Construction Management & Engineering Masters Theses

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Browsing Construction Management & Engineering Masters Theses by browse.metadata.program "Construction Management and Engineering"

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Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
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    Characterization of Properties of Mortars Containing Clay Brick Aggregate
    (North Dakota State University, 2017) Zhang, Wanting
    Recycling clay brick becomes extremely urgent with the demolishment of residential buildings, and the most common processing option of clay brick waste is buried in landfills which lead to serious environmental pollution. Meanwhile, the process of recycling clay brick is immature and there is limited knowledge and standards of recycling clay brick waste. This thesis reports an experiment to test physical and mechanical prosperities of clay brick aggregate (CBA). Mortar specimens were conducted by using different prewetting times, replacement rates and water/cement ratios. Absorption and water-releasing abilities were discussed; compressive strength and flexural strength were conducted for strength test. Flowability and internal humidity tests were also presented. The results demonstrated that mortar specimens with 30% of replacement rate of CBA, and 0.28 of water/cement ratio of mixes present the optimal workability. By comparing with recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), CBA also showed satisfactory performance in the mortar specimens.
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    Developing an Interactive Model to Integrate Human Expertise with Building Information Modelling (BIM) Software
    (North Dakota State University, 2022) Ahiable, Cyril
    Considering the significant amount of time and money wasted yearly in fixing errors caused by miscommunication and inadequate information on project sites, relaying the knowledge of field experts through design software may reduce communication-based conflicts in projects. This study aimed at creating a model to integrate human field expertise in the construction process with BIM software and also explored strides made in a similar regard. The study also explored the various strides made in human expertise integration. Basement construction in Fargo-North Dakota was the construction scenario selected for scrutiny in this study. Surveys and in-person interviews were conducted with local contractors to ascertain valuable recommendations on basement construction in Fargo. Information from these contractors was validated and coded into two concept models to offer warnings and recommendations on the assessed basement construction activities to help Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) professionals with construction processes required before and during construction.
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    Development of a High-Efficiency, Cost-Effective Ground Source Heat Pump System for Single-Family Houses
    (North Dakota State University, 2021) Hu, Xiaoou
    Multi-Source Heat Pump systems are intended to achieve a high system efficiency through the combined or alternate use of two or more sources for a heat pump. This thesis entails the research work to develop a hybrid Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) system integrated with a dry cooler with vertical underground loops for single-family houses. TRNSYS is used to verify the feasibility of this integrated system, so as to optimize the control strategy and quantify the energy and energy cost savings. The primary objective is to demonstrate the improved system efficiency of the GSHP through the combined use of a dry cooler in a single-family house under the eight ASHRAE-defined climates. The results indicate that the integrated system would not be an optimal option for houses located in cold climates, but it is feasible to be implemented in hot/warm areas to increase system efficiency at low cost.
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    Environmental and Economic Outlook of Construction and Demolition Waste Management Practices in a Mid-Sized City
    (North Dakota State University, 2022) Boateng, Simon Boadi
    Construction and demolition waste (CDW) left at landfill sites increases the burden on landfills, which are increasingly becoming scarce and costly to operate. In North Dakota, CDW generated is disposed of at the Fargo landfill. This practice may hamper the realization of value from construction and demolition waste. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) was used to evaluate the benefits of two CDW management scenarios. The study found that a 75% reduction in the CDW sent to the landfill can reduce the environmental burden by 35%. Furthermore, replacing raw materials with recycled materials creates net environmental savings by preventing the production of raw or virgin materials. This practice can reduce the environmental burden by 25% while generating an income of $61/ton for the city. The results of this study provide information on the value of recycling CDW and serve as a basis for decision-makers to rethink CDW waste management practices in North Dakota.
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    Influence of Paste Quality Constituents on Drying Shrinkage
    (North Dakota State University, 2020) Affum, Benjamin
    The paste system of concrete materials often holds the “DNA” to understanding their potential mechanical properties. As drying shrinkage and related cracking remains a top concern for the service life of concrete, this paper explores the effect of paste quality on drying shrinkage. The semi-adiabatic calorimetry, restrained, and unrestrained shrinkage of concrete made with 15 different cementitious materials were studied. Cementitious blends included fly ash, slag, silica fume, metakaolin, zeolite and limestone as paste volume was kept constant across mixes. Results showed that the rate at which the paste system allowed free water to dissipate at early ages may have dictated the extent of drying shrinkage. Higher cement replacement with limestone improved the tensile capacity of concrete which resulted in better drying shrinkage cracking resistance. High tricalcium aluminate and alkali contents in cements were found to be drivers of early age shrinkage and potential cracking at later stages in concrete
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    Investigating the Effect of Temperature and Lighting on Learning Performance of Students Using Physiological Responses
    (North Dakota State University, 2022) Pradhan, Surakshya
    Temperature and lighting level are relatively important parameters of indoor environment in a university classroom because they affect students' learning performance. Previous research primarily focused on analyzing students' learning performance, ignoring the learning process involved and the impact of physiological reactions to their learning environment. This study investigates the learning process as well as the influence of students' sensations/comfort and physiological responses. Experiments were carried out in a university classroom with 17 students performing cognitive tests while wearing an EEG headset and an ECG wristband at different temperatures (20-23°C, 23-26°C, 26-29°C) and lighting levels (100-300 lux, 300-600 lux,600-900 lux). The results showed brighter light improved concentration, while neutral temperature was important for working memory, and a comfortable environment and emotional state were important in increasing motivation for better learning performance. The findings can be used to develop an IEQ management plan that will contribute to improve the learning environment.
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    Numerical Simulation and Structural Optimization of Composite Rigid Frame Bridge
    (North Dakota State University, 2017) Xie, Yanmei
    A composite rigid frame bridge replaces a certain portion of the concrete middle span of a bridge with a section of the steel girder. While the steel span improves the bending moment distribution of the rigid frame structure, it increases the stress level of certain cross-sections of the girder. There is little research reporting the effects of the addition of the steel span on the layout and structural design. This research studies the influence of the steel span on the structural behavior of the rigid frame bridge and conducts the structural optimization regarding the steel span ratio, curve order of the girder’s bottom line, and height-to-span ratio using the bending strain energy as the objective function. Finally, this study develops the computer program for structural analysis of composite rigid frame bridge structure using MATLAB, which can be used for advanced structural optimization.
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    Portland Limestone Cement with Fly Ash: Freeze-Thaw Durability and Microstructure Studies
    (North Dakota State University, 2018) Angadi, Prokshit
    In this study, the freeze-thaw performance and other engineering properties of different cementitious mixtures containing Type I/II portland cement, Type IL (10) portland Limestone cement (PLC) and Coarse Ground cement (CG-P) with or without partial replacement of fly ash (Class F) were examined. The goal was to develop a concrete mixture with better or similar freeze-thaw durability without adversely affecting other engineering properties of concrete. Crucial engineering properties reviewed include compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, workability, the degree of hydration, setting time, shrinkage and resistivity. The study was divided into two parts, one consisting of mechanical testing of engineering properties including the freeze-thaw test. The second part consisted of microstructure study which involved detection and quantification of micro-cracks/defects using μ-CT and fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that the portland limestone cement in combination with fly ash demonstrated better or similar durability in comparison to the conventional portland cement concrete mixtures.
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    A Residential Construction Management Cognitive Apprenticeship Program
    (North Dakota State University, 2010) Wagner, Heidi Em
    Background The U.S. Bureau of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook states that faster-thanaverage employment growth is expected in construction management with job openings projected to exceed qualified applicants (2008). Increasing complexity of projects, including sophistication of technology and new laws for building standards, will boost the demand for specialized management personnel (U. S. Bureau of Labor 2008). Purpose Obvious locales for the recruitment and training of construction managers are construction management baccalaureate degree programs. Because these programs educate for an occupation, it is essential for them to be aware of what the industry requires of its workers. The purpose of this study was to enhance the current curriculum of B.S. programs by redesigning the internship, creating a cognitive apprenticeship in the form of a prospectus having the capacity to be implemented by the construction industry and educators. Scope/Method This residential construction management apprenticeship model employs a cognitive apprenticeship learning structure designed by Allan Collins, John Seely Brown, and Susan E. Newman and seeks to educate students in residential construction management methodology (1989). Jack H. Willenbrock's (1994) Management Guidelines for Growth Oriented Homebuilding Firms is used as the theoretical framework taught to students from which they can gain analytical proficiency of management methods. Conclusions A practical, three-phase progressive model for a Residential Construction Management Cognitive Apprenticeship Program (RCMCAP) has been developed. This model can be used by institutions of higher learning for a likely increase of the number and quality of graduates entering residential construction at managerial levels.
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    Social and Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Construction Projects
    (North Dakota State University, 2022) Olatoye, Olugbemiga
    As the construction workers were impacted during the Covid-19 period from social distancing to eventual lack of human interaction, it is necessary to understand the changed social and psychological states of construction workers to manage and improve their performance. This study aims to investigate the social and psychological impact of Covid-19 on the performance of construction projects. The survey was carried out by construction professionals including construction managers, superintendents, and laborers. It was found that anxiety and depression, and health risk concern changed significantly in the pre and post-pandemic period. The results also highlighted health risk concerns, sense of belonging, income equality, job stability, stress management, knowledge, and financial stability as the most impactful factors influencing the workforce's performance on construction projects. This study contributes to providing the managerial implications and guidance for improving the construction workforce including managers' and site laborers' performance in the post-pandemic period.
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    Stochastic Characterization, Simulation, and Analysis of Environmental (Precipitation and Temperature) Inputs into the M-E Design Framework
    (North Dakota State University, 2010) Membah, Joseph, M.S.
    The engineering design of pavements is a complex process requiring regular updating and calibration to produce durable and resilient road surfaces. To achieve this goal, research is conducted continuously to obtain input parameters which are used to produce advanced tools. Recently, an advanced pavement structural design tool termed the Mechanistic Empirical (M-E) Pavement Design approach was introduced to the engineering community. The M-E process employs issues about engineering, traffic, environmental factors, construction, and economics in the design and selection of appropriate types of road surfaces. Although the new M-E approach can result in improved designs, the approach does not address a design methodology for selecting the best pavement for a particular application. Currently, State Highway Agencies employ different procedures to design pavements based on empirical data collected in 1960s. The trials used data collected during two climatic seasons. Since then, a number of research initiatives have been conducted investigating issues such as soil characterization, traffic, and construction. However, none have focused on environmental issues which also provide inputs for the ME design framework. This research focuses on temperature and precipitation: two main environmental factors of concern. The M-E design approach uses traditional statistical analysis to compute the input parameters of sampling points which are often spread over a large geographic region and do not provide a representative sample. Because temperature and precipitation are composed of continuous data, geostatistics were employed to compute statistical parameters through stochastic characterization, simulation, and analysis.