Showing papers by "David Grau published in 2011"

Damage Study and Future Direction for Structural Design Following the Tuscaloosa Tornado of 2011

Abstract: David O. Prevatt, Ph.D., P.E., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL John W. van de Lindt, Ph.D., University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL Andrew Graettinger, Ph.D., University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL William Coulbourne, P.E., Applied Technology Council, Rehoboth Beach, DE Rakesh Gupta, Ph.D., Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR Shiling Pei, Ph.D., P.E., South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD Samuel Hensen, P.E., Simpson Strong Tie, Pleasanton, CA David Grau, Ph.D., University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

A Framework to Automatically Monitor the Position of Site Resources with Low-Accuracy Estimates

Abstract: Large productivity drawbacks have been historically related to the inefficient flow of site resources. Increments in accrued costs and time and safety incidents result from the flow or movement of resources across the job sites. Even though the importance of this problem, there is not data to characterize the unnecessary movement of site resources. This fact is a consequence of the overwhelming burden that such characterization would give rise to with traditional control techniques based on human observations and paper based records. Currently, though, large contractor organizations have started to take slow but seemingly decided steps towards a more visible control of their site resources with infrastructure-less tracking approaches that result in low-accuracy locations. Efficiently identifying the movement of site resources throughout the job site with low-accuracy location estimates results in a non-trivial problem that cannot be properly solved using deterministic or classic probabilistic approaches. Instead, the author proposes an innovative approach based on the adoption of belief reasoning functions. In this approach, a resource is believed to actually be in a new set coordinates if and only if t he sum of conflicting values as a result of intersecting pairs of confidence circles centered in the last and predecessor coordinated estimates exceeds a pre-defined threshold of uncertainty. The quantitative approach is validated against empirical observations. The results indicate that the proposed method efficiently detects the actual movement of resources on the job site and correctly filters location uncertainties.

Influence of offshore outsourced structural design processes on construction operations

Abstract: This manuscript reports the findings of a research endeavor that has characterized the process to deliver detailed workshop and erection design documents for steel structures when outsourced to offshore design service providers, and has assessed the influence of these design processes on construction operations. The study has considered all aspects (organizational, transactional, and resource-based) of the structural design process among the key participants, i.e. owner, contractor, designer, and manufacturer. However, only the findings at the interface between design and construction are presented in this manuscript due to space constraints. An exploratory case study methodology was undertaken and ethnographic data from US client and Indian vendor companies was collected. As part of this ethnographic data collection, interview data comprising 23,000 words was coded to identify the constructs that characterize offshore outsourced structural design processes. Several shortcomings currently characterize these design processes. For instance, the inefficient use of design technologies penalizes the communication of design information between the involved participants. These inefficiencies frequently result in undetected clashes between the structural members and facility/building components (such as building services) that need to be identified and resolved at the job site at the expense of increased construction costs and extended completion times. In addition, the inefficient exchange of design information among participants result in excessive and time consuming design revisions that frequently extend design and construction schedules. To this date, past research efforts have investigated primary (architectural) offshore outsourced design processes but have, for the most part, omitted offshore outsourced structural design processes.

Lessons learned on the redesign of content and learning strategies for an introductory course to construction in civil engineering

Abstract: David Grau is an Assistant Professor at The University of Alabama. Recently, his work in the field of engineering education has focused on investigating the barriers and opportunities for the integration of best construction engineering practices into the curricula of higher education colleges and universities in North America. In addition, Dr. Grau has investigated the impact of a continuous training program in the discipline of construction engineering on the learning and work behavior of practicing engineers in the construction workforce. Currently, he investigates the effect of a novel program to increase the retention of first-year undergraduate students enrolled in an engineering college. The program also aims at increasing engineering student success, enhancing the sense of community and belonging by the students, and improving the transfer of knowledge in the engineering disciplines. In order to succeed in his research endeavors, Dr. Grau frequently collaborates with social scientists and educators. Prior to his academic career, he worked for more than seven years both leading an engineering department and managing complex industrial projects in South and Central America, and Europe. He is a registered Industrial Engineer in Spain and holds both a M.S. and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.