Published ETD Collection
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10657/2
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Browsing Published ETD Collection by Department "Construction Management, Department of"
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Item A Holistic Approach to Implementing Circular Economy into the Built Environment(2022-12-19) Bennett, Christopher N.; Din, Zia Ud; Senouci, Ahmed; Wyatt, RosalindToday, circular economy (CE) practices have begun to move beyond European and Asian borders and have become increasingly popular among researchers and practitioners in the United States (U.S.). CE is a model of production and consumption aimed at eliminating waste and keeping products, equipment, and infrastructure in use forever. The implementation of CE in the built environment is more needed than ever to make the construction industry more efficient and sustainable. The U.S. building sector significantly impacts resource use, construction & demolition (C&D) waste, and carbon emissions. According to research, some barriers associated with CE implementation include cost and schedule constraints, existing policies and regulations, and lack of clarity on what CE entails. Drivers related to CE include educating stakeholders, seeking opportunities to use pre-fabrication, and increasing demolition and landfill taxes. Although barriers and drivers have been discovered and discussed over the past 20 years, CE practices have yet to be widely used throughout the construction industry. Thus, industry knowledge from key stakeholders is necessary to progress toward CE in the U.S. This study employs a mixed-method data collection approach to investigate the barriers and drivers associated with implementing CE in the built environment, as perceived by stakeholders in the AEC industry. Initially, questions were gathered from a literature review examining barriers and drivers associated with CE implementation already noted in academic papers. Second, eight CE expert interviews were conducted to validate survey questions related to this study. Finally, following the validation of the survey, data was collected through an online survey completed by fifty-three CE and sustainability stakeholders from across the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. According to this study, CE implementation is influenced by various factors, including unfamiliar design techniques, lack of awareness of CE practices in the built environment, market and industry dynamics making it challenge to utilize reclaimed material, sustainability of the environment, image enhancement, and government incentives.Item An Investigation of Visualization Technologies for Remote Work in The Architectural, Engineering and Construction Industry(2021-05) Sowunmi, Oluwatobiloba Samuel; Din, Zia Ud; Song, Lingguang; Schieber, RandiThe recent COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the way everyday professional work is being performed. Organizations have devised innovative ways to work remotely, staying home, or in secluded offices. One of the technologies that many industries are relying on is visualization for remote work. Professionals in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry are applying technology solutions to facilitate remote work, making the work site less crowded. Visualization technologies (VT)—extended Reality and Unmanned Aerial vehicles' ability to monitor construction activities—can help the AEC industry remotely work. It is unknown that, after the beginning of the pandemic, the use of visualization technologies has increased or not in the AEC sector and what tools and technologies are proving helpful. To understand this, the author designed and implemented an industry-wide survey and interviewed industry professionals to analyze the state of VT use, barriers to their implementation, and factors influencing these barriers. The study found out that although remote work had increased significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate at which people utilized VT for remote work had not increased at the same pace. The study also proposed a few strategies for implementing the use of visualization technology within the AEC.Item Assessing the Impact of Marker-Based Augmented Reality Technology on Improvement of Quality and Safety of Construction(2022-12-19) Patel, Mayank Arvindbhai; Din, Zia Ud; Schieber, Randi; Song, LingguangIn order to complete construction tasks efficiently, construction workers need accurate and up-to-date information. Inaccurate and untimely information can cause work delays and increase the chances of errors, resulting in decreased work efficiency and compromised safety. Augmented reality (AR) has been successfully used to present information in many industries, such as aerospace, automobile, and medical education. It has, however, been less adopted by the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Since the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has increased in the AEC industry. Hence, BIM data using AR technology has been proposed to deliver design information to perform construction tasks and identify safety hazards. In this research, the author proposed an augmented reality application that uses handheld devices such as mobile phones and tablets to deliver a life-size BIM model to construction workers. The author investigated how interactive and task-specific information in an augmented reality environment using 3D BIM models, video simulations, and 2D drawings affects the ability of construction workers to reduce rework, complete tasks on time, and improve accuracy and job safety. The study compared a traditional paper-based information presentation system (paper plans) and an innovative augmented reality system (marker-based AR application) to find the effectiveness of the augmented reality technology. It was found that applying AR reduces rework, enhances the accuracy of work, and improves job hazard identification. However, both methods, paper plan and AR application, had a similar effect on cognitive workload and completion time. The author was unable to determine the impact of gender, age group, and previous work experience. The author recommends performing tests with a larger sample size.Item Automatic Satellite-Based Ship Detection Method for Offshore Pipelines Monitoring and Protection(2014-12) Poshtiban, Masoud; Eldin, Neil N.; Song, Lingguang; Gao, Lu; Iyer, RupaOffshore pipelines are vital infrastructure systems for oil and gas transportation. Statistics around the globe confirm that third-party threats, such as vessel anchoring, fishing, and offshore construction, contribute the most to offshore pipeline damages and are the number one cause of death, injury, and pollution. This research studies satellite imagery and its application in automating vessel detection for the purpose of offshore pipeline protection. Current methods of relying on high-resolution satellite images lead to a high implementation cost and less efficient image processing. This paper proposes a method of utilizing lower resolution satellite images for vessel detection in offshore pipeline safety zones. It applies a combination of cascade classifier and color segmentation method as well as a unique “color-coding” scheme to achieve an accurate and efficient satellite image processing procedure. The proposed method was tested on 150 Google Earth satellite images with an average detection rate of 94% for large and medium vessels and an average false alarm rate of 19%.Item Floor Leveling Mortar Quantity Estimation in High-Rise Buildings(2022-07-08) Riehemann, Belle Junge; Senouci, Ahmed; Eldin, Neil N.; Din, Zia UdConcrete floors often present severe surface regularity requirements for flooring installation. Floor regularity is normally an evaluation of the differences between the points' elevation on the real surface with respect to an ideal reference plan. The surface regularity is defined and controlled regarding two characteristics. The first one, which is called (FF) ''floor flatness,'' evaluates the surface regularity over a short distance. Secondly, (FL) ''floor levelness'' evaluates the surface regularity over a longer distance. Self-leveling mortars are commonly used to increase the flatness and levelness of concrete floors and improve their surfaces. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) provides guidelines (i.e., FF and FL limits) for floor leveling. However, these guidelines do not give an estimate for self-leveling mortar needed to achieve an acceptable concrete floor surface. As a result, flooring contractors do not usually provide a cost estimate for floor leveling. This situation places general contractors at a high risk of submitting a lower bid during the bidding process. Therefore, there is a need to develop regression (mathematical) models that could predict, based on FF and FL testing, the number of self-leveling mortar bags needed. In the proposed work, regression models were developed for the predicting the number of self-leveling mortar bags using FF and FL testing. Limited research is available for using FF and FL testing to predict the amount of floor leveling needed on a project currently. Floor leveling has caused significant budget overruns for general contractors over the years. A multifamily high-rise project was used as a case study to generate the FF and FL testing data for the development of the prediction models.Item Impact of Hurricanes on Small Construction Business and Their Recovery(2022-07-08) Sahu, Ankita; Song, Lingguang; Gao, Lu; Gregory, KellyAbout 3 to 5 hurricanes on average impact the U.S. every year. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey, each accounted for over a hundred billion dollars in damages. Small businesses face numerous challenges during major disasters. A better understanding of disaster recovery performance of small businesses is critical to enhance their resilience and thus protect our economy and employment for future recurring disasters. This study characterizes the impact of Hurricane Harvey on small construction business with respect to damages to their facilities, supply and demand, and business operation. Their recovery performance – whether businesses fully recovered or not, how long it took, funding sources, challenges, resilience practice, and lessons learned – is closely examined through an interview study in addition to a previously conducted survey study. Small construction businesses tend to use work volume as the primary measure of whether their business is fully recovered or not. The full recovery time for construction industry is nearly 6 months like other industries. In addition, investing in resilience significantly shorten the recovery time, evidenced by the mean recovery time of 6 months and 9 months for resilience investing business and non-investing ones respectively. There is a wide range of efforts observed in preparing their business against hurricanes (i.e., disaster preparedness) and reviving their operation quicker to the pre-disaster level (i.e., business resilience). This paper also highlights observations of the unique challenges faced by women-owned construction businesses.Item Radon Pollution in Educational Facilities: Investigating the Use of Digital Twins to Monitor and Control Exposure to Indoor Air Pollutants(2023-05-15) Jalilnejad Hallajian, Aslan; Din, Zia Ud; Gao, Lu; Kim, KinamRadon, a naturally occurring gas, is a known carcinogen that poses a serious threat to public health. This colorless, odorless gas can enter buildings through cracks, gaps, and other openings and accumulate to harmful levels. Radon monitoring can be challenging due to several factors. Radon gas is invisible and odorless, making it difficult to detect without specialized equipment. Additionally, radon levels can vary significantly over time and from location to location, making it necessary to conduct long-term monitoring and analysis to obtain accurate data. In educational facilities, monitoring radon levels can be particularly challenging due to the large number of rooms and buildings that need to be monitored and the varying occupancy patterns of these facilities. To address these challenges, radon monitoring programs must be carefully designed and implemented to ensure that they are effective and efficient. This study aims to develop a digital twin model of two offices to track indoor radon levels and take action to reduce them. Radon levels were measured using wireless sensors. Autodesk Revit was used to create a building information model, and Dynamo visual programming was used to integrate sensor data. With the help of Power BI, a dashboard was created to present the 3D model and the radon levels over time. Additionally, the dashboard sends alerts if the radon level exceeds the threshold. With the help of the dashboard, the management team can quickly and easily identify any changes in radon levels that may indicate potential safety hazards. This can include areas where radon levels are consistently high, indicating the need for additional ventilation or other safety measures. Moreover, the dashboard can also provide insights into the effectiveness of any measures that have been implemented to reduce radon levels. By tracking the data over time, the management team can see if the measures have been successful or if additional steps are needed to improve safety further.Item Review of Satellite Image Analysis in Infrastructure Management and Disaster Management(2022-07-22) Pachika, Alekhya; Gao, Lu; Song, Lingguang; Lu, PanCivil infrastructure systems usually cover large land areas and require frequent condition inspection to maintain their service to the public. Traditional methods such as manual surveys or vehicle-based automated surveys of infrastructure conditions are usually labor-intensive and time- consuming. As a result of budget constraints, it is important to explore more cost-effective approaches for infrastructure monitoring and maintenance programs. Considering recent advances in remote sensing satellite systems and image processing algorithms, many satellite sensing platforms and sensors have been used to monitor infrastructure conditions and detect damages. The level of details that can be detected increases significantly with the increase of ground sample distance (GSD), which is around15 cm - 30 cm for high-resolution satellite images. This report focuses on reviewing existing studies on the usage of image processing and deep learning models for analyzing satellite images in infrastructure management, which includes monitoring the condition of infrastructure facilities, detecting damage, evaluating impacts of disasters, and analyzing the usage of infrastructure assets.Item Transportation and Economic Impact of Texas Short Line Railroads(2017-08) Saldarriaga Carmona, Daisy del Rosario; Song, LingguangThis report documents the analysis of the transportation and economic impacts of Texas short line railroads. Survey invitations were sent to 43 Texas short line railroads and 20 responses were received. Onsite interviews with 5 railroads and 3 community leaders were completed. The software IMPLAN was used to estimate the economic impact of short line railroads at both county-level and state-level. Transportation impact analysis was conducted to estimate the cost by rail and the cost by diverted truck. Shipping cost, safety cost, maintenance cost, highway congestion cost, and emission cost were calculated in this analysis. The transportation impact analysis results indicate that, on average, the shipping cost of short line railroad is estimated to be 7.5% less than that of highway modes; the maintenance cost of short line railroad is estimated to be 70.2% less than that of highway modes; the safety cost of railroad is estimated to be 37.9% less than that of highway modes; and the emission cost is estimated to be 7.0% less than that of highway modes. The total transportation cost of railroad is estimated to be 24.3% less than that of highway modes. Moreover, the operation of 14 surveyed short lines in Texas provided an annual reduction of over 400,000 truck trips for their shipments. The economic impact analysis results indicate that, at state-level, the operation of short line railroads in Texas contribute approximately 1,500 jobs, $113,769,600 in labor compensation, and $354,443,600 in economic output. At county-levels, the short line railroads contribute 1,100 jobs, $87,799,900 in labor compensation, and $274,959,900 in economic output. This research also found that short line railroads in Texas have substantial needs in terms of improving their infrastructure. These improvements include better interchange with connecting carriers, more customers or businesses, extra right of way available for expansion/rehabilitation of rail line, infrastructure improvements, and more tracks and yard space. However, these improvement needs are usually beyond their affordable capacity for short line operators. The need for more state funding was mentioned by several railroads during the surveys and interviews. As Texas short lines play a significant role in the local community and the state economy, there is a necessity to establish assistance programs for short lines to help maintain and improve the existing infrastructure. State support strategies for short lines in other states were reviewed and potential funding opportunities were discussed in this report.Item Understanding Circular Economy and its Potential Impact on the Construction Industry(2022-09-02) Hanif, Ahmed; Song, Lingguang; Gao, Lu; Baeshen, NajlaThe construction industry is responsible for over 35% of the extraction of natural resources and 30% of the world’s solid waste. This happens because the construction sector mostly applies a linear economic model of “take, make, dispose of”, using materials to construct buildings, dispose of them at the end of their life, as they are assembled for single-use, and have no potential for reuse. In the last few decades, a paradigm shift has taken place across the industry, with the adoption of a circular economy model that aims to keep materials in a closed loop to maintain their maximum value, and thus greater potential for reducing waste generation, environmental impacts, and resource extraction for the construction industry throughout the design, procurement, construction, and operations. This research aims to identify the latest developments in how a circular economy can benefit the construction industry through long-term life-cycle value creation, and what changes need to be made to embrace a circular economy. To achieve this goal, a systematic literature review, case study analysis, and an interview study were carried out. The analysis of the case study has confirmed that by adopting the principles of the circular economy in the construction of the people’s pavilion, ARUP has achieved economic, environmental, and social benefits as well. After conducting the whole analysis we can conclude that moving away from a 'take, make, and dispose of' consumption model, circular economy strategies can help on our journey towards a net zero economy along with financial gains. This research has identified why and how construction companies should make efforts to execute CE in their projects to attain financial and social benefits along with environmental benefits. This study will be helpful for countries like United States as it provides them with the route to initiate CE in the construction sector to control the scarcity of resources.