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Articles 391 - 420 of 4476

Full-Text Articles in Construction Engineering and Management

Skip The Grid: Giving The Gift Of Renewable Energy To Children Of Navajo Nation, Jack W. Byrne Jun 2025

Skip The Grid: Giving The Gift Of Renewable Energy To Children Of Navajo Nation, Jack W. Byrne

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary service learning project that is aimed at installing solar power as well as lighting and a refrigeration unit at the homes of children on the Navajo Reservation who are without electricity. The project has a large team of players with vital roles in making the effort a successful and rewarding trip. The team this year was comprised of 20 students from California Polytechnic State University representing 4of the university’s colleges, members of the educationally based non-profit Heart of America (HOA), community outreach professionals from the solar contractor SOLV energy, a contingent of representatives from …

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Skip The Grid: Empowering The Navajo Nation Through Solar Energy, Gerardo L. Luna Jun 2025

Skip The Grid: Empowering The Navajo Nation Through Solar Energy, Gerardo L. Luna

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary service project through California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), aimed at providing sustainable energy solutions to underserved communities. In Spring 2025, I participated as a rooftop safety lead and solar installer in Chinle, Arizona, where our team partnered with SOLV Energy, Goal Zero, and Heart of America to bring solar power to 40 off-grid homes across the Navajo Nation. As a member of Red Team #3, I was directly responsible for ensuring safe ladder setup, supervising rooftop work, mounting solar panels, and managing exterior cable routing for 8 successful installations. Beyond …

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How Regulations Impact Contractors In California: Licensing, Insurance, Bonding & Permitting, Byron Rolando Calderon Cifuentes Jun 2025

How Regulations Impact Contractors In California: Licensing, Insurance, Bonding & Permitting, Byron Rolando Calderon Cifuentes

Construction Management

This senior project researches the impact of regulatory requirements, specifically licensing, insurance, bonding, and permitting, on contractors in California. The study addresses the question: How do regulations affect contractors’ ability to operate and grow? To examine this, qualitative interviews were conducted with six industry professionals, including general contractors, specialty contractors, and design-build firms. Additionally, 25 survey responses were collected from contractors and construction professionals to gain broader insights. The findings reveal that while licensing, insurance, and bonding are seen as foundational for establishing credibility and legal compliance, the permitting process presents the most significant challenge. Respondents consistently described permitting as …

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How Mass Timber Supports Sustainability During Construction: An Industry-Based Analysis, Nicholas T. Mayton Jun 2025

How Mass Timber Supports Sustainability During Construction: An Industry-Based Analysis, Nicholas T. Mayton

Construction Management

As the construction industry explores new ways to reduce environmental impact, mass timber has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional materials. While much of the existing research on mass timber focuses on life-cycle assessments and carbon comparisons, few studies capture insights from professionals directly involved in building with it. This paper analyzes a series of industry interviews with contractors, designers, and sustainability consultants who have experience working on mass timber projects. The aim is to understand how sustainability plays out during the construction phase—not just in theory, but in practice. Using qualitative methods and word pattern analysis, three core …

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Prefabrication Of Custom Cat Condos For Son Care Foundation, Jacob Marano Jun 2025

Prefabrication Of Custom Cat Condos For Son Care Foundation, Jacob Marano

Construction Management

This senior project involved the design and construction of four custom cat condos for the Son Care Foundation. The goal of the project was to enhance the quality of life for cats by creating safe, functional, and enriching enclosures. The process involved developing a conceptual design, coordinating with daycare center staff, refining the final design and materials list, procuring supplies, and executing the build. The final deliverables included four completed condos with individual and shared spaces for 8 to 12 cats in total. Throughout the project, valuable lessons were learned in planning, budgeting, construction techniques, and working with a real …

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Son Care Foundation – Pergola Structure Construction, Jackson Landless Jun 2025

Son Care Foundation – Pergola Structure Construction, Jackson Landless

Construction Management

This paper covers the construction process of a pergola structure for the Son Care Foundation in San Luis Obispo, California. The project’s goal in this study is to create a welcoming outdoor space for clients their dogs. Excavating four footings, fabricating custom rebar cages, and pouring concrete using fast-setting mix were all part of the construction efforts. Framing the structure required precise calculations to accommodate for the slope and corner braces. The matching white paint and corrugated PVC roof further achieved the desired aesthetic the client requested. Trial and error, practical experience, and cooperation with local material suppliers and maintenance …

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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 Jun 2025

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 …

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Discovering The Effective Actions Of Upstanders And Tackling Implicit Bias In The Workplace: Findings From A Workshop, Jacob H. Defreeuw Jun 2025

Discovering The Effective Actions Of Upstanders And Tackling Implicit Bias In The Workplace: Findings From A Workshop, Jacob H. Defreeuw

Construction Management

This project focused on exploring how both university students and construction industry professionals recognize and respond to opportunities to act as upstanders in workplace settings, particularly in support of underrepresented groups. The research aimed to bridge the gap between current industry practices surrounding implicit bias and the practical realities of advocating for inclusiveness on construction sites and in office environments. To achieve this, surveys were distributed to industry professionals, an in-depth literature review of modern upstander and implicit bias training strategies was performed, and a student-centered workshop was held at the Cal Poly Women in Construction Symposium. The workshop featured …

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Hawthorne Elementary Stage Set Construction, Alejandro Gonzalez, Sergio Daniel Manriquez Jun 2025

Hawthorne Elementary Stage Set Construction, Alejandro Gonzalez, Sergio Daniel Manriquez

Construction Management

The Pirate Ship and Playhouse project, undertaken by California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Cal Poly Construction Management students, aimed to support arts education at Hawthorne Elementary School through the construction of theatrical set pieces for a Peter Pan performance. Initiated by Phil Barlow and guided by Anna Brennen from the school’s staff, the project integrated community service with practical learning in construction management. From initial design and material sourcing to final installation, the team emphasized safety, durability, and aesthetic appeal. Funding and logistical support from local businesses and Cal Poly facilitated the project’s success. This hands-on endeavor not …

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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 Jun 2025

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 …

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The Third Annual Hasslein Caed Collaborative, Marianne Nicole Bishai Jun 2025

The Third Annual Hasslein Caed Collaborative, Marianne Nicole Bishai

Construction Management

This paper details the planning, development, and impact of the third annual Hasslein CAED Collaborative Student Competition. The intention of the Hasslein Cup is to engage the students of the five College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) majors in an industry-like scenario. The five majors, Architecture, Architectural Engineering, City and Regional Planning, Construction Management, and Landscape Architecture, make up the workforce of the construction industry, yet there has been very little opportunity for the students to work together and replicate a professional scenario. The competition began from research conducted by Greta Stout, class of 2022, which explored the benefits …

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The Utilization Of Biodiesel In Commercial Equipment In Construction, Ryan Bustos Jun 2025

The Utilization Of Biodiesel In Commercial Equipment In Construction, Ryan Bustos

Construction Management

The utilization of heavy machinery is essential to the success of all construction projects, but the dependence of traditional diesel fuel contributes significantly to the carbon footprint of the industry. Biodiesel presents a cleaner, more sustainable alternative, yet its adoption across construction sites remains limited. This paper will examine the current use of biodiesel by contractors and explore key barriers preventing its implementation. A series of interviews with industry professionals responsible for fuel and equipment management were conducted to collect various insights and perspectives on the alternative fuel. This study focuses on identifying obstacles such as biodiesel cost, availability, compatibility, …

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Concrete Patio Demolition And Construction, Tyler Nielsen Jun 2025

Concrete Patio Demolition And Construction, Tyler Nielsen

Construction Management

A 6.25 cubic yard unreinforced concrete patio was constructed for the non-profit organization. This project included three phases: concrete slab demolition, grading and formwork, and concrete pouring. Each phase was estimated and then received owner approval prior to execution. The demolition phase involved obtaining city permits for a roll-off container for debris removal. This phase also included two days of work with over 10 demolition crew members, who were given the required training and equipment to ensure safety and productivity. The following weeks included grading and setting up formwork. Once the grade was complete, the formwork was laid out and …

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Evaluating The Barriers To Virtual And Augmented Reality Adoption In The Construction Industry, Hayden C. Werts Jun 2025

Evaluating The Barriers To Virtual And Augmented Reality Adoption In The Construction Industry, Hayden C. Werts

Construction Management

Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies have demonstrated the ability to enhance design coordination, safety training, and field accuracy in the construction industry; however, their utilization remains limited. This study examines and assesses the gap between the capabilities of VR/AR and their actual implementation in the construction industry, utilizing a literature review and an analytical survey of 52 construction professionals. Survey results revealed that only 27% of construction managers have utilized VR/AR in their careers, although those with experience in these technologies rated them highly for their ability to reduce errors and improve coordination. Key barriers to adoption included high …

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Untold Stories – Precast Concrete Bench Construction And Installation, Lucas Llodra Jun 2025

Untold Stories – Precast Concrete Bench Construction And Installation, Lucas Llodra

Construction Management

This paper outlines the design-build process led by an interdisciplinary team of Construction Management students from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, to construct four concrete benches. In collaboration with faculty, concrete specialists, and the non-profit organization R.A.C.E. Matters, the project launched in Winter 2025. R.A.C.E. Matters initiated the effort by requesting the design and installation of benches at scenic, high-visibility locations managed by the San Luis Obispo Land Conservancy: Pismo Preserve, the Octagon Barn, and Kathleen’s Overlook. The full project scope included design development, structural calculations, prefabrication, on-site construction, and final installation. Each bench will serve as a …

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Farm Furniture - City Farm Slo, Aiden Blackburn, Antonio Nunez Jun 2025

Farm Furniture - City Farm Slo, Aiden Blackburn, Antonio Nunez

Construction Management

Our senior project was to build 4 picnic tables, 6 picnic benches, 2 vegetable tables, and 1 hexagon shaped table for the City Farm SLO in San Luis Obispo, CA. We were grateful to help a local farm who focuses on education in the community and sustainable agricultural practices. We first estimated the project and created a preliminary schedule. This project lasted from mid-April to mid-June. The first step in the process was to estimate the cost and develop a preliminary schedule. The process for constructing the different build types was relatively similar: acquire materials, cut to size, assemble, sand, …

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Renovations At The Ranch Slo, Brandon Garcia Jun 2025

Renovations At The Ranch Slo, Brandon Garcia

Construction Management

This paper will follow the construction process for a project completed at The Ranch SLO in the spring of 2025 by two Cal Poly CM students. While the main reason for this paper is to follow construction processes, it will also address preconstruction and estimating associated with the project. The Ranch is a non-profit organization that provides a location where adults with disabilities can go and have recreational and employment training opportunities. The purpose of the project was to make renovations to an existing garden area and a chicken coop. The budget, planning, design, and construction means and methods were …

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R.A.C.E. Matters Precast Concrete Bench Construction, Jack Alexander Ritchie Jun 2025

R.A.C.E. Matters Precast Concrete Bench Construction, Jack Alexander Ritchie

Construction Management

This senior project details the collaborative design, fabrication, and installation of three precast concrete benches for the nonprofit organization R.A.C.E. Matters in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Conservancy. The benches were designed to act as platforms for public art, amplifying diverse racial narratives through murals. A multidisciplinary team of students from Construction Management, Architecture, and Architectural Engineering worked together, with each discipline contributing to distinct phases of the project. Bench installations took place at the Pismo Preserve, the Octagon Barn, and Kathleen’s Overlook. This paper reflects on the hands-on construction process, the challenges of interdisciplinary coordination, and the real-world …

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El Chorro Park Lumber Rack & Trailhead Kiosk Project, Nolan Christopher Gumm, Marvin Michael Garliepp Jun 2025

El Chorro Park Lumber Rack & Trailhead Kiosk Project, Nolan Christopher Gumm, Marvin Michael Garliepp

Construction Management

The EL Chorro Park Lumber Rack and Kiosk project was a collaboration with San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation. Located at El Chorro Regional Park in San Luis Obispo, California, the project involved building a 12-foot-long, 6-foot-wide, and 8-foot-tall lumber rack and reconstructing an outdated trailhead kiosk. The lumber rack addressed the need for organized storage of wood and metal pipes, while the kiosk was rebuilt to better serve park visitors. Recycled sheet metal from the client was used for the roof, and local suppliers were selected to support sustainability efforts. Funded entirely by a government entity, there were …

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Designing Augmented Reality (Ar) Simulations For Construction Scheduling Education: A Process-Based Approach, Luke Sutherland Jun 2025

Designing Augmented Reality (Ar) Simulations For Construction Scheduling Education: A Process-Based Approach, Luke Sutherland

Construction Management

This paper presents the design and implementation of an augmented reality (AR) testing protocol developed to assess construction students' planning, sequencing, and real-time decision-making skills. Using Microsoft HoloLens, the simulation exposed students to realistic jobsite scenarios that required them to interpret plans, develop task sequences, and respond to evolving conditions in the field. The protocol was conducted with over 30 construction management students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and included three progressively complex scenarios focused on underground utilities, concrete formwork delays, and overhead MEP coordination issues. Data was captured through AR interaction logs, time tracking, instructor observation, …

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Designing Augmented Reality (Ar) Simulations For Construction Scheduling Education: A Process-Based Approach, Spencer B. Gardner Jun 2025

Designing Augmented Reality (Ar) Simulations For Construction Scheduling Education: A Process-Based Approach, Spencer B. Gardner

Construction Management

Construction students often understand what’s being built, but not how it gets built. The process, which is timing, sequencing, adapting to real-world issues is harder to teach with traditional tools like plan sets and Gantt charts. To close that gap, this study explores how Augmented Reality (AR), using Microsoft HoloLens, can bring jobsite logic into the classroom. We developed three AR simulations, each with increasing complexity, to give students hands-on experience with real-world scheduling and coordination problems. The scenarios ranged from basic utility sequencing to adjusting for delays and correcting out-of-sequence installations. Students started with written planning, then moved into …

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Construction Clothing Development Project, Reed A. Kellar, Noah R. Maytum Jun 2025

Construction Clothing Development Project, Reed A. Kellar, Noah R. Maytum

Construction Management

Relative to other industries, the construction market is slow to innovate. One clear example of this is in the clothing worn by its workers. Over the past 100 years, construction clothing and top brands have remained largely similar, even as workwear has begun marketing to larger, non-construction audiences. Construction clothing has become increasingly fashionable in popular culture, and we see this as an opportunity. To adapt to a modern world, this entrepreneurial project seeks to research which areas of construction clothing are lacking according to those in the industry and use this data to create a competitive product/brand that capitalizes …

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Building Services Engineering May/June 2025 Jun 2025

Building Services Engineering May/June 2025

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

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Circular Economy In Construction: Decision-Making Factors And Future Research Avenues, Bahaa Chammout, Islam H. El-Adaway Jun 2025

Circular Economy In Construction: Decision-Making Factors And Future Research Avenues, Bahaa Chammout, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The construction sector is a major consumer of raw materials and a significant contributor to environmental degradation. Circular economy (CE) - an economic and systemic approach aimed at minimizing waste and fostering sustainable resource use - offers a remedy for these impacts. However, CE adoption in construction remains under-researched and limited. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a comprehensive understanding of CE decision-making factors in construction. This paper addresses this research need. First, the authors reviewed 138 journal articles on CE in construction, published between 2015 and 2023, and compiled a comprehensive list of 40 factors influencing CE decision-making. …

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Optimizing Concrete Strength: How Nanomaterials And Ai Redefine Mix Design, Dan Huang, Guangshuai Han, Ziyang Tang May 2025

Optimizing Concrete Strength: How Nanomaterials And Ai Redefine Mix Design, Dan Huang, Guangshuai Han, Ziyang Tang

Physics and Engineering Science

Nanomaterials and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are typically used together in efforts to enhance the performance of concrete and mitigate the environmental impact of concrete construction. However, the complex interactions between nanomaterials, SCMs, and cement make concrete mix design a challenging, iterative, and labor-intensive process, often relying on trial-and-error experimentation. Machine learning (ML) offers an opportunity to better understand the influence of input parameters and to accelerate the optimization of mix designs through data-driven insights. This study proposes an open-source and easy-to-access framework, Canopy, to support the concrete research community in optimizing mix design. Using a dataset collected from the …

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Optimizing The Sustainability Of Asphalt Pavements Through Incorporating Crumb Rubber In High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (Hmac) Mixtures In Louisiana, Heena Dhasmana, Marwa Hassan, Mohamed Abdelmageed May 2025

Optimizing The Sustainability Of Asphalt Pavements Through Incorporating Crumb Rubber In High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (Hmac) Mixtures In Louisiana, Heena Dhasmana, Marwa Hassan, Mohamed Abdelmageed

Publications

Asphalt mixtures are traditionally produced using the Superpave mix design method, which emphasizes volumetric properties; however, current research is shifting toward performance-based and sustainable approaches. Within this context, the French High Modulus Asphalt Concrete (HMAC) design focuses on achieving specific performance criteria for workability, stiffness, rutting resistance, and fatigue behavior, employing a hard binder with higher asphalt content and fewer air voids than Superpave mixes. In this study, HMAC mixtures were developed using crumb rubber and locally sourced Louisiana materials. Five HMAC mixes using PG 76-22 and PG 67-22 binders with 10% and 20% crumb rubber were prepared, along with …

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Memory-Augmented Llm Agent For Predicting Locomotion Modes In Construction Activities, Ehsan Ahmadi May 2025

Memory-Augmented Llm Agent For Predicting Locomotion Modes In Construction Activities, Ehsan Ahmadi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The construction industry faces significant challenges, including labor shortages, high physical demands, and safety risks, necessitating advanced assistive technologies like exoskeletons to enhance worker efficiency and reduce injuries. However, effective exoskeleton control in dynamic construction environments requires accurate locomotion prediction, a task complicated by the diversity of activities and reliance on supervised learning methods that struggle to generalize. This study investigates a multimodal approach to locomotion prediction, leveraging speech commands and visual data from smart glasses to enable adaptive and safe human-exoskeleton interaction. The research unfolds in two stages: the first develops a framework to evaluate the zero-shot capability and …

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Beyond The Hard Hat: Examining Barriers Of Women In Construction, Allison Pham May 2025

Beyond The Hard Hat: Examining Barriers Of Women In Construction, Allison Pham

2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The construction industry is falling behind in female representation, with women only making up 11.2% of the industry. The existing labor shortage is further exacerbated by the limited interest among women to pursue a career in construction. The purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that contribute to the lack of women in the construction industry and explore how HR strategies can attract and retain women in construction careers. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports from three different industries were used to analyze the percentage of men and women employees. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine whether …

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Design And Optimization Of Aquaculture Gear: Development Of A Cage-Integrated Reeling Mechanism For Oyster Farming, Felicity Bryant May 2025

Design And Optimization Of Aquaculture Gear: Development Of A Cage-Integrated Reeling Mechanism For Oyster Farming, Felicity Bryant

Honors Theses

This project encompasses the design, fabrication, and testing of a cage-integrated reeling system aimed at reducing the physical labor required in oyster aquaculture at Bama Bay Oyster Farm, the last operational oyster farm in Mobile Bay. The proposed system includes two primary components: lightweight, modular oyster cages and a dual-winch reeling device for automated retrieval. Three cage prototypes—rectangular, oval, and hexagonal—were evaluated for structural performance and fabrication feasibility. The oval design was ultimately excluded due to practical fabrication limitations. The rectangular and hexagonal designs were fabricated using recycled materials and tested under the most extreme environmental conditions derived from years …

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Incorporating Recycled And Repurposed Plastic Into 100% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Basant Bhatt May 2025

Incorporating Recycled And Repurposed Plastic Into 100% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Basant Bhatt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The increasing awareness of sustainability in the asphalt industry has driven the use of recycled materials like reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and waste plastic. This study examines the incorporation of recycled polypropylene (rPP), recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE), and recycled low-density polyethylene (rLDPE) at 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.8% dosages into 100% RAP, along with the warm mix asphalt additive Evotherm® P25. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical and durability performance of the modified asphalt mixtures while rutting and fatigue life were evaluated using mechanistic-empirical (ME) analysis in PerRoad software. Both plastic type and dosage had a statistically significant impact …

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