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This article discusses the importance of reproducibility in academic research, specifically in the field of bridge engineering. The authors argue that reproducibility is challenging due to factors such as paper documentation, technology constraints, and proprietary issues. They propose implementing a policy that encourages researchers to make their data and models available to others, although they acknowledge that full reproducibility may not always be practical. To incentivize this practice, the Journal of Bridge Engineering plans to introduce a visible recognition badge for papers that provide open data, models, and codes. The authors also outline the review process for papers seeking the "Data Verified Paper" designation. [Extracted from the article]

The traditional approach to formulating building codes often is slow and labor-intensive, and may struggle to keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology and domain findings. Overcoming such challenges necessitates a methodology that streamlines the modernization of codal provisions. This paper proposes a machine learning (ML) approach to append a variety of codal provisions, including those of empirical, statistical, and theoretical natures. In this approach, a codal provision (i.e., equation) is analyzed to trace its properties (e.g., engineering intuition and causal logic). Then a ML model is tailored to preserve the same properties and satisfy a collection of similarity and performance measures until declared equivalent to the provision at hand. The resulting ML model harnesses the predictive capabilities of ML while arriving at predictions similar to the codal provision used to train the ML model, and hence it becomes possible to use in lieu of the codal expression. This approach was examined successfully for seven structural engineering phenomena contained within various building codes, including those in North America and Australia. The findings suggest that the proposed approach could lay the groundwork for implementing ML in the development of future building codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the swelling–shrinkage characteristics of expansive soil, excessive amounts of cement are often used to solidify it. This study aims to solidify expansive soil by using industrial graphene (G) and graphene oxide (GO)-modified cement to avoid the problem of environmental pollution resulting from the excessive use of cement. A series of unconsolidated-undrained triaxial and microstructure tests were conducted to investigate the engineering properties and micromechanisms of G and GO composite cement-solidified soils. Testing results showed that the deviatoric stress–strain curves of G and GO composite cement-solidified soils showed softening types. The compressive strength, toughness, shear strength, and ductility of cement-solidified soil were significantly improved by adding both G and GO. G and GO not only acted as a template to promote cement hydration and generate regular hydration products but also played a role in pore filling. Consequently, it is feasible to apply G and GO composite cement-solidified soils in practical projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Journal of Hydrologic Engineering is a major journal in the field of hydrologic science and engineering. It has been published for 27 years and covers a wide range of topics related to hydrology and water resources. The journal recently revised its aims and scope to reflect changes in the field, including advancements in technology and emerging areas of study. The journal publishes various types of papers, including technical papers, case studies, and state-of-the-art reviews. The review process is efficient and fair, with a typical turnaround time of 2 months. The journal encourages researchers to submit their work and also invites them to serve as reviewers. Additionally, the journal publishes special collections and offers opportunities for young professionals to join the Early Career Editorial Board. [Extracted from the article]

The current construction industry for civil and structural engineering is considered to be one of the growing industries in the world. With the push toward a more digitized industry, emerging trends such as additive manufacturing and the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, along with consumer demand, are resulting in automated development with multiple benefits. Successful applications for small-scale construction projects that have implemented 3D printing have shown improvements in cost, production time, and design freedom and complexity. However, for large-scale applications, there are various limitations and factors hindering the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies. In this paper, a systematic literature survey of recent 3D printing technologies was conducted specific to the area of construction engineering, and the various techniques, materials, software, and technical and nontechnical aspects were analyzed. The key applications and their benefits are outlined, and their potential for large-scale applications is articulated. Future research areas for these components are suggested to strengthen the technical readiness and feasibility of adopting 3D printing technology in construction engineering and industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional environment shapes the success of enterprise digital transformation, but its impact pathways, to our best knowledge, have received relatively little investigation, particularly in the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Grounded in neoinstitutional theory, this study conducted a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of the effects of institutional pressure on digital transformation. The study yielded three results. First, the interaction of coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures can drive the digital transformation of AEC enterprises. For example, facing the digital delivery requirements of stakeholders and the pressure of digital collaboration in the supply chain, digital leaders in an enterprise will quickly apply internal pressure to raise the digitalization level. Also, in a highly competitive industry environment, the pressure to imitate the excellent digital transformation strategies of other enterprises comes with it. In a less competitive environment, however, digital leaders are the main pressure source to promote the digital transformation of enterprises. Second, we find that stakeholder vision, supply chain collaboration needs, and digital leaders are the key sources of digital transformation pressure. Third, high or low digitization levels cannot simply be explained by the opposite cause. Offering a new understanding of coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures on the complex digital transformation pathways of AEC enterprises, this study has implications for enterprises formulating digital transformation strategies. The findings point to the importance of corporate strategic change in the current digital environment, identify the institutional factors driving digital transformation, and will help AEC industry enterprises with different main businesses to respond to institutional pressures and improve the effectiveness of digital transformation through more targeted measures. This study can assist engineering enterprises around the world to develop digital transformation strategies. By exploring the complex causal relationships between the institutional environment and the digital transformation of engineering enterprises, this study provides a strong empirical foundation for new initiatives and policies to achieve high digitalization levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural geotextiles both woven and nonwoven have proved to be beneficial in stabilizing the weak subgrade by extending the service life of pavement and reducing the cost of construction. Nonwoven geotextiles can be used as separator in pavements as they allow in-plane permeability, but their tensile strength is low. In this study, an attempt is made to develop eco-friendly needle-punched coir latex composite sheets as an alternative to nonwoven coir geotextiles. Three types of products were developed by the impregnation of nonwoven needle-punched fabric with prevulcanized latex having densities 400, 600, and 800 grams per square meter (GSM). An experimental investigation on the effect of latex content on the mechanical properties of coir composites revealed that latex impregnation improves the mechanical properties of all coir composites and composites with 50% latex content exhibited maximum performance. Strength and drainage characteristics of reinforced soil-aggregate system were studied to evaluate the potential of coir composites as a separator in low volume roads by conducting the California bearing ratio (CBR) test, permeability, and transmissivity tests. The performance of the developed coir composites was compared with nonwoven coir felt and woven coir geotextile. It was found that 800 GSM coir composite showed 47% improvement in performance when compared to 400 GSM woven coir geotextile which showed only 40% performance improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forum papers are thought-provoking opinion pieces or essays founded in fact, sometimes containing speculation, on a civil engineering topic of general interest and relevance to the readership of the journal. The views expressed in this Forum article do not necessarily reflect the views of ASCE or the Editorial Board of the journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban development is promoting aboveground-underground city integration. Underground engineering and surrounding buildings and infrastructure form an underground engineering environment (UEE). In critical disasters, damage to the UEE not only causes chain damage to the surroundings but also aggravates urban resilience. Few studies have focused on UEE resilience and its disaster reduction. This study investigated the emergency restorability of the UEE to fill this research gap. First, we classified the restoration levels based on UEE damage patterns. Second, we performed subregion optimization based on cast-in-situ (CIS) restoration, and technical optimization by utilizing prefabrication and assembly technology (PAT). Third, the CIS/PAT UEE emergency restorability functions were constructed based on these optimizations and the local assembly capacity. Finally, the performance of the CIS/PAT restoration, optimization effect, and local assembly capacity were analyzed using a case study. The results indicated that (1) meticulous subregion optimization significantly reduced environmental work with a 13.5% speed up; (2) technical optimization incorporating PAT had the highest efficiency for improving UEE emergency restorability; (3) PAT restoration enhanced the structural resilience and functional resilience of the UEE by at least 28.34% and 62.27% over CIS restoration, respectively; (4) upper and lower thresholds exist for assembly speed in PAT restoration; (5) there exist three types of assembly capacity in PAT restoration: ring-quantity-sensitive, ring-weight-sensitive, and insensitive; and (6) the adaptive schemes maximized the performance of different local assembly capacities in PAT restoration. The UEE emergency restorability function provides a quantitative assessment tool for the resilience of UEE and a resilience enhancement scheme for disaster reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As awareness around building energy consumption increases, practitioners are encouraged to consider performance aspects regarding the built environment more closely and find ways to improve its efficiency. Improvements in building information modeling (BIM) and building performance simulation (BPS) tools present opportunities to facilitate information communication with a wider range of stakeholders. The building sector can benefit from the integration of performance informatics; however, there has been limited success in utilizing available technologies that promote data integration and management in favor of enriching our knowledge and understanding of buildings as artifacts of information. This phenomenon was investigated by conducting a survey, together with a review of relevant literature, to depict the relevant challenges and opportunities for the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner-operated (AECO) industry, as it undergoes digital transformation, as well as the working practices that have formed around them. It is argued that the current tools available to practitioners do not support effective data serialization between design and analytics processes, affecting the collaboration between team members. Finally, a series of functional goals are proposed to support a higher level of reliability in the ways information is mobilized, by rethinking the technologies and methods for organizing information systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As emerging high-performance concrete, the engineered cementitious composite (ECC) has demonstrated excellent application potential in civil engineering. With the wide application of ECC, it not only excels in the tension state and the structural elements but also in the more complex stress state of nonuniform confinement. For a reliable and economic ECC element design, understanding the dilation behavior of ECC is crucial under complicated stress conditions. This paper presents an experimental investigation and a detailed discussion of the ECC dilation characteristics under different confinement rigidities. The authors evaluate the effects of column parameters, such as different types of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, confinement levels, and cross-sectional shapes. Test results indicate that the ECC dilation amplitude (secant dilation) under FRP confinement is less than that of concrete due to fiber bridge effects within ECC. However, the maximum dilation rate (tangent dilation ratio) shows an opposite trend. Based on the data analysis in this study, a new lateral strain-to-axial strain model was proposed, which can predict the dilation behavior of FRP-confined ECC with nonuniform confining pressure. The proposed model not only accurately captures the dilation process of FRP-confined ECC but also precisely predicts its ultimate strain. In addition, the existing peak strength and ultimate strength models were also evaluated by the ECC test results. The comparison indicates that the strength models for concrete also apply to FRP-confined ECC when the ultimate hoop-confining stress is accurately determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's representation in construction and engineering continues to be low. Drawing on the stewardship theory, we investigated how women in the top management team and women in management drive the appointment and promotion of women at management and nonmanagement levels, respectively. We used a time lag research design and archival data from 495 construction and engineering organizations operating in Australia. The results of structural equation modeling suggest positive relationships between women's representation in management and both the appointments and promotions of women in nonmanagement roles. The findings also suggest some unpredicted relationships: women's representation in management is linked to the appointments of women managers, and hiring more female managers is linked to the promotion of more female managers. Together, these findings suggest that female managers act as "stewards" in their individual capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For this set of tests, the strain rate of the T-bar and centrifuge tests (calculated as the displacement normalized by the T-bar/pile diameter and divided by the time) were broadly comparable, as can be observed from Fig. Undrained shear strength against strain rate of simple shear, T-bar, and centrifuge tests. As noted in the original paper, the T-bar undrained shear strength gradient yielded a very similar value as the strength gradient calculated from the simple shear tests at a slow rate, despite the T-bars being performed at (considerably) higher strain rate than the slow simple shear tests. [Extracted from the article]

The discusser thanks the authors for an extremely valuable contribution that will facilitate improved understanding of pile responses to cyclic lateral loading, as well as their improved modeling methods. The traditional HT ht methods date to the 1960s when the most common strength assessment tests used in calibrating them were undrained-unconsolidated triaxial tests, in situ vane, miniature vane, and unconfined compression tests. [Extracted from the article]

As inelastic design for wind is embraced by the engineering community, there is an increasing demand for computational tools that enable the investigation of the nonlinear behavior of wind-excited structures and subsequent development of performance criteria. To address this need, a probabilistic collapse assessment framework for steel structures is proposed in this paper. The framework is based on the integration of a high-fidelity fiber-based nonlinear structural modeling environment with a wind-tunnel-informed stochastic wind load model to perform nonlinear time history analysis. General uncertainty is propagated using a stratified sampling scheme enabling the efficient estimation of reliabilities associated with rare events. The adopted models for simulating high-fidelity nonlinear structural behavior were found, in general, to be adequate for capturing phenomena, including progressive yielding, buckling, and low-cycle fatigue, that are essential for wind induced collapse analysis. In particular, the adopted fatigue model was found to be capable of predicting damage and potential fiber/section fracture associated with non–fully reversing stress-strain cycles that are characteristic of wind loading. Through illustration on a 45-story archetype steel building, critical discussions on the types of observed collapse mechanisms, the difference between along-wind and across-wind nonlinear behavior, reliabilities associated with first yield, and collapse are presented. A probabilistic description of the residual and peak story drifts is also provided through development of fragility functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Project employees suffer increasing pressures brought by uncertainty, complexity, and temporality, especially in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Complicated by both need-related factors and stress-related factors, a variable-centered approach to test the main effects of stressors on employee well-being cannot detect distinct configurations that may lead to the same outcome. Combining self-determination theory (SDT) and conservation of resources theory (COR), our study investigated the configural impacts of job stressors and psychological needs on employee well-being in Chinese AEC projects. By collecting 265 questionnaires from 27 Chinese AEC projects, we conducted a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), and found that (1) the combination of SDT and COR provides multiple equifinal configurations sufficient to produce high or low employee well-being, and SDT is more salient than COR for the interpretation of well-being in AEC projects; (2) counterintuitively, role overload and role conflict can be contributive to employee well-being when certain psychological needs are satisfied; role ambiguity needs to be avoided for its salient threats to well-being; and (3) need for relatedness is particularly salient in all configurations for employee well-being in Chinese culture. We also found evidence for causal asymmetry for high and low well-being. Our person-centered approach yielded more theoretically consistent results than a variable-centered approach. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geopolymers have been long recognized as the next-generation building material due to environmental reasons. However, geopolymers are inherently brittle and usually require high-temperature curing. This paper was intended to develop a ductile engineered geopolymer composite (EGC) under ambient curing conditions. Two types of metakaolin powder with different particle sizes were applied as the solid precursor. The tensile, compressive, and flexural behaviors of EGC with different mix designs were investigated. It was concluded that the combinational application of coarse and fine metakaolin is conducive to the tensile and compressive behaviors of EGC materials. As the alkali concentrations increased from 6 to 14 mol/L , the tensile and compressive strength of EGC increased, whereas the tensile ductility of EGC decreased gradually. Also, the SiO2/Na2O molar ratio had negligible influence on the tensile behavior of EGC, whereas the compressive strength decreased with the increase of SiO2/Na2O molar ratios. A numerical model to predict the flexural behavior of EGC was also proposed, and the accuracy was verified with experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of automation and artificial intelligence, some problems in the petroleum industry can be efficiently solved by machine-learning models based on big data. Previous researchers have addressed truly precise methods to evaluate reserves from accessible well-test data, although enormous time, effort, and cost were required. However, due to the lack of sufficient conventional material balance (CMB) test data for a large number of wells in the Su Dong (SD) gas field, only 12 wells (0.99%) were generally suitable for previous methods. We substituted the fully built-up reservoir pressures used in CMB with those converted from shut-in casing-pressure data. Suffering from data noise caused by pressure fluctuation, only 22.91% of the plots were linear. The nonlinear plots were enhanced into linear plots by denoising and smoothening according to engineering knowledge. Machine-learning models were developed to perform the enhancement automatically, which constructed an adaptive and feasible workflow. The model improved the percentage of applicable wells to 68.16% (824 out of 1,209) and achieved considerable precision for reserve evaluation. The proposed method is much more suitable than CMB in gas fields featuring unstable production status and provides feasible reserve evaluation. This paper presents an exemplary demonstration of the combination of petroleum engineering and machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results from a prediction event, organized by the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the National Geotechnical Centrifuge Facility (NGCF), and performed as part of the International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics to assess uncertainty in predicting the monotonic and cyclic lateral response of conductors. Geotechnical professionals from around the world were invited to predict the response of a model conductor (a flexible pile) subjected to a series of loading sequences in a centrifuge. A normally consolidated fine-grained soil was used in the tests, which was characterized by soil elements and in-flight T-bar penetrometer testing. While some participants provided accurate predictions, the mean response was an overestimate of the monotonic and cyclic load at the pile head, which was significant for large and very small displacements. An analysis of the submissions is presented to quantify the variability of the predictions received, assess the consequences of each design, and relay the uncertainty associated with engineering judgment in design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there have been several studies about using recycled aggregates to construct recycled aggregate base (RAB) layers, there is a lack of information about the effects of gradation of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) materials on the performance of such layers. There is also limited information available regarding the use of RCA and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) materials together in RAB layers. In this study, three test cells were constructed with RAB layers using two different RCA materials with different gradations and a blend of RCA and RAP materials, and another cell was constructed with a natural aggregate base layer. Physical characteristics of the base layer aggregates were determined, and resilient modulus (MR) tests were performed. A series of falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests were performed in the field, and changes in air and soil temperatures over time were monitored. This paper contains detailed information about the evaluation of the engineering properties of recycled aggregates and the preliminary performance of the constructed RAB layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is an urgent demand for more effective sealers to preserve the integrity and durability of concrete infrastructure in aggressive environments, such as bridge decks subjected to increasing traffic volume and increasing use of chloride-based deicers. To this end, this laboratory study explored the feasibility of employing graphene oxide and montmorillonite nanoclay to enhance the engineering performance of a penetrating sealer based on potassium methyl siliconate (PMS). The combined use of 0.15%-by-weight Na-montmorillonite nanoclay and 0.06%-by-weight graphene oxide in the PMS sealer resulted in the best performance, decreasing the water absorption and gas permeability coefficients. It also increased the water contact angle and viscosity, decreased the penetration depth of the PMS sealer, and reduced the scaling depth of mortar samples after freeze/thaw cycles. The improved protective performance of the nanomodified sealers can be attributed to the replacement of hydrophilic groups (─ OH) by hydrophobic groups (─ CH3) and changes in the micro-/nano-roughness of the sealed specimens induced by the admixed nanomaterials. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the pozzolanic reaction between the nanoclay and the alkaline PMS sealer. Two empirical regression models were developed to quantify the relationship between the aforementioned performance parameters, which provided qualitative insights to guide the design and fabrication of nanomodified concrete sealers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings from a study of the breakdown of project success criteria. An exploration of the evolution of studies on the success of engineering projects over decades was the basis for a project success definition proposal. Using a comprehensive literature review of success criteria for engineering projects, a list of 133 different success criteria was identified. Those criteria were analyzed to develop an integrated framework of project success criteria, describing its hierarchical decomposition. Such a breakdown structure could serve as a starting point when setting project success criteria for a specific project, because the importance of criteria will be context dependent. Practitioners or stakeholders could discuss and tailor it based on specific features of engineering projects or specific needs and interests. Generally, criteria have evolved from simple work-related factors to focusing more on the complex benefits of the projects. Such an evolving success definition has implications for further studies of project success and might contribute toward a long-term vision in which all projects will be delivered successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thus, the adopted porosities to determine the HT ht index could vary, as porosities after each cycle (4, 8, 12, and 16) were estimated. 3 that a very good adjustment was achieved between UCS and HT ht . This shows that the HT ht index is also applicable to describe and predict improved materials stabilized by biocemented techniques. Table 1 summarizes the data used and shows the HT ht calculated considering distinct biotreatment techniques and soil types. [Extracted from the article]

A key underlying challenge in today's model-driven approach to engineering is how progress and level of effort are being measured and reported. Recent definitions such as level of development enable project teams to track completeness of information in building information modeling (BIM)-driven processes; yet, there are no established processes or metrics to reliably measure progress or track productivity of a model-driven engineering process as a function of the maturity of the model and/or the data that supports the engineering process. To address this gap in knowledge, this paper presents a discrete set of model maturity index (MMI) definitions to measure progress in engineering work, per modeling discipline. Using these MMI definitions, a model maturity risk index (Model MRI) toolkit was created to track maturity of an engineering process at the granularity of work breakdown structure locations. The MMI toolkit also reports risk in achieving certain MMI levels per modeling discipline. To benchmark maturity of the modeling work per project milestone or model review session and to establish workflows for tracking progress, an addendum to the modeling execution plan (ModelXP) is presented. New productivity and project controls metrics for tracking modeling work are also introduced. The developed definitions, toolkit, and addendum to ModelXP were validated through exhaustive surveys and charrette tests with project stakeholders involved in capital projects. The role of the MMI definitions and Model MRI toolkit in providing project controls insight and proactive management opportunities in real-world projects is discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ronald Hamburger The writers thank the discusser for his interest in the paper as well as his comments. However, as discussed in Suzuki and Lignos ([23]; [21]), in large-magnitude earthquakes that exhibit long-duration characteristics [Fig. Beam-column element model calibrated for predicting flexural response leading to global collapse of RC frame buildings. [Extracted from the article]

The September 28, 2018 earthquake and tsunami, which occurred north of Palu City, Indonesia, attracted widespread interest from the scientific community due to the unusually large tsunami that occurred after a strike-slip earthquake with a relatively small moment magnitude (MW = 7.5). To understand the structural performance of buildings and infrastructure under hydrodynamic loads and their associated effects, the authors conducted field surveys in Palu City. Light wooden frame constructions and masonry infill walls were common in the area, some of which were severely damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. Reinforced concrete structures remained predominantly intact, although they suffered soil-related issues such as scour around rigid building members. Local structural failures caused by the loss of supporting soil were also observed during the field survey, resulting in an overall reduction in the stability of the inspected structures. Based on the observations made, knowledge gaps and research needs concerning coastal and structural scouring are discussed. These are tied into the latest community research activities and put in the context of a published ASCE standard chapter that discusses tsunami design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been an increasing demand in building information modeling (BIM) for structural analysis. However, model exchange between architectural software and structural analysis software, which is an essential task in a construction project, is not fully interoperable yet. Various studies showed missing information and information inconsistency problems during conversion of models between different software; the lack of foundational methods enabling a seamless BIM interoperability between architectural design and structural analysis is evident. To address this gap and facilitate more use of BIM for structural analysis, the authors develop invariant signatures for architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) objects and propose a new data-driven method to use invariant signatures for solving practical problems in BIM applications. The invariant signatures and the data-driven method were tested in developing the interoperable BIM support tool for structural analysis through an experiment. Ten models were created/adopted and used in this experiment, including five models for training and five models for testing. An information validation and mapping algorithm was developed based on invariant signatures and training models, which was then evaluated in the testing models. Compared with a manually created gold standard, results showed that the desired structural analysis software inputs were successfully generated using the algorithm with high accuracy. The invariant signatures of AEC objects can therefore be expected to serve as the foundation of seamless BIM interoperability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]