt at a local level. Only with widespread use of such technology will reduced pressure on water resources and the supply infrastructure be realised. These technologies should be considered in the context of an overall water conservation strategy and each situation evaluated separately. A water audit should be undertaken to establish existing water usage and possible demands that can be met by using these technologies. …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Water Conservation Technologies, Liam Mccarton

Articles

Given the increasing incidence of serious flooding in Europe in recent years it might seem odd to be addressing the problem of water conservation. However, recent economic prosperity has led to an increased per capita use of water for domestic and industrial use. The traditional approach to meeting increased demand is to augment supply. However, mobilising new resources involves ever higher costs. Allied to this is the concept of sustainability, which can be defined as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. An important consideration of …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Site-Specific Probabilistic Load Modelling For Bridge Reliability Analysis, Colin C. Caprani, A. Belay, A. J. O'Connor

Conference papers

Reliability assessment of a short span beam-slab reinforced concrete bridge in Vienna is proposed using site-specific traffic data recorded using the Slovenian Weigh in Motion (SiWIM) system. An initial evaluation of the bridge using a determinintic approach shows that the critical limit state is bending. This paper describes the statistical analysis of the SiWIM data and the traffic flow simulations performed to predict the characteristic extreme load effects to which the bridge may be subjected during its remaining lifetime. These values are compared to the magnitude obtained from a deterministic approach. The influence lines used in the simulations are the …

Indirect Evaporative Cooling Potential In Air-Water Systems In Temperate Climates, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Articles

Recent developments have prompted a review of evaporative cooling technology as an effective means of cooling modern deep plan buildings. Prominent among these developments is the success of high temperature sensible cooling systems, particularly, chilled ceilings, which require a supply of cooling water at 14–18 °C. Crucial to the success of evaporative cooling technology, as a significant means of cooling in modern applications, is the ability to generate cooling water, in an indirect circuit, at a temperature which closely approaches the ambient adiabatic saturation temperature (AST) or wet bulb temperature (WBT). Recent experimental research has demonstrated that it is technically …

Environmental Planning, Steven Konkel

Books/Book chapters

No abstract provided.

Rationalising The Construction Materials Purchasing Process, Louis Gunnigan, Alan V. Hore, Trevor Orr

Conference papers

This paper is concerned with the process used in locating and removing inefficiency in the construction materials purchasing process. In the first part, a case study is presented showing the build-up of costs involved in purchasing materials. Potential for substantial savings is revealed. The second part of the paper gives a status report on a rationalisation pilot project currently being undertaken by the Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA). This project aims to show how greater effectiveness and efficiency can be applied to the administration of the construction materials purchasing process by the application of information technology already used widely in …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Cooling And Heating Of Water With Flat-Plate Solar Radiators, Igor Balen, Vladimir Soldo, David Kennedy

Conference Papers

Extensive analysis of flat-plate radiative panels operation using average hourly weather data for a maritime climate region was performed. The panels are integrated in the space ventilation system with air-cooling by means of a cold-water coil. Their primary function is to prepare sufficient quantity of cold water, integrating radiative and convective cooling, that is collected in the cold-water tank during the nighttime operation. That cold water is used for cooling of the air during daytime. By small modification during daytime, solar panels could be turned into collectors and used to produce the hot water that is collected in a separate …

Rationalising The Construction Materials Purchasing Process, Louis Gunnigan, Alan V. Hore, Trevor Orr

Conference papers

This paper is concerned with the process used in locating and removing inefficiency in the construction materials purchasing process. In the first part, a case study is presented showing the build-up of costs involved in purchasing materials. Potential for substantial savings is revealed. The second part of the paper gives a status report on a rationalisation pilot project currently being undertaken by the Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA). This project aims to show how greater effectiveness and efficiency can be applied to the administration of the construction materials purchasing process by the application of information technology already used widely in …

A Reflection On The Development, Activities And Deliverables Of The Construction It Alliance (Cita) In Ireland, Ken Thomas, Alan V. Hore

Conference papers

This paper reflects on the development, activities and deliverables of the Construction IT Alliance in the Republic of Ireland. This alliance was formed in 2001 with the vision of harnessing the potential of information and communication technologies in the Irish construction sector. CITA is a prime example of academia-industry-government collaboration in Ireland. A key driver in the development of CITA is the need to increase the extent of IT knowledge within the Irish construction sector. Membership of CITA includes leading architectural, engineering, surveying, management, construction, supplier, IT and academic organisations. The leading academic institutions in CITA are the Technological University …