Javier Irizarry
Georgia Institute of Technology, Architecture, Faculty Member
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The use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) for creating three-dimensional (3D) mapping is n emerging area of research in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) domain. The AEC environment has required more advanced management... more
The use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) for creating three-dimensional (3D) mapping is n emerging area of research in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) domain. The AEC environment has required more advanced management systems for projects successes as complexity increases and schedules are shortened. Three-dimensional mapping could enable progress monitoring, surveying and measuring tasks, and quality control in the AEC industry. However, the process of transforming 2D aerial images to 3D model features has pragmatic challenges. This paper aims at identifying requirements and challenges from field experiments using an UAS for 3D mapping at an university campus and a residential construction site. The experiments involved the following steps: 1) Development of the UAS flight mission plan and selection of the flight mode, 2) Capturing and collecting visual assets from UAS during flights 3) Data processing using the Pix4D software program to perform 3D mapping from...
Since construction is considered as one of the main sources of environmental pollution in the world, the level of knowledge and awareness of project participants, especially project managers, regarding the construction impacts on the... more
Since construction is considered as one of the main sources of environmental pollution in the world, the level of knowledge and awareness of project participants, especially project managers, regarding the construction impacts on the environment are required to be enhanced. The aim of this paper is to develop a prototype of a Sustainable-Construction Planning System (SCPS) in order to mitigate the negative impacts of the construction industry on the environment. To achieve this aim, frequency and severity of known environmental impacts of construction process of residential buildings were investigated through interviews with a safety expert panel in Malaysia. Then, risk level associated with each environmental impact was calculated based on the relevant risk matrix. The SCPS extracts current construction activities from any computer-based schedule (Microsoft Project® in this study) and identifies sustainable strategies, and environmental impacts related to each activity as a report....
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: The federal government spends billions of dollars on information technology (IT) each year, with such investments accounting for at least $79 billion in fiscal year 2011. Given the size of these investments, it is important that federal... more
: The federal government spends billions of dollars on information technology (IT) each year, with such investments accounting for at least $79 billion in fiscal year 2011. Given the size of these investments, it is important that federal agencies avoid duplicative investments when possible to ensure the most efficient use of resources. GAO has previously reported on initiatives under way to address potentially duplicative IT investments i.e., investments providing similar functions across the government. GAO was asked to review the extent to which potentially duplicative IT investments exist within three categories at selected agencies (the Departments of Defense (DOD), Energy (DOE), and Homeland Security (DHS)) and actions these agencies are taking to address them. To accomplish this, GAO analyzed budget data on agency IT investments, reviewed agency information related to efforts to address duplication, and interviewed agency officials.
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Sustainability, or what is commonly thought of as "going green," is a popular and widespread movement that has spread throughout the current general contracting industry. Its increased significance in construction led to the... more
Sustainability, or what is commonly thought of as "going green," is a popular and widespread movement that has spread throughout the current general contracting industry. Its increased significance in construction led to the development of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system that the US Green Building Council defines as "a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings." Firms are decisively pursuing LEED certification in their construction projects and the number of accredited LEED APs (Accredited Professionals) continues to rise each year. While increased sustainability practice is viewed as a positive progression for the construction industry at large, the question has been raised as to whether or not men and women actively participating in the industry are motivated by different means to produce sustainable structures. Past studies in environmental sociology and ...
In spite of the efforts by government agencies, labor organizations, and researchers in the field of health and safety, injuries and fatalities continue to plague the construction industry. In 2002, the construction industry had the... more
In spite of the efforts by government agencies, labor organizations, and researchers in the field of health and safety, injuries and fatalities continue to plague the construction industry. In 2002, the construction industry had the undesirable distinction of having two of the most ...
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of an exploratory study on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) as a visual data collection tool in the architecture, engineering, construction and facility management... more
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of an exploratory study on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) as a visual data collection tool in the architecture, engineering, construction and facility management industry for the inspection of pathological manifestations in building facades. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used a field research experimental approach, where three case studies were carried out involving buildings of medium and high elevation. The protocol of activities included image collection and processing stages, as well as detailed analysis of the collected visual data for the identification of pathological manifestations in building facades. Findings The findings emphasize the technical feasibility and efficacy of inspections with UAV, showing that among the visual assets produced, digital photographs collected with the aircraft were more effective for the detection of pathologies when compared to the three-dimensional models an...
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AbstractAirport inspections are essential to ensuring the safety of aircraft operation for the general public. The current, manual, approach to inspection consumes a significant amount of time. Unm...
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This paper discusses the most relevant human factors and cognitive aspects associated to the use of three-dimensional virtual reality models within the conceptual design phase in the construction industry. It contributes to the knowledge... more
This paper discusses the most relevant human factors and cognitive aspects associated to the use of three-dimensional virtual reality models within the conceptual design phase in the construction industry. It contributes to the knowledge on the designer’s cognitive functioning throughout the creative thinking and decision-making in design, as well as in what extent VR technology helps in these cognitive processes, pointing out relevant aspects that must be considered in the development of new VR-based tools for conceptual design. At the end, this study presents a concise knowledge on the meaning, impacts and effectiveness of VR technology for the Building Construction domain. The mechanism of human cognition involved in the building design process and the role of VR technology in this context are presented and final considerations are made.
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This research assesses the effectiveness of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and provides further implications and recommendations for UAS-based visual inspections in the construction and infrastructure environment. This study includes... more
This research assesses the effectiveness of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and provides further implications and recommendations for UAS-based visual inspections in the construction and infrastructure environment. This study includes field tests at infrastructure projects provided by Georgia DOT, as well as semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires after the field tests. A total of three field test locations were selected, including an airport, bridge, and road. During the field tests, eight UAS platforms were used to collect various data, including still images, infrared images, and video. Interviews with and a survey of industry professionals participating in the field tests were employed to measure the effectiveness of UAS integration into their construction-related task environments. The results of this study will assist in implementing UAS in infrastructure construction and operations. Since only a small number of potential UAS users from the field tests and post-test interviews, this study qualitatively describes further implications based on users’ perceptions, prompting the integration of UAS into the domain of infrastructure construction and operation.
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Construction safety climates can reflect organizational safety behavior and commitment, employees’ safety perceptions and attitudes, and the supervisory and support environments. Maintaining a healthy safety climate can help prevent... more
Construction safety climates can reflect organizational safety behavior and commitment, employees’ safety perceptions and attitudes, and the supervisory and support environments. Maintaining a healthy safety climate can help prevent workers from fatal accidents and illnesses. To enhance the safety climate and, consequently, improve safety performance at a construction site, it is very important to analyze the elements that affect the safety climate and are significant for different types of construction work organizations. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to develop a multi-spectra perception model to investigate which factors were considered critical from four key perspectives: managers, superintendents, skilled laborers, and general helpers. To achieve this goal, a survey questionnaire was conducted to collect empirical data from one commercial building construction project. Based on a stepwise regression analysis, it was revealed that the most significant factors enhanc...
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AbstractMany studies have discussed unmanned aircraft system (UAS) applications for infrastructure conditions and construction project inspections. However, the industry currently faces significant...
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ABSTRACT There is a continual challenge within the construction industry to achieve schedule, budget, and quality expectations at a time when projects are more complex, and their design and assembly involve some measure of abstract... more
ABSTRACT There is a continual challenge within the construction industry to achieve schedule, budget, and quality expectations at a time when projects are more complex, and their design and assembly involve some measure of abstract spatial skills. The outcomes of teaching these spatial skills in today’s construction management classroom often fall short of meeting the needs of industry. This research advocates the use of augmented reality – which allows one to view the real world with the addition of external information intended to provide a new understanding of what is being seen. This study found that students perceived ease of effort and satisfaction by using augmented reality to help them with their spatial skills learning. In fact, it was discovered that the use of augmented reality benefited the cognitive process. Augmented reality is fast proving advantageous in many other industries, and with the availability of smaller, more powerful consumer mobile devices, augmented reality can become a practical tool for the construction industry as well. The addition of these technologies, as a complement to drafting and plan reading courses, can enhance postsecondary education, in addition to preparing the construction industry’s future workforce.
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Current studies have focused on the exploration of the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) applications in the construction and infrastructure domains, such as progress monitoring, condition inspections, and particularly safety inspection.... more
Current studies have focused on the exploration of the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) applications in the construction and infrastructure domains, such as progress monitoring, condition inspections, and particularly safety inspection. While their works have had significant contributions to highlighting the potential of the UAS technology, there are still gaps in the lack of operational considerations and workflows established to integrate the UAS into the current safety management program. To fill this gap, this study conducted field tests at commercial building construction worksite by adopting conceptually developed UAS flight protocol. A total of eight flights were performed to collect visual assets and provide for safety professionals at the jobsite with the insight of how this technology can be utilized in accordance with the developed workflow. A total of eight project personnel participated in the UAS flight test at their jobsite as well as post-flight interview to discuss how this technology can meet their safety management task goals. As the qualitative study, this paper narratively described the conceptual procedures consist of three different decision-making processes for ensuring the safe flight of the UAS: pre-flight, flight, and post-flight decision makings. Based on the potential users’ perceptions obtained during the field testing, this presented study focused on three different operational considerations: involving project-based, UAS’s capability and hardware specifications and UAS and project team-based aspects. The main goal of this study proposes a decision-driven workflow for UAS-integrated safety management that encourages sustainable and continuous improvement and documents the operational considerations related to this application. As the qualitative exploratory study, this research is limited to employ only one test-bed environment and the small number of interviewees. However, this study can contribute to a better understanding of the concerns, processes, and further recommendations to safely and effectively implement the UAS into the construction safety management program.
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AbstractCurrent studies have addressed the significant potential of technology integration in construction and infrastructure environments; however, they have not sufficiently explored the human as...
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Abstract The use of immersive virtual reality has been considered a beneficial strategy for architectural design. Many studies on this topic, however, avoid discussing the extent to which this technology offers better support to design... more
Abstract The use of immersive virtual reality has been considered a beneficial strategy for architectural design. Many studies on this topic, however, avoid discussing the extent to which this technology offers better support to design practices compared to non-immersive virtual reality platforms. Nonetheless, this knowledge is precisely what would justify a wider adoption of immersive systems by the AEC industry. In this context, this study sought to quantitatively verify the ability of a particular immersive system in providing users with a better spatial understanding of the virtual mock-up. The method compares users' spatial perception using a conventional workstation versus an immersive platform. Findings indicate an overall better spatial perception of the virtual model when using the immersive environment. The study concludes that the immersive environment may benefit current design practices by improving professionals' understanding of the spatial arrangement of the virtual model.
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AbstractAt the early design stage of construction projects, designers often rely on rules of thumb to make critical decisions about the geometry, construction systems, and materials of their design...
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This paper explores the feasibility of using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) in Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) operations. The research team conducted 24 interviews with personnel in four GDOT divisions. Following an interview... more
This paper explores the feasibility of using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) in Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) operations. The research team conducted 24 interviews with personnel in four GDOT divisions. Following an interview validation process, a set of UASs design characteristics fulfilling user requirements of each previously identified division were developed. A “House of Quality” viewgraph was chosen to capture the relationships between GDOT tasks and potential UASs aiding those operations. As a result, five reference systems are proposed. This study introduces a variety of UAS applications in traffic management, transportation and construction disciplines related to Department of Transportations (DOTs), such as the ability to get real time, digital photographs/videos of traffic scenes or providing a "bird’s eye view" which was previously only achievable with the assistance of a manned aircraft. The results of this study could lead to further research on design, development, and field-testing of UASs for applications identified as beneficial to DOTs.
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AbstractThe Hangzhou subway construction collapse (HZSCC) is a serious accident that caused the most casualties in China’s subway construction history. This disaster took place on November 15, 2008, causing 21 fatalities and 24 injuries.... more
AbstractThe Hangzhou subway construction collapse (HZSCC) is a serious accident that caused the most casualties in China’s subway construction history. This disaster took place on November 15, 2008, causing 21 fatalities and 24 injuries. Past analyses of the HZSCC were incomplete, and using traditional linear causation models made it difficult to grasp the nature of the HZSCC within its complex context of subway construction. This study aims to capture the full complexity of the HZSCC, on the basis of an integrated framework of a modified accident energy release model (MAERM) and network theory. Given that the energy release model has the advantage of revealing the nature of accident occurrence from an ontological perspective, it was adopted and was modified by employing the hierarchy of the causal influences model. The HZSCC causation analysis was conducted by identifying energy sources and analyzing invalidation of energy restraints. This accident is not isolated but rather a combination of 11 subaccide...
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Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) have been increasingly considered for use in the architecture, engineering, construction and facility management (AEC+FM) domain. In particular, UASs have the potential for integration with safety control... more
Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) have been increasingly considered for use in the architecture, engineering, construction and facility management (AEC+FM) domain. In particular, UASs have the potential for integration with safety control processes during the construction phase. This technology can transfer visual assets, such as images and videos obtained from UASs, to safety management personnel in real time before potentially hazardous situations occur. This paper aims to identify the user requirements, operational challenges, potential factors influencing the performance of UASs, and potential performance measures on construction site environments. In this study, qualitative survey responses are collected from 19 construction project professionals. The main findings showed four main requirements and three main challenges from a user’s perspective in order to implement UASs on construction sites. In addition, 31 potential factors and 17 performance measures of UASs were identified with their importance based on mean ranking scores. “Ease of user interface for UAS operation” and “quality of visual assets” were identified as the most important factors influencing the performance of UASs for safety inspection tasks in construction jobsites. The main contribution is to define the factors that may affect their performance of UAS integrated construction safety controls.
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Purpose – With the facility management industry increasingly adopting building information modeling (BIM) technologies, there is a need to investigate where this industry stands in its application. Moreover, studies on efficient and... more
Purpose – With the facility management industry increasingly adopting building information modeling (BIM) technologies, there is a need to investigate where this industry stands in its application. Moreover, studies on efficient and cost-effective solutions to integrate BIM and mobile augmented reality (MAR) present an environment where facility managers can experience an intuitive natural interaction with their mobile interfaces to efficiently access needed information. The industry’s view on this new approach of accessing information from BIM models should also be investigated, and its feedback should be considered for future phases of this avenue of research. Design/methodology/approach – This paper explores not only how BIM can be beneficial to facility management practitioners, but also how its integration with MAR and making the data accessible through handheld mobile devices can enhance current facility management practices. An online survey was conducted to assess profession...
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Challenges encountered by facility managers include developing visual models in their mind to corroborate the relationship between two dimensional (2D) as-built drawings with the real world three dimensional (3D) elements, searching and... more
Challenges encountered by facility managers include developing visual models in their mind to corroborate the relationship between two dimensional (2D) as-built drawings with the real world three dimensional (3D) elements, searching and validating information. These challenges can be addressed by using Building Information Model (BIM) in the O&M phase. Accessing the information using BIM is a two-step process. The first step includes the identification and selection of the appropriate 3D element from the digital model and second step includes the retrieval of the information. Currently, the first step is accomplished by navigating the model manually. This step becomes tedious depending upon the size and complexity of the model. This identification selection process can be automated by integrating Quick Response (QR) code technology with BIM. This paper discusses the feasibility of developing an integrated BIM and QR code environment. It also discusses the pilot study conducted to deploy this environment.
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... Enhancing Student Learning in Structures Courses with Building Information Modeling. by Wasim Barham , Pavan Meadati , and Javier Irizarry Section: Cutting-Edge Development , pp. 850-857 Permissions for Reuse Document type: Conference... more
... Enhancing Student Learning in Structures Courses with Building Information Modeling. by Wasim Barham , Pavan Meadati , and Javier Irizarry Section: Cutting-Edge Development , pp. 850-857 Permissions for Reuse Document type: Conference Proceeding Paper. ...
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Purpose – This paper aims to develop a framework to represent semantic web query results as Industry Foundation Class (IFC) building models. The subject of interoperability has received considerable attention in the construction... more
Purpose – This paper aims to develop a framework to represent semantic web query results as Industry Foundation Class (IFC) building models. The subject of interoperability has received considerable attention in the construction literature in recent years. Given the distributed, semantically heterogeneous data sources, the problem is to retrieve information accurately and with minimal human intervention by considering their semantic descriptions. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides a framework to translate semantic web query results into the XML representations of IFC schema and data. Using the concepts and relationships in an IFC schema, the authors first develop an ontology to specify an equivalent IFC entity in the query results. Then, a mapping structure is defined and used to translate and fill all query results into an ifcXML document. For query processing, the proposed framework implements a set of predefined query mappings between the source schema and a corres...
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ABSTRACT Mobile augmented reality (MAR) provides an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use method of accessing information in an intuitive way by visually parsing the environment and relating information in the form of augmentations to specific... more
ABSTRACT Mobile augmented reality (MAR) provides an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use method of accessing information in an intuitive way by visually parsing the environment and relating information in the form of augmentations to specific objects in specific places through handheld mobile devices. With the architecture, engineering, construction, and operation (AECO) industry widely adopting building information modeling (BIM) technologies, this research contributes an efficient and cost-effective solution to integrate BIM into MAR by developing a method and workflow that practitioners can use to consolidate, optimize, and visualize their data and models in an MAR environment. Moreover, a real-world application of this method, called BIM2MAR, within facility management practices is described in this paper. In the future, this research will investigate the integration of the BIM2MAR method into cloud computing, as well as conducting user-centered evaluation. (C) 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Changing from day to day, the construction jobsite is in a constant state of flux. This constant change presents challenges for safety managers who must be able to foresee, as much as possible, hazardous conditions before they cause... more
Changing from day to day, the construction jobsite is in a constant state of flux. This constant change presents challenges for safety managers who must be able to foresee, as much as possible, hazardous conditions before they cause injuries or fatalities on the jobsite. Advances in information and sensing technology show promise in protecting workers from harm. However, they rely on data collection methods, which may not be fast enough to allow managers to act on the information they receive. This paper evaluates the potential applications that unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have for enhancing safety on construction jobsites by providing real-time visual access to jobsite environments. The type of UAS considered in this study is a quadcopter type system that can be piloted remotely using a smart phone, tablet device or a computer. The evaluation of the system consisted of a heuristic evaluation as well as a user participation analysis to determine the features of an ideal UAS for safety related tasks on construction sites. The results of the heuristic evaluation revealed some of the user interface challenges of the UAS interface considering safety related tasks. The user participation evaluation involved a simulated task in the controlled environment of the lab of determining worker compliance with the use of required personal protective equipment. This experimental approach revealed that using the UAS with a large-size interface on a tablet device would provide an accurate view of a jobsite that would be useful for safety related tasks. Recommendations for the required features of an ideal UAS for construction safety applications include autonomous navigation, vocal interaction, high-resolution cameras, and collaborative user-interface environment among others. The ultimate goal of this effort is to provide jobsites free of the hazards that affect the most precious resource of the construction industry, its workers.
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Interdisciplinary collaboration is becoming standard practice in the Architecture/Engineering/and Construction (AEC) industry. However, educational models in AEC have been slow to adjust to this rapid shift in project organization and... more
Interdisciplinary collaboration is becoming standard practice in the Architecture/Engineering/and Construction (AEC) industry. However, educational models in AEC have been slow to adjust to this rapid shift in project organization and execution. In recent years, industry leaders have expressed an increasing need for interdisciplinary professionals in the AEC industry. AEC education has great challenges ahead in order to address these needs. This paper explores the needs and challenges for interdisciplinary education in AEC and introduces initial efforts at the Georgia Institute of Technology to meet this need. The results of a survey of students, alumni and other groups are presented as well as the analysis of data from an on-line petition. Analysis of the data collected shows that there are conflicting views of the benefits of such an initiative. However, the results also highlight opportunities for enhanced collaboration through digital tools and greater inclusion of engineering departments in the process.
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ABSTRACT: In 2002, the construction industry had the undesirable distinction of having two of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, with fatalities among structural steel workers at 58.2 fatalities per 100,000 workers (4... more
ABSTRACT: In 2002, the construction industry had the undesirable distinction of having two of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, with fatalities among structural steel workers at 58.2 fatalities per 100,000 workers (4 highest rate). In addition to the costs associated with construction accidents such as increased insurance premiumsand medical expenses, loss of productivity is a cause for