2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Prevention Through Design (PtD): Addressing Engineers' Knowledge Gaps

Presented at Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL) Technical Session - Professional Practice 2

Prevention Through Design (PtD) is an approach that systematically identifies and mitigates potential hazards and risks during construction projects' design and planning phases. The goal is to eliminate or minimize safety and health risks of field workers, which is particularly important in the construction industry. However, the implementation of PtD in the construction industry faces several challenges that hinder its widespread adoption. This paper aims to better understand the key factors negatively influencing civil engineers' ability to utilize PtD. The research team, therefore, conducted a survey aimed at gathering insights from engineering practitioners regarding the factors that might impede its utilization and the role of engineers in its implementation. The findings indicate that various factors contribute to the challenge, such as the absence of PtD educational materials in civil engineering programs and the limited awareness of PtD among professionals and faculty members. The limited educational materials and awareness may also contribute to the hesitation and create uncertainty among construction project stakeholders, including civil engineers, about the PtD process and how to utilize it.

Authors

Dr. Ahmed Jalil Al-Bayati http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-0244-0638 Lawrence Technological University [biography]

Dr. Al-Bayati is the founding director of the Construction Safety Research Center (CSRC) and an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering. Before joining LTU, Dr. Al-Bayati was an assistant professor at the Kimmel School of Construction Management at Western Carolina University.

He earned his Ph.D. in Construction Engineering from Western Michigan University in 2017. He also received a master’s degree in construction management from East Carolina University in 2013 and a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Babylon University in 2003.

He conducts research on construction safety, including safety culture and incident investigation, as well as underground utility management, to optimize the construction process and reduce occupational injuries and utility strikes. He utilizes various methods for collecting, analyzing, and mining both qualitative and quantitative data. He specializes in using surveys to extract information from the target population, providing a better understanding of the research topic and improving the overall process.

The research findings of Dr. Al-Bayati have been featured in various reputable publications, including the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, ASCE's Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction, National Safety Council's (NSC) Journal of Safety Research, and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Professional Safety Journal. He has authored or co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings. He has spoken at national and regional conferences across the country.
Dr. Elin Jensen http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4900-3536 Lawrence Technological University [biography]

Dr. Elin Jensen is associate professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Lawrence Technological University (LTU). She has extensive analytical and experimental research experience in the area of performance of materials used in building and infrastructure applications.

The earned M.Sc. in Civil Engineering degree from Aalborg University, Denmark, entitles degree holder to practice in the European Union. The use of the earned academic title “Civilingeniør” is restricted to holders of diplomas from the relevant Danish schools or equivalent schools.
Karim Bazzi

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