Edward J. Jaselskis

Using Telepresence for Real-Time Monitoring of Construction Operations

AbstractThis paper discusses a novel approach related to monitoring construction projects in the field, allowing for site-based personnel to be reduced and expert opinions to be obtained without a physical site presence. The idea involves bonded streaming capability for live video and audio from mobile cameras anywhere on a construction site to team members located off site. True bonded wireless air card technology provides sufficient bandwidth to transmit high-quality video and audio transmissions. Remotely located team members can visually instruct and guide the operator of the portable video camera equipment around the site to accomplish their duties in a telepresent or virtual fashion (e.g.,xa0performing remote site safety inspections, progress updates, or quality inspections), thereby saving the time and cost of physical site visits. Numerous case studies using this approach were conducted on a variety of project types, including residential, commercial, and transportation. Results from user feedback i...

Construction Project Complexity: Research Trends and Implications

AbstractThe rapid growth of complex projects in the construction industry worldwide has triggered a growing number of studies over the past two decades, suggesting that understanding project comple...

Improving Hazard-Recognition Performance and Safety Training Outcomes: Integrating Strategies for Training Transfer

AbstractMost construction safety activities focus on managing identified hazards. Hazards that remain unrecognized, and as a result unmanaged, can potentially result in catastrophic and unexpected injuries. Therefore, proper hazard recognition is foundational to the success of any safety program. However, recent research has revealed that a large proportion of construction hazards remain unrecognized in construction projects. To improve hazard recognition performance, employers provide their workers with safety and hazard recognition training. Despite these efforts, desirable levels of hazard recognition have not been achieved, and the anticipated return on investment (ROI) from training has not been attained. Such failures in training efforts are partly because knowledge acquired through training programs is often not transferred or applied in the workplace. Subsequently, training efforts do not alter work practices or behavior once workers return to the field. Other reasons for training failure include ...

Improving Predictability of Construction Project Outcomes through Intentional Management of Indirect Construction Costs

AbstractIndirect construction costs (IDCC) comprise from as little as 10 to 40% or more of the total cost of construction projects, in part depending on the type and nature of the project. Yet, any location in this range represents a significant component of total project costs, which justifies the need to better understand and develop effective practices to estimate, control, and manage IDCC. When IDCC practices are not afforded intentional management and appropriate resources, key project performance outcomes are affected. As its unique contribution to the body of knowledge, this paper operationally defines IDCC, outlines certain innovative IDCC practices, and identifies statistically significant relationships between key IDCC practices and project outcome metrics. Empirical recommendations are premised upon data collected through testimonials, structured interviews, and brainstorming sessions of an extensive set of construction industry professionals. Statistical findings are based upon data collected ...

Development and Testing of a Personalized Hazard-Recognition Training Intervention

AbstractUnrecognized or unmanaged hazards can expose workers to unanticipated safety risk and can potentially result in catastrophic safety incidents. Unfortunately, recent research has demonstrate...

Industry practices for estimating, controlling and managing key indirect construction costs at the project level

A primary purpose of this on-going research sponsored by the Construction Industry Institute (CII) is to develop a strategic set of industry practices for estimation, control and management of indirect construction costs (IDCC) at the project level. Researchers conducted structured interviews with 56 subject matter experts to investigate and map widely adopted and novel practices, specifically addressing certain “key” groups of IDCC. The rich findings from these interviews have been aggregated into an instructional guidebook which includes empirical consideration checklists, comprehensive process flowcharts and practical tools. Eighty-nine percent of interviewees reported that project success can be improved through better handling of IDCC. This research seeks to fill this performance gap by enabling owners and contractor to easily adopt the recommended practices into standard operating procedures. To establish a shared vocabulary for IDCC, this paper summarizes literature pertaining to IDCC and proposes a two-part operational definition comprised of a lexical definition and a categorization framework. The findings are outlined from a contractor’s perspective and focus on costs most commonly incurred by construction companies at the project level. This paper presents a partial consideration checklist and a process flowchart for major construction equipment. Lastly, this paper describes the on-going validation methodology.

A review of the current knowledge and practice related to project progress and performance assessment

Assessment of true project progress and performance is of critical importance in the successful delivery of construction projects. Major challenges related to measuring project progress and performance are the lack of consistent, reliable, and objective metrics and indicators and the lack of appropriate interpretation of these data for establishing suitable corrective action plans. The objective of this paper is to provide a review of existing applied knowledge and practices pertaining to methods, metrics and indicators for progress measurement, performance assessment and forecasting, as well as performance influencing factors, evaluating the shortcomings of the current approaches, and providing recommendations for improvement. The findings of this paper are primarily based on a comprehensive literature review and limited discussions with industry experts in the following areas: (1) methods and metrics used for progress measurement, (2) metrics and indicators used for performance assessment and forecasting, and (3) other metrics that can influence project progress and performance (e.g., risk, safety, and quality). Several industry and academic publications are reviewed including the reports from the Construction Industry Institute (CII), guidelines developed by professional organizations (e.g. Project Management Institute, Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International), and scholarly publications. Industry experts serving on the CII research team (RT-322) also provide their insights. Based on the extensive review of the relevant literature, this paper identifies limitations of various measures, metrics and indicators across different project control levels. A framework depicting the current project control process is provided along with a gap analysis related to the problems associated with this approach.

Using Tele-engineering as a Tool to Reverse Engineer the Inka Road

Supported by a National Science Foundation, Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute (PASI) grant, two expeditions of multi-disciplinary researchers were made to the Andes Mountains of Peru and to the city of Cusco to reverse engineer the Inka Road. The objective was to identify sustainable engineering practices that apply to modern practice. Travel to the Inka Road in the highlands of South America is difficult; thereby creating a challenge for bringing together students, technical experts, and other interested parties for real-time information sharing and collaborative research. In order to meet this challenge, the research teams joined forces with the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian and streamed live interactive broadcasts from the cordillera of Peru to audiences in Washington D.C. Pioneering the use of satellite-based audio and video communication equipment, the on-location researchers were able to share and explain the physical conditions of the Inka Road with museum visitors and experts in real time. Participants at the Smithsonian were able to ask questions in an interactive, 2way dialogue with the field teams. On-site researchers were able to inquire of experts, located in different parts of the world, questions regarding possible Inka findings. The broadcasts from the Inka Road provide a proof of concept example of tele-engineering from a very extreme environment. This paper explains the teleengineering concept and how it was used to help reverse engineer the Inka Road. This approach has applicability in designing and constructing projects in remote locations where subject area specialists may not be locally available, but off-site, engineering experts can contribute to the project using tele-presence.

Working in Inter-Disciplinary, Multi-Cultural Teams: Lessons from the Field

As the construction industry continues to grow globally there is an increased demand for graduates who possess the skills necessary to work in inter-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams. These skills, while fostered in the classroom, require a contextual learning environment to allow students to personalize the information. Using a constructivist approach allows these skills to be acquired and improved over time. This type of learning environment was created during a field research project supported by a National Science Foundation, Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute (PASI) grant, where two teams of multi-disciplinary researchers traveled to areas of Peru to reverse engineer the Inka Road with the objective of identifying sustainable engineering practices. The teams consisted of engineers, architects, constructors, archeologists, anthropologists, historians, a music culturist, and a high school student. Additionally the team members were from three different continents representing seven different countries and were a mix of faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and industry professionals. The work undertaken required documenting engineering and construction practices of the ancient Inka Road and its associated structures, to include hydraulic channels, terraces, retaining walls, storage areas and ritual sites. While in the field the outcomes of the daily work was shared with an audience at the Smithsonian Institutes National Museum of the American Indian via live interactive satellite broadcasts. These broadcasts were also available over the internet. This required the teams to work cooperatively in an unpredictable physical and time constrained environment to ensure success of the broadcasts. Team members came to understand the challenges of working together with unfamiliar people speaking various languages and utilizing discipline specific terminology. This setting provided participants with the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of the skills required to be successful working in these types of teams. This paper examines the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of performing engineering research with inter-discipline, multi-cultural teams in a field environment.