Dissertations / Theses: 'Building construction engineering'

1

Chan, Po-keung, and 陳保強. "Project management of building services engineering work in Hong Kong building construction industry." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1989. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31251171.

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Doherty, Grant E. "How BIM and integrated practice may change architectural, engineering, and construction education." Laramie, Wyo. : University of Wyoming, 2009. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1944186301&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=18949&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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3

Jones, Andrew M. "Design and construction for traditional house building." Thesis, Aston University, 1990. http://publications.aston.ac.uk/14272/.

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This study is concerned with quality and productivity aspects of traditional house building. The research focuses on these issues by concentrating on the services and finishing stages of the building process. These are work stages which have not been fully investigated in previous productivity related studies. The primary objective of the research is to promote an integrated design and construction led approach to traditional house building based on an original concept of 'development cycles'. This process involves the following: site monitoring; the analysis of work operations; implementing design and construction changes founded on unique information collected during site monitoring; and subsequent re-monitoring to measure and assess Ihe effect of change. A volume house building firm has been involved in this applied research and has allowed access to its sites for production monitoring purposes. The firm also assisted in design detailing for a small group of 'experimental' production houses where various design and construction changes were implemented. Results from the collaborative research have shown certain quality and productivity improvements to be possible using this approach, albeit on a limited scale at this early experimental stage. The improvements have been possible because an improved activity sampling technique, developed for, and employed by the study, has been able to describe why many quality and productivity related problems occur during site building work. Experience derived from the research has shown the following attributes to be important: positive attitudes towards innovation; effective communication; careful planning and organisation; and good coordination and control at site level. These are all essential aspects of quality led management and determine to a large extent the overall success of this approach. Future work recommendations must include a more widespread use of innovative practices so that further design and construction modifications can be made. By doing this, productivity can be improved, cost savings made and better quality afforded.

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Sugimoto, Fumio. "Globalization of international engineering and construction firms for building their competitiveness." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/14248.

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5

Wong, Wai-keung. "Project management of building services engineering in Hong Kong /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2001. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25950071.

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6

Fahdah, Ibrahim. "Distributed IT for integration and communication of engineering information for collaborative building design." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2008. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10448/.

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In recent years, the rapid development of new information technologies has significantly impacted on the product development process as strategic means to gain competitive advantage in a global market. In the engineering domain, powerful computer-based tools such as Computer Aided Design systems enable engineers to perform various design tasks and realise product concepts in the early phase of the product development process. However, the increasing complexity of modern products as well as the globalization of product development further necessitate distributed and collaborative design environments. This is where different computer systems and dispersed specialists in similar or different disciplines need to collaboratively be involved in shared design activities. Therefore, the integration and communication of engineering information are two of the most key technical factors in ensuring successful collaboration. The current application of information technology in supporting collaboration during the design process is limited to either a document-based or a common format-based exchange level. These methods provide relatively simple forms of collaboration compared with desired distributed and collaborative design environments that can deliver more effective ways of collaboration. The work detailed in this research investigates the advantages of using modern distributed information technologies alongside a suitable framework and a product model to support multi-disciplinary collaborative design. The work also involves exploring other important issues related to real-time collaborative design environments. These are design transaction management, access control, communication, and version management. The research work employs modern technology and distributed computing to enhance the processes of collaborative building design. The research proposes a framework and a product model to extend the functionalities of stand-alone and single-user design systems to facilitate synchronous collaborative design where distributed designers can work concurrently on a centralised shared model and carry out all necessary communication and data exchanges electronically. The implemented framework proposes a data transaction management approach that ensures efficient concurrent access to the model data and maintains data consistency. The framework also employs software agents to automatically access and operate on the information exchanged among the collaborators. The proposed product model in this work extends an adopted model to support access right control and version management. The work is implemented in an experimental software as a client-server model. .Net technology is used for implementing the framework and the product model and virtual reality technology is used to allow for intuitive interaction with the system. The research concludes that the utilisation of the modern distributed technologies can effectively induce change in the design process toward a more collaborative and concurrent design. As demonstrated within this work, these technologies with a suitable system design can meet the main requirements of a real-time collaborative building design system.

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7

Kalavagunta, Ravi P. "Prevention of Mold in Building Construction." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1155140670.

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Law, Chung-yu Ellen. "The application of concurrent engineering in the construction process in Hong Kong /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B2594986x.

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Nkado, Raymond Nnaemeka. "A construction time information system for the building industry." Thesis, University of Reading, 1991. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.303176.

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Marshall, Rupert W. "An investigation into productivity improvement on civil engineering and building construction sites." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23612.

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Chunduri, Sreelatha. "Improving concept learning in green building by addressing students' learning styles and prior knowledge." FIU Digital Commons, 2008. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2356.

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In green building there is a requirement for the collaboration of students from different disciplines in order to solve challenging problems. Successful collaboration depends on the establishment of a common understanding of the subject matter among those involved. To gain common understanding concept learning is critical. A concept learning process may be improved when factors affecting it are addressed. Prior knowledge and learning styles of the students may influence the way they learn concepts. This thesis is focused on studying the relationship between a concept learning process and prior knowledge and learning styles of students. An experiment was conducted by giving students concepts customized to their prior knowledge and learning styles. Tests were conducted at various stages and they were statistically analyzed with t-tests to determine if a difference existed between the two groups. The results indicated that the group which was given the customized material showed improvement in their concept learning over the group who were taught conventionally.

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MAHMOOD, NABEEL ALI. "Real-time Construction Site Safety Risk Detection for On-Foot Building Construction Workers Using RFID." The Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1480660649914123.

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Hansen, Maia A. (Maia Allis) 1968. "Building green : investment opportunities in sustainable construction materials." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/46198.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and, Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1998.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-114).
by Maia A. Hansen.
M.B.A.
S.M.

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Li, Yue. "Fragility Methodology for Performance-Based Engineering of Wood-Frame Residential Construction." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/7465.

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Hurricanes and earthquakes have caused extensive property damage to wood-frame residential construction in the past two decades in the United States. In order to improve residential building performance and mitigate losses from hurricane and earthquake hazards, there is an urgent need for better understanding of building performance and improvements in design and evaluation tools. In this study, a fragility analysis methodology is developed for assessing the response of light-frame wood construction exposed to extreme hurricane winds and earthquakes. The fragility is a conditional limit state probability, presented as a function of the 3-second gust wind speed (hurricanes) or spectral acceleration at the fundamental period of the building (earthquakes), leading to a relation between damage state probability and the hazard stipulated in ASCE Standard 7. A fully coupled probabilistic framework is proposed to assess reliability of the residential construction through convolution of the structural fragility model with hazard models. Finally, a comparative risk assessment addresses the similarities and differences in competing hurricane and earthquake hazards. The tools above can be used to evaluate new and existing building products, model the uncertainties that are inherent to the prediction of building performance, and manage the risk that is consequent to these uncertainties economically

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Vernikos, Vasileios K. "Realising offsite construction in the civil engineering and infrastructure sector." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2016. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/23521.

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Offsite construction solutions have gained significant prominence over recent years. Much of the interest however, has been focussed on the building sector, in particular housing. The Civil Engineering and Infrastructure sector (CE&I) has comparatively seen little growth in this aspect. Specific exemplars for some high-profile projects, such as the Heathrow Airport control tower, do exist, but there have been far less applications of the new and emerging technologies and approaches that have been influential in the building sector recently. In addition, Offsite itself is not a well-defined supply sector, but rather a conglomeration of various, largely material or technology-based supply networks. This makes it difficult to realise new opportunities, especially in different sectors of the construction industry. This thesis is the culmination of a four-year Engineering Doctorate (EngD) research programme investigating the components that affect the realisation of offsite in the CE&I sector. It commences with an introduction to the research and its aims and objectives, and moves on to present the methodological considerations. During the four Work Packages (WP) conducted, a total of 78 individuals participated and contributed to workshop and interviews, together with an extensive critical review of literature. All primary and secondary data was examined with appropriate methods, such as a comparative case study and an emergent thematic analysis, upon which a series of conclusions and subsequently recommendations were drawn. The findings clearly identify that CE&I is more risk averse, and defines offsite differently, to the building sector. Each CE&I sub-sector has specific drivers and barriers to offsite, and due to the relative longevity of CE&I projects (both procurement, design, and construction) makes it difficult to benchmark and quantify offsite and its benefits. Large programmes of works rather than small projects are key to realising offsite as they provide confidence to the supply chain of long term investment. In addition, clients are pivotal for driving offsite as they can influence the industry s focus; nevertheless, investment cycles in infrastructure clients hinders offsite realisation. For holistic offsite implementation organisation need to have a top-down strategy. Therefore offsite requirements should be embedded within the project delivery governance processes. Its realisation is linked directly to recruitment, training and research and development plans. Building information modelling (BIM) now plays a key part in offsite realisation in CE&I as from 2016 it will be compulsory for all centrally-funded government works. BIM however, does not directly increase the offsite implementation, but it can help enable offsite due to the ability to define the design earlier in the project lifecycle. In addition, BIM encourages the use of software that can help identify the repetition of components, therefore increasing the potential for economies to scale. Finally, with the use of such software, delivery teams can simulate the construction sequence and therefore further help to enable offsite by reducing logistical challenges.

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16

Ross, Sheila. "Bamboo construction as a sustainable building technology from a structural and materials engineering perspective." Master's thesis, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33901.

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The objective of this dissertation is to determine whether bamboo culms or stems are suitable for use as a construction material for permanent structures, from an engineering as well as a sustainability perspective. A secondary objective is to establish whether this would be a suitable building technology for South Africa. The research is desk-top in nature and involves reviewing articles in online journals and publications and collating the information into a coherent form. Eleven species of bamboo commonly used in construction worldwide are selected for investigation of their material and engineering properties. Based on the variations found in the various species of bamboo, approaches to engineering modelling and design of bamboo structures are detailed and discussed. Furthermore, four case studies are presented that illustrate the various areas where bamboo construction is currently used. Finally, research is done regarding the level of the South African bamboo industry, including whether a bamboo species currently exists in South Africa that would be suitable for construction purposes. The preliminary literature review indicated that there is a lack of scientific or structural information regarding bamboo as a building material from an engineering or materials perspective, both globally as well as in South Africa. Although a substantial amount of information was subsequently found on the various aspects of bamboo as a structural material, the information varies widely between sources, which is ascribed to variations in test methods as well as to the location of the species being tested. The design codes and standards from various countries for bamboo design and construction are briefly reviewed. For countries where there is currently no bamboo design code or standard, such as South Africa, it is recommended that the International Standard, ISO 22156, be used as a design basis, using specific material properties relevant to the local species. Many publications state that bamboo is a sustainable building material, comparing favourably with other building materials. However, quantitative proof was found to be either lacking or unclear. Different methods were used in the publications to evaluate bamboo from an environmental perspective, making it difficult to compare and evaluate the different reports and results. However, despite the different methods, it appears that bamboo can be regarded as an environmentally favourable material, provided that local species are used in construction. The four case studies presented demonstrate that bamboo culms are suitable for use in large structures, such as bridges or trusses, as well as for smaller structures such as buildings or houses. They also illustrate the issues that can occur if the design intent is not understood or correctly carried out during construction. South Africa has one bamboo species considered suitable for construction, namely Bambusa balcooa, which is grown in various parts of the country. The properties of the South African plants have not been established as yet. However, theoretical engineering and material properties as determined elsewhere in the world indicate that this is a viable construction material. Further areas of research are the establishment of the material and engineering properties of the local South African bamboo species Bambusa balcooa, as well as further research into the behaviour of bamboo in fire conditions.

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Pourghazian, Hanif. "Industrial Construction Methods for Cost-Effective and Sustainable Multi-Storey Buildings." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm : Royal Institute of Technology, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-9212.

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18

Pavitt, Trevor C. "Managing construction interfaces within the building facade." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2002. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/6789.

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Interfaces, joints and connections between different elements or sections cause more problems than most of the rest of the building. There are challenges during design, manufacture and construction as well as implications throughout the life of the building. These challenges are particularly relevant for the building envelope. Here the joints must perform at the same level as the main areas of wall or roof, but the pressures on them are invariably much greater. They must keep out the weather but, at the same time, accommodate tolerances. and inaccuracies and cater for movements both during construction and for as long as the building lasts. Managing construction interfaces is an important part of delivering a construction project without time delays or cost additions. However the lack of written publications on how to manage interfaces within construction is a problem discovered by the author very early in the research. Therefore the main aim of the research was; to improve the management of interfaces within the construction industry, with particular reference to interfaces within the building facade. The research was based on an EPSRC funded project entitled CladdISS "A standardised strategy for window and cladding interfaces". The methodology included industrial workshops, interviews, regular steering group meetings and a questionnaire. The strategy proposed to increase productivity, quality, reduce waste and reduce costs in design, manufacture, installation, and the building life cycle. The research highlighted a wide range of interrelated problems. However, the two main issues were: Poor communication between the design team and specialist contractors and poor interface detailing. The following situations typically exist: The interface responsibility is assigned too late if at all; the term 'by others' often leads to the interfaces being poorly managed; the design team does not have a good enough understanding of the construction and manufacturing tolerances of materials at the interfaces; often the design team does not have appropriate understanding of the cladding system they are designing; the specialist cladding contractors do not have enough input to the design of the cladding and interfaces early enough. Using the CladdISS strategy will enable the supply chain to be organised and provide a template for effective interface management.

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19

Wong, Wai-keung, and 汪偉強. "Project management of building services engineering in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2001. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31251742.

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Settlemyre, Kevin (Kevin Franklin) 1971. "Operational, aesthetic, and construction process performance for innovative passive and active solar building components for residential buildings." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9102.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2000.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 295-300).
A system-based framework creates the ability to integrate operational, aesthetic, and construction process performance. The framework can be used to evaluate innovations within residential construction. By reducing the constraints for use, the framework is adaptable and flexible to specific projects and to the alternatives developed by the user. Passive and active solar design strategies are brought together in the creation of the Energy Producing Wall (EPW) components. Two component types, EPW1 & EPW2, can be adapted to create five different panel types. These units can be installed on the roof or vertical walls, and provide the innovative subject for evaluation within the framework. Four alternatives within two prototype homes, located in two climates, were analyzed to represent the existing and potential stock of housing and to provide the source of input data into the framework. An adaptable spreadsheet analysis, based on past and current analytical methods, establishes the EPW's potential benefit on the heating, cooling, electricity and total energy consumption loads within the prototype designs . Visualization models combined with physical models assess the aesthetics. The development of a Dynamic Process Model for Light Wood Framing (DPM-LWF) represents the framing construction process for the prototype designs, and provides time and cost impacts of the EPW alternatives. The. results from each analytical tool are combined to analyze the impacts of implementation, case results and sensitivities within the cases. A 'case result format' presents the results of the multiple alternatives for direct comparison, and can guide further investigations and information within the document. The EPW components demonstrated a 95% benefit for the electrical load of the "Modern Design" in Phoenix (currently), and the potential to reach over 100% benefit of the heating load in Boston for the "Sears Design."
by Kevin Settlemyre.
S.M.

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21

Gundogan, Handan. "Motivators And Barriers For Green Building Construction Market In Turkey." Master's thesis, METU, 2012. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12614371/index.pdf.

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&lsquo
Green Buildings&rsquo
play an important role to increase the implementation of sustainable strategies in the construction industry. Although there is a process of change within Turkish building environment towards implementation of green strategies nowadays, limited research has been conducted to search the reasons that drive the market and the important barriers that block the green building movement. This thesis is intended to fill this gap in the literature and contribute to the field of knowledge regarding green building construction in Turkey. The results shall benefit both government and market practitioners for the development of green building market. The data presented in this thesis are mainly obtained from a comprehensive questionnaire survey developed based on a deep literature search. The questionnaire is completed by professionals who have an interest on this topic or who have involvement in green building projects. In order to analyze the gathered data, a variety of statistical methods are used and the results are evaluated in detail. In addition to questionnaire survey, six case study green building projects in Turkey are examined and so a snapshot picture of current situation of the green movement is taken. Accordingly, financial considerations, faced difficulties and lessons learned are explained. The findings shall assist in understanding the real needs for green building development in Turkish construction sector. Finally, recommendations for government and researchers are presented so as to steer the construction sector in the direction of sustainability.

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22

Deshpande, Pushkar V. (Pushkar Vijaykumar) 1977. "Construction management : preliminary cost estimate and scheduling of MIT's Civil and Environmental Engineering building." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/80582.

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23

Park, Moonseo 1967. "Robust control of cost impact on fast-tracking building construction projects." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9500.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1999.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-75).
The fast-tracking delivery method has received considerable attention in recent years. Its time saving feature has placed it as an alternative to the sequential method. Effective fast-tracking may shorten delivery time and lower project costs. However, it should be highlighted that fast tracking also inherits a greater potential for an unexpected cost increase due to uncertainty in planning and management. To handle such inherent risks, fast-tracking should be undertaken with proper planning and management in a systematic manner. A closer observation of the design and construction process reveals that all of the cost-increasing factors in fast-tracking are directly or indirectly related to non value-adding or corrective changes. These changes are mainly attributed to uncertainty that is rooted in the interdependency of project tasks. Consequently, reducing this interdependency and managing the undesirable interactions among project tasks hold a key to successful fast-tracking. To meet these challenges, a robust planning and control methodology is developed to provide a systematic solution. The proposed methodology is elaborated based on concurrent engineering and system dynamics. Concurrent engineering is applied to develop an overlapping framework for the construction processes and to enable the interdependency among them to be minimized. The system dynamics modeling approach helps analyze and quantify the effect of dynamic interactions among the design and construction processes. The final result of this research may help ensure that the fast-tracking approach achieves sizable delivery time reductions without driving up costs. The provision of an optimal overlapping strategy, workforce control policy, and schedule adjustments assists in satisfying this goal.
by Moonseo Park.
S.M.

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Song, Jing 1972. "Building robust chemical reaction mechanisms : next generation of automatic model construction software." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/30058.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 308-319).
Building proper reaction mechanisms is crucial to model the system dynamic properties for many industrial processes with complex chemical reaction phenomena. Because of the complexity of a reaction mechanism, computer-aided reaction mechanism generation software appeared in recent years to help people efficiently build large reaction mechanisms. However, the limitations of those programs, such as not being able to model different types of reaction systems and to provide sufficiently precise thermodynamic and kinetic parameters impede their broad usage in real reaction system modeling. Targeting the drawbacks in current first-generation reaction modeling software, this thesis presents the second-generation of reaction mechanism construction software, Reaction Mechanism Generator, (RMG). In RMG, a new reaction template method is proposed to help quickly and flexibly define different types of reaction families, so that users can easily characterize any reaction system of interest without modifying the software. Furthermore, this work also presents new functional group tree approaches to construct hierarchical structured thermodynamics and kinetics databases for managing a large number of parameters, so that people are able to quickly and precisely identify better kinetics for different reactions in the same reaction family and to easily extend and update the databases with the latest research results. This new data-model dramatically improves the interface between the chemistry and computer science, removing many of the ambiguities that have plagued the field of chemical kinetics for many years, and greatly facilitating the maintenance and documentation of both the software and the databases that provide the key inputs to any chemical kinetic model.
(cont.) The author applied object-oriented technology and unified modeling language in system analysis, architecture design, and implementation of RMG. Therefore it is designed and developed into a robust software with good architecture and detailed documentation, so that this software can be easily maintained, reused, and extended. RMG is successfully applied to generate a reaction mechanism for n-butane low temperature oxidation, which includes a complex autoignition process. The model generated by RMG caught the fundamental phenomena of autoignition, and the predicted ignition delay time and many major products' yields are in very good agreement with experimental data. This is the first time that model generation software automatically generated such a complicated reaction mechanism without human interference, and provided precise predictions on ignition delay and major products yields consistent with experimental data.
by Jing Song.
Ph.D.

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25

Beveridge, Simon. "Best Practices Using Building Information Modeling in Commercial Construction." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2012. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3392.

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There has been an increase in adoption of building information modeling (BIM) by commercial contractors over the past few years but there is not a clear indication of current application or the frequency of each use. This research was undertaken to determine the frequency and best practices of using BIM in commercial construction. Leading commercial contracting firms were contacted and employees were selected to complete a telephone survey that was designed to determine how they are using BIM. It was found that BIM is being used with more frequency on projects, with plans to continue to implement it even further on all projects that allow for its use. Most companies are incorporating trade contractors in their coordination meetings but are taking the lead to ensure a high standard is maintained. Trade contractors are given responsibility to resolve smaller clashes while bringing the larger problems to the clash detection meetings. The model quality being received is increasing as well the frequency of models being received from the design team; however, there is a lack of consensus as to the level of development requirement to ensure the model can be used for facilities management. Commercial contractors are adopting building information modeling for a variety of reasons. These include client requirements, innovative technology strategies, and fear of being left behind. Overall its use improves processes within their companies. The general agreement is that BIM is having a positive impact on profitability, schedules and sales. BIM further improves the efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness. The best practices undertaken by commercial contractors include using BIM as a sales and marketing tool, utilizing subcontractors knowledge and allowing them to resolve minor clashes, having combination of BIM teams and BIM experts and investing in training employees and further development of BIM uses.

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Smith, William Noble. "Current State of Practice Associated with the Use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the Custom Home Building Industry." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2017. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/6632.

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Building Information Modeling (BIM) has entered the construction industry and has permeated the commercial sector. Research is continually performed to expand the capabilities and applications within the industry. However, research has historically been mostly limited to the commercial sector and has seen little expansion to other sectors of the industry including the residential sector. The potential cause for this may be the limited number of industry professionals who utilize the software to the benefit of their companies. The focus of this study was specifically the custom home building sector of residential construction in the United States because of the unique and potentially complex nature of each project. The study was performed using a Delphi Panel, which utilizes a panel of experts to reach a consensus on a given subject. In this study, the goal was to reach a consensus on the most common uses challenges and benefits of BIM within the residential sector. In the first questionnaires, the experts were asked to identify, with a series of demographic questions including the number of employees in their company, the number of homes they build each year, and the average sale price of each home. Each expert's responses to the demographic questions were cross-referenced with the responses concerning uses, benefits, and challenges to provide other industry members wishing to implement with relatable demographic references to compare with their own company demographics. The experts then identified how they used BIM, what benefits they had seen, and any challenges they faced. The uses, benefits, and challenges identified in this questionnaire were ranked in the following questionnaire to identify the most common uses, greatest benefits, and greatest challenges.The top uses identified by this expert panel were design and visualization, the creation of construction documents, and quantity take-offs. The most common benefits identified by this panel were client visualization, plan accuracy, improved client communication, and ease of plan revisions. The most common challenges identified by this panel were high software costs, the steep learning curve when training employees, and the time-consuming nature of creating and maintain models correctly.

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Semlies, Christopher J. 1974. "Inter-firm collaboration in the implementation of structural innovations in building construction." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9717.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1999.
"February 1999."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 159-162).
It is increasingly recognized that the development of many innovations typically requires collaboration across disciplines because an innovation in one area will often necessitate changes in other areas. In the construction industry, the problem is not merely one of interdisciplinary collaboration within a vertically integrated firm, but one of inter-firm collaboration over the life of a project because dozens of specialized firms typically work together on the delivery of built facilities. Thus, firm boundaries and other factors can affect the success of the implementation of innovations in construction. The goal of this research is to gain an understanding of the factors that influence inter-firm collaboration in the development and implementation of construction innovations. Ten case studies of structural system innovations implemented on 17 projects were developed in order to analyze the role of these factors, including contract type, delivery system, transaction cost, bond, appropriation of costs/benefits, and sharing of competencies on inter-firm information. The results from the case studies often contradict the expectations of principal-agent theory and other areas of management and economic theory related to inter-firm collaboration for innovation. For example, all of the innovations were implemented under outcome-based contracts. This result is surprising because the common perception in the literature is that the widespread use of outcome-based contracting hinders innovation. Also surprising was that, of the innovations introduced by contractors under outcome-based contracts, many were quality enhancing. However, one would expect that, due to the cost pressures of their contract, a contractor would be more likely to implement cost-saving innovations. A strong relationship was found between innovative activity and the integration of the design and construction functions, supporting the belief that the traditional delivery system used in construction, which separates design from construction, is a barrier to innovation. In addition, it was found that, in this set of cases, contractors were more likely to introduce innovations on projects that used integrated delivery systems. It was also found that investment in co-specialized assets occurred in conjunction with outcome-based contracts. This finding contradicts the expected result, which is that such investment should occur most frequently in behavior-based contracting situations. it is hoped that this knowledge will enhance our understanding of the process of innovation development and implementation in the construction industry in particular, and in other industries in general, specifically in fields where the design and realization of complex systems involves multiple firms. Owners can use this information to organize projects to implement innovations successfully and construction and other companies can use it to improve their strategies regarding innovation.
by Christopher J. Semlies.
S.M.

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28

Meraghni, Leila. "An integrated information model for construction materials management." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 1997. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/5596/.

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29

Andresen, Inger. "A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Method for Solar Building Design." Doctoral thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Fine Art, 2000. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-451.

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The background for this thesis is based on the assumption that the success of solar buildings relies on the assessment and integration of all the different design objectives, called criteria. These criteria are often quite complicated to deal with (e.g. environmental loading) and may be conflicting. The different design issues and the many different available energy technologies call for different areas of expertise to be involved in the design of solar buildings. This makes it difficult to evaluate the overall “goodness” of a proposed design solution. Also, the communication between design professionals and the client becomes complicated.

The goal of this work was therefore to produce a means for the design team and clients to be able to better understand and handle holistic solar design. A first hypothesis was that a structured approach for evaluating design alternatives might be a means to this end.

In order to specify an approach that would fit into the building design process, an analysis of design process theory and building design practice was carried out (chapter 2). Also, special solar design issues were investigated. This analysis resulted in the following conclusions:

· Most building design processes start out with no clearly defined goals or criteria of success. The design criteria are refined and discovered through evaluation and feedback on alternative design proposals.

· Design involves a lot of subjective value judgements, and decisions are often based on experience, “gut feeling”, or intuition. Design options are evaluated based on quantitative and qualitative performance measures. There exists no objective optimal design solution.

· It is possible to identify some main activities that are common to most design processes. These are categorized into 4 main tasks: problem formulation, generation of alternatives, performance prediction and evaluation. The activities are very much overlapping and dependent on each other.

· Decision-making in design happens mainly through evaluation of proposed design solutions.

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Skelton, Ian R. "Innovation in construction techniques for tall buildings." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2015. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/19637.

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The skyline of many 'world cities' are defined and punctuated by tall buildings. The drivers for such dominant skylines range from land scarcity and social needs; high real estate values; commercial opportunity and corporate demand, through to metropolitan signposting. This fascination with tall buildings started with the patrician families who created the 11th Century skyline of San Gimignano by building seventy tower-houses (some up to 50m tall) as symbols of their wealth and power. This was most famously followed in the late 19th Century with the Manhattan skyline, then Dubai building the world's highest building, then China building some eighty tall buildings completed in the last 5 years, then UK building Europe's highest tower, the Shard and finally back to Dubai, planning a kilometre tall tower, potentially realising Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's 'Impossible Dream' of the 1920's and Frank Lloyd Wright's 1956 'Mile High Illinois'. This ambition to build higher and higher continues to challenge the Architects, Engineers and Builders of tall buildings and is expected to continue into the future. The tall building format is clearly here to stay.

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Carlsén, Adam, and Oscar Elfstrand. "Augmented Construction : Developing a framework for implementing Building Information Modeling through Augmented Reality at construction sites." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för ekonomi, teknik och samhälle, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-69254.

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Construction projects struggle to meet their budgeted cost, time, and quality requirements due to problems with cross-functional communication, which are made worse due to usage of mediums that are unable to handle the increasingly complex information required in the projects. Visualizing Building Information Models (BIM) through Augmented Reality (AR) on construction sites is believed to have the potential to solve many of the construction industry’s current communication problems. However, although academic efforts have been made regarding BIM through AR, contemporary research is limited to clinical trials and concludes that there is a need for studies conducted in real construction environments; even though practical testing has been conducted within the industry. To address this, the purpose of this report was to compile the academic knowledge and retrieve the experience available in the industry, and provide a situation assessment that updates the field of AR and BIM. Two research questions were formed: ‘What are the opportunities of using BIM through AR at construction sites?’ and ‘Which barriers are affecting the adoption of BIM and AR at construction sites, and what concrete measures can be taken?’. To answer the research questions, an exploratory study with abductive approach was used. The knowledge of industry practitioners with experience of BIM through AR testing, the usability of BIM, or the functionality of AR, was collected through 20 semi-structured interviews. These were analyzed using thematic methodology and the findings tested through a workshop at a major Swedish construction firm. The result confirmed that BIM through AR can solve some of the current communication problems within construction, and several barriers affecting the adoption of AR and BIM were found. These could be categorized into the dimensions: Process, User, or Technology. To each barrier a corresponding measure was identified, for instance; anchor the use of AR and BIM strategically, have an active role in AR development, and create organic dispersion of the technology. The results are also visualized in a roadmap depicting the different steps towards fully implemented AR and BIM. The findings contribute to the academia by extending the field of AR and BIM to include the perspectives of industry actors, and moving the focus of AR and BIM research past initial testing to actual implementation and usage of the technology. The main contribution towards managers is a roadmap which provides a sense of direction by being both a tool for assessing their company’s position along the path of AR and BIM implementation, but also provides insight regarding how to progress to the next step towards achieving fully implemented AR and BIM.

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Kuranchie, Francis Atta. "Characterisation and applications of iron ore tailings in building and construction projects." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1623.

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The mine tailings are generated as the wastes worldwide as a result of exploration, excavation, blasting, beneficiation and extraction of mineral ores. In Western Australia, due to the extensive mining activities and increasing low grade ores, there is generation of mine tailings in large quantities, which could lead to environmental and disposal problems. The common practice of handling the tailings are to store them in tailing dams or as stockpiles near mine sites. Limited quantities are sometimes used as backfills and other applications. The utilisation of tailings in building and construction projects, which may consume a large volume of wastes, have not been explored extensively so far. Additionally, the understanding of chemical composition-based utilisation of tailings has very limited investigation. In the present research, a critical review of the literature was made focusing on the utilisation of mine tailings in large quantities. Experiments have been conducted by developing a methodology to characterise the tailings based on the relationship that exists between electrical resistivity and the relative density of the tailings in dry and wet conditions. The results show that the electrical resistivity of iron ore mine tailings produced in Western Australia in dry condition ranges from 11 kΩm in a more dense state to 19 kΩm in a very loose state, while that in fully saturated condition ranges from 20 Ωm for a very dense state to 31 Ωm in a very loose state. The laboratory investigation has been conducted to utilise iron ore tailings to produce geopolymer bricks. The sized tailings were mixed with sodium silicate solution used as an activator to form a paste. The paste was moulded and cured for different durations. It was found that the geopolymer bricks produced from iron ore tailings could have a compressive strength as high as 50.35 MPa. This is either superior or similar to international standard specifications for conventional bricks. Additionally, the new bricks will be more economical than conventional bricks with potential cost reduction of 36.8%. The research has also investigated the utilisation of iron ore mine tailings to replace conventional aggregates in concrete. 100% of both fine and coarse conventional aggregates were replaced with tailings in the mixed design. The concrete mix was casted into moulds and cured. It was found that the compressive strength of the concrete with tailings aggregates at 28 days was 36.95 MPa which shows an improvement of 11.56% over the concrete with conventional aggregates. Additionally, the new concrete met all other requirements for quality assessment of concrete. Finally, the research has conducted investigation into load-settlement behaviour of iron ore tailings to be considered as a structural fill material. The experiment was conducted in a model test tank in the laboratory varying the relative density of the tailings. It was found that the load-bearing capacity is 22 times higher, and the stiffness is 13.5 times higher than their values for conventional fill materials.

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Decruz, Aloysius. "Development and integration of a green roof model within whole building energy simulation." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2016. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32544/.

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Green roofs are increasingly being employed as a sustainability feature of buildings. The sustainability approach in building designs requires reducing energy consumption and adopting low carbon energy sources without compromising the increasing expectations of comfort and health levels. Given the wide range of building designs, climates and green roof types, it is desirable to evaluate at the design stage the energy saving impact and other potential benefits from the application of green roofs. Currently, the abilities of building simulation programs to simulate the influences of green roofs are limited. For example, they have limitations in representing dynamic inter-layer interactions and moisture infiltration mechanisms. This research aims to develop a new model for the simulation of green roofs based on the control volume approach and to integrate the model within a whole building energy simulation program. The green roof elements consist of special layers such as plants and soil for which the control volume approach is capable of capturing their special characteristics with regards to the thermal and moisture exchanges. The model has been integrated within the ESP-r whole building energy simulation program. Within the ESP-r, the new green roof model alters the boundary condition of a roof surface on which green roof is constructed. The model development is carried out by a series of steps which include a careful selection of governing equations that describe the thermal and moisture balances in various layers of green roof, the numerical implementation for a simultaneous solution of the governing equations for the whole green roof, algorithm and code development and finally developing the interface with ESP-r. After successful integration, the model results were validated on an experimental test cell, which consists of an approximately 2 m2 planted medium on an insulated box with facilities for thermal, moisture and drainage measurements. The results for the thermal validation were promising with the significant boundary temperature values within a root mean square deviation (RMSD) in the vicinity of 0.5 K, whereas the moisture validation results are found to depend on initial conditions, the lower layers showing an RMSD of approximately 0.05 m3/m3 and the top layer nearly 0.12 [m3/m3]. The model is also able to predict the slowing down of water run-off. A methodology for collecting soil and plant properties which are required to be used along with the program has also been described. Based on the current state of the model and also considering the new developments in green roofs, some suggestions are proposed at the end of the thesis as a continuation of this research.

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Alekhtyar, Mumena. "Building Information Modelling and Virtual Design and Construction : Differentiations and interaction." Thesis, KTH, Fastigheter och byggande, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-231602.

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Within the last decade BIM technology products have been providing the construction industry with various tools that can be used in all construction phases and aspects with a wide set of potentials that range from visualization to simulation, scheduling and cost estimation (Kam , et al., 2016). As a result, the term BIM started to have new interpretation from a process- oriented perspective beside the product-oriented interpretation. These different interpretations and definitions of BIM creates an ambiguity regarding BIM. The ambiguity about what is BIM takes another direction when the term “Virtual Design and Constructions” VDC is used as synonym of BIM as well in many situations. VDC is defined as the use of integrated multi-disciplinary performance models of design-construction projects to support explicit and public business objectives (Kunz & Fischer, 2012). This study is an attempt to answer the following questions: What are the differences between BIM and VDC and how BIM and VDC interact and affect each other. As a result, a timeline for both terms was created based on a historical analysis for the emergence of both terms. Furthermore, more differences between VDC and BIM were located through literature reviews and empirics and this mapping was used to find how each term affects the other. The study was conducted in Tyréns Swedish consultancy company and it covered two infrastructure projects where VDC is used.

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Law, Chung-yu Ellen, and 羅頌瑜. "The application of concurrent engineering in the construction process in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31251808.

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King, D. C. "The Engineering Council's influence on Building Services Engineering education and qualifications : towards an internationalist education and training model." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2017. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/7666/.

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A large number of Building Services Engineering (BSE) graduates from UK universities either already live and work abroad, or aspire to do so, and the destinations for such migrants are most often English-speaking countries or countries where English is commonly used in business. Academic programmes in BSE are usually professionally accredited by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) under licence from the Engineering Council (EC). In the common destination countries for UK BSE graduates the Washington, Sydney and Dublin Accord (WSDA) agreements prevail, meaning that there is a mutual recognition of engineering qualifications and professional accreditation of academic courses, and this facilitates international mobility. Since it is widely accepted that buildings account for as much as 50% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, it could be said that there is a worldwide sustainability agenda with respect to buildings. The common factor across national boundaries is that Building Services Engineers, as central members of building design teams, must provide much of the specialist practical knowledge to enable more energy efficient buildings to be designed and constructed, and it is therefore likely that UK educated engineers will be working in far more varied overseas locations in the near future. The main aim of the work is to synthesise an education and training model to encourage and enable international mobility of UK BSE graduates, and to carry out some evaluation of this model. This work sets out initially to question whether a UK education in BSE necessarily provides UK graduates with the best possible skillset for work abroad. The influence of the EC upon the content of BSE study programmes has been examined, and the research assesses the benefits of the EC’s influence in countries with different economic and political priorities to the UK, other western economies and to the WSDA countries. Following identification and analysis of the main issues, the model was constructed and evaluations were made using semi-structured interviews. The methodology used in this research is necessarily underpinned by a pragmatist paradigm, which has led to the use of a mixed methods blended approach. In addition to thorough review and analysis of literature, the practical methods employed include a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews in three phases: an exploratory phase, an in-depth analysis, and a concluding phase. The early conclusions indicated that the EC influence upon BSE study programmes is generally regarded as necessary and beneficial, since it provides an engineering skillset that is internationally respected and recognised. There is, however, less confidence in applying this in an international arena outside of the WSDA umbrella since different parts of the world face different economic challenges, divergent societal imperatives, and diverse attitudes to sustainability and green issues. An education and training model was constructed to address these issues and, after initial testing, was found generally to be a workable proposition to enhance the international prospects of UK BSEs, and further, could be adopted in the UK under the auspices of the Degree Apprenticeship initiatives. Such a model is, however, unlikely to be adopted in many overseas locations due to differing cultural views on the value of work-based learning and apprenticeship.

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Hajjar, Gabriel. "Design and construction of a photoplotter : Building a device for rapid prototyping of PCBs." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Fasta tillståndets fysik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-354717.

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The goal was to build a machine that could rapidly prototype PCBs using a moving light source and photoresist. The project failed, as the UV light did not make it through the lenses used to concentrate it. Better lenses and a laser would allow it to function better.

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Vermeulen, Bernard. "The role of a design engineer in safety of building projects." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86355.

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Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
One of the causes for money to be wasted on construction sites is accidents. The reason is that an accident on site is an unplanned event typically relating to the loss of production or the loss of life. Many industry stakeholders and role players have focused on construction health and safety and to improve this area of concern; however, construction health and safety are not significantly improving. Construction still continues to contribute a large number of fatalities and injuries relative to other industry sectors. During the construction phase, poor construction health and safety performance is attributable to a lack of management commitment, inadequate supervision, and a lack of health and safety training and - systems. Health and safety systems do not only include excellent health and safety management on site, but rather an integrated approach on health and safety issues from the conceptual design phase by all stakeholders participating. This integrated approach includes the design done by the engineer. The inspiration behind this research is the question of whether South African Engineers design buildings safe for construction. The lack of knowledge by engineers with regard to construction processes, the lack of health and safety enforcement in the engineering offices and construction sites, and whether engineers adhere to safe design principles is the subject of investigation in this research. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the role of the design engineer in the safety of building projects. Specifically, it investigates to what extent the design engineer can contribute to site safety, and to what extent this is actually taking place. The Construction Regulations states the engineer can be appointed to act on behalf of a client and should share any information that might affect the health and safety of construction employees with the contractor. By means of a literature study, the investigation of case studies and the investigation of questionnaires to which a percentage of South African engineers responded, this research identified the information that should be shared by the design engineer with the contractor. The information can be shared by indicating hazardous activities or - locations on the actual drawings. Information can also be shared by specifying and reminding the contractor of certain health and safety hazards in the health and safety specifications of the building project. Although the Construction Regulations state that the safety hazards associated with most construction processes are the responsibility of the contractor, it will be beneficial for the safety of the employees if the engineer also consults the contractor on the hazards identified by him or her during the early design stages. Early collaboration between the engineer and contractor is also beneficial for the safety of construction employees. The result is an integrated approach towards safety hazard identification and mitigation. Having adequate knowledge with regard to construction processes allows the engineer to be aware of possible safety hazards. This will result in the correct information to be shared with the contractor and incorporated into the early design phases of the project to ensure a healthy and safe working environment. The study shows that a percentage of South African engineers have a lack of site experience, a lack of safety training, a lack of knowledge with regard to the content of the Construction Regulations, and a lack of knowledge with regard to construction processes. These shortcomings can be detrimental to site safety.

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de, Fatima Dias Jane. "Reuse of Construction Materials." Thesis, Högskolan Dalarna, Energiteknik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-30024.

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The building and construction sectors are one of the main contributors to the socio-economic development of a country. Globally, these sectors generate around 5% to 10% of national employment and around 5% to 15% of a country's gross domestic product during construction, use and demolition. On the other hand, the sectors consume around 40% of world primary energy, use 30% of raw materials, generate 25% of solid waste, consume 25% of water, and use 12% of land. Furthermore, the sectors account for up to 40% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mainly from energy use during the life cycle of buildings. This study aims to assess the potential environmental benefits of reusing concrete and ceramic roof tile within the Swedish context in terms of their CO2 emission. Methodology used was a comparative LCA was to quantify the emissions. In order to calculate LCA, OpenLCA 1.7.0 software was used and to evaluate the emissions, LCIA method selected was ReCiPe, midpoint, Hierarchist model, climate change category expressed in GWP 100 years (in kg CO2eq). The FU of the study was a square meter of roof covering for a period of 40 years with potential to extent up to 80 years. A square meter of concrete roof tile weight 40 kg while ceramic 30 kg. The environment impact evaluation considered three product system, single use (cradle to grave), single use covering (cradle to user) and single reuse (user to cradle) within 40 years lifespan. In order to compare LCA of the roof tiles, two scenarios were created, Scenario 1 concrete RT in single use and single reuse whilst Scenario 2 evaluates ceramic RT. The outcomes of both scenarios were communicated through a model single family house. Dalarna’s Villa is located in Dalarna region in Sweden and a storage facility Ta Till Våra was to validate the benefits of reused materials. Comparative LCA revealed that concrete RT in single use released almost 80% more CO2 emissions than ceramic RT and generated 25% more disposable material by weight. The CO2 released by the single use vs. single reuse concrete RT showed higher emissions in the production of the concrete RT than the single reuse, the same occur with ceramic RT. The reuse of the tiles on the same site had an insignificant impact on the environment in both materials. The comparison shows that reuse reduces associated emissions by about 80% in both cases, reusing concrete is more beneficial, as emissions are reduced by 9.95 kg/m2 as opposed to 2.32 kg/m2 at the ceramics. This study reveals the benefit of reusing concrete and ceramic roof tile. In addition, the advantage of building a storage facility to reuse the disposable building materials, reducing the roofing materials ending at the landfill after 40 years. Furthermore, it demonstrated the reduction of CO2 emissions associated with the embodied energy.

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Jeyakumar, Ratnam. "The implementation and effectiveness of value engineering in the United Arab Emirates." Thesis, University of South Wales, 2013. https://pure.southwales.ac.uk/en/studentthesis/the-implementation-and-effectiveness-of-value-engineering-in-the-united-arab-emirates(b8942ce3-dfe1-4865-a385-85a09b77982f).html.

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This thesis examines the implementation and effectiveness of Value Engineering in the United Arab Emirates and is restricted to major building construction projects. The aim of the reasurch is to investigate possible areas of improvement and could potentially enhance the effectiveness of the managent and control of the Value Engineering process, for building construction project in the Unietd Arab Emirates. The objectives of the research is to use the data collected to formulate a model for improvement of the Value Engineering process used in building construction projects in the United Arab Emirates. Before a model to be formulated, the following hypotheses need to be addressed. - Value Engineering is currently being effectively implemented - Value Engineering currently provides tangible and measurable benefits - Current practices in the application of Value Engineering can be improved A triangulation approach is employed, with data collected using questionnaires, semi structured interviews and case studies. The data collected was analysed and critically assessed to compare the Value Engineering process conducted in the United Arab Emirates with current best practice and to identify specific area for improvement. Based on the literature review, it became evident that the following seven (7) key factors raised by the researchers were identified for the potential to effect improvements. 1. Structure and Method of the Value Engineering process. 2. Timing and execution of the Value Engineering and workshop studies. 3. Composition of the Workshop team. 4. Understanding of the Value Engineering process. 5. Value Engineering during the Construction phase. 6. Performance measurement based on costs. 7. The effect of environment and culture on Value Engineering ii A model for improving the effectiveness of Value Engineering in the United Arab Emirates was then developed, validated and refined, based on the responses of seventy two (72) experienced clients, construction professionals, value engineers, project mangers and contractors. The responses from expatriates and Emirates nationals were also compared and the following recommendations were incorporated in the model. The identified improvement into the design consultant agreement is to:- - Include Value Engineering in the overall project programme. The identified improvement recommendations for the design stages are:- 1. Conduct Value Engineering workshop by the end of the preliminary design stage. 2. Establish involvement of end-user and who has experience in construction from project management consultant or client’s representative. 3. Specific consideration of the culture and environment in the United Arab Emirates. 4. Develop management awareness and commitment. 5. Implement the new regulations to achieve certification on sustainability (Estidama). The identified improvement recommendations for the construction stages are:- 1. Conducting Value Engineering review after the award of construction. 2. Monitoring and auditing Value Engineering cost benefits. 3. Controlling variations and change orders. 4. Verifying Value Engineering recommendations adopted are achieved. 5. Cultivate company culture and environment to maximise the benefits of Value Engineering. 6. Ensure the new regulations to achieve certification on sustainability (Estidama).

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Mayon, Isaac Dompo. "Exploring Earth-Building Technology for Liberia." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2009. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1896.

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This paper discusses earth as a building material and the extent to which earth building technology has evolved over the years. In particular it addresses the adobe, compressed and rammed earth techniques of earth building as suitable techniques for Liberia consumption. In addition, the paper investigates the suitability of the Latosols soils of Liberia for earth building construction purposes using standardized earth building principles and requirements. A local Johnson City, Tennessee, earth sample found to have the same physical characteristics of the Latosols of Liberia was used to simulate Liberia soils to produce specimen blocks at different configurations of moisture content and stabilizers (Bentonite and cement). Following 14 days of cure, the blocks were tested for compressive strength. It was found that blocks produced from the natural soil with no stabilizer added were structurally adequate for building construction purposes. A cost-benefit analysis involving blocks with and without stabilizer (cement) added was also performed.

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Tabesh, Mahsa. "An investigation to introduce BIM in undergraduate civil engineering teaching to improve construction processes." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96697.

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Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The popularity of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has grown rapidly within the construction industry, motivated by its potential advantages for improving construction processes. A majority of the world’s leading firms have adopted BIM solutions by moving from 2D or even 3D CAD to BIM techniques. However, for companies in South Africa this transition has not been the same as for firms in Europe and the USA. Besides the improvements which can be achieved by viewing a computer model of the designed facility, BIM provides a multi-disciplinary tool, to be used for collaboration of all project parties in a real-time simulated model of construction process. Due to this remarkable feature, the way of constructing a designed facility can be viewed and analysed from the conceptual stages and can improve design and construction processes. As this object-oriented approach has been developed in the industry, handbooks and standards have been released to support BIM utilization. A considerable amount of research has been conducted to establish the advantages and barriers in applying BIM. A large number of investigations have also been performed for reporting quantified achievement of construction projects executed in BIM environment. As such, a new knowledge field has been added to the industry requirements. BIM knowledge has become more demanding and BIM-specialist requirements have been enhanced. As a result, academia have been stimulated to raise BIM awareness among engineers, architects and construction managers to train sufficiently qualified professionals for applying BIM tools. Universities started offering different courses and programmes to fulfil this need while a variety of strategies have been developed for introducing BIM to the students at different levels. This research studied the current industry situation in South Africa regarding application of BIM and the role of universities to achieve a suitable level of BIM capability. The industrial and educational situations from some pioneering countries are reviewed as lessons for the South African adoption of BIM. Comparing these facts, proposals for introducing BIM through university courses are provided to satisfy industry requirements for the application of BIM in projects.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die gewildheid van Bou Inligtingsmodelle (Building Information Modelling (BIM)) het vinnig gegroei in die konstruksie bedryf as gevolg van die voordele wat dit vir die verbetering van konstruksieprosesse inhou. ŉ Groot aantal van die wêreld se voorste konstruksie maatskappye het al die oorgang vanaf 2D en selfs 3D RGT (Rekenaar Gesteunde Tekenstelsels) na BIM gemaak. Ongelukkig is hierdie oorgang na BIM metodes nog nie so doeltreffend vir maatskappye in Suid- Afrika soos in die geval van Europese en Amerikaanse maatskappye nie. Daar is al bewys dat die vermoë om na ŉ rekenaarmodel van ŉ ontwerpte fasiliteit te kan kyk baie voordelig is. Daarbenewens bied BIM ŉ multidissiplinêre grondslag wat vir die samewerking van alle betrokke partye van die projek gebruik kan word en die projek kan simuleer as ŉ funksie van tyd. Hierdie tyd-afhanklike simulasie stel die bestuur in staat om die manier waarop ŉ ontwerpte fasiliteit gebou word, reeds vanaf die konsepsuele fase, te beskou en te ontleed. Hierdie vermoë kan die ontwerp en konstruksieproses asook die fasiliteitsbestuur proses merkwaardig verbeter. As gevolg van die ontwikkeling van hierdie objek georiënteerde benadering deur die bedryf, is handboeke en standaarde vrygestel om die gebruik van BIM te ondersteun. ‘n Merkwaardige hoeveelheid navorsing is al gedoen om die voordele en struikelblokke in die toepassing van BIM te identifiseer. ‘n Groot aantal ondersoeke is ook al geloots om verslag te doen op die prestasie van konstruksie projekte wat deur middel van BIM uitgevoer was. Vanuit die bogenoemde ondersoeke en navorsing is 'n nuwe kennisveld gevoeg by die vereistes van die bedryf. Die kennis van BIM het al hoe meer veeleisend geword en die vereistes vir ŉ BIMspesialis het verhoog. As gevolg hiervan is akademici aangemoedig om ingenieurs, argitekte en konstruksie bestuurders meer bewus te maak van BIM sodat daar genoeg professionele werkers opgelei kan word wat BIM kan implementeer. Universiteite het begin om kursusse en programme aan te bied om hierdie behoefte te bevredig, terwyl 'n verskeidenheid metodes om studente bloot te stel aan BIM op verskillende vlakke ontwikkel is. In hierdie navorsingsprojek is die huidige stand van Suid-Afrikaanse konstruksiemaatskappye ten opsigte van die toepassing van BIM ondersoek. Daarbenewens is die rol wat universiteite speel om 'n voldoende vlak van BIM vaardigheid te bereik ook ondersoek. Die industriële en opvoedkundige omgewings van 'n paar vooraanstaande lande word gebruik as lesse vir die Suid-Afrikaanse aanvaarding van BIM. Deur hierdie feite te vergelyk, is voorstelle gemaak vir die bekendstelling van BIM in universiteitskursusse om aan industrievereistes te voldoen vir die toepassing van BIM op projekte.

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Elsayah, Othoman S. "A framework for improvement of contractor selection procedures on major construction project in Libya." Thesis, Edinburgh Napier University, 2016. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/453191.

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The construction sector constitutes one of the most important sectors in the economy of any country. Contractor selection is a critical decision that is undertaken by client organisations and is central to the success of any construction project. For major construction projects, final contractor selection often follows the contractor selection stage. Contractor selection is a process which involves investigating, screening and determining whether candidate contractors have the technical and financial capability to be accepted to formally tender for construction work. The process should be conducted prior to the award of contract, characterized by many factors such as: contactor's skills, experience on similar projects, track- record in the industry, and financial stability. Several models and approaches have been developed to assist client organisations in the contractor selection decision making process. This thesis evaluates the current state of knowledge in relation to contractor selection models. The key features, strengths and limitations of each of these methods are critically evaluated. The key factors of particular interest to client organisations are assessed. This thesis reports on-going research which aims to develop improved contractor selection criteria and methods with specific application to make construction projects in the Libyan context. The aim of this thesis is to build a framework for contractor selection process in the Libyan Construction Industry (LCI) and to find out the major obstacles constraining its operations which so far have not yet been taken into account by the Libyan researchers. However, to address that, a huge investigation has taken place about the current statues for contractor selection in Libya, as well as, in developed and well developed countries. To achieve that, both, theoretical and empirical research was carried out between 2010 and 2013 in Libya. The theoretical study concentrated on the sector of construction industry (Cl) and its key issues, whereas the empirical study focused and explored on the Libyan Construction Industry (LCI) as the context for the study. Two case studies were utilized in this research. The case studies were used to provide more information about the current situation of the LCI and to identify the contractor selection procedures of construction projects in. Also, it assist the researcher to identify key research questions that can later be used in a questionnaire survey. This research was implemented through the administration of a questionnaire survey based on research questions that are required for the building of a framework for contractor selection procedure and the identification of the challenges and obstacles that are facing the clients in the selection process. The development of the framework includes, but is not limited to, contractor selection criteria, decision makers, consultant, clients and sub-contractor. Therefore, the data collection is based on responses from the public and private sector (clients, consultants, contractors and others that are involved in and are knowledgeable about the contractor selection process in the Libyan construction projects). Mean and analysis of variance (independent T-test) were used to manipulate the data from the questionnaire within the SPSS v.20 software environment. The resulting framework was subjected to a validation procedure which involved a structured Delphi technique process based on a focus group consisting of experts who were selected to help with validation of the framework and establishing the extent to which the framework is practical, clear, applicable and comprehensive. This research uses an integrated approach that combines AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method and TOPSIS (Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method to evaluate and investigate the current existing practice of contractor selection in Libya. Also, the Delphi technique was used to establish a road map for contractor selection process. Twelve participants were selected to help with validation of the framework. Overall, this research found that the LCI was suffering from a total absence of contractor selection frameworks. This directly impacts on client satisfaction as well as government planning in the reconstruction of the country after the civil war in particular. To close this gap, this research was embarked upon to identify and explore the various contractor selection methods and frameworks that are utilized to support the guidance of contractor selection process toward success. As a consequence of this study, the Contractor Selection Process (CSP) is now very comprehensive and can now be a reference for any problem. Furthermore, this research will help decision makers and others involved to be more aware of and have a better understanding of the selection procedure in the LCI. This new understanding will help decision makers to make more efficacious decisions and to adopt good short and long term policies for contractor selection planning which can then be put into procedure. Even though this framework is built for the LCI, the research can be utilised in other countries that have a similar construction industry environment.

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Alazzaz, Faisal Abdullah H. "Assessing productivity in off-site construction methods of managing engineering and building projects: An operational management approach." Thesis, Curtin University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1847.

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This study aimed to investigate productivity of off-site construction through a focus on employee empowerment and with reference to operational management tools and techniques. Three case studies of off-site companies were conducted, with data being collected from semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The results provided validation of nine employee empowerment factors and highlighting links with labour productivity. Statistical process control and cause-and-effect diagrams were found to enhance operational awareness of labour productivity and quality issues.

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Williams, Gerald Herman Jr. "An Evaluation of Public Construction Contracting Methods for the Public Building Sector in Oregon using Data Envelopment Analysis." PDXScholar, 2003. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1645.

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Since 1976 public agencies in Oregon have been allowed to select construction contractors using a "qualification" based competition instead of the more typical lowest responsible bid or Design-Bid-Build (DBB) basis. Since 1985, at least 136 such selections, commonly known as CM/GC for Construction Manager/General Contractor, have been made. The results of this policy have not previously been analyzed. This research compares these selection methods, seeking to answer the following questions: Does the CMl/GC method result in projects that differ from DBB projects regarding cost and schedule control? Are CMl/GC projects more efficient than DBB projects, where efficiency is defined as the data envelopment analysis (DEA) technical efficiency score? Does efficiency depend on an interaction between project type and the selection method? How do project stakeholders evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of the two selection methods? How do projects compare when the only apparent difference between them is the selection method? To answer these questions, we identified 407 Oregon public building construction projects and obtained a variety of data, including cost and schedule results, for 215 jobs (111 CMl/GC and 104 DBB). We analyzed the data several ways, including statistical analysis, DEA, and various qualitative methods. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the CMl/GC and DBB projects regarding cost and schedule control. The DEA technical efficiency scores showed that CMl/GC projects outperformed the DBB projects. There was no interaction effect between project type and selection method. Project stakeholders stated that reduction of risk is the principal benefit of using CMl/GC; however, architects and subcontractors are less enthusiastic than owners and general contractors. Data on two nearly identical projects indicated that the DBB project was less costly than the comparable CMlGC project and also incurred less cost growth; both projects were completed on time. To summarize, this research fails to find support for the current Oregon law that exempts certain projects from competitive bidding based on the presumption that CMl/GC will lead to substantial cost savings but does indicate that the CMl/GC projects may be better able to accommodate accelerated project schedules.

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AI, Hussein Zaid K. "Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Last Planner System (LPS) to Reduce Construction Process Delay." TopSCHOLAR®, 2016. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1746.

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The construction industry suffers from many practical problems and challenges; most being related to construction management. One of the most common recurring problems in construction projects is delay. Delay is a primary factor that can have an effect on project duration, scheduled delivery date, as well as the overhead cost of the project. This study investigated the problem of delays in construction projects. The research focused on the combination of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Last Planner System (LPS) together to measure the execution time of construction projects. The aim of this study was to determine whether using BIM and LPS together affect construction process delay differently than using BIM or LPS alone. The methodology of this study relied on data collection through administration of survey questionnaires to key players and participants at construction companies. Interviews were conducted with construction experts from four construction companies that used BIM and LPS individually in their system as case studies to verify and validate the findings. The outcomes of this survey will be helpful to construction practitioners to reduce delay in construction operations and to shorten projects duration.

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Snæbjörnsson, Jónas Thór. "Full- and Model Scale Study of Wind Effects on a medium-rise Building in a built up Area." Doctoral thesis, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Fakultet for ingeniørvitenskap og teknologi, 2002. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-173.

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The present study deals with full- and model scale study of wind effects on a medium-rise building in a built up area. Most low-rise building experiments have been based on an isolated building placed in a relatively uniform terrain. Similarly, the very tall buildings often extend out from their environment in a similar fashion. However, buildings are constructed in various shapes and placed in different types of terrain and topography. Therefore, despite a number of studies made in the past, there are still problems that remain unsolved. As the majority of office- and residential buildings in populated areas fall in the intermediate height category, it should be of interest to examine the wind effects acting upon such a building, as well as its dynamic response. For this purpose, an experimental program was initiated utilising a combination of full-scale measurements and wind tunnel studies, where the fluctuating wind actions are evaluated from recorded simultaneous point pressure fluctuations. Recent improvements in experimental techniques and data handling enable a more detailed information gathering that should eventually lead to an improved understanding of the pressure field around buildings. The investigation studies, experimentally, the wind induced dynamic loading and response of a multi-story building of intermediate height. The presented work evolves on one hand around experimental data acquisition in both full- and model scale, whereas on the other it evolves around basic data reduction, understanding and interpretation of the acquired data. The objective of the study is, in a way, to attempt to provide a sound wind loading chain a la Davenport [29], in the form of data that would facilitate the study of the links connecting the main parameters i.e. Wind – Load – Response. This entails the definition of the relevant wind parameters, the description of the aerodynamic loading process, such as the time-dependent variations of pressure fluctuations on the building surface, and an investigation of the wind induced response of a medium-rise building. Information on the study-building and the experimental setup and procedures is given, for both full-scale and model scale. The full-scale and model scale data are systematically compared through the evaluation of descriptive parameters of both wind turbulence and surface pressures. In general, the evaluated full-scale parameters are found to be in qualitatively good agreement with the model scale parameters. However, the investigation revealed some characteristic differences between full-scale and model scale behaviour. These differences are largely related to the fact that significant variability is found to be inherent in the fullscale data, whereas considerably less variability seems to be associated with the wind tunnel data.

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Holmgren, Anna. "Brandskydd av stålprofiler." Thesis, Linköping University, Department of Science and Technology, 2002. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-1260.

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Denna rapport är resultatet av en studie kring kostnader för brandskydd av stålprofiler.

Rapporten inleds med en beskrivning av problemet att hitta den ekonomiskt bästa lösningen för brandskydd av stålpelare i en konstruktion med specificerad brandklass. Därefter följer en allmän del om brandskydd och en övergripande redogörelse för gällande lagar och föreskrifter som har betydelse för brandskyddsdimensioneringen. De laster och förutsättningar som ligger till grund för valet av pelardimensioner beskrivs och valda dimensioner redovisas i tabell. Därefter följer en beskrivning av de brandskyddsmaterial som studerats: inklädnad med gips-, fibersilikat-, och stenullsskivor samt brandskyddsmålning. I resultatet ingår en sammanställning i tabellform. Till rapporten hör ett antal bilagor med materialspecifika tabeller samt resultat från gjorda datorberäkningar.

This report is the result of a study on costs for fire protection of steel sections.

The report starts with a description of the problem to find the most economic way to protect a steel column in a construktion with a specified fire classification. After this follows a general part about fire protection and then a comprehensive account of valid laws and regulations of importence for the dimensioning of the fire protect. Loads and other conditions that underlies the choice of column dimensions is described and chosen dimensions are shown in a table. Then follows a description of the materials for fire protection which is concidered: cladding with plaster-, fibre silicate-, and stone wool XXX and XXXpaint. The result includes a compilation table. To the report comes a number of appendix with specific material tables and results from the computer calculations.

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Gustafsson, Lena. "Rostskyddssystem för stålprofiler : Tekniska egenskaper, ekonomi och miljöfrågor." Thesis, Linköping University, Department of Science and Technology, 2004. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-2601.

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Nästan alla stålkonstruktioner måste rostskyddas. Undantaget är de som står inomhus i torr luft. Ett rostskydd kan utföras på flera olika sätt, men de vanligaste är att stålet målas med rostskyddsfärg eller att det varmförzinkas. Innan detta kan utföras måste stålet förbehandlas. Det är viktigt att den utförs noggrant för annars kan kvarvarande föroreningar börja rosta under färg- eller zinkskiktet. Rapporten behandlar de ovan nämnda metoderna, dess egenskaper och miljöpåverkan samt kostnader för systemen.

De rostskyddsmetoder som används har alla en negativ påverkan på naturen och hälsan. Hur stor den är beror på vilken sorts beläggning som används. Men man måste också tänka på att de faktiskt skyddar stålet och ökar livslängden och därigenom ger ett bättre resursutnyttjande.

Att säga hur mycket ett system kostar är inte helt lätt. Dessa kostnader beror på flera saker. Den största skillnaden gör mängden stål, men det beror även på till exempel tjocklek och typ av skikt.

Resultatet av studien är ett antal tabeller där konstruktörerna själva kan gå in och välja det system som, med tanke på ekonomi och miljöfrågor samt skiktets egenskaper, passar bäst till konstruktionen. Även ett snabbvalssystem har utvecklats där man väljer enbart efter en kategori, till exempel den billigaste eller den starkaste.

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Atrushi, Dawood Soliman. "Tensile and Compressive Creep of Young Concrete : Testing and Modelling." Doctoral thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology, 2003. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-18.

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The thesis deals with experimental and numerical modelling to characterize early age tensile and compressive creep and its associated stress relaxation - which are very important properties in stress simulation of early age concrete. For this purpose a comprehensive work was carried out involving construction of a new tensile creep test equipment and development of test procedures to generate basic experimental data.

The experimental program is subdivided into four series. Each of the series involves one varying parameter, which is relevant to the time-dependent behaviour of early age HPC. Most of the tests are repeated to check the reproducibility of the test results. The reproducibility of the test results for the BASE concretes confirmed that the experimental setup is reliable, and that it can be used to determine tensile creep of concrete at early ages.

An extensive test program has been performed on HPC, with w/b = 0.40. The primary parameters studied were concrete ages at loading (1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 days), stress/strength levels (20-80%), and temperature levels (20, 34, 40, 57 and 60 oC) in addition to the effect of silica fume (0-15%) on tensile creep. The testing apparatus was new and significant efforts were devoted to develop reliable procedures in terms of accuracy and reproducibility. In parallel, compressive creep tests were conducted on a separate testing apparatus, and the results are compared to tensile creep behaviour.

It was found that the instantaneous deformation under tension is smaller than under compression, and that the corresponding creep curves also are different. Creep in tension is found to be lower initially, but an almost linear rate is soon established which is much higher than in compression. The consequence is greater creep magnitude and thus greater creep coefficient in tension than in compression. The tests on non-linearity showed that the proportionality limit between stress and sealed tensile creep strain is about 60% of the strength. Creep tests under isothermal temperatures showed that, as for compressive creep, the sealed tensile creep accelerates for temperatures higher than 20 oC. In addition, the maturity principle describes this effect reasonably well, for the tested loading ages of about 3 days.

The relatively large amount of experimental data, available in this study, has been used to investigate mathematical models. Comprehensive test results from the TSTM apparatus are analyzed with respect to creep and relaxation, where the effect of temperature on creep and relaxation is emphasized. Simulations of self-induced stresses are performed using the creep model denoted the Double Power Law (DPL). As solution method, the theory of linear viscoelasticity with aging is used. The model (M-DPL) is modified to take into account the effect of irrecoverable creep.

For increasing temperatures during the hardening phase, the transient creep, which takes place during heating is taken into account by an additional creep term. Its contribution to stress relaxation was found to be up to 10%. This transient creep term is considered to be irrecoverable during the subsequent temperature decrease. The modified model captures the various characteristics of sealed creep and describes the tensile behaviour at early ages more accurately than the original Double Power Law.

The effect of relaxation is found to be relatively large and significant in development of selfinduced stresses. Under isothermal temperature of 20 oC, the relaxation increases to about 40% of the fictive elastic stresses after 3 days and remains about constant after that. On the other hand, presentation of relaxation under realistic temperature histories is much more complicated, because the stresses change from compression to tension. This might also lead to increased tensile stresses because compressive creep reduces compressive stresses, but increases the subsequent tensile stresses. Underestimation of creep in this early period will lead to underestimation of the cracking risk.

Creep development at very early ages has an important effect in determination of the creep model parameters. After an evaluation of the test results using six loading ages (1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 days) it was concluded that an optimal test program should include at least 3 loading ages, in which the loading ages 1 and 2 must be included.

Furthermore, the test results indicate that partial replacement of cement with silica fume (5-15%) increases the sealed tensile creep. However, the reference concrete without silica fume dose not fit to this systematic pattern.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Building construction engineering'

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