Screaming Structures
As any designer of roller coasters will tell you, civil engineering principles put the thrills and screams into roller coasters. There are two basic differences between roller coaster...
Creative Application of Materials Engineering
Society's demand for an aesthetically pleasing and safe constructed environment, along with the construction industry's higher and higher costs, dictate that...
Affordable Housing and the Civil Engineer
The Joint Venture for Affordable Housing (JVAH) Demonstration. Program accomplished the goal and reduced the first time cost of housing by up to 30% through the use of innovative methods...
Contractability?Recent Concepts in Contracting
Owners are customizing project delivery systems by uniquely aligning service agreements and construction contracts. Seeking more productive ways to construct facilities, owners currently...
A Model Cost Comparison Between Construction Management and General Contracting
This paper presents a model cost comparison between general contracting and construction management in a typical mid-rise 5-10 story office building. The model separates cost of construction...
Building Commissioning
In order to detect and correct defects in a timely, cost effective manner, HVAC system commissioning has recently been used as part of building construction. Preliminary evidence suggests...
Metro Project Implementation?The Early Stages
Metro (the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle) is a federation of governments in King County, Washington which is responsible for regional public transportation and waste water collection...
Getting the Most From Engineering Consultant
The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission ('LACTC') has embarked upon a 150 mile rail transit construction program within Los Angeles County. A program...
Selection of Consultants for Municipal Water/Wastewater Projects
The City of Dallas, Texas Water Utilities Department is responsible for the design and construction of all needed water and wastewater facilities including treatment plants, pump stations,...
Highway Project Constructability
Results from on-going research into highway project constructibility are discussed. Research objectives and methods are outlined. Prime constructibility objectives are presented along...
A Construction Lawyer Looks at the Legal Aspects of Constructability
The purpose of this article is to set the legal and contractual frame of reference of constructibility by discussing some of the major factors which give to legal disputes or bad jobs...
Project Constructability?A Contractor's View
This paper addresses a contractor's view of what can be done to improve project constructibility from the design through the actual construction of the project. It addresses...
Specification as a Requirement for Hot Mix Asphalt
A brief description of the current national research programs that affect the development of specifications is included in this paper. Elements of the Strategic Highway Research Program...
Specifications and Constructibility
The article discusses these and other aspects of the subject, including training programs for inspectors and project managers, research/development and pilot testing of new products, methods...
Utilization of Specifications
Project specifications need to be practical, enforceable, and above all must be clear and specific enough to enable any competent builder to understand them, bid on them and carry them...
An Effective Cost Control System
Project budgeting consists of converting the capital cost estimate into accountable cost centers by physical or process area and classifications of work. The primary purpose of the project...
The Cost of Quality: A Management Tool
In design and construction of engineered facilities, the cost of quality is a major cost item; perhaps exceeding one fourth the total installed project cost. A simple, flexible Quality...
Tunnel Maintenance Operations
Maintenance considerations during both the design and operational phases are very important to good tunnel maintenance. The use of proper materials able to withstand the rigorous environment...
Maintenance on Underground Subway Construction
The paper discusses maintenance the three types of subway construction in the Bag Area Rapid Transit system: cut and cover, driven tunnel, and prefabricated subaqueous railroad tube. Specialized...
Mobilization for a Construction Project in an Urban Environment
Mobilization by a contractor for the construction of a major project must consider four basic objectives: efficient work performance, owner satisfaction, site safety, and minimal community...
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