Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

Wash Water In The Mix: Effects On The Compressive Strength Of Concrete, Brian Wasserman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Beginning with the Water Quality Act of 1987, requirements were put in place to control sediment run off from construction sites, which typically meant silt fences were installed and maintained on job sites. In 2009, when Aggregate Industries was fined $2.7 million by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for poor management of concrete wash water, the disposal of concrete wash water became a significant issue. Following the EPA guidelines, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) currently allows the dumping of excess concrete on the job sites, but requires control of all water used to wash concrete ready mix trucks, delivery …

A Study Of Factors Affecting The Implementation Of Iso 9000 In Taiwan's Construction Industry, Chuan-Chen Hung

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitude of Taiwanese construction companies regarding the adoption and implementation of ISO 9000. This was accomplished by conducting a survey to investigate the perceived factors affecting the intention to adopt ISO 9000 and its successful implementation.

The survey instrument was developed through the review of related literature as well as through validations. One hundred eighty (180) construction companies were randomly sampled from the 1998 Membership Directory of the National Construction Association of the Republic of China (Taiwan), which consisted of 60 Type-A, Type-B, and Type-C construction companies. In total, 62 respondents …

Maintenance Conditions And Occupant Behavior In Government Provided Housing In Lagos, Nigeria, Paul Abayomi Bajere

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Maintenance conditions and occupant behavior towards maintenance in government housing in developing countries are universal problems. Perceptions, construction technology, competencies, tenureship, cultural tradition, and demographic factors have been identified as major constraints influencing housing maintenance behavior. There was a need for this study because limited literature exists on maintenance of urban government provided housing in Nigeria. Also, the degree of success of the government's efforts concerning environmental cleaning has not been remarkable.

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the maintenance of government provided housing, as perceived by the residents and observed by the researcher, to determine the …

Job Characteristics Of Construction Craftsmen And Their Relationships To Affective Work Outcomes, Musibau Adeola Shofoluwe

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research was undertaken to investigate the extent to which employee-perceived job characteristics were related to internal work motivation and general satisfaction. Research shows that the structure of work has a significant influence on the motivation and general satisfaction of workers.

A job characteristic model developed by Hackman and Oldham (1980) was used as a basis for conducting this study. The study population consisted of construction craft workers who were registered members of the bricklayers, carpenters, and electrical unions located in a mid-western state. Job diagnostic survey questionnaires were mailed to 650 craftsmen. A total of 236 (36.3%) instruments were …

The Development Of A Concrete Interlocking Partition Walling Unit, Haldane L. Johnson

Graduate Student Work

This research aimed to develop a better method of erecting internal partition walls for the Jamaican housing industry. An interlocking concrete block wall unit was considered appropriate because it used local materials and required semi-skilled labor to erect.

A timber mold was made to manually produce the 4 x 4 x 8 inch block. The concrete mix used had a cement to aggregate ratio of 1:7.5 and a sand to gravel ratio of 1:2 and a water cement ratio of 0.753. The average compressive strength of the block determined after three days was 351.56 psi. This translates into an expected …

An Analysis Of Reinforced Concrete Composites Utilizing Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Thermoplastic, Jaroslav V. Vaverka

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Removing plastic from landfills does not solve the solid waste problem entirely. Plastic products are difficult to recycle because, unlike aluminum or glass, the plastics used in food packaging cannot be reused for the same purpose. Among the commonly used plastic resins, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has been widely adopted by the packaging industry. This research study was concerned with recycling of PET thermoplastic in concrete as a way to reduce the volume of solid waste.

Current surveys of recycling efforts reveal that existing PET recycling approaches have become inadequate. Solid waste management is stressing the eminent need for new recycling …

An Analysis Of The Abaca Natural Fiber In Reinforcing Concrete Composites As A Construction Material In Developing Countries, Rolando V. Magdamo

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was undertaken to analyze the flexural and splitting tensile strengths and the ductility of abaca fiber-reinforced concrete composites. Abaca fibers are natural fibers of vegetable origin prepared from the abaca plant which is a native plant of the Philippine Islands. The purpose of the study was to investigate how various volume-fractions of the abaca fiber in the concrete mix could affect the mechanical properties of the concrete matrix.

A concrete design mix containing a volume ratio of 1.0 part Type I Portland...cernent and 3.0 parts sand was utilized in the preparation of laboratory test samples. Abaca fibers were …

Hiring Practices For Skilled Craftsmen In The Construction Industry, Jimmy A. Off

Graduate Research Papers

The building construction industry experiences wild fluctuations in demand. Additionally, the industry is characterized by a competitive bid structure. A high labor turnover rate is the natural consequence of these conditions. Compounding this problem is the building industry's highly labor intensive nature. Since contractors will perform the hiring process so frequently, their procedures must be able to identify the best qualified applicants.

The current economic recession has brought many construction firms to a point of near idleness. The unemployment rate among skilled craftsmen is high. This has created a buyer's market in which the contractors can choose the most qualified …

Computer Usage In The Construction Industry And Construction Education, Stephen Douglas Stulken

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The rapid growth of computer usage in American society, and in the construction industry in particular, has important implications for construction education programs. There is a lack of current information about computer usage in the construction industry. Without this information, construction educators are less likely to provide students with relevant computer competencies that relate to the needs of the construction industry.

The objective of this study was to determine to what extent construction education programs provide the necessary computer competencies for their students. This was accomplished by comparing the current status of computer usage in the construction industry with computer-related …

The Effect Of Adhesive Bond Strength Of Selected Species Of Laminated Wood, Daniel L. Henderson

Graduate Research Papers

Wood laminating has been used by man for centuries and is a very important part of industrial enterprises today. In most woodworking textbooks reviewed however, those sections devoted to wood laminating are typically miniscule. Topics are hastily covered and only general information is provided. This study has been conducted in order to provide more adequate explanation of the laminating process in addition to those presently available and to explore the interrelationship of laminated components with the ultimate function of the product. A glance at any furniture manufacturing or construction industry periodical, however, will show the importance of wood laminating in …

Underground Houses - Alternative For Residential Living, Patrick A. Janssen

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to determine if earth sheltered housing may be the trend for the future in residential construction.

Structural Design Of Built-Up Plywood Box Beams, Michael J. Sneddon

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study, given the background mentioned above, is to investigate the structural design of built-up plywood box beams and to develop an instructional unit based on their design.

The scope shall be limited to statically determinate beams with either uniformly distributed loads or typical girder loadings.

The resulting instructional unit will be designed as an addition to a course in structural wood design at the vocational-technical/community college level.

Individualized Instructional Units For Estimating In The Construction Field, Robert P. Rosendahl

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the development, production, and use of individualized instructional units for construction estimating for the purpose of incorporating a section on estimating into the construction technology course of the industrial arts program. These units should be equally valuable in seminars, workshops, and courses set up for construction personnel, engineers, retail lumber dealers, and university or technical students.

Manufactured Solar Energy Units For Residential Heating, Michael W. Aubrey

Graduate Research Papers

This study is concerned with:

1. researching the principles and technologies of flat-plate solar collector panels, transfer and storage systems that are presently manufactured.

2, compiling an annotated bibliography of local manufacturers and distributors of solar energy units for residential heating.

3. developing a teaching unit on the practical application of these manufactured units to be used in a residential heating systems unit in a high school building construction class.

The Physical Properties Of Fiberglass And Polyurethane Foam Panels In Home Construction, Karlos G. Mcclure

Graduate Research Papers

The purposes of this study are: (1). to make a general survey of the information available and (2) specifically, make a comparison of some of the physical properties of polyurethane foam and fiberglass panels and traditional methods of construction.