Using Four-Wheel Carts in The Roofing Trade This animation is based on the real-life story of a roofing apprentice who left the industry after getting injured while overcoming a poorly-setup ramp with a material cart. Three scientific, evidence-based solutions are provided to inform supervisors how a similar incident can be prevented through ergonomic workplace layout and task pre-planning. The moral of the Tortoise and the Hare is embedded in the animation to encourage supervisors to become thoughtful leaders, creating a…
Category: News
Slow and steady wins the safety race!
Using Four-Wheel Carts in the Roofing Trade: This animation recreates the real-life story of a roofer who ruptured his Achilles tendon while maneuvering a heavily loaded cart. Three solutions are recommended with embedded scientific evidence showing that even a simple solution like team pulling could have prevented this injury. The moral of the Tortoise and the Hare is embedded in the animation to remind audiences to pay attention to the danger of ergonomic hazards.
National Academy of Construction: Ask Me Anything series
The National Academy of Construction (NAC) will hold three Ask Me Anything (AMA) webinars for high school and college students with interest in the design & construction industry. Each AMA features one NAC member who will discuss their careers and answer questions from students. Students who submit a question are eligible to win one of three $500 scholarships. Faculty: Please register your class using the NAC AMA Class Registration Form. Students: Please register using the NAC AMA Student Registration Form. Jeff Russell Vice…
Dynamic production scheduling model under due date uncertainty in precast concrete construction.
Journal of Cleaner Production 257, 120527 Abstract: Precast concrete structures (PCs) are widely used in the construction industry to reduce project delivery times and improve quality. On-time delivery of PCs is critical for successful project completion because the processes involving precast concrete are the critical paths in most cases. However, existing models for scheduling PC production are not adequate for use in dynamic environments where construction projects have uncertain construction schedules because of various reasons such as poor labor productivity,…
Impact of Empowering Front-Line Managers on Planning Reliability & Project Schedule Performance
Journal of Management in Engineering 36 (3), 04020004 Abstract: This study applies empowerment theory to production planning at the level of frontline managers in a construction project. Using structural equation modeling, we investigate how empowering frontline managers impacts their planning performance. In contrast to prior studies, we find that although psychological empowerment of frontline managers has no direct effect on their production planning reliability or scheduling performance, it has an indirect effect on planning reliability and scheduling performance, as long…
Impact of Make-Ready Process on Project Cost Performance in Heavy Civil
Production Planning & Control 30 (13), 1064-1071 Abstract: The research investigates the relationship between the production plan reliability and the project cost performance using project data in the heavy civil construction sector. The research also investigates the attributes of a make-ready process using statistical analysis. This study shows that production planning reliability (i.e. Per cent Constraint Removal (PCR) and Per cent Plan Complete (PPC)) and project cost performance (CPI) are significantly correlated in the heavy construction projects. The findings show…
Prevention through Design (PtD) for Solar-Ready Houses
Supported by CPWR–The Center for Construction Research and Training (https://www.cpwr.com/), a UW CM research team recently completed a funded study regarding Prevention through Design (PtD) for Solar. The team consisted of Prof. Hyun Woo “Chris” Lee (PI), Prof. John Gambatese (Co-PI, Oregon State University), and Yohan Min (UW PhD student researcher). The study aims to support designers to apply PtD to new solar-ready houses by providing an easy-to-use PtD design checklist and BIM models. More information can be found in…
Professor Dossick receives Pathfinder Award
The Engineering Project Organization Society presented Prof. Carrie Dossick with the Pathfinder Award on June 27, 2019, at their annual conference in Vail, Colorado. This is the highest honor of the society, and it is in recognition of work with high impact and influence. Professor Dossick reflects that, “It was very meaningful for me to get this recognition. I hold this community in very high regard and they push me to do my best scholarship. They have also given me to courage…
Digital Fabrication for Concrete Formwork
Project Funded by: Turner Construction CERC Applied Research Fellowship Faculty Advisor: Carrie Sturts Dossick Ph.D. Canddiate: Sadra Fardhosseini Turner Partners: Renzo DiFuria, Sean Beatty “Digital fabrication is an emerging approach to transforming design to physical products. While a number of studies have been carried out to highlight the use of digital technologies in construction, there is still a dearth of studies focused on design-to-fabrication workflows for concrete formwork in construction projects. In response, the overarching goal of this study is…
Lean and Safety Manual
On June 6, Professor Chris Lee presented a “Lean and Safety Manual” to AGC (Associated General Contractors) member companies at the AGC-WA Building. Funded by WA State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), the manual is the final product of his research project, entitled “Develop a Lean Practice Manual for Improving the Safety of Electrical Construction Workers”. This project specifically aimed to identify best practices when implementing lean construction techniques and tools to improve worker safety, as applicable to electrical contractors. View the…