Abstracts – Browse Results
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Abbasian Hosseini, S A (2015) Social and engineering aspects of construction site management using simulation and social network analysis, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Abudayyeh, O Y (1991) An automated data acquisition and data storage model for improving cost and schedule control, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Al-Ibrahim, A (2006) Optimizing roof maintenance and replacement decisions, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Alsharef, A F A (2022) Leveraging data analytics to improve construction operations and occupational safety, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Arocho Rosa, I d M (2015) The impact of transportation construction projects and activities on emissions, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Attia, T M (2002) The impact of communication technologies on group problem-solving performance in construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Bai, Y (1996) Planning and control model for robotic bridge painting, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Banerjee, S (2022) Developing an organization-wide knowledge repository with intelligent knowledge transference to enhance construction project outcomes, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Becker, T C (2012) Improving the predictability of construction project outcomes through project level indirect construction cost practices, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Chmielewski, H T (2023) Overcoming modeling barriers in long-term interdependent infrastructure systems planning, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Choi, B (2003) Topics in risk-based design and performance evaluation of structures, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Dorr, E E (1979) Economies of scale in high school construction and operation, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Hollar, D A (2011) Predicting preliminary engineering costs for highway projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Isied, M M (2023) Critical assessment of asphalt mixture design procedures and asphalt mixture classification systems, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Javanmardi, A (2019) Strategies and predictive models for reducing workflow variability in construction production systems, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Kranz, C N (2021) Optimizing compost incorporation for stormwater infiltration, runoff quality, and vegetation establishment in post-construction soils, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Lee, D (2023) Development of a real-time automated mobile robotic welding system in construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Lee, J (2005) Value analysis of Wi-Fi agent functions in construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Namian, M (2017) Factors affecting construction hazard recognition and safety risk perception, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Noghabaei, M (2021) Visual and behavioral data analysis in immersive virtual environments for enhancing construction safety, planning, and control, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Nuntasunti, S (2004) The effects of visual-based information logistics in construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Orgut, R E (2017) Metrics that matter: Improving project controls and analytics in construction industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Piper, B E B (2014) Optimization methods for improving the resilience of civil infrastructure systems subject to natural hazards, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Rihani, R A (2006) An investigation of critical success factors for robotic masonry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Russell, M M (2013) Allocation of time buffer to construction project task durations, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Vereen, S C (2013) Forecasting skilled labor demand in the US construction industry, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Wambeke, B W (2011) Identifying, prioritizing, and reducing variation of construction related tasks, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
Zuluaga Santa, C M (2018) Protecting bridge maintenance workers: Evaluating fall protection supplementary devices using virtual prototyping and wearable technology, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , North Carolina State University.
- Type: Thesis
- Keywords: complexity; coordination; duration; personnel; uncertainty; construction project; equipment; feedback; lean construction; productivity; risk assessment; site work; supervision; project manager; factor analysis; project performance; weather; workflow; case
- ISBN/ISSN:
- URL: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2187138865
- Abstract:
Apart from stuck-by safety incidents, fall-related injuries are a common concern among bridge maintenance and inspection workers. These workers, when performing on-the-deck operations, largely rely on existing bridge guardrails for their protection against falls to lower levels. Unfortunately, many of these bridge guardrails do not offer sufficient protection as required by safety regulations. More specifically, most bridge guardrails in the United States do not comply with the minimum barrier height requirement of 42 ± 3 inches for sufficient protection. As a result, bridge maintenance and inspection workers are often exposed to the risk of falls during bridge operations. Because making design alterations to all non-compliant bridge guardrails is currently not feasible, a few departments of transportation (DOTs) have begun adopting Fall Protection Supplementary Devices (FPSDs). These devices are temporarily placed over bridge guardrails to sufficiently increase the barrier height during bridge work. However, a critical challenge experienced by many DOTs is that a large number of manufactured FPSDs are not compatible or do not firmly attach onto every bridge guardrail – due to the design incompatibilities. Therefore, to ensure sufficient protection, workers are often required to test the compatibility of individual FPSDs before initiating work. This has traditionally been achieved through an inefficient trial-and-error based approach – where FPSDs are procured, transported to the bridge location, and physically tested for compatibility with guardrails. Unfortunately, if the FPSD is not compatible, alternate FPSD systems may not be immediately available to initiate work. More importantly, the traditional compatibility testing procedure unduly exposes workers to the risk of falls (i.e. , working alongside bridge guardrails that do not offer sufficient protection) and struck by safety incidents from vehicular traffic. Such challenges have discouraged several DOTs from adopting FPSDs in favor of less effective methods for bridge work. To encourage the adoption of FPSDs, the objective of this research were to (1) propose an efficient, effective, and safe approach to test the compatibility between FPSD systems and bridge guardrails; (2) identify FPSD systems that maximize work efficiency, productivity, and safety for bridge workers in North Carolina; and (3) conduct field-level usability studies comparing the recommended FPSDs against those that are traditionally adopted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The first objective was accomplished by adopting virtual prototyping to assess compatibility in a virtual setting. The proposed method is intended to replace the traditional trial-and-error based approach that has been inefficient, expensive, and unsafe. More specifically, the proposed method accurately replicates the physical testing procedure – but is conducted in a virtual environment – where the physical procurement, transportation, and testing of the FPSDs becomes unnecessary. The second objective was accomplished in three steps. First, compatible FPSDs were identified for the most common low-height bridge guardrails in North Carolina using the proposed approach. This effort yielded 11 FPSDs that are compatible with the 12 most common bridge guardrails in North Carolina. Second, by engaging NCDOT field workers, supervisors, and decision makers, desirable FPSD characteristics that can maximize safety, productivity, and work efficiency were identified. Third, the FPSDs that offered the most advantages were identified using the Choosing by Advantages (CBA) decision making method Finally, the third objective was accomplished by conducting field studies with bridge maintenance workers from NCDOT. To compare the recommended FPSDs against the FPSDs that NCDOT has used in the past, physiological, postural, productivity, and utility perception data from the workers were captured by means of wearable devices and survey questionnaires. The results indicated that the recommended FPSDs were perc ived as more utilitarian, required less physical demands, offered superior postural benefits, and increased operational efficiency and productivity. The study addresses a nationwide safety issue experienced by all transportation agencies and DOTs, while also facilitating the improvement of efficiency, productivity and other safety considerations during bridge maintenance and inspection operations.