Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

The Causes Of Electrical Labor Shortages Within Central California, Madeline S. Brogno

Construction Management

Labor shortages within various trades in the construction industry have become a prominent issue throughout the world for decades. The negative effects due to lack of manpower affect construction personnel ranging from general contractors to manufacturers who are finding themselves struggling as many subcontractors are having to turn down work, which in turn affects general contractors timelines in projects- extending durations, and increasing costs. There has been general research done that has provided some insight, suggesting the root cause be attributed to the baby-boomer generation retiring, or a general lack of interest in the industry. This research paper on labor …

Hybrid: The Future Of Construction Meetings In The Digital Age, Nicholas G. Orozco

Construction Management

Over the last few years, many construction companies have had to upheave traditional methods of construction meetings to adapt to rapidly changing COVID-19 safety and regulation protocols. For many, this has meant taking common in-person meetings (OAC, pre-construction, and design) and shifting them virtual. As companies continue to move forward in a post-pandemic climate, the question of whether they will continue with virtual meetings or revert to in-person meetings still lingers in the air. To get a better read on the future of construction meetings post-pandemic, a survey was sent to determine what most people prefer. A total of 21 …

Measurement Of Resilience Performance For Infrastructure Construction Project Delivery, Fei Han

Civil Engineering ETDs

In the past decade, infrastructure resilience in the U.S. has become critical due to increasing disruptions to the built environment and the resultant consequences on economic, social, and environmental goals. This attention to resilience research is drawn to investigating the ability of existing structures and facilities to resist and recover from natural and human-caused hazards. From a broader view, resilience also applies to processes, such as infrastructure project delivery processes. During these processes, a project often suffers inevitable threats and disruptions, which can significantly delay or derail the project if the process is not resilient.

This research aimed to conceptualize …

Introduction To Prefabrication And Automation In Construction, Luciana Debs, Jiansong Zhang, Yunfeng Chen

Bowen School of Construction Open Educational Resources

New developments and recent advances in construction methods have the potential to change the future of the architecture, engineering and construction industry. Prefabrication, along with modular construction, provides a safe and controlled environment for the production of building construction elements and raises the need for improved collaboration and coordination from design to manufacturing and from transportation to final assembly. Prefabrication also provides relief from the skilled construction labor shortage while opening up new opportunities for mass customization within the building industry. Prefabrication and modular construction automation are emerging expansion routes for the construction industry. In addition, integral to developing the …

Assessment Of Key Imperatives For Enhancing Precast Adoptability In Egypt, Mostafa Sameh

Theses and Dissertations

Precast Concrete’s modular application concept is a major construction method that has been used historically seen in various shapes, forms, and with a wide range of constituents. Examples include Ancient Egypt and China among several impressive structures in old civilizations. The major advantages of precast concrete lie in its adaptability, resilience, and versatility which makes precast concrete one of the most agile building materials. Precast concrete as we know it today has been introduced to our markets over the past several decades. Having similar advantages to that of old precast building methods, the road has been paved for wider use …

Adapting To California Wildfires: Keys To Rebuilding In High Fire Risk Locations, Sebastian Dante Froman

Construction Management

A rise in California wildfires has led to a significant increase in the number of acres and structures destroyed annually. The Tubbs Fire, known as one of California’s most destructive fires, affected parts of Northern California in October 2017. In an effort to reduce the damage caused by wildfires, it is vital that houses are constructed so that they are more fire resistant, specifically in areas that are at high risk of wildfires. This paper will look at the reconstruction of Santa Rosa after the Tubbs Fire to see what building methods are being used by contractors. This was investigated …

City Farm Slo - Walk-In Produce Coolbot Cooler, Connor Morinini

Construction Management

This paper describes the planning, financing, and construction of a commercial sized refrigerator for a non-profit urban farm in San Luis Obispo, CA, called City Farm SLO. Construction of the project occurred over a nine-month period from September of 2020 to May of 2021. The project involved building a Tuffshed, site grading, framing a room inside the Tuffshed, hanging a door, installing electricity inside the room, insulating the interior, painting the exterior, installing an air conditioner, and wiring the Coolbot to the air conditioner. The project was built to allow the non-profit organization to begin storing their agricultural crops in …

The Utilization Of Industrial Hemp As A Structural Material, Matthew C. Wirick

Construction Management

The need for alternative materials within the construction industry is increasing as more projects are undertaken. Many of the natural resources currently used are being depleted. Various alternatives, such as using recycled concrete as a replacement for aggregate, are being researched and applied to projects with the purpose of reducing construction waste. However, substitutes are needed especially when it comes to structural materials. Industrial hemp is a fast-growing fibrous plant that can be made into a variety of goods and has properties that give it a high enough strength to be fabricated into products that can handle loads such as …

The Benefits And Challenges Of Automation In The Modular Construction Industry, Allen Le

Construction Management

Modular construction combined with automation technology such as robotics presents benefits and challenges associated with it. Modular construction takes on the traditional building methods and has streamlined the production of modules making it safer, efficient, and productive. Along with innovation and cutting-edge technology such as automation, it offers an alternative building method to the modular construction industry that enhances productivity, worker safety, and efficiency. This research presents an investigation on factors that may be benefited from the adoption of automation but also addresses the challenges in modular construction. Qualitative interviews with designers and consultants in the modular industry were conducted …

Addressing Mep Labor Shortages And Methods To Attract Young Adults Into The Trades, Hernan Garcia Alonso

Construction Management

The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) fields require a large skilled workforce. In recent years, companies have experienced shortages of skilled employees. These shortages arise from many causes, a root cause identified is the decrease of young adults pursuing MEP careers. This project focuses on the reasons young adults are reluctant to enter these careers, such as misconceptions or lack of knowledge on MEP careers. A pool of twelve MEP companies was surveyed regarding their experiences with the causes of labor shortages and the short-term mitigation methods used. They were also asked about their perspective on the lack of young …

Skill Sets Of Students In Comparison To Their Preferred Route After College, Shay O'Laughlin

Construction Management

Many of the superintendents and project managers today come out of higher education instead of coming up through the trades. This creates a large need for universities to produce both quality superintendents and project managers to run jobs efficiently and effectively in the future. This research paper focuses on the skillsets of construction management students at Cal Poly in relation to their anticipated career path, to see if students are choosing their path based on the skills, they have self-assessed or another factor. The hypothesis is that students are tending to not choose their route based on skills but instead …

Second Language Advantages To The Construction Industry, Heilam Wu

Construction Management

The university is well known for its prowess in construction management. It is essential for construction management students to learn additional skills. The current trend in construction management predicts its expansion across international borders. A construction manager will have an added advantage working abroad if they can communicate using different languages. Knowledge of foreign languages is advantageous as it increases the chance of securing job opportunities and sharing effectively with others. However, this can only be attained by encouraging more students to learn to integrate their skills with at least one or two foreign languages. It is, therefore, essential to …

Pouring Concrete Benches For The Amphitheater At Slo Botanical Garden, Makenna Paige Gitchell

Construction Management

This paper will outline the logistics and construction processes for the construction of ten concrete benches for a new amphitheater area at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden. These benches will provide stadium-style seating for around forty guests that the botanical garden staff can utilize for special events, tours and outdoor classes. The overall project team was composed of 6 students broken out into a preconstruction (Anthony Masarweh, Sydnee Greer and Devon Barthmaier) and a construction team (Makenna Gitchell, Brandon Keefer, and Kyler Cruz). As part of the construction team, we were responsible for coordinating material deliveries, building the formwork, …

A Case Study On The Ucsf Transplant Center Renovation: Mitigating Covid-19 Risks And Tracking Cost Impact, Alec Steven Woodyatt

Construction Management

At the beginning of 2020, the world was turned upside down at the hands of the global coronavirus pandemic. Today, economies and business are counting the costs and wondering what recovery will look like – how to navigate and adapt to a new style of life after returning from government-mandated lockdowns. The question on everyone’s minds is, “how do we continue to work while keeping people safe?” This question is extremely relevant in the construction industry where, for most people, working from home is not an option. This case study will delve into how Dome Construction, along with their client, …

City Farm Slo - Walk-In Produce Coolbot Cooler, Connor Morinini

Construction Management

This paper describes the planning, financing, and construction of a commercial sized refrigerator for a non-profit urban farm in San Luis Obispo, CA, called City Farm SLO. Construction of the project occurred over a nine-month period from September of 2020 to May of 2021. The project involved building a Tuffshed, site grading, framing a room inside the Tuffshed, hanging a door, installing electricity inside the room, insulating the interior, painting the exterior, installing an air conditioner, and wiring the Coolbot to the air conditioner. The project was built to allow the non-profit organization to begin storing their agricultural crops in …

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 …

Workers Head Protection Preferences In Construction, Matthew R. Langbehn

Construction Management

Head injuries are one of the most common ways workers are injured on a construction site, but head protection has not evolved over the last few decades. A new style of head protection, a safety helmet is being introduced to better protect workers, but the new style has not been widely adopted. A survey was conducted to determine workers preferences when choosing head protection and 31 responses were collected. 68% of the respondents currently wear a safety helmet, but 60% of the respondents would choose a traditional helmet if given the choice. 73% workers with more than 5 years of …

Outsourcing Vdc Workflows, Kyle K. Bresnahan

Construction Management

In an increasingly demanding world for infrastructure, technological methods have been found to assist construction project's. As innovative construction methods are constantly increasing, so is the demand for technological needs within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. To ensure technological adoption, many countries have started to mandate higher levels of building information modeling (BIM) documentation beyond the 2D construction documents traditionally required throughout construction review and permitting. Some companies have capitalized on this change to the extent of making BIM their primary business. These companies focus solely on virtual design and construction (VDC) and determine whether clients lacking this …

Meta-Network Analysis Of Complex Construction Systems: Improving Project Efficiency Using Novel Computer-Based Analytic Methodology, Ethan Cummiskey

Honors Scholar Theses

The objective of this study is to build upon the framework of a meta-network approach to assessing vulnerabilities in construction projects. By viewing these complex environments as configurations of various nodes and links, it is possible to show the relationship between each entity in the project and the overall completion that is achieved from these connections. To expand upon previous studies, the vulnerabilities measured from this approach will be used to optimize the current network to eliminate any shortcoming in the project model. By investigating the congruence of different agents on the project, resources and informational nodes can be supplied …

Applications Of Biomimicry In Construction And Architecture: A Bibliometric Analysis, Mugdha Praveen Kshirsagar Mrs, Sanjay Kantrao Kulkarni Dr, Ankush Kumar Meena Mr, Danby Caetano D’Costa Mr, Sushant Sunil Bhavsar Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Biomimicry can be considered to be a way of connecting the environment created by man to the natural world. Biomimicry is a science that, as a model, a measure and a tutor, looks to nature. Via site work, construction and everyday operations, biomimicry can be used to enhance the way the built environment is constructed. The main objective of this paper is to perform a bibliometric study of biomimicry-related literature in order to discover the growth of biomimicry as an architectural method in recent years. The time frame considered for this survey is between 1990 and 2020. The findings, however, …

Understanding Sub-Contractor Selection Factors In Thebuilding Construction Industry For The Southeastern United States, Dhaval Gajjar, Cayla Anderson

The Professional Constructor

The primary entities within building construction industry consists of the owner, the architect / engineer, and the general contractor, that ensure the success of any construction project. On a traditional project, the owner selects and contracts with the general contractor to construct a building designed by the architect. A considerable amount of research has been conducted to understand the owner’s selection factors to hire a qualified general contractor. However, the general contractor selected for the project seldom self-performs the entire construction of a building. The general contractor might self-perform some aspects of the actual building construction, but they will typically …

Case Study: Infection Control On The Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Emergency Room Expansion And Remodel Project, Daniel E. Romero

Construction Management

California hospital and healthcare projects typically involve California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Department (OSHPD) which is governed by the state of California and the Fire Marshal. Along with OHSPD as the governing organization, healthcare and hospital projects often must incorporate infection control practices. The Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Emergency Room Expansions and Remodel project incorporated infectious control practices. Qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews of the project management team along with primary and secondary sources. The tools and practices used on this project included negative air machines, temporary walls with sound barriers, zip walls with fire rated …

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 …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On A Commercial Construction Company: A Case Study, Dylan Reynolds

Construction Management

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021 resulted in many states issuing stay-at-home orders and closing businesses. In some states, construction was deemed essential and allowed to remain open. Dempsey Construction, Inc. is a Southern California commercial construction company that was permitted to continue operation with the exception of a brief lockdown in March and April of 2020. Despite being permitted to remain open, the company had to face many direct and indirect challenges resulting from the worldwide pandemic. In addition to schedule adjustments, daily cleaning on jobsites and in the office, and increased material prices and lead times, Dempsey …

Common Issues Of Compliance With Personal Protective Equipment For Construction Workers, Alexandra N. Gattuso

Construction Management

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is an essential component to the safety of workers on construction jobsites. Construction is ranked one of the most dangerous industries to work in, with the highest reports of fatal work injuries. For this reason, it is required that construction employees wear PPE to keep them safe during work. Despite this requirement, many workers neglect to wear PPE, exposing themselves to high risk of injury and death. A survey was conducted on thirty-three (33) construction workers in California to gain a better understanding of issues with PPE and reasons for non-compliance. The survey found that only …

Residential Bathroom And Tile Shower Addition During Covid-19 Quarantine, Joseph Szillinsky

Construction Management

This paper outlines the design and construction of a new code compliant bathroom including: a low profile shower pan, ceramic-tile shower enclosure, and new plumbing piping and fixtures. One of the main objectives was to complete the new shower which would be easily accessible and maintenance free in order to support a local elderly couple. The selection of this project took place during the COVID-19 pandemic approximately nine months after California issued the first mandatory statewide Stay-at-Home Order. During the early design and development stages an opportunity to collaborate with a local trades-person was identified as well as the need …

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 …

Should Teamwork-Based Content Be Taught In The Cal Poly Construction Management Curriculum?, Matthew J. Sharman

Construction Management

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), in the Construction Management (CM) curriculum, there is a lack of teamwork-based content. This content includes negotiation, conflict resolution, and fundamental skills for working collaboratively with others such as social-emotional intelligence, empathy, and communication. The nature of the Cal Poly CM Program is to teach students about the aspects of the construction process, however what is missed is teaching how to work effectively in teams. They fail to teach this because of the strict curriculum of focusing on learning objectives rather than teaching individuals how to be effective construction managers. …

Blockchain Technology In The Construction Industry, Marco C. Reza

Construction Management

The construction industry has not advanced as quickly as other industries in the aspects of time, cost, and quality; but Blockchain could be the solution. While there have been improvements in the construction sector such as BIM or Prefabrication, nothing compares to those in other industries. This brings the search for a new technology that would boost construction to a new level of productivity. One technology that could potentially do this is Blockchain. Blockchain, defined in a big picture, is like a shared google sheet where anybody could add information but nobody could delete it. This technology could change the …

Pismo Beach Lions Club Sidewalk Replacement, Ramon Hernandez Jr

Construction Management

The objective of this senior project was to provide a long lasting and safe sidewalk for all the people that attend the Lions Club for future events. The idea came to be after talking to Karen Walsh, and how many previous visitors had tripped and fallen from the uneven sidewalk. The sidewalk was originally poured over 30+ years ago, and it was time for a newly built pathway. The project involved creating an estimate, schedule and coordinating with the club to see the project all the way through. The new sidewalk is now built stronger than ever before and is …