Projects
BETA Project Approach
BETA research lab aims to develop a world-class, cutting-edge, externally funded research program. The lab actively pursues state and federal funding opportunities and has a successful record. The lab welcomes solving your problems and providing innovation (R&D) for your company through the WSU Broad Industry Project Agreement (BIPA). BIPA is Industry-Sponsored Collaborative Research. The lab values industrial relationships but does not depend on or actively seek donations. Donations, if preferred, will be coordinated with the CEE Chair or SDC Director where needed. BETA lab actively pursues opportunities from the following agencies.
- Federal: National Science Foundation and Institutes of Health
- Federal: Department of Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, and Education
- State: Department of Transportation, Labor and Industries
- Industry: Construction Industry Institute (CII), Charles Pankow Foundation, etc.
Advanced Technology
Safety and Health
Management Science
National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
Project: NCHRP 08-174 Development of a Surveying and Mapping Guide for Transportation Projects (Co-PI, $600,000. 06/2024-06/2027)
Sponsor: National Academy of Sciences
The project aims to develop a national surveying and mapping guide for transportation projects to ensure consistency and accuracy in geospatial data across state and federal agencies. This guide will align with the modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and the deprecation of the U.S. survey foot. The project will address challenges in positional accuracy, data interoperability, and efficiency, supporting advanced digital construction management and lifecycle uses like BIM and digital twins. The guide will also include recommendations for best practices and return on investment analysis.
Project: Investigation of Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) Implementation in the Construction Industry in Washington State (BIPA #145215001, PI, $38,560. 01/2024-12/2025)
Sponsor and Partner: LeapThought
IDD uses digital technologies to integrate work processes and connect stakeholders working on the same project throughout the construction and building life cycle. The scope of work is to pilot and evaluate IDD using a platform named FulcrumHQ. The test can be done with a volunteer construction company on a project or in the classroom with students. The research data collection includes pre- and post-surveys and interviews with participants on the IDD pilot test. LeapThought and WSU will gather data to inform future strategies that enhance both the FulcrumHQ platform and IDD deployment in the North American market. The research will be documented and shared to encourage wider sector engagement with IDD processes.
Project: WS Department of Transportation Summer Camp Workforce Development (Co-PI, $93,263. 01/2024-08/2024)
Sponsor: Washington State Department of Transportation
The PacTrans-WSDOT Summer High School Transportation Camp program in 2024 aims to inspire more students to pursue advanced degrees and careers in STEM fields related to transportation, with a focus on increasing participation among women and minority groups. This six-day, five-night residential program, held at Washington State University and the University of Washington, offers a comprehensive experience free of charge, thanks to sponsorship by PacTrans and WSDOT. In 2024, the program will continue to build a diverse and skilled STEM workforce, following the success and positive feedback from previous years.
Project: Washington’s High-Demand Advanced Civil Engineering Workforce Development (ED23OIE0G0049, PI, $510,629. Federal Award $252,933. Local Match $257,696. 11/2023-10/2025)
Sponsor: United States (U.S.) Economic Development Administration
Washington’s High-Demand Advanced Civil Engineering Workforce Development aims to bridge the talent gap between industry-desired intelligence and traditional technical skills in civil engineering. The project focuses on infusing critical, emerging technologies (e.g., Building Information Modeling, artificial intelligence, virtual reality/augmented reality, drones) and social intelligence in work-and-learn education and training models to develop students’ competencies and skills to fill high-demand civil, structural, transportation, and construction engineering jobs.
Project: Psychological Safety Training Framework and Case Studies for Construction Workers (2022XH00474, PI, $173,966. 05/2023-11/2024)
Sponsor: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Safety & Health Investment Projects (SHIP) Program
We develop a psychological safety training framework and case studies for construction workers, emphasizing the job site. Psychological safety is about “Cover” for candor and feeling safe in taking interpersonal risks. It reduces mental health issues and enhances safety, productivity, quality, sense of belonging, diversity, equity, and inclusion on construction job sites. However, psychological safety training is still new in the construction industry, with limited anecdotes and guides. Our proposed work is to develop a training framework using focus groups and document several case studies for training purposes.
Project: NSF Engine Type I: Advancing Mass Timber Technologies (#2302937, Co-I, $999,999. 05/2023-04/2025)
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Innovation and Technology Ecosystems (ITE)
The awarded project is an initiative to develop a robust ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest to foster research, education, and innovation in mass timber. This project addresses societal and environmental challenges in housing, workforce development, and resource stewardship. Emphasizing environmental resilience and enhancing U.S. competitiveness, it aims to expand the use of sustainable mass timber products, particularly in affordable housing. The project prioritizes community collaboration, especially with marginalized and historically disadvantaged groups, to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth. With the support of the NSF Engines Development Award, the project will produce a Regional Engine Blueprint, an Investment Prospectus, a Grand Challenges Report, and a strategic plan for a Type-2 proposal, setting the foundation for translating timber innovations into practical applications and commercial ventures while cultivating necessary workforce and investment opportunities.
Project: Virtual Reality Safety Training Phrase I Effectiveness and Efficacy Assessment (PI, $30,000 [Estimated Value]. 07/2020-06/2022)
Sponsor and Partner: Humulo Engineering
The project team investigated the VR safety training by assessing the pre- and post-training for knowledge comprehension and long-term assessment for knowledge retention. Participants were split into control and experiment groups to evaluate fair safety and confined space safety training. The control group went through traditional school-based and physical simulation learning. The experiment group underwent the same training as the control group and completed the VR safety training as an addition. The study showed that VR safety training improves both learner comprehension and learner longer-term retention to a significant extent.
Past Projects
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services Statement of Work
Orange County Sustainability Decathlon
Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon Design and Build Challenge
Effective Practices of Construction Management and General Contractor