bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND ERECTION SOLUTION FOR PORTAL FRAME INDUSTRIAL STEEL BUILDING ROOFS
Authors: Mahzari Maz , Panvelkar Mandar N.
Published: March 2020

Traditional design and erection of long span steel portal frames for industrial buildings consists of individual column and rafter assemblies, with bolted connections at knee (Column-Beam) and apex joints (ridge). This method ensures expediency for an offsite member fabrication and application of the galvanized coating to individual members, before transportation to the work site followed by assembling and erection at the site. This traditional approach however also inherits safety risks associated with working at heights during member erection, alignment and jointing of individual member connections and during placement and fixing of cladding elements. In view of expediting the onsite construction and to mitigate the risk of working at height during erection, designers worked in tandem with contractors and fabricators to rearrange roof elements so as to allow the whole roof to be pre-fabricated on the ground and be lifted for installation matching with the column alignment. In particular, the portal connection at the column-beam knee joint was relocated and redesigned to suit installation ease. The impact of the proposed solution to the design is investigated herein. A rigorous risk analysis was employed to better understand the modes of failure and frame behavior, which in turn assisted in better identifying the design risks. Furthermore, the benefits achieved in the erection process through increased safety and efficiency are also highlighted.
A COLUMN SYSTEM WITH ARTICULATED JOINTS AND ELASTICALLY EMBEDDED DIAPHRAGMS
Authors: Witzany Jiri , Makovicka Daniel , Zigler Radek , Cejka Tomas , Pospisil Stanislav , Polak Ales
Published: March 2020

The spatial stability and controlled dynamic characteristics of an articulated precast column system are secured by thin-walled reinforced concrete diaphragms elastically embedded in some bays by means of special damping bearings. The intensity and the range of the load-bearing system’s response to dynamic (e.g. seismic) effects and vibrations are achieved by the stiffness adjustment of damping bearings. The stiffness of damping bearings may also be adjusted during exploitation. The designed structure with an elastically embedded diaphragm has been exposed to dynamic testing whose results are presented in the article. Another significant characteristic of the precast structure is its dry assembly and potential disassembly and relocation to another site. The experimental and theoretic analyses performed have confirmed the assumptions for the system’s application in areas with the occurrence of natural seismicity.
EXPERIMENT ON SHEAR OF POST-TENSIONED CONNECTION BETWEEN CONCRETE AND CAST IRON PLATE HAVING SHEAR-KEY
Authors: Kinoshita Kiyoka , Maida Yusuke , Sakata Hiroyasu , Shimazaki Kazushi , Saeki Eiichiro , Kitada Yukio , Shibuta Keiichiro
Published: March 2020

In this paper, post-tensioned connection between concrete and cast iron plate having shear-key was adopted. Frictional resistance acts when there is no displacement between concrete and cast iron plate, shear-key also act to transmit stress to RC beam at the same time as the frictional resistance when the displacement occurs. Each specimen consists of RC beam and plate simulating post-tensioned connection. Ten specimens were tested. The parameter are type of plate, with or without the shear-key, the height of the shear-key, amount of the shear-key, difference between the post-tensioned force and whether or not applying vertical tensile force. In conclusion, it was needless to think their displacement by post-tensioned connection. And the strength of specimens with shear-key is presented by the sum of friction resistance and bearing resistance by using anamnestic formula.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON SHEAR RESISTANCE OF CONCRETE ENCASED STEEL COLUMN USED WELDING WIRE MESH
Authors: Kitano Atsunori
Published: March 2020

Experimental studies were carried out in order to develop the new structure system using steel and concrete with execution method that is easier than the steel and reinforced concrete (SRC) structures and with earthquake resistant performance that is equivalent to the SRC structures. The new structure was concrete encased steel (SC) structure that it removed the reinforcing bar from the SRC structure and used the welding wire mesh. Following considerations were obtained from the experimental results. Execution method using the wire mesh for the column was easier than that of conventional SRC structure. The equivalent shear strength can expect proposing SC structure using steel cross section equal to SRC structure. Steel cross section of proposing SC structures should be fundamentally enlarged in comparison with the SRC structures, and the steel would bear the flexural capacity. The shear strength of the column in the column-beam frame specimen was dependent on the degree of destruction of the bam-column joint.
ENERGY DISSIPATION IN POST-TENSIONED SELF-CENTERING PRECAST CONCRETE CONNECTIONS WITH A FRICTION DEVICE
Authors: Koshikawa Takeaki
Published: March 2020

This paper presents an analytical study on the energy dissipation capacity of unbonded post-tensioned self-centering precast concrete beam-column connections that have a friction device only below the beam or on the web. The energy dissipation capacity is quantified using an effective energy dissipation ratio. To quantitatively evaluate the influence of three design parameters on the energy dissipation capacity, nonlinear analyses were carried out using a section-analysis method to predict the relationship between the moment and the relative rotation at the beam-column interface under cyclic loading. The design parameters were the initial post-tensioning force in the unbonded post-tensioning tendon, the friction force, and the location of the friction device. The analysis results show that the effective energy dissipation ratios for connections whose friction devices are in the same location can be related to the ratio of the friction force to the initial post-tensioning force.
EFFECT OF DESIGN MANAGEMENT ON COST PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Authors: Anita  , Doloi Hemanta
Published: March 2020

Design management is one of the key processes of any construction project, and its effects across other construction processes are quite pivotal. Irrespective of the particular project delivery system, design management plays a significant role in overall cost outcomes in a project. Design management requires a careful investigation in relation to its potential influence on downstream cost over-run issues in most construction projects. In this research, a selected set of 25 attributes associated with design management have been analyzed from the perspective of three key stakeholders: designers, clients and contractors. Based on Factor Analysis, pre-design consideration is found to have significant effects on managing cost performance in project. Regression analysis reveals that the initial follow-up of design with respective parties potentially contributes in cost savings at the latter phase of project. The finding is expected to lead towards improvement of Design Management practices, and meeting the project objectives through better quality, improved constructability, and, eventually, providing value for money to both investors and owners in the project.
TIME REDUCTION DURING RESTORATION OF THE EXTERIOR OF A HISTORICAL BUILDING
Authors: Lagana Renato
Published: March 2020

Emergency management due to partial collapse of facade elements is a great interest topic. The collapse often occurs in unexpected damage to building structures of architectural value within the historic urban centers. The actions often require a long time to implement. After an initial delimitation and isolation of the damaged surfaces are initiated, discovery and design of the restoration are started. The economic coverage, no less important, is often done over the years. We undertake a case study, developed in the intervention performed in front of the Cathedral of Reggio Calabria. The study covered aspects related to the organization of the first measures after the collapse of some decorative elements and the subsequent development of the site. The first phase involved the organization and implementation of protection measures to achieve tight deadlines to allow the use of space for an important and non-deferrable event. Authorization procedures for this first phase were expedited and operating procedure for the management of safety for temporary installations was established. The second phase, managed in a day, involved the intervention to ensure the practicability and ensure the safety of users. The preparation of the construction site optimized the execution time of the procedures. The design of the temporary works optimized the work of the teams involved in work sequencing, which resulted in reduced downtime and possible interference. The result of the design choices and operational programming optimized the execution time.
NEW ORGANIZATION FORMS TO IMPROVE THE WORKING LIFE OF CONSTRUCTION SITE MANAGERS
Authors: Schneller Martina
Published: March 2020

The project focuses on the employability of construction site managers since they belong to a much imperiled occupational group. Next to the impairment of health of the individual, the missing work time leads to a huge impact on the economy. Reducing the average missing work time about half a day would increase the annual production about 1.87 billion Euro. On this background the protection of employability and the avoidance of missing work time has to be the goal. The analysis of the current state was performed by different methods, i.e., online surveys, interviewing experts and recording processes on construction sites. The results of the analysis showed that construction managers are happy about their profession and that they like their job. But the results also showed that construction managers wish for a better balance between leisure and working time. A Construction Site Manager’s current working environment is molded by many challenges including: computerization, speedy development of new technology, acceleration, juridification and economization. Based on the survey the Pentagon of construction management was developed with the focus on improvement. Improvement can be in the form of practical aids, tools-such as the qualification matrix or the application for interface analysis and process optimization. Also a new concepts like the assistance of construction management. For which a modular qualification system was settled, which can be used for dual studies, as well as in a form of postgraduate education.
TOWARDS GREENING CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT TERTIARY EDUCATION
Authors: Emuze Fidelis , Smallwood John
Published: March 2020

This study advocates the integration of sustainability into undergraduate construction management programs in South Africa. Sustainability with the color ‘Green’ is presently reshaping the built environment and construction professionals are challenged to implement ‘Green Building’, ‘Green Construction’, and ‘Green Infrastructure’ within the context of a ‘Green Economy’. Likewise, academia is faced with the expected challenge of adding these trends and topics to existing curricula so as to produce graduates that will address these trends. A review of existing construction management programs in South Africa shows a major gap that must be closed in order to evolve a standardized ‘Green’ curriculum that will enable students to integrate knowledge gained into future jobs. To close the gaps, the current trend among schools affiliated with the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) has been used to recommend curriculum renewal that would provide the industry with benefits of sustainability in the built environment.
WIND PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION ON LOW-RISE BUILDINGS WITH CYLINDRICAL ROOFS
Authors: Verma Astha , Ahuja Ashok Kumar
Published: March 2020

Wind is one of the important loads to be considered while designing the roofs of low-rise buildings. The structural designers refer to relevant code of practices of various countries dealing with wind loads while designing building roofs. However, available information regarding wind pressure coefficients on cylindrical roofs is limited to single span only. Information about wind pressure coefficients on multi-span cylindrical roofs is not available in standards on wind loads. Present paper describes the details of the experimental study carried out on the models of low-rise buildings with multi-span cylindrical roofs in an open circuit boundary layer wind tunnel. Wind pressure values are measured at many pressure points made on roof surface of the rigid models under varying wind incidence angles. Two cases namely, single-span and two-span are considered. The experimental results are presented in the form of contours of mean wind pressure coefficients. Results presented in the paper are of great use for the structural designers while designing buildings with cylindrical roofs. These values can also be used by the experts responsible for revising wind loading codes from time to time.
EXCAVATION RISK IN SITES
Authors: Lagana Renato
Published: March 2020

For excavation in sites often many firms proceed without effective and preventive estimates. The frequent accidents that occur indicate that we have not yet reached, especially in many sites of private clients, to a careful programming that allows reaching acceptable levels of security. The indications arising from the results of the inspections at construction sites and the reports drawn up following incidents highlight how often the work began without having first considered the factors potentially dangerous not only for workers but also for goods. The execution of the excavation by mechanical means or by hand requires an estimate of risk assessment process that, in addition to the specific characteristics of the site area, must consider the interference occurring with the conditions of the site and the neighboring areas (roads, presence of buildings, etc.) and the knowledge related to more general environmental context. The operating procedure, which has been initiate ted through some research undertaken in recent years by the "Mediterranea" University of Reggio Calabria is based on the comparison of experience in construction of knowledge. Through preventive observation (geological analysis, observations on morphological characters of area), project procedures that are being tested in some yards directly involving businesses and workers involved in specific processes.
SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Authors: Nair Deepa G.
Published: March 2020

Affordable housing has become a dream to millions in the world today. Depletion of natural resources together with the increasing price of building materials has aggravated this issue. Sustainable construction is a technological practice that involves the effective utilization of local man power and locally available renewable resources in construction with the help of minimum infrastructure. Alternative technologies which eliminate or rather minimize the utilization energy intensive materials such as concrete, cement and steel form an identity of sustainable construction. Cost Effective and Environment Friendly (CEEF) technological options practicing in the state of Kerala, India is also considered as a sustainable construction practice focusing on affordable housing solutions in the State. This paper presents an overview of CEEF technologies and checks the sustainability of these technological options in the context of Kerala.
PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Aigbavboa Clinton , Thwala Wellington
Published: March 2020

The need to provide adequate, suitable, and equitable housing has remained an important priority of every successive Ghanaian government. Even though housing is a fundamental necessity of life, more than half of the Ghanaian population lives in inadequate houses. Hence, the objective of this paper is to discuss the fundamental philosophy underpinning adequate housing development vision in Ghana to provide a solution to the current housing problems faced by the low-income groups. The data used in this paper were derived from secondary sources only, through a detailed review of related literature on the subject to meet the research objectives. The study is an in-depth literature exploration on the fundamental philosophy underpinning housing development vision in Ghana. Unlike housing development in other African States which has its underpinning in its Constitution, the philosophical basis for housing development in Ghana is not completely supported in the Ghanaian constitution. The foundation is found in separate Ghana Development Plans as deemed necessary by the previous and even the current government as a follow-up to their manifesto before being elected into government. For instance, the present government involvement in housing provision is as a result of the manifesto’s declaration, which states that: every Ghanaian must have a home though not necessarily own a house, as a meaningful expression of the right to shelter.
CRAFT SKILLS ACQUISITION: CHALLENGES IN CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Awe Ezekiel M. , Stephenson Paul , Griffith Alan
Published: March 2020

The younger generation plays an important role in the economic activity and advancement of countries worldwide, and none more so than in the case of developing countries. However, in the current climate, and particularly in Nigeria, there is a great need to attract the youth population into the construction sector in order to promote and maintain appropriate levels of craft skills labor. The research investigates the possible challenges for construction-related skills acquisition in Nigeria, and particularly attention is paid to the apathy of the younger generation in entering the industry. Data collected from a survey of stakeholders established the main factors for the reluctance of youths entering into craft skills education and training. The data were further analyzed and compared with older respondents to establish differences between the groupings and identify areas that need to be addressed. Findings from the research also highlighted perceived barriers to entry, in addition to establishing recommendations and required actions.
EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF MISALIGNED TIE BAR EFFECTS ON PCC PAVEMENT LONGITUDINAL JOINTS
Authors: Wehbe Nadim , Olson Walker
Published: March 2020

Jointed Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements are widely used for roadways construction. Inspection of PCC pavements revealed that it is common for tie bars across pavement longitudinal joints to be misaligned. A misaligned tie bar could inhibit the tie bars ability to provide load transfer across the joint and to prevent excessive joint opening. An experimental research study was performed to determine the effect of misaligned tie bars on the performance of pavement longitudinal joints. The experimental program consisted of testing 35 slab specimens that represented pavement sections with one tie bar placed across a joint. The test matrix included aligned tie bar configuration and four different misalignment configurations. Specimens with aligned tie bar configuration served as control specimens. The misaligned tie bar cases were vertical translation, vertical skew, longitudinal translation, and horizontal translation. For each misalignment configuration, four different misalignment magnitudes were investigated. The experimental results showed that tie bars with vertical translation, vertical skew, and longitudinal translation had negligible effects on the performance of the longitudinal joint. However, tie bars with horizontal skew resulted in reduced joint performance when compared to the aligned tie bar case.
EFFECTS OF HIGHWAY GEOMETRIC ELEMENTS ON ACCIDENT MODELING
Authors: Chattaraj Ujjal , Garnaik Mohita Mohan
Published: March 2020

Road accident prediction plays an important role in accessing and improving the road safety. Fuzzy logic is one of the popular techniques in the broad field of artificial intelligence and ability to improve performance similar to human reasoning and describe complex systems in linguistic terms instead of numerical values. In this study, a system was established based on Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) in which output data such as traffic Accident Rate (AR) and input data such as various highway geometric parameters. The study was conducted on two road segment from plain and rolling terrain highway and two road segments from hilly and mountainous terrain highway within the rural area of the Indian Territory. Two Highway Accident Rate Prediction Models (HARPMPRT and HARPMHMT) were developed due to the complexity of geometric parameters of rural highway on different terrain conditions which takes horizontal radius, superelevation, K-value, vertical grade and visibility as input variables and Accident Rate (AR) as output variables. The findings show that the proposed model can be effectively applied as a useful Road Safety tool capable of identifying risk factors related to the characteristics of the road and great support to the decision making of incident management in Intelligent Transportation Systems.
AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF THE PRODUCTIVITY OF FORMWORK IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Mine Naoto , Wai Soon Han , Lim Ting Chuan
Published: March 2020

Formwork is one of the essential elements of construction work in traditional reinforced concrete building construction. In addition to being complicated work, formwork is labor intensive and requires numerous, highly-skilled formwork carpenters. Labor accounts to over 50% of the cost of formwork, a large percentage relative to other types of basic construction work. To increase formwork efficiency, it is necessary to improve work methods. While productivity of formwork has been the focus of previous studies, effective work data such as detailed work processes or man-hours were not sufficiently obtained. This paper reports on an observational study carried out on fifteen building construction projects using work-study techniques, specifically work processes, man-hours, and number of workers in each work process. It highlights the process analyses of a typical formwork construction project and discusses the results of a statistical analysis of labor productivity related to all construction projects.
BENEFITS OF BIM IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Authors: Vimonsatit Vanissorn , Foo Alex Chai Mui
Published: March 2020

This paper presents findings of an investigation into benefits of using Building Information Modelling (BIM) in construction projects. The research methodology includes a review of BIM development and achievement in construction industry, questionnaire survey, interview, and content analysis of secondary data. Data was collected and analyzed to identify the various benefits reflected from BIM implementation in addressing common problems experienced by the construction industry. The review and survey results indicate that a high frequency of occurrence of time and cost overruns occur in construction projects. Contributing factors were mainly rework, poor planning, documents delivery and approval, constructability issues, resources and weather condition. While some of the factors were unpreventable, BIM could be used as a tool to eliminate problems causing time and cost overruns. Various project benefits have been reflected through the content analysis of project case studies. It was found that time was the most positively influenced by the use of BIM followed by coordination, procurement, communication, cost and change of scope of the project, and lastly, risk.
PREFABRICATION AS A SUSTAINABLE MODEL IN RAIL CONSTRUCTION: A RESEARCH ENQUIRY
Authors: Ahmadi Arash , Georgy Maged , Khalfan Malik , Maqsood Tayyab
Published: March 2020

In many construction projects, prefabrication has proven to benefit sustainability. This innovative construction practice can virtually extend the life of assets while minimizing costs and time and enhancing quality and safety. In rail construction, prefabrication has long been utilized for certain elements of the rail assets but not all. The paper reports on the initiation of a research to investigate the contribution and potential of prefabrication to increasing sustainability and the whole lifecycle benefits in the rail construction industry in Australia. Paper embraces a broad definition of the term “sustainability” which includes energy and water efficiency, health and safety, durability and quality, pollution and waste reduction, overall cost and time efficiency, and sustainable society/community. The research adopts a qualitative case study approach that employs Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) for examining the research enquiry. A variety of stakeholders will be interviewed in each project case besides reviewing the archived content. Stakeholders including construction contractors, rail operators and maintainers, end-users, government bodies, and those involved with the project’s supply chain will benefit from having a more transparent and clear understanding of the effect of prefabrication on the sustainability of rail assets.
STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF R/C SHELL CONSIDERING THE POSITION OF EDGE BEAM
Authors: Hara Takashi
Published: March 2020

Reinforced Concrete (R/C) shell has been constructed to cover large public spaces and large industrial buildings. RC shell is originally a continuous structure and shows the large load bearing capacity. To apply these structures to such purpose, the structure is cut at any particular portion and loses their continuum properties. Therefore, edge beams must be placed to avoid the stress concentration and a local failure. In this paper, R/C cylindrical shell with edge beam on meridional free edges was analyzed by use of FEM. RC shell had 960 x 960 mm plan and the thickness was 10 mm. The radius and the depth of the shell were 688 mm and 190 mm, respectively. As the edge beam, three kinds of rectangular beams, which had 2 cm width and 4 cm depth, were arranged. One was connected to the shell at the gravity center of the beam and the others were connected at the bottom or the top of the beam. From the numerical analyses, the deformation and the stress distribution of the shell mentioned above were analyzed precisely. The shell connected with the gravity center of the beam showed the smooth deformation and the stress distributions.
PROPOSED COOLING WALL SYSTEM: A LESSON FROM NATURE
Authors: Ferwati M. Salim , Ghani Saud
Published: March 2020

The study commences with a comparative analysis between desert adapted cactus plants and traditional mud houses. Primary comparative results yielded three main similarities: 1) Effective utilization of self-shading surfaces; 2) Plant spikes that resemble the wooden poles projected around wind towers and building openings in mud structures; 3) Implementation of thick walls/plant body forms with high R-values. The ribbed facade and wooden poles will go through aerodynamic experiments to illustrate their roles as essential passive energy elements in traditional houses. Experiments on traditional mud houses has been previously carried out by many researchers while assuming the wind is facing the buildings; what is significant about this proposal is that wind directions will be tested with different angles (0 to 90 degrees) to find appropriate situations where wind generates enough turbulence that help directing the wind inside the building openings. The study requires two models for experimentation, one model related to the wooden pole, and the other focused on the ribbed elevation. Tests will then be carried out using wind tunnel equipment. The QU Aspire wind tunnel has a working section of 2.5 X 2.5 X 2.5 m and can simulate wind of up to 25 m/sec at the working section. Moreover, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software will be used to minimize the wind tunnel utilization time.
REDUCING ERRORS IN THE PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
Authors: Brown Stephen H. , Ahmed Syed M. , Briggs Katelyn C.
Published: March 2020

In underground construction, such as pipeline work, avoidable mistakes in the field can negatively affect the success of a project. Typical errors include installing the pipe incorrectly – the wrong grade, wrong elevation, wrong locations, etc. The only way to correct these mistakes is to excavate and remove the work and re-do it. This process usually eliminates any profit on the project or causes the project to result in a loss. The study identifies measures that contractors employ to bring awareness to human errors and mistakes before they happen and to help eliminate or reduce costly do-overs. The research reviews human behavior in the workplace, work teams, and workplace errors and mistakes in other industries such as healthcare, aviation, and manufacturing. The study methodology employed an online survey of North Carolina contractors used to measure the frequency and impact of workplace errors in the industry. The data identified led to a publish set of procedures or process changes that can potentially result in a reduction in workplace errors in pipeline construction. The study produces a better understanding of human factors in the workplace that result in errors and mistakes.
EFFECT OF SOIL CORROSION IN FAILURES OF BURIED PIPELINES
Authors: Rajeev Pathmanathan , Imteaz Monzur , Gad Emad
Published: March 2020

Over the last few years, several failures in transmission and distribution water/gas pipelines have been reported around the world. The failure of buried pipeline is controlled by several factors, such as pipe material, soil corrosion, internal and external loading, etc. Among these, soil corrosion makes a significant contribution towards failure mode and mechanisms in buried pipes, yet few studies have been done. Although a number of corrosion models have been developed over the years, the applicability of the model predominantly depends on the type of soil and its moisture change over time at the pipe depth. By incorporating a corrosion model, the remaining life of the pipe can be estimated on the basis of applied traffic and pressure loads, which determine the stresses in the pipe segment. Depending on the model, the estimation can show significant variability, and consequently affect the pipe renewal and rehabilitation plans that ultimately have economic impacts. Therefore, it is important for the pipeline asset owners to understand the effect of corrosion models in the remaining life calculation. This paper reviews briefly the available corrosion models and the sensitivity of each parameter in pipe corrosion pit properties and in the remaining life estimation. Finally, a comparison among the corrosion models on the basis of the remaining life estimation is provided to improve the renewal plan.
STRUCTURAL RESPONSE DUE TO WAVE IMPACTS ON A COASTAL PROTECTION
Authors: De Backer Hans , Outtier Amelie , Schotte Ken
Published: March 2020

Because of a new Master Plan for Coastal Protection, most Belgian coastal cities are planning new protective measures for their beaches and coastal promenades. One of the first locations for these new measures is the coastal town of Wenduine. Three separate new constructions will be designed to protect the town as well as the coastal region for the following 50 years. As opposed to purely vertical or horizontal surface structures, structures consisting of both vertical parapets and horizontal slabs have rarely been considered. The behavior of these structures is more similar to bridge conduct, since the incident loads vary with time and space, than to classic coastal structures. The effect of wave impact on these structures results in local patch loading on a swaying system, introducing local deformations, stresses, and accelerations. This patch loading may cause local deformations, but does not necessarily cause collapse or endanger neither structural equilibrium nor stability. This article studies the structural response of monolithic concrete coastal protection structures. The focus is on the structural response of the structure, comfort conditions for use, and structural safety. This is analyzed by numerical modeling of the structural response based on recently proposed design values for such wave loading. These models include the actual structure as well as the influence of foundations and ground layers.
INTEGRATING SPECIAL TOPICS TO A PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSE IN INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Gunhan Suat
Published: March 2020

Due to credit-hour limitations, it is not always possible to create specialty courses on topics such as leadership, business development, and international construction. This paper covers the integration of international construction topics into a project management course. Each semester a considerable number of students mention they may consider working in international construction projects – indicating some awareness of the opportunities and advantages of having international work experience. A lecture given by the author included the definition, history, and reasons for international construction. It highlighted the global construction markets and their relationship with local construction industries, presenting trends affecting international construction are presented, and analyzing the characteristics of regions (types of projects, leading contractors, etc.). The students’ perceptions were surveyed at the beginning and end of the course, with results indicating that students developed a clearer understanding of international construction topics.
SINGLE CAPSTONE OR MULTIPLE CORNERSTONES? DISTRIBUTED MODEL OF CAPSTONE SUBJECTS IN CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION
Authors: Arashpour Mehrdad , Sagoo Amrit , Wingrove Dallas , Maqsood Tayyab , Wakefield Ron
Published: March 2020

Capstone experiences provide critical opportunities for undergraduate students to integrate and apply the skills and knowledge they have previously developed in their degree or program. Commonly, this involves students engaging in learning experiences that involve real-world issues and which in turn enhance the student experience and employability skills. The research on capstone experiences in the construction management education literature indicates a need to develop customized delivery models that addresses the specific requirements of construction industry and education providers. This paper aims to showcase an innovative model of distributed delivery for multiple capstones (cornerstones) in a construction management program. The case study described in this paper realized an improvement in capstone design and practice-based learning by incrementally enhancing a student’s knowledge of construction project management skills. The model of multiple capstones discussed here is applicable to diverse disciplines, including construction engineering and management programs.
INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN MASONRY WORKS
Authors: Hofstadler Christian
Published: March 2020

In construction, total labor productivity is determined by the quality of effectively combining elementary production factors. For labor-intensive activities, one of the most important elementary factors is the people that the achievable labor productivity depends on. In respect of the circumstances under which they perform work, there are optimal weather conditions that meet the requirements for being capable of achieving normal output. To record the influence of temperature on labor consumption rates and labor productivity in masonry works, an expert survey was conducted in Austria and Germany, which included a total of 35 respondents from construction contractors (from both construction trades and industry; survey period: August 2012 to April 2013). The average professional experience of respondents equaled 17 years (minimum experience: five years; maximum experience: 43 years). Filled-in questionnaires were analyzed using an exploratory data analysis. This paper outlines the statistical bases for Huber’s M-estimator method, which was successfully applied in this analysis. Box plots of the variables were used to graphically represent distributions. A box plot describes the position and spread of a distribution and provides information with respect to any outliers or extremes. Initially, the optimal daily temperature for achieving the highest possible labor productivity was determined. Subsequent work steps involved the documentation of changes in labor productivity that occurs if temperatures deviate from their optimal range.
DIRECT METHOD TO MODEL SEEPAGE FOR AN EMBANKMENT WITH A DRAIN
Authors: Al-Khafaji Amir W. , Maillacheruvu Krishnanand Y. , Sainz Matthew , Neuman Rebecca
Published: March 2020

Earth dams and embankments are used around the world to protect structures and facilities in low-elevation areas. If the phreatic surface intersects the downstream slope, the embankment is likely to fail, potentially resulting in enormous losses to life, infrastructure, and the environment. Drainage blankets are typically placed downstream to prevent the phreatic surface from intercepting the downstream slope. In the United States, the US Department of Interior requires a minimum of 10 feet clearance between the phreatic surface and embankment’s downstream slope. The length of the drainage blanket to ensure this condition is typically estimated using a cumbersome and inefficient trial-and-error approach, assuming various blanket lengths until a satisfactory clearance is achieved. This paper presents a closed-form solution to the problem using a newly-developed formula to determine the blanket length for any specified clearance, which represents a significant advancement over the conventional trial-and-error graphical approach. Using the model presented in this paper, the quantity of seepage can also be estimated without the need to develop a flow net.
INFLUENCE OF MEAN DAILY TEMPERATURE ON THE SELECTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION START DATE
Authors: Kummer Markus , Hofstadler Christian
Published: March 2020

Internal and external influences determine the work output that can be achieved on any given day. One factor is external temperature, with a significant effect on the ability of workers to work outdoors. If temperatures are too hot or cold, losses of productivity occur and the labor consumption rate increases. This paper presents a survey indicating the percentage labor consumption rate increase to be factored in as a result of suboptimal external temperatures during reinforced concrete works. An example demonstrates how much the selection of the construction start date influences construction costs if the survey findings are taken into account. Both deterministic and probabilistic calculations were performed to address the uncertainties included in the equations and to illustrate the results in histograms and curves. For this purpose, Monte-Carlo simulations made it possible to assign distribution functions to individual input parameters to carry out the calculations. Potential savings were identified that result from choosing a favorable construction start date. In the event of any disruptions or delays, the potential effects on the labor consumption rate can be assessed systematically with respect to chances and risks.
AN APPROACH FOR SAFETY COST ESTIMATION OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Bilir Senem , Gurcanli G. Emre
Published: March 2020

Small or middle scaled residential projects have a big share in the industry and majority of the fatal accidents usually occur on such work sites. In this study, drawings, technical specifications, bill of quantities of 25 small or middle scaled concrete residential buildings with total areas that vary between 252 and 221.979 m2 in Istanbul were examined. The study aims to give an approach for safety cost estimation for the early stages of construction bidding phase using risk assessment activities and construction project scheduling by focusing on construction activities. Additionally, a cost analysis was performed and the results were compared and Primavera P6 was utilized for scheduling, and risk assessment was conducted using the techniques applicable for construction projects (i.e., L matrix and Fine-Kinney). Finally, activity-based techniques were used for cost estimation. The results of this study reveal that the percentage of occupational health and safety (OHS) cost to the total construction cost is 2.6%. Also, to comply with the current legislation and minimize risks; 0.95 USD per man-hour should be spent according to 2013 rates and OHS cost per unit area was found as approximately 9.37 USD.
EXPERIMENTAL TESTS ON LOCAL DAMAGE DETECTION USING OPTICAL FBG SENSORS
Authors: Yi Jin-Hak
Published: March 2020

In this study, the fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-sensor based local damage detection method is proposed under circumstances with temperature and external loading variations. To compensate the environmental effects, principal component analysis (PCA) is utilized and also the performance of PCA is compared with that of the conventional linear adaptive filter (LF) model. Laboratory tests with a 1/20 scale model of a jacket-type offshore structure with six jacket-legs and a heavy super structure have been carried out for investigating the performance of the proposed damage detection method. From the experimental tests, it is observed that the local damage feature is mostly hidden and difficult to identify due to the environmental effects. By utilizing the conventional LF and PCA models, the effects of the undesirable environmental effects can be efficiently eliminated, and it is also found that the performances of the LF and PCA models are very similar and competitive to each other. However PCA model does not require the information on the temperature and external load variations, hence it can be concluded that the PCA-based local damage detection can be more efficiently applied for FBG-based local damage detection under temperature and external loading variations.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF CONTROLLED LOW STRENGTH MATERIAL BRIDGE ABUTMENTS: STATIC ANALYSIS
Authors: Huang Li-Jeng , Sheen Yeong-Nain , Le Duc-Hien
Published: March 2020

This paper presents static analysis of bridge abutment constructed using sustainable material, a controlled low-strength material (CLSM), using boundary element (BE) method. The structure is constructed using full-height precast concrete panels that are attached to a CLSM backfill via steel anchors and can be employed as a replacement of traditional piling support systems. The Young’s moduli of CLSM are obtained from laboratory tests for two different binder mixtures. Two-dimensional planar strain is employed in the BE formulation of static analysis and comparison study of load-bearing systems using CLSM abutment and conventional piling support system with compacted soil. Emphasis is put on the settlement at the upper road base as well as the lateral pressures on the side wall induced by three wheel surcharges: concentrated, strip and uniform lane loads on the CLSM abutments with different binder mixtures. Convergence studies obtained from programs coded in MATLAB were first assured. Numerical results show that the settlement and lateral pressure of CLSM abutments are acceptable to assure the applicability of CLSM as a suitable sustainable material employed for bridge abutment design and construction.
PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE MADE WITH RECYCLED COARSE AGGREGATES FROM OLD CONCRETE CUBES
Authors: Adebakin I. H. , Adu J. T. , Ofuyatan O. M.
Published: March 2020

Sustainability in the construction industry is a global concern, and one way of handling this is the idea of recycling old concrete rubbles in the production of fresh concrete. Recycled aggregate concrete is normally classified as light weight concrete and recommended for use in production of low-grade non-structural elements. This study examined the properties of crushed old concrete cubes as replacement for natural aggregate. Five specimens 150x150mm concrete cubes with varying percentages of coarse recycled aggregate of 0 %( control), 25, 50, 75 and 100% were prepared. All the mixes were proportioned using the absolute volume method with a targeted compressive strength of 30N/mm2 and varying w/c ratio. The result shows that with up to 75% replacement of natural aggregate with recycled aggregate, the 28 days compressive strength of concrete is in close proximity with that of normal concrete. While the strength of exclusive recycled aggregate concrete is about 15% lesser than that of exclusive natural aggregate. The result of this research confirms that crushed old concrete cubes can be safely used in the production of high grade concrete.
CONSTRUCTION POTENTIAL OF RECYCLED MASONRY FOR LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE
Authors: Ionescu Daniela , Mainali Bandita , Petrolito Joe , Al Abadi Haider , Davies Simon , Dickens Braidy
Published: March 2020

A sustainable and developing building industry requires large quantities of raw materials such as aggregates and crushed rocks. However, sourcing natural aggregates is becoming more problematic due to environmental impacts. Hence, the use of secondary materials, such as recycled aggregate can reduce the amount of natural aggregates required. Lightweight concrete is frequently used by the building industry, and it is commonly produced with natural lightweight aggregates such as scoria, which results in high production costs. Preliminary tests on recycled aggregates showed that recycled masonry has a similar specific gravity as scoria and relatively good strength. Hence, crushed masonry can be used to replace natural lightweight aggregates. This paper discusses the use of partial or total replacement of normal-weight aggregates with recycled lightweight aggregates, and its effects on the strength and elastic properties of concrete. It is shown that concrete mixes with recycled aggregates generate comparable results to mixes with scoria, but at lower production costs.
ANALYSIS OF DETERIORATION IN REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE GIRDERS DAMAGED BY CHLORIDE DETERIORATION AND FATIGUE
Authors: Honda H. , Shimozato T. , Arizumi Y.
Published: March 2020

The subject of this research was a concrete T-girder bridge which had been exposed for 40 years to the sub-tropical archipelago environment off the east coast of Okinawa, with large amounts of windblown salt, high temperatures and high humidity, a harsh environment for salt damage and steel corrosion. It had suffered damage in the forms of 1) concrete spalling due to reinforcing bar corrosion, 2) internal loss of cross section and severance in internal reinforcing bars, and was therefore removed. Various tests and inspections were applied to analyze the state of deterioration of a real salt-damaged bridge, with the aim of providing technical reference material of use in formulating appropriate maintenance management methods. Distant visual inspection was performed prior to removal of the girder. After the removal, close visual inspection and non-distractive inspections were performed. Compressive strength, elastic modulus and chloride ion content of the concrete were measured. Corrosion of reinforcing bar was observed after chipping the concrete. Chloride-induced deterioration inside the concrete and competence of non-destructive inspection for the deterioration were studied. Static loading test and fatigue-test were performed.