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Research Interests: Engineering, Computer Science, Knowledge Management, Decision Making, Project Management, and 12 moreGroup Theory, Learning, Knowledge Creation, Organizational cognition, Project Planning, Customer Value, Conceptual Framework, Support Group, PROJECT, Information Technology Construction, Project Charter, and Project Management Triangle
ABSTRACT This paper describes a project team's use of A3 reports to focus their conversations and direct their decision-making process throughout the design phase of a hospital project. A3s are named after the... more
ABSTRACT This paper describes a project team's use of A3 reports to focus their conversations and direct their decision-making process throughout the design phase of a hospital project. A3s are named after the size of the paper they are presented on (approximately 11��� x 17���) and provide a concise description of options and tradeoffs associated with a given problem or decision. A3s are widely used at Toyota as conversation pieces and to document steps of the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle that supports their ...
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ABSTRACT The purpose of the research presented here is to describe workflow through an organization that reviews submissions for building permit approval and understand the effect of an alternative review process on the time to permit... more
ABSTRACT The purpose of the research presented here is to describe workflow through an organization that reviews submissions for building permit approval and understand the effect of an alternative review process on the time to permit assuming a certain level of staffing conducting the review. The alternative review process engages the state review agency early in reviewing the design with the owner, architect, engineer, and contractor. Data was obtained from a state permitting agency to develop a simulation model of an alternative ...
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ABSTRACT Developing energy-efficient commercial buildings requires the use of an energy-related risk management practice that can increase the chance of achieving intended lifecycle financial goals. This paper suggests a management... more
ABSTRACT Developing energy-efficient commercial buildings requires the use of an energy-related risk management practice that can increase the chance of achieving intended lifecycle financial goals. This paper suggests a management practice that deals with such energy-related risk, namely, project cost risk and performance risk. A prerequisite to applying the suggested management practice is a high level of collaboration among different disciplines during design development as promoted, for example, when using integrated project delivery (IPD). As a case study to validate the management practice, this paper presents a California hospital project where the unique features of IPD helped the project team apply the management practice in the course of managing the energy-related uncertainties of an energy-efficiency measure. This paper illustrates the detailed design decision-making process of the team that used Target Value Design, a lean design management method. As a contribution to the body of knowledge, the purposes of this study are to present the case study that serves to validate the suggested practice and to show that the IPD application contributed to the capability and effectiveness of the practice in increasing the reliability of achieving the target lifecycle financial values while reducing system complexity and overdesign. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT�� ASCE/MARCH/APRIL 2004/299 ity in productivity (p. 152), but elsewhere (p. 144) also suggest that buffer management is needed and more important than workflow variability reduction.... more
JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT�� ASCE/MARCH/APRIL 2004/299 ity in productivity (p. 152), but elsewhere (p. 144) also suggest that buffer management is needed and more important than workflow variability reduction. Having misunderstood work-flow variation and how it can be reduced, their proposed alternative is simply a return to traditional thinking, turning their backs on lean theory and its accomplishments in practice. While flexible workforce capacity may be ...
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Abstract Choosing a building system is not an easy task, especially when designers are concerned about the social and environmental impacts of their choices, as in the case of a net zero energy (NZE) building. In addition, economic... more
Abstract Choosing a building system is not an easy task, especially when designers are concerned about the social and environmental impacts of their choices, as in the case of a net zero energy (NZE) building. In addition, economic constraints are commonly misunderstood so that all too often decisions are based on what is cheaper upfront and do not take the life-cycle cost into account. Moreover, the interaction with increasing numbers of stakeholders makes decision-making even more complex. While decisions can be supported by decision-making methods, in practice many are made without a formal method or discussion, which often generates conflict and waste in the design process. Few designers know how to incorporate social, environmental and economical factors when making a decision. This research fills the literature gap and provides practical advice for practitioners by demonstrating the application of a method called choosing by advantages (CBA) in order to create transparent and collaborative environments in which to make decisions. This paper presents a detailed case study of choosing an HVAC system for a NZE building in California. It provides evidence that CBA supports the choosing problem by integrating multiple perspectives, creating transparency, separating “value” from cost, and clearly documenting the decision rationale.
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AbstractDesign teams must make numerous decisions in building design, including choosing materials. Lately, they have become more concerned about the social and environmental effects of their choices, in addition to the economic... more
AbstractDesign teams must make numerous decisions in building design, including choosing materials. Lately, they have become more concerned about the social and environmental effects of their choices, in addition to the economic constraints. These concerns, in addition to the increasing offerings of construction materials and products and the engagement of more stakeholders, make decisions more complex. As decision complexity increases, so does the need to systematically use sound decision-making methods. However, in practice many decisions are made without a formal method or discussion, thereby often generating conflict and waste in the design process. Further, even if practitioners are looking for better decision-making methods, the literature does not provide enough support for them to choose the best method for this context. This research fills the literature gap and provides a systematic approach as well as practical advice for decision makers by demonstrating the application of a method, called choo...
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Site layout is mostly treated as a task independent of other resource allocation tasks such as those that are traditionally associated with construction planning and scheduling. Yet, the effective organization of a project depends to a... more
Site layout is mostly treated as a task independent of other resource allocation tasks such as those that are traditionally associated with construction planning and scheduling. Yet, the effective organization of a project depends to a large degree on spatial interactions between static and dynamic resources on a site, thus one may benefit from incorporating spatial planning with project planning. Maintaining a spatial representation of the site as construction progresses may also be useful for other monitoring and control tasks. In this paper, I first review how spatial data is or may be used during planning and construction of a project. While some applications are common, others have not be identified before. Second, I describe pragmatic issues that need to be addressed by models capturing spatial data. I then propose a layout model to serve as the foundation for integrating spatial data from multiple sources. A prototype system, named MovePlan, is presented. MovePlan is an inter...
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JULY 2006� DOORS AND HARDWARE 33 of weather stripping material might be glued to run along the perimeter of the frame prior to installation to replace the backer rods. Tightening the anchor bolts would compress the weather stripping,... more
JULY 2006� DOORS AND HARDWARE 33 of weather stripping material might be glued to run along the perimeter of the frame prior to installation to replace the backer rods. Tightening the anchor bolts would compress the weather stripping, thereby providing a tight seal. However, security sealant would still have to be applied to the prison cell side of the frame to prevent tampering.
This paper presents the guidelines for authors preparing to submit a technical paper for the 20 th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC20). The guideline includes a structural template and formatting... more
This paper presents the guidelines for authors preparing to submit a technical paper for the 20 th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC20). The guideline includes a structural template and formatting instructions. Following this guideline is important to those interested in seeing conference proceedings that are easy to read and have a consistent appearance.[example of style 'Text First'for the first paragraph]
This paper proposes a knowledge management framework for project definition of capital facilityprojects. The conceptual framework emphasizesproject-based learning and the creation of group knowledge inearly phase project planning and... more
This paper proposes a knowledge management framework for project definition of capital facilityprojects. The conceptual framework emphasizesproject-based learning and the creation of group knowledge inearly phase project planning and design activity. The use of multi-disciplinary expertise in this phase of projectdevelopment acknowledges the use of multt) le decision frames by which stakeholders approach projectsolutions. This research views project definition as a collaborative decision-making process, and highlights ...
This paper discusses what knowledge specialty contractors may contribute to the early design of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) products. In current practice in the United States, specialty contractors are seldom... more
This paper discusses what knowledge specialty contractors may contribute to the early design of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) products. In current practice in the United States, specialty contractors are seldom involved in the early design effort, but their early involvement is increasing. The paper reports on research that focused on the processes for designing and building semiconductor facilities. The research consisted of conducting a series of one-to-one interviews with experienced practitioners, ...
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Architects and engineers participate early in an architecture/engineering/construction project as they generate the design. This design is, however, seldom 100% complete. Presumably, specialty contractors will subsequently specify missing... more
Architects and engineers participate early in an architecture/engineering/construction project as they generate the design. This design is, however, seldom 100% complete. Presumably, specialty contractors will subsequently specify missing details and produce fabrication and erection drawings. They thus play the role of the Last Designer, completing design prior to construction. The Last Designer's knowledge is highly specialized. It reflects trade-specific know-how in addition to regional and company ...
Research Interests: Business, Computer Science, Economics, Design, Knowledge Systems, and 14 moreIntelligent Manufacturing, Manufacturing Engineering, Intelligent, Knowledge Acquisition, Mechanisms, Automation and Robotics, Configuration, Design knowledge, UT, Production logistics, System center configuration manager, Economics and Management Science, Problem solving methods, and Problem Solving Method
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Author(s): Fischer, Anne; Grimm, Niklas; Tommelein, Iris D.; Kessler, Stephan; Fottner, Johannes | Abstract: This paper presents a characterization of heavy civil engineering in the context of lean construction and Industry 4.0.... more
Author(s): Fischer, Anne; Grimm, Niklas; Tommelein, Iris D.; Kessler, Stephan; Fottner, Johannes | Abstract: This paper presents a characterization of heavy civil engineering in the context of lean construction and Industry 4.0. Production characteristics of earthworks are compared with those of multi-story construction. The paper focuses on the equipment use of specialty foundation contractors and shows the variety in variability encountered in the Kelly pile drilling process, as described by industry experts. The authors identify seven sources of variability that affect production performance, classify each one by type, and then describe technologies to harness them. The paper critically examines design considerations in a production system that highly depends on equipment and highlights that advances in implementation of Industry 4.0 will demand ongoing effort in reconfiguring such systems.
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A simple product-process model is presented that sharpens theoretical understanding of how to deliver extremely complex projects. The model contrasts the effectiveness of two delivery systems for projects in unpredictable environments.... more
A simple product-process model is presented that sharpens theoretical understanding of how to deliver extremely complex projects. The model contrasts the effectiveness of two delivery systems for projects in unpredictable environments. Unpredictability means that design criteria are prone to change throughout design and construction. The project delivery systems differ based on when specialty contractors get involved in design and when construction starts relative to the completion of design. As an ...
This paper explores the effect of postponed commitment strategies for managing the design process in conditions of uncertainty. We present a generic product-process development model representative for the design process of diverse... more
This paper explores the effect of postponed commitment strategies for managing the design process in conditions of uncertainty. We present a generic product-process development model representative for the design process of diverse building systems in a semiconductor facility. The model synthesizes the knowledge we gained after conducting empirical research. The model comprises an initial conceptualization effort followed by a concept development phase. Between the two phases, we assume that ...
Today's construction industry is facing tremendous challenges. Up until 50 or so years ago typical projects were relatively simple; most of today's projects are complex. Advances in science and engineering have led to... more
Today's construction industry is facing tremendous challenges. Up until 50 or so years ago typical projects were relatively simple; most of today's projects are complex. Advances in science and engineering have led to increasingly sophisticated understanding of physical and social processes, enabling more realistic modeling, computation approaches, and new means to physically realize a design. As a result, a myriad of new technologies and materials are now available to the builder. Projects therefore require the involvement of ...
This research reports on the application in the Architecture-Engineering-Construction (AEC) industry of the Multiple-Domain Matrix (MDM) methodology, originally established for product development processes. AEC project delivery features... more
This research reports on the application in the Architecture-Engineering-Construction (AEC) industry of the Multiple-Domain Matrix (MDM) methodology, originally established for product development processes. AEC project delivery features significant organizational complexity. Our use of the MDM methodology aims at characterizing and managing such complexity while following the Lean Construction philosophy. Lean Construction refers to using lean thinking principles that stem from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and new ones that address ...
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Concrete is an important, widely used material in modern-day construction. The insitu placement of concrete is performed at a significant cost for contractors. This study aimed to outline a method (s) to reduce this cost, by focusing on... more
Concrete is an important, widely used material in modern-day construction. The insitu placement of concrete is performed at a significant cost for contractors. This study aimed to outline a method (s) to reduce this cost, by focusing on the reduction of the most significant costs in concreting system: material, plant hire, and resource idleness. An investigation was undertaken to determine if cost reduction could be achieved through a reconfiguration of the resource supply chain, in the form of vertical integration. In real terms this means that the ...
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RMC is an important construction material and the cost of placing this material is significant for a contractor. Previous research studies to minimise this cost have centred upon the cost of plant and labour, without consideration of the... more
RMC is an important construction material and the cost of placing this material is significant for a contractor. Previous research studies to minimise this cost have centred upon the cost of plant and labour, without consideration of the other costs that comprise the RMC system. The aim of this research is to define the costs that should be reduced to minimise the contractor cost in the RMC system and identify a method (s) of achieving this minimisation. The costs and the contributor (s) to these costs were identified through consultation with ...
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This paper discusses the topic of mapping processes in lean construction and illustrates the application of the Multi-Domain Matrix (MDM) as a process mapping tool using the example of a plumbing installation process design. The objective... more
This paper discusses the topic of mapping processes in lean construction and illustrates the application of the Multi-Domain Matrix (MDM) as a process mapping tool using the example of a plumbing installation process design. The objective of the MDM application is to facilitate process mapping through deduction of dependencies and to provide conclusions for future state map generation based on analysis of the process' underlying structure.
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In unstable environments, characterized by frequent client-driven changes in design criteria and by huge pressure to compress project delivery times, practitioners must search for innovative ways to structure the design-build process.... more
In unstable environments, characterized by frequent client-driven changes in design criteria and by huge pressure to compress project delivery times, practitioners must search for innovative ways to structure the design-build process. Involving specialty contractors from project inception onwards, helps to satisfy client needs. Based on empirical research in the semiconductor industry, this paper presents a product-process model that reflects the joint system of designing and building a facility component. The model ...