Consulting Engineers Research Articles

Application of BIM Technology in the Whole Process Engineering Consulting Management

Since the implementation of the reform and opening policy, the full support of engineering construction projects has promoted the rapid development of China's national economy. Among them, engineering consulting management is more and more widely used in engineering projects and economic life. This article first summarizes the importance of the entire process engineering consulting integrated management research. The author analyzes the advantages and significance of the integrated management research of the whole process engineering consulting in China, and further puts forward the application countermeasures of the whole process engineering consulting service in construction projects.

A Feasibility Study of Full Scale, Post Combustion, Amine Based, CO <sub>2</sub> Capture Retrofit Application in the Cement Manufacturing Sector at the Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited Facility

This paper will present the progress of a feasibility study, jointly conducted by Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited (Lehigh) and the International CCS Knowledge Centre, aimed at retrofitting a cement production facility at Lehigh (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) with a full scale, post combustion, amine-based Carbon Dioxide (CO2) capture system. This study is a major breakthrough for carbon capture and storage (CCS) as it represents a first in North America for CCS application in the cement industry. The main deliverable of the feasibility study is a Class 4 estimate to assist Lehigh in determining the economic viability of a potential CCS retrofit project. This feasibility study commenced in November 2019 and will be complete in the fall of 2021 and is projected to cost $3.0M CAD. Funding for this study has been contributed to by Lehigh and Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) with contributions by the International CCS Knowledge Centre. The study will examine both the carbon capture technology and the “balance of plant”. Successful completion of this feasibility study could lead to a decision to carry out a Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) study and ultimately to a Final Investment Decision (FID) to implement a commercial scale project. A commercial project is projected to reduce emissions by approximately 600,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The commercial scale project is projected to reduce emissions in Alberta in excess of 13.1 Mtonnes over a 25-year lifespan. The International CCS Knowledge Centre who is providing project management and advisory services, has engaged an experienced CO2 capture technology vendor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, for the design of the CO2 capture system. MHI is responsible for the scope of work that includes the flue gas pretreatment system, the CO2 capture facility, and the CO2 compression process. The International CCS Knowledge Centre is also engaging and directing engineering consultants or other solution providers as appropriate. This direction and guidance will utilize base learnings from both the fully integrated Boundary Dam 3 CCS Facility and the comprehensive second-generation CCS study, known as the Shand CCS Feasibility Study, engineering consultants are being engaged to provide preliminary process and equipment design and cost estimates within their assigned scopes of work or work packages. The captured CO2 would be permanently sequestered and could be also used for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). The Lehigh facility is located near potential storage locations, including being about 50 km away from the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (ACTL) and nearby EOR opportunities. Lehigh, part of HeidelbergCement, will contribute to the company’s goal of achieving CO2-neutral concrete by 2050 at the latest and make it the most sustainable building material.

Modeling the challenges faced by Indian engineering consultancies: An ISM analysis

Modeling the challenges faced by Indian engineering consultancies: An ISM analysis

Influence of a novel hydrophobic agent on freeze–thaw resistance and microstructure of concrete

An innovative hydrophobic agent named YREC (Yellow River Engineering Consulting) was adopted in this study. The substrate is mica powder, which is treated with silane coupling agent and polydimethylsiloxane. By comparing hydrophobicity of the hydrophobic agent with different dosages of polydimethylsiloxane and temperatures, the optimum processing scheme of hydrophobic agent was provided. A series of hydrophobic concrete with different water to cement ratios and YREC contents were prepared. Freeze-thaw (F-T) resistance and mechanical properties of concrete were investigated. Meanwhile, microstructure was determined by means of water adsorption test and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results show that the YREC provides hydrophobic functional group and improves pore network to inhibit the invasion of water, which further enhances the F-T resistance and mechanical properties of concrete significantly. The pore size characterizations indicate that the addition of YREC increases the quantity of transition pores while decreases that of macro-pores, and the mechanical properties of concrete are reduced obviously due to the decrease of macro-pores. Compared with adjusting water to cement ratio, YREC is more conducive to refine pore structure of concrete.

Editorial Note - Vol. 14, No. 1 - 2020

We are excited to present this first of two issues in 2020, and hope you enjoy its mix of research and case study papers. 2020 is an exciting year for the DFI Journal as we expanded our editorial board with a set of highly qualified editors with various expertise in deep foundation engineering, ground improvement, slope stabilization, QA/QC of pile elements, load testing, seismic foundation design, and innovative foundation construction technologies. We invited qualified professionals from Academia, Government, Engineering Consulting, and Contracting with the primary objective to provide technical rigor and personal interest and commitment to advancing the foundation engineering practice. Our editorial structure now consists of three teams, including two Editor’s in Chief, a Journal Ombudsman, and a set of highly qualified Journal Editors. Each board member committed to serving a three-year term for the Journal. This structure allows for rotation and/or renewal upon the Editor’s availability and interest after completing the 3-year term on the DFI editorial board. Each editor is devoted to serve as an advocate for the Journal, as a technical resource for our members (in the context of publications) and has declared their willingness to elevate the Journal to a new level. This includes a continued publication of transformative and practice-oriented research as well as state of the art case studies (lessons learned) and novel techniques (engineered and built) that set benchmarks in engineering practice. We are certain that the new structure of the DFI Journal’s editorial board better reflects the broad membership diversity and expertise in the Deep Foundations Institute and are confident that you will find the right editor to work with for your future submissions. A full list of our team can be found on DFI’s Journal website.

An approximate formula to calculate the critical depth in circular culvert

Critical depth is a depth of flow where a specific energy section is at a minimum value with a flow rate. Critical depth is an essential parameter in computing gradually varied flow profiles in open channels and in designing culverts. If cross-sections are rectangular or triangular, the critical depth can be computed by the governing equation. However, for other geometries such as trapezoidal, circular, it is totally difficult to find a solution, because the governing equations are implicit. Therefore, the approximate solution could be determined by trial, numerical or graphical methods. These methods tend to take a long time to find an approximate solution, so a simple formula will be more convenient for consultant hydraulic design engineers. The existing formulas are simple, but the relative error between the approximate solutions and true values can reach 9% or greater. This article presents new explicit regression equations for the critical depth in a partially full circular culvert. The proposed formula is quite simple, and the relative maximum error is 3.03%. It would be very useful as a reference for design in conduit engineering

An approximate formula to calculate the critical depth in circular culvert

Critical depth is a depth of flow where a specific energy section is at a minimum value with a flow rate. Critical depth is an essential parameter in computing gradually varied flow profiles in open channels and in designing culverts. If cross-sections are rectangular or triangular, the critical depth can be computed by the governing equation. However, for other geometries such as trapezoidal, circular, it is totally difficult to find a solution, because the governing equations are implicit. Therefore, the approximate solution could be determined by trial, numerical or graphical methods. These methods tend to take a long time to find an approximate solution, so a simple formula will be more convenient for consultant hydraulic design engineers. The existing formulas are simple, but the relative error between the approximate solutions and true values can reach 9% or greater. This article presents new explicit regression equations for the critical depth in a partially full circular culvert. The proposed formula is quite simple, and the relative maximum error is 3.03%. It would be very useful as a reference for design in conduit engineering

Application Research of Full Process Engineering Consulting in Power Grid Engineering Cost Management

The safe and reliable supply of electric energy is an important foundation for ensuring the rapid development of my country’s social economy. In recent years, with the continuous increase in the power demand of the whole society in our country, the scale of investment and construction of power grid projects has continued to expand, strengthening project cost management and improving project investment efficiency has become one of the important goals of investment management of power grid enterprises. The whole process engineering consulting service covers the complete life cycle of the power grid project, from the feasibility study analysis report and feasibility estimation preparation, project preliminary design and preliminary budget preparation, to project decision-making plan, project bidding plan, project whole-process cost management. Completion settlement and final accounts have made important contributions to the investment and construction of power transmission and transformation projects in China.

Unsolicited urbanism: development monopolies, regulatory-technical fixes and planning-as-deal-making

This article identifies the evolution of, and critiques, unsolicited urbanism—a project of city-shaping favouring powerful market actors but inconsistent with the neoliberal tenet of competition. Marked by predetermined outcomes, unsolicited urbanism legitimates secretive monopolies over specific sites and the normalization of planning-as-deal-making. Such features are not uncommon globally, as circuits of capital seek rent opportunities latent in urban land, and as market actors increasingly exercise power over development decision-making. But following casino-led mega-development in Melbourne (Southbank/Docklands) and Sydney (Barangaroo), Australia, unsolicited urbanism has coalesced as a clearly-identifiable project, inflected by relationships forged in the Asia-Pacific. The project, promoted by coalitions of developers, global capital, state government, and real estate, engineering and financing consultants, targets not just new sites for development, but the planning system itself. At its heart is a novel urban planning instrument, Unsolicited Proposals, that codifies and legitimizes bold and secretive bids for sites and assets over which governments and communities have not signalled intent or need for change. Unsolicited Proposal guidelines solicit premeditated, commercial-in-confidence bids to redevelop key urban assets without outside competition. Originating in two high-profile waterfront sites in Australia, the formalized Unsolicited Proposal planning process has spread elsewhere as a ‘fix’ to ‘unlock’ urban spaces for casino development, infrastructure financing and quasi-privatizations, with foreboding signs of its rapid mobility. The project of unsolicited urbanism connects money and power in new ways to reshape cities, and this analysis shows how a suite of regulatory-technical processes has been reconfigured to make this possible.

Prospects of application of typical agreements of International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) in Russia in the practice of public procurement

The subject of this research is the general terms of three standard contracts set by International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) in 2017 – conditions of contract for engineering, construction and installation works designed by the contractor; conditions of contract for engineering, construction and installation works designed by the employer; conditions of contract for “turnkey projects” and norms of the Federal Law “On contractual system in the sphere of procurement, works, and services for state and municipal needs; as well as bylaws in the area of public procurement and urban development, which regulate the establishment and change of conditions of construction contracts regarding the types and volume of works, their cost and deadline. The novelty of this research consists in the fact that the conditions of standard FIDIC contracts are analyzed in comparison with the current legislation of the Russian Federation on regulation of public procurement. The conducted comparison revealed discrepancies in the legal regimes of contractual relations emerging thereof. The law establishes rigid requirements to agreeing and setting conditions on the source, cost and completion time of works which impede differentiation of the level of their detailing in contract documentation, and thus the creation of a favorable environment for implementation of investment and construction projects. Excessively rigid rules of public procurement legislation pertaining to the changes of contract terms block the action of risk management procedures enshrined in the FIDIC standard contracts. As a result, the parties are not able to respond adequately and promptly to the impact of external and internal factors that affect project environment. A conclusion is made on impossibility of mutually agreed terms of application of FIDIC standard contracts and Russian legislation on public procurement without making substantial amendments to the content of standard contracts.

Talent Management and Return on Talent (ROT) from the Lens of Engineering Consultancy

Talent Management and Return on Talent (ROT) from the Lens of Engineering Consultancy

Determination of initial stress state and rock mass deformation modulus at Lavarak HEPP by back analysis using ant colony optimization and multivariable regression analysis

During the design and construction of a project, determination of geomechanical parameters is a key factor for its success. Back analysis is an appropriate method to reduce in situ and field measurements during site investigation and design phase of the projects. Over the past decades, displacement measurements were used as input data for back analysis of geomechanical parameters. In back analysis, an important factor is to choose an appropriate algorithm to minimize the magnitude of the error function in order to reduce the difference between measured and calculated displacements. In this paper, two methods, i.e. continuous ant colony algorithm (CACA) and multivariable regression (MR), were applied to calculate optimized values for four geomechanical parameters in “Lavarak” underground hydroelectric power plant cavern in Iran. These four parameters are maximum principal stress, minimum principal stress, the angle between maximum principal stress and the horizontal axis, and the deformation modulus of the rock mass. Initially, back analysis was conducted with CACA. For this purpose, CACA was programmed in Phase2 software used for numerical modelling to calculate the displacement of the measuring points. Then, back analysis of four parameters was done with both linear and nonlinear MR using Phase2, and the optimized values were calculated. According to the Lar Consulting Engineers’ data for Lavarak HEPP, the results show lower general error function values of CACA than MR. In other words, CACA algorithm shows better performance for obtaining optimal values and for having more accurate calculations. CACA shows better performance for back-calculation of the maximum principal stress, the angel of maximum principal stress, and the deformation modulus of the rock mass.

Modelo de administración de contratos para mejorar la gestión de proyectos en obras de saneamiento

Objetivo: Diseñar un modelo de administración de contratos para mejorar la gestión de proyectos en obras de saneamiento en la EPS TACNA S.A. todo ello desde la etapa de la licitación (convocatoria de una obra por la modalidad de contrata), pasando por la firma de contrato y la ejecución misma ya que se propone un modelo de contrato estandarizado para el buen manejo, control y seguimiento de los proyectos en ejecución. 
 Metodología: Se ha procedido al análisis de cada uno de los contratos firmados desde los años 2012 hasta la fecha que posterior se comparó con el contrato estandarizado FIDIC, además, se realizaron encuestas y entrevistas a expertos. Resultados: se desarrolló un modelo de administración de contrato estandarizado que permitirá gestionar un proyecto de saneamiento desde la etapa inicial de la licitación, buena pro, firma de contrato, ejecución y la etapa de cierre de proyecto. Conclusión: El presente estudio contempla todo el proceso de ejecución de la obra donde se identifican un sin número de consultas, contradicciones, omisiones, hasta negligencias; teniendo que ir dilucidando según el alcance del proyecto ya sea por la Supervisión o directamente por el Consultor Proyectista. Este confuso procedimiento genera riesgos en los proyectos que ejecuta la EPS Tacna S.A., que en muchos casos provocan que las inversiones se vean afectadas por paralizaciones, demoras injustificadas y finalmente hasta un arbitraje, debido a que las partes dentro del contrato de ejecución no aclararon muchos puntos que son sistemáticamente críticos y se vuelve recurrente en todos estos proyectos ejecutados que enfatiza e incide en una buena gestión de un proyecto, es en ese sentido se plantea un modelo de administración de contratos estandarizado que reducirá de forma significativa esta problemática.

Employee Payroll Information System On Company Web-Based Consultant Engineering Services

Consulting Engineering Services is a company engaged in building construction consulting services. In this company in processing employee salaries still use manual calculations and use the Ms. Excel program. This can lead to errors in calculating employee salaries and the process of printing employee salary slips which takes a long time. In solving this problem, the authors designed an employee payroll information system. In this design, the authors use the PHP programming language. The method in this research is the Waterfal Method. The method in this research is through observation, interview, documentation and literature study. The system design is made using Contex Diagram, HIPO, Input Output Design, relationships between tables and database design. The system is made in a program with the PHP programming language with a database format using MySQL. The result of this design is to produce an application program that will be used to process web-based employee salaries in CV. Consulting Engineering Services and it is hoped that companies will find it easier to input data and compile payroll reports to be faster and more efficient

A Bayesian Modeling Approach for Estimating Earthquake Reconstruction Behavior

Rebuilding and repairing damaged physical infrastructure is a primary source of disaster aid spending following major earthquakes. Although aid distribution is monitored, it is not well understood how economic support and technical assistance affect reconstruction behavior. This study develops and evaluates a Bayesian item response theory modeling framework for estimating the probability of reconstructive action from household-level survey data. Household responses on reconstruction status, aid received, and willingness to commit additional resources from Inter-Agency Common Feedback Project surveys (n = 5,913) collected eleven, twelve, and fourteen months after the Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake are used to estimate the probability of reconstructive action. Results show differences in marginal reconstruction probabilities ranging from 2 to 78 percent across varying combinations of aid receipt and household willingness to commit additional resources. Estimated reconstruction probabilities are lowest for households with low willingness to commit additional resources and households that have not received a reconstruction-related engineering consultation. All model results showed strong variability with geographic location. These findings provide detailed quantitative estimates of earthquake recovery that have not previously been available and offer a promising methodology for using future postdisaster household-level survey data.

Addition of Criteria for the Drought Level Vulnerability to the Reservoir Location Priority

Blora regency is mostly a water critical region during dry seasons due to its porous soil characteristic. In order to overcome this condition, in 2006, Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Housing, through Mettana Engineering Consultant, conducted a Study of Identification and Basic Design Development of Reservoirs in Blora Regency. It determined 28 future reservoir locations by considering their technical, economical and socio-environmental aspects. However, for the reservoirs to be the most effective, it is necessary to include regional drought vulnerability aspect into consideration to determine their location priority. The main purpose of this research, to conduct an analysis of meteorogical drought vulnerability in Blora regency region.In more detail the main goal is to determine reservoir location priority in Blora regency region by considering meteorogical drought vulnerability aspect. Drought Index was calculated using SPI (Standardized Precipitation Index ) method using 2009-2018 monthly precipitation data obtained from 15 precipation stations. Mapping of drought vulnerable regions was done using GIS (Geographic Information System) technology using spatial interpolation approach. This research determined new priority, different from that determined by Mettana Engineering Consultant. Priority 1 formerly consisted of Suruhan, Kedungwungu, Bangsri, Sambong and Kalisari reservoirs while the new one consisted of Polaman 1, Polaman 2, Suruhan and Jurangjero reservoirs. Suruhan reservoir appeared in both versions. Kedungwungu, Bangsri, Sambong and Kalisari reservoirs moved to priority 2 in the new priority since they were located in low drought level regions while Polaman 1, Polaman 2 and Jurangjero reservoirs moved to priority 1 since they were located in moderately high to moderate drought level regions. It indicated that is necessary to include drought vulnerability aspect into consideration in determining reservoir location, along with technical, economical and socio-enviromental aspects. The government then may employ this aspect as an additional criteria in developing future reservoir construction program to be more effective that targets drought vulnerable regions

EDITORIAL

Irrigation and DrainageVolume 69, Issue 2 p. 195-198 Editorial EDITORIAL Saeed Nairizi, Corresponding Author Saeed Nairizi s.nairizi@toossab.net President Honoraire, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), TOOSSAB Consulting Engineers Co., Mashhad, IranCorrespondence to: Dr Saeed Nairizi, President Hon, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), Head of the Board and Managing Director of TOOSSAB Consulting Engineers Co., P.O. Box 91775-1569, Mashhad, Iran. Tel.: +98-51-37684600, Fax: +98-51-37644326; E-mail: s.nairizi@toossab.netSearch for more papers by this authorFelix B. Reinders, Felix B. Reinders President, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), ARC-Agricultural Engineering, Silverton, Pretoria, South AfricaSearch for more papers by this author Saeed Nairizi, Corresponding Author Saeed Nairizi s.nairizi@toossab.net President Honoraire, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), TOOSSAB Consulting Engineers Co., Mashhad, IranCorrespondence to: Dr Saeed Nairizi, President Hon, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), Head of the Board and Managing Director of TOOSSAB Consulting Engineers Co., P.O. Box 91775-1569, Mashhad, Iran. Tel.: +98-51-37684600, Fax: +98-51-37644326; E-mail: s.nairizi@toossab.netSearch for more papers by this authorFelix B. Reinders, Felix B. Reinders President, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), ARC-Agricultural Engineering, Silverton, Pretoria, South AfricaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 17 April 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.2430Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume69, Issue2April 2020Pages 195-198 RelatedInformation

Research on the Whole Process Engineering Consulting Service of Risk Sharing based on CIM Reward Model

In order to fully study the CIM reward model risk sharing process of the whole process of engineering consulting services, this paper analyzes the three common outsourcing modes of engineering consulting by AHP, and analyzes the work flow by black box data flow. Finally, this paper believes that the policy analysis and case study of response engineering should be strengthened before the risk analysis of specific projects under CIM reward model can be made.

Tolerance Management in Construction: A Conceptual Framework

Defects associated with dimensional and geometric tolerance variability (tolerance problems) are often dealt with during the construction phase of projects. Despite the potentially severe consequences of those defects, tolerance management (TM) is a perennial challenge, and the construction industry lacks a systematic and practical process to provide insight into avoiding the reoccurrence of tolerance problems. The aim of this research is to present a conceptual framework to proactively reduce the reoccurrence of tolerance problems at stages preceding on site construction. The research uses an exploratory case study approach exploring TM in a civil engineering consultancy. Evidence was collated from semi-structured interviews and document analysis, and validated in a group interview. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The study contributes to knowledge in engineering management by providing new insights into drawbacks of existing TM guidelines. It also describes a good practice application of TM by a civil engineering consultancy, and proposes a conceptual framework to improve TM, which provides a basis to develop more effective practical solutions for TM.

Implications of governance obligations being embedded within construction contractors’ tendering procedures

ABSTRACTConstruction contractors’ (contractors) internal tendering procedures (ITP) face increasing governance obligations, either through corporate regulations, legislation and/or societal expectations. Increased governance can impact approval steps, and decisions made, to pursue a project from prospect identification, through tender preparation, submission and contract execution (the ‘tender timeline’). The question arises as to whether inappropriate time is spent preparing for and gaining internal approvals, at the risk of constraining time spent developing well reviewed competitive tender solutions.Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 27 high-profile major contractors and analysis of ITP documentation provided by 13 of them, this study considers the efficiency of various ITP governance models and identifies factors that influence the tender approval management levels. On average those 13 contractors utilise 4.2 approval gates; prepare approval documentation addressing 547 questions, 19 attachments; and face 12 review committees before securing 16 approvals over the tender timeline. The results provide an opportunity for clients, consultants, and researchers to gain a better understanding of major contractors’ ITP governance obligations that need to be addressed, often within very short tender periods. Contractors can use these findings as a benchmarking opportunity for their ITP governance. Many of the principles raised also apply to engineering consultancies.