Showing papers on "Project engineering published in 2009"

Quality Function Deployment Method and Its Application in Engineering Project Performance Evaluation

Abstract: The selection criteria and weights determining of performance indicators are difficult problems for engineering project performance evaluation. This paper introduces the quality function deployment method to engineering project performance evaluation and as well establishes the multi-stage model of house of quality. It starts with the survey which aims at finding out the demand from external customers and project contractor itself, and then combining with competitive analysismatrix, it selects the first class indicators and confirms their weights. Through the second phase of the house of quality the first class indicators are turned into the second class indicators. After discussing the correlation between first class indicators and second class indicators it calculates the weights of the final performance indicators. Finally, the article gives an example to interpret the way how to use the method.

Solving industry design problems using engineering technology and industrial design student teams

Abstract: Engineering Technology programs are typically located in departments and colleges focused primarily on science and engineering. Industrial Design programs are typically located in art departments. At Western Washington University, the Industrial Design program is located in the Engineering Technology department. Having Industrial Design students and faculty members in the Engineering Technology department encourages collaborations that achieve learning objectives improbable in engineering-only collaborations. The students learn skills unique to their discipline, but also increase their understanding of the challenges of the other discipline, communication skills, and ability to compromise in order to achieve a shared objective. Additionally, the students work in an environment that better replicates professional teams where designers and engineers are using concurrent engineering. Over the past three years, students from a Plastics Engineering Technology senior course and an Industrial Design junior course have worked together in small teams on industry-sponsored design projects. The course instructors utilized three very different approaches to these industry-sponsored design projects which resulted in different results.

Application study on integrated multi-objective optimization model of engineering project

Abstract: Time, cost, quality, and safety, with mutual influence, are the four major control items for project management. The best solution for a project is to achieve high quality with low cost in a proper time limit and without safe accident. Based on the comprehensive limitations above, an integrated optimization model is build up, which can balance the construction time-cost-quality-safety systematically in different risk level in order to archive the most satisfactory goals or several approximately perfect plans as alternatives. Through the optimizing the overall economic benefit of construction project is enhanced. Finally an instance, office building project, is carried out to show the validity of the model.

Model choosing method based-on variation coefficient and its application to project management of petrochemical engineering construction

Abstract: This paper provides a review of the related literatures on decision making indexes and methods for project management mode selection, and analyses the characteristics of petrochemical project construction, and further makes the comparison among the common management modes for petrochemical project at present and designs the corresponding mode selection indexes. A method of management mode selection for petrochemical project construction is presented, in which the index weight is determined based on variation coefficient method. Finally, an illustration is given through a case.

Going South: Analysis of an Historic Project Engineering Failure

Abstract: NASA’s successful conduct of the Apollo Program greatly enhanced the prestige of the United States and remains broadly accepted as America’s gift to all Manki nd. NASA’s accomplishments continue to amaze the world. With the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) Americans once again tasked NASA to carry out a project that is expected to provide in spiration and economic stimulus to the United States and to the world. In preparation NASA has thoroughly examined space program precedents. There is, however, another precedent which has not been examined in this context but whose scope and environment in many ways parallel the VSE. This project was initiated by a team that had, ten years before, successfully completed an effort that, at a cost of $173 billion (in 2008 dollars), had pushed the envelope of technology, brought economic growth, established their country as the world leader in engineering, and been broadly accepted as that country’s gift to all Mankind. The new project was again inspired by popular desire to enhance national prestige and make yet another major contribution to Humanity. This effort was predicted to require eight years and $156 billion (2008 dollars). However, afte r nine years and expenditures of 96% beyond the baseline, the project collapsed amid bankruptcy, political scandal, and criminal prosecution. This paper applies current project management metrics, such as earned value analysis, to review the strategic decisions in this historic failure and describe its ultimate colla pse. Key mistakes are identified, and lessons are drawn which may prove useful in guiding the VSE.

Study on the index system of performance evaluation of engineering projects

Abstract: Based on combination of related foreign theories and engineering practices in China, an index system of project performance evaluation, including quality of engineering projects, degree of customers' satisfaction, social benefits and considerations of environments, has been explored and constructed. Furthermore, we applied the index system of performance evaluation to some cases according to their actual situations. The effectiveness of the index system of engineering projects was confirmed.

PG&E's WaveConnect™ wave energy power pilot project: Engineering aspects

Abstract: Wave energy is perhaps the “youngest” of the major alternative energy systems currently being developed, even though the thought of using the raw power of the waves has attracted man for centuries. Initial developments of wave energy began in the 1970s in Scotland, with Stephen Salter and his Salter Duck. For Salter and others, a major issue in these early developments was survivability in extreme wave conditions. Several decades have now passed and new marine engineering knowledge on ocean survivability and technology has made its way into this new field. There are now multiple manufacturers of Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) systems who are working to gain market access and to get to sea trials. Most of the work has occurred in the last thirty years in Europe, with only a few sporadic efforts occurring in the United States. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the largest supplier of renewable energy and the utility with the most wave energy resource in its service territory in the United States, is in the planning phase for the development of WaveConnect, a wave energy pilot project to demonstrate the long-term viability of harnessing ocean wave energy for electricity generation on a commercial scale. This paper describes the genesis of the WaveConnect Demonstration Project, and identifies engineering challenges for the project.

Study on Performance Evaluation of Effects on Integration Management of Engineering Orojects

Abstract: Based on combination of related foreign theories and engineering practices in China, an index system of project performance evaluation has been explored and constructed. Furthermore, we applied the index system of performance evaluation to some cases according to their actual situations. The effectiveness of the index system of engineering projects was confirmed, and effect of integration management of engineering project was proved in practice

Development of project based learning techniques by the implementation of Information Technologies

Abstract: The Project Engineering Area of the University of Oviedo uses, in order to obtain an important part of its learning objectives, the development of practice projects by groups of students. This technique is called Project Based Learning (PBL). From the learning point of view, the objective of this technique is to promote the teamwork and to stimulate the realization and evaluation of technical judgment on projects related with every technical discipline. In this paper, a project of educational innovation sponsored by the University of Oviedo and developed during the period 2007-2008. Such Project aims to provide the students with the necessary tools to develop those activities through the use of information technologies and it is structured in two main blocks: firstly a set of tools for the complete management of Project teams has been customized and secondly a virtual library for the use of the students with previous Project examples was designed and installed.

Object-Oriented Petri Nets-Based Modeling of Resources in Project Engineering

Abstract: Project engineering is a domain where suitable formal models and tools are still needed. The paper presents a way how the dynamically instantiable, multilevel Petri nets can be applied in all significant processes of project engineering. The main emphasis is put on the resources modeling, simulation, and scheduling. We use the Object oriented Petri nets (OOPN) formalism which is a kind of multi-level Petri nets with a possibility to synchronize events at different levels. In the case of the project modeling domain, the first level corresponds to the project plans and the second level corresponds to the resources.

Managing globally distributed engineering teams: A case study on virtual industrial engineering

Abstract: Globally distributed engineering teams face particular challenges regarding collaboration and communication. Spatial, temporal and cultural distances force a virtual cooperation that must adequately enable idea mediation and decision making within engineering teams. Thus, the engineering management plays a central role and therefore has to react to support and govern those teams. On this perspective, this contribution shares fundamental insights, results, challenges, and implications derived from a nine-month engineering project between students from Stanford University and Hasso Plattner Institute, their focus user group, and their client principal-a leading German engineering enterprise conglomerate.

Fuzzy Integrative Evaluation on Highway Construction Progress Risk

Abstract: Highway construction progress risks not only influence the development of an enterprise, but also have a great impact on the national overall strength. This paper attempts to analyze construction progress risks of highway qualitatively and quantitatively from the perspective of theory and practice. The weight of each progress risk index could be obtained by using the analytic hierarchy process and entropy-weighted method, considering the expert’s credibility at the same time. Then the highway construction progress risk of overall highway project is analyzed by the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation theory, which can be used to assess highway construction progress risk objectively. The results show that it could improve the cognitive ability of risk management of highway engineering project construction.

Introducing a New Method to Predict the Project Time Risk

Abstract: Based on Statistics Learning theory, Support Vector Machine method is a data driven model which can comprehensively evaluate the problem studied, automatically find out the correlation and hidden variables between various factors in the process of learning from previous sample data of subject studied, yet not need to explicitly give mathematical model of the problem. Factors affecting the implementation of construction project are uncertainty and complicated, and there also exists complicated nonlinear relations between these factors and the project risk results output. This paper firstly expound the project time risk and the basic theory of support vector machine for regression, then makes a SVM model to predict the time risk of a project to be built according to some previous similar projects risk information. We aim to make sure of the final project time before the project is implemented. Case study turns out that this method is feasible and reliable.

A kite-based aerial imaging as a freshman engineering design project

Abstract: Freshman engineering design students were given the problem of seeking a kite-based lifting platform that incorporated a camera system for aerial imaging purposes. The unique nature of the assignment lies in its support of precision agriculture efforts on campus by reducing cost and difficulty of operation for an aerial imaging platform.

Notice of Retraction New Idea of Project Management: Research on Harmony Project Management Theory

Abstract: Harmony as well as win-win is the joint expectation of every project participant and also the goal of engineering project management. Presently, the project participants usually regard one another as opponents, which lead to the difficulty of efficiency decreasing and cost increasing. For this reason, the paper proposes a harmony project management theoretical system consisting of harmony theme, harmony basis, harmony operation and harmony evaluation. They are not independent but inter-associated and interactive and meanwhile each element plays its role around the harmony project management culture. The fundamental thought of this theory is as follows: first of all, analyzing the internal and external environment for attaining harmony theme to guide project management behavior; then formulating the concrete management tasks via discomposing harmony theme according to the seven basic elements of harmony basis; besides, fulfilling harmony project management in accordance with the idea of operational function.