Infusing 3D Printing into Construction Management Curricula to Educate Future Workforce of its Application

Piyush Pradhananga; Mohamed Elzomor; Rubaya Rahat

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Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: Construction Engineering Division Technical Session 2
Page Count: 14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--40901
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/40901
Download Count: 323

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Piyush Pradhananga is a Ph.D. Candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Florida International University (FIU). Piyush holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tribhuwan University (TU). Following his graduation in 2016, he joined a leading real estate corporation in Nepal as a site engineer working on a multi-million project. He later joined a research firm based in London where he worked as an Engineering Graduate Researcher. Piyush is currently a Graduate Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant at the Moss School of Construction, Sustainability, and Infrastructure at FIU where he focuses on multidisciplinary research that harmonizes sustainability in construction. His other research interests include Sustainable Construction, Robotics, and AI-based Construction, Engineering Education, Green Buildings, Sustainable Infrastructure, Resilient and Sustainable Post-Disaster Reconstruction, and Circular Economy. Piyush is also a LEED Green Associate and ENV SP (i.e., Envision Certified Professional in Infrastructure Sustainability).

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Rubaya Rahat Florida International University

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Rubaya Rahat grew up in Bangladesh, where she pursued her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). After graduating she worked for two years in a construction management company in Dhaka,

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Abstract

3D printing has evolved over the years to the point where full-sized industrial-scale printers are printing small-scale models of occupiable houses. Some of the benefits of industrial 3D printing are the feasibility to develop affordable cookie-cut housing, rapid work completion, a reduced margin of error, and minimal waste production. With the increase of homelessness and lack of low-income housing in the U.S. and worldwide, there is a pressing need to leverage our technological innovations to serve such communities by offering affordable and sustainable housing equitably. 3D printing is one of those solutions which has the potential to meet the challenging intricate requirements associated with design, materials, sustainability, construction methods, and maintenance/operation. Despite that civil engineering and construction management (CM) curricula do not often integrate 3D printing as a tool to tackle designing and building affordable housing, it is critical to incorporate such emerging technology within the construction curricula to prepare our future workforces. This goal of the study highlights the need for and importance of 3D printing in the construction domain and how it can be used as a valuable tool to construct affordable housing. To achieve this goal, the study pursued twofold approaches: 1) implementing an educational module within undergraduate and graduate courses followed by discussion sessions; and (2) surveying students to capture motivation, interest, team working skills, knowledge acquisition, experiences, and expectations about 3D printing technology. The study utilized box plots and an ordered probit regression model to analyze the obtained data. The results indicate that many CM students lack skills and knowledge in 3D printed building construction technology, but almost 98% of students showed positive interest to learn more about 3D printing technology in a complete course, which currently, if offered in some programs, is optional and part of the elective courses. The ordered probit regression analysis indicates that the implemented module is effective to increase students’ interest in 3D printing technological skills. Additionally, the results also demonstrated that students with lower levels of skills in robotic machine operation, data preparation, and programming skills as well as those who currently work in the construction industry are more likely to be inclined towards developing skills and knowledge in 3D printing technology. The findings benefit both academics and industry stakeholders to better inform engineering and construction curricula.

Citation
Format

Elzomor, M., & Pradhananga, P., & Rahat, R. (2022, August), Infusing 3D Printing into Construction Management Curricula to Educate Future Workforce of its Application Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40901

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - 3D printing has evolved over the years to the point where full-sized industrial-scale printers are printing small-scale models of occupiable houses. Some of the benefits of industrial 3D printing are the feasibility to develop affordable cookie-cut housing, rapid work completion, a reduced margin of error, and minimal waste production. With the increase of homelessness and lack of low-income housing in the U.S. and worldwide, there is a pressing need to leverage our technological innovations to serve such communities by offering affordable and sustainable housing equitably. 3D printing is one of those solutions which has the potential to meet the challenging intricate requirements associated with design, materials, sustainability, construction methods, and maintenance/operation. Despite that civil engineering and construction management (CM) curricula do not often integrate 3D printing as a tool to tackle designing and building affordable housing, it is critical to incorporate such emerging technology within the construction curricula to prepare our future workforces. This goal of the study highlights the need for and importance of 3D printing in the construction domain and how it can be used as a valuable tool to construct affordable housing. To achieve this goal, the study pursued twofold approaches: 1) implementing an educational module within undergraduate and graduate courses followed by discussion sessions; and (2) surveying students to capture motivation, interest, team working skills, knowledge acquisition, experiences, and expectations about 3D printing technology. The study utilized box plots and an ordered probit regression model to analyze the obtained data. The results indicate that many CM students lack skills and knowledge in 3D printed building construction technology, but almost 98% of students showed positive interest to learn more about 3D printing technology in a complete course, which currently, if offered in some programs, is optional and part of the elective courses. The ordered probit regression analysis indicates that the implemented module is effective to increase students’ interest in 3D printing technological skills. Additionally, the results also demonstrated that students with lower levels of skills in robotic machine operation, data preparation, and programming skills as well as those who currently work in the construction industry are more likely to be inclined towards developing skills and knowledge in 3D printing technology. The findings benefit both academics and industry stakeholders to better inform engineering and construction curricula.
AU  - Mohamed Elzomor
AU  - Piyush Pradhananga
AU  - Rubaya Rahat
CY  - Minneapolis, MN
DA  - 2022/08/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Infusing 3D Printing into Construction Management Curricula to Educate Future Workforce of its Application
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/40901
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--40901
ER  -