The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has adopted a revised set of criteria for accrediting engineering programs. Nevertheless, as in the past, civil engineering departments will be required to demonstrate proficiency in specific subject areas which are included in the ABET program criteria. This paper investigates how civil engineering students at Lamar University improved their understanding of various subject areas required by ABET and listed in the Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs and the General Criteria (professional component) by being involved with cooperative, part-time, and summer work experiences. In particular, the findings suggest that both undergraduate and graduate students believe that three areas have been greatly enhanced with engineering work. They include structural engineering, project management/scheduling and estimating, and teamwork. In addition, undergraduates perceive that their understanding of health and safety issues and ethical considerations has also increased. In contrast, graduate students believe that their knowledge of hydraulics, hydrology, and water resources, constructability, and economic factors has been enhanced by civil engineering work experiences.

This paper examines an ethical dilemma related to the residential construction industry in Florida, where homes must be engineered to withstand extreme load conditions induced during high wind events. Overwhelming contractor pressure to minimize construction costs has resulted in the propagation of inadequate construction designs. The overwhelming adoption of these inadequate designs weakens the integrity of our industry, creating the impression that market pressure can influence our judgment despite conflicting results gained through engineering analysis. This paper illustrates the frailty of engineering judgment as a design fundamental. Further, it raises the question as to what extent professional engineers should substitute engineering judgment for concrete evidence such as numerical analysis or experimental verification.

Engineering education is currently facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Engineering institutions are being called upon to educate the architectural, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) professionals of tomorrow by complementing their traditional engineering education with the transfusion of information technology and process automation concepts through the necessary reorganization of classes and academic curricula. This paper presents a framework for an interdisciplinary course sequence in civil engineering, project management, and information technology centered on the concepts of fully integrated and automated project processes (FIAPP). The described sequence enables students to benefit pedagogically from working in truly multidisciplinary teams, to enrich their educational experience by bringing real world projects to academic settings, and to teach them fundamental principles in integration and automation of project processes highlighting the value of such integrated project management systems (information management, planning, design, construction management, procurement, operations, and maintenance). Furthermore, the course sequence addresses deficiencies in current one-dimensional educational curricula and needs expressed by educators, students, and industry professionals. The paper presents experiences and knowledge gained from the aforementioned academic sequence on FIAPP and on the utilization of three-dimensional computer models and associated databases in the management of A/E/C processes.

The United States relies on technology. To continue the development of new and the expansion of existing technologies requires a strong background in science, math, and engineering. Because students are falling behind in these areas, many universities are attempting to reverse this trend and attract more students to their engineering programs through outreach programs. These outreach efforts can take a variety of forms, with the simplest being the development of classroom and web-based materials. Outreach programs can also include professional development programs, engineering contests, on-campus activities, activities at schools, and the sponsorship of teaching fellows and service learning programs. Programs can be directed at preservice teachers, teachers, and/or students as well as specific groups such as females or minorities. The programs may occur throughout the school year or during summer vacations. Personnel presenting the outreach programs can include older K–12 students, teachers, college students, and/or university professors. Regardless of the mechanism, each outreach program has one common goal, to increase the interest that K–12 students have for math and science and, thus, engineering.

Research aiming at modeling construction knowledge often faces many problems because of the unique nature of each construction project and the lack of formal data-collection procedures within the industry. Therefore, designing a sound research methodology becomes very important for assuring the validity of this type of research. This paper summarizes the methodology used in the development of a model for evaluating bridge construction plans. It defines some validity threats facing such research efforts and provides some techniques for overcoming them. The case shows that the use of overlapping data-collection tools coupled with rigorous, stepwise analysis of each step in the model development is crucial for research validity.

Male professionals have dominated the construction industry all over the world. This paper examines the issues that affect professional women, whose numbers are beginning to grow, within the industry in Nigeria. The study relied on data obtained using questionnaires administered on 120 professional women in seven areas of construction professions. The professionals in this survey were located in the cities of Abuja, Kaduna, and Lagos in Nigeria. A total of 89 questionnaires were received and used for the analysis and discussions. The result showed that there are considerable career opportunities for professional women in the industry, though some of these areas pose serious conflict with their roles as wives/mothers, which therefore affects their career advancement in such fields. The paper concluded with some recommendations to address these conflicts and encourage more women to join the different professions within the industry.

This technical note investigates the importance of fees to architects and engineers (A/Es) with respect to the need of clients to minimize production costs. Data were collected by in-depth interviews with 12 subject-matter experts from the construction industry. The main finding is that, when it comes to the selection and engagement of consultant A/Es, the Economic Theory of the Firm regarding the need to minimize production cost and maximize profit is applicable to design-builders and A/Es, respectively. Design/builders do regard low fees as important, because their overall competitiveness is also dependent on how much fees their design consultants are charging them. Client organizations pointed out that it is not very important to select low-fee A/Es. Their reasons are the need to employ quality consultants, the fact that fee is not a cost significant item as compared with the overall development cost, and the need to motivate consultants by paying them adequate fees.

Computer technology has given rise to new forms and modes of project failures in the construction industry. Engineers are prime targets of claims to recover financial losses caused by these computer-provoked failures. Thus, engineers should have a basic understanding of their legal responsibilities associated with the use of computers. In order to foster such an understanding, this paper discusses examples of how computer accidents can occur in the construction industry and examines the legal ramifications to engineers, discusses potential recourse theories engineers may have against hardware and software vendors or insurers, and identifies measures engineers can take to reduce the likelihood of an accident and the corresponding likelihood of a claim.

Although humans and mold have coexisted for centuries, the effects of mold on health and property have recently received considerable attention. Members of the construction industry and commercial property owners are, with increasing frequency, finding themselves defending claims of property damage or personal injury due to indoor mold growth. These designers, builders, and property owners frequently turn to their general liability insurance carriers for defense and indemnification without having a full understanding of the protections afforded by their commercial general liability policies. This article provides an introduction to the typical coverages and exclusions applicable to mold related claims submitted for general liability coverage. This article also discusses maximizing the potential for coverage by notifying and cooperating with one’s insurer and provides guidance on the avoidance of indoor mold growth and claims. Questions concerning the meaning and effect of particular insurance policy provisions and the availability of additional or alternative coverages should be directed to one’s insurance professional or coverage attorney.

Over the decade, mediation has rapidly become a popular method to deal with disputes. It is now widely used by companies and organizations all over the world. As a result, a great number of mediation training programs have been set up to promote and educate the use and skills of mediation. Generally speaking, a typical training program would consist of the following four basic components: (1) lecture, (2) group discussion, (3) mediation simulations, and (4) role-plays. Out of the four, the use of role-plays to simulate real-life mediations are well-received by both trainers and trainees. Not only does it form an integral part of any effective mediation training program, but it also helps achieve the objectives of training programs through assessment of the role-play performance. Through assessment of role-play performance, it is possible to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses, so as to improve the quality of ongoing trainings. As a response to the request of a more systematic approach to improve the assessment of role-plays, this paper describes a Web-based mediator assessment system (evaluate-Med). The aim is to develop a flexible and simple system of assessing of mediators’ skills in role-plays. The system is based on Internet and database technologies and the process of development includes the following three key components: framework for the design of mediator’s performance measures, mediator assessment form, and mediator assessment summary. The use of evaluate-Med can systemize, streamline, and automate the performance assessment process in role-plays. The use of graphs and charts to present assessment results is invaluable to trainers, assessors, and trainee mediators in comparing results and benchmarking. In addition, it allows effective monitoring of a mediator’s performance in a role-play or over a series of role-plays and helps the overall design and development of a mediation training program.