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Construction Education and Workforce Development

Education research focuses on increasing K-12 student interest in CM disciplines and the development of undergraduate and graduate curricula. Workforce research deals with:

  • Recruiting
  • Retaining
  • Promoting
  • Continuing education
  • Knowledge
  • Skills
  • Training of the current and future construction workforce across all project personnel from the skilled craft workers to the project management team

Faculty

Construction Technology

Construction technology research includes the investigation of current and emerging software, hardware, applications, and technology-enabled workflows that improve the built environment across the lifecycle from project design through decommissioning. Construction technologies include, but are not limited to:

  • BIM, VDC, AR/VR, and GIS
  • unmanned aircraft systems
  • robotics
  • simulations
  • instrumentation and sensors
  • laser scanning and photogrammetry
  • advanced technologies for worker safety
  • interconnected and autonomous construction equipment/vehicles.

Research projects in this area focus on exploring and understanding the development, implementation, and impact of these, and other, technologies on the built environment and its stakeholders.

Faculty

Infrastructure Systems

This research area looks at advancing the design, construction, operation, and management of critical civil infrastructure systems at local, regional and national scales (e.g., asset management, traffic and work-zone safety, transportation project management, asphalt and concrete paving, smart cities, smart grids, extreme event analysis, building capacity after disasters, post-disaster reconstruction, healthy neighborhoods)

Faculty

Project Delivery and Management

Research in both project delivery methods and project management practices aims to provide solutions that influence the productivity and profitability of projects. Project delivery research includes areas such as alternative contracting methods (e.g., IPD, DB, CM at Risk), procurement, and construction contracts. Project management research includes areas such as financial management, lean construction, construction safety, scheduling, estimating and cost control, quality and quality management, risk management, and productivity.

Faculty

2 CM interns reviewing plans on jobsite

Sustainability and Resilience

Sustainability research focuses on the environmental, economic, and social impacts of construction projects during their life cycle. This research area also aims to understand better how current and future community’s infrastructure adapt and evolve into configurations that are more resilient. (e.g., energy-efficient buildings, sustainable design and construction, LCA, renewable energy sources, historic preservation, social sustainability, net-zero and -positive buildings/communities).

Faculty

CM instructor showing 2 male students the components of an HVAC system