Sustainable Construction Engineering

Overview

The future of construction in the US and around the world includes the need to maintain and build new housing, schools, healthcare facilities, shopping, government and safety services; more clean water and waste water treatment facilities; and more sustainable energy resources. We will need more roads, rail, public transit and ports to move people and goods. Coupled with retirement projections, employers seek new, qualified professionals able to complete these big projects while maintaining the sustainability triple bottomline: people, planet and profit.

ADMISSIONS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

The Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering conducts funded sustainable construction engineering research which considers this future state and prepares our graduates to be leaders in the field. While considering the interconnection of people and technology, research projects investigate:

About

Smart and Intelligent Construction

This theme of research focuses on the development and test of the next generation Intelligent Information Systems (IIS) and Intelligent Physical Systems (IPS) for the design, engineering, construction and operations of built environments (e.g., buildings, industrial facilities, and smart transportation systems etc.). Specifically, it aims at augmenting human cognitive and physical capabilities and developing a 21st century data-capable civil engineering workforce via Intelligent Cognitive Assistants (ICAs) and Collaborative Robots (Cobots).

Sustainable Workforce

This research bridges the space between understanding the future of work in civil engineering in the United States and characterizing the competencies, learning technologies, and ecosystems that equip and sustain an inclusive workforce for that future. Topics include hazard recognition, safety, leadership, satisfaction, personal resilience, organizational culture, training, informal learning and social considerations. When employees thrive in the workplace and are professional prepared for work, organizational outcomes such as sustaining the workforce; achieving safety, productivity, and profitability goals; planning, designing and constructing intelligent and/or resilient infrastructure; and addressing current and future challenges such as infrastructure and disaster management are also achieved.

Education for Leadership Roles

More Effective Project Delivery Systems
Advanced Project Management and Control Systems
Advanced Safety Management Methods
Sustainable Infrastructure Renewal Research Focus Areas
Advanced Project Planning and Delivery
Intelligent Infrastructure Asset Management Systems
Advanced Project Safety Management
New Construction Methods, Material and Equipment
Intelligent Real Time Construction Information Management Systems

Research Outcomes

Improved Project Planning
More Efficient and Cost Effective Project Delivery
Improved Infrastructure Management Decisions
Safer more cost effective work technologies and processes

Research Benefits

Improved Project Outcomes
Infrastructure Assets Conservation and Optimization
More Cost Effective Investment in Capital Projects
Safety of the Work Force and the Public Facilities
State of the Art Project Controls Laboratory
Multiple Digital Recording Equipment Systems for Data Collection
Multiple Vehicles Available for Project Trips
Research Assistants Assigned Individual State of the Art Work Station Research Opportunities
Activity funded research program with multiple sponsors
Research Assistantships and fellowships
Competitive stipend and full tuition