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Research Projects
The success
of the REU site depends on the research projects that will be available
to the student participants. The following paragraphs describe some of
the research projects that are ongoing at the Del E. Webb School of Construction
and that will be available to student participants. A brief description
of the project and avenues of undergraduate student participation are highlighted
in these paragraphs. For a list of research projects that were undertaken by
students during the summer 2001 program click here.
Internet based Interactive Construction
Management Learning System
Faculty:
Anil Sawhney
This three-year
NSF funded project is geared towards the enhancement of undergraduate construction
education. Enhancements are being accomplished by developing 1) an Internet-based
Interactive Construction Management Learning System; and 2) an advising
and mentorship program that will enhance practitioner-involvement. The
primary undertaking of this project is to incorporate practical content
in the construction curricula thus bridging the gap between the classroom
and the construction site. The Interactive Learning System (ILS) that is
being developed as part of this project provides a simple tool for students
to gain practical knowledge of construction equipment and construction
processes. Internally the ILS will consist of a construction process database,
a construction equipment database, and a construction scenario database.
Undergraduate students can participate in this project and conduct research
in the following areas:
1.Collection
of information from construction sites with the help of Construction Industry
Advisory Board members. The information to be collected from the construction
sites includes site characteristics; means, methods, and materials of construction;
and construction equipment
2.Compilation
and structuring of the collected information into problem scenarios that
can be included in the construction scenario database
3.Development
of discrete event simulation models for the construction scenarios included
in the database. This will require the utilization of CYClic Operations
NEtwork (CYCLONE) modeling methodology (Halpin 1977). CYCLONE models are
graphical models that can be portrayed on a computer for simulation and
animation purposes
4. Conversion
of CYCLONE based discrete event simulation models into JAVA based simulation
models so as to allow their utilization over the World Wide Web (WWW)
AzPath
Faculty:
Anil Sawhney
AzPath
is an innovation enterprise dedicated to bringing innovation to the housing
industry in Arizona and a model for deployment of similar enterprises all
across the nation. Arizona State University (ASU) has entered into partnership
with PATH, five major homebuilders, and the Home Builders Association of
Central Arizona (HBACA). Expansion beyond these core partners is planned
as the partnership develops and reaches out to other key stakeholders,
technology developers, building specialists, and others whose participation
will be needed. The core partners are active partners in a structured program,
which drives a continuous cycle of adoption of new technology in the industry.
All partners participate in the identification of critical areas of improvement.
The university and PATH will work together to identify potential technologies,
which can address these critical areas. All stakeholders to the deployment
of these technologies will be brought together to develop a prototyping
program, and to monitor and improve the deployment process. For every deployment,
prototyping on a few homes will be systematically conducted and measured,
and developed to the point that mass implementation and adoption is possible.
At this point, the cycle can begin again for other critical areas and new
technologies. Revolving around this core process will be other important
activities that will ensure integration of research and education, involvement
of persons with diverse backgrounds and career aspirations, creation of
an enabling infrastructure that will foster and sustain innovation in the
long-term, and transformation of demand generated by diffusion of innovation
into new businesses.
AzPath
Goal and Objectives
The foremost
goal of AzPath is to serve as a catalyst for continuous innovation in the
housing industry in Arizona through strong partnerships with national and
regional organizations. The short-term objective of AzPath is to build
a “culture and infrastructure” that will promote innovation in the housing
sector in the long-term.
AzPath has
further adopted the PATH program objectives to maintain consistency with
national priorities. These objectives are the achievement by the year 2010
of: 1) 50% improvement in durability and maintenance cost of new homes;
2) 20% reduction in the monthly cost of new housing; 3) 50% reduction in
energy use of new housing; and 4) 10% reduction in the risk of loss of
life, injury, and property destruction from natural hazards and a decrease
by at least 20% in work related illness and injuries. These objectives
represent a significant improvement over current practice and can only
be accomplished by undertaking completely new approaches to home building
through innovative products, processes, and materials.
Organization
and Management of the AzPath Partnership
AzPath’s
regional partnership is led by ASU and consists of seven core partners
and seven additional consulting partners. The core partners form the operational
portion of the partnership, while the consulting partners are available
to assist the core partners on a request basis. The core partners were
carefully selected for their interest and commitment to quickly create
an innovation enterprise. The consulting partners were selected for their
expertise and linkages with important groups.
WebProject
– A Web–Based Construction Gaming System
Faculty:
Anil Sawhney
The
construction industry is very large and complex. In addition to a skilled
labor force, the construction industry employs predominately civil engineering
(CE), construction engineering/management (CM), and architectural engineering
graduates. There are two main challenges faced by CM undergraduate education.
Undergraduate students in the CM programs undertake three key upper-level
courses that include construction estimating, construction scheduling,
and construction project management. In spite of the clear overlaps between
these three courses, there is seldom any continuity provided in the student
learning process. Traditional classroom-based engineering education that
utilizes case studies, classroom examples, guest lectures, and laboratory
exercises is often inadequate in preparing student to manage complexities,
and demands of the construction site.In
order to better prepare students for the construction profession, there
is a clear need to develop innovative curricular instruments that integrate
the learning experience related to the three courses mentioned above and
to expose them to the demands of the real-world construction activities.
The WebProject addresses these challenges through the development of an
integrated educational framework. The project is centered on the development
of a web-based construction management gaming system that will utilize
active learning approaches to bridge the gap between the classroom and
the construction site; and advanced internet based computing technologies
to bring the complexities of the construction site to the classroom.
Energy Efficiency Strategies for
Residential Construction
Faculty:
Howard Bashford, Kenneth Walsh, and Anil Sawhney
The goal
of this research is to identify and document cost-effective packages of
energy efficiency measures that can be used by homebuilders to build Five
Star Plus Homes. An improvement analysis framework based on the REM/Rate
and REM/Design software packages, developed by the Architectural Energy
Corporation, will be developed and used to rank the packages based on their
cost-effectiveness. Undergraduate students can participate on this project
and conduct research in the following areas:
1.Collect
Information on Energy Efficiency Measures: Conduct a survey of available
construction means, methods, and materials that are classified as energy
efficient. The main focus will be to identify construction techniques related
to advanced insulation, tight construction, and high efficiency heating
and cooling systems.
2.Perform
Improvement Analysis: This task will focus on the improvement analysis.
The improvement analysis will be a two-step process. In the first step
it will be assumed that a new house will score a Three Star rating on the
REM/Rate program. Energy efficiency measures will be applied to these houses
with the objective of achieving a Five Star Plus home energy rating (92
points or more on the REM/Rate program).
CREATE: Construction Research and
Education for Advanced Technology Environments
CREATE is
a research consortium consisting of regional construction companies and
the Del E. Webb School of Construction. CREATE focuses on the development
and implementation of a research program covering the lifecycle of the
advanced technology environments required by the semiconductor industry.
CREATE’s primary research program include: 1) New Construction vs. Retrofit;
2) Cost Criteria Databases and Impact of Cost on Projects; 3) Material
and Product Evaluations; 4) Extendibility and Flexibility of Facilities
to meet Future Needs; and 5) 300 mm and New Technology Data. Undergraduate
student participants interested in working with CREATE can participate
in research programs that include:
1.Benchmarking
Time and Cost of Semiconductor Facility Projects
2.Impact
of Advanced Design Tools on Construction Productivity
3.Decommissioning
of Microelectronics Facilities
4.Best
Practices in Construction of Semiconductor Facilities
5.Impact
of International Building Code 2000 on the Semiconductor Facility
6.Design
and Installation Time Calculator
7.Standards
and Codes for the Semiconductor Facility
Performance Based Procurement System
for the Construction Industry
The research
assists facility owners in selecting the best performing contractor services/facility
systems in a competitive bid environment using the concepts of "Information
Measurement Theory" (IMT). It will allow a facility owner to correct facility
problems with the best solutions, best performing systems, and to select
the best performing contractors at a competitive price. The system will
be self-documenting, and will contain its own justifications, and the information
generated by the system will be used to resolve disputes. It will minimize
liability and transfers that liability to the performing contractors through
the use of performance information. Undergraduate student participants
will assist in all phases of the implementation process. Participation
will include collection of performance data; analysis of collected data
and development of supporting documentation.
Decommissioning of Semiconductor
Fabrication Facilities
Many semiconductor
fabrication plants (fabs) are beginning to come to the end of their expected
service life. The question being asked is what to do with these older facilities.
With changes in codes, an emphasis on the environment, and new technologies,
how are these facilities to be decommissioned or reassigned to a different
function? What does it take to decommission a semiconductor fabrication
facility? What needs to be accomplished to remove tools, remove gas and
chemical systems, and ultra pure water systems? What are the environmental
elements to be considered? What permits and approvals are required, who
will issue them and finally who will enforce them? What are the costs and
what kind of schedule will be required to decommission a facility? This
research examines these questions. A generic fab model will be created
to determine the requirements for decommissioning and/or dismantling a
semiconductor fab. By working with owners, city departments, contractors,
and design firms, a checklist of what items to consider along with time
and schedule impacts will be developed. An undergraduate researcher on
this project would be utilized in all phases of the research project. From
developing the problem definition statement, conducting the literature
review, assisting in data collection, to preparation and presentation of
the final report. In addition, the undergraduate researcher would gain
practical industry experience through their contact with industry representatives
and through their exposure to the facilities and systems that are the subject
of this research project.
Behavior of Laterally Loaded Pile
Groups
The behavior
of deep foundations under lateral loading has been well understood for
some time, certainly at least for driven and small diameter drilled piles.
However, once the piles are combined as groups, the behavior becomes much
more difficult to understand. The problem is usually simplified by reference
to the single pile problem, empirically, by factoring the pile capacity
or the soil response characteristics. However, empirical factors appropriate
to arid conditions, in which drilled shafts of large diameter are very
common, cannot be found in the literature. This is especially true when
one considers the construction details common in these areas, which have
never been successfully matched in testing from which empirical factors
arise. This project is intended to develop a summary of the literature,
perform 3-D modeling to understand the physics of the problem, and to design
a load-testing program for the development of appropriate empirical factors.
Undergraduate researchers will be involved in all phases of this research
project. They will be involved in the literature search, the 3-D modeling,
and design of the load-testing program.
Dust Control and PM-10 Mitigation in
Arizona
Dust control
is becoming a critical issue in the growing desert southwest. Dust arising
from open desert land, vacant land, unpaved roads, and construction activities
is a significant source of particles affecting the air quality as measured
by the PM-10 standards. The application of PM-10 standards in this environment
has the potential to impact continued federal funding for highway construction,
and to impact the health and air quality experienced by the citizenry.
However, much of the dust control technology and regulatory experience
comes from humid climates with different pedogenic environments, with applicability
that is potentially suspect. This research will be conducted in order to
develop region-specific approaches to dust control at the site, together
with appropriate risk-based management techniques for the appropriate regulatory
agency. Undergraduate students can perform research in the following areas:
1) Development of the matrix of dust prevention techniques; and 2) Development
of a management system for dust emissions from a variety of potential sources.
Data Mining for Construction Project
Parameters
The general
purpose of this research is to develop a methodology for data mining in
construction data warehouses. Specifically the research will address the
problem of finding and defining the parameters for construction projects
and their activities. The results of this research will allow construction
companies to identify and strengthen their competitive advantage in the
use of information technology and will clarify the requirements for the
implementation of a new system or upgrading of existing ones. Undergraduate
students will be involved in all aspects of this research. They will undertake
tasks that include study of data warehousing and data mining techniques,
application of information technology in construction, and development
of strategies for data mining techniques for a construction company.
Productivity
Bottlenecks
A previous
research project, named "Effects of Advanced Design Tools on Construction
Productivity" provided a productivity model for design and tool installation,
and introduced the concept of "Work Load Indicator" (WLI). The WLI allows
the calculation of the expected productivity for the installation of any
new tool, based on its specifications. It was found that similar tools
had very different design and installation times. The causes of the large
dispersion in the design and installation time were not elucidated by previous
research. The current research aims to find the causes of this dispersion,
and spot specific problems that caused delays in the design and installation
process, then classify the problems in order of their recurrence and impact.
The undergraduate students in this project will undertake the study the
productivity measurement techniques, study of productivity enhancement
techniques, assist in delay analysis studies, and develop statistical tools
for identification of productivity bottlenecks.
Alternative Project Delivery
Methods
The growth
of alternative project delivery methods to deliver public sector projects
has been explosive in recent years. Each year more public agencies are
authorized to utilize these delivery methods as legal obstacles are removed
with the passage of new legislation. There is an urgent ongoing need to
survey the public agencies especially the state Departments of Transportation
and City water and wastewater departments regarding their use of these
alternative project delivery methods. An annual survey would provide the
much-needed data as to who is now using these instruments and how they
are performing. An ongoing system would develop points of contact (POC),
which could become consistent sources of information at each agency that
would improve the percentage return and validate the accuracy of the information
over time. This type of research opportunity would be very repetitive and
eventually become easy for an undergraduate to administer as the network
of POC’s becomes established.
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