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Full-Text Articles in Construction Engineering and Management

A Comparative Study Of Strength And Stiffness Of Thin-Walled Specimens Fabricated By Fdm And 3d Printing Technologies, Miranda Rodrigo Jul 2012

A Comparative Study Of Strength And Stiffness Of Thin-Walled Specimens Fabricated By Fdm And 3d Printing Technologies, Miranda Rodrigo

Theses and Dissertations

Rapid Prototyped part failure constitutes a major issue for both RP providers and customers. When parts fail the reputation of the vendor is heavily deteriorated, customer dissatisfaction increase and replacement of the broken parts is often necessary to avoid the loss of future business. Product design teams often run into situations where Rapid Prototyped parts are not able to withstand shipping and handling and delivered broken or while demonstrating and examining the parts. When done in the face of customers this builds a perception of poor quality and lack of aptitude on the design group as well as the RP …


Asset Management: Roof Maintenance And Facility Energy Retrofits, Joseph P. Dirosario Mar 2012

Asset Management: Roof Maintenance And Facility Energy Retrofits, Joseph P. Dirosario

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force (USAF) needs aggressive new techniques to compliment its asset management of its real estate portfolio. Air Force officials are experiencing budget cuts that have led to degraded facility infrastructure. Two areas of operations in which there are opportunities to improve the asset management of Air Force facilities are roof maintenance and energy retrofits. Information obtained via a geospatial information systems analysis revealed that the current state of the rooftop maintenance program was deficient and supported strategic sourcing as a potential solution to the program's deficiencies. In addition, two methodologies were created to gauge the effectiveness …


Firm Fixed Price And Cost Plus Fixed Fee Construction Contracts In Iraq And Afghanistan, Lindsay M. Jaszkowiak Mar 2012

Firm Fixed Price And Cost Plus Fixed Fee Construction Contracts In Iraq And Afghanistan, Lindsay M. Jaszkowiak

Theses and Dissertations

Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract types have been utilized the most for construction in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. Often construction occurs in contested regions that are known to be particularly challenging, unpredictable, and unstable. The objective of this study was to analyze the performance of these two contract types in the contingency environment, and to determine what internal and external factors influence contact success the most. First, the author evaluated existing construction performance data using bivariate analysis and analysis of variance to identify differences in contract type. Next, a quantitative/qualitative questionnaire was administered …


Analysis Of Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design® Construction In The Air Force, James M. Rozzoni Mar 2012

Analysis Of Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design® Construction In The Air Force, James M. Rozzoni

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force uses the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system as a third party verification system to ensure sustainable and resource-conscious facilities. The Federal Government has implemented several mandates in recent years that require certain milestones be met for energy reduction, water conservation, renewable energy use, and so forth. This research aims to determine how the Air Force has implemented LEED through credit analysis, and to better understand why LEED is being used in this way. Using a database of 172 military construction projects, the research evaluates the frequency of credit usage individually and by category. …


Improving Effectiveness Of Monetary Weapon Systems In Afghanistan, Seth M. Lorimer Mar 2012

Improving Effectiveness Of Monetary Weapon Systems In Afghanistan, Seth M. Lorimer

Theses and Dissertations

Tenuous political and economic times call for increased oversight and improved results from military counterinsurgency programs in Afghanistan, programs that provide agile non-kinetic weapons, critical for commanders fighting in today's asymmetric battle space. This paper proposes a decision tool for construction projects executed under the Commanders Emergency Response Program, designed to meet the changing demands of fighting an amorphous insurgency among dynamic systems of stakeholders. The research first conducted a system analysis of the CERP project execution process identifying key findings addressing value adding inputs. The research then applies a Causal Chain, borrowed from the Emergency Management field to identify …


Safety Issues Among Hispanic Construction Workers Along The Wasatch Front In Utah, Phavel Israel Loayza Chahuayo Dec 2011

Safety Issues Among Hispanic Construction Workers Along The Wasatch Front In Utah, Phavel Israel Loayza Chahuayo

Theses and Dissertations

During the last few decades immigration by foreigners seeking work in the construction industry in the United States has increased dramatically. Of those seeking jobs in construction, Hispanics represent the largest and fastest growing population. The proportion of reportable accidents among Hispanic on-site construction workers in the United States is higher than that of non-Hispanics. This trend of on-site construction accidents is evident not only in states that have traditionally high populations of Hispanics, such as New York, Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas, it is also manifested in the State of Utah. This research focused on causes of accidents among …


Unintended Social And Economic Consequences Resulting From The Implementation Of New Construction Technologies In The Developing World, Andrew J. South Jul 2011

Unintended Social And Economic Consequences Resulting From The Implementation Of New Construction Technologies In The Developing World, Andrew J. South

Theses and Dissertations

One of the key components of international development is to provide adequate shelter for citizens of developing countries. This is often accomplished by governmental, non- governmental, and private organizations that seek to lower the cost, increase the quality, and expand the availability of safe, sustainable housing through the use of innovative technologies. These new technologies can affect the social and/or economic structure within communities. This paper is a case study resulting from the construction of a seventy-one-home village, including infrastructure, near Yogyakarta, Indonesia by a foreign, aid-based non-governmental organization (NGO). The village was relocated less than two kilometers from its …


Friction Bit Joining Of 5754 Aluminum To Dp980 Ultra-High Strength Steel: A Feasibility Study, Britney Weickum Jul 2011

Friction Bit Joining Of 5754 Aluminum To Dp980 Ultra-High Strength Steel: A Feasibility Study, Britney Weickum

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the dissimilar metals 5754 aluminum and DP980 ultra-high strength steel were joined using the friction bit joining (FBJ) process. The friction bits were made using one of three steels: 4140, 4340, or H13. Experiments were performed in lap shear, T-peel, and cross tension configurations, with the 0.070" thick 5754 aluminum alloy as the top layer through which the friction bit cut, and the 0.065" thick DP980 as the bottom layer to which the friction bit welded. All experiments were performed using a computer controlled welding machine that was purpose-built and provided by MegaStir Technologies. Through a series …


Risks Associated With Federal Construction Projects, Krishna R. Surajbally Jun 2011

Risks Associated With Federal Construction Projects, Krishna R. Surajbally

Theses and Dissertations

The rise in terrorism, corporate espionage, cyber attacks, and federal fiscal constraints play an important role in the federal construction process. The risks associated with these occurrences are studied to aid in the risk management of the military construction process. This paper presents the status of research into these areas to identify how methods, policies, applications, and information obtained from case studies can be used by stakeholders to manage risk in the United States Air Force construction process. The author reviewed research on risk associated with four essential components of the military construction process – Critical Infrastructure, Information Technology, Contracts, …


A Study Of The Cause Of Failure Of Rotationally Molded, High-Density Polyethylene, Sodium Hypochlorite Storage Tanks, Dixon Harold Abell Mar 2011

A Study Of The Cause Of Failure Of Rotationally Molded, High-Density Polyethylene, Sodium Hypochlorite Storage Tanks, Dixon Harold Abell

Theses and Dissertations

The topic of chemical oxidative degradation in rotational molded polyethylene (high-density cross-linked) chemical (sodium hypochlorite) storage tanks is an industry problem that ranks at the top of current business issues for manufacturers of chemical storage tanks. The degradation of these tanks not only compromises the physical and mechanical properties of the tank material, but reduces the life expectancy of the tank, eventually resulting in catastrophic tank failure. Premature tank failure comes at a hefty cost. The reputation of the manufacturer is questioned often resulting in immediate loss of customer satisfaction and future business. The leaking of the chemical from the …


Understanding Schedule Forecasting Shortfalls In Federal Design-Build Facility Procurement, Timothy W. Gannon Mar 2011

Understanding Schedule Forecasting Shortfalls In Federal Design-Build Facility Procurement, Timothy W. Gannon

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores whether initial schedules provide reliable forecasting for project control in federal design build facility procurement. The purpose of this research is to understand how scheduling operates in the Department of Defense environment and identify how project change underscores schedule uncertainty. The research methodology involves a comparative analysis of project schedule data from three case studies. The investigation documents how initial project schedules fail to sufficiently forecast and provide a reliable baseline for total cost, final duration, and activity count for three design-build projects. Most schedule variability occurs after the 100% design benchmark. Furthermore, activity growth highlights the …


Application Of Relational Contracting Methods To Federal Construction Projects, Travis R. Johnson Mar 2011

Application Of Relational Contracting Methods To Federal Construction Projects, Travis R. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Relational contracting is a method designed to improve relationships between contracted parties. The federal construction sector was a leader in the development and implementation of an early form of relational contracting known as partnering. Since then, alliancing has emerged as the new evolution of relational contracts. While it provides many potential benefits to contracting parties, alliancing has not yet been utilized in federal construction procurement, which is subject to stringent regulations. A commercially available standard form alliancing contract was selected for analysis against the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Key practices that characterize the alliancing method were identified. Utilizing a panel of …


Tool Life Of Various Tool Materials When Friction Spot Welding Dp980 Steel, Christopher Shane Ridges Mar 2011

Tool Life Of Various Tool Materials When Friction Spot Welding Dp980 Steel, Christopher Shane Ridges

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, friction spot welding was used to join DP980 steel sheet. Four different ultra-hard tool materials were used with the objective of determining which tool material produced the highest number of acceptable-strength welds. Three of the tools were composed of various mixtures of polycrystalline cubic Boron Nitride (PCBN), Tungsten, and Rhenium. These materials are referred to herein as Q60, Q70, and Q80, the "Qxx" designation denoting the percentage of the volume of the tool material composed of PCBN. The fourth tool tested was composed entirely of PCBN. The Q70 tool produced approximately 1100 welds of acceptable strength before …


The Use Of Building Information Modeling In Generating Hard Bid Estimates, Peter Samuel Jensen Dec 2010

The Use Of Building Information Modeling In Generating Hard Bid Estimates, Peter Samuel Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Building Information Modeling has provided many benefits to the architectural, engineering, construction and facilities management communities. Many studies have been done to validate the asserted benefits, including benefits to the field of estimating. The studies on estimating are currently limited to the realm of conceptual estimates, and have only treated detailed estimates in the abstract. The purpose of this study was to determine how BIM was being used by companies in a hard bid, or detailed estimate scenario. The research team used the Deseret Towers housing project at Brigham Young University as the basis for the research. A building information …


Analysis Of Construction-Related Research Compared To Needs Of Industry Professionals, Sterling Graham Sep 2010

Analysis Of Construction-Related Research Compared To Needs Of Industry Professionals, Sterling Graham

Theses and Dissertations

Research plays a large role in the advancement of any industry. It is particularly important that relevant research is performed in an industry as large and critical as the construction industry. A review of literature shows that historically research has not played a major role in the advancement of the construction industry. The work of this thesis was to explore whether there has been a change in this relationship, or not. This thesis explored whether the construction-related research being done is in alignment with the needs of industry. Comparisons of the rankings of construction research and industry views were done …


An Experimental Investigation Of Friction Bit Joining In Az31 Magnesium And Advanced High-Strength Automotive Sheet Steel, Rebecca Gardner Jul 2010

An Experimental Investigation Of Friction Bit Joining In Az31 Magnesium And Advanced High-Strength Automotive Sheet Steel, Rebecca Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

Friction Bit Joining (FBJ) is a recently developed spot joining technology capable of joining dissimilar metals. A consumable bit cuts through the upper layer of metal to be joined, then friction welds to the lower layer. The bit then snaps off, leaving a flange. This research focuses on FBJ using DP980 or DP590 steel as the lower layer, AZ31 magnesium alloy as the top layer, and 4140 or 4130 steel as the bit material. In order to determine optimal settings for the magnesium/steel joints, experimentation was performed using a purpose-built computer controlled welding machine, varying factors such as rotational speeds, …


Best Practices For Dealing With Price Volatility In Utah's Residential Construction Market, James Packer Smith Jun 2010

Best Practices For Dealing With Price Volatility In Utah's Residential Construction Market, James Packer Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Price volatility is a consistent problem that affects all of the parties involved in the residential construction industry. The myriad factors that can have an impact on construction costs are such that it is extremely hard to anticipate upcoming changes in a timely and accurate way. When prices fluctuate during the course of a project, estimates become erroneous and completion of projects within expected budgets becomes difficult. Increasing prices typically leave contractors with the majority of the risk burden due to the enforceability of contracts that are likely to have been executed months prior. The risk associated with the owner's …


Best Practices For Dealing With Price Volatility In Utah Commercial Construction, Justin Earl Weidman Jun 2010

Best Practices For Dealing With Price Volatility In Utah Commercial Construction, Justin Earl Weidman

Theses and Dissertations

In the commercial construction industry, the problem of price volatility as it pertains to materials and labor is a consistent problem. The changing instability of market conditions presents a challenge for construction companies to accurately estimate and complete projects within budget. This volatility can lead to higher costs and more risk to suppliers, contractors, and owners which can cause financial distress for all parties involved in the construction process. As lump sum contracts are typically being used on many projects, the owners seem to have the upper hand and are forcing contractors to honor lump sum contracts even when prices …


Natural Fibers And Fiberglass: A Technical And Economic Comparison, Justin Andrew Zsiros Jun 2010

Natural Fibers And Fiberglass: A Technical And Economic Comparison, Justin Andrew Zsiros

Theses and Dissertations

Natural fibers have received attention in recent years because of their minimal environmental impact, reasonably good properties, and low cost. There is a wide variety of natural fibers suitable for composite applications, the most common of which is flax. Flax has advantages in tensile strength, light weight, and low cost over other natural fibers. As with other natural and synthetic fibers, flax is used to reinforce both thermoset and thermoplastic matrices. When flax is used in thermoplastic matrices, polypropylene and polyethylene are the main resins used. Although at first glance flax may seem to be a cheaper alternative to fiberglass, …


Processing A Nickel Nanostrand And Nickel Coated Carbon Fiber Filled Conductive Polyethylene By Injection Molding, David Anthony Whitworth Mar 2010

Processing A Nickel Nanostrand And Nickel Coated Carbon Fiber Filled Conductive Polyethylene By Injection Molding, David Anthony Whitworth

Theses and Dissertations

A new method for pre-impregnating nickel coated carbon fiber with a thermoplastic polymer to make towpreg, similar to a recently developed coating-line by João P. Nunes et al and a new electrically conductive thermoplastic are developed. A melted bath was used to help mitigate health concerns and waste for dispersion of nickel coated carbon fibers (NCF) in low density polyethylene (LDPE). This towpreg was then mixed with more LDPE or a mixture of LDPE and nickel nanostrands (NiNS) to a desired filler volume fraction to test the electrical conductivity of the composite. Some of these mixtures were then injection molded …


Investigation Of Rf Curing Parameters In Resin Infusion Molding, Christopher K. Love Mar 2010

Investigation Of Rf Curing Parameters In Resin Infusion Molding, Christopher K. Love

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate RF or Radio Frequency energy as a viable alternative to traditional heating methods for the purpose of curing resins used in resin infusion molding, a molding system for polymeric composites. Traditional heating/curing methods include technologies such as room temperature, oven, microwave, infrared, and ultraviolet. Although RF curing provides far more advantages than disadvantages, its implementation into a manufacturing process can be challenging. Specifically, three critical elements must be present in order for RF to function in a manner that is profitable to the manufacturer. Those elements are: (1) the proper generator (voltage …


Manpower Cost Analysis Of A Distributed En Route Support Structure Versus A Consolidated En Route Support Structure, Phillip M. Rehmert Mar 2010

Manpower Cost Analysis Of A Distributed En Route Support Structure Versus A Consolidated En Route Support Structure, Phillip M. Rehmert

Theses and Dissertations

The United States military has developed an en route support structure for airlift requirements to deploy and sustain combat forces in conflict. The Air Mobility Command (AMC) is interested in determining the cost effectiveness of two distinctly different en route structures, in particular, the cost effectiveness of one large facility versus supporting combat forces with many smaller facilities. With the current operational tempo, continued analysis must be accomplished to determine if a smaller footprint is possible in the deployment and sustainment scenarios of conflicts seen today; conflicts more centered on a leaner and faster deployment force. This research examines the …


Development Of Measures To Assess Product Modularity And Reconfigurability, Amie C. Stryker Mar 2010

Development Of Measures To Assess Product Modularity And Reconfigurability, Amie C. Stryker

Theses and Dissertations

Several fundamental benefits of modularity are agreed upon by industry including reusability, flexibility, reconfigurability and extensibility. Interfaces within or between modules which establish provide/depend relationships are the focus of current modularity measures. This research outlines a new method and measures for assessing product modularity in terms of degree of coupling and the recognized modularity benefits. A five–step analysis process is developed and used to guide the modularity assessment. Defining and decomposing products are performed first. Using the resultant functional model from the first step, the identified functions are mapped to modules in a product in the second step. In the …


Cca: Exploratory Case Study Of Construction In A Contingency Environment, Michael J. Pluger Mar 2010

Cca: Exploratory Case Study Of Construction In A Contingency Environment, Michael J. Pluger

Theses and Dissertations

Top military leadership has identified problems with the timeliness and effectiveness of DoD contingency construction support. Qualitative data was collected in order to gain clarity on the problem space and lay a foundation for solution generation and selection. Interviews were conducted with agents with experience within the Iraq and Afghanistan theater of operation as well as support functions for the Pentagon. Commanders, Engineers, Lawyers, Acquisition Attorneys, Staff Officers and Program Managers have been interviewed. The interviews have been analyzed using open coding to answer research question and identify to emergent themes and concepts. The data collected has revealed that Contingency …


A Study Of Electricians' Preferences Of Pvc And Alternative Conduit Materials In The State Of Utah, Robert Andrus Nov 2009

A Study Of Electricians' Preferences Of Pvc And Alternative Conduit Materials In The State Of Utah, Robert Andrus

Theses and Dissertations

Polyvinyl Chloride, commonly known as PVC is a common and effective construction material. PVC is also one of the most common types of plastic. In 2008, global production and consumption of PVC was approximately 34.5 million tons. The construction industry is responsible for about 70% of the world's consumption of PVC. The largest construction use of PVC is for pipe and conduit. Modern construction, especially structures built for data services depend heavily upon PVC conduit for underground pathways to distribute electricity and data. PVC is also at the center of a fierce effort by environmental groups who would like to …


An Improved Cube Cell Assembly For The Use With High Pressure/High Temperature Cubic Apparatus In Manufacturing Polycrystalline Diamond Compact Inserts, Kevin Christian Bach Nov 2009

An Improved Cube Cell Assembly For The Use With High Pressure/High Temperature Cubic Apparatus In Manufacturing Polycrystalline Diamond Compact Inserts, Kevin Christian Bach

Theses and Dissertations

The goal for this research was to reduce the current manufacturing cost of the polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) inserts utilized in the natural gas and oil drilling industry while not reducing their current performance. Polycrystalline Diamond is added to the tungsten-carbide (WC) substrates commonly utilized in these applications because of its greater wear and thermal resistance. With the current cube cell design for the high-pressure/high-temperature apparatus, it is necessary to bond an extra WC substrate to the polycrystalline diamond insert to achieve the sizes generally ordered by the customers. The problem of bonding the extra WC substrate was solved by …


Variability In Construction Of Cement-Treated Base Layers: Probabilistic Analysis Of Pavement Life Using Mechanistic-Empirical Approach, Tyler J. Rogers Nov 2009

Variability In Construction Of Cement-Treated Base Layers: Probabilistic Analysis Of Pavement Life Using Mechanistic-Empirical Approach, Tyler J. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this research was to quantify the improvement in service life of a flexible pavement constructed using full-depth reclamation (FDR) in conjunction with cement stabilization when specified reductions in the spatial variability of specific construction-related parameters are achieved. This study analyzed pavement data obtained through field and laboratory testing of a reconstruction project in northern Utah. Data analyses included multivariate regression, Monte Carlo simulation, and mechanistic-empirical analyses of a model pavement structure. The results of the research show a steadily increasing trend in 28-day unconfined compressive strength of the cement-treated base (CTB) layer with increasing reductions in …


An Economic Analysis Of Military Family Housing: Should The Government Continue To Privatize?, Chad A. Woods Mar 2009

An Economic Analysis Of Military Family Housing: Should The Government Continue To Privatize?, Chad A. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Providing military family housing has always been a difficult task for the United States government. To solve the latest housing short fall, the government signed the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) into law in 1996. Under this program the government contracts private developers to build, own, and operate housing units. The developer then collects rent through housing allowance payments. At the time MHPI was signed into law, military members were expected to pay 15 percent of their housing costs out of pocket. Subsequent legislation has increased housing allowance to provide 100 percent of all housing costs eliminating out of pocket …


The Utilization Of Light Gauge Steel In Residential Construction On The State Of Utah, Matthew Zaugg Perkins Mar 2009

The Utilization Of Light Gauge Steel In Residential Construction On The State Of Utah, Matthew Zaugg Perkins

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis researched why light gauge steel framing members are not used more in single-family residential construction. A survey was designed to extract information from licensed contractors in Utah on uses of light gauge steel framing members in residential homes. The purpose of the research was to discover what Utah builder's perception was concerning light gauge steel framing. Also, the researcher tried to learn a little about the contractors to see if there was a correlation between contractors that used light gauge steel and those that did not. Names of licensed general building contractors and residential contractors and their contact …


An Analysis Of Construction Contractor Performance Evaluation System, Rebecca S. Brown Mar 2009

An Analysis Of Construction Contractor Performance Evaluation System, Rebecca S. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

A rigorous system for rating construction contractor performance does not exist for the USAF as identified by the Air Force Civil Engineer (USAF CE), Major General Del Eulberg (Eulberg, 2007). The United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) uses DD Form 2626 for contractor performance evaluation and contractor selection. The objective of this research is to strengthen the USAF contractor rating system by exploring USACE‘s use of DD Form 2626. Using data from DD Form 2626, statistical analysis was conducted to determine if the measured performance sub-items reflect their respective performance elements, whether the resulting performance elements relate to the …