Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

The Impact Of Bilingual Superintendents On A Multilingual Job Site, Cesar Barajas

Construction Management

Language barriers are frequently encountered on construction job sites. Construction crews can often be limited in their proficiency when speaking English and in states like California, construction superintendents oversee a lot of Spanish-speaking crews. This study aims to identify if bilingual superintendents lead to better performing projects. Communication impacts major metrics of project performance including schedule, rework costs, safety performance, and coordination across trades. This qualitative study includes superintendents, project managers, and field crew semi structured interviews backed by survey answers. Interview participants discuss specific examples of how communication can affect jobsite performance both negatively and positively. Subjects are asked …

Skip The Grid: Bringing Solar To The Navajo Nation, Samuel B. Mcclintock Ii

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is a student-driven, interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to improving access to electricity for families of the Navajo Nation. The project focuses on educational equity by addressing barriers to home study, such as insufficient lighting and energy. These issues stem from the Navajo Nation's remote nature and the families' access to resources. In March of 2025, a group of 24 students and faculty from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), representing six different educational departments, traveled to Arizona to partner with the Chinle Unified School District in addressing educational equity in the Navajo Nation. The effort allowed students to …

Assessing The Impact Of The Women In Construction Leadership Course And Disc Training On The Construction Industry For Students And Recent Graduates, Amanda E. Mcdowell

Construction Management

This study examined the impact of the Women in Construction Leadership Course, paired with DISC training, on students transitioning into the construction industry. The DISC instrument classifies behaviors into four personality types (i.e., Dominant, Influencer, Steady, Conscientious) and the training helped students identify each personality type to improve their communication skills. Although technical skills are essential for completing daily tasks, effective leadership and communication are crucial to project success. This research explored how DISC training can improve new hires’ perceptions of their abilities to interact and communicate with their project team members. Through a survey of course participants, the study …

Assessing The Impact Of The Women In Construction Leadership Course And Disc Training On The Construction Industry For Students And Recent Graduates, Amanda E. Mcdowell

Construction Management

This study examined the impact of the Women in Construction Leadership Course, paired with DISC training, on students transitioning into the construction industry. The DISC instrument classifies behaviors into four personality types (i.e., Dominant, Influencer, Steady, Conscientious) and the training helped students identify each personality type to improve their communication skills. Although technical skills are essential for completing daily tasks, effective leadership and communication are crucial to project success. This research explored how DISC training can improve new hires’ perceptions of their abilities to interact and communicate with their project team members. Through a survey of course participants, the study …

Cal Poly Construction Spanish Class, Josue E. Basilio

Construction Management

This project develops a Construction Spanish & Communication course for Cal Poly’s Construction Management program to address the growing need for bilingual communication on job sites. The course equips students with essential Spanish language skills for safety meetings, work instructions, and team coordination, improving job site efficiency and inclusivity. Deliverables include a detailed course outline in preparation for the semester conversion, curriculum, course catalog entry, and a first-day lecture presentation. The course blends lecture-based instruction with hands-on activities like role-playing, translation exercises, and real-world simulations. Assessments include scenario-based quizzes, a reflection essay, participation grading, and a final exam to ensure …

Analyzing The Effect Of The Construction Safety Audit Model Using The Business Process Model And Notation (Bpmn) Method On Improving Communication And Collaboration Between Stakeholders., Muhammad Ghazali, Danang Budi Nugroho, Yusuf Latief

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

The significant increase in infrastructure development is directly proportional to the rising accident rate in the construction sector, making it one of the highest-risk sectors for accidents. This phenomenon indicates that existing construction safety audits have not been effective in preventing accidents, largely because audits are generally conducted only at the construction stage. Audits at the design stage, however, have the potential to impact accident prevention significantly. Therefore, this research aims to develop a construction safety audit model using the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and analyzes the impacts on stakeholder communication and collaboration. BPMN was chosen because it …

Thinking Styles In The Built Environment, Jaden A. Green

Construction Management

Effective communication in the built environment is crucial for project success, information relay, goal alignment, error prevention, and safety. Diverse parties, including general contractors, architects, engineers, and subcontractors, bring varying Thinking Styles to the table, as defined by Harrison and Bramson. These styles—Synthesist, Idealist, Pragmatist, Analyst, and Realist—impact collaboration and conflict within projects. This study aims to explore where thinking differs among these parties and the congruity of Thinking Styles within each group. Results of this study indicate a predominant Realist Thinking Style among general contractors and subcontractors with subcontractors equally leaning towards Analyst. Engineers, although expected to be Analysts, …

Communication Challenges And Lessons Learned For An International Research And Development Project, Ryan Fehrenbach

Construction Management

This paper discusses the importance of communication for an International Research and Development project given the timeline it takes to accomplish. With a Cal Poly team of 5 students, 2 professors as advisors, an off-campus external advisor, and the Moringa Connect team in Ghana, many forms of communication were utilized and documented throughout the duration of the project. For a project of this magnitude, it was crucial to establish clear forms of communication from the first discussions of the project for both the internal Cal Poly team and the external team in Ghana. Implementing shared documents such as a deliverable …

The Impact Of Disc In Construction Dialogue, Michelle W. Li

Construction Management

Personality tests look to categorize individuals based on their values, identity, psychological traits, and/or perspectives. The DISC (dominance, influential, steady, complaint) assessment is one of the major personality tests. Multiple industries like healthcare and sales have utilized DISC to foster better overall communication from work relations and positive success. Construction management (CM) is a similar industry with heavy emphasis on influence and focus. Utilizing DISC in the construction industry can achieve similar effects to the healthcare and sales industry. To analyze the potential effectiveness of DISC in the construction industry, a survey was distributed to one class of CM majors …

The Impact Of Language And Culture On Productivity: A Recommendation To Implement An Innovative Spanish Language Track, Jordan J. Price

Construction Management

Productivity is a popular focus of construction research because of its efforts to overcome a multitude of project related challenges. This research explores the intersection of language barriers, cultural differences, and productivity in the construction industry with a focus on the impact of bilingual management. It evaluates the impact of these factors on productivity and its beneficial relationship to multilingual management on diverse construction crews. The impending retirement of 40% of the construction labor force calls for proactive initiatives to manage the demographic shift shown by the growing composition of Hispanics in the workforce. The influence of language barriers on …

Researching The Demand Of A New App That Reinvents The Way General Contractors And Subcontractors Communicate, Biko Kavalam

Construction Management

This is a research study on the need for a new service that increases efficiency and profit for commercial construction companies. Contractors need an efficient way to hire subcontractors; through detailed and thorough research, we have found a way to make that possible. The research methodology used for the duration of the project is presented. This included contacting general contractors, subcontractors, and owners and discussing in detail the demand for a service like the one proposed. From these discussions, themes like credibility, understanding the market, and finding the right audience were recorded. The results that were obtained reassured us that …

Expanding On Leadership And Professional Skills For A Girls Build Summer Academy, Claire M. Gress

Construction Management

The construction industry has historically been male-dominated. Despite efforts by organizations and companies to encourage women to join the industry, there has been little progress in encouraging more women to enter the industry and getting them to stay. The construction management program at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo is developing and hosting a Girls Build Summer Academy to familiarize and encourage high school girls to explore construction as a career path. One segment of this boot camp includes leadership modules that will give the girls confidence and the skills they need to be successful leaders in construction. …

Construction Management Students Using Technology In The Field, Anthony D. Bongi

Construction Management

This research paper examines the affect technology has had on the desire for college graduates to pursue a career in the field. The idea of college graduates entering directly into a field leadership position was contemplated and discussed. Historically, soft skills such as leadership and communication have been the predominate attributes of any worker expected to run construction in the field. While the importance of these skills hasn’t changed, the importance of technological skills has increased to be considered alongside soft skills. Through an anonymous survey of industry professionals with 10+ years of experience as well as interviews of two …

The Optimization Of Financial Investment In Project Safety Practices, Ryan Stewart Nielsen

Construction Management

This research paper explains the notable benefits to pursing a comprehensive safety plan complete with the most cost-effective safety practices in the industry. Through communication with environmental health and safety professionals within the construction industry, it was determined that certain safety practices are deemed essential on any active jobsite. Enforcing mandatory jobsite safety training to all individuals entering a jobsite serves as the first line of defense when attempting to protect individuals and mitigate risk. This educational and effective safety practice highlights the potential safety concerns of a jobsite while also mitigating contractor liability if an accident were to occur. …

Implementation Of A 4d Schedule As A Project Communication Tool, Jared Jacobs

Construction Management

This report details the project that was completed to produce a preliminary 4D Schedule for the Alma Clark Glass Residence Hall on Western Washington University’s campus. A 4D schedule combines the 3D model of the building and the project schedule and ultimately shows the sequence of construction. The main objective of this project is to explore areas for improved communication strategies within the project team. A 4D schedule provides an added dimension of communication that has the potential, if delivered effectively, to clearly define construction milestones and sequences for an owner to understand. The goal of this project is to …

Bilingual Training Course For Redwood Residential Fence Company, Adriana Bernabe Martinez

Construction Management

The Hispanic population has been increasing in the US over the past twenty years, and made up 42.9% of the construction workforce in 2018 (Data USA, n.d.). Because of this population increase, it’s expected that 1 in 4 persons will be of Hispanic descent by the year 2050 (Canales, 2009). Due to this increase, many language barriers exist that can create serious issues in construction. Language barriers cause productivity to decrease and increase concerns for the workers’ safety. Although OSHA trainings are available in Spanish, the opportunity to take these courses vary from company to company and it is rare …

Analytical Assessment Of Project Complexity: A Guide To Managing Projects Through Reduction Of Complexity, Christopher Vanarsdale

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This research discusses the characteristics that make projects difficult to manage. Project inefficiencies and failures can be attributed to the structure of a system. Developing a measurement for complexity based on the number and nature of interactions in the system can allow project complexity to be reduced while still meeting project objectives. Previous research has identified characteristics or markers of complex systems but does not address how to measure or how to reduce a system’s complexity.

The objective of this dissertation is to develop a metric for complexity that assists project and emergency managers in reducing project complexity either by …

Content Development For Leadership (Slo 23), Jaime A. Olmedo

Construction Management

As the construction industry evolves, the curriculum that prepares future builders must change and account for new ideas and concepts as well. In September of 2020, the Construction Management department at the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) gave the opportunity to five senior level students to assist them with research on how to develop content and programming for the five extra student learning outcomes and have it count toward their senior project. These five students, each being paired up with a student from CM 461, were asked to produce a study guide and survey questions for one of the …

Student Mentorship: An Essential Practice, Jonathan E. Ott

Construction Management

As an industry that relies heavily on strong relationships, contractors must learn to be effective communicators. At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO), there are several majors that provide students with a peer mentorship program; however, the Construction Management Department lacks one of these programs. Previous research conducted by Construction Management students at Cal Poly SLO revealed a significant demand for peer mentorship relationships (Gauna, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to determine what logistical approaches should be initiated to provide students with this valuable resource. This research was conducted by utilizing a nine-question survey …

Meetings Critical To Construction Project Success And Best Practices: A Case Study, Ross L. Ludwig

Construction Management

This project is a case study of specific meeting tactics that are being used by “Company X”, a large general contracting company. The case study was completed by conducting semi-structured interviews of “Company X” senior management personnel. The case study looked to discover which meetings were necessary to overall project success, as well as best practices for meetings in the construction industry. Communication effectiveness of the project team is essential to the overall project outcome. The project team is a group of people with diverse backgrounds. Understanding the dynamics of a group is necessary to producing a quality product. A …

Meetings Critical To Construction Project Success And Best Practices: A Case Study, Ross Ludwig

Construction Management

This project is a case study of specific meeting tactics that are being used by “Company X”, a large general contracting company. The case study was completed by conducting semi-structured interviews of “Company X” senior management personnel. The case study looked to discover which meetings were necessary to overall project success, as well as best practices for meetings in the construction industry. Communication effectiveness of the project team is essential to the overall project outcome. The project team is a group of people with diverse backgrounds. Understanding the dynamics of a group is necessary to producing a quality product. A …

Spanish Language Topics Course With An Emphasis On Construction Safety, Austin Changras

Construction Management

The end goal of this research-based project is to evaluate whether a Spanish course with an emphasis on construction site safety would be beneficial to Cal Poly’s Construction Management (CM) program and how it might also benefit the industry. The research orchestrated will be to decipher whether or not there is even a need for this type of class to be included into the curriculum. Along with data research, two separate surveys have been conducted, one administered to the Construction Management student population and the other to industry professionals. Furthermore, George Healy, a fellow CM student, is working on the …

An Embedded Sensory System For Worker Safety: Prototype Development And Evaluation, Chunhee Cho, Jee Woong Park

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

At a construction site, workers mainly rely on two senses, which are sight and sound, in order to perceive their physical surroundings. However, they are often hindered by the nature of most construction sites, which are usually dynamic, loud, and complicated. To overcome these challenges, this research explored a method using an embedded sensory system that might offer construction workers an artificial sensing ability to better perceive their surroundings. This study identified three parameters (i.e., intensity, signal length, and delay between consecutive pulses) needed for tactile-based signals for the construction workers to communicate quickly. We developed a prototype system based …

Creating A Mentoring Program For Members Of The Cal Poly Women In Construction Club, Savannnah Monique Gauna

Construction Management

The construction industry remains one of the most male dominate industries in the workforce. With universities like California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly, SLO) is placing significance on construction related career paths by offering coursework and graduate studies in construction management. That means a more diverse group of people, including women, are getting exposed to the construction industry and pursuing a college degree so they can obtain a good job. At Cal Poly, a new club was created to empowering women in construction through mentorship, youth outreach, industry support, and strengthening department interrelations. The purpose of this …

A Recommendation To Implement "Spanish In Construction" Topics Course, Benjamin W. Dimer

Construction Management

The purpose of this report is to recommend the addition of a Spanish in Construction class to the Construction Management curriculum. Many of Cal Poly’s graduates enter a construction workforce which is composed heavily of Hispanic and Latino members. Historically, Hispanics and Latinos account for not only the most rapidly growing populations of construction, but also the most proportionally at-risk. In an industry as dangerous as construction, it is important that students are well-rounded and well-prepared to contribute as safely, efficiently, and flawlessly as possible. Thorough literature review and an interview of part-time Cal Poly lecturer and industry veteran, Eric …

Remodeling Office For Growing Grounds, Kyle R. Fawley

Construction Management

This project was my first real re-condition project for a portion of an office space for Growing Grounds Farm here in San Luis Obispo. The purpose of this essay is to look back onto my experience and see how much I struggled and learned, and how I can benefit from it in the future. Throughout my project, I made sure there was constant communication between myself and Craig Wilson, program manager for Growing Grounds Farm, with clarifications and several updates. I made sure to fit and complete the project within my tight schedule and adjust it throughout the process. Throughout …

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 …

Autodesk Buzzsaw®, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Autodesk® Buzzsaw® is a software solution enabling the successful execution of construction projects through a central database, collaboration and communication with access control. The software has capacities of exchanging and viewing drawings, schedule reminders and specifications. Users can directly comment on AutoCAD drawings with the date of comment and name of commenter displayed.

Polycom.Viavideo - Video Conferencing, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

As the construction industry is more globalized and competitive than other industry, it needs faster interaction to enable real-time collaboration, application sharing between the headquarter and construction sites. USB based video system, the ViaVideo video communications appliance combines the power of a high-quality camera and multimedia processor for improved video communications.

Evoke Communications, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Using Evoke Webconferencing technology, users can avoid expensive long distance rates by having participants listen in over the Web - using only their standard Internet connection and browser.