Theses and Dissertations

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Open Access
A case study of barriers inhibiting the growth of information and communication technology (ICT) in a construction firm
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Andipakula, Thejasvi, author; Senior, Bolivar A., advisor; Nobe, Mary, committee member; Skiba, Hilla, committee member
The purpose of this research is to study barriers that inhibit the growth of ICT in a construction firm operating in the state of Nevada. This paper focusses on three research objectives. The first research objective is to identify commonly used Information and communication technology tools in the selected firm. The second objective is to highlight significant barriers that hinder the growth of ICT implementation in the selected construction firm. The third research objective is to analyze strategies used by professionals of the selected construction firm for mitigating barriers that are encountered while attempting to implement ICT. Different factors were highlighted which inhibit the growth of ICT. Literature review highlighted the most important ones as financial constraints, time constraints, lack of support from top management, lack of training, the reluctance of employees to learn new technology and lack of technical support. To mitigate the barriers to ICT adoption, literature has stated different strategies. These include support and encouragement from top management, training employees for ICT tools, motivating employees for using ICT, empowering a champion to overcome resistance from employees, learning by observation and giving employees sufficient time to learn. A case study approach was used, and one firm was the center of research, thereby data collection and analysis was limited to this particular firm. Nine interviews were conducted with employees belonging to different sectors in which firm operates. A thematic analysis of interview data was conducted using NVivo. Roger's model of Innovation Diffusion (1983) was employed as a tool for considering ICT adoption attitudes in terms of the interviewees' personal preferences. The analysis showed that all interviewees had a clear understanding of importance and scope of ICT in the selected firm. However, their understanding was congruent with their stage of Roger's model (1983). The selected firm had the financial strength to adopt ICT, and top management supported new ideas and ICT adoption. Ample training was given to employees so that they can learn new technology with ease. A persistent barrier was the time available to implement ICT, as interviewees reported that they needed more time to explore the use of new technologies. The selected firm used three strategies to facilitate ICT diffusion, i.e., training employees, motivating them and creating a culture of support. It was suggested that the selected firm should use 'learning by observation'; showing employees how ICT can help with their day-to-day work will motivate them and develop their interest in using it. Furthermore, giving employees time to explore the use of new technologies can also facilitate ICT implementation in the selected firm. The implications of findings for the selected firm and other firms in the construction sector are discussed in the thesis.
Open Access
A framework for assessing feasibility of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) project sites
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Sharma, Avi, author; Strong, Kelly C., advisor; Ozbek, Mehmet E., advisor; Francis, James, committee member
After the Second World War, America saw a decline in ridership on transit systems which eventually resulted in the dismantling and abandonment of many rail systems. The primary mode of public transportation shifted from transit to buses, which used the same streets and competed with the same infrastructure capacity as automobiles. For this reason, bus systems also started to fail when people realized that if they have to wait for the traffic, they might as well do it in their own automobile, which provides higher flexibility of timing and route (Ditmar, Belzer and Autler, 2004). This shift, in effect, resulted in more congestion. To counter the problem of congestion resulting from modern urbanization, society developed the idea of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). TOD (or similar concepts like transit village, transit-friendly design, and transit-supportive development) is a type of development designed in a fashion that encourages the use of public transit and the creation of pedestrian-friendly environments (TCRP, 2002). This thesis answers the following fundamental questions: How can a transit agency choose among alternative TOD locations within a transit network and what is the importance of each factor? This includes development of a framework which can be used by different transit agencies by incorporating their factors and weights using multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tool called Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The thesis also presents the implementation of this framework for Regional Transportation District (RTD) and Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA).
Open Access
A framework for assessing transportation sustainability rating systems for implementation in U.S. state departments of transportation
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Simpson, Sherona Patrice, author; Clevenger, Caroline M., advisor; Ozbek, Mehmet E., advisor; Atadero, Rebecca A., committee member
Sustainability has increased in popularity as a key indicator for planning transportation projects. With that movement, evaluating the sustainability of transportation projects has become necessary for state departments of transportation (DOTs). Transportation Sustainability Rating Systems (TSRS) have been adopted for this purpose; however, different TSRSs employ different methods for determining or quantifying sustainability, and emphasize different sustainability factors. Given the number, variability, and specificity of TSRSs available, an evaluation and pairing exercise of available systems is needed to help the state DOTs select a system by determining to what extent a given system suits the state DOT's preferences. This thesis presents a four step framework which identifies the most important capabilities in a TSRS as preferred by a state DOT and then facilitates weighting of those capabilities via a well-established methodology, the Analytical Hierarchy Process. The thesis also presents the implementation of this framework for Colorado DOT (CDOT), South Dakota DOT (SDDOT), Utah DOT (UDOT) and Wyoming DOT (WYDOT). The framework resulted in the identification of INVEST to be the most suitable TSRS for CDOT and WYDOT, GreenLITES as the most suitable TSRS for SDDOT and the results for UDOT were inconclusive. The framework developed for assessing TSRSs was proven to be a viable means for determining rank and suitability of TSRS for DOTs.
Open Access
A framework for evaluating environmental commitment tracking programs in state departments of transportation
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Fillion, Andrew Christopher, author; Ozbek, Mehmet, advisor; Clevenger, Caroline, committee member; Taylor, Peter, committee member
Environmental tracking systems (ETSs) are used by state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) as well as by Federal agencies to track environmental commitments on construction projects from the project development stage through design, construction, and project completion. In this study a framework is developed that any state DOT can use to evaluate existing ETSs implemented by other state DOTs. This framework will allow that state DOT to identify the system that best meets its needs with the ultimate purpose of adopting that system. The framework's main function will be to identify and prioritize the features that a state DOT is looking for in an ETS, to evaluate existing ETSs used by other state DOTs with respect to those features, and to provide a final recommendation on which ETS should be adopted by that state DOT. The developed framework was implemented at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The findings and recommendations for that implementation example are also included in this study.
Open Access
A greener plan for public housing: a study of Colorado Housing Authorties' utilization of green built technology
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Rumley, William Jeffrey, author; Nobe, MaryEllen C., advisor; Clevenger, Caroline M., committee member; Ore, Janet, committee member
Reducing energy usage, or at least controlling energy consumption, is an important goal for Colorado Housing Authorities (CHAs). Additional goals include preventing the escalation of property rents, i.e., energy costs, as well as controlling administrative costs that result from high energy usage. Observational data, however, suggests that only a limited number of CHAs have undertaken energy conservation measures. This study examines current energy savings program implementation among CHAs. More specifically, the study will investigate how CHAs incorporate energy efficient technologies into existing facility maintenance as well as new property construction. Currently, information identifying a baseline of energy conservation by CHAs does not exist, and it the motivation of this study. Baseline energy conservation data will assist CHAs, as well as funding agencies, to identify current levels of technology implementation to use as a planning tool for current and future energy projects. The purposed methodological approach will incorporate the use of a census design, which will examine current attitudes, beliefs, opinions and practices of CHAs.
Open Access
A phenomenological study in understanding how paradigm shifts can occur
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Wackerman, April Elizabeth, author; Nobe, Mary Ellen C., advisor; Dunbar, Brian H., committee member; Benson, Delwin E., committee member; Aragon, Antonette M., committee member
The building industry is uniquely positioned in the context of contemporary societal trends as it was one of the industries hardest hit by the financial recession of 2007 and is one of the most environmentally unsustainable industries in the United States. While green building and sustainable design initially emerged as a way to affect change toward environmental sustainability, the share of global energy use from buildings continues to rise. Building leaders claim that in order to make a meaningful impact on looming environmental problems and pressures, an all-encompassing paradigm shift is needed in the building industry from an anthropocentric paradigm to one that more fully values and understands the interconnectedness between humans and nature. Little is known about what factors and activities facilitate transformative shifts in thinking for building professionals. This study examined the experiences of participants of the 2009 Whole Thinking Workshop hosted by the Center for Whole Communities in Vermont. The workshop was designed for leaders of environmental stewardship and social equality and included building and land use professionals. Like many professionals, the leaders in attendance were generally entrenched in their thinking and professional approach in their respective movements. The workshop provided a framework for leaders to explore their own biases and achieve a shift in thinking for how their work relates to the whole. The goal of the research was to understand and describe the participants' perception of the specific activities and factors of the workshop that facilitated a shift in their thinking. This study was conducted within a phenomenological framework and data were collected from participant observation, a focus group, and in-depth interviews. Three major themes emerged in the data and are characterized as dimensions of how to facilitate paradigm shifts in a workshop setting, and include: (1) Time, (2) Systems, and (3) Humanity. The Time Theme documented that time was a factor in facilitating paradigm shifts in two ways including an uninterrupted and appropriate amount of time during activities, in silence and during open dialogue, and time spent away from regular responsibilities. The Systems Theme documented the elements that created an environment conducive for shifting thinking, including shared understanding, diversity, safety, consistency, and engaging activities. The Humanity Theme documented elements that facilitated a shift in thinking by cultivating the quality of being human, including spirituality, contemplative practice, storytelling, aligning values, and open dialogue. This study provided insights to offer building professionals by revealing factors and activities of the Whole Thinking Workshop that were perceived as successfully facilitated shifts in thinking, therefore expanding understanding in how paradigm shifts can occur.
Open Access
Adoption of building information modeling in developing countries: a phenomenological perspective
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Sahil, Abdul Qadeer, author; Glick, Scott, advisor; Valdes-Vasquez, Rodolfo, advisor; Folkestad, James, committee member
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a cutting edge technology that has addressed prominent challenges in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries in most of the developed countries. Construction industries in developing countries due to identified challenges and unavailability of the clear understanding of best practices, are dithering whether to adopt this technology. The scope of this study was how to facilitate BIM adoption in developing countries. A phenomenological design approach was considered to seek early adopters’ and BIM professionals’ lived experiences on similar situations and how did they triumph over the hindrances against BIM adoption and made its implementation successful. A total of six participants with extensive BIM experience and first hand BIM application knowledge were interviewed. The result confirms BIM adoption issues similarities in both developed and developing countries. Recommended best practices for new BIM users in four categories of education requirement, infrastructure requirement, sound practices, and working with partners with no previous BIM experience is represented in chapter five. The study limitation was the inability to reach out BIM professionals in developing countries therefore, considering the similarities of BIM adoption issues, five of the participants selected for this study were from the United States whereas one participant was selected from developing countries. The study concludes with recommendation for further study in this field.
Open Access
An investigation of perceived behavioral control (PBC), and environmentally responsible behavior (ERB): a case study of occupants in a high performing building
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Jebackumar, Swaetha, author; Valdes-Vasquez, Rodolfo, advisor; Nobe, Mary Ellen, committee member; Cross, Jennifer E., committee member
Energy efficiency continues to be a challenge faced by the built environment. Research on determinants of energy efficiency identifies occupant behavior as the weakest link in attainment of energy efficiency goals set for high performance building designs. Environmentally Responsible Behavior (ERB) could be the answer to the improved daily functional energy efficiency of buildings. Previous studies suggest that if ERB and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) are positively correlated, indicating that the rate of ERB will be higher by building occupants in high performing buildings. This study focuses on the relation between ERB and PBC in regard to thermal conditions. The data used for this study comes from building occupants through an online survey, which includes both open-ended and close-ended questions that act as multi-item indicators to measure ERB, PBC, and building features. The lack of control experienced by the building occupants over the thermostat posed challenges to adequately studying the correlation between ERB and PBC in this case study. Analysis of the responses to the open–ended questions provides a better understanding of occupants' discomfort and their behavior intentions related to energy efficiency. The results of this study show that for high performance building to obtain the aggressive goals for energy efficiency, the building design not only needs to well-thought out and coordinated, but it must also meet building occupants' need for both comfort and productivity.
Open Access
Analysis of public university facilities cost
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Suhail, Gazala, author; Strong, Kelly, advisor; Glick, Scott, advisor; Grigg, Neil, committee member
Comparing construction costs between public and private sector projects has been a topic of interest, specifically, which one is more cost efficient. Many researches have compared the two sectors, however, there is limited research with emphasis on university construction. This study focuses on the cost factors influencing project cost performed at public universities and comparing it with similar projects in the private sector. It also presents an analysis of the assorted reasons responsible for the difference or similarities in the two sectors. This study utilizes an exploratory, comparative case study methodology performed on a small sample number of public university projects and two sources of private sector cost data. A thorough analysis with a large dataset is required to conclude a generalizable outcome. The data of four categories of projects collected from five public universities is compared with the cost range obtained from two private entities based on cost per square foot. The results show that most of the public projects have comparable costs to that of their private sector counterparts. The cost data from the university projects is also compared with each other to explore if there are any possible relationships between the types of delivery methods and sustainability certifications based on two project performance indexes; cost and duration. Based on the limited scope of this research it can be surmised that Design-Build proves superior performance when compared to Design-Bid-Build and CM/GC. Based on the limited data, no significant conclusion could be made on the effect of LEED certifications levels on either cost or project duration. This research does provide a starting point for future research into the topic of public sector project costs when compared to private sector counterparts.
Open Access
Assessing an educational safety training solution for Latino construction workers
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Miller, Megan Renae, author; Lopez del Puerto, Carla, advisor; Clevenger, Caroline, committee member; Gilkey, David, committee member
Latino construction workers are at a higher risk of occupational injury than any other ethnic group in the United States. Inappropriate safety training is one of the leading causes behind the alarming number of workplace accidents suffered by Latinos. As the total number of Latino construction worker deaths continues to trend upwards the need for culturally appropriate training is also increasing as workers of all ethnicities have equal rights to obtain the knowledge necessary to prevent on the job injuries. This study investigated 45 Latino construction workers in northern Colorado to determine the effectiveness of an educational video in enhancing viewer knowledge on fall protection safety, to verify that the video content and presentation was a culturally appropriate training technique and to analyze the participants' reactions. The researcher compared the participants' pre and post-video surveys on scaffolds knowledge and their reactions to the video. The results indicate that the use of an educational video in Spanish using non-descript characters is a culturally appropriate means to educate Latino construction workers.
Open Access
Assessing the perception of compressed earth block (CEB) among contractors in the Piedmont region of North Carolina
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Hughes, Evan G., author; Valdes-Vasquez, Rodolfo, advisor; Vaske, Jerry, committee member; Elliott, Jonathan, committee member
The earliest earthen dwellings in the U.S were made by manually pressing a mixture of moist earth and straw into wooden molds to produce roughhewn blocks, which were left to dry in the sun before being stacked and mortared with earth slurry. This method, known as adobe, is free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), is less energy-intensive than concrete and steel, and allows for local block production if the soil meets certain criteria. However, adobe construction requires more time and manual labor than most conventional materials, and as a result has been largely ignored by U.S. contractors with the exception of those working in New Mexico. This is true of most earthen building techniques, including compressed earth block (CEB). CEB retains many of the environmental benefits of adobe, but unlike adobe CEB can be produced with automated soil mixers and hydraulic presses, allowing for rapid and consistent block production in large volumes. Despite these advantages, CEB remains relatively unknown, occupying only a niche market in certain regions of the country. With the advent of labor and time-saving technology, the practical barriers presented by traditional earth building methods have been greatly reduced, necessitating an exploration of the non-technical barriers to CEB acceptance and adoption in the U.S. Studies conducted in Africa and Southeast Asia have shown that home-buyers often associate earthen structures with poverty, transience, and poor performance. While research on earthen block construction is limited in the U.S., studies performed in Midwestern states have indicated similar results. The current study seeks to determine what, if any, perception barriers to CEB acceptance and adoption exist among contractors in the North Carolina Piedmont region, which lies between the Appalachian Mountains to the west and the Atlantic coastal plain to the east. The Piedmont was chosen because the soil of the region is rich in non-expansive clay that is well-suited to earthen construction in humid climates. Despite these favorable conditions, the North Carolina Piedmont has yet to develop a significant market for earthen architecture and virtually no research has been conducted to investigate this phenomenon. To address this gap in the research, a survey instrument was designed and piloted in New Mexico. Pilot data and feedback were used to refine the survey instrument, which was then distributed to general contractors in the Piedmont. A third survey was distributed to select contacts in the researcher’s professional network to compare the perceptions of building professionals with experience using CEB to those of general contractors in North Carolina with little to no CEB experience. These surveys, based on instruments developed in previous research, aimed to assess contractors’ awareness of CEB, their experience with CEB, and their perception of CEB’s practical merits and drawbacks. Two telephone interviews were also conducted, one with a North Carolina contractor who specializes in CEB construction and another with a Texas-based manufacturer of automated CEB block presses. Quantitative data gathered from survey distributions in the Piedmont and within the researcher’s network revealed disparate opinions of CEB’s cost-effectiveness, aesthetic value, and structural worth. Respondents with no CEB experience provided largely neutral opinions in these areas, indicating that they may have been unable or unwilling to provide definitive positive or negative opinions due to their lack of experience with the material. Responses from those who had used CEB were either neutral or positive. Qualitative data gathered from these two survey distributions indicated a similar divergence of opinion between respondents who had used the material and those who had not. When asked to provide the first three words they associate with CEB, respondents with no CEB experience associated the material with a wide variety of terms, such as “mud,” “costly,” “hippie,” and “future.” Respondents who had used the material associated it with positive terms and technical properties, such as “non-cementitious” “non-toxic,” and “fire-proof.” This suggests that A.) These respondents may have gained a better understanding of CEB’s technical properties after using it in professional practice, or B.) They have become accustomed to providing these technical properties to skeptical clients or their peers. Both phone interview subjects, despite their differences in profession and geographic location, recommended increased education and exposure to CEB to overcome skepticism and lack of knowledge among the construction industry and the general public. The results of this study assist building professionals and their clients in understanding how non-technical barriers (i.e. barriers not related to time, infrastructure, technology, or capital) may impede the acceptance and adoption of CEB and other non-conventional materials. Identifying and addressing these barriers is a necessary step for increased market penetration of CEB in the North Carolina Piedmont and elsewhere.
Open Access
Bid or no bid decision making tool using analytic hierarchy process
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Akalp, Duygu, author; Ozbek, Mehmet E., advisor; Senior, Bolivar, committee member; Atadero, Rebecca A., committee member
In today's competitive business environment, every construction company confronts a decision-making dilemma and must decide whether to bid or not bid on a project(s) or which project(s) to bid on among candidates. Even though the decision-makers come to the conclusion with different judgments, a final evaluation always requires putting different factors into consideration and contemplating the ups and downs of a project. Therefore, bid or no bid decision is complex and crucial for construction companies. The complexity comes from the consideration of many intangible and tangible factors in the decision-making process (Mohanty 1992). Decision-making is hard because it requires a decision-maker to construct a structured thinking to include many unknown, yet complex variables and compare them simultaneously. Decision-making is crucial because poorly made bidding decisions could cause severe and irrevocable problems. For example, not bidding a favorable project could result in lost opportunities for companies to make profit, improve contractor's strength in the industry and gain a long-term relationship with a new client. On the other hand, bidding a project that actually does not fit the company's profile requires a lot of time, effort, and commitment without a favorable outcome (Ahmad 1990, Wanous et al. 2003). Given that "competitive bidding" is the most common bidding method in the construction industry among others (e.g., negotiated contracts, package deals, private finance initiative), investigating bidding strategies has been a focal point by researchers (Harris et al. 2006). Furthermore, more than 100 key factors that influence bidding decisions have been determined to date since the mid-1950s. Simultaneously, to expedite the process, numerous decision-making models have been proposed. Despite the excessive availability of the factors and decision-making models, the facilitation rate of the subsidiary tools in the evaluation process in the construction industry is very little. According to a survey by Ahmad & Minkarah (1988), only 11.1 percent of the construction companies use a decision making tool in order to come to a bid or not bid conclusion in the United States. The ultimate purpose of this study is to develop a practical decision-making tool to assist decision makers in the construction industry to select the most appropriate projects to bid on using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Based on the collected demographic information (e.g., sector, size, type), the combined importance weights of the construction professionals are also presented in the study. Finally, the statistically significant differences between different groups of construction companies in how much weight they assign to a given bid/no bid decision factor is investigated. In reaching the abovementioned purpose, the following questions are addressed: • What are the most common key factors that influence bid/no bid decisions? • How can different judgments from different decision-makers be combined into one final decision? • How differently the construction companies in the United States (US) value the key factors that are commonly utilized to make bid/no bid decisions? The validation of the bid/no bid decision-making tool was performed based on two participants' responses; and the tool provided accurate results for one of the evaluations. Because of insufficient response rate to the validation process, it cannot be concluded that the bid/no bid decision-making tool is validated; however the results of the participants point out the need for further research. The results showed that the compliance with the business plan and location of the project factors were found statistically significantly different for the "Contractor Type" classification. On the contrary, none of the key factors was found statistically significantly different for the "Contractor Sector" groups. For the "Contractor Size" classification, the compliance with the business plan factor was found statistically significantly different. The Group AHP approach allows construction companies to come with a combined bidding judgment instead of using the tool individually. As a major finding of this study is that, the contractors grouped under each construction classifications (i.e., Contractor Type, Contractor Sector and Contractor Size) put more value on the overall firm related-internal factors than the overall project related-external factors based on the Group AHP results. It is also found that the project duration and project size key factors have the lowest weights for all contractor classification groups. This study contributes to the construction engineering and management body of knowledge by providing an user friendly decision-making tool to be used in deciding whether to bid or not bid on a project or which project(s) to bid on and advancing the current state of the knowledge on the different weights/values given to the factors by construction companies with different demographics.
Open Access
Comparative assessment of transportation sustainability rating systems
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Oluwalaiye, Oluwatobi Temitope, author; Ozbel, Mehmet E., advisor; Olbina, Svetlana, committee member; Atadero, Rebecca A., committee member
The construction industry contributes a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions to the environment. This highlights the need for this industry to implement sustainable practices to mitigate its negative effects. In the transportation sector of the construction industry, several transportation sustainability rating systems (TSRS) have been developed to measure and promote sustainability. However, studies show that these TSRS have not been developed within a consistent "sustainability scope". This raises the question of the consistency of these TSRS in measuring sustainability of transportation projects. This study assessed three prominent TSRS to determine how each measure sustainability with respect to the triple bottom line. The TSRS that are in the scope of this study are: ENVISION – a third-party rating system, INVEST – a self-assessed rating system and, GreenLITES – an in-house developed self-assessed rating system. The results show that these three rating systems assess and reward sustainability practices differently. Additionally, results suggest that it may be easier for a project to get awarded in GreenLITES compared to the other two TSRS. Notwithstanding all the above, a consistency was noted in all three rating systems in the Quality of Life/Social performance of projects. This study helps inform stakeholders in the transportation industry on how transportation projects perform when run through each of these rating systems. This will help stakeholders make informed decisions with respect to choosing one (or more) TSRS to assess their projects with and evaluating the results obtained from such TSRS.
Open Access
Comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) of precast and cast-in-place buildings in United States
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Vasishta, Tanmay, author; Mehany, Mohammed S. Hashem M., advisor; Killingsworth, John, committee member; Atadero, Rebecca, committee member
Precast construction is one of the growing construction methods for buildings across United States. Many tools have been used to assess environmental and economic impacts of the buildings. LCA and LCCA are one of the most widely used tools to evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of the buildings for their complete life cycle. The research aims to understand the life cycle environment impacts and costs over the complete life cycle for precast and cast-in-place building system. Cradle-to-grave approach was used to develop a framework for assessing the these impacts for precast and cast-in-place building systems constructed in United States through Open LCA software and NIST handbook for LCCA. The environmental impacts and costs associated with the four phases (raw material extraction and manufacturing, installation/construction, operation and demolition) of a precast building in United States were calculated and compared to cast-in-place building system. The research findings implicated that precast using sandwich panel building system had 21% lower life cycle costs (LCC) compared to cast-in-place building system. The construction phase and operation phase also had 38 % and 24% lower LCC compared to cast-in-place building systems. Additionally, lower life cycle environmental impacts towards nine environmental impact indicators were recorded for precast building systems. This study concluded that precast methodology has lower life cycle environmental and economic impacts than cast-in-place and is more sustainable construction method. The developed framework for LCA and LCCA could be applied to all concrete construction projects across the world and could be used as platform for conducting future LCA and LCCA studies as well. The research can also be used by practitioners to understand the phase-wise and total life cycle environmental and economic impacts of precast and further investigate to reduce these impacts.
Open Access
Comparing claims and disputes performance between traditional project delivery method and alternate project delivery methods
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Bashettiyavar, Gautham, author; Mehany, Mohammed S. Hashem M., advisor; Senior, Bolivar, advisor; Switzer, Ralph V., committee member
Claims and disputes are common in construction projects and the costs associated with these adversarial relationships can reach up to $4-12 billion per year. While previous studies have indicated that project delivery methods (PDMs) might impact the frequency and severity of claims and disputes on construction projects, none provided any empirical evidence to support this perception, especially as related to the claim types in different project delivery methods. To address this issue and explore the different variables that might affect claims and disputes among many other project performances metrics, this empirical study was initiated. Data was collected by distributing a questionnaire to Departments of Transportation (DOTs) across the transportation sector. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that while PDMs, procurement, and contractual methods have no significant impact on the claims and disputes performance, PDMs can impact other factors (e.g. contractor's performance and trust). These significant findings provide opportunities for further research in other areas such as trust and partnering, which were proven to strategically act as indirect mitigation practices to claims and disputes occurrence in construction projects. The research can also be used by practitioners to further understand the real reasons behind claims and disputes, avoid their triggers, and build a good model of trust for claims and disputes avoidance.
Open Access
Compressed earth block (CEB) construction: a viable building alternative for Olancho, Honduras
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Brown, Milt, author; Lopez Del Puerto, Carla, advisor; Nobe, Mary, committee member; Vaske, Jerry, committee member
The second deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, a category 5 Cape Verde tropical wave storm with sustained winds of 180 mph, named Hurricane Mitch, swept through the small country of Honduras in October of 1998. Across the country, the storm destroyed 33,000 houses, damaged 50,000 others, and destroyed 70-80% of the road infrastructure. Many countries and organizations responded to the immediate housing crisis to rebuild these homes in the more populated and accessible regions of Honduras. Survivors in the mountain regions, however, were left to rebuild on their own with limited resources and technology. This study investigated 30 residents of the region of La Union de Capapan to explore their acceptance of compressed earth block as an alternative building material to more conventional building methods utilized. The researcher collected participant responses through a convenience-sample questionnaire to determine attitudes, perceptions and knowledge of earth building techniques. Through this qualitative study it was expected that a theory about material selection, preferred building methods and attitudes towards them would emerge. The results indicated the majority of the survey population was receptive to CEB as an alternative method to current building practices and further expressed interest in learning more about this technology. A valid point has been made that earth construction done properly would be a viable building method in any culture for any economic class (Zumi, 2010).
Open Access
Cost of using building information modeling (BIM) in retrofit projects
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Odhyan, Gaurav Singh, author; Olbina, Svetlana, advisor; Nobe, Mary, committee member; Skiba, Hilla, committee member
Building information modeling (BIM) is a process that involves the creation and use of an n-dimensional model that can be used in the design, construction, and operation of a building. BIM is changing the process by which buildings are designed, constructed, and used by future generations. However, many owners require seeing quantitative measurements when discussing the benefits of BIM, and these benefits are difficult to quantify into a cost. Previous research has shown the benefits of BIM in new construction, but there is no sufficient research on the benefits of BIM in retrofit projects. BIM can assist in understanding existing buildings and executing the retrofit work. The research goal is to show owners and contractors the cost of using BIM in retrofit projects by comparing the cost benefits of implementing BIM with the fees required. This research provides a methodology to calculate and quantify the cost of using BIM on retrofit projects and evaluate whether BIM is a worthwhile investment for owners. There are three objectives of this research: 1. Identify the factors used in calculating the cost benefits of using BIM in retrofit projects. 2. Develop a systematic approach to cost analysis to quantify the cost benefits of using BIM in retrofit projects. 3. Perform a cost analysis to investigate whether there are economic benefits of using BIM compared to not using BIM for retrofit projects. A comprehensive literature review is conducted to understand the benefits of implementing BIM in construction projects. After determining the factors that could be used to quantify the benefits of using BIM in retrofit projects, a methodology is developed for the quantification of these benefits into a cost. The developed methodology is applied to a real-life retrofit project. The potential cost benefits of implementing BIM in this project are calculated based on measurable cost benefits associated with reduced change orders and reduced schedule overruns. A cost analysis has been performed using the cost benefits and the fees required for implementing BIM in a retrofit project. The research shows that the use of BIM has prevented five change orders in the real-life project. The change orders would have resulted in rework costs as well as schedule overruns. The cost of rework and penalties due to schedule overruns caused by the change orders are calculated. The cost analysis shows that in some scenarios the fee required to implement BIM is higher than the cost benefits of using BIM, and in some scenarios the fee required to implement BIM is lower than the cost benefits. In one of the scenarios, BIM has resulted in a loss of 59% of the fees required to implement BIM in the retrofit project, and in another scenario, BIM has resulted in a gain of 17%. This research attempts to analyze the cost related to the use of BIM in a retrofit project. The research results provide the owners and the general contractors with an estimate of the cost related to BIM use in the project.
Open Access
Current industry perceptions of the role of the contractor in the LEED certification process
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Loppnow, Stephen Wesley, author; Nobe, MaryEllen C., advisor; Dunbar, Brian H., committee member; Folkestad, James E., committee member
LEED certification has been rapidly adopted on the Front Range of Colorado as the primary green building rating system. LEED has required project teams and contractors to adopt new tasks and management activities in order to meet LEED requirements and owner expectations. It is understood that contractors are critical to successful implementation of the LEED process and ultimately meeting the LEED goals of a project. This research was designed to help determine what opportunities exist for contractors to better add value to the LEED process on future projects, and to identify differences among architects and designers, green building consultants and contractors in their perception of the contractor's role in LEED. A survey was distributed to building professionals with LEED experience on the Front Range of Colorado asking for feedback about the contractor's role, opportunities to add value and factors that may limit contractor success in LEED. Findings confirm that contractors have significant impact on the LEED process, and that there is opportunity for contractors to further add value to the process in the future. Also, that difference in perception of the contractor's role and contractor opportunity to add value does vary among the three main research groups: architects and designers, green building consultants and contractors. Key opportunities for contractors to better add value to the LEED process include: engagement in an integrated design process, taking on leadership in the LEED process, better LEED related cost estimating and management, better or expanded use of technology, better tracking tools and LEED management processes, and continuing education and LEED credentialing. Contractors and green building consultants often have closely aligned perception of the contractor's role in LEED, however each group showed variation in their perception of the contractor's role that was specific to their area of professional practice.
Open Access
Determining the items that structure bridge management components and their relative weights
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Johnson, Joshua F., author; Ozbek, Mehmet Egemen, advisor; Clevenger, Caroline, committee member; Atadero, Rebecca, committee member; Chen, Suren, committee member
Ensuring the optimal allocation of available resources between competing bridges is difficult, especially when considering a combination of factors such as continual age related deterioration, ever-increasing traffic demands, and limited resources to address preservation and improvement needs. Optimally allocating funding is crucial since bridges are an essential and expensive component of transportation networks. Bridge Management Systems (BMSs) are commonly used tools that aid managers and decision makers in establishing methods for optimizing available resources and determining how to distribute funds between competing bridges. Recently, NCHRP Synthesis 397 Bridge Management Systems for Transportation Agency Decision Making investigated how transportation agencies are using BMSs and the current state of bridge management practices. The report identified concerns of inadequacy and ineffectiveness with bridge management practices that base decisions solely on single value assessments such as Pontis' Bridge Health Index or the Sufficiency Rating, as found in the federally mandated National Bridge Inspection Standards. Given the critiques in the NCHRP report and other literature related to bridge management, it is evident there exists a need to pursue and develop alternative bridge management practices and systems. The overall purpose of this research is to investigate the concept of isolating the items used to make up a single rating or index in an effort to categorize them under distinct bridge management components such as structural condition, impact on public, and hazard resistance. Each bridge management component has a defined objective as follows: • Structural Condition - accurately access the structural adequacy of a bridge. • Impact on Public - evaluate how bridge attributes affect the traveling public. • Hazard Resistance - evaluate how bridge attributes and external factors affect the vulnerability of a bridge concerning the probability of an extreme event as well as the probability of failure during that event. The specific objectives of this research are (i) to identify the appropriate items that make up each of the aforementioned components and (ii) to determine the relative importance of those items as represented by weighting factors. To achieve these objectives, the researcher conducted a two-part survey seeking input from key bridge management personnel from State DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and other industry professionals and experts. The first part of the survey identified the appropriate items and the second part determined the relative importance of those items using a mathematical method called the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The primary contribution of this research is to provide bridge management engineers and decision-makers with effective bridge management components, with well-defined objectives and related items, which clearly identify and distinguish differences in bridge attributes that may go unnoticed when using a single rating or index. This will especially be useful for State DOTs and local agencies, like the Wyoming Department of Transportation, from which the motivation for this research was adapted, who are developing BMSs and methods customized to their particular needs. Upon establishing the bridge management components, by determining the items that make up the components and their relative weights, transportation agencies may utilize them in a variety of ways to conduct multi-criteria decision analyses that complement their current bridge management practices, which in turn may better illustrate the operation of bridges in their system. The total number of respondents was 47, of which 32 were from 29 different State transportation agencies. Of the 47 participants, only 27 contributed to the second part of the survey. A major finding of this research was a result of several participant remarks about with quantifying preservation and maintenance demands through the addition of a fourth bridge management component. The preservation and maintenance component encompasses items that are bridge elements, but may not contribute to the structural capacity of a bridge. Given the degree of influence of adding a fourth component, further research is recommend to confirm these findings and conclusions with a refined two-part survey similar to this research study and possibly interviews or focus groups.
Open Access
Development of a framework to determine the relative weights of contextual factors for complex highway projects
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Sinha, Akanksha, author; Ozbek, Mehmet E., advisor; Strong, Kelly C., committee member; Atadero, Rebecca, committee member
Traditional project management strategies for highway projects originated with the advent of new construction during the 1950s and 1960s focusing on three dimensions of complexity i.e. cost, schedule and technical (scope). But recently with the major focus shifting towards reconstruction/ rehabilitation projects, the project management strategies also need to shift to include other dimensions rather than perceiving them as risks. A paper by Winter and Smith (2006), "Rethinking Project Management", introduced five new directions to consider while preparing a risk management strategy for complex projects. Following this, a research was conducted by the Second Strategic Highway Research Program, R-10, to study the factors that impact the construction of complex highway projects. The primary outcome of the R-10 study was a five-dimensional approach to project management planning (5DPM) that adds context and financing as two new dimensions to the traditional dimensions of cost, schedule, and technical. Experience during the pilot testing of the 5DPM implementation suggested that the most complicated dimension to assess during the project management planning phase for a complex project is the context dimension which refers to the external factors that have an impact on the project and are difficult to predict and plan for before the start of the project. Currently there is no structured process for evaluating these factors and they are mostly perceived as risks. The R-10 research team identified 8 factor categories which are: stakeholders, project-specific demands, resource availability, environmental, legal and legislative requirements, global and national events, unusual conditions and localized issues and 26 factors under these categories which can cause complexity. The research developed a framework to identify the contextual factors relevant to each specific project and determine the relative weights of these contextual factors using a well-structured approach, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Two complex projects within the state of Colorado, U.S. 34 Rebuild and I-25 North Expansion project, were chosen to illustrate the implementation of the developed framework. The primary reason for selecting AHP method was the requirement of pairwise comparison of intangibles derived through the judgement of the experts in a structured mathematical method. The Group AHP was further performed to develop the overall ranking of the contextual factors as a group. The major finding of this study was that as a group, the US 34 Rebuild team valued procedural laws and land acquisition as the most important factor followed by work-zone visualization and marketing and public relations. For the I-25 team, the most important factor was procedural laws followed by limitations and constraints and project management capabilities. The most striking difference between the factor weights for both the projects was that the weights were more evenly distributed between factors for US-34, whereas for I-25, few factors had very high weights while few others had exceptionally low weights. This framework will enable the project management teams of complex highway projects to determine the relevant weights of the factors during the project management planning phase which can help them in making important decisions at the early stages of the project. Through the development of this framework, this study helps transportation agencies identify the contextual factors and prioritize them right from the start in a structured manner rather than perceiving them as risks for their projects.