Blake Whitman

blake.whitman@mtsu.edu

Heather Brown

Concrete and Construction Management

Discipline specific equipment

MGB 313

N/A

N/A

Construction management professionals today rely on advanced technologies (e.g., Building Information Modeling (BIM), LiDAR Scanning, UAV Inspections, Virtual Tours, Advanced Layout, etc.) to design and construct the built environment in which we work and live. Many construction companies have begun assembling Virtual Design and Construction (VD&C) teams to oversee the application of these technologies. The School of Concrete and Construction Management focuses on preparing students for these highly sought-after positions thought courses such as Surveying and Building Information Modeling. In the Spring and Fall of 2019, these classes were at maximum capacity with a combined total of 123 students enrolled (73 in Surveying and 50 in BIM) with the need for additional sections in the future. The current tools, equipment, and technologies (e.g., surveyor transit, tape measures, etc.) available within our department for hands-on experience is considered obsolete and inefficient by many professionals within today construction industry. Members of our Construction Management Industry Board have expressed interest in seeing our program advance to keep pace with current industry practices. In order to expose our students to cutting edge technology used on todays construction sites, we propose purchasing one Trimble SX10 Scanning Robotic Total Station. This purchase would allow students to obtain hands-on experience operating state-of-the-art equipment, as well as expose them to various methods of 3D data management and reduction. Student exposure to technologies such as these plays a key role in maintaining a competitive edge for our recent graduates in today’s job market.