VTechWorks Repository :: Browsing by Author "Mills, Thomas H."

Browsing by Author "Mills, Thomas H."

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Analysis of Communication Patterns During Construction Production Planning
Ghosh, Somik (Virginia Tech, 2012-02-24)
The construction industry ranks high in the number of occupational incidents due to the complex and interdependent nature of the tasks. However, construction firms using lean construction have reported better safety performance than the rest. The situation reflects the limitation of traditional planning methods used in construction firms focusing on project level planning, at the expense of production level planning. Lean construction involves participants in the formal production planning process to minimize variability in workflow thus reducing probability of incidents. Considering the involvement of various participants in the production planning process, this research study hypothesized that communication levels afforded by participants during formal production planning have a positive impact on safety performance. The goal of this research study was to understand the role of communication in the formal production planning process and its impact on safety performance. A case study approach was adopted for analyzing two projects, one following formal production planning and another following traditional project planning. Weekly subcontractor coordination meeting was selected as the unit of analysis. Data has been collected using direct observations, open-ended interviews, and examination of archival documents. For this study, the independent variables were categories of communication and dependent variable was recordable incidence rate (safety performance). Communication data was analyzed using Robert Bales' Interaction Process Analysis. Based on the analyses, the participants involved in formal production planning demonstrated: more sensitivity and higher degree of control by frequently providing suggestions/opinions, more enthusiasm in exchange of commitments, sincerity by declining inquiry for commitments in case of conflict of interest, and greater involvement by engaging in frequent dialogues with others. In addition, participants involved in production planning adopted a proactive approach toward safety performance by ensuring that safety was considered while preparing production plans, thus helping improve awareness. The findings indicated a better safety record by the project following formal production planning in comparison to the other project. The research study provides a "meso" level understanding of the role of communication among project participants during formal production planning, and indicates that production planning might have a beneficial impact on safety performance.
Analysis of Means and Methods of Construction Improvement in Single Family Housing in Mid-Atlantic Rural University Towns
Obiso, Melissa Lynn (Virginia Tech, 1997-05-07)
The goal of this study was to determine if innovative building methods and materials have the potential to lead to better productivity. Furthermore, this study endeavored to establish the premise that builders who use pre-fabrication, pre-assembly, and modular materials and building methods will perform more productively than those builders who don't. These ideas were pursued by first reviewing the history of home building in the United States to determine trends and patterns in innovation. The experimental phase of the study was accomplished by interviewing local and regional builders about their actual methods of construction used for residential construction. These methods were then analyzed to determine the contribution of these methods to the builder's productivity. Not surprisingly, builders choose one specific type of construction to build a majority of their projects. They use these methods because they are comfortable with them and confident in them; they know they work, and they believe that they are an efficient means of producing a house. It was determined that residential builders in these rural university towns tend to use traditional wood framing construction methods above all of the other available methods. However, there are builders who do use less-conventional methods including: wall panels, pole construction, and modular unit construction. The actual building methods used by builders are somewhat determined by several factors, including: project type, company size and structure, and area of the country. Furthermore, the builders who choose to use non-traditional construction methods with regularity tend to have higher rates of productivity as well as the ability to take on more projects. Higher rates of productivity and the ability to take on more projects have the potential to give builders a competitive advantage over their competition.
An Approach to Organizational Intelligence Management (A Framework for Analyzing Organizational Intelligence Within the Construction Process)
Jung, Younghan (Virginia Tech, 2009-07-31)
The construction industry is inherently multidisciplinary and has adopted many intellectual and technical business improvements from other industries in an effort to optimize productivity. In construction, management inactivity is the root cause of 30% of non-productive time. This has created an opportunity and need for standardized and structured repeatable procedures for new managerial strategies. A theoretical framework for Organizational Intelligence (OI), which encompasses the procedural ability of an organization to efficiently process, support, measure and reason through management issues, is proposed. The elements of organizational intelligence are divided into three types of intellectual capital: Human Capital, Organizational Capital, and Relational Capital. The performance of an organizational activity depends on the quality of these capitals that are available within an organization. An organization's Human Capital (HC) is the human resources within the organization that can be deployed to acquire and apply its knowledge to perform, respond, or control designated work with available organizational assets. Organizational Capital (OC) refers to the assets available to the organization to support the performance of organizational activities Relational Capital (RC), which combines human capital and organizational capital to perform, is needed specific organizational activities. In addition, the research uses human cognitive abilities as the basis of a fundamental structure from which to form new organizational cognitive abilities that are capable of presenting management processes as critical value creations. Organizational cognitive ability is suggested to define appropriate organizational resources in order to integrate and determine a rational selection of applicable technologies and improvements. This ability can develop knowledge with interconnected variables, namely intellectual capital, managerial process, and performance, all of which support organizational intelligence. From the theoretical framework for OI, a prototype (Intelligibility Learning Model), which determines the role of relationships in an organization's operation and use of resources, is formulated. A case based research then applies the prototype to a managerial process in the construction industry. The case research demonstrates that the Intelligibility Learning Model (ILM) could be use effectively by industry decision makers to improve performance of organizational activities. The identification and application of a theoretical framework constitutes the foundation of a new managerial theory, Organizational Intelligence Management. It thus provides a fundamental foundation that explains how the construction processes, knowledge, skills, and resources used for managerial activities function. This theory contributes and establishes a better understanding of management, from organizational resources through to final production.
Characterizing Virtual Prototype Constructability Programming for the Pictographic Instruction of Procedure
Johnston, Brendan Ashley (Virginia Tech, 2012-10-08)
The modern design-construction boundary is facing an unprecedented moment of evaluation. Global applications of building information modeling, including virtual prototyping, factory-based component procurement and industrialized site production are only a few of the forces that threaten to engulf the established façades of architecture, engineering and construction practice. Those professional identities that are unable or unwilling to reach deeply into this oncoming torrent of interoperability, integrated delivery, and infinite domains will be lost. It is even possible that the language of building culture will be washed away forever. Preparations should be made. This research proposes to strengthen available built-project communications. It does so by examining the natural architectonic relationships which exists at the most primitive level of production — about the assembly task. A work and its procedures are investigated through the programming interface of a Virtual Prototype (VP) modeling system. With visualized constructability as its goal, this study highlights the character of VP programming as it translates between design and production information with digital specificity. The results of that investigation fashion a test of a new production communications language with the potential to enrich and refresh the insulate expressions and hollow specification of traditional design communications.
A Common Taxonomy for Modeling Construction Operations
Al-Masalha, Sami (Virginia Tech, 2004-08-02)
The construction industry continues to strive for new ways to improve construction operations. This requires better understanding and analysis of these operations, which necessitates a way to systematically capture and analyze the diverse elements involved. The dynamic nature of construction is very difficult to describe using existing computer simulation and modeling systems. What is needed is rather a common construction language and a comprehensive modeling system that can be used to capture and analyze construction operations and potentially lead to improvements. A new taxonomy and its use for modeling construction operations are developed here. This taxonomy identifies a hierarchical representation of construction projects based on operational considerations. The hierarchy consists of seven levels: product, assemblies and subassemblies, components, operations, processes, physics, and control. The hierarchical levels were established by looking in the ways that construction field operations are being carried out. The new modeling system successfully accounts for the geometric and physical representations of not only the product but also the processes involved in shaping the product. Six major blocks of construction knowledge are described and information about the interaction processes required to model construction operations in a logical way is provided. An overview of the current state of modeling and simulation techniques that are used to develop and evaluate construction operations is presented. The advantages and limitations of physical-based modeling, 4D-CAD, and virtual modeling techniques as an integral part of the developed taxonomy are identified. The potential uses of robotics and automation opportunities in construction are described. Also, distribution of work between humans and tools and equipment based on their physical and information contributions are reviewed and analyzed. Classifications of construction work at different levels of detail are described to identify which operations can be usefully modeled and the appropriate level of the model. Two practical case studies are discussed that show the capabilities and potential uses of the developed taxonomy. The first case study describes the modeling process of the fabrication, assembly, and erection of steel structures. The second exploratory case study shows the potential use of the developed modeling in improving the heat recovery system generator's (HRSG) erection process. Also, prototype models and 3D models of the HRSG assemblies are developed. Both case studies validate with great confidence the use of the developed taxonomy as a direct support tool that captures the diverse elements and enhances the modeling and analysis to improve construction operations.
Construction as a Curriculum Organizer for Technology Education
Clucas, Scott Richard (Virginia Tech, 1997-07-29)
This dissertation was the result of an investigation into the relative importance of construction as a curriculum organizer for the field of technology education. In particular, it concentrated on the relationship between construction technology and the principles of general education and technological literacy. The review of literature focused on the historic roles and meanings of this curriculum organizer and these principles as the discipline evolved from the industrial arts into technology education. Operational definitions were synthesized and the linkages between them was clearly identified. To address technology education's contribution to general education, or the full development of the human personality, the spheres of human/technology interaction model was developed. The model is based on the idea that people interact with technology and evaluate those interactions from three fundamental perspectives. Those perspectives were identified as the civic-life sphere, the personal-life sphere, and the work-life sphere. One hundred and forty-eight faculty members of technology teacher education programs in colleges and universities throughout the United States were surveyed. A 77% return rate was obtained. The survey included four major sections in addition to requesting limited information about the respondents and their programs. The four major sections asked the respondents to: 1) Evaluate potential goals for a K-12 technology education program. 2) Determine the relative importance of 10 study areas or curriculum organizers as they related to each of the three spheres of interaction. 3) Determine the percentage of the technology education curriculum that should be allocated to each of the three spheres of human/technology interaction. 4) Provide selected information about the way construction is offered and taught in technology teacher education programs. Medoid cluster analysis was used to evaluate the data derived from the goals of technology education portion of the survey. Using this information, three clusters were formed and initial respondent membership for each cluster was established. Subsequently, discriminant analysis was used to accomplish three goals: 1) Refine the initial assignment of respondents to the clusters. 2) Identify those variables that offered a significant level of discrimination between clusters. 3) Determine the accuracy of assignment to the clusters or groups. The canonical correlation 2, calculated by the discriminant analysis program, indicated that 66.3% of the variance was explained by the variables that were significant at a .05 level. After comparing the mean scores of the discriminating variables across the three clusters, one cluster was identified as favoring technological literacy, one favored industrial technology education, and one was ambivalent. T-tests were used to determine if any significant difference existed between clusters or groups. It was of particular interest to this research that no significant difference was found related to the relative importance of construction. All groups concluded that construction should comprise approximately 10% of the technology education curriculum. Finally, a schedule was established which allocated various percentages of the curriculum to each of the 10 study areas or curriculum organizers as they relate to the three spheres of human/technology interaction. This schedule was based on the relative importance assigned by the technological literacy cluster. The technological literacy cluster offered the most balanced allocation of the technology education curriculum across the three spheres of human/technology interaction.
A Design Framework for Integrated Design and Control Strategies in Energy Efficient Buildings
Abaza, Hussein Fuad (Virginia Tech, 2002-04-22)
This research proposes a computer evaluation model that assists architects and designers in producing buildings with low energy consumption. The model is based on computer-designer interaction. Here, the designer suggests a range of design alternatives, and, in turn, the computer evaluation model generates a matrix of design solutions and performs various environmental simulations. The performances of the various design solutions then analyzed by a statistical analysis package that derives relationships. These relationships explain the impact that the different building components have on energy consumption. The relationships are represented in the form of statistical relations and interactive data charts. The evaluation model was tested and used to support new ventilation strategies for the Beliveau House in Blacksburg, Virginia. The designer of this house implemented strategies for integrating solar radiation, thermal mass, thermal insulation, and air ventilation to conserve energy. A field study and computer simulation were conducted to monitor the actual performance of the house and to validate the evaluation model results. Based on the evaluation model results, this research suggests new direct and indirect ventilation control strategies to reduce cooling energy and to improve comfort. The research also suggests general design guidelines to improve the energy performance of buildings and to enhance thermal comfort. These design guidelines are based on a holistic view of integrating the building components that has significant impact on buildings thermal performance.
Developing a cost effective construction and demolition waste management plan
Jarman, David S. (Virginia Tech, 1996-11-05)
Concern over construction and demolition (C&D) wastes is becoming a prevalent part of any construction project. Historically, landfilling waste materials was the standard solution for most contractors, but as tipping fees have risen dramatically over the past five to seven years, many contractors are looking for alternative methods, such as recycling or waste minimization, to reduce wastes. This thesis investigates C&D wastes and proposes a methodology to address the problem of assessing waste disposal techniques efficiently and economically. A brief history of C&D wastes is provided to understand how and why costs associated with waste materials have risen over the last several years. Current waste management resources are discussed to demonstrate the availability of alternative disposal methods. An overall waste management plan is developed to provide a contractor with a step by step flowchart for analyzing material wastes, quantitatively assessing all costs associated with waste disposal, and implementing and updating the chosen waste management techniques. A case study is provided to illustrate how the waste management plan is used in an actual project. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the potential for further research in the area of C&D waste management.
How Technology Diffuses through Construction User Culture: An Innovation Design to Improve Safety Technology Adoption
Hung, Yu-Hsiu (Virginia Tech, 2010-12-03)
Usability has long been considered an important component of an innovation (Norman, 2002), evidenced by the fact that usability research has dominated innovation design efforts for a number of years. However, recent research has shown that satisfying usability is not sufficient for the successful diffusion and adoption of an innovation (Karsh, 2004). To develop an useful innovation, one must understand the mechanisms by which people choose to adopt and use an innovation, as well as how an innovation fits different levels of a socialtechnical system (Karsh, Escoto, Beasley, & Holden,(2006). The goal of this research, therefore, was to develop an innovation analytic and design framework that would enable designers to design a more likely adopted innovation and to validate it through the design and evaluation of a fall-protection training intervention for residential roofing subcontractors. The proposed innovation analytic and design framework was based on the traditional systems-engineering process: Requirement Analysis, Prototype Development, and Summative Evaluation. Rogers’ Theory of Innovation Diffusion and Adoption, as well as Participatory Design, were utilized to obtain a holistic view of technology-adoption challenges and opportunities. The requirement analysis involved the development and use of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to identify the contributors of safety technology adoption in small roofing companies, as well as to understand the practices of safety technology adoption and fall-protection training. One hundred and four questionnaires from workers in North Carolina and Virginia were collected, and 29 workers received the follow-up semi-structured interview. Results showed that (1) social influence had a significant impact on the diffusion and adoption of safety technology; (2) workers’ satisfaction with existing safety performance standards/practices, as well as disengagement during available safety training, caused difficulties in implementing regular safety training; (3) management commitment and presentation of good/bad consequences of unsafe behavior were expected to facilitate the rate of adoption of safety technology. Results also identified specific recommendations for a fall-protection training intervention. The prototype development was performed by a six-member Participatory Design (PD) team in a PD workshop, who used the results of the questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to develop a training intervention. Four PD approaches (PICTIVE, Inspiration Card Workshop, Scenario Building, and Future Workshop) were employed in the development of a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS) as an industry-specific training intervention. This research also used summative comparative evaluation to assess the developed PFAS training intervention against a standard PFAS training intervention with respect to (1) adoption propensity, (2) expected adoption outcome, and (3) results demonstrability. Eighteen roofing workers were recruited to evaluate and compare the two interventions. The standard PFAS training intervention was developed by two experts using the safety manual published by the National Roofing Contractor Association. Results suggested that (1) the developed PFAS training intervention was more likely to be adopted and easier to diffuse among roofing subcontractors than the standard PFAS training intervention, and (2) use of the developed PFAS training intervention would better improve company's safety performance in comparison to the standard training intervention. Results of the evaluations confirmed the efficacy of the proposed innovation analytic and design framework in designing a more likely adopted innovation.
Identifying the Economic Barriers to CLT Cost Estimation Among Building Construction Professionals
Stutesman, Jonathan Harley (Virginia Tech, 2020-02-04)
Cross-laminated timbers (CLTs) are strong and lightweight structural building materials. CLTs are made from renewable wood resources and have significant economic potential as a new value-added product for the United States. However, market penetration has been obstructed by product affordability and lack of availability for use. Previous studies and projects have surveyed opinions of designers and contractors about the adoption of CLTs. No previous study was found that surveyed cost estimators, who serve the essential function of creating economic comparisons of alternative materials in commercial construction. CLTs are not included in these current cost estimation tools and software packages which may be limiting the potential use of CLT in construction. The purpose of this study was to discover if cost estimation is being used to make structural decisions potentially affecting the marketability of CLT use in construction and building design because of the ability to estimate CLTs adequately. Through the use of a survey, the re-designing of a building, and discussions with subject matter experts, this study examined the knowledge level of cross-laminated timbers of under-surveyed building construction professions and the relationship between cost estimation and structural material choices. Their responses are demonstrating the need for better cost estimation tools for cross-laminated timbers such as inclusion in the Construction Specifications Institute's classification systems in order for CLTs to become a more competitive product. The study concluded that cost estimation is important for CLT market development, because it is being used extensively in the construction industry.
Improved Decision Making in Construction Using Virtual Site Visits
Mills, Thomas H.; Beliveau, Yvan J.; Jung, Kyu; Ilich, Mark; Graziani, Chris; Joshi, Ketan (Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research, 2003-02)
This study explored the dynamics of information exchange involving field issues relating to construction and the assistance that a virtual site visit can provide to the field decision-making process. Such a process can be used for inspection and surveillance situations in addition to field decision making. The virtual site visit integrates advanced digital audio/video/data conferencing technology in wired and wireless Internet formats to assist in communicating field situations to remote off-site personnel. At its highest development, project information can be transmitted wirelessly through the Internet from a remote construction site to a residency and then to multiple locations through existing communication networks. This research demonstrates the ability to provide high levels of information transfer at relatively low cost, thus enabling critical and timely decisions. This is done through the use of available hardware and software assembled in a manner that allows interactive real-time audio/video transmission and reception. The research identifies the types and applicability of information critical to design and construction operations and the applicability of the Internet and advanced technologies to improve communication and decision making. In addition, the technical limitations on implementation of low-cost real-time audio-visual information transfer were explored.
Improving Student Knowledge Through Experiential Learning - A Hands-On Statics Lab at Virginia Tech
Alcorn, Christopher G. (Virginia Tech, 2003-05-28)
Improving Student Knowledge through Experiential Learning â A Hands-On Statics Lab at Virginia Tech By: Christopher G. Alcorn It has been well documented that humans learn better through a combination of hearing, seeing, and hands-on experience than through hearing and seeing alone. Despite these findings, the majority of college instruction is through lecture. This research seeks to improve the quality of structural education for students in Building Construction, Architecture, and Engineering by allowing them to test theoretical structural concepts in a hands-on, lab environment that parallels their statics lecture class. The paper provides a background on the experiential learning approach, presents examples of others engaged in similar research, discusses the details of developing the experience-based lab class, describes the labs and their structure, and summarizes the outcome of this model class. Lessons learned, including which type of student might benefit most from the experiential learning format and shortcomings of applying the experiential learning model are discussed along with recommendations for future work. An appendix at the end of the paper displays the workbook developed to teach the class as well as pictures of the labs in action and costs of lab equipment. This project is a part of a multi-college initiative at Virginia Tech to develop a three-lab sequence to parallel Statics, Mechanics of Deformable Bodies, and Mechanical Behavior.
An Interactive Digital Manual For Safety Around Conveyor Belts In Surface Mining
Worlikar, Poonam (Virginia Tech, 2008-05-08)
Belt conveyor accidents are mainly attributed to negligence of safety procedures during maintenance work. Entanglement, falling from heights, & collapse of structure or loose materials are the main cause of accidents. While performing maintenance tasks such as cleaning, installation and repair, belt alignment and so on (Lucas et. al. 2007). Current industry safety programs provide general guidelines for safety training, but do not require any specific training program structure (Shultz, 2002 and Shultz, 2003). For example MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) only requires 24 hours of training. Typically this training is broken down into four hours of training before the employee starts work, the remaining 20 hours has to be performed within the first sixty days of work (Goldbeck, 2003). The information collected through site visits showed that in addition to completing MSHA safety training requirements companies try to reinforce safety issues through daily and weekly safety meetings on job sites. Due to lack of a required safety training structure, every company is independent in terms of their training format that they follow to train their new and experienced work force. As a result, safety engineers depend heavily on in-house safety programs (e.g. audio-video presentations) to deliver the required training hours specified by MSHA for miners. Based on a review of current training methods this research identifies four problems; existing training methods to educate miners about dangers involved in conveyor belt environments are mainly passive, safety related information in scattered in various media such as images, videos, paper manuals, etc., access to information in current format is difficult, and updating information is difficult. This research addressed these identified problems by devising a new approach of learning to augment existing methods of training and evaluate the potential of this concept as a safety-training tool. Research has shown that individuals have their own learning style in which they can increase their retention and stimulate their cognitive learning. The proposed work addresses issues relative to passive vs. active learning and classroom-based vs. self-paced training by developing and implementing an interactive multimedia-based safety-training tool called the Digital Safety Manual (DSM). After the DSM was developed it was put through a series of usability evaluation and subjective analysis to measure the potential of the concept. The evaluation and subjective analysis involved both the novice and expert users. The results that were yield after the evaluations and subjective analysis shows that the DSM has more learning advantages than the typical training methods and it can be used as a supplementary training method to complement the current approaches of training.
Interview with Thom Mills, January 2014, CAUS History
Mills, Thomas H. (Virginia Tech. College of Archiecture and Urban Studies, 2014-01)
Interview with Thom Mills, principal faculty at the Myers-Lawson School of Construction and Associate Professor in the Department of Building Construction, on the history of Virginia Tech's College of Architecture and Urban Studies.
Introducing Organizational Intelligence to the Construction Industry
Jung, Younghan; Mills, Thomas H. (2010)
The construction industry, which is inherently multidisciplinary, has adopted intellectual and technical business improvements from many other industries with the intent to optimize productivity. Therefore, there is a need to implement new managerial strategies that incorporate standardized and structured repeatable procedures. As part of the effort to establish a better understanding of management from organizational resources through final construction, this paper introduces a new theoretical approach for Organization Intelligence in Construction (OIC) that is based on the procedural ability of an organization to efficiently process, support, measure, and reason through management issues. Organizational intelligence is applied in all organizations to enhance the understanding of managerial processes and assets/resources within the organization. The measured performance of a managerial process depends on the capability and quality of resources that are available within the organization and/or the acquisition and management of resources that are outside of the organization. This paper suggests a mechanism to standardize construction processes by identifying the role of relationships in an organization's operation and the organizational cognitive abilities that subsequently determine the effective and efficient use of resources to aid in successfully completing an operation. A case example provides the foundation for a replicable template that reveals how construction processes, personal and organizational knowledge, skills, and resources contribute to managerial activity functions.
Modernizing bridge safety inspection with process improvement and digital assistance
Mills, Thomas H.; Wakefield, Ronald R. (Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research, 2004-01)
This research effort was developed to record and analyze the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) bridge/structure inspection processes as an aid to modernizing and automating these inspection processes through the use of mobile personal computer (PC) devices such as Palm/PPCs and other wearable computing devices. The research was conducted using an informal conversational interview process coupled with direct observations to match the perceived processes with actual processes. Once the interviews and observations were completed, workflows were mapped and analyzed for operational bottlenecks and process improvement opportunities. The results of the mappings and a comprehensive literature review were used to analyze the existing work processes. New process transformation maps were created and overlaid on current mappings to complete a transformation model. Redundancies were observed in the reporting function, and bottlenecks were identified within the inspection management and inspection functions. The research also indicates that the inspection process is readily transformable from one that relies on marking up paper reports in the field and then returning to the office for semi-manual reporting to one that is electronically assisted in areas of data capture, automated bridge inventory updates, and semi-automated report production. From this analysis a series of strategies and recommendations were made to assist VDOT in modernizing and transforming their current bridge inspection processes to more efficient digitally assisted processes.
New strategies to improve the management capacity of contractors for labor-based methods in road rehabilitation in Ghana
Quagraine, Victor Kwesi (Virginia Tech, 2007-03-29)
Ghana, like many African countries, is plagued with unemployment, poverty and annual trade deficits. Unemployment and poverty have led to a socio-economic breakdown. They are believed to be among the causes that led to the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Despite the abundance of an unemployed labor force, Ghana continues to depend on imported equipment, costing $174 million annually for its earthmoving and construction activities. In 1986, the Government of Ghana, the World Bank, the International Labor Organization and the United Nations Development Program introduced labor-based road rehabilitation program in Ghana to help create more jobs and reduce the high unemployment and poverty incidence. The program has not been patronized due to the casual labor usage and labor organizational and management problems. This research formulates the Family-Based Labor Management (FBLM) concept (also referred to as the HPWT-FBLM concept) by incorporating High Performance Work Team (HPWT), the Ghana Family System, and Roles and Responsibilities Matrix (RRM) concepts to make the program more attractive to labor and management. The FBLM concept would equip local contractors with the managerial skills to increase average monthly production from 1.33km to between 4km and 6km gaining competitive advantage over the 3.07km monthly production of the equipment-intensive contractor. Since the HPWT-FBLM concept has not been used, the related concepts HPWT and RRM concepts are used to validate the newly formulated recruitment, training, work method, communication and reward strategies. When adopted, the HPWT-FBLM concept would annually invest 10% of the $174 million for five years and yield employment increase of 23,000-34,000 the first year, growing to a total of 116,000-170,000 in five years. This concept will help reduce import deficit, conserve foreign exchange, and develop a pool of skilled workers and managers in Ghana. It has the potential of boosting the Ghanaian manufacturing industry for making hand-tools in lieu of purchasing imported equipment. The HPWT-FBLM concept can be adopted by the agriculture and building construction and other industries in Ghana that use large supplies of unskilled and semi-skilled labor.
Owner Initiated Modernization of Bridge Safety Inspections
Mills, Thomas H.; Wakefield, Ron; Bushman, William (2004)
This paper reports on an “asset management” research program that is applicable to both the private and public sectors. This work presents the strategies and endeavors initiated and driven by a public sector owner in an effort to modernize their current asset management practices. The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) is attempting to modernize a bridge safety inspection processes that requires over 14,000 bridges be inspected at least once every two years. The research effort involved investigating the capability to transform and replace paper-based inspection practices with advanced mobile computing practices. A series of owner-agency initiated research proposals are discussed and the impacts each would have on the procedural processes directed at transforming current work processes with newer mobile handheld computing processes. Ultimately the DOT selected a phased proposal and activated the first phase. This first phase research approach is presented, as are the results. The research determined that field inspections are readily transformable from one that relies on field marking paper reports and then returning to the office for semi-manual reporting to one that is electronically assisted in the field by using handheld computers. Identifiable areas of assistance are field data capture, automated asset inventory updates, and semi-automated report production. From this analysis a series of strategies and recommendations were identified. The owner-agency’s decision to abandon a controlled phased study in favor of an ad-hoc in-house development process is then presented and discussed.
Panel Stacking and Worker Assignment Problems in Residential Construction Using Prefabricated Panels: A Lean Approach
Guo, Cheng (Virginia Tech, 2010-05-14)
A current trend in residential construction is the use of prefabricated wall panels. It is important to carefully establish how panels will be stacked, because an optimal sequence will improve productivity and reduce the possibility of worker injury. Mathematical models and heuristics are proposed for solving the panel stacking problem without consideration of interference. Dissertation work includes a mathematical model of the corresponding panel stacking problems in which the goal is to minimize total weighted panel move distance concurrent with certain construction assumptions. The heuristic method was provided to establish how each panel would be stacked and gave the drop-off location of each stack. The heuristic method was found to be able to reduce the total weighted panel move distance and ensure connectivity was always maintained, meanwhile, interference could also be avoided. In terms of solution speed, the heuristic method can solve real size problems in less than one second. Solutions to such problems can increase productivity. Three improvements to the only known existing panel stacking algorithm with consideration of interference were proposed. The computational results indicate the proposed algorithm performed better than existing algorithm in all experimental cases. Improvement on panel move distance ranged from 1.35-47.93%, and improvement on interfering panels ranged from 20-100%. The proposed algorithm can solve non-rectangular cases (not possible with existing algorithm) and was compared with an experienced panel designer and commercial software. When compared to the proposed algorithm, total weighted panel move distance increased 0.10-85.52% and 0.77-136.23%, respectively, for the panel designer and software. While connectivity was 100% for all cases with the proposed algorithm (the algorithm ensures connectivity is always maintained), it ranged from 69.56-86.95% and 73.33-90.91%, however, for the panel designer and software respectively. Finally, the proposed algorithm can solve the interfering panels in the last stack: this cannot be done with the existing algorithm. Because prefabricated wall panels are typically large and cumbersome to work with, there is a significant probability of worker injury. It is important to carefully establish how each panel will be handled by workers. This is typically the responsibility of field construction foreman, but such personnel are often ill-equipped to make such decisions. An alternative, proactive approach is to establish how each panel will be handled in advance, such that overall ergonomic consequences can be properly considered. This dissertation presents mathematical models of the corresponding construction task scheduling and worker assignment problems, where the goal is to minimize total project completion time (subject to worker quantity constraints) and assign tasks to workers as evenly as possible. The solution of such problems can help residential construction managers better plan construction by establishing the ergonomic impact associated with a given construction plan. A heuristic was also developed to solve large problems by balancing workload between workers. The heuristic was found to be able to provide near-optimal solutions, and can solve large problems in less than one second.
Ranking Student Employment Decision Criteria
Jenkins, James L.; Benhart, Bradley; Mills, Thomas H.; Reyes, Matthew; Rahn, Keith (2020-09-25)
This paper presents the results of a recent survey taken by construction management (CM) students at four U.S. Construction Management programs and the construction industry companies that recruit them. Respondents were asked to rate factors that affect the students’ employment decision. Survey results indicate that although industry has a grasp on the top-5 factors of importance there remains some misalignment of other factors of importance. Results indicate the five most important factors when considering employment with a company are: upward job movement, salary, company reputation, company culture, and company ethics. Comparisons between the two surveys are discussed.

Browsing by Author "Mills, Thomas H."

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