Kristen Parrish

Life-Cycle assessment for construction of sustainable infrastructure

AbstractThe architecture-engineering-construction (AEC) industry faces increasing demands on its projects while budgets appear to be shrinking. Building owners and operators seem to want their buildings to do more for less cost. Although this may seem counterintuitive, it aligns nicely with a sustainable-architecture approach of less is more. Moreover, in a shift from exclusively considering first costs for a project, the AEC industry seems to be moving in the direction of life-cycle cost considerations, furthering the opportunity for a more sustainable built environment. Often sustainable is synonymous with achieving certification [e.g., Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Infrastructure Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool (INVEST) certification]. Whereas the authors acknowledge that certification can improve particular aspects of sustainability, it is necessary to take a broader approach and consider economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. In this pape...

Implementing a Vertically Integrated BIM Curriculum in an Undergraduate Construction Management Program

The popularity of Building Information Modeling (BIM) as an integral concept in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries has motivated its necessary inclusion in Construction Management (CM) education. Implementing BIM as a mainstream, elective or integrated subject within an established undergraduate curriculum is challenging due to limitations such as available teaching time, knowledge retention in students and the flexibility of the curriculum to adapt with a fast developing technology. Pedagogy must combine fundamental learning of theory, practical experience and the use of technology in a collaborative environment to effectively implement BIM. Vertical integration is one such method that was implemented and evaluated to promote BIM education in the undergraduate Construction Management program at Arizona State University. This article discusses the evolution of the BIM curriculum and focuses on the vertical integration of upper-division and lower-division students for a Site Logistics assignment to improve upon the BIM education continuum. Evaluation and surveys revealed that this methodology increased the appreciation for learning BIM, promoted the use of BIM tools for in-class projects and created an understanding of the importance of information management.

Selection of energy efficiency measures to enhance the effectiveness of pre-cooling in residential buildings in hot arid climate

Energy efficiency represents the most cost-effective way to achieve energy goals, as it does not require investment in renewable energy and is often achievable through low-cost technology retrofits or behavior modifications. This study investigates the impacts of energy efficiency measures on the effectiveness of pre-cooling in residential buildings as a means of reducing operating peak loads and costs in a home. This study simulated (and validated the simulation through monitoring) a typical residential building in Phoenix, Arizona to analyze the impact of upgrading a residential building that implements pre-cooling with two scenarios: (1) match the benchmark of ASHRAE 90.2–2007, and (2) surpass the standard by enhancing its properties to reduce the total energy demand by 20%. This article contributes to the body of knowledge by demonstrating a method to identify and select those types of efficiency measures that best enhance the effectiveness of pre-cooling strategies in residential buildings in a hot–arid climate.

Sustainable Engineering Cognitive Outcomes: Examining Different Approaches for Curriculum Integration

AbstractAs continued globalization of the world’s economic, environmental, and societal interactions strains the planet to meet anthropogenic demands, universities are striving to integrate sustain...

Assessment of Students' Mastery of Construction Management and Engineering Concepts through Board Game Design

AbstractAlthough the use of games to help students learn is explicit in the literature, little research has been conducted on student-developed games to assess student learning. The objective of th...

Utilizing civil engineering senior design capstone projects to evaluate students' sustainability education across engineering curriculum

While many institutions express interest in integrating sustainability into their civil engineering curriculum, the engineering community lacks consensus on established methods for infusing sustainability into curriculum and verified approaches to assess engineers’ sustainability knowledge. This paper presents the development of a sustainability rubric and application of the rubric to civil engineering senior design capstone projects to evaluate students’ sustainability knowledge at two institutions. The rubric built upon previous assessment approaches to