Showing papers in "Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice in 2017"
TL;DR: The concept of sustainability is regarded to be threefold: environmental, economic, and social as discussed by the authors, which is usually identified as the triple bottom line of sustainability and is often represent as the
Abstract: The concept of sustainability is regarded to be threefold: environmental, economic, and social. This is usually identified as the triple bottom line of sustainability and is often represent...
70 citations
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors identified 22 specific collusive practices in Chinese construction projects based on a comprehensive literature review and a Delphi survey with 15 industry experts, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to prioritize the identified collusion practices in terms of their probability and severity.
Abstract: Collusion is of critical concern to the construction sector as it undermines free competition in the construction market. Given that previous research on collusive practices concentrates mainly on the bidding phase, this study extended the research focus to the entire construction period and aimed to investigate specific collusive practices in Chinese construction projects. A total of 22 specific collusive practices in Chinese construction projects were first identified based on a comprehensive literature review and a Delphi survey with 15 industry experts. Then, a questionnaire survey was conducted to prioritize the identified collusive practices in terms of their probability and severity. The survey results indicate that the primary collusive practices in Chinese construction projects are misrepresentation of qualification certificates, loose site supervision, misusing prequalification requirements, fake tendering, approval of the unnecessary change orders, collective collusive tendering by helping one another, the nomination of a particular supplier, issuing certified works falsely, and inflating tender price. The findings of the study not only provide a clearer picture of collusive practices in construction projects in China but also provide a better understanding of collusive practices in other emerging economies.
41 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an exploratory research was performed on a promising safety intervention concept, prevention through design (PtD), also known as designing for construction safety (DfCS), and the overall research goal was to increase understanding of the role that owners can play in adopting PtD on their capital projects.
Abstract: Exploratory research was performed on a promising safety intervention concept, prevention through design (PtD), also known as designing for construction safety (DfCS). The overall research goal was to increase understanding of the role that owners of constructed facilities can play in adopting PtD on their capital projects. A total of 65 face-to-face interviews and 79 anonymous surveys were completed at four case-study organizations in addition to 103 surveys completed online by members of national construction associations and organizations. Industry survey data indicate that while the majority of owner firm employees had not heard of PtD, they find the concept compelling and do not anticipate significant barriers to its implementation. Key empirical findings indicate that (1) an explicit PtD process is required for implementation; (2) proactive owner leadership and involvement are necessary to initiate PtD on a project; (3) owner leadership is required both to set high expectations for worker sa...
39 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the effects of contractual governance for promoting cooperation among construction participants in the construction industry, and found that it is one of the most effective mechanisms for building cooperation.
Abstract: Contractual governance is considered to be one of the most effective mechanisms for promoting cooperation among construction participants. This study investigates the effects of contractual...
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify the inducers of individuals' unethical behavior in the construction industry and propose a method to identify the individuals responsible for these inducers in a case study.
Abstract: The construction industry is experiencing more serious ethical problems than ever before. The objectives of this study are to (1) identify the inducers of individuals’ unethical behavior in...
31 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated the safety climate among ethnic minority (EM) construction workers in Hong Kong, to predict the impact of safety climate factors as they affect the likelihood of injury occurrences and to determine the relationships between safety climate and the safety performance of EM workers.
Abstract: The Hong Kong construction industry is facing a severe labour shortage due to an ageing workforce and a lack of new entrants, even at a time of construction boom. To improve this situation, ethnic minorities (EMs) have been attracted to join the construction industry. In many developed countries, however, some unofficial statistics show that EMs suffer higher fatality rates than their local counterparts. It is clear that the safety of ethnic minority (EM) construction workers requires more attention. The objectives of this study, therefore, were to evaluate the safety climate among EM construction workers in Hong Kong, to predict the impact of safety climate factors as they affect the likelihood of injury occurrences and to determine the relationships between safety climate and the safety performance of EM workers. A questionnaire survey was administrated to Pakistani and Nepalese construction workers in Hong Kong. The results revealed that the overall average safety climate score for both EM groups was not very high and that the Pakistani worker scores were higher than the Nepalese worker scores. EM frontline-workers scored less than EM supervisors and managers. Among seven safety climate factors, "Workers personal involvement in safety and health (F5)" was ranked highest and "Perception of safety rules and regulations (F4)", was ranked lowest. "Risk taking behaviour and perception of work risk (F3)" and "Workers personal involvement in safety and health (F5)" were identified as significant predictors of injury occurrence. Furthermore, the safety climate was significantly associated with the degree of safety participation and safety compliance. It was expected that the findings of the study would provide an insight into the level of safety climate among EM workers, enabling organizations and practitioners around the world to improve safe working among EM workers.
31 citations
TL;DR: The Delphi technique was used to identify relevant modeling and simulation practices required in present-day workplace engineering and identified 37 experts divided into two groups.
Abstract: This study used a Delphi technique to identify relevant modeling and simulation practices required in present-day workplace engineering. Participants consisted of 37 experts divided into tw...
24 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the impact of a learning-cycle-based sustainability module on students' conceptual understanding of sustainability in two varying institutional contexts and found that the module was integrated into the first course in the capstone design sequence at James Madison University, where sustainability was incorporated throughout the curriculum.
Abstract: Because engineers are responsible for the design phase of projects where decisions impacting sustainability are most effectively made, it is important to ensure that students are equipped with the necessary conceptual knowledge to engage in sustainable design. Consequently, undergraduate engineering curricula are being reformed to address sustainability-related concepts and topics. In addition, previous work has demonstrated that beyond curricular content, innovative pedagogical approaches are also important for enhancing student learning. The goal of this work was to examine the impact of a learning-cycle-based sustainability module on students’ conceptual understanding of sustainability in two varying institutional contexts. The module was integrated into the first course in the capstone design sequence at James Madison University, where sustainability was incorporated throughout the curriculum. The module was also integrated into a capstone design course at the Georgia Institute of Technology, ...
18 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the career interests and experiences of socially engaged engineers and find that females are disillusionment with community development engineering work and practitioners' strategies to find more personally meaningful work.
Abstract: Engineers that are actively engaged with both the social and technical dimensions of engineering work—socially engaged engineers—offer diversity in skill sets, values, and characteristics to the engineering workforce. This diversity can help the engineering profession better address complex global challenges. Despite the value of socially engaged engineers, the field lacks understanding about the career interests and experiences of these engineers. This study investigates EWB-USA members as a case of socially engaged engineers to explore engineering students’ career interests and practicing engineers’ career intentions and experiences. Using mixed-methods and a lens of meaningful work, this study compares differences between EWB-USA members and nonmembers. Findings indicated two main trends among EWB-USA members: females’ disillusionment with community development engineering work and practitioners’ strategies to find more personally meaningful work. This paper discusses why and how these findings...
18 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe beliefs related to human-caused climate change and predictors of these beliefs among students intending to pursue civil engineering, based on a nationally distributed survey.
Abstract: This article describes beliefs related to human-caused climate change and predictors of these beliefs among students intending to pursue civil engineering. Based on a nationally distributed...
18 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the design of an experimental experience in the classroom based upon digital fabrication and modeling tools related to structural dynamics is presented, where all experimental deployments are conceived with low-cost, open-source equipment.
Abstract: In engineering, traditional approaches aimed at teaching concepts of dynamics to engineering students include the study of a dense yet sequential theoretical development of proofs and exercises. Structural dynamics are seldom taught experimentally in laboratories since these facilities should be provided with expensive equipment such as wave generators, data-acquisition systems, and heavily wired deployments with sensors. In this paper, the design of an experimental experience in the classroom based upon digital fabrication and modeling tools related to structural dynamics is presented. In particular, all experimental deployments are conceived with low-cost, open-source equipment. The hardware includes Arduino-based open-source electronics whereas the software is based upon object-oriented open-source codes for the development of physical simulations. The set of experiments and the physical simulations are reproducible and scalable in classroom-based environments.
TL;DR: The construction industry frequently offers an unwelcoming environment for women, and those who do manage to enter have high rates of turnover and abandonment as discussed by the authors, and women often find it difficult to seek employment in the construction industry.
Abstract: The construction industry frequently offers an unwelcoming environment for women, and those who do manage to enter have high rates of turnover and abandonment. Within this scenario, this re...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the effectiveness of flipped teaching for civil engineering students in a water resources course and found that students were generally willing to participate in the flipped learning activities in order to promote higher-order cognitive skills.
Abstract: The concept of the flipped classroom, where the lecture is moved outside the classroom with the help of technology and learning activities occur inside the classroom, was recently introduced into college-level courses. Such a form of learning is expected to provide an excellent platform for organizing innovative classroom activities in which higher-order cognitive skills for interdisciplinary learning are introduced. However, engineering programs have lagged behind other fields in integrating blended learning into curricula. In this case study, the effectiveness of flipped teaching for civil engineering students in a water resources course was assessed. One section of the course was delivered online and was provided to students before class. In-class activities were designed to promote higher-order cognitive skills. Formative and quantitative assessments were designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped teaching approach. This case study found that students are generally willing to partic...
TL;DR: In this article, a review of the literature reflecting the owners' and the contractors' perspectives and an analysis of the conflicting impacts of bid unbalancing on the owner and the contractor is presented.
Abstract: Unbalanced bidding continues to be a controversial issue in the literature as well as in actual competitive bidding practices. Although a considerable amount of the past research advocated unbalanced bidding and viewed it as a legitimate bidding strategy, public bidding regulations discourage this practice and may disqualify unbalanced bids as nonresponsive offers. In an attempt to ease the controversy and present for the first time a balanced perspective on unbalanced bidding, this paper examines the two conflicting perspectives and conducts a review of the literature reflecting the owners’ and the contractors’ perspectives and an analysis of the conflicting impacts of bid unbalancing on the owner and the contractor. The root causes of disagreement around this practice are discussed and criteria are suggested that draw a line between acceptable and unacceptable bid unbalancing. The proposed criteria seek equitable risk-sharing between owners and contractors and are expected to minimize the ambigu...
TL;DR: In this paper, an extensive search of the literature revealed that little research on project complexity has been carried out, and the objective of the study was to identify the most complex and challenging projects.
Abstract: Although construction is a complex and challenging process, an extensive search of the literature revealed that little research on project complexity has been carried out. The objective of ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed and validated a quantitative survey instrument as well as ranked the importance of the five previously identified themes: initiative/confidence, communication, interpersonal interactions, teamwork, and engagement.
Abstract: There is a strong demand signal from the engineering industry for entry-level engineers to possess both technical skills and leadership skills. Limited research has been performed to define what companies mean by leadership when included in a job description. Building on findings of a previous study, this study developed and validated a quantitative survey instrument as well as ranked the importance of the five previously identified themes: initiative/confidence, communication, interpersonal interactions, teamwork, and engagement. This survey instrument enables researchers to study the demands for leadership by engineering employers and to examine the differing demands across engineering fields. Furthermore, understanding which themes are most important for new graduates to possess can inform engineering educators in creating, developing, and refining leadership education for engineers.
TL;DR: This paper presents a meta-modelling framework that combines BIM and mobile technology to provide real-time information about the construction industry and provides insights into the management of large-scale construction projects.
Abstract: Building information modeling (BIM) and mobile technology have become an important aspect of managing successful construction companies In order to ensure that students graduating from con
TL;DR: As continued globalization of the world's economic, environmental, and societal interactions strains the planet to meet anthropogenic demands, universities are striving to integrate sustainably and adaptively as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: As continued globalization of the world’s economic, environmental, and societal interactions strains the planet to meet anthropogenic demands, universities are striving to integrate sustain...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors conducted a study on student-developed games to assess student learning and found that games can help students to learn and improve their performance in a variety of tasks.
Abstract: Although the use of games to help students learn is explicit in the literature, little research has been conducted on student-developed games to assess student learning. The objective of th...
TL;DR: Simulations are one of the new pedagogical tools that are presented as supplementary materials in higher education as mentioned in this paper, and many fields, such as aviation, medical science, and business, are incorpo...
Abstract: Simulations are one of the new pedagogical tools that are presented as supplementary materials in higher education. Many fields, such as aviation, medical science, and business, are incorpo...
TL;DR: In the fall of 2014, the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) launched a new interdisciplinary graduate program in the Department of Civil Engineering as mentioned in this paper called the Construction Engineering Program (CEP).
Abstract: In the fall of 2014, the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) launched a new interdisciplinary graduate program in the Department of Civil Engineering. The mission of the Construction ...
TL;DR: The use of design courses in leading learners in to and out of liminal space, and in particular the Group Design Projects on the Imperial Civil Engineering MEng degree are discussed in this paper.
Abstract: 1 Liminality is presented as a concept familiar to engineering educators, researchers and 2 designers, as a state of challenge and discomfort that we must flux in and out of in order 3 to advance our respective aims. Common areas for discussion in familiarising engineering 4 learners with liminality are sought. Threshold concepts, divergent-convergent thinking, and 5 the concept of design, research and education as iterative processes associated with breaking 6 in and out of liminal space are explored. The duality of learning is discussed through the 7 acquisition and participation metaphors. The use of design courses in leading learners in 8 to and out of liminal space, and in particular the Group Design Projects on the Imperial 9 Civil Engineering MEng degree are discussed. In closing the informed creative, as opposed 10 to routine design process, viewed from an engineering and a psychology perspective is briefly 11 characterised, along with the skills and experiences that the engineering community would 12 wish engineering graduates to have. 13
TL;DR: In this paper, a questionnaire survey of 149 contractors' and consultants' perceptions of B2G guanxi in terms of its importance, mode of establishment, and impact on infrastructure bidding in China's eastern coastal cities was conducted.
Abstract: Guanxi is the Chinese word for personal relationships or connections. Infrastructure project procurement in China is dominated by the government, and the entire tendering and bidding process is subject to administrative control in which business-to-government (B2G) guanxi is thought to have a significant impact. To date, however, little is known of its impact and perception in infrastructure procurement. This paper aims to bridge this research gap through a questionnaire survey of 149 contractors’ and consultants’ perceptions of B2G guanxi in terms of its importance, mode of establishment, and impact on infrastructure bidding in China’s eastern coastal cities. The results indicate that over half of the respondents surveyed consider B2G guanxi to have important benefits for current practice whereas others hold different perceptions. Four groups of perspectives are identified by K-means cluster analysis, ranging from a low/moderate perception of B2G guanxi (48%) to passive-high/positive-high (52%). A chi-square test suggests the differences between groups is attributable to the types of organizations involved, with contractors and quantity surveying consultant organizations placing significantly more emphasis on the benefits and establishment of B2G guanxi. Finally, the current informal tendering and bidding processes in China are questioned as a contributing factor and suggestions are made for increased government and legislative intervention, leading to a greater emphasis by bidders on improving their technical and management capacity in order to develop their competitive advantage in the market.
TL;DR: In addition to infrastructure and regulatory controls, safe drinking water systems require effective institutional arrangements and governance to sustain services and guard against failures as mentioned in this paper, which can be found in this paper.
Abstract: In addition to infrastructure and regulatory controls, safe drinking water systems require effective institutional arrangements and governance to sustain services and guard against failures...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduce the theoretical construct of self-regulated learning (SRL) and the effective pedagogies of cultivating SRL skills from educational research findings, present a novel instructional framework and its procedures to support students' SRL skill development, and reports its implementation outcomes in civil engineering curricula at a minority-serving institution.
Abstract: The new ASCE Vision and Body of Knowledge embraces the attitude toward and skills of lifelong learning, indicating the need of acquiring self-regulated learning (SRL) skills. Although civil engineering education has primarily focused on instilling technological knowledge to students, less attention has been paid toward offering deliberate training for nurturing such required high-order skills based on how people learn. This paper introduces the theoretical construct of SRL and the effective pedagogies of cultivating SRL skills from educational research findings, presents a novel instructional framework and its procedures to support students’ SRL skill development, and reports its implementation outcomes in civil engineering curricula at a minority-serving institution. The key instructional strategy is to integrate the prompted self-assessment with the course learning tasks into the students’ learning processes. Its effect has been evaluated through the feasible assessment practice. Assessment resu...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used narrative and thematic analysis to extract 17 insolvency criteria of S&M CEFs and the underlying factors using mixed methods, including economic recession, immigration, too many new firms springing up, collecting receivables and burden of sustainable construction.
Abstract: Construction industry insolvency studies have failed to stem the industry’s high insolvency tide because many focus on big civil engineering firms (CEF) when over 90% firms in the industry are small or micro (S&M). This study thus set out to uncover insolvency criteria of S&M CEFs and the underlying factors using mixed methods. Using convenience sampling, storytelling method was used to execute interviews of 16 respondents from insolvent firms. Narrative and thematic analysis were used to extract 17 criteria under 2 groups. Criteria were used to formulate questionnaire of which 81 completed copies were received and analysed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and relevance index score for reliability and ranking respectively. The five most relevant criteria are: economic recession, immigration, too many new firms springing up, collecting receivables and burden of sustainable construction. The 4 underlying factors established through factor analysis are: market forces, competence-based management, operations efficiency and other management issues and information management. The factors were in line with Mintzberg’s and Porters’ strategy theories. Results demonstrate that insolvency factors affecting big and small CEF can be quite different and sometimes, even opposite. This research will provide a unique resource on the ‘beware’ factors for potential owners of S&M CEF. The criteria are potential variables for insolvency prediction models for S&M CEFs.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors applied the industry-recognized schedule quality metrics to baseline schedules used for higher-education capital facility projects at the University of Texas at Austin, to understand the current quality of baseline schedule, identify problems, and provide recommendations for future higher education capital facility project projects.
Abstract: The keys to capital facility project success are developing a sound project plan or schedule and then carrying out the project according to the plan. The construction industry, however, has major difficulties accomplishing schedule goals, and construction professionals struggle to develop reasonable baseline schedules. The objective of this paper is, by applying the industry-recognized schedule quality metrics to baseline schedules used for higher-education capital facility projects at the University of Texas at Austin, to understand the current quality of baseline schedule, identify problems, and provide recommendations for future higher-education capital facility projects. The evaluation results show that among 49 collected industry-recognized metrics, all the projects passed 27 metrics, with one project failing to pass all of the remaining 22 of the 49 metrics. The industry should pay particular attention to the following commonly occurring issues when developing a baseline schedule: (1) dividi...
TL;DR: This paper conducted a survey of new civil engineering students at a large, conservative, land-grant university to determine their opinions on the relative importance of sustainability in the professional practice of engineering and found that most students viewed sustainability favorably, with nearly all agreeing (43% or strongly agreeing (55%) with the statement "engineers should strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their duties".
Abstract: This study presents the results of a survey of new civil engineering students at a large, conservative, land-grant university. Students were asked a set of questions about engineering ethics and professional issues; these were designed to determine their opinions on the relative importance of sustainability in the professional practice of engineering. Of 192 students approached, 130 (67%) completed the survey, with participant demographics resembling that of the department as a whole. Students viewed sustainability favorably, with nearly all agreeing (43%) or strongly agreeing (55%) with the statement “engineers should strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their duties.” When asked to rank a set of societal priorities, students valued people-centric objectives (e.g., quality of human life) most highly followed by planet-centric objectives (e.g., quality of the environment). Prosperity-centric objectives (e.g., economic growth) were rated the lowest. ...