Ibrahim Abotaleb

Social Network Analysis Approach for Improved Transportation Planning

AbstractSocial network analysis (SNA) is a well-established methodology for investigating networks through the use of mathematical formulations abstracted from graph theory. It has been successfully used in social sciences to evaluate how individuals and institutions are affected by societal or professional networks, and it has been applied to some civil and construction engineering applications where a network’s main actors are people or organizations controlled by people. Current transportation analysis tools are expensive and time consuming, and require rigorous data for reliable results. Accordingly, a quick and inexpensive methodology to preliminarily analyze traffic networks is beneficial to better direct more detailed transportation analyses. Because of its ability to grasp the full complexity and connectivity of networks in a timely and cost effective manner, SNA can fulfill this requirement. Mathematically speaking, social networks are very close to transportation networks because they share fund...

Identifying the most critical transportation intersections using social network analysis

ABSTRACT Traffic congestion negatively impacts our society. Most of the traditional transportation planning techniques – though effective – require rigorous amounts of data and analysis which consumes time and resources. This paper uses social network analysis (SNA) to analyze transportation networks, and consequently corroborate the effectiveness of SNA as a complementary tool for improved transportation planning. After creating the connection between the language and concepts of SNA and those of transportation systems – as well as developing a model that utilizes different SNA centrality measures within the transportation context – the authors utilize SNA to investigate traffic networks in three case studies in the state of Louisiana, analyze the results and draw conclusions. To this effect, with minimal cost and time, the model identifies the most critical intersections that should be further investigated using traditional techniques. These results are in agreement with the findings of Louisiana’s Department of Transportation and Development.

Administering Employers’ Payment Obligations under National and International Design–Build Standard Forms of Contract

AbstractIt is well-established that disputes have adverse effects on cost, delivery dates, and quality of construction projects. Studies have shown that poor contract administration is yet the lead...