Projects

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

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.

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.

Confidential Sponsor

Project: Numerical simulation and manufacturability of a bio-based corrugated small-scale sandwiched structural panels – Phase I (Co-PI, $39,831. 11/2022-10/2023)

Sponsor and Partner: Confidential.

The goal is to ensure the design of a corrugated sandwich panel for use as a prefabricated building material can perform the required load-bearing duties, as per standard requirements in the building code, with a minimal amount of studs.

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.