Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Vulnerability Of Progressive Collapse In Reinforced Concrete Flat-Plate Buildings, Jinrong Liu

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• Progressive collapse is the spread of initial local failure, causing partial or
  even total collapse of a building.
• Flat plate structure is widely used for office and residential buildings.
• There is a large inventory of older flat plate building without continuous slab bottom reinforcement through columns.
• Limited knowledge exists regarding the risk of disproportionate collapse in
  older flat-plates under sudden column removal during abnormal events.
• Reliable mechanical model is needed for structural evaluation.

Precast Concrete Insulated Wall Panel Corbels Without Thermal Bridging, Mohamed Elkady

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The common practice in corbel design is to block out the insulation in order to provide a solid concrete area at the corbel location. This connection practice results in thermal bridging, which significantly reduces the energy performance of the panel. For example, the PCI Design Handbook indicates that the reduction in thermal resistance caused by a solid part with an area equal to 9% of the total panel surface area is as high as 42%. This paper presents a discussion of a new concept for corbel design of insulated wall panels with the thermal break totally preserved. Two different designs …

Finishing The Job: A Partnership For Diversity In The Construction Workforce, Susan Moir, Liz Skidmore, Janet Jones, Brian Doherty

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues (PGTI) is a regional collaboration of construction industry stakeholders working together since 2008 to tackle the persistent failure of policies enacted to open up good paying jobs in the construction trades to women. Our focus on women explicitly supports efforts to increase all forms of diversity in the construction industry. Following the publication of our 2011 founding document, Unfinished Business: Building Equality for Women in the Construction Trades, PGTI has focused on the development and implementation of best practices for a diverse construction workforce in public and non-profit construction.

The Application Of Cobie To Increase The Functionality Of Existing Software, Barry Mcauley, Alan V. Hore, Mark Mccormack

Conference papers

Building Information Modelling (BIM) can provide a focus on collaboration between the designers, constructors and facility management (FM) personnel leading to major efficiencies in the operational and maintenance phase of a building. The information within a model can be extracted at various stages throughout the project life cycle using the Construction-Operation Building Information Exchange (COBie) schema that provides an open framework for the exchange and delivery of construction handover information. However, it is then up to the FM software companies to take the information and display it in a user friendly way. The authors have set about enhancing an established …

Control Charts As A Productivity Improvement Tool In Construction, Jospeh Hubert Ault

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

This study examined the use of individuals control charts to facilitate the productivity improvement of repetitive construction processes. Cycles times for excavation, forming, and reinforcing processes were observed using stratified random sampling during the construction of six residential home foundations. The cycle time information was plotted on control charts followed by an intervention, with the applicable crew members and management, to analyze the charts and propose solutions to any problems identified. Following the intervention, more samples were collected for comparison to the baseline observations collected before the intervention. The mean cycle times were compared before and after the interventions using …

An Automated Approach To Dynamic Site Layout Planning, Duy Huu Nguyen

Masters Theses

Dynamic site layout planning involves determining the optimum location of resources on the construction site. Site layouts are considered dynamic because construction activities and the number and nature of associated resources change as the project progresses. Previous research has focused on the use of several algorithms to address dynamic site layout problems. These efforts do not enable automated tracking of the dynamic context of construction resources, site space and activities. This research presents an automated adaptive component level system capable of generating layouts which are optimized throughout the phases of construction projects. The system involves the integration of building information …

The Impact Of Various Steel Stud Wall Frame Components On Energy Efficiency Analysis – Case Study, Aiyin Jiang, John Dryden

Construction Management Faculty Research and Scholarship

Steel stud framing is an excellent alternative to wood stud framing in residential construction. Steel framing is structurally sound, sustainable, and resistant to mold and insect infestation. However, the use of steel framing in the residential market remains low, due in large part to concerns on the thermal performance of steel. Over the past several years, engineers and constructors have increased the thermal resistance of steel stud walls through various wall assembly improvements, the impact of these components on energy efficiency is unclear. This study applies computer software to simulate the performance of various steel stud wall system assemblies. This …

Cyber-Adaptive Physical Systems For Automated Construction Progress Monitoring And Asset Tracking, Syed Hammad Rasheed

Masters Theses

Despite the benefits of building information models as a means of communication, collaboration and integration in construction projects, their use is often limited to the design and tendering/bidding stage. Potential of building information models lies in its implementation during construction, operations and maintenance phases of a facility’s lifecycle. Tight Integration of building information model and physical facility by means of computational resources is required to achieve this potential such that changes in one environment are automatically reflected in the other. This is termed a cyber-adaptive physical systems approach. This research investigates the applicability of a cyber-adaptive physical systems approach in …

An Analysis Of Cost Premiums And Losses Associated With Usaf Military Construction (Milcon), Daniel L. Blomberg

Theses and Dissertations

Military construction (MILCON) represents 40% of the federal government's $30 billion construction budget. The federal budget is fixed; therefore, any cost overages likely affect project scope or requirements. This study investigated if MILCON procurement costs more than private industry construction and if so, what causes the cost premiums. A combination of in-depth literature review, expert interviews, a unique case study, expert surveys, and geospatial statistical analysis answered the research question. The case study evaluated two nearly identical projects to determine how internal factors affect MILCON cost premiums. This study confirmed the existence of MILCON cost premiums. Additionally, 11 major cost …

Successfully Implementing Net-Zero Engergy Policy Through The Air Force Military Construction Program, D. Gavin Brost

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Government has issued numerous policies aimed at reducing federal facility energy consumption; the most recent, Executive Order 13514, requires that new construction designed after 2020 can achieve net-zero energy by 2030. The policy defines a Zero-Energy Building as one that is designed, constructed, and operated to reduce energy demand to a level which can be offset from sources of renewable energy. This research develops and evaluates a feasibility assessment model based on life-cycle cost. It incorporates geospatial analysis to calculate and summarize input values for all Air Force installations in the Contiguous U.S. A comparative analysis is then …

Understanding The Effects Of Climate On Airfield Pavement Deterioration Rates, Justin C. Meihaus

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, pavement engineers at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center have noticed the majority of identified distresses from PCI airfield surveys are climate related. To verify these trends, a comprehensive analysis of the current airfield pavement distress database was accomplished based on a climate region perspective. A four-zone regional climatic model was created for the United States using geospatial interpolation techniques and climate data acquired from WeatherBank Inc. Once the climatic regional model was developed, the climate information for each installation was imported into the Air Force pavement distress database within PAVER. Utilizing the pavement condition …

Starch Resin Moisture Level Effect On Injection Molding Processability And Molded Part Mechanical Properties With Pure Starch Resin And Polymer Blends, Jordan M. Ellingson

Theses and Dissertations

The current and forecasted global consumption of plastic packaging and products through the 21st century combined with the already reported and growing negative impact of plastics on the environment due to plastics being synthesized from nonrenewable resources that do not biodegrade is of serious concern. However, recent advances in starch technology including the development of thermoplastic starch (TPS) materials —polymers that are both renewable and biodegradable—have brought hope to reducing this impact. The mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch have often been improved by blending with synthetic polymers. One issue that arises with blending is volatilization of the melt from moisture …

Bringing To Life The World’S Tallest Structure, Jonathan Weigand

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

Intended as the centerpiece of constructional developments in Dubai, the Burj Khalifa now stands as the tallest building ever constructed. The uniquely designed foundation consists of a concrete raft supported by a cast-in-place pile system protected by waterproofing membrane to inhibit corrosion. The structural design integrates high-performance reinforced concrete and steel and incorporates an engineered “Y” shape that limits the lateral wind pressure on the building. Engineers applied the latest advancements in high-rise technology to develop an optimized construction plan that consisted of segmented tasks that promoted the staff to work at a quick yet manageable pace. This article details …

Location-Allocation Optimization Of Supply Chain Distribution Networks: A Case Study, Mark Nicholas Helberg

Theses and Dissertations

The location of distribution centers is an important strategic decision in supply chain design, particularly as it relates to service quality, productivity, and profitability of the firm. There has been extensive research performed on distribution location models which require the use of complex algorithms and assumptions that make use of these models difficult in practice for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that have limited capital and resources. Studies have also failed to capture and quantify potential business results of using more sophisticated methods. In this study, a deterministic and static location-allocation model is designed using a prototype software tool. The …

Design And Construction Process Management, David Brown

Purdue Road School

New approaches for improving design and construction processes have been used recently. Innovative methods for managing the requirements and quality of these processes will be discussed. A systematic data centric approach will be discussed as well as the processes of separating progress from performance. It discusses the integration of these processes in the planning, risk analysis, design, submission, construction, inspection, quality control and documentation phases.

Rumble Stripes: Opportunity To Improve Safety And Retroreflectivity, Thomas M. Brennan Jr., Alan Plunkett, William Smith

Purdue Road School

Painted rumble stripes can provide safety benefits as well as improved retroreflectivy and paint durability. This presentation covers specifications and construction techniques. A case study will describe the recent application of rumble stripes on US 231 between Crawfordsville and Lafayette, Indiana.

Indot Qc/Qa Earthwork And Intelligent Compaction Us 31/Us 35 At Kokomo, Kurt Sommer

Purdue Road School

This presentation discusses a 2012 case study using QC/QA Earthwork Specifications and Intelligent Compaction Rollers for soils.

INDOT Contract IR-30111 in Greenfield District on US 31/ US 35 at Kokomo used this process in 2012 and continuing into 2013 for the control and acceptance of approximately 1 million cubic yards of earthwork.

The Safe Installation And Removal Of Temorary Traffic Control, Bob Karrick

Purdue Road School

This session provides an overview of the safe installation and removal of temporary traffic control.

Current State Of Wireless Information Technology In The Construction Industry In Ohio, Alan Atalah, Aaron Seymour

Construction Management Faculty Publications

Construction projects are increasingly getting complex and fragmented in nature, yet contractors persistently face shortened project durations and reduced budgets. Timely delivery of accurate and reliable information among all project participants is critical and important because information is the foundation upon which decisions are made and projects are estimated, planned, monitored, and controlled. Recent developments in technology promise to introduce efficiencies that were not previously available to the industry. This study seeks to identify the current state of wireless information technology through the analysis of quantitative data from a web-based survey that represents the views of the respondents on the …

Case History Of Microtunneling Through A Very Soft Soil Condition, Alan Atalah

Construction Management Faculty Publications

Waikiki Public Bath Force Main Replacement Project consists of 1,037 m of 400 mm force main that carries the wastewater from the Public Bath pump station to a gravity sewer on the Kuhio Avenue. This force main transports wastewater underneath Kalakaua Ave, very close to some of the most expensive real state in the world. This area is the heart of Waikiki beach, and it is full of beach resorts, five star hotels, shopping, etc. The soil strata can be described as 2.50 to 3.00 m deep of beach sand on top of half a meter of a very hard …

Design And Construction Cost Of A Water Line Underneath I-75 In Bowling Green, Ohio, V. Goduto, Alan Atalah

Construction Management Faculty Publications

The City of Bowling Green, OH operates a water distribution system that delivers high quality water. The system operates optimally in a grid system; larger, “trunk water mains,” are installed in a grid pattern on the outer limits of the system with smaller lines branching from the larger lines. Almost all the residential, industrial, and commercial areas in Bowling Green were originally limited to the west side of I-75. However over the past few decades, these areas grew on the east side of I-75. Two 24” water mains crossed underneath I-75 at the central and south part of the city …

Bs News March/April

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Using Model Building In Structural Engineering To Enhance Understanding Of Construction Principles And Methods, Niall Holmes, Henry Mullen

Articles

This paper presents a new model building exercise in a second year module in the Department of Civil & Structural Engineering in the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). The activity aimed to improve students’ understanding of structural engineering, construction principles and methods. It allowed students to practically apply lecture material and construct a scaled model giving them an opportunity to study and visualise a real structure and generate their own ideas on how it should be assembled within a constructivist active learning environment. As a result, lectures were found to be more interactive and students more engaged in the discussions …

Designing A Framework For Exchanging Partial Sets Of Bim Information On A Cloud-Based Service, Alan Redmond

Doctoral

The rationale behind this research study was based on the recognised difficulty of exchanging data at element or object level due to the inefficiencies of compatible hardware and software. Interoperability depicts the need to pass data between applications, allowing multiple types of experts and applications to contribute to the work at hand. The only way that software file exchanges between two applications can produce consistent data and change management results for large projects is through a building model repository. The overall aim of this thesis was to design and develop an integrated process that would advance key decisions at an …

Resilience Quantification And Its Application To A Residential Building Subject To Hurricane Winds, Berna E. Tokgoz, Adrian V. Gheorghe

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In order to overcome negative consequences of a disaster, buildings and infrastructures need to be resilient. After a disaster occurs, they must get back to their normal operations as quickly as possible. Buildings and infrastructures should incorporate both pre-event (preparedness and mitigation) and post-event (response and recovery) resilience activities to minimize negative effects of a disaster. Quantitative approaches for measuring resilience for buildings and infrastructures need to be developed. A proposed methodology for quantification of resilience of a given building type based on different hurricane categories is presented. The formulation for the resilience quantification is based on a model embedding …

Applying Cognitive Principles To The Delivery Of Engineering Information By Different Mediums, Gabriel B. Dadi

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Construction project performance and worker productivity are often tied to the availability and effective presentation of information, tools, materials, and equipment. While advancements in technology have improved much of the processes on a construction project, the medium of information dissemination at the construction work face has consistently relied on the use of two dimensional drawings and specifications.

Industry initiatives are driving increased collaboration through three dimensional BIM (Building Information Modeling) models. However, the added dimension partially loses its effect when presented on a two dimensional computer monitor. Other computer forms of presentation intended for mobility (PDAs, laptops, and tablets) can …

Documenting Postural Changes And Repetition Among Violin Players And Their Influence In The Development Of Musculoskeletal Disorders, Cristina Handal

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to document the changes in posture and the number of wrist and forearm repetitions among violin/viola players during an experiment session to attempt to understand the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Also, the perception of discomfort and pain felt by the violin/viola players in the past and the number that had been diagnosed with a disorder was documented. Finally, possible correlations were calculated between pain/discomfort with variables like the number of years playing the violin, hours of practice/day, frequency of pain, gender, and dominant hand and among different pain/discomfort variables (pain/discomfort before the experiment, after …

Mechanical Concrete, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Mechanical Concrete® is a way of binding crushed stone aggregates together into a load bearing cellular building unit. The Mechanical Concrete® unit can support compressive loads and resist lateral soil pressure.

Greenpatch® - Cold Mix Asphalt, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

GreenPatch® is environmentally friendly cold asphalt that is a direct replacement for traditional cold patch in repairing asphalt pavements. This revolutionary breakthrough in the cold asphalt industry contains no petroleum based softeners such as diesel, toluene, kerosene, and naphthalene found in conventional cold asphalt that pose serious threats to human health and the environment.