(IT-2739) Cost Factors for Green Building Materials in Cost Databases
Author(s)/Presenter(s): Srinivasa R. Vanga, CCP
Time/Location: Sunday, June 24 from 2:15pm to 3:15pm / America's Cup AB (4th Floor)
Abstract:
[Level: Intermediate] This paper is a concept of how to determine the cost impact of using green building materials in the construction industry. Sustainable construction encourages use of material resources in an environmentally friendly and profitable way. The concept of “Sustainable Construction” has been developing rapidly and has been receiving a lot of attention around the globe. The main objective of sustainable construction is to use natural resources such as water and power to optimum levels which is achieved by proper design, construction, maintenance and operational practices. The cost factor is very important in selecting materials. Other considerations are location factor and recycled content. All these factors have high significance on the cost databases.
This paper focuses mainly on the need to consider recycled content and location factor of materials selected from different cost databases (RS Means, US Cost etc.,) to optimize the cost estimating systems for sustainable building practices. Most of the cost databases provide item code, description, quantity, unit of measure, quantity factor, contractor, resource, labor hour, resource output, direct cost, labor, equipment, material cost factors. There is a need to include other factors relative to environmental and financial analysis like recycled material content and location factor. These additional factors when integrated into the cost databases will benefit engineers, architects, contractors in a significant way, and in the end results will display an amazing product to customers.
(IT-2941) Human Centered Design in Capital Program System Development
Author(s)/Presenter(s): Yuvaraaj K. Satyanarayanan; Michael Goggin
Time/Location: Sunday, June 24 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm / America's Cup AB (4th Floor)
Abstract:
[Level: Intermediate] Successfully implementing a software system can be difficult. Often enough, the promise of a solution which streamlines tedious job activities and frees up staff for higher value work is elusive. Unfortunately, implementations of systems to automate your processes are often designed without one very important input… the user. Typically, select users may be interviewed and asked to provide documents and reports that are used regularly with the aim of informing the design of the new and improved system, but the designers haven’t lived a day or a week in the shoes of the end users, have they? How is the productivity of the construction industry supposed to improve without the valuable insights of the construction engineers? Human-centered design involves observing how people (team members) engage with the tools that they use to do their job. It also involves immersion of the design team into one’s job, to experience first-hand how people interact with processes and other team members. This paper will explore effective methodologies used to drive and manage the design of solutions, resulting in useful systems that solve real problems.