The positive effect of construction site visits in the adequate comprehension of structural engineering concepts for students.

Luis Horacio Hernandez Carrasco; Miguel X. Rodriguez-Paz; Saul E. Crespo-Sanchez

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Architectural Engineering Division (ARCHE) Technical Session 3
Tagged Division: Architectural Engineering Division (ARCHE)
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44477
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44477
Download Count: 161

Paper Authors

biography

Luis Horacio Hernandez Carrasco Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM)

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Civil Engineer
Master degree in Structural Engineering
Master in Business Administration
Full time professor at (Tec de Monterrey) ITESM
Professional Registered Engineer in Structural Design

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biography

Miguel X. Rodriguez-Paz Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM) orcid.org/0000-0002-9975-9847

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Prof. RodrÃguez-Paz got his B.Sc. In Civil Engineering from Tecnologico de Oaxaca in 1993. He studied a M.Sc. In Structural Engineering at Tecnologico de Monterrey and got his Ph.D. from the University of Wales at Swansea in 2003 where he did research on

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Saul E. Crespo-Sanchez Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM) orcid.org/0000-0001-5093-0108

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Bachelor in Civil Engineering with a Master of Science in Structural Engineering and PhD candidate in Structural Engineering. From April 2011 to July 2017 he served as Senior Researcher of the "Structural Health Monitoring" group of the Mexican Institute of Transportation, directing and collaborating in monitoring and structural prognosis projects applied to special highway bridges, transportation infrastructure, historical monuments and structural systems. He has developed research projects in the area of structural deterioration of reinforced concrete bridges and in the development of damage detection techniques in structural systems based on Non Destructive Evaluation. He actively collaborated in the creation and development of the Monitoring Center for Intelligent Bridges and Structures, leading the analysis and structural evaluation of the systems. In the academic field, he has worked as a professor in the Civil Engineering career, in the area of structural engineering at the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) Campus Querétaro. He has directed research projects for undergraduate and master's degree students. He has authored several technical publications of the Mexican Institute of Transportation, extensive publications in congresses, international and national symposiums, as well as in scientific journals. From 2017 to 2020 he served as Director of the Civil Engineering program at Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Querétaro and as professor of the Structural Engineering area at the institution and since November 2020 he leads the Department of Sustainable Technologies and Civil Engineering at Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Querétaro.

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate, through on-line polls, questionnaires, and face-to-face interviews, how the civil engineering and architectural students feel the improvement of their comprehension of structural analysis topics by the construction site visits experience. There ia a large number of structural systems that can be seen in construction sites, so, the more visits are made, more structural systems we can study directly from the source, not only by watching and feeling the structure but also by talking and even interviewing the site actors such as construction workers, architects and engineeros who can explain directly the application of many theoretical concepts. In the study of different topics in structural analysis and design, the students’ approach to the contents is based on theoretical contents and mathematical equation demonstrations that describe the structural behavior of different structural elements that integrate a building for different purposes, housing, commercial, industrial or infrastructure. To develop mathematical models that adequately represent the structural behavior of the elements (slabs, beams and girders, columns, and footings among others), is mandatory that the students understand how each structural element behaves to handle the loads and mechanical elements acting over it. Also, the connecting forms that allow the mechanical elements transmission between these elements. Beam-beam connection, beam-column connection and column-footing connection. It begins with the solution of structural models from simply supported beams with single loads trough complex structural models and variable loads. In this journey from simple mathematical models to complex models to analyze and design the structural behavior, the student doesn’t get the complete concept and idea until they get in touch with real structural elements, not only in pictures or videos but in construction site visits where they can watch and feel from every possible angle and touch and feel the structure and its components. Not only in fully functional structures but in structures under construction to see and feel the insights of the element, rebars, reinforcements distribution and requirements, etc., so they can observe in a better and more complete way the function and behavior of every element. With this, they start to develop their own structural concept. The best way to interact with the structure and its components is at the construction site, although the labs are helpful, the real action field is where they live and understand the structural behavior. The construction site visits are a fundamental tool in the competencies development for the students.

Citation
Format

Hernandez Carrasco, L. H., & Rodriguez-Paz, M. X., & Crespo-Sanchez, S. E. (2023, June), The positive effect of construction site visits in the adequate comprehension of structural engineering concepts for students. Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44477

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate, through on-line polls, questionnaires, and face-to-face interviews, how the civil engineering and architectural students feel the improvement of their comprehension of structural analysis topics by the construction site visits experience. There ia a large number of structural systems that can be seen in construction sites, so, the more visits are made, more structural systems we can study directly from the source, not only by watching and feeling the structure but also by talking and even interviewing the site actors such as construction workers, architects and engineeros who can explain directly the application of many theoretical concepts.
In the study of different topics in structural analysis and design, the students’ approach to the contents is based on theoretical contents and mathematical equation demonstrations that describe the structural behavior of different structural elements that integrate a building for different purposes, housing, commercial, industrial or infrastructure.
To develop mathematical models that adequately represent the structural behavior of the elements (slabs, beams and girders, columns, and footings among others), is mandatory that the students understand how each structural element behaves to handle the loads and mechanical elements acting over it. Also, the connecting forms that allow the mechanical elements transmission between these elements. Beam-beam connection, beam-column connection and column-footing connection.
It begins with the solution of structural models from simply supported beams with single loads trough complex structural models and variable loads. In this journey from simple mathematical models to complex models to analyze and design the structural behavior, the student doesn’t get the complete concept and idea until they get in touch with real structural elements, not only in pictures or videos but in construction site visits where they can watch and feel from every possible angle and touch and feel the structure and its components. Not only in fully functional structures but in structures under construction to see and feel the insights of the element, rebars, reinforcements distribution and requirements, etc., so they can observe in a better and more complete way the function and behavior of every element. With this, they start to develop their own structural concept.
The best way to interact with the structure and its components is at the construction site, although the labs are helpful, the real action field is where they live and understand the structural behavior. The construction site visits are a fundamental tool in the competencies development for the students.

AU  - Luis Horacio Hernandez Carrasco
AU  - Miguel X. Rodriguez-Paz
AU  - Saul E. Crespo-Sanchez
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The positive effect of construction site visits in the adequate comprehension of structural engineering concepts for students.
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/44477
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--44477
ER  -