Browsing by Author "Cowe Falls, Lynne"

Now showing 1 - 19 of 19
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    A model for real-time monitoring of pavements for public-private partnership
    (2008) Lakkavalli, VenkataKrishna; Cowe Falls, Lynne
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    Attribute Selection and Bridge Performance Prediction Using Soft Computing Methods
    (2015-08-14) Tagh Bostani, Maryam; Cowe Falls, Lynne
    Bridge Management System (BMS) is a systematic decision-making process that uses engineering and economic principles to help transportation agencies manage the enormous number of bridges within a network. It seeks to deliver safe and sustainable bridges and minimize the Maintenance, Repair, and Rehabilitation (MR&R) costs during the life cycle of bridges. The Bridge Management framework starts with inspection and definition of the condition of bridges. Then, the future condition of bridges is predicted and the proper repair actions for a multi-year period are determined. Accurate prediction of the condition of bridges is vital in the effectiveness of BMS. Available bridge performance prediction methods have certain limitations in predicting the condition of bridges. This study addresses these limitations and introduces innovative, precise, and robust bridge performance prediction models. The attributes that are statistically significant to be predictors for bridge performance prediction are selected from the available database. Bridge inspection data are gathered repeatedly during time and hence are correlated. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) that is capable of handling the correlation within data is used to test the significance of each attribute. Backward Stepwise Elimination (BSE) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) are two procedures used to select the significant attributes according to GEE results. The selected attributes are then used to predict the condition of bridges using advanced Soft Computing methods. These biologically inspired methods mimic human-like intelligence to model the unknown target function by learning from available data. Local Linear Model Tree (LOLIMOT), Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), and Support Vector Machines (SVM) are used for bridge performance prediction in two distinguished ways. In the first application, the condition of a specific bridge is predicted from available data on the other bridges in the network. In the second application, time series forecasting is used to predict the future condition of bridges from available data on their previous conditions. The models are verified using data from Alberta Transportation by predicting the condition of bridges in terms of Sufficiency Rating (SR). SR is an index that delivers a rational basis for priority planning of maintenance activities of bridges and allocating funds to the maintenance projects.
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    Developing an Interface Management (IM) Model for Construction Projects
    (2015-06-01) Weshah, Nesreen; Cowe Falls, Lynne; Jergeas, George
    Interface management (IM) is a main factor in the success of construction projects. Although there is no agreement about the definition of interfaces and IM, many researchers discuss the boundary conditions between tools, phases, systems, physical elements/components, people, organizations, and other elements. For the last two to, three decades there has been less than necessary awareness of the essentials of IM and the severity of interface problems, and this has negatively affected project performance. Failure to properly manage interfaces impacts project performance as defined by scope control, quality, schedule, cost, safety, and resources. The objectives of this study are twofold: (a) enhancing the IM among different project participants involved in the construction projects and (b) increasing the effectiveness of IM throughout the project lifecycle, focusing specifically on the engineering/design phase. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches (mixed methods) to investigate, identify, and classify interface problem factors in construction projects. This study is divided into three phases. The first phase categorizes IM factors contributing to interface conflicts among different project participants engaged in construction projects. The second phase then makes use of these variables to develop a multiple-regression analysis to develop models between underlying interface problem factors and project performance indicators. Finally, based on the results of the first and the second phases, the third phase consists of developing a conceptual framework (RIBA framework) and use case models to study the IM relationships among owner, contractor, and designer to identify the main responsibilities for each one, highlight the critical IM areas, and consequently provide suggestions for improving and enhancing IM. The results of this research study could assist engineers, architects, and others within the construction industry to study and examine the interfaces and the project performance during the project’s early stages. This could in turn serve to minimize project delay and cost overruns and reduce conflict among different project participants involved in the construction projects, which will influence project performance positively.
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    Development of a geotechnical asset management system
    (2011) Waiguru, Moses Maina; Cowe Falls, Lynne; Wong, Ronald C. K.
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    Effect of axle load and seasonality on thin membrane pavements
    (2007) Hamad, A'arif; Cowe Falls, Lynne
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    Engineering Leadership Education: A Review of Best Practices
    (2015-05-12) Paul, Robyn; Cowe Falls, Lynne
    In the past, intellectually talented engineers with strong technical skills were sufficient for the needs of society. However, in the 21st century engineers are now working in the corporate world, disconnected from the hands-on aspect of engineering. Professional skills such as leadership have become critical for graduating engineers entering the workforce. There is currently a broad understanding of engineering leadership education program offerings [1,2], however there is a lack of understanding of the programs’ designs in comprehensive detail. Thus the question is, based on a review of engineering leadership programs’ goals and competencies, what is the main focus of these programs? Case studies of engineering leadership education programs were analyzed, including seminar courses, certificates, minors and bachelor programs. Specifically, the goal and competencies from each program were compared to determine consistencies and variations in the programs. Five themes emerged for the fundamental goal of engineering leadership education programs: effective leadership, innovation and technology, independent learning, experiential learning and systems thinking. The analysis of the competencies found a diverse spread across the programs. Overall, six key competencies emerged: communication, innovation, results, creativity, teamwork and ethics. This analysis provides insight on the focus of engineering leadership education, the design of engineering leadership programs and the progress in the field.
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    Exploration of the Effectiveness of Online Learning for Engineering Professional Skills Development
    (2017) Lumgair, Brendon; Cowe Falls, Lynne; Achari, Gopal; Moshirpour, Mohammad
    Online learning is revolutionizing post-secondary education where class sizes are already in the hundreds. Of the 12 Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board’s (CEAB) graduate attributes and 11 Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) student outcomes, about half are “technical” and half are “professional / soft skills”. Can engineering professional skills learning outcomes be effectively taught and assessed in a large online class without sacrificing the quality of teaching and learning and the rigour of assessment of a traditional in-person class? At the University of Calgary an undergraduate engineering course on professionalism, ethics and life-long learning was taught to 468 students purely online via synchronous webinars / web conferencing, asynchronous videos and a textbook. The average student preferred webinars and rated webinars as the most engaging and effective presentation format. The majority of the students reported that the online course was effective in their achieving the professional skills learning outcomes.
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    Implementing innovation: processing innovative new community applications at the City of Calgary
    (2003) Auld, Coleen; Harper, Thomas L.; Cowe Falls, Lynne
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    Infrastructure Asset Management Challenges and Understanding the Complexity and Uncertainty
    (2016) Zhong, Wanyong; Kattan, Lina; Cowe Falls, Lynne; Jergeas, George
    Aging public infrastructure asset requires new solutions to address the associated risks in terms of potential failure and poor environmental compliance. Two issues are paramount in looking at the aging infrastructure asset that Calgary Fire Department manages: what is the present condition and how to optimally allocate public funds for its asset needs, specifically preventive maintenance. Asset owners must allocate such limited budgets among competing alternatives, which makes the situation challenging. Among the competing alternatives, preventive maintenance has presented a series of challenges to asset stewards for public infrastructure asset management, especially within municipal government. For Calgary Fire Department (CFD), asset management professionals from Infrastructure Planning and other divisions have made a significant progress in order to achieve "the best possible service", such as Star Quality Rating, risk register, option analysis, existing station retro-commissioning, and Asset Management Plan etc. However, CFD is no exception as other Business Units within The City of Calgary: there are several obstacles stand in the way for asset management practice, specifically capital preventive maintenance expenditures. Nonetheless, with the Five-Step process: Education, Challenge, Environment, Strategy, Delivery (Carroll et al., 2004), there is a great potential to overcome such obstacles.
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    Load Evaluation of the Hay River Bridge Under Different Platoons of Connected Trucks
    (2018-01-25) Kamranian, Zahra; Cowe Falls, Lynne; Hayley, Jocelyn L.; El-Badry, Mamdouh
    Cold weather, great distances, low population and high transportation costs in the North West Territories (NWT); make it a desirable location to use platooning technology. This research evaluates the performance of the Hay River Bridge, which is located on the main road from Edmonton to Yellowknife, under platoons of connected trucks. The bridge load evaluation under platoons of two, three and four Alberta Non-Permit (NP) legal trucks shows enough capacity using PC-specific permit conditions. Furthermore, the bridge load evaluation under a platoon of two Alberta legal NP trucks shows enough capacity with PS-specific permit conditions. The bridge is able to tolerate platoons consist of three or four reduced weight of Alberta NP trucks under PS permit conditions.
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    Measuring the performance of intelligent transportation systems in work zones for deployment decision support
    (2006) Golly, William Tyler; Cowe Falls, Lynne; de Barros, Alexandre
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    Performance Measurement Using IRI and Collision Rates in the Province of Alberta
    (2014-04-17) Sharif Tehrani, Saleh; Cowe Falls, Lynne
    The major objective of every highway agency in Canada is to provide a safe and reliable road network. Road safety is commonly evaluated by number of collisions while different performance measures are employed for evaluating the reliability and performance of roads. The International Roughness Index (IRI) is a widely used performance measure in Canada and Internationally. It is calculated from direct profile measurement of the pavement wheel paths and translated into metres per kilometre. In 1999, the Province of Alberta tied its performance publicly to a rolling three year target IRI that was tabled on the floor of the legislature. Subsequent annual business plans refer to the IRI and rehabilitation programs are developed on the basis of threshold values of IRI that are defined as good (<1.5), fair (1.5-1.9) or poor (>1.9). In this study, the definition of `good' (equal to IRI<1.5 in the Province of Alberta) is tested against the public’s perception using a survey tool. At selected sites in the Province, the driving public was asked about their opinion about the condition of the highway. Over 300 surveys were collected and the correlation between public perception and IRI was drawn using t-test and Psychometric Scaling Analysis. According to the results, Alberta Transportation threshold values of IRI do not match the road users' opinion and a new set of threshold values were suggested. The other part of this study evaluates the relationship between the number of collisions and IRI to estimate any measurable relationship between these two measures. The relationship between IRI and number of collisions is evaluated to see if number of collisions increases/decreases as a function of IRI, while all other characteristics of roads and traffic remains unchanged. Therefore, this study tried to fundamentally investigate and demonstrate a methodology that can consistently, objectively and robustly link IRI to road safety and work towards the development of a decision support tool for estimating the potential safety issues on the road network. The result showed that IRI can be used as a surrogate for safety and the number of collisions increase when the IRI value of the road increases.
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    Performance of permeable pavements under low volume traffic loads in Calgary
    (2012) Modeste, Kerwin; Cowe Falls, Lynne
    Permeable pavements (PPs) have been used as a means of managing runoff and for associated environmentally friendly applications. Most of the research on PPs focused on the hydrological performance and was done primarily in mild climates, with little information available for cold climates. Hence, the City of Calgary commissioned this research on the Performance of Permeable Pavements Under Low Volume Traffic Loads in Calgary (The PPP Research) to better understand the perfonnance of permeable pavements under low volume traffic loading in Calgary. It is intended that the findings of the PPP Research will facilitate the development of a City of Calgary specification for the use of permeable pavements. A site located at the Currrie Barracks in the S.W of Calgary was the designated site for the PPP Research. The site was divided into three individual cells (cell No. I to 3) with PCP, PICP, and PACP as the wearing course respectively. It was assumed that the three cells would perform similarly under low volume traffic loading; and the freeze and thaw cycles of Calgary's climate. Each cell was isolated through the use of an impervious HDPE liner. The structure of cell No. I consisted of a reservoir course with PCP as the wearing course. Cell No.2 consisted of a reservoir course overlain by an intermediate course. The intermediate course was overlain by a choker course. The choker course was overlain by a bedding layer with PICP as the wearing course. Cell No.3 consisted of a reservoir course overlain by a choker course with PACP as the wearing course. A pressure cell was placed on the subgrade in each cell; and two strain gages were placed immediately below the wearing course in each cell ( one in the transverse direction, and the other in the longitudinal direction) to monitor the stress and strain response to traffic loads. A network of 100 mm perforated PVC sub­drains equipped with shutoff valves were placed in each cell to manage the flow of infiltrating runoff and groundwater. The sub-drains were connected to a monitoring catch basin. Temperature loggers were placed at various locations within the pavement structure in each cell to monitor the temperature gradient across each cell. A tandem axle truck loaded with gravel was driven in the east bound lane (the test lane) in order to determine the stress and strain response within each pavement structure. Prior to the stress and strain response testing, the load distributed to each axle; and the pressure in each tire was measured. The centerline of each pavement structure and the locations of the pressure cells and strain gages were marked with paint to ensure that the truck was driven in the test lane, and the wheel paths were directly over the pressure cells and strain gages, respectively. The data acquisition was achieved using a data acquisition system equipped with lab-view. The surface deformation of each pavement structure was measured with a laser level subsequent to each stress and strain testing. The stress and strain testing was carried out in September, October and December of 2011. The impact of the freeze and thaw cycles was assessed between December 2011 and February 2012 to evaluate the extent of frost heave in each pavement structure. The findings of the PPP Research indicated that the PCP showed the best structural performance with the exception of some ravelling. The PCP showed the least deformation and the impact of frost heave was lowest in the PCP.
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    Project Change Management for Oil and Gas Projects in Alberta: Towards a Predictive Approach
    (2015-01-23) Ezenta, Ben; Cowe Falls, Lynne
    Abstract Change is a common occurrence in construction projects. Irrespective of the magnitude or complexity of a project, changes normally occur due to different reasons. From contract award, through construction and commissioning phases of the project, there is constant occurrence of changes. This research investigated the causes and sources of changes in oil and gas projects in Alberta. The objective is to determine the impact of change in an oil and gas projects and to propose a system for forecasting or estimating changes in a project. The focus of this project is the changes that occur in the execution phase of projects. In the oil and gas industry, different organizations have different names for the project delivery system known as gate process which is divided into phases. This research divided a project into phases also but the definition of phase differ slightly from the gate adaptation. This research draws attention to the need to change allowance or scope allowance as some refers to it. Having established that change occur in every project, no provision is made in the project budget to accommodate these changes. Contingency reserve should not be confused with “change reserve”. Contingency is the risk associated with the project within the control of the project team whereas change allowance is outside the control of the project team but with the owner such as scope change. Data were collected from Inventory of Major Alberta Project (IMAP) and from questionnaires. Interview of questionnaire respondents was used to match the IMAP data to questionnaire responses. The data were analyzed using different statistical tools, SPSS and Microsoft Excel. For detailed analysis, the projects were divided into cost and duration categories. Cost category consist of Large, Medium and Small cost projects while duration category includes Long, Medium and Short duration projects. Furthermore the projects were divided into four different phases namely: Bid, Preconstruction, Construction and Commissioning. The data analysis also included engineering percent complete for each of the categories and phases. This approach provided opportunity for detailed analysis of the data. The results of the analysis were used to plot model graphs that can be used to forecast changes in cost and duration for different phases of a project. Furthermore, an Excel tool was developed that could be used to forecast cost and duration changes in a project when the initial cost, initial duration and engineering percent complete are known. The outcome of this research will be beneficial to all participants in oil and gas project (project owners, contractors and economy). By adopting the tool a lot of guess work will be removed on how to determine the amount of change that could be expected from any project. By so doing, incidences of dispute, claims and litigations will be substantially reduced. The research made some recommendations on how to improve change management in oil and gas projects in Alberta. The conclusion from the research is that change will occur in every project. Establishing a change management mechanism and planning for change starting from the planning stage of the project will assist in mitigating the adverse effect of change in a project. Organizations involved in projects should establish a fully staffed change management unit and procedure. This is currently lacking in most organizations according to survey responses. Change management should be represented at senior management level of organizations as a discipline of its own and should not hidden as a sub function under another disciplines.
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    Seasonal effects of heavy axle loads on flexible pavement response
    (2008) Abdelfattah, Ahmed Mohamed; Cowe Falls, Lynne
    The reduction of the sub grade strength during the spring thaw season is a major factor considered by road authorities in the seasonal frost areas. Axle loads that would not normally damage a pavement may cause significant damage during the spring thaw season. Consequently, road authorities impose seasonal load restrictions on the heavy axle loads to minimize pavement damage. In Provinces where the demand of the heavy equipment increases as in Alberta, satisfying the legal axle load is a challenge facing the heavy equipment operators. In Alberta, the Nisku test road was built and instrumented to investigate the seasonal variation of pavement response under the heavy vehicles. Nisku test road description and instrumentation design are presented in the research. Also presented in this research is the seasonal variation of the pavement response, which was measured in the field for Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavement, under the standard and heavy axle loads for five seasons, spring 2005, fall 2005, winter 2006, fall 2006 and winter 2007. The analysis includes the calculation of the Load equivalency Factor (LEF), the verification of the subgrade resilient modulus (Mr) that are presented in APDM 97 and the determination of pavement structure that accommodates the heavy vehicles. Finally, a case study is presented using two major highways (Highway 63 and Highway 881) to investigate the effect of running the heavy axle loads on pavement structure. A Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is performed for two different pavement structures for a service life of 20 years.
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    The journey to project team learning in power transmission projects
    (2010) Gharaibeh, Hani; Hartman, Francis; Cowe Falls, Lynne
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    Tool For Calculating User Delay Cost Associated With Urban Arterial Construction Zone
    (2016) Ghaffari Dolama, Maryam; Cowe Falls, Lynne; Jergeas, George; Kattan, Lina; Behjat, Laleh
    Roadway construction work zone imposes travel delay on the road users. The monetary cost of the delay is called user delay cost (UDC). Limited work has been done on quantifying UDC in Canada and their focus were rural highways. If there is a realistic estimate of UDC, it could lead to less schedule overruns and more cost-effective work zone layouts. Considering interest of roadway agencies in quantifying UDC associated with urban arterial work zones, this research developed a probabilistic tool for monetizing UDC in urban setting using traffic microscopic simulation and Monte-Carlo simulation. Based on this tool, one hour of morning peak construction work on NB Crowchild Bridge created 169.2 hr of vehicles delay with average and 95 percentile UDC equal to $2,199 and $5,653, respectively. The application of the tool for selecting optimum work zone layout was demonstrated using the data from the rehabilitation of Bow Bridge in Calgary.