Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

Social Resources Of Mechanical Contracting Management Personnel, Blake Wentz, Sarabeth Gandara

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry in the United States is projected to grow faster than average compared to other industries through 2026. The Baby Boomer generation is leaving a significant gap in the labor force as they reach retirement. Retention of high quality management personnel is a priority for all companies in the construction industry, including mechanical contracting companies. Firms that fail to retain these employees will be left with an understaffed and underqualified workforce, which will hinder their ability to be competitive in the marketplace. In order to aid in retention efforts, mechanical contracting firms need to focus their attention on …

Essay Winners, American Institute Of Constructors

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Attracting And Retaining Future Top Performing Employees, Caleb Bardin

The Professional Constructor

The goal of this essay is to explore the key factors that influence top-performing employees’ decisions to change companies or remain with their current employers. A few of these factors are salary and benefits, work environment, and corporate advancement. This essay will address such factors and propose solutions using my own educational and professional experience. A key theme to note is the constant evaluation of employees and workplace environment by employers. No company can hope to be successful or have the best people if this skill is not enhanced and implemented well.

A Continuation Of The Women In Construction Club’S Industry Mentorship Program And A Measure Of Its Effectiveness, Alexa S. Heien

Construction Management

The Women in Construction Club’s Industry Mentorship program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) is nearly a year old, yet the only data collected on the program was taken directly after it was created. The creation of the Industry Mentorship program, and subsequent data collection, were a previous senior project. But there were no measurements on how effective the mentorship program was, or if there was a benefit for the students involved. Because this program has the potential of creating long-lasting relationships and connecting women in a men-dominated field, knowing if the mentorship program needs to …

Insight To An Asbestos Laborer, Eduardo Delgadillo

Construction Management

Asbestos laborers are often overlooked and not cared for much in construction projects. While they are often forgotten in the construction industry, they play a big role in most remodels or demolition projects. Abatement workers are exposed to the dangers of asbestos on a daily basis. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are the federal agencies that regulate asbestos. The EPA regulates the use, transportation and disposal of asbestos, while OSHA sets the standards for work involving asbestos minerals. OSHA has regulations that demolition and/or abatement contractors must comply with since asbestos is considered …

Building Homes And Hopes In Bangalore, India, Sherry S. Saroufeem

Construction Management

Habitat for Humanity Global Village is an organization that continuously sends volunteers to work on construction projects around the world. My team and I were chosen to go to a village in Bangalore, India, where we dug and poured home foundations for three families in need. Given the opportunity to combine my love for construction and my passion for helping those in need, I was certain that this was the senior project for me. I wanted the capstone of my college educational experience to reflect a hands-on approach, where I had the opportunity to make a difference and see an …

The Skills Students Coming Out Of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Lack To Become Effective Superintendents, Armando Pulido-Melendrez

Construction Management

The construction superintendent plays a very important role throughout the construction process in order to deliver a successful project. This paper analyzes the skills Cal Poly SLO graduates lack to become effective superintendents. It does so by first analyzing quantitative research on papers that state which skills are important. Several interviews were conducted with professionals in the construction industry. These interviews provided input regarding what makes an effective superintendent. From this research, an effective superintendent must have an understanding of scheduling and sequencing of construction processes. Additionally, they must have the strength and stamina for construction supervision in the field …

Construction Tools, Equipment And Safety Signal Identification Implemented Into Heavy Civil Lab, Brian F. Keane

Construction Management

The purpose of this project is to begin the development and implementation of a teaching module for commonly used construction tools, equipment, and safety signals into the Construction Management department’s Heavy Civil lab. Using knowledge gained from former and future employers, past construction management classes, and online research I found the most commonly used tools, equipment, and hand signals used on construction sites and created visual representations and descriptions of them. Many graduates of the Construction Management program will find themselves on construction sites and there is no question that workers in the construction field are subject to life threatening …

Aei Student Design Competition: Value Engineering & Design Build, Vincenzo Paolo Guidi

Construction Management

The Architectural Engineering Institute puts on a yearly student design competition that features interdisciplinary teams from colleges across the country. The project for the competition was the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical and Performing Arts on the Hope College campus in Holland Michigan. The main challenges in the problem statement address acoustics, using mass timber, and add alternative roof top space. Through a collaborative process, our team created a proposal that addressed the challenges and why we were the best fit for the job. I worked with a fellow construction management student, Shannon Wheeler, to produce our portion of …

Quality Of Life Research For Cal Poly Construction Management Graduates In The Bay Area And Los Angeles County, Trevor Colbert

Construction Management

Construction Management Graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate at an impeccable 97.5% per year. On average over 78% of graduates relocate to the Bay Area or Los Angeles County, but how are graduates basing their decision on where to relocate? Sociology professor, Mark Schneider, developed an accurate way to measure the satisfaction of residents within a given city. Through subjective and objective social indicators, Schneider is able to gauge total life satisfaction. Analyzing data from interviews with recent graduates, economic data from local, state and federal governments, and personal knowledge from living in each area – an immense …

Thermographic Laplacian-Pyramid Filtering To Enhance Delamination Detection In Concrete Structure, Chongsheng Cheng, Ri Na, Zhigang Shen

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Faculty Publications

Despite decades of efforts using thermography to detect delamination in concrete decks, challenges still exist in removing environmental noise from thermal images. The performance of conventional temperature-contrast approaches can be significantly limited by environment-induced non-uniform temperature distribution across imaging spaces. Time-series based methodologies were found robust to spatial temperature non-uniformity but requires extended period to collect data. A new empirical image filtering method is introduced in this paper to enhance the delamination detection using blob detection method that originated from computer vison. The proposed method employs a Laplacian of Gaussian filter to achieve multi-scale detection of abnormal thermal patterns by …

Bs News March/April

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Mechanical Behaviors Of Hydrogel-Impregnated Sand, Kejun Wen, Yang Li, Wei Huang, Catherine Armwood, Farshad Amini, Lin Li

Civil and Architectural Engineering Faculty Research

Hydrogel has been widely used in medical studies due to their unique integration of solid and liquid properties. There is limited studies of using hydrogel in construction materials. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of hydrogel on mechanical behaviors of sandy materials. The effects of reaction time, sodium alginate content, and curing temperature on mechanical behaviors of hydrogel-impregnated sand were studied through unconfined compression tests, falling head permeability tests, consolidated and undrained triaxial tests, scanning electron microscopy, and durability tests. The unconfined compression strength (UCS) increased with sodium alginate content, but the hydraulic conductivity of hydrogel-impregnated …

E-Construction Technologies For Efficient Highway Construction Inspections, Dhaivat Patel

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Over recent years, organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration and Departments of Transportation across the United States have showed interest in automating highway construction processes. The addition of e-Construction and other advanced technologies can significantly improve the efficiency and safety of highway paving operations, specifically paving inspections. Activities such as collecting load tickets, tracking pavement lay-down temperatures, and monitoring roller movement are antiquated practices that DOT inspectors perform during paving operations. E-Ticketing, Paver Mounted Thermal Profiling, and Intelligent Compaction were proposed to automate paving inspections and were recently tested in two resurfacing pilot projects in the state of Kentucky. …

ผลของปริมาณบอแรกซ์และเถ้าแกลบต่อสมบัติของจีโอโพลิเมอร์มอร์ต้าร์จากเถ้าลอยแคลเซียมสูง, กิตติ์ จันทร์ประสิทธิ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์หลักในการพัฒนาสมบัติของวัสดุจีโอโพลิเมอร์ที่ผสมบอแรกซ์ที่เรียกว่า “บอโรอลูมิโนซิลิเกต (BASG)” ซึ่งเป็นหนึ่งในวัสดุที่เป็นมิตรต่อสิ่งแวดล้อม ส่วนเชื่อมประสานของจีโอโพลิเมอร์ทำจากเถ้าลอยแคลเซียมสูง โซเดียมไฮดรอกไซด์ (NH) โซเดียมซิลิเกต (NS) และบอแรกซ์ ทุกส่วนผสมใช้สัดส่วนเถ้าลอยต่อทรายคงที่เท่ากับ 1:2.75 โดยน้ำหนัก ใช้อัตราส่วน NS/NH โดยน้ำหนักเท่ากับ 1:1, 0.75:1 และ 0.5:1 ใช้บอแรกซ์แทนที่ NS ในปริมาณ 0%, 10%, 20% และ 30% โดยน้ำหนัก และศึกษาการใช้เถ้าแกลบ (RHA) ในการพัฒนากำลังรับแรงและความทึบน้ำของจีโอโพลิเมอร์มอร์ต้าร์ โดยใช้ RHA ในปริมาณ 0%, 3.6%, 4.8% และ 6.0% โดยน้ำหนักของเถ้าลอย จากการทดสอบพบว่าการแทนที่ NS ด้วยบอแรกซ์ส่งผลให้ความสามารถทำงานได้และความแข็งแรงของมอร์ต้าร์ลดลง เมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับส่วนผสมควบคุมที่ไม่ผสม RHA พบว่า BASG มอร์ต้าร์ที่ผสม RHA มีกำลังอัด กำลังดัด และความทึบน้ำที่ดีกว่า ผลการทดสอบโครงสร้างระดับจุลภาคบ่งชี้ว่าการใส่ RHA ช่วยเพิ่มสัดส่วน Si/Al ของจีโอโพลิเมอร์เจล โดยกำลังรับแรงอัดของ BASG มอร์ต้าร์ที่ผสม RHA มีค่าสูงสุดเท่ากับ 58.6 MPa

พฤติกรรมการรับแรงดัดของคานคอนกรีตผสมเส้นใยเหล็กภายใต้ภาวะการกัดกร่อน, อาณสิทธิ์ การินทอง

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ตั้งแต่อดีตจนถึงปัจจุบัน โครงสร้างคอนกรีตเสริมเหล็กเป็นโครงสร้างที่นิยมใช้กันอย่างแพร่หลาย แต่เนื่องจากเหล็กเสริมมีความทนทานต่อการกัดกร่อนที่ต่ำ ปัญหาการกัดกร่อนภายในโครงสร้างเป็นปัญหาสำคัญที่ส่งผลกระทบต่อความสามารถในการรับแรงของโครงสร้างที่ลดลงเนื่องจากสูญเสียปริมาณเหล็กเสริมไป ซึ่งอาจทำให้เกิดอันตรายต่อผู้ใช้งานโครงสร้างได้ ดังนั้นจึงจำเป็นต้องมีการพัฒนาโครงสร้างคอนกรีตเสริมเหล็กให้สามารถรับกำลังภายใต้สภาวะการกัดกร่อนได้ดีขึ้น งานวิจัยนี้จึงมีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาพฤติกรรมการดัดของคานคอนกรีตเสริมเหล็กผสมเส้นใยเหล็กภายใต้ภาวะการกัดกร่อน ด้วยการศึกษาอิทธิพลของปริมาณเส้นใยที่ใช้ต่อความเสียหายที่เกิดขึ้นเนื่องจากการกัดกร่อน และอิทธิพลของปริมาณเส้นใยที่ใช้ต่อพฤติกรรมของคานที่สภาวะการกัดกร่อน ตัวแปรที่ใช้ในการศึกษาคือ ระดับการกัดกร่อน (ร้อยละ 0, 2 และ 5) และปริมาณเส้นใยเหล็กที่ใช้ผสม (ร้อยละ 0, 0.5, 1.0 และ 1.5 โดยปริมาตรคอนกรีต) โดยศึกษาจากตัวอย่างคานทั้งหมด 12 ตัวอย่าง ผลการทดสอบพบว่า ปริมาณการใช้เส้นใยที่ในปริมาณที่เหมาะสมทำให้ความกว้างรอยแตกร้าวเนื่องจากการกัดกร่อนลดลงอย่างมีนัยสำคัญ โดยการผสมเส้นใยร้อยละ 1.0 ช่วยลดความกว้างรอยแตกร้าวลงได้ถึงร้อยละ 63.55 ที่การกัดกร่อนร้อยละ 2 และลดลงร้อยละ 27.96 ที่การกัดกร่อนร้อยละ 5 และการผสมเส้นใยช่วยทดแทนกำลังรับแรงดัดที่สูญเสียเนื่องจากการกัดกร่อนได้ โดยการผสมเส้นใยร้อยละ 0.5 สามารถทดแทนกำลังที่สูญเสียไปร้อยละ 101.3 ที่การกัดกร่อนร้อยละ 2 และ การผสมเส้นใยร้อยละ 1.0 สามารถทดแทนกำลังที่สูญเสียไปร้อยละ 101.2 ที่การกัดกร่อนร้อยละ 5 อีกทั้งเส้นใยเหล็กยังช่วยเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพในการถ่ายแรงไปยังเหล็กเสริมรับแรงดึงและช่วยให้พฤติกรรมการรับแรงดัดของคานคอนกรีตเสริมเหล็กไม่เปลี่ยนแปลงไปภายใต้ภาวะการกัดกร่อน

Balancing Mass Transit Ridership Through Land Use Development, Achara Limmonthol

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The utmost utility of the transit system can be supported by the balance of ridership. It is not only gaining more operational benefits but also enhancing the efficiency of the system as a whole. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is defined as an integration between land use and transportation, which focuses on the station areas. Land use characteristics are the essential factors that affect trip generation and trip attraction. Some types of land use generate trips mainly during peak hours. Meanwhile, some other types generate trips during off-peak hours. This dissertation therefore focuses on the balancing mass transit ridership through land …

A Business Success Evaluation Of Market Entry Mode Types In Myanmar Construction, Naw Ruth Po Gay

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The optimal entry mode decision and knowing the critical success factors are important for successful international market expansion. However, there are not many studies for developing Asian countries, such as Myanmar. Investors need to know what factors influence entry mode decision and business success. Therefore, the objectives of this study are 1) to identify the factors that influence entry modes decision, 2) to identify the critical success factors of entry modes for business, 3) to identify the significant factors that affect business success. The questionnaire survey using a five-point Likert scale was developed and distributed in Yangon, the commercial city …

Analysis Of Construction Fall Protection Guardrails In A Population With Changing Anthropometrics, Connor S. Klinzing

Masters Theses

The construction trade has commonly been cited as one of the most dangerous industries within the United States, with falls from elevation being the most predominate cause for injuries and deaths. The OSHA standards related guardrails has not changed since its implementation in 1970. These standards originally derive from the 1950s, which expect a 160-pound person with 40 pounds of equipment, tools, etc. However, the anthropometries of the common working age citizen has dramatically changed in respects to their weight. This study examines the relationship of the guardrail system to the changing anthropometries to determine if a reform is necessary …

The Impact Of Extreme Virtual Elevation Above Grade On Construction Workers' Physiological Responses, Physical Responses, And Task Performance, Mahmoud Habibnezhad

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

On average, in every two work hours, one person dies from work-related injuries at construction sites. Most incidents are due to falling from elevated surfaces. Slips, trips, and loss of balance are the main causes. Studies suggest that instigating visual mismatch and physiological changes are among the most important reasons behind falling from narrow elevated surfaces. By using advanced virtual reality models, this dissertation aims to highlight some of the possible effects of a destabilizing environment (i.e., elevation above grade) on workers’ physiological responses and task performance. More specifically, this dissertation strives to find potential effects of elevation above grade …

Redefining Construction “As-Built” Plans To Meet Current Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Needs, Victoria Lynn Lasley

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

As-built drawings are the traditional method used by the construction industry to record changes made during construction. As-builts provide valuable information for new design projects as well as rehabilitation and remediation projects. The completeness and accuracy of these plans are essential for transportation industries and their success. While the importance of as-builts is widely recognized, the process of creating them has proven to be difficult. It is a time consuming process and entities often lack the resources necessary to complete accurate and detailed as-builts. After an investigation of current as-built operations within State Transportation Agencies, recommendations have been made to …

Improving Safety Performance Of Highway Maintenance Crews Through Pre-Task Safety Toolbox Talks, Zamaan Al-Shabbani

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The dangerous work environment in the construction industry and the inherent high risks associated with construction work make it the focus of safety training and regulations. Highway construction and maintenance has unique hazards but seemingly less directly applicable safety standards, regulations, and programs. Department of Transportation (DOT) employees working in highway maintenance are exposed to a variety of unique hazards specifically associated with their work and not relating to the adjacent traffic. Yet, highway construction and maintenance work has not received sufficient attention in terms of safety research and programs. The lack of safety training and education in highway construction …

Hazard Recognition And Risk Perception Among Union Electricians, Elyas Jazayeri

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Hazard recognition and risk perception are two important factors that are a focus of most safety training programs. According to previous research, unrecognized hazards could lead to underestimation of risks, which ultimately could lead to injuries and fatalities. The primary objective of this research was to assess hazard recognition and safety risk perception skills in the electrician trade among electricians in unions. Another goal of this study was to find possible correlation between level of engagement in safety training and hazard recognition and risk perception skills. The research objectives were accomplished by gathering data from sixty-seven apprentices and journeymen across …

Development Of A Readiness Model For The Application Of Precast Concrete In Housing Construction: A Case Study In Myanmar, Aung Phone Myint

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Precast concrete construction has been verified that it is one of the solutions for the growth of urbanization and housing development. In addition, it helps to reduce the labor requirement and material wastage in construction. However, the use of precast concrete technology is not still popular and not widely used within the Myanmar housing construction industry. Moreover, there is no readiness assessment model encompassed the readiness of construction industry including major stakeholders who are representatives of the construction industry for accepting the new technology. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a readiness model that can assess the …

แบบจำลองพฤติกรรมการเลือกใช้ยานพาหนะร่วมกัน: กรณีศึกษาผู้ใช้รถจักรยานยนต์รับจ้างในกรุงเทพมหานคร, วีรชัย โสธนนันทน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การบริการมอเตอร์ไซค์แชริ่งจะเป็นทางเลือกในเดินทางที่จะช่วยยกระดับคุณภาพชีวิตและเป็นทางเลือกการเดินทางของประชาชนในกรุงเทพมหานคร งานวิจัยนี้จึงมุ่งเน้นวิเคราะห์หาปัจจัยที่ส่งผลต่อการตัดสินใจเปลี่ยนรูปแบบการเดินทางของผู้โดยสารที่ใช้รถจักรยานยนต์รับจ้างมาเป็นการใช้บริการมอเตอร์ไซค์แชริ่ง โดยเจาะจงกลุ่มตัวอย่างเป็นผู้โดยสารที่ใช้บริการรถจักรยานยนต์รับจ้างเพื่อเชื่อมต่อกับระบบรถไฟฟ้าขนส่งมวลชนในพื้นที่ย่านศูนย์กลางทางธุรกิจของกรุงเทพมหานครจำนวน 349 ตัวอย่าง โดยใช้วิธีเก็บรวบรวมข้อมูลเชิงกล่าวอ้างด้วยการจำลองสถานการณ์สมมติ 6 สถานการณ์และสร้างแบบจำลองโลจิสติคทวินามบนพื้นฐานของทฤษฎีอรรถประโยชน์ นำข้อมูลมาวิเคราะห์ทางสถิติด้วยโปรแกรม Rstudio จากผลของการศึกษาพบว่าตัวแปรที่มีอิทธิพลเชิงบวกต่อการเลือกใช้บริการมอเตอร์ไซค์แชริ่งอย่างมีนัยสำคัญ ได้แก่ เวลาและค่าใช้จ่ายของรถจักรยานยนต์รับจ้าง ความเต็มใจจ่ายในการใช้บริการ ระยะเวลาเดินที่ยอมรับได้ ความถี่ในการใช้บริการรถจักรยานยนต์รับจ้างต่อสัปดาห์ การมีใบอนุญาตขับขี่รถจักรยานยนต์ สำหรับตัวแปรระยะทางในการเดินทาง สถานะภาพการสมรส จำนวนรถจักรยานยนต์และจำนวนรถยนต์ในครอบครองครอบครองส่งผลเชิงลบต่อการเลือกใช้บริการมอเตอร์ไซค์แชริ่ง โดยมูลค่าเวลาในการเดินทางของผู้โดยสารรถจักรยานยนต์รับจ้างของกลุ่มตัวอย่างมีค่าเท่ากับ 5.63 บาทต่อนาที

Ultra-High Performance Concrete For Precast Seismic Bridge Column Connection, Titchenda Chan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) utilizes prefabricated bridge elements constructed off-site, delivered, and assembled on-site to expedite construction time and reduce traffic disruption. ABC has been increasingly used for super- and sub-structure elements in low seismic regions. However, its application in medium and high seismic regions remain limited, particularly for precast columns where connections typically coincide with plastic hinge (PH) regions. Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), characterized by high compressive and tensile strength, and superior bond properties, is a potential material that can mitigate PH damage and enhance load transfer. This research proposes a new and simple damage tolerant precast column connection …

Analysis Of Standardized Concrete Mixes, Riley Graybeal

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Concrete is one of the most common materials used in construction. It is mass produced throughout the country, with numerous different designs for concrete mixes. A common practice among concrete manufacturers is to use a standardized concrete mix design. These standardized mix designs are pre-tested and are not usually altered frequently. The hypothesis of this research project is that manufacturers do not constantly investigate new ways to save on their mixes, and simply use the same standardized mix designs.

In this research, investigations into what alterations may reduce the cost of standardized mixes began with a baseline mix design provided …

Bs News January/February

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Demand On Shared Mobility Packages In University Campus, Sandar Win

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Shared mobility is the emerging service and comes in various forms. In Chulalongkorn University, innovative shared mobility services such as shared bicycle (CU Bike), small electric vehicle sharing (Ha:mo) and ride sharing tricycle (Muvmi) are offered along with conventional free bus (Pop bus) circulation. This study aimed to explore the attributes of the monthly mobility package which have effect on student’s decision while offering the integrated service package for CU students. Two phases of questionnaire surveys were conducted to find out the satisfaction on existing mobility services quality, barriers that discourage students from using shared mobilities, and factors that influence …

Wind Load Analysis Of A High-Rise Building By Computational Fluid Dynamics, Canh Thiet Phung

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

As new buildings become taller due to limited land area, often irregular in shapes for esthetics and some design constraints, wind load formula provided in design codes/standards cannot be applied because of the limitations. Wind tunnel test (WTT) is thus the suggested approach to obtain appropriate wind load for the design of such buildings. However, WTT is costly and time-consuming as it often requires much preparation of the small-scale model of the target building, instrumentation, and numerous realistic blocks of surrounding buildings (SBs). In this study, the CFD's accuracy will be evaluated by comparing its results to WTT by a …