Kelly Strong

Retaining Women Students in a Construction Engineering Undergraduate Program by Balancing Integration and Identity in Student Communities

A key to student retention and satisfaction is to provide mechanisms that integrate the students into a program or profession yet still preserve and develop key identity factors important to the students. Integration involves common values, shared goals, uniform curricula, and linkages to upperclass students, alumni, and industry partners. Identity is generally developed through involvement with extracurricular student groups, such as Women In Construction, Emerging Green Builders, and Society of Women Engineers. Providing a student experience that offers a balance between integration and identity will be effective in recruiting and retaining women students while maintaining rigorous academic and professional standards required by accrediting agencies and industry advisory boards. This article presents the results of a structured system of both curricular and extracurricular activities implemented at a large Midwestern university to retain women undergraduate students in a construction engineering program. Implementing a first year learning community, hiring women faculty and staff, and creating student groups and functions tailored specifically to women have all contributed to significant increases in women student enrollments.

Complex governance system issues for transportation renewal projects

The use of public–private partnerships (PPPs) is growing in the United States in response to reductions in funding combined with an aging highway transportation infrastructure. Many other countries have longer experience with PPP and a greater understanding of the issues surrounding their use. The main governance issues to be addressed in PPPs deal with risk-sharing, relationships, contracts, and legal framework, and standard processes within dedicated organizational units. These governance issues are examined in the context of a case study for the US 36 Phase II PPP in Colorado. Findings suggest that for the US Phase II project, governance issues are resolved through more relational forms than prescriptive contractual language. Colorado has established a dedicated organizational unit to facilitate the use of PPPs, but there exist no standards or best practices in the United States for procurement, concession terms, or risk-sharing.

Guide to Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects

The research scope of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Renewal Project R10, Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects, involved the development of this guide, as well as a companion report, surveys, case studies, training, and technical tools, to address the challenges of managing modern infrastructure projects that are considerably more complex than traditional projects. These products facilitate the use of effective strategies in managing complex projects of any size and type. Acceptance and use of this guidance should improve the state of the practice by focusing on practical tools and techniques that are designed to be immediately beneficial to transportation professionals. Infrastructure needs within the United States have changed from building new facilities to replacing, expanding, and renewing existing facilities. The project management issues involved with infrastructure renewal differ from the project management issues for new construction. Correspondingly, new project management approaches must be integrated into mainstream practices for all sizes and types of projects to accelerate project delivery, reduce project costs, and minimize project disputes. The difficulties of renewal project complexity have been exacerbated by years of underfunded maintenance and replacement programs. As a result, many renewal projects have become even more challenging because of the need to avert major traffic disruptions and, in some cases, infrastructure failures. Project complexity is introduced by many factors: project types, engineering complexity, size, modality, jurisdictional control, financing approach, contract type, and delivery method. Each project calls for a distinct project management style and approach. The five-dimensional project management (5DPM) approach for complex projects is not new. However, it is extensively developed, outlined, and clearly mapped for acceptance and integration within the R10 project. The five dimensions are (1) cost, (2) schedule, (3) technical, (4) context, and (5) finance. Successful use of the 5DPM approach involves five methods that are unique for each project: define critical project success factors by each dimension, as required; assemble project team; select project arrangements; prepare early cost model and finance plan; and develop project action plans. Although a number of additional research ideas have been identified during the project, the most pressing next steps are the implementation of the material on actual complex projects and the integration of the philosophy and tools within existing agency program and project management policies and procedures. The integration will be accomplished through demonstration projects, training, and change-management assistance.

Effect of Culture on Selection of Dispute Resolution Methods in International Contracts

International construction projects provide opportunities for developing countries to advance in the global economy and for international firms to increase their profit and market share. Despite the attractive opportunities that international construction offers, there are many challenges and difficulties to moving into international markets. Many risks are associated with international construction, one of which is the risk arising from culture differences, and the way this affects how contract clauses are written. One of the very critical clauses affected by the cultural aspect is the dispute resolution clause. This paper discusses the different dispute resolution methods employed in international construction contracts and develops a model suggesting the use of specific dispute resolution methods depending on the culture characteristics. Finally, the model is used to develop testable propositions of the relationship between the dispute resolution methods and the characteristics of the culture studied. The propositions developed may eventually help in the selection of the appropriate dispute resolution method during contract formation.

Decision Support Framework for Transit-Oriented Development Projects

Although the use of personal automobiles in the United States continues to grow, there are increasing concerns about the possible effects of automobile-dependent transportation, including environmental concerns, the reduction in the quality of life caused by long commutes, and a decline of community and societal interactions. These concerns have led to discussions on the revitalization of public transportation systems. To counter the problem of congestion resulting from modern urbanization, urban planners have developed the idea of transit-oriented development (TOD), designed to encourage the use of public transit and the creation of pedestrian-friendly environments. The plethora of literature on this subject is no surprise, considering the issues of revitalization of community living and affordable housing and related factors directly influencing and getting influenced by TOD. Notwithstanding the abundance of literature on TOD, the literature review uncovered few studies that somewhat address the important question, “How can a transit agency choose between alternative TOD sites to develop or build?” Given this, the purpose of this research is to develop a decision support framework that can be used by different transit agencies when choosing a TOD site to develop or build by incorporating and assessing unique success factors and their weights. This research uses a multiple-criteria decision-making tool called the analytic hierarchy process in developing that framework. The paper presents two implementation examples that demonstrate the feasibility of the developed decision support framework for both a large, urban transit district and a smaller, more rural transit agency.

Assessment of a System for Debris Removal at High Speeds: Implications for Roadway Operations and Maintenance

This paper describes an exploratory case study and field test for a system for debris removal at high speeds with the aim of identifying effective practices for state departments of transportation. Highway debris represents a traffic safety problem that requires a prompt response from transportation agencies. When drivers come upon road debris, they can make erratic driving decisions to avoid the debris; as a result drivers may compromise control of their vehicles and increase the likelihood of being involved in an accident. Highway debris can also be costly to the road authorities responsible for cleaning it up because they are exposed to safety hazards when removing debris, especially on high-speed and high-volume roadways. Innovative equipment that allows for debris removal at high speeds, such as the Gator Getter, has been introduced to the market. But independent research on the safety and traffic impact of these systems has not been done. To address this gap, this study covers the purchase, installation, and evaluation of debris-removal equipment as well as best practices for its safe use. The results suggest that there are many benefits to proactive debris removal, including mitigation of safety hazards for operations and maintenance crews. However, the preliminary results also indicate some equipment-handling hazards, required modifications to the system, and the need for operator training. Further research should focus on creating guidelines for safely and effectively removing debris from the roadway to minimize the number of crashes related to debris. Transportation agencies can use this study to develop their own formal guidelines for the removal of road debris.

Analysis of Owners Safety Management Approaches in Design-Build Projects

Other than mining and agriculture, construction jobsites are the most dangerous workplaces in the United States. However, owners and contractors remain primarily concerned with whether or not a project is completed within the scope of the contract, on schedule, and on budget (Rechenthin, 2004). With the emergence of the Design-Build (DB) delivery system as a prominent method in public projects, owners drafting requests for proposals (RFPs) are given a unique opportunity to place an emphasis on the importance of safety practices in the award of best value DB contracts. This study reviewed 115 RFPs to investigate the role of safety management in Design-Build RFPs. Out of the 115 RFPs reviewed, 62 RFPs mentioned safety. An in depth analysis of this 62 RFPs was performed to determine safety management approached in Design/Build projects. Results suggest that owners can include safety criteria in their RFPs which can be part of an overall risk management plan, particularly on projects with greater interface between the construction work zone and the general public. Additionally, if differential safety performance is not an evaluation criterion, it should not be referenced in the RFP and safety expectation beyond legal and regulatory standards should be clearly spelled out.

S afety Risk Analysis and Proposing Risk Mitigation Strategies for Operations and Maintenance Activities in Highways: A Qualitative Method

Mobile operations and highway maintenance work is among the riskiest activities of state highway agencies. Over the past ten years, approximately 1,300 fatal and major injury crashes occurred in Iowa with 8,200 minor injury crashes, 11,400 possible injury crashes and 34,000 property damage crashes, as reported in the statewide crash database of Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). A literature review finds very few studies that have analyzed risk in moving operations and maintenance work using an integrated, system-level analysis. The study reported herein provides a broad examination of the different risks identified and assessed through qualitative analysis involving conducting interviews and national surveys to identify the critical factors with respect to their severity and likelihood of occurrence and developing suitable risk mitigation strategies. The analysis resulted in nine factors bearing catastrophic risk potential for maintenance and operations in highways that require immediate attention. These are (1) night time operations; (2) peak traffic hours; (3) absence of proper signage near the work-zone; (4) improper signs and signage at ramps and roadway intersections near work-zones; (5) work-zones on roads in hilly areas; (6) foggy-misty weather; (7) not using morning lights in the work-zone; (8) not imposing speed limit fines on public; and (9) lack of work safety and training programs.