WHAT'S NEW

RESEARCH GRANT AWARD #04-24: Owner Readiness Assessment for Design-Build Projects

The Charles Pankow Foundation (CPF) is pleased to announce the award of a new research grant to create an Owner's Readiness Assessment for Design-Build Projects! The proposed assessment tool has a three-pronged approach. First, this tool will compare an owner’s present capacity and staff competencies against those needed to manage various risks in design-build delivery, ultimately identifying “gaps” in readiness. Then, the tool will recommend specific publications and training resources available through leading professional organizations, such as the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) and the Construction Industry Institute (CII), to fill those gaps over time. Lastly, the tool will also provide insight into hiring an Owner Advisor (OA) to complement and extend the owner’s current capacity. Read more


RESEARCH GRANT AWARD #03-24: Owner Readiness Assessment for Design-Build Projects

The Charles Pankow Foundation (CPF) is pleased to announce the award of a new research grant to create an Owner's Readiness Assessment for Design-Build Projects! The proposed assessment tool has a three-pronged approach. First, this tool will compare an owner’s present capacity and staff competencies against those needed to manage various risks in design-build delivery, ultimately identifying “gaps” in readiness. Then, the tool will recommend specific publications and training resources available through leading professional organizations, such as the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) and the Construction Industry Institute (CII), to fill those gaps over time. Lastly, the tool will also provide insight into hiring an Owner Advisor (OA) to complement and extend the owner’s current capacity. Read more



PHASE 1 COMPLETION: RGA #01-22 Behavior of Modular Steel Plate Floor Assemblies "FastFloor"

The Charles Pankow Foundation (CPF) is pleased to announce the completion of Phase 1 research for a new, modular steel floor framing and diaphragm system for commercial building structures with broad applicability, including high seismic zones. 'FastFloor' will increase the speed of construction while eliminating the pouring of a concrete deck. This type of system is key to achieving the goals of the AISC Need for Speed initiative to reduce the time from conception to occupancy for steel building structures. Phase I investigated the viability of their design using computational simulation and experimental testing. Phase II (designated RGA #03-23) will conduct a wide range of prototype structural analyses, including gravity loading, vibration and acoustics tests, viability of the flooring’s use in existing building designs, and assessment of the new flooring’s interaction with the rest of a building’s structural systems. Read more



ANNUAL REPORT 2023: Co-Funding Fuels Innovation To New Heights

Every year has its share of opportunities and challenges, and 2023 was no exception. With the worst of COVID behind us, the AEC industry got back to work, including in-person conferences and meetings, a resumption of laboratory-based research, and a much-welcomed re-focus on important initiatives. Not everything is the same but close enough to give us great optimism going forward. Read more


RESEARCH GRANT AWARD #02-24: A Guide to Equitable Risk Allocation in Design-Build Projects (A Pankow-ACEC Research Institute-DBIA Partnership)

The Charles Pankow Foundation (CPF) in partnership with the ACEC Research Institute and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) are pleased to announce the award of RGA #02-24, A Guide to Equitable Risk Allocation in Design-Build Projects (A Pankow-ACEC Research Institute-DBIA Partnership), to the University of Colorado Boulder. The Primary Investigators will be Dr. Keith Molenaar, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Dr. Ameilia Celoza, Assistant Professor of Construction Engineering and Management in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Read more


RESEARCH GRANT: Improving the Safety of Rebar Cages using Innovative Connectors Phase 2: Failure Prevention of Below and Above Ground Rebar Cages (RGA #01-24)

The Charles Pankow Foundation (CPF) along with several Industry Partners is pleased to announce the award of a new research grant to the University of Nevada Reno (UNR) to continue investigation for improving safety while working with rebar cages. The Principal Investigator will be Hamed Ebrahimian, Ph.D., P.E., along with Ahmad M. Itani, Ph.D., S.E, of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNR. Read more