Construction Engineering and Management

Description

Construction engineering and management requires expertise in all specialties of civil engineering. These researchers and engineers focus on methodologies to manage risk, optimize processes, generate good decisions, assess the performance of constructed facilities (both public and private), and determine how best to maintain and renew these facilities. Researchers study risk analysis and assessment, decision-making processes, optimization, project delivery, materials engineering, materials performance, life-cycle costing, service life prediction, and facility performance.

Expertise

Researchers in the Construction Engineering and Management Program have extensive expertise in the following areas:

• project delivery methods and systems;
• construction warrantees and guarantees;
• construction project acceleration;
• concurrent engineering and construction;
• project development, financing, and risk allocation for public/private build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) projects;
• rational determination of project contingencies (management reserves) and tracking of contingencies during project execution;
• more accurate forecasting of construction project cost at completion and duration at completion throughout project execution;
• project dynamics and simulation;
• effects of risk aversion on project management decisions;
• structure of the construction industry and the dynamics of startup, expansion, and demise of construction firms;
• adding value in the project development/construction process;
• use and implementation of innovative construction materials; and
• service-life prediction and life-cycle costing.

Cooperative Relationships/Sponsors

The Construction Engineering and Management Program maintains cooperative relationships with the following sponsors:

• American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO),
• National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP),
• Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT),
• Transportation Research Board (TRB), and
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

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