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Department ofCivil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

Construction Engineering

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An illustration of a construction site, modern living apartments, a dam, a high-speed train, and inside of a subway tube.

Construction Engineers Bring Projects to Completion!

Construction Engineers and Construction Managers play crucial roles in ensuring the safe and efficient delivery of civil engineering projects. They utilize technology, engineering expertise, and business acumen in a fast-paced environment. Construction Engineers and Managers are often early adopters of new technologies, such as 4D computer models and drones, to enhance communication, and safety and streamline project delivery.

 

Digital Twins Improving Construction and Building Performance

Digital twins are virtual models that simulate the behavior or performance of real-world objects and offer numerous advantages in civil engineering. They allow civil engineers to virtually observe proposed construction methods: detecting conflicts and drawing errors before building begins. Additionally, digital twins can use sensor data from completed buildings to study energy usage, heating and cooling efficiency, and structural performance/health. By combining digital twins with data collection, civil engineers can improve sustainability and reduce construction and operating costs.

3D Printed Buildings?

A man walking on a concrete slab between waist-high walls of layered concrete as a nozzle on an overhead bridge crane deposits a new layer of concrete on a wall section.
3D concrete printer rapidly printing walls for a house. Image source:(Hannah)

3D printing offers rapid and cost-effective building solutions, with the ability to construct a small house in just 24 hours, revolutionizing disaster recovery efforts and affordable housing. In fact, Alaska is currently piloting 3D-printed houses in Nome. The largest 3D-printed building in Europe, a data center, was completed in 2023 and printed in just 140 hours. While most 3D printing uses concrete, Illinois-based Terran Robotics is pioneering the use of earth, the world's oldest, most sustainable, and widely used building material, pushing the technology to new heights.