cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.8
title: ROBUST IFC FILES TO IMPROVE INFORMATION EXCHANGE: AN APPLICATION FOR THERMAL ENERGY SIMULATION

description: Despite many efforts from software vendors, AEC community and researchers, interoperability is still one of the main issues regarding reliable and robust transfer of information among different applications. In most cases IFC files fail to provide proper interoperability between geometric building models (architects) and thermal simulation software (engineers). This causes time consuming interactions and manual corrections prompt to errors. This paper evaluated two approaches for an efficient and robust transfer of IFC models considering space boundary characteristics to conduct thermal energy simulation (TES). The first approach was a multi-platform process in which IFC files could be used by different TES tools. The second consisted of a single-platform process in which a single CAD software with built-in energy simulation capabilities was used. The two processes were tested with a simple residential building. Results indicated that the first process still required manual corrections and its performance was influenced by the TES tool used. The second approach addressed the interoperability problems, but caused
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.9
title: The effect of earthquake acceleration records and their equivalent harmonic loads on earth-dam response

description: In this paper, the dynamic behavior of a typical earth-dam using non-linear dynamic analysis under different earthquake records is studied. One of the most important components in non-linear dynamic analysis of earth-dams is the evaluation of their stability considering the permanent displacement as a performance indicator. Varieties in acceleration time histories coupled with various geometry and heterogeneous material properties of the earth structures lead to diversity in non-linear responses under different real accelerograms. In this study, an equivalent harmonic load related to earthquake records with specific magnitude and frequency is defined and is applied to a 70m tall earth-dam during four real acceleration time histories. The induced-displacements were then measured under each real time record along with their defined harmonic loads at the dam crest. The resulting displacements and their harmonic equivalent loads are compared showing a good agreement in their deformations at the crest. Appropriate parameters including equivalent number of cycles and peak ground acceleration (PGA) for unique equivalent harmonic load were obtained based on the response analyses.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.10
title: Behaviors of slip-critical bolts in combination with fillet welds

description: According to the Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (AISC 2010), slip-critical bolts can only share load with longitudinal welds in a joint. Moreover, the bolt available strength shall not be taken greater than 50% of the bearing-type. This paper presents the result of a series of joint tests verifying the specification. The joints were tested in a manner similar to previous work (e.g. Manuel and Kulak 2000). The slip strength values of JIS F10T and F14T bolts were tested and compared. Transverse and longitudinal fillet welds with a leg size of 12 mm and the same amount of weld material were adopted and tested respectively. The strength ratio between bolts and welds changes from 5/8 to 6/9 in the combination joints. The result shows that in the combination with longitudinal welds, the bolts tend to slip and contact the plates, developing greater bearing strength. In the combination with transverse welds, the bolts slip and the pretension decreases greatly. But the combination also causes the fracture surfaces of transverse welds to change, providing additional strength to compensate the decrease in bolt slip strength. The combination joints therefore can develop strength greater than the sum of slip strength and fracture strength.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.11
title: Sustainable nitrogen removal using appropriate technologies

description: Nitrogen and phosphorus are two major pollutants that lead to eutrophication, adversely impact ecosystems, and lead to degradation of water quality, which impacts human health and sustainability. Pollution from point sources like wastewater and industry discharge is easier to control than non-point source pollution due to agricultural runoff and related activities. The USEPA is considering more strict standards for nitrogen and phosphorus discharge from point sources. The objective of this study was to use an appropriate low-cost wastewater technology to demonstrate removal of nitrogen from wastewater discharge using rotating biological contactors (RBCs) using different carbon:nitrogen ratios. The first-order nitrogen removal rate constant was found to be about 3.88 day-1 in experimental reactor systems, using RBC media from a local wastewater treatment plant (Greater Peoria Sanitary District). Phase I experiments, at C:N ratio of 2:1, with nitrogen removal rates of 60% in a single flow-through system. Phase II experiments for the limited carbon availability condition showed that the removal rate constant reduced by 30% and N-removal efficiency dropped to around 48%. Modeling showed that even under these conditions, multiple bioreactors operated in series can help achieve design treatment goals. The system achieved stability within a week of operation. Economics and sustainability issues are analyzed to determine if the process developed in this research is scalable to pilot- and full-scale conditions.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.12
title: SIMILARITY ASSESSMENT OF COUNTRIES TO FACILITATE LEARNING FROM INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

description: Companies
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.13
title: KNOWLEDGE-BASED PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: A TAXONOMY FOR LESSONS LEARNED

description: Portfolio management comprises of identifying, prioritizing, authorizing, managing, and controlling projects, programs, and other related work to achieve specific strategic business objectives. Utilizing a knowledge-based portfolio management approach can be a critical success factor for construction companies. This research aims to present a taxonomy to facilitate the learning process within a knowledge-based project portfolio management system. The taxonomy is capable of codification and classification of lessons revealed during life cycle of projects to enhance their retrieval. Within this context, following a detailed literature review process, the taxonomy is structured under four main categories as
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.14
title: A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNICAL CONCEPTS IN HIGHWAY PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS IN THE US

description: Department of Transportation (DOT) budgets are being stretched to the limits, while the infrastructure needs of the nation continue to grow. To address this issue, a few DOTs have adopted strategies that promote innovation and motivate industry to propose cost or time saving ideas. The advent of the Design Build (D-B) and General-Contractor-as-Construction-Manager (CM/GC) project delivery methods in highway and bridge construction has established the early involvement of the contractor in the design phase of a project. The next step on this evolution may be Alternative Technical Concepts (ATCs). The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has defined an ATC as
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.15
title: Optimizing Multi-Wall Panel Configuration for Panelized Construction using BIM

description: With the rise of Building Information Modeling (BIM), off-site construction is gaining momentum in the construction industry. This construction method can benefit the industry through improved productivity and reduced waste. However, it also poses new challenges to building designers and construction practitioners with respect to building design and construction planning. This is due to the fact that, in the offsite construction paradigm, building design must be transformed from product-focused to manufacturing process-driven. As such, when designing building products, designers needs to consider not only product performance but also manufacturing process constraints in order to harness the benefits of manufacturing technology. At present, considerable human involvement and off-site construction knowledge are required to adapt building design (e.g., panelize building objects) for manufacturing processes within BIM environments. In this regard, this research contributes a BIM-based algorithm for panelizing building components. The proposed algorithm is capable of determining the granularity of wall panels and optimizing the configuration of multi-wall panels under engineering constraints, thereby improving productivity. The proposed approach is implemented within an Autodesk Revit environment through application programming interface. A case study of a residential building is used to demonstrate the proposed approach.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.16
title: USING STATISTICAL MODELS BASED ON HISTORICAL PROJECT DATA TO ESTIMATE DURATIONS FOR U.S. TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

description: Estimating the duration of highway transportation projects accurately has always been a challenge for State Transportation Agencies (STAs) in the United States (US) due to the differences in projects
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.17
title: Heavylifting operations for the assembly of a 150 m long simply supported bridge deck

description: The new viaduct over the Cadiz Bay includes a removable deck to allow the navigation of large floating structures, higher than the 69 m clearance of the main cable-stayed span of the bridge. For this purpose, a 150 m long simply supported span was designed, which can be assembled and disassembled. The steel deck, weighing 4.000 metric tons, was completely manufactured onshore, the challenge being to move such a massive structure to its final position above the piers. It required for several heavylifting maneuvers, such us land transportation and load-out with two 6x28 axle lines of SPMT, sailing with a 100 m-long barge and positioning the deck in-between the piers with a tight gap, a lifting with eight strand jacks 850 T capacity each and a final transversal shifting. The aim of this paper being to describe all the activities and the heavylifting equipment employed for the assembly of such a massive deck.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.18
title: Heavylifting operations for the assembly of the arch of the Walterdale Bridge Replacement

description: One of the main requirements for the Walterdale Bridge Replacement in Edmonton was to minimize the impact on the river during the construction. This was a big challenge, as the use of ordinary construction methods such as falseworks and cranes was almost impossible. Furthermore, the river was not navigable. Consequently, all water equipment used, such us barges, had to be modularized, land transported and assembled directly on site, limiting the capacity. Then, it was decided to split the construction of the arch in different stages, performing several special heavylifting activities. Firstly, a partial arch (the central part), weighing 1.000 metric tons was manufactured on a riverbank. After that, it was skidded and loaded-out onto two modular barges, which moved the segment to the area between the abutments. By means of two towers specifically assembled, which included four strand jacks, the arch was then partially lifted and connected to additional sections of the arch, creating a new 1.800 T and 146-m long arch. Following this, the new arch was also lifted to its final position, in a similar way. This paper describes all the special heavylifting operations and the equipment used to assemble the arch of the bridge, facing with severe weather conditions, such as temperatures down to -20
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.19
title: AUTOMATION OF A STEEL WALL FRAMING ASSEMBLY

description: Modular construction has become increasingly popular in North America in recent years. In this emerging paradigm of building construction, building components are manufactured off site and then transported to the construction site for assembly. In Canada, automated modular steel structure fabrication is in high demand. Offsite manufacturing of steel wall frames for residential and commercial buildings provides time savings and improvement of working conditions and morale that translates to improved productivity and safety performance. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of efficiently fabricating steel wall frames for offsite modular construction using automated assembly controlled by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and connected in a cost-effective and efficient electrical installation and centralized communication by Fieldbus technology. In particular, this paper describes the control strategy used to automate a steel wall framing assembly that incorporates a PLC and Fieldbus technology.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.20
title: Prevalence and Value of Building Information Modeling Uses in Construction

description: Despite the growth in interest and rapid technological development of Building Information Modeling tools and processes, the adoption of modeling uses to advance construction tasks in the field have been slow in adoption. A list of 30 modeling uses for construction are presented, based upon previous research that develops a taxonomy of modeling uses for construction specific tasks. This research presents survey responses from over 250 industry practitioners regarding the status of industry adoption, perceived value, and level of difficulty to implement for a list of 30 modeling uses specific to construction. Findings highlight the differing perspectives by industry sector and role. In addition to the providing insights into the status of adoption, the paper will introduce the concept of methods as a key differentiator of construction modeling uses that influence their adoption and value in support of construction tasks.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.21
title: An Investigation on Person-Task-Technology Interaction and ICT Adoption in Construction

description: Information and communication technology (ICT) has been identified as key to enhancing information processing in construction. However, the use of ICT is not always effective due to individuals
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.22
title: Validation of a Re-Equilibrium Decision Support System for PPP Contract

description: A re-equilibrium model was developed which ensures that the rights of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project stakeholders are preserved during renegotiation and minimizes the chances of disputes. The model develops the typical renegotiation scenarios which include: increasing the service charges, increasing the concession period, or paying a lump sum amount to the party of concern in order to maintain a fixed rate of return and keep the return on equity constant. Moreover, a decision support system was developed with the aid of Microsoft Excel 2013, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming language, and the Precision Tree 5.5 for Excel add-in, in order to facilitate the process of selecting the optimum scenario which maximizes the satisfaction of both parties (the private sector and the public sector). In this paper, data is obtained from a case study of a wastewater treatment plant in Egypt, and applied to the proposed model. The results obtained from the model are close to the ones obtained from the Independent Financial Expert (IFE) of the wastewater treatment plant project. This verifies and validates the objectives of the model.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12907430
title: PMaximus_MicrosatelliteData.xlsx

description: Spreadsheet of 11 microsatellite loci data for the scallop Pecten maximus from 24 sites (including site Long and Lat).See metadata tab for full explanation of data.<br>Microsatellite loci taken from Watts et al (2005) and Hold et al (2013). See links below.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.23
title: Factors Influencing Productivity in the KSA Construction Industry

description: Over the past three decades, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has witnessed a significant increase in new building projects and construction industry activity. The KSA construction industry is expected to continue developing and growing at a significant rate in the coming decades. However, several serious issues currently face the construction industry, in particular low productivity, which have contributed to poor outcomes where projects have been delayed or postponed. This paper discusses the major factors influencing productivity in the KSA construction industry. A questionnaire survey using a 5-point Likert scale was used to measure the importance of these factors. It was administered to 176 respondents from Grades 1, 2 and 3 construction companies, which are registered in the Contractors Classification Agency under the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MMRA). The questionnaire included five major factors identified from the literature review: managerial, labor-related, materials, tools and equipment, financial, and project-related. Using descriptive statistical analyses, it was found that the most important factors influencing construction productivity were financial factors, including issues such as the limited financial liquidity of the company, payment delays by owners, and limited cash flow. The next main influential factor was project-related, followed by factors related to materials and equipment, labor-related factors, and administrative and managerial factors.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12907430.v1
title: PMaximus_MicrosatelliteData.xlsx

description: Spreadsheet of 11 microsatellite loci data for the scallop Pecten maximus from 24 sites (including site Long and Lat).See metadata tab for full explanation of data.<br>Microsatellite loci taken from Watts et al (2005) and Hold et al (2013). See links below.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.24
title: Improving productivity, workflow management, and resource utilization in precast construction

description: Construction industry has long dealt with problems such as low productivity, unstable workflow in projects and low utilization rate of resources. Off-site construction, which is a hybrid of mass manufacturing and construction, has significant potential to address aforementioned problems. In order to realize this potential, off-site construction needs to avoid replicating the traditional subcontracting approach and therefore fragmented practice in the construction industry. The current research focuses on restructuring the interaction of resources by using cross-training. Findings show that cross-training resources results in transferring excess capacity from underutilized to over utilized resources in direct or indirect pathways. Such initiatives can significantly improve productivity, workflow management and resource utilization in precast construction that highly specialized resources are not required. The study contributes to the construction management literature by providing insight into dynamics of using multi-skilled resources in off-site construction.
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.25
title: BIM - Processes - Realization

description: BIM describes a method to integrate and connect all relevant, building related data into a virtual data model over the whole lifecycle. The superior goal of all BIM-related research projects at the Chair of Construction Management and Economics is therefore to advance the efforts of data model standardization and the corresponding flow of information between all participants involved in a building project. To identify all relevant data, the focus of each project is hence directed to the question who needs which information from whom, how, when and what for.With the research project
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.26
title: BIM - Processes - Lifecycle

description: BIM describes a method to integrate and connect all relevant, building related data into a virtual data model over the whole lifecycle. The superior goal of all BIM-related research projects at the Chair of Construction Management and Economics is therefore to advance the efforts of data model standardization and the corresponding flow of information between all participants involved in a building project. To identify all relevant data, the focus of each project is hence directed to the question who needs which information from whom, how, when and what for.In this context the research project
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.27
title: BIM - Processes - Health & Safety

description: BIM describes a method to integrate and connect all relevant, building related data into a virtual data model over the whole lifecycle. The superior goal of all BIM-related research project at the Chair of Construction Management and Economics is therefore to advance the efforts of data model standardization and the corresponding flow of information between all participants involved in a building project. To identify all relevant data, the focus of each project is hence directed to the question who needs which information from whom, how, when and what for. The aim of the project
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.28
title: A FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS APPROACH TO IMPROVE INTEROPERABILITY FOR THERMAL ENERGY SIMULATIONS

description: Information exchange between architectural design models and Thermal Energy Simulation (TES) tools still suffers interoperability problems. The main challenge is to robustly translate the geometrical information required for TES. The current practice involves a cumbersome and iterative manual correction of the model between the architect and the engineer, which is prone to human errors. Interpreting the geometry solely based on the IFC file is not a trivial process due to its complex nature, in which different attributes are cross-linked to each other. To address this issue, an approach based on the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is proposed, which aims to provide straightforward readability of geometrical information as well as a reliable and flexible thermal simulation. To demonstrate this approach, an IFC model of a residential building was transferred to a commercial FEA software and a thermal analysis was conducted. Interoperability problems regarding robust transfer of geometrical information was not encountered and the process was deemed to be efficient. FEA also revealed another strength by providing thermal analysis of individual components of the structure. This can be employed in the early design stage by rapid prototyping of different components (e.g., geometry, thermal properties) and their role on the thermal performance of the whole structure. Results are presented by comparing the proposed approach with the current practice and the potential advantages are highlighted.Keywords: Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), Energy performance, Prototyping, Building Information Model (BIM), Building Energy Model (BEM), Information exchange
DOI: 10.12755/isec.res.2017.29
title: EXPLORING BARRIERS IN IMPLEMENTING BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING: A PRELIMINIRAY STUDY

description: This study involves with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and exploring the reasons behind the slow speed of implementing this method in the construction industry in developing countries in general and Jordan in specific. The aim of the research was achieved through a survey which considered 15 barrier factors and 13 driving factors. The study revealed that the level of BIM implementation in construction projects is generally low. In addition, the significant barriers affecting the adoption of BIM are lack of qualified staff to operate the software, difficulty learning BIM, the existing system fulfils the need, resistance to change and uncertainties concerning return on investment of BIM. Also study pointed out the most important factors that could help implementing BIM in the Jordanian construction industry. These are providing BIM training program, introducing BIM in the university curriculum and providing the efforts by the government to push implementation of BIM in their projects.Finally, the paper presented some recommendations if followed the level of (BIM) implementation in this country may be improved.