Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

Use Of Personality Profile Assessments In The Construction Industry, Brian Richard Childs

Theses and Dissertations

Various industries are using personality profile assessments as tools to help reduce employee turnover. Employee turnover is a continuing challenge in the construction industry that has negative effects on construction companies. Research found that it was difficult to know if companies in the construction industry are using personality profile assessments as a tool to help reduce employee turnover. After understanding that other industries were using personality profile assessments in their hiring, promoting, team building and leadership development to reduce turnover, it was desired to understand if the construction industry was doing the same. This research performed a survey among the …

Accident Patterns In Road Construction Work Zones, Tariq Shehab, Leah Phu

The Professional Constructor

Traffic safety in road construction zones has always been a major concern for engineering practitioners, departments of transportation, law enforcement professionals, researchers and many others. Due to the deteriorated condition of road and underground infrastructure facilities in the United States, the number of rehabilitation projects and their associated traffic accidents have increased over the past few years. To perform the needed road and underground utility rehabilitation activities in safer environments, researchers need to understand the causes behind these accidents. Although many researchers have been exploring the safety of many construction activities, research pertaining to road construction projects is lacking and …

A Framework For Small-Scale Construction Projects By Ngos In Developing Countries, James D. Goedert, Bradley Cory

The Professional Constructor

This paper outlines a theoretical framework for NGOs who are building small-scale construction projects in developing countries. The framework is a step-by-step procedure to guide NGOs from developing project parameters at the start of the project with the partner to a locally controlled sustainable project closeout. The authors used the integrative project delivery approach along with past construction research models and personal experience to guide the development of the framework. Steps within the framework are illustrated using five projects from three countries. This work assumes that the ultimate objective of the project is local operational sustainability with the NGO’s presence …

Vertical Icf Wall System, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Traditional ICF systems’ installation is tedious and labor intensive resulting in out of level, bowing, and snaking walls with a significant amount of bracing adding to the cost. ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) walls are a form of structural walls used for construction. Hobbs Vertical ICF system uses less concrete, more recycled material and requires less labor for construction. The furring assemblies and retainer clips of the Hobbs VICF system are made from 100% recycled post-industrial waste.

Prefabricated Building, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

With the continuous demand for construction of new buildings, an easier, more sustainable, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building method is necessary to save time, energy and cost. Hence, there has been an increasing need for a system such as BROAD sustainable building (BSB). A form of prefabricated building by BROAD Sustainable Building Co., LTD (BSB). It consists of flooring and ceiling, embedded shafts of ventilation, water supply & drainage, electricity and lighting. Other items include pillars, diagonal bracings, doors, windows, walls and sanitary wares, air conditioning, air quality products, lifts, building thermal insulations.

Post-Tensioned Concrete Shear Wall, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

The post-tension concrete shear wall by Tipping Mar will replace the conventional concrete shear wall in earthquake prone areas in many instances, depending on the height and scale of the building.

Ap Alternatives Modular Solar Racking, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Solar panels have been used to generate and supply electricity in various applications such as residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, a need for a quicker approach to installation as well as the need to reduce workmanship to speed up the process is needed. Solar racks are developed through the use of automated equipment to “preassemble the racking hardware, pre-install the solar modules, and drive helical anchors into the ground rapidly”. So instead of installing one panel at a time, AP Alternatives has created a new method that uses machines to make the process easier. This new automation of the installation …

3d Printing For Bricks, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Building Bytes, by Brian Peters, is a project that uses desktop 3D printers to print bricks for architecture. Instead of using an expensive custom-made printer, it uses a normal standard 3D printer which is available for everyone and makes it more accessible and also easier for fabrication.

State Of Accelerated Bridge Construction (Abc) In The United States, Mike Ofili

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this project is to develop a toolkit for the design and construction of bridges using prefabricated materials primarily to reduce the closure time and on-site construction time of newly constructed bridges or bridges undergoing renovation. The research focuses specifically on short span bridges in Georgia (40,60,80, and 120ft spans).

Areas of primary concern for this project were design, constructability, structural analysis, the use of concrete and steel girders, cost efficiency, and industry surveys. In this particular portion of the study, the surveys proved to be most effective when combined with information obtained existing research as well as …

Organizational Learning In Commercial Construction: Lessons Learned From The 2007-2009 U.S. Recession, Evan Michael Danforth

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational learning seeks to proactively expand the knowledge base of an organizational entity by incorporating knowledge, skills, and experience into the collective conscience of the company through the development of routines rather than relying on individual employees for these traits. Valuable experience gained by individuals who weather economic downturn with their companies must be absorbed into the corporate structure in a meaningful way so that it may be accessible for use during future recessions. This research asks what was learned by individuals during the most recent recession, what mechanisms were employed to retain and utilize this knowledge, and what cultures, …

The Applicability Of Western Management In The Middle East, Zamaan Al-Shabbani

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The Middle Eastern construction industry is still suffering from cost overruns, delays, and disputes. Inefficient management practices and lack of management are frequently reported reasons for such problems. Researchers attribute such problems to the traditional management practices that are utilized in the Middle East. However, International companies who practice their best management strategies are still suffering from the same problems. These issues become more significant in joint ventures when two different management styles work together. Therefore, it becomes crucial to understand the characteristics of Middle Eastern construction environment in terms of the management practices and regulations that are used and …

Employment Opportunities And Skills Requirements For Construction And Property Surveying 2014 - 2018, Roisin Murphy, Stephen Walsh

Reports

In Autumn 2012, a number of Society members expressed their increasing struggle to find qualified graduate surveyors to fill vacancies in their practices. At the same time, members working in academic institutions reported a severe reduction in the number of students enrolling on surveying courses at third level.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Implementation, Design, And Cost Analysis Of A Concrete Washout System, Omar Adina

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

With the increase of environmental pollution in today’s world, many strategies and regulations are being enforced. These enforcements come from the state and federal governments, but public awareness is often overlooked. Stormwater regulations here in California have dramatically changed over the last decade, as the topic is investigated more often.

This senior project encompassed the design prototype and cost analysis of a permanent concrete washout station for the BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The design parameters given were to construct a steel bin for the excess concrete to be dumped into during …

2:1 The Paper Tube Project, Noel Brady

Articles

Review of applied technological solution to rapid building techniques using paper tube and analogous materials to create space enclosing geodesic systems.

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

Combined Heat, Air Moisture And Pollutant Simulations (Champs) For Buildings, Jianshun Zhang, Menghao Qin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Bs News January/February

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News November/December

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News September/October

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News July/August

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News March/April

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

B S News January/February

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Cloud Solution For Smes In The Irish Construction Industry, Alan V. Hore, Alan Redmond, Roger West

Conference papers

There is a strong emerging trend within the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector for replacing traditional packaged desktop applications with Web based, outsourced products and services. The drive for this innovative solution is its contribution to enabling software to be developed, delivered and consumed in discrete chunks (known as services) liberating the users from traditional computing and providing services accessible across a range of devices and appliances. The objective of this paper is to report on the progress towards defining this Web based service, commonly known as ‘Cloud computing’, for Small to Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) in the Irish construction …

Finding A Middleware Ict Solution For The Irish Construction Sme Sector, Alan V. Hore, Alan Redmond, Roger West

Conference papers

A key feature of the Irish construction industry is its fragmented structure. Some 16,000 businesses list their main activity as construction, yet no company has more than 3% of the total Irish output. The top 20 companies have less than 15% of total output. There is a very high number of Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SME‟s) in the sector. However, most software products which address the specific needs of the construction industry are designed for larger companies. It is felt that the needs of the large number of SME‟s in the sector are underserved. The Construction IT Alliance (CITA) …

Building Support For Coud Computing In The Irish Construction Industry, Alan Redmond, Alan V. Hore, Roger West

Conference papers

The construction industry has been traditionally recognised as a fragmented sector associated with a poor level of implementation and penetration of Information Communication Technology (ICT) by Small to Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs). Cloud computing is a collective term that can facilitate the ability to collaborate within a central repository that can act as a base for interoperability between various construction disciplines and their software applications. Cloud computing is a new layer of internet architecture that creates an open opportunity to add better functionality to an increasingly global network. The characteristics of cloud computing, such as, shared infrastructure, on-demand applications, elasticity …