Concrete can sequester carbon, and the cement that glues its components together has been used since antiquity. Now, CBE professor Fred Aguayo is introducing students to the complex world of concrete research.
Lab/Center: Center for Education and Research in Construction
Formal Prevention through Design Process and Implementation for Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Worker Safety
Osburn, Laura; Lee, Hyun Woo; Gambatese, John A. (2022). Formal Prevention through Design Process and Implementation for Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Worker Safety. Journal Of Management In Engineering, 38(5).
Abstract
There are many studies that focus on Prevention through Design (PtD) for construction workers and developing formalized PtD processes for construction projects. However, few studies have aimed at developing a formalized PtD process for mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) worker safety. A formal process for implementing PtD for MEP worker safety is badly needed because MEP work onsite and during operation and maintenance (O&M) can lead to injury and death. To address this knowledge gap, our research team aimed to create a formalized PtD process for MEP safety and developed case studies that detail how the process can be implemented in the field. The formalized process and case studies would then be used in an implementation guide created specifically for the industry. This project was completed through expert interviews, six case studies, and ongoing discussion and review by an Industry Advisory Council. Using these methods, the team identified factors for implementation success and developed a formalized PtD process specific to the MEP worker context. The process consists of five phases: (1) hazard identification, (2) risk assessment, (3) design review, (4) implementation, and (5) learning. We anticipate that this study will contribute to the field of PtD research through creating one of the first formalized PtD processes for MEP construction and O&M worker safety, and through a cross-case analysis of the six PtD cases that indicated not only the importance of stakeholder engagement and cross-disciplinary dialogue, but that effective PtD implementation can occur even outside of a collaborative project delivery context at any point during design and construction.
Keywords
Construction Safety; Health; Attitude; Prevention Through Design (ptd); Construction Worker Safety; Mechanical; Electrical; Plumbing (mep)
Critique And Contribute: A Practice-based Framework For Improving Critical Data Studies And Data Science
Neff, Gina; Tanweer, Anissa; Fiore-Gartland, Brittany; Osburn, Laura. (2017). Critique and Contribute: A Practice-Based Framework for Improving Critical Data Studies And Data Science. Big Data, 5(2), 85 – 97.
Abstract
What would data science look like if its key critics were engaged to help improve it, and how might critiques of data science improve with an approach that considers the day-to-day practices of data science? This article argues for scholars to bridge the conversations that seek to critique data science and those that seek to advance data science practice to identify and create the social and organizational arrangements necessary for a more ethical data science. We summarize four critiques that are commonly made in critical data studies: data are inherently interpretive, data are inextricable from context, data are mediated through the sociomaterial arrangements that produce them, and data serve as a medium for the negotiation and communication of values. We present qualitative research with academic data scientists, data for good projects, and specialized cross-disciplinary engineering teams to show evidence of these critiques in the day-to-day experience of data scientists as they acknowledge and grapple with the complexities of their work. Using ethnographic vignettes from two large multiresearcher field sites, we develop a set of concepts for analyzing and advancing the practice of data science and improving critical data studies, including (1) communication is central to the data science endeavor; (2) making sense of data is a collective process; (3) data are starting, not end points, and (4) data are sets of stories. We conclude with two calls to action for researchers and practitioners in data science and critical data studies alike. First, creating opportunities for bringing social scientific and humanistic expertise into data science practice simultaneously will advance both data science and critical data studies. Second, practitioners should leverage the insights from critical data studies to build new kinds of organizational arrangements, which we argue will help advance a more ethical data science. Engaging the insights of critical data studies will improve data science. Careful attention to the practices of data science will improve scholarly critiques. Genuine collaborative conversations between these different communities will help push for more ethical, and better, ways of knowing in increasingly datum-saturated societies.
Keywords
Big; Communication; Politics; Critical Data Studies; Data For Good; Data Science; Ethics; Qualitative Methods; Theory
Case Study to Evaluate Work-Zone Safety Technologies in Highway Construction
Nnaji, Chukwuma; Karakhan, Ali A.; Gambatese, John; Lee, Hyun Woo. (2020). Case Study to Evaluate Work-Zone Safety Technologies in Highway Construction. Practice Periodical On Structural Design And Construction, 25(3).
Abstract
The construction industry is known for its conservative approach toward adopting new, emerging technologies. This conservative approach for adopting technology is caused by multiple factors including the lack of adequate resources to guide construction practitioners in the process of evaluating whether a construction firm should adopt a certain technology or not. Previous studies have already proposed rigorous protocols for evaluating work-zone technologies, but the implementation of such protocols is still unclear to many construction practitioners. The objective of this study is to provide a case study example of how evaluation protocols can be used in practice to determine whether a firm should adopt a certain work-zone technology. The case study focused on assessing the usefulness of commercially available work-zone intrusion alert technologies (WZIATs). The results of the evaluation revealed that some WZIATs could be more attractive to construction organizations and agencies in terms of providing louder alarms, being more mobile, and allowing a higher transmission range. The case study example discussed in this study is expected to provide invaluable practical information to practitioners in the construction industry interested in evaluating and adopting emerging technologies.
Keywords
Construction Industry; Mobile Radio; Occupational Safety; Road Building; Road Safety; Highway Construction; Conservative Approach; Construction Practitioners; Construction Firm; Rigorous Protocols; Work-zone Technology; Case Study Example; Evaluation Protocols; Commercially Available Work-zone Intrusion Alert Technologies; Construction Organizations; Evaluate Work-zone Safety Technologies; Speed; Signs; Work Zone; Safety Technology; Intrusion Alert; Evaluation Protocol
Organizational Divisions in BIM-Enabled Commercial Construction
Dossick, Carrie S.; Neff, Gina. (2010). Organizational Divisions in BIM-Enabled Commercial Construction. Journal Of Construction Engineering And Management-asce, 136(4), 459 – 467.
Abstract
Proponents claim that the adoption of building information modeling (BIM) will lead to greater efficiencies through increased collaboration. In this paper, we present research that examines the use of BIM technologies for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire life safety systems (often referred to as MEP) coordination and how the introduction of BIM influences collaboration and communication. Using data from over 12 months of ethnographic observations of the MEP coordination process for two commercial construction projects and interviews with 65 industry leaders across the United States, we find that BIM-enabled projects are often tightly coupled technologically, but divided organizationally. This means that while BIM makes visible the connections among project members, it is not fostering closer collaboration across different companies. We outline the competing obligations to scope, project, and company as one cause for this division. Obligations to an individual scope of work or to a particular company can conflict with project goals. Individual leadership, especially that of the MEP coordinator in the teams we studied, often substitutes for stronger project cohesion and organization. Organizational forces and structures must be accounted for in order for BIM to be implemented successfully.
Keywords
Technology; Implementation; Viewpoint; Integrated Systems; Construction Industry; Leadership; Information Systems; Information Technology; Communication; Constructability; Mechanical Systems; Electrical Systems
A Probabilistic Portfolio-based Model For Financial Valuation Of Community Solar.
Shakouri, Mahmoud; Lee, Hyun Woo; Kim, Yong-woo. (2017). A Probabilistic Portfolio-Based Model for Financial Valuation of Community Solar. Applied Energy, 191, 709 – 726.
Abstract
Community solar has emerged in recent years as an alternative to overcome the limitations of individual rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, there is no existing model available to support probabilistic valuation and design of community solar based on the uncertain nature of system performance over time. In response, the present study applies the Mean-Variance Portfolio Theory to develop a probabilistic model that can be used to increase electricity generation or reduce volatility in community solar. The study objectives include identifying the sources of uncertainties in PV valuation, developing a probabilistic model that incorporates the identified uncertainties into portfolios, and providing potential investors in community solar with realistic financial indicators. This study focuses on physical, environmental, and financial uncertainties to construct a set of optimized portfolios. Monte Carlo simulation is then performed to calculate the return on investment (ROI) and the payback period of each portfolio. Lastly, inclusion vs. exclusion of generation and export tariffs are compared for each financial indicator. The results show that the portfolio with the maximum output offers the highest ROI and shortest payback period while the portfolio with the minimum risk indicates the lowest ROI and longest payback period. This study also reveals that inclusion of tariffs can significantly influence the financial indicators, even more than the other identified uncertainties. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Solar Energy; Photovoltaic Power Systems; Monte Carlo Method; Market Volatility; Energy Economics; Community Solar; Monte Carlo Simulation; Photovoltaic Systems; Portfolio Theory; Uncertainty; Environmental Uncertainties; Financial Indicator; Financial Uncertainties; Physical Uncertainties; Identified Uncertainties; Probabilistic Model; Mean-variance Portfolio Theory; Probabilistic Valuation; Individual Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems; Financial Valuation; Probabilistic Portfolio-based Model; Investment; Monte Carlo Methods; Photovoltaic Cells; Risk Analysis; Tariffs; Resolution Lidar Data; Electricity Consumption; Pv Systems; Autoregressive Models; Potential Assessment; Generation Systems; Neural-networks; Energy; Buildings; Economic Theory; Electricity; Exports; Probabilistic Models; Risk
Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Tenant Improvements over the Building Lifetime: Estimating Material Quantities and Embodied Carbon for Climate Change Mitigation
Rodriguez, Barbara X.; Huang, Monica; Lee, Hyun Woo; Simonen, Kathrina; Ditto, Jim. (2020). Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Tenant Improvements over the Building Lifetime: Estimating Material Quantities and Embodied Carbon for Climate Change Mitigation. Energy And Buildings, 226.
Abstract
The building industry is expanding its ability to mitigate the environmental impacts of buildings through the application of life cycle assessment (LCA). Most building LCA studies focus on core and shell (C&S) and rarely assess mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) and tenant improvements (TI). However, C&S typologies in the commercial sector pose particular challenges to achieving net zero carbon due to the numerous renovations these building undergo through during their service life. MEP and TI are installed multiple times over the lifetime of commercial buildings leading to cumulative environmental impact caused by increasing material quantities and embodied carbon (EC). This study aimed to establish a preliminary range of material quantities and embodied carbon impacts for MEP and TI components, focusing on commercial office buildings in the Pacific Northwest. The first research stage involved quantifying material quantities while a second stage aimed to calculate Embodied Carbon Coefficients (ECC) and LCA impacts using different data sources. The embodied carbon estimates ranged from 40 to 75 kg CO(2)e/m(2) for MEP and 45-135 kg CO(2)e/m(2) for TI. However, with recurring instalments during a life span of 60 years the impacts become comparable to known impacts of core and shell systems. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Embodied Carbon; Life Cycle Assessment; Tenant Improvement; Mechanical; Electrical And Plumbing
A Case Study of the Failure of Digital Communication to Cross Knowledge Boundaries in Virtual Construction
Neff, Gina; Fiore-Silfvast, Brittany; Dossick, Carrie Sturts. (2010). A Case Study of the Failure of Digital Communication to Cross Knowledge Boundaries in Virtual Construction. Information Communication & Society, 13(4), 556 – 573.
Abstract
When can digital artefacts serve to bridge knowledge barriers across epistemic communities? There have been many studies of the roles new information and communication technologies play within organizations. In our study, we compare digital and non-digital methods of inter-organizational collaboration. Based on ethnographic fieldwork on three construction projects and interviews with 65 architects, engineers, and builders across the USA, we find that IT tools designed to increase collaboration in this setting instead solidify and make explicit organizational and cultural differences between project participants. Our study suggests that deeply embedded disciplinary thinking is not easily overcome by digital representations of knowledge and that collaboration may be hindered through the exposure of previously implicit distinctions among the team members' skills and organizational status. The tool that we study, building information modelling, reflects and amplifies disciplinary representations of the building by architects, engineers, and builders instead of supporting increased collaboration among them. We argue that people sometimes have a difficult time overcoming the lack of interpretive flexibility in digital coordinating tools, even when those tools are built to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.
Keywords
Digital Communications; Data Transmission Systems; Communication & Technology; Digital Electronics; System Analysis; Building Information Modelling; Collaboration; Qualitative Methods; Teams; Civil Engineering Computing; Digital Communication; Groupware; Knowledge Representation; Organisational Aspects; Virtual Reality; Case Study; Virtual Construction; Knowledge Barriers; Epistemic Community; Interorganizational Collaboration; Ethnographic Fieldwork; Interpretive Flexibility; Digital Coordinating Tool; Digital Collaboration; Technology; Objects; Design; Representations; Organizations
Estimating Location-Adjustment Factors for Conceptual Cost Estimating Based on Nighttime Light Satellite Imagery
Zhang, Su; Bogus, Susan M.; Lippitt, Christopher D.; Migliaccio, Giovanni C. (2017). Estimating Location-Adjustment Factors for Conceptual Cost Estimating Based on Nighttime Light Satellite Imagery. Journal Of Construction Engineering And Management, 143(1).
Abstract
A fundamental process in construction cost estimation is the appropriate adjustment of costs to reflect project location. Unfortunately, location adjustment factors are not available for all locations. To overcome this lack of data, cost estimators in the United States often use adjustment factors from adjacent locations, referred to as the nearest neighbor (NN) method. However, these adjacent locations may not have similar economic conditions, which limit the accuracy of the NN method. This research proposes a new method of using nighttime light satellite imagery (NLSI) to estimate location adjustment factors where they do not exist. The NLSI method for estimating location adjustment factors was evaluated against an established cost index database, and results show that NLSI can be used to effectively estimate location adjustment factors. When compared with NN and other alternative proximity-based location adjustment methods, the proposed NLSI method leads to a 25-40% reduction of the median absolute error. This work contributes to the body of knowledge by introducing a more accurate method for estimating location adjustment factors which can improve cost estimates for construction projects where location adjustment factors do not currently exist. (C) 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Keywords
Construction Industry; Costing; Industrial Economics; Project Management; Remote Sensing; Location-adjustment Factors; Nighttime Light Satellite Imagery; Construction Cost Estimation; Project Location; United States; Economic Conditions; Nlsi Method; Cost Index Database; Median Absolute Error Reduction; Construction Projects; Nearest Neighbor Method; Urbanization Dynamics; Proxy; Construction Costs; Estimation; Construction Management; Pricing; Cost And Schedule
Impact of Energy Benchmarking and Disclosure Policy on Office Buildings
Shang, Luming; Lee, Hyun Woo; Dermisi, Sofia; Choe, Youngjun. (2020). Impact of Energy Benchmarking and Disclosure Policy on Office Buildings. Journal Of Cleaner Production, 250.
Abstract
Building energy benchmarking policies require owners to publicly disclose their building's energy performance. In the US, the adoption of such policies is contributing to an increased awareness among tenants and buyers and is expected to motivate the owners of less efficient buildings to invest in energy efficiency improvements. However, there is a lack of studies specifically aimed at investigating the impact of such policies on office buildings among major cities through quantitative analyses. In response, this study evaluated the effectiveness of the benchmarking policy on energy efficiency improvements decision-making and on real estate performances, by applying two interrupted time series analyses to office buildings in downtown Chicago. The initial results indicate a lack of statistically strong evidence that the policy affected the annual vacancy trend of the energy efficient buildings (represented by ENERGY STAR labeled buildings). However, the use of interrupted time series in a more in-depth analysis shows that the policy is associated with a 6.7% decrease in vacancy among energy efficient buildings. The study proposed a method to quantitatively evaluate the impact of energy policies on the real estate performance of office buildings, and the result confirms the positive impact of energy-efficient retrofits on the real estate performance. The study findings support the reasoning behind the owners' decision in implementing energy efficiency improvements in their office buildings to remain competitive in the market. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Office Buildings; Building Failures; Time Series Analysis; Real Property; Energy Consumption; Metropolis; Building Performance; Chicago (ill.); Building Energy Benchmarking And Disclosure Policies; Building Energy Efficiency; Time Series Modeling; Energy Star (program); Building Management Systems; Buildings (structures); Decision Making; Energy Conservation; Maintenance Engineering; Time Series; Disclosure Policy; Energy Benchmarking Policies; Building; Benchmarking Policy; Energy Efficiency Improvements Decision-making; Estate Performance; Energy Efficient Buildings; Energy Star; Energy Policies; Energy-efficient Retrofits; Interrupted Time-series; Regression; Behavior; Designs; Building Energy Benchmarking And; Disclosure Policies; Buildings; Cities; Energy Efficiency; Energy Policy; Markets; Quantitative Analysis; United States