Citation data is increasingly being used to assess quality and importance. By this criterion, a paper that is not cited is automatically assumed to lack both quality and significance. This paper examines the validity of this hypothesis by reviewing citation rates of award-winning ASCE papers over a 25-year period from 1978–2002. In the study, citation data for seven civil engineering subdisciplines were obtained from the Science Citation Index developed by the Thomson Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). The analysis showed that nearly 25% of the award-winning papers were never cited with over 30% cited just once. Citations were higher in subdisciplines that are science based and lower in those that are more applied or specialist. These findings indicate that although citations provide a quantitative measure of use, they are imperfect indicators of quality and significance.

Lecturers and students in the Civil and Building Engineering Dept. at Loughborough Univ. were surveyed to gain an understanding of how they expected the literature review element of final year projects to be undertaken. The results showed a disparity in the number and type of resources expected to be used; in the problems they anticipated when undertaking a literature review; and in the confidence levels students had in the use of information tools. Recommendations are made to improve the teaching of the literature review

This study examined U.S. construction industry perceptions regarding key competencies for construction graduates using a survey of recruiters for over 100 construction companies located in the eastern United States. The survey asked recruiters to rate 14 key competencies for construction graduates that were identified as important in the literature: ethical issues, problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, leadership, adaptability, collaborative skills, safety issues, interdisciplinary application, practical awareness, technical skills, computer skills, estimating/scheduling skills, communication, and environmental awareness. A descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis revealed that ethical issues, problem-solving skills, and interpersonal skills were considered by recruiters to be key significant competencies for construction graduates, whereas communication and environmental awareness were ranked lowest. Clustering the 14 key competencies using factor analysis identified four classes of competencies for construction graduates: (1) general competency, (2) affective competency, (3) cognitive competency, and (4) technical competency. These key competencies were compared with accreditation content areas for two major accrediting bodies of construction degrees, and gaps were identified for further investigation.

This paper presents the results of a 4-year study (from 2006–2009) using three-dimensional (3D) visualization of structures for teaching in civil engineering. 3D finite-element models have been developed to simulate the behavior of various structural members, such as beams, columns, and plates, taught to civil engineering students in classroom lectures or tested in laboratories. The finite-element simulation approach allows students to see the behavior of structures that is not detectable by human eye, such as the stresses in structures. 3D video clips and animations showing the propagation of stresses and strains in the structural members and deformations from different angles up to failure were developed using finite-element models. The 3D visualizations were presented to students as illustrative examples to enhance their understanding in structural analysis courses. Student feedback regarding the teaching innovations were collected and analyzed. The statistics derived show that students reacted positively and benefited considerably from the use of 3D visualization in civil engineering education, particularly in grasping the behavior of structures. The findings strongly suggest that 3D visualization of structures using finite-element analysis can be used as an effective teaching tool for civil engineering students in structural analysis courses.

Project delivery of sustainable buildings is more complex than that for traditional buildings. It requires early interdisciplinary collaboration with full commitment of team members to the project’s green goals—ensured by delivery methods, contractual conditions, team procurement, and project management practices. As the need for sustainable built environment grows, the demand for professionals who can manage delivery of sustainable buildings efficiently will also increase in the (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry. Teaching delivery of sustainable building characteristics to students through traditional methods is challenging, however. This paper presents a case study in which a multidisciplinary graduate class of 14 students was exposed to case-based collaborative-learning methods, examining whether these methods could improve student understanding of sustainable building delivery. The results of pre- and post case study assignment surveys and evaluation of role play and open class discussions show that understanding of key delivery parameters is improved, especially for design integration and team characteristics. The methods also improved student interest, shown by semester evaluations. The classroom presence of students from different backgrounds (e.g., engineering, construction management, and design) benefitted student-learning in a collaborative environment. The results provide insights for schools, departments, and instructors seeking effective ways to teach sustainable built environment processes.

The postapartheid period in South African history will most likely be recorded as the most positive legislative period for women ever, yet the construction industry appears to exclude women, both professionally and at skills and crafts level. The paper aims to classify, list, and discuss the common characteristics and effects of the barriers to women entering construction at all levels, professionally and in trades, or having entered the industry, retaining their employment. Besides cataloguing the barriers, initiatives to overcome or circumvent barriers are also investigated. The paper reviews the results from four separate studies undertaken in Cape Town between 2005 and 2007, all of which used mixed-method research design approaches. The conclusions drawn from the research indicate that South African women in professional and trade employment in the construction industry have many common barriers, and these barriers are the same ones experienced by their counterparts employed in international construction industries. However, because of the paradigm shift in societal values brought on by the move from apartheid to democratic rule in South Africa, a platform for change has been created. This is strongly reinforced by legislation encapsulating the government’s drive to include women in all aspects of economic activity. The legislation in question is the South African Construction Sector Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Charter, 2006, which purports to bring about substantial change in the gender composition of the construction sector. It is imperative that in the future, the research monitor and plot the continued barrier breakdown progress initiated by government legislation to encourage further and other initiatives.