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Research Approach

The Construction Safety Alliance (CSA) was funded by Congress in FY 2001. The main focus is to embed safety measures as critical components in construction. In doing so, it will link safety with quality and productivity which typically mark the success of construction projects.

For FY 2003-2006, the major thrusts of the Alliance will be two-fold:

  1. Applied research and education in safety for engineers and constructors of the future.

As part of their annual summer internships, over one hundred and twenty (120) construction engineering and management students from Purdue University will be collecting safety-related data, under the supervision of field mentors as well as university faculty, in 80-100 sponsor companies nationwide. The data thus collected will give direct access to current safety practices across the country. These internships will provide a framework for supporting safety as a good business practice for future engineers and constructors.

  1. Development of fundamental theories and applied models for evaluation or design and constructibility using virtual reality simulations

Such technologies will enable construction managers to pro-plan operations without exposing workers to unsafe or hazardous work conditions. By placing workers in an environment tailored to their requirements, productivity and efficiency are automatically improved. Absenteeism and health care costs for workers are drastically reduced.

There will be evolutionary relationship between these two thrust areas, as modeling serves the needs of applications, and applications help refine the models. The longitudinal and cross-sectional benefits of this approach are far-reaching.

Division of Construction Engineering and Management

Purdue University 1235 Civil Eng. Bldg.

West Lafayette, IN 47907

Ph:(765)496-2742 Fax:(765)494-0644

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