Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering News

Dr. Abdolmajid Erfani, assistant professor in Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering, in collaboration with Zihui Ma, Qingbin Cui, and Gregory B. Baecher, University of Maryland, has been selected by ASCE’s Construction Institute to receive the 2024 Thomas Fitch Rowland Prize for the paper “Ex Post Project Risk Assessment: Method and Empirical Study,” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, December 2022.

The award, which consists of a plaque, will be presented during the Society’s CI & CRC Joint Conference in Des Moines, IA, March 20-23, 2024.

In the award of the prize, preference is given to papers whose author or authors describe in detail accomplished works of construction or which are valuable contributions to construction management and construction engineering.

Dr. Erfani’s research includes data-driven infrastructure management, project delivery and procurement, smart construction, and risk management.

From the Abstract

Project risk is an important part of managing large projects of any sort. This study contributes to the state of knowledge in project risk management by introducing a data-driven approach to measure risk identification performance using historical data. It investigated the quality of early risk registers and risk assessments on large transportation projects and compared them to how the identified risks evolved on historical projects. The investigation involved the use of textual analysis of archival risk register documents.

A project team with positive doer behavior (i.e., actively monitoring and identifying risks during project execution) performed better in delivering projects on time and within budget.

“Ex Post Project Risk Assessment: Method and Empirical Study”
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 149, Issue 2
https://doi.org/10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-12588

Related

ASCE 2023 Best Paper Award for Abdolmajid Erfani

Zhanping You (CEGE) was pictured in the Iron Mountain Daily News alongside a story about the completion of road projects in 2023 in Dickinson County, with some roads resurfaced using a mix of recycled tire rubber and asphalt.

The Dickinson County Road Commission partnered with Michigan Tech and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) for the C.R. 577 projects.

Projects used different methods, such as the use of recycled tire rubber in hot mix asphalt as well as engineered crumb rubber as a stabilizer or the use of recycled tire rubber and recycled glass as an aggregate.

You is a Distinguished Professor in Transportation Engineering. His research interests include

• Design, construction, and maintenance of pavements
• Micromechanics for road materials
• Discrete element modeling and finite element modeling techniques
• Construction materials: asphalt, aggregate, asphalt concrete

as well as alternative and recycled materials for civil engineering.

Read more at Iron Mountain Daily News.

Bo Xiao, assistant professor in Construction Management, was recognized by the ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management for his journal article entitled “Deep Learning Image Captioning in Construction Management: A Feasibility Study.”

From the Editor-in-Chief:

“The authors present their systematic approach to automating deep learning for image captioning in a construction management context. This article is compelling for several reasons. The topic is one that has the potential to provide substantial benefits for construction engineering and management. The authors have clearly explained an involved methodology that produced results that were validated by comparison of eight metrics. The conclusions are presented in a nuanced manner that includes the strong points and limitations of the methods studied and useful suggestions for future development. This paper was selected from a field of 187 technical papers, 25 case studies, 2 technical notes, and 18 state-of-the-art reviews that were published from July 2022 through June 2023 in the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management.”

Authors: Bo Xiao, Aff.M.ASCE https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0798-8018 eric.xiao@polyu.edu.hk, Yiheng Wang yiheng6@ualberta.ca, and Shih-Chung Kang sckang@ualberta.caAUTHOR AFFILIATIONS
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 148, Issue 7
https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002297

Xiao’s research interests include construction informatics, AI applications in construction, and construction robotics.

Ishi Keenum (CEGE) was quoted by EurekAlert! in a story about the National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) Ambassador Program. Keenum is a member of the program’s 2023 cohort of early career scientists  with diverse research interests who will receive training in best practices for biological data standardization.

Keenum researches how genes that give microbes antibiotic resistance are shared in human-built systems like wastewater treatment streams.

In her research, Keenum turned to datasets available in the published literature, hoping to perform some meta-analyses. She was stymied by the use of different data repositories.

As an NMDC Ambassador, she is excited to help build the scientific culture of the future, where FAIR data is the norm.

Her research interests include developing and manipulating the microbiology of wastewater, water reuse, agricultural systems, developing comparable metagenomic measurements, and developing bioinformatic methods and analysis tools for environmental systems.

Read more at EurekAlert!, by DOE/LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY.

Dr. Abdolmajid Erfani, assistant professor in Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering, in collaboration with Dr. Hickey and Dr. Cui, University of Maryland, has been honored with the 2023 Best Paper Award for their article published in the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering.

The Journal of Management in Engineering has achieved the highest impact factor among all the journals published by the American Society of Civil Engineers in recent years. The awarded article is titled “Use of LinkedIn Data and Machine Learning to Analyze Gender Differences in Construction Career Paths.” The study analyzed female representation in leadership roles within the top 400 engineering contractors.

Successful women leaders have more diverse career paths, working at 56% more companies, holding 19% more job titles, and being 73% more likely to have a graduate degree compared to men. However, as women’s perceived competence rises, their perceived likeability diminishes, according to language analysis on LinkedIn recommendations. These challenges are why many female engineering college graduates don’t pursue careers in the field. Although women earn about 22% of civil and environmental engineering degrees, they make up only 10.9% of the AEC workforce and 3.9% of engineering executives.

The award ceremony was held during the ASCE Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on October 18–21, 2023.

“Use of LinkedIn Data and Machine Learning to Analyze Gender Differences in Construction Career Paths”
Paul J. Hickey, Abdolmajid Erfani, and Qingbin Cui, A.M.
Journal of Management in Engineering, Volume 38, Issue 6
https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0001087

Quang Tran is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. He comes to Michigan Tech from Harvard Medical School, Harvard affiliated hospitals, and the UIUC Bioacoustics Research Lab, where he dedicated three years to postdoctoral research.

Dr. Tran earned his PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, his MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering at California State University, Fullerton; and his BS in Industrial and System Engineering at Ho Chi Minh University of Technology, Vietnam.

What drew you to Michigan Tech?

I have a passion for technology, teaching, and outdoor pursuits. Michigan Tech embodies everything I cherish. Ever since I became a part of MTU, my daily life in Houghton has been a joy, and my feeling of connection deepens with each passing day.

What is your primary area of research and what led you to it?

I develop non-invasive techniques for material characterization applied to civil engineering and biomedical fields. My goal is to assist in diagnosing and monitoring the health of both infrastructures and humans, aiming to prevent structural failures and cancer in individuals.

Can you share a little more about your research and what you like about it?

I’ve been working on research that employs non-contact technologies using ultrasound and computer vision to determine the phase change timing of concrete material – in real-time and on-site, in order to quantify the damage caused by construction activities. These methods offer rapid, precise, and quantitative data that enhances the decision-making of field engineers and contractors who are engaged in construction activities and material usage. It ultimately leads to savings of time and cost, and a reduction of material waste.

I’ve also developed non-invasive ultrasonic techniques to measure dynamic pressure, laying the groundwork for long-term measurements of pressure within human heart chambers. This pressure sensing could allow doctors to monitor patient heart health over extended periods. This would aid in the prevention of heart diseases and heart failure, enhancing patient well-being and even surgical outcomes.

What do you consider an important long-term goal for your research, teaching, or outreach?

I want to understand the interaction between ultrasound and gas bubbles. This understanding will pave the way for me to develop advanced methods for material characterization and pressure sensing applications.

What do you hope to accomplish, as an educator and as a researcher, over the next few years?

My ambition is to establish a translational lab focused on fundamental research, bridging this research to practical and clinical applications. The lab will educate students about the profound link between foundational science and engineering practice.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love outdoor activities, including running along the lake and playing soccer. I enjoy exploring local eateries and attending community events, such as the Parade of Nations. I’m eagerly anticipating the upcoming Winter Carnival.

What’s your favorite book, movie, or piece of art?

My favorite book is “Da Vinci Code,” by Dan Brown. I love science and history, so I love watching Marvel and other sci-fi movies. I also like watching movies from true stories, like Chernobyl and Oppenheimer. 

Any favorite spots on campus, in Houghton, or in the UP?

My favorite spot in Houghton is the running trail behind the M&M building. I run along the lake quite often.

Any advice for incoming students?

Work hard, play hard. Identify your desires and passions and then chase them. I spent three years after getting my BS to truly discover my life’s passion. Now I feel energetic and happy because I’m immersed in what I love. I believe every student has potential for success. My role here is simply to pave their way to their success.