International Concrete Abstracts Portal

Workforce shortages continue to challenge the concrete construction industry (CCI), threatening project timelines, quality, and industry growth. Previous literature has identified work-life balance (WLB) as a top priority influencing employment decisions. To this end, this study investigates the role of WLB in attracting and retaining future construction professionals, focusing on construction engineering and management (CEM) students, to enhance the CCI. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study surveyed 175 students across three academic institutions and conducted interviews with industry professionals involved in talent acquisition. Research identifies WLB, compensation, and professional development as top priorities influencing employment decisions. A strategic C.A.R.E. framework, Cultivate realistic expectations, Adapt curriculum for WLB awareness, Retain through industry collaboration, and Enhance career readiness, is proposed to address gaps between academic preparation and industry demands. By embedding WLB practices into construction education and organizational culture, the CCI can better sustain its workforce, reduce turnover, and enhance project delivery outcomes. These findings offer actionable strategies for workforce development, specifically targeting labor shortages and performance challenges in CCI.

This study presents a real-time, automated monitoring system designed to enhance the constructability and execution of post-tensioned (PT) concrete construction by streamlining the measurement and verification of tendon force and elongation. The system integrates a pressure sensor, laser-based distance sensor, and data logger with embedded algorithms to correct for field-specific variables such as initial slack, wedge slip, and equipment irregularities. Designed with construction efficiency in mind, data is transmitted via mobile and web platforms, allowing real-time access for field crews and managers. Since its initial development, the system has been refined through multiple field applications. To validate its reliability and practical readiness, a large-scale field test involving 1,913 unbonded single-strand tendons across 28 construction sites was conducted. Results showed strong alignment with conventional tape measurements, with average deviations of 2.79% ± 2.34% for tendons longer than 12 m and further reduced to 2.04% ± 1.49% for those over 28 m. Comparisons with theoretical elongation confirmed that deviations remained within or below the ranges typically reported in field practice. The system's real-time monitoring was especially valuable in short tendon applications, where statistical variation is greater, helping identify and analyze potential quality issues. Reducing reliance on manual measurement, improving data transparency, and enabling rapid detection of issues such as hydraulic leaks or gauge drift, the system significantly boosts quality control, decision-making, and overall construction efficiency in PT operations.

Impalement reinforcing bar end caps not only deter safety issues such as workers being cut, tripped, or seriously injured, but can prevent impalement from vertical reinforcing bar on a job site. These reinforcing bar end caps are intended to be used on the end of vertical reinforcing bar not yet tied off. This study compares the performance of three reinforcing bar end caps. This involved conducting an installation time study and a service life reusability study. The three reinforcing bar end caps had a measurable difference for both the time installation study and the service life reusability study. The bar size impacted both the time required to install the reinforcing bar end caps and the service life reusability of reinforcing bar end caps. However, the removal time was not impacted significantly by reinforcing bar end cap type or bar size. This research gives contractors better insights into the installation cycle time, removal cycle time, and service life reusability of these reinforcing bar end caps. This can translate into more accurate estimates and reduce labor costs associated with reusing reinforcing bar end caps.

This paper presents a framework for applying a risk-based approach to quality management in construction. The cost of quality (CoQ) model, which emphasizes balancing the costs of prevention and appraisal with the costs of noncompliance resulting from failures, is widely applicable across various industries. However, the construction industry has unique characteristics that require tailored considerations for its implementation. Construction projects are often carried out in open, uncontrolled environments and are governed by contractual arrangements involving multiple stakeholders. Moreover, each construction product is unique, and failures to achieve quality can lead to significant cost, productivity, and safety consequences. This paper introduces a comprehensive framework that integrates risk into the quality management process and discusses the application of existing cost data for its practical implementation. The framework is developed through an in-depth discussion of diverse construction product types and is applicable across multiple sectors.

In this study, a detailed innovative procedure is devised to recover the full response of reinforced concrete deep beams using an improved strut-and-tie method based on ACI 318 rules. The load-deflection curve is described by two critical response levels represented by the yielding and ultimate points. The strut and tie method (STM) is used to determine the nodal displacements under a unit load and compute the yielding and ultimate load in the strut-and-tie model as the minimum force needed to realize each loading stage from all truss elements. Once the critical load at the two stages is determined, the elongation, strain, and stress of each element in the truss are extracted, thus avoiding the need to approximate the nonlinear strain profile across the depth. Also, two solution strategies using the secant and tangent stiffness are formulated, and their results are successfully compared to the experimental response of seven deep beams with a wide range of shear span-to-depth ratios. The failure modes reported experimentally perfectly match the failure member indicated by this improved analysis.