Construction Engineering and Management Commons^™

Attraction And Retention Of Minority Managerial Employees At Electrical Contractors, Ben F. Bigelow, Anthony J. Perrenoud, Anusree Saseendran

The Professional Constructor

Diversity in the managerial workforce in construction is limited, with a shortage of talent in the industry and the demand projected to grow over the next ten years. The challenge of attracting and retaining managerial talent is exacerbated for trade contractors as they have historically promoted management from the trades. This study explored differences, based on ethnicity, when it comes to factors that attract and retain managerial talent in electrical construction. Data was collected through a nationwide survey of management employees of electrical contractors. It was found that while some factors were influential for all ethnic groups, certain factors became …

Building Information Model-Based Quantity Takeoff – Leadership Support And Training, Morgan Tagg, James P. Smith, Jay P. Christofferson, Kevin R. Miller

The Professional Constructor

Building Information Modeling (BIM) plays an important role in the modern construction industry. BIM models are tools that help stakeholders perform a variety of functions including communication, visualization, trade coordination, and clash detection. A less commonly utilized functionality of BIM that shows strong potential to improve efficiencies and reduce error is model-based quantity take off (QTO). The literature identifies eight challenges to implementing BIM QTO. This paper focuses on the leadership and training elements inherent to two of the identified challenges – 1) New skills and training, and 2) reluctance of employees to adopt. Through semi-structured interviews with estimators, preconstruction …

Bs News September/October

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Towards A Theoretical Explanation Of How Pavement Condition Index Deteriorates Over Time, Edgar Daniel Rodriguez Velasquez, Carlos M. Chang Albitres, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

To predict how the Pavement Condition Index will change over time, practitioners use a complex empirical formula derived in the 1980s. In this paper, we provide a possible theoretical explanation for this formula, an explanation based on general ideas of invariance. In general, the existence of a theoretical explanation makes a formula more reliable; thus, we hope that our explanation will make predictions of road quality more reliable.

The Development Of Initial Asphalt Mixture Acceptance Criteria Using The Scb Test And The I-Fit Test, Nathan Delman Parnell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cracking has become the primary asphalt pavement distress in Arkansas. Arkansas along with other states have implemented a test to measure rutting resistance. This paper presents research to implement a cracking resistance test to further modify the Superpave volumetric asphalt mixture design method in Arkansas. The Illinois Flexibility Index Test (I-FIT) was the test chosen to analyze for this research. Two aging methods were tested, a short term oven aging (AASHTO R30 ST) and a long term oven aging (NCAT) method. Six asphalt mixtures were selected to be tested. The mixtures testes were recreated from Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) …

Self-Healing Concrete Using Encapsulated Bacterial Spores In A Simulated Hot Subtropical Climate, Marwa Hassan, Jose Milla, Tyson Rupnow, Ahsennur Soysal

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 18CLSU02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Bacterial concrete has become one of the most promising self-healing alternatives due to its capability to seal crack widths through microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP). In this study, two bacterial strains were embedded at varying dosages (by weight of cement) in concrete. Beam specimens were used to identify the maximum crack-sealing efficiency, while cylinder samples were used to determine their effects on the intrinsic mechanical properties, as well as its stiffness recovery over time after inducing damage. The concrete specimens were cured …

Use Of Bagasse Ash As A Concrete Additive For Road Pavement Application, Gabriel Arce, Marwa Hassan, Maria Gutierrez-Wing, Michele Barbato

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 18CLSU03. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) as a partial replacement of cement in concrete for road pavement application. The study explored the pozzolanic activity of SCBA produced from three different processing methodologies (i.e., raw SCBA, controlled SCBA and post-processed SCBA). The experimental results revealed that SCBA produced by the controlled burning of sugarcane bagasse fiber (SBF) at 650°C and grinding (C-650), presented the maximum pozzolanic activity. However, this SCBA production process was deemed …

Uhpc Shear Keys In Concrete Bridge Superstructures, Craig Newtson, Brad Weldon, Elsy Flores, Jordan Varbel, William Toledo

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 18CNMS01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"This research investigated the use of locally produced ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) as a grouting material to repair deteriorated shear keys. Shear keys are used in adjacent girder superstructures to produce monolithic behavior and load transfer across the structure. Shear key durability is a concern since shear key degradation can jeopardize the integrity of the structure. Transportation agencies have reported that 75% of distress in adjacent girder bridges is due to cracking and de-bonding along shear keys. Previous research has shown that …

Karst Sinkhole Detecting And Mapping Using Airborne Lidar, Su Zhang, Shirley Baros, Susan Bogus

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 18GTUNM01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"The focus of this study is to detect sinkhole hazards using airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. The premise is sinkholes, particularly those close to transportation infrastructure assets, could cause substantial damages to infrastructure assets, and therefore, being able to accurately and rapidly detect them is essential. However, it is expensive, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unsafe to survey sinkholes using conventional ground observation methods. This research project was focused on developing accurate and rapid airborne LiDAR-based sinkhole detection and mapping methods, and …

Workforce Development Symposiums For Uhpc, Brad Weldon, Craig Newtson, Grace Mcmurry, Leticia Davila

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 18TTNMS02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is a cementitious material with a dense microstructure that contributes to high compressive strengths as well as enhanced durability properties. UHPC also possesses significant post-cracking strength and ductility due to the addition of fibers. These characteristics produce a material that provides advantages over conventional concrete; however, high costs attributed to materials and production, lack of industry familiarity and knowledge, and the absence of standardized design procedures have impeded its widespread use. To help disseminate knowledge on UHPC, two …

Augmented Reality Enhancing The Inspections Of Transportation Infrastructure: Research, Education, And Industry Implementation, Fernando Moreu, Chris Lippitt, Dilendra Maharjan, Marlon Aguero, Xinxing Yuan

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 18STUNM03. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Transportation infrastructure needs continuous monitoring that is conducted by field inspectors regularly in the field. Currently, infrastructure inspectors climb, measure, and photograph structures annually to inform repair needs and prioritize decisions. In order to promote and accelerate early learner's expertise in decision-making capabilities during infrastructure inspections, this research project developed various software applications using augmented reality (AR) as an inspection tool for bridges and bridge management, more specifically. By objectively quantifying infrastructure field inspections, inspectors can make more accurate field assessments and …

Disaster Resilient And Self-Assessing Multifunctional Transportation Structures, Ibrahim Karaman, Darren Hartl

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 18STTAM02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"This research designs and characterizes multifunctional materials, in particular inexpensive shape memory alloys, for transportation structures that possess excellent mechanical properties and self-sensing capabilities for strengthening and health monitoring. The properties are the Fe-SMAs are sensitive to part size in that the grain size of the material, which can be grown to several inches, should exceed the smallest dimension of the part. In the current work, maximum part size of the large dimension Fe-SMA rods were determined through detailed microstructural investigations. Samples …

Decision-Making Tool For Road Preventive Maintenance Using Vehicle Vibration Data, Changbum Ahn, Chao Wang, Jing Du

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 18PLSU08. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Automated and timely road pavement damage inspection is critical to the preventive maintenance and the long-term sustainability and resilience of roads in Region 6. Current road inspection practices rely heavily on a manual process. Sensor-based methods (e.g., LiDAR scanning) are promising but can be too expensive for a wider adoption. This study employs a crowdsourcing approach of using the vibration patterns of regular vehicles in inferring specific types of road damages. A cloud-based smart phone app and system was developed to collect …

Decision-Making Tool For Road Preventive Maintenance Using Vehicle Vibration Data, Changbum Ahn, Chao Wang, Jing Du

Publications

Automated and timely road pavement damage inspection is critical to the preventive maintenance and the long-term sustainability and resilience of roads in Region 6. Current road inspection practices rely heavily on a manual process. Sensor-based methods (e.g., LiDAR scanning) are promising but can be too expensive for a wider adoption. This study employs a crowdsourcing approach of using the vibration patterns of regular vehicles in inferring specific types of road damages. A cloud-based smart phone app and system was developed to collect real-time vehicle vibrations, location data, and road damage images for training the detection model. However, there is a …

Strategies For Prioritizing Needs For Accelerated Construction After Hazard Events, Fernando Moreu, Chao Wang, Xinxing Yuan, Laleh Ghanbari, Claudia Garrido

Publications

There is a need for rapid and responsive infrastructure repair and construction after natural disaster events such as hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes. These natural disasters often shut down basic infrastructure systems, as experienced recently in several Region 6 states as well as in other states around the country. Accelerated construction practices are often used in these situations to speed up the traditional, and often slow, project delivery process. However, after a natural disaster, several and different types of transportation infrastructure components are in need of inspection, rehabilitation or reconstruction, and transportation agencies are challenged with the task of prioritizing these …

Development Of Metals Corrosion Maps Of Arkansas And Maintenance Of Cross-Drains, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed, Mdariful Hasan

Publications

Corrosion potential of metallic structures in alluvial soils is governed by chemical and electromagnetic properties of the soils. Geotechnical engineers are generally more concerned about different types of soils and their physical and mechanical properties than the chemical aspects. The main objective of this study is to analyze the geotechnical, electrochemical and electromagnetic properties of soils in Arkansas. Important parameters (e.g., soil resistivity) related to corrosion potential of metal culverts have been predicted through neural network (NN) models. The developed NN models have been trained and verified by using laboratory test results of soil samples collected from Arkansas Department of …

A Comprehensive Framework For Life-Cycle Cost Assessment Of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks, Mohamed Soliman, Samir Ahmed, Ligang Shen

Publications

Various environmental and mechanical stressors cause deterioration of concrete bridge decks. Normal wear and tear, freeze and thaw cycles, and chloride penetration due to deicing salts can cause aggressive deterioration that usually require frequent interventions during the life-cycle of the bridge. These interventions include deck maintenance and repairs (e.g., application of sealers or overlay placement) as well as bridge deck replacement. The quantification of the life-cycle cost of bridge decks considering maintenance and repair activities represents a significant challenge facing local and state transportation agencies. The life-cycle maintenance activities not only increase the direct life-cycle cost of the bridge, but …

Assessment Of Project Risks In Fast-Track Construction Projects, Claudia Garrido Martins

Civil Engineering ETDs

Fast-tracking has been extensively used to respond to demands for reduced construction project delivery times. Unique risks arising from the overlapping of activities can threaten the project. A framework is proposed to assess project risks in fast-track construction projects to better understand the intersection of fast-track, risks, and construction. The research used a commercial construction renovation project as a case study, semi-structured interviews, simulation and optimization methods to identify risks of overlapping activities, classify the risks, evaluate the impact of risks and risk mitigation actions, and optimal combinations to minimize the risk impact and mitigation costs. This study resulted in …

Test Setup Design And Cyclic Evaluation Of Rocking Clt Wall And Floor Restoring Force Lateral System, Aaron Davis Smith

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

The introduction of the demand for mass timber buildings in areas with seismic hazards has called for new lateral systems. Lateral systems in mass timber building typically utilize a rocking shear wall with post-tensioned rods to provide system re-centering. These post-tensioned rods add axial load to the shear wall and potentially endure long term creep affects. Mass Timber buildings consist of cross laminated (clt) shear walls and floor slabs along with glulam beams. The flexural capacity of the CLT floor slabs along with dead load can provide an alternative source for the restoring force. This project developed a test setup …

Bs News July/August

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Framework To Support The Effective Adoption Of Bim In The Public Sector: Lessons For Ireland, Shiyao Kuang, Alan Hore, Barry Mcauley, Roger West

Conference papers

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been formally adopted by many countries with the promise of creating greater economic, social and sustainability benefits. Several authors and institutions have presented alternative BIM policies and tactics which have been adopted by developed countries. However, there is evidence to indicate that BIM adoption theories are not well established and, in particular, the linkage between BIM public sector adoption strategy outcomes and their contribution to achieving Government policy objectives are underdeveloped. This paper will present the outcome of the first phase of a systematic literature review of published studies (including journal papers and noteworthy international …

A Decision-Making Tool For Incorporating Cradle-To-Gate Sustainability Into Pavement Design, Sujata Subedi

LSU Master's Theses

The need to continually maintain an aged and crumbling national roadway network, together with a growing demand for upgrading has resulted in major environmental and economic impacts around the nation. This has led to an interest in developing a structured framework to quantify the sustainability performance of pavements by balancing economic and environmental performance against engineering criteria. This study developed an Environment Product Declaration (EPD) based, decision-making framework to quantify the sustainability of pavement design alternatives. In this study, the sustainability of pavement is described in tandem with Environmental and Economic performance criteria. First, the Environmental analysis was inclusive of …

Nonlinear Mechanical Properties Of Road Pavements: Geometric Symmetries Explain The Empirical Difference Between Roads Built On Clay Vs. Granular Soils, Afshin Gholamy, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

It is empirically known that roads built on clay soils have different nonlinear mechanical properties than roads built on granular soils (such as gravel or sand). In this paper, we show that this difficult-to-explain empirical fact can be naturally explained if we analyze the corresponding geometric symmetries.

Investigation Of Grout - A Comparison Of Standard Grout Mix To Self-Consolidating Grout Mix, Rachel Garcia Chandler

Architectural Engineering

Masonry is a major structural material for low rise buildings, however the design of masonry buildings is rarely taught as a formal course at most universities. As part of the educational experience and to become familiar with the specifications and testing procedures for grouted masonry, a student run experiment on varying the water to cement ratio of masonry grout was conducted. The purpose is to report on the effects of changing the water-to-cement (W/C) ratios in a standard grout mix. The typical W/C ratio is approximately 0.80:1.00. In order to show the effects of increasing water in a grout mix, …

A Case Study On The Use Of Drones On Heavy Civil Construction Projects, William Devers

Construction Management

Even though the construction industry is known for being behind the curve in adopting new technologies for change, construction professionals are constantly striving for ways to save money and improve efficiency. The emergence of drone technology in recent years has sparked new interest among these professionals for those exact reasons. These flying machines offer numerous benefits to construction companies such as bypassing traditional surveying methods, using photogrammetry to create 3D models used for estimating quantities, improving team communication, ensuring worker safety, increasing owner satisfaction, among other benefits. In this case study, personal interviews will be conducted on a single construction …

Cost Impact Of Converting A Fleet Of Diesel Concrete Mixer Trucks To Compressed Natural Gas, Shea Fredrick Blackman

Construction Management

Sustainable practices in the built environment are becoming more and more sought after. With LEED gold and platinum becoming the new standard in commercial construction, contractors in all areas of construction are looking for ways to build more sustainably. When creating a strategy for achieving sustainability, transportation has been identified as an area of the construction industry that can help significantly reduce carbon footprint, especially concrete mixer trucks. One question presents itself: Will the cost impact of converting a fleet of concrete mixer trucks from diesel to compressed natural gas outweigh the environmental benefits? This case study will examine the …

Integration Of Digital Forms For Improved Safety And Quality Control: A Case Study, Andrew Cisterman

Construction Management

The integration of new technology into the construction industry is commonly practiced in an attempt to improve standards and quality. iAuditor is an inspection checklist app which provides clients with the tools to build custom and dynamic forms to fit the needs of its client base. This paper examines the effectiveness of integrating this new software and observe the difficulties of integrating such new practices into a company’s safety and quality control programs. Additionally, this paper evaluates ways the aforementioned software could be improved to better meet the needs of its users as well as assess ways it could be …

A Case Study On The Feasibility Of Shipping Container Homes As Housing For Disaster Victims, Devin C. Cameron

Construction Management

This case study is designed to examine the feasibility and possible implementation of the use of modified steel shipping container units, as temporary relief housing for victims of natural disasters. In this study we will analyze an on-going shipping container project being constructed in Santa Rosa, CA as well as use previously constructed research on this type of construction. The point of this research is to develop and analyze areas in which shipping container projects like this one could be more expeditious and more cost efficient in the future. In short, my findings proved modular shipping container home construction, as …

Journeyman International - Kilimbi Community Center And Eco-Lodge - Rwanda, Africa, Chris Audi

Construction Management

This project based senior project is an interdisciplinary partnership with a non-profit called Journeyman International (JI) and students from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). Journeyman International worked Empowering Villages and our design team to design a community center, eco-lodge, and guest houses to enable the local population to take advantage of a tourism heavy area creating jobs and income. Empowering Villages objective is to empower, train, and build up the people they work with and hope to someday see Villages around the world become self-sufficient by working with locals …

Logistics Of Construction In Agbokpa, Ghana, Fletcher David Podosek

Construction Management

In August of 2019, three Cal Poly CM students will travel to the remote fishing village of Agbokpa in Ghana. Our project is to install a water filtration system that will create potable water for the villagers that currently have to walk miles to obtain clean water. We will be laying nearly 1000 ft of pipe, installing a solar powered pump, and building a water filtration system hours away from any electricity. A project of this type requires a great deal of logistical planning in order to ensure that all aspects of the project is thought of and planned for. …