Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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.

A Case Study On Achieving 100% Customer Satisfactory Homes In Production Home Building, Garrett Whitlock

Construction Management

No abstract provided.

Pervious Pavement Systems For High Traffic Roadways, Kevin M. Smith

Construction Management

This report highlights the benefits and detriments of pervious pavement systems through research of existing knowledge and multifaceted experiments to determine the feasibility of implementing a pervious pavement system on high traffic roadways. With over 40,000 miles of highway in the United States alone and severe water crises in states like California and growing environmental and safety concerns, the need for pervious pavements is abundantly clear. The research conducted utilizes existing knowledge on pervious pavements and applies it to the application of high traffic roadways. The experiment tests four different pervious concrete mix designs to determine compressive strength and water …

Comparison Of Energy Analysis Platforms For Title 24compliance, Holli L. Tripp

Construction Management

The 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Low-Rise Residential Buildings allow users to demonstrate compliance via two methods: performance or prescriptive. Prescriptive documentation requires analysis to be conducted by-hand while performance compliance utilizes computer modeling software to analyze trade-offs, and demonstrate compliance through alternative building design parameters. Typically computer demonstrated compliance via the performance method is the most popular choice because it allows for complex buildings to be analyzed using their actual metrics which results in a more accurate report of proposed energy consumption (Ross, 2016). This method however requires additional software outside of the tools that architects and designers …

Integrating Bim To The Construction Industry: The Hardships, Benefits, And An Unyielding Educational Gap Between Technology And Field Application, Torrie Peth

Construction Management

In recent years, Building Information Modeling has taken the construction industry by storm and revolutionized the construction process entirely. It allows for trades to coordinate more efficiently and effectively, while providing a hands-on, 3D overview of a structure being built. Certain characteristics are more easily adoptable by existing companies than others, but there are vast "fallacies of hype" in the concept. This study will examine the effects as BIM, positive and negative, and its current usage in industry. In addition it will identify the gap developing between students exiting the university setting that has a strong emphasis on technological integration, …

Evaluating The Cost Efficiency Of Modular Construction, Deborah R. Rampoldi

Construction Management

The use of modular construction techniques, also referred to as prefabricated or off-site construction, has been suggested as a practical method for reducing construction costs. However, quantifying these potential cost reductions and identifying the cost items most affected by modular delivery remain significant challenges. This study evaluates the financial effectiveness of 3D volumetric modular construction in which fully fitted modules are manufactured in a factory and assembled onsite. The study aims to identify the primary cost savings and cost increases associated with off-site construction and to support more informed contractor decision-making during project planning and preconstruction. Data was collected through …

Criticality And Risk Assessment For Pipe Rehabilitation In The City Of Santa Barbara Sewer System, Rossi Carmelo Rossi Ii

Master's Theses

Aging sewer infrastructure is posing greater and greater risk to the health and well-being of City residents. Issues can range from pipe blockages in sewer laterals to Sanitary Sewer Overflows. This thesis develops a risk analysis method that can be used by municipalities to maintain and rehabilitate sewer assets. Risk combines the effect of Likelihood of Failure (LOF) and Consequence of Failure (COF) to perform a complete two-dimensional analysis that allows for relative comparison between different pipes in the system. The LOF rating has been equated to pipe integrity while the COF rating was related to the environmental, economic, and …

Descriptive Statistical Analysis Of Oshpd Quality Inspections On California Hospital Projects, Philip L. Barlow

Construction Management

California hospital construction projects are large, complex, and extremely difficult projects to execute and navigate successfully. One of the primary reasons for this is the OSHPD permit, review, and inspection process. The quality control rigor imposed by this third party inspection procedure has caused great angst amongst most general contractors and subcontractors. This study examined over 60,000 OSHPD inspections, spanning six California hospital projects and forty-one separate subcontractors. Specifically, this paper conducts descriptive statistical analysis on the total number of inspections conducted and the percentage of failed inspections (or re-inspections) that occurred. The analysis, conducted on major subcontractors working on …

Multi-Criteria Decision Modeling For Best Value Selections In Target Value Design Integrated Project Delivery, Brent Patrick Griffis

Master's Theses

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) combined with Target Value Design (TVD) is a better way to deliver value for the client than traditional guaranteed maximum price (GMP) methods. With traditional GMP delivery methods, the interests of the parties are often at odds. The goal of IPD is to align all party interests in order to achieve a win-win scenario. Due to the aligning nature of IPD and the fact that each party’s success is dependent on achieving the project objectives as a whole; a non-biased, transparent, decision-making process is necessary in order to deliver the project objectives within the constraints of …

The Effect Of Clay, Cement And Fibers On The Strength And Durability Of Compressed Earth Blocks, Wyatt Adair Banker-Hix

Master's Theses

This Thesis examines the effect of soil characteristics, cement content and fibers on the strength and durability of compressed earth blocks (CEBs). This work expands on the available information regarding the constituent properties which affect the compressive and tensile strengths and durability of CEBs. Additionally, little research on the subject of synthetic fibers and their effect on strength and durability of CEBs is available and this work provides an initial study in this area.

To study the effects of fibers, as well as confirm the trends of previous research regarding the effects of clay and cement, 27 unique batches of …

Airport Runway Heating System, Greg Wang, Curtis Reedy

Electrical Engineering

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, flight delays cost airlines $22 billion annually (Rapajic 16). Snow and ice buildup on the tarmacs are a major contributor to these delays in regions where freezing weather conditions are common. Current solutions such as anti-freeze chemicals and snowplows are ineffective and costly. Implementing a radiant heating system, specifically pipes running hot liquid within or below the runways, can help maintain the surface above freezing temperatures. Such a system has yet to be installed in a functioning airport because of its complexity and high cost. However, the FAA provides funding for infrastructure improvements, and …

Design, Construction, And Evaluation Of A Hydraulic Oil Filtration Cart, Eric Steiger

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This report discusses the design, construction, and evaluation of a hydraulic oil filtration car sponsored by Papich Construction Inc. This company developed the need for a filter cart system to service equipment by flushing and cleaning the oil in hydraulic reservoirs and systems. The opportunity of reviewing an existing product from Caterpillar was taken to obtain basic design parameters. This car however, did not meet all the needs preferred by the service technicians of Papich; thus leading to the idea of a custom filter cart.

The filter cart is composed of a square tube frame sitting on pneumatic no-flat castor …

Implementation, Design, And Cost Analysis Of A Concrete Washout System, Omar Adina

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

With the increase of environmental pollution in today’s world, many strategies and regulations are being enforced. These enforcements come from the state and federal governments, but public awareness is often overlooked. Stormwater regulations here in California have dramatically changed over the last decade, as the topic is investigated more often.

This senior project encompassed the design prototype and cost analysis of a permanent concrete washout station for the BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The design parameters given were to construct a steel bin for the excess concrete to be dumped into during …

The Development Of An Integrated Residential Construction Management Course, Scott D. Kelting, Eric A. Holt

Construction Management

This paper presents the recent changes to different delivery methods for a residential construction management course at a major university. The project-based course was delivered similarly to a capstone course by combining Residential Methods, Estimating, Scheduling, and Contracts into one class with one overall final project. The course introduced students to land acquisition, land development, construction services, operations, finance, marketing, and sales. Information about the course’s 14 different delivery methods and the recent changes is provided in this paper. The recent changes are based on a survey that was conducted to obtain the students’ perspectives about the course delivery methods …

Dimensional Stability Of Geosynthetic Clay Liners In Landfill Applications, Gregory R. Olsen

Master's Theses

An investigation was conducted related to the dimensional stability of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) in landfill applications. Multiple occurrences of panel separation of overlap seams in GCLs have been documented; however, explanation for the relative contribution of various mechanisms causing shrinkage has been limited. A systematic test program was conducted to determine the effects of a variety of conditions on GCL dimensional stability.

Effects of initial moisture content, permeant type, and overburden pressure were tested by subjecting various GCL products to wet-dry cycles and measuring the dimensional change with each cycle. Different GCL types were each tested under various combinations …

Green Building Policy, School Performance, And Educational Leaders’ Perspectives In Usa, Scott D. Kelting, Michael Montoya

Construction Management

The movement to construct high performance “green” buildings has had unprecedented market growth and continues to become mainstream practice for constructing schools in the United States. Green schools have economic, environmental and health benefits. Research provides information on the use of increased student performance found in green schools to justify building schools to a higher standard of indoor environment quality. There is clear and compelling evidence that schools currently built to specific green standards of indoor environmental quality, (e.g. thermal comfort, indoor air quality, acoustics and lighting,) result in healthier and more productive students and teachers. Current green building policies …