Learning on the Job

Installing a specially designed crane in the Industrial Sciences Laboratory Building was one of several hurdles CM Professor Chuck Smith surmounted last winter as he developed a new hands-on class in which CM students will build an actual structure.

The structure students will erect in Smith's Advanced Materials and Methods class, which pilots this fall, will consist of masonry and concrete, structural steel, wood framing, electrical, and finish work. The class is designed to develop students' manipulative skills with materials and sharpen their understanding of the construction industry hierarchy and the procedures and documentation associated with each task on a project site.

"We'll be showing students, 'Here's the structure of construction, and this is how everything is tied together,' " explains Smith. "The class isn't just about constructing a building but also about the important role each person plays and the paperwork that goes with each step."

Students will be responsible for obtaining permits and inspections and completing requests for information, change orders, certiication sheets, and other necessary documentation. They will also do basic quantity takeoffs and estimates, get quotes for materials, and calculate labor costs for the building.

Certificate Programs for Working Professionals Upcoming Courses Green Building, Denver Center, beginning Sept. 5 Construction Management, Denver Center, beginning Sept. 13 A new course to support continuing education for the residential construction industry is being developed and will be offered in Spring 2007. To learn more about any of these programs, or to register, call Kate Pennella, (303) 376-2605, or visit http://www.learncolostate.edu/certificates. New this year is the Fire and Emergency Services Administration (FESA) certificate program, offered through online distance learning.

Asphalt Lab Established

Laying It Down

In June, Department Head Larry Grosse attended the 2006 Business Meeting of the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association (CAPA) to receive the final payment of CAPA's $55,000 pledge to establish a new asphalt laboratory in the Department of Construction Management. In addition to the funds needed to create the new lab, CAPA will provide about $150,000 of new equipment for the teaching lab.

The laboratory, which is housed in the Industrial Sciences Laboratories Building, is equipped for undergraduate teaching. Plans call for adding research capabilities as the heavy construction curriculum is developed further and more students become interested in pursuing graduate studies in asphalt pavement construction, says CM Professor Scott Shuler.

Shuler has been assisting in the development of the heavy construction management program since becoming a CM faculty member in 2004.

The asphalt laboratory resulted from a collaboration between the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association and Colorado State University. Conceived two years ago, the laboratory was planned, designed, and constructed in a remarkably short period of time, notes Shuler. "This is testimony to the commitment of the asphalt industry and Colorado State to create a valuable tool that will enhance the educational experience of our students," he adds.

CAPA President Steve Peterson says, "We feel the laboratory will further our mission by providing practical asphalt course instruction and the opportunity to begin basic asphalt research." The laboratory eventually will be equipped with the tools needed to conduct a typical Superpave asphalt concrete mixture design, including all of the aggregate and mixture tests. It is hoped that such research ultimately will lead to more durable and longer-lasting road paving materials that will better withstand a wide range of weather and traffic conditions.

Colorado State has the only program in Colorado that offers asphalt education at the university level. Shuler says that with the addition of the laboratory, students will beneit greatly from practical, physical contact with the materials and apparatus required to produce asphalt concrete paving mixtures.

The state and industry also stand to benefit, Shuler adds. "Since Colorado spends more than $250 million on asphalt concrete paving mixtures annually, this new laboratory will provide future owners and contractors with a much deeper understanding of how this complex building material behaves, potentially leading to millions of dollars in annual savings."

Paving the Way for Heavy Construction For the eighth consecutive year, the CM department hosted the Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference and Equipment Show, which was held in February. The honorarium the department receives for coordinating this event helps support the Heavy Construction Management Endowed Chair Initiative and also contributed to the building of the department's new Asphalt Laboratory.

 

 

Practicing Resource Management

Students taking CM Professor Chuck Smith's new "Advanced Materials and Methods" class will learn, among other things, how to manage resources. The CM department would like to thank the following donors for their generous contributions and support: Champion Windows, Contrx Cranes, F&C Doors, G.W.Y., Inc, Lafarge, Nucor Fasteners, SMI Joist, Tiger Steel, and Wagner Rents.

News Briefs

Ten Russians from the construction industry visited the CM department and Fort Collins last fall to learn more about construction management tools and techniques. The Rotary Club- sponsored visit was designed to introduce the visitors to light construction methods and materials used in the United States. The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded the LEED Silver Certiied designation to recently renovated second-loor classrooms in Guggenheim Hall. The classrooms are the country's 65th LEED-certiied interior project, and Colorado State is the irst university to be awarded certification for educational spaces.

New Degree Program for Fire Fighters, Emergency Workers

Beginning this fall, Colorado State University will offer a new distance degree program designed for ire and emergency services professionals looking to advance their careers. The Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Services Administration is designed as a 2+2 degree- completion program. Students are strongly urged to complete an associate degree in ire science or a related emergency services ield prior to enrolling in the program.