Presentations

This paper investigates how variability in the scope of construction work packages—particularly size-based differences in arrival and service times—affects project performance metrics like completion time, work-in-process (WIP), and cycle time (CT). Using discrete event simulation (DES), the study compares traditional M/M/1 queue behavior with more realistic prod ...

Capital projects consistently underperform despite advancements in planning, digital tools, and enterprise reporting. One key contributor is the continued reliance of conventional metrics, originally designed for administrative oversight, to manage and control production. These metrics fail to reflect the true nature of execution: variability, flow, bottlenecks, ...

Timely and accurate wastewater chemical testing in wastewater treatment plants is essential to confirm compliance with environmental standards and to correct operational problems. In China, trained laboratory analysts manually perform the sampling and testing tasks required by regulations. However, with increasingly stringent environmental regulations and growing ...

As the construction industry faces compounded challenges—labor shortages, rising material costs, inefficient supply chains, and the climate crisis—mass timber emerges as a compelling solution. Mass timber, as a forestry product, provides a sustainable solution to supply chain challenges and tariff impacts in construction. Produced off-site, it reduces labor, shor ...

A good project plan is not a guarantee for success, but a bad project plan is always a guarantee for failure. Effective project planning relies on a combination of activity-based (work breakdown structures, critical path analyses, etc.) and object-based (flow, critical chain, advanced work packaging, etc.) approaches. However, a critical yet often-overlooked chal ...

Addressing society’s evolving needs requires tackling interconnected issues – climate change, resource depletion, pollution, and biodiversity loss – simultaneously. The built environment’s longevity and interdependence demand strategic, long-term, and integrated governance. Yet siloed structures in government, regulation, and industry, along with fragmented data, ...

NEST at EMPA operates as Switzerland’s revolutionary innovation laboratory that serves as a real-world testing ground for construction technologies, demonstrating how the industry can “do more with less” through rapid prototyping, circular construction methods, and digital fabrication solutions. This living ecosystem enables over 200 research an ...

The global transition to net-zero emissions demands clean energy technologies that can operate at scale and cost parity with fossil fuels. However, most clean energy projects suffer from commercial unviability, technological inefficiencies, and geopolitical supply chain complexities, resulting in failures at Final Investment Decision (FID) gates. This paper exami ...