Developing an Effective Construction Training Program for Hispanic and American Supervisors and Craft Workers, 2007

Hispanics are a large and growing part of the United States workforce. Projections of the U.S. Census Bureau (2001) state that, by the year 2050, Hispanics will account for 25% of the population. For the Midwest in particular, the Hispanic population is expected to increase 35% by the year 2025. The construction industry is expected to experience a greater percentage increase of its Hispanic population, due to the labor-intensive nature of the industry. This study addresses the expected increase of Hispanic workers in the construction industry by testing the best approaches for delivering training to construction crews with Hispanic workers as well as American supervisors and laborers in the state of Iowa. The research methodology consisted of assessing the effects on communication, safety, work environment, and productivity as a result of the integration training. Results show that integration on-site training decreases workers’ desire to move and increases quality of work and productivity. Most importantly, experimental design was used to show the increasing levels of direct construction communication due to the Toolbox Integration Course for Hispanic Workers and American Supervisors (TICHA) designed as part of this project. This study recommends the creation of a quasi-governmental or association program that can offer continuous research and training that can benefit the construction industry as well as society as a whole. The industry involvement in this process is crucial for contractors. Not only do contractors benefit from reduced insurance premiums when workers act safely, but workers with better communication skills are more productive.

Developing an Effective Construction Training Program for American Supervisors with Hispanic Craft Workers, 2005

In the construction industry, Hispanics have the highest rate of fatal work injuries among the racial/ethnic groups, and productivity in the field is limited by the language barrier between Hispanic workers and their supervisors and the level of education of many Hispanic craft workers. This research developed a training program designed to facilitate the integration process between American supervisors and Hispanic craft workers in a practical and cost-effective way, thus improving productivity and lowering fatality rates. The Iowa State University research team conducted a survey of 38 American supervisors, representing 14 Iowa construction companies. Survey results confirm that communication is the main problem experienced by American supervisors in the job site. Many American supervisors also use or depend on a link-person (an individual who interprets tasks to the rest of the Hispanic crew) to communicate to the Hispanic crew members. Research findings show that language differences affect productivity and workplace safety in the construction industry. Additionally, the educational levels of Hispanic workers indicate that they may not have the literacy skills necessary to understand training materials. This research developed two training courses designed to expand the Spanish communication skills of American supervisors. The research team modified the English-as-a-second-language course developed in Phase I into the Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) Survival Course. A series of technical training courses were also developed, titled Concrete Pavement Construction Basics (CPCB), that cover general practices in concrete pavement construction. They are much shorter and more specialized than the SSL course. The CPCB courses provide American supervisors simple and practical communication tools on a variety of topics to choose from according to their specific needs.

Electronic Construction Collaboration - Phase 1, 2009

Bridge construction projects are becoming increasingly complex as the demand for context-sensitive solutions, aesthetic designs, and accelerated bridge construction becomes more prevalent. In addition, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is entering a phase of design and construction of large border bridges, such as the I-80 (let 2008 for $56 million) and US 34 bridges over the Missouri River and I-74 over the Mississippi River. Compared to typical construction projects, these bridges generate more contractor Requests for Information (RFIs), Value Engineering (VE) proposals, Requests for Changes (RFCs), and shop drawings. Management of these submittals is a significant challenge for Resident Construction Engineers (RCEs) and other Iowa DOT staff. In addition, some submittals require cross-departmental and project consultant reviews. Commercially available software exists for managing submittals and project collaboration teams; in-house solutions may also be possible. Implementation is intended to speed construction submittal review time, reduce incidence of delay claims, and free up Iowa DOT staff from project management administrative tasks. Researchers from Iowa State University working with the Iowa DOT conducted a multi-pronged approach to indentify a web-based collaboration solution for Iowa DOT bridge projects. An investigation was launched to determine the functional needs of the Iowa DOT. Commercially available software programs were also evaluated to find what functionality is currently available. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was written to select a commercial web-based collaboration solution for pilot testing. In the second phase of research, a solution will be selected and implemented on two pilot projects. Lessons learned from these pilot projects will assist the Iowa DOT in developing and implementing a long-term solution to improve the management of Iowa DOT bridge projects.

FY2015 Highway Construction Program Expenditures/Obligations

This report describes the highway construction program, actual expenditures of the program and contractual obligations of the program for FY 2015.

Report of the Workshop on Intelligent Construction for Earthworks: April 14-16, 2009

The objectives of this workshop were to update the strategies identified during the 2008 workshop; provide a collaborative exchange of ideas and experiences; share research results; increase participants' knowledge; develop research, education, and implementation initiatives for intelligent compaction (IC) and automated machine guidance (AMG) technologies; and develop strategies to move forward. The 2 1/2 day workshop was organized as follows: Day 1: Review of 2008 workshop proceedings, technical presentations on IC and AMG technologies, and participating state department of transportation (DOT) briefings. Day 2: Industry/equipment manufacturer presentations and breakout interactive sessions on three topic areas. Day 3: Breakout session summary reporting and panel discussion involving state DOT, contractor, and industry representatives. The results of the breakout sessions on day 2 were analyzed to identify the priorities for advancement in each of the three topic areas. Key issues for each topic were prioritized by reviewing the recorder's notes in detail, finding common topics among sessions, and summarizing the participant votes.

Demonstration and Field Evaluation of Alternative Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Reinforcement Materials, Construction Report, HR-1069, 1998

The function of dowel bars is the transfer of a load across the transverse joint from one pavement slab to the adjoining slab. In the past, these transfer mechanisms have been made of steel. However, pavement damage such as loss of bonding, deterioration, hollowing, cracking and spalling start to occur when the dowels begin to corrode. A significant amount of research has been done to evaluate alternative types of materials for use in the reinforcement of concrete pavements. Initial findings have indicated that stainless steel and fiber composite materials possess properties, such as flexural strength and corrosion resistance, that are equivalent to the Department of Transportation specifications for standard steel, 1 1/2 inch diameter dowel bars. Several factors affect the load transfer of dowels; these include diameter, alignment, grouting, bonding, spacing, corrosion resistance, joint spacing, slab thickness and dowel embedment length. This research is directed at the analysis of load transfer based on material type and dowel spacing. Specifically, this research is directed at analyzing the load transfer characteristics of: (a) 8-inch verses 12-inch spacing, and (b) alternative dowel material compared to epoxy coated steel dowels, will also be analyzed. This report documents the installation of the test sections, placed in 1997. Dowel material type and location are identified. Construction observations and limitations with each dowel material are shown.

Protection of Structural Concrete Substructures, Construction Report, HR-220, 1981

It is the objective of this project to determine, via field tests, the long term effectiveness of several available systems as their ability to protect concrete surfaces against the intrusion of chloride ions. Early concepts of this project included utilizing personnel from several offices within the Highway Division of the Iowa Department of Transportation. Cooperation and coordination with regularly scheduled activities were considered imperative. A meeting for this purpose was held on April 16, 1980. This meeting was attended by the investigators, Mr. Bernard C. Brown, Office of Materials, Mr. Richard Merritt, District 6 Materials Engineer, Mr. John Saunders, District 6 Maintenance Engineer, and Mr. James Phinney, Resident Maintenance Engineer.