Diesel generators are being used as a source of electricity in different parts of the world. Because of the significant expense in diesels cost and the requirement for a greener domain, such electric generating systems appear not to be efficient and environmentally friendly and should be tended to. This paper explores the attainability of utilizing a sustainable power source based on a cross-breed electric system in the cement factory in Salalah, Oman. The HOMER software that breaks down the system setup was utilized to examine the application and functional limitations of each hybridized plan. The result showed that a renewable-energy (RE)-based system has a lower cost of energy (COE) and net present cost (NPC) compared to diesel generator-based hybrid electric and standalone systems. Although the two pure renewable hybrid energy systems considered in this study displayed evidence of no emissions, lower NPC and COE values are observed in the photovoltaic/battery (PV/B) hybrid energy system compared with photovoltaic/wind turbine/battery (PV/WT/B). The PV/WT/B and PV/B systems have higher electricity production and low NPC and COE values. Moreover, the PV/B has the highest return on investment (ROI) and internal rate of return (IRR), making the system the most economically viable and adjudged to be a better candidate for rural community electrification demands.

A series of field trials with pipefitters in North America was conducted to explore how their spatial cognition influenced their performance on a scale model assembly task. Participants were provided one of three information formats, traditional, two-dimensional (2D) isometric drawings, 2D isometric drawings supplemented with a 2D visual rendering of a three-dimensional (3D) image of the assembly, and 2D isometric drawings supplemented with a 3D physical model of the assembly. Card rotation and cube comparison tests were administered to measure spatial cognition. This paper’s primary contribution centers around the discovery that individual spatial cognition significantly influenced the pipefitter’s performance, but the format of information can neutralize the effect. Both the information format and spatial cognition significantly influenced performance. When only 2D information was provided, participants with relatively low spatial cognition performed significantly worse than participants with re...

Individuals vary widely in their ability to translate complex spatial information into performing physical tasks. Much of the variability can be explained by their experience in using different information formats and differences in individual spatial cognition. Traditional delivery of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) designs rely on two-dimensional isometric drawings. Advancements in three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD), augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D printing have provided new format options for delivering engineering information; however, providing them to crafts for use at the construction workface remains relatively rare. The objective of this research is to understand how eye-gaze patterns of construction craft workers is influenced by information formats and spatial cognition when building a complex spatial task. A series of field trials with MEP workers was conducted to examine the influence of information format and spatial cognition on their eye-gaze patterns in building a scale-model pipe assembly. Participants were provided eye-tracking glasses along with one of three information formats: two-dimensional (2D) isometric drawings, 2D isometric drawings supplemented with a 3D image of the assembly, and 2D isometric drawings supplemented with a 3D physical model of the assembly. Card rotation and cube comparison tests were administered to measure spatial cognition. The results of this paper reveal that the information format and spatial cognition significantly influenced workers’ eye-gaze patterns; there are different gaze patterns for different information formats, and these differences in gaze patterns were associated with differences in spatial cognition abilities. Additionally, the improvement in performance when using different engineering information formats is associated with different eye-gaze patterns.

Past studies have used eye-tracking glasses to analyze people’s perception of visual stimuli, usually regarding wayfinding, safety, or visual appeal. Some industries, such as the automotive industry, studied the effects of visual stimuli on task completion. However, the architecture and construction industries have mainly conducted eye-tracking experiments with surveys or search tasks instead of performing a task. This paper uses eye-tracking glasses to analyze people’s perception of visual stimuli while completing tangible tasks that simulate real-world applications. This research studies how people look at visual stimuli that influence their ability to interpret drawings with varying degrees of complexity, assess task completion performance, and inspect how people search for information. Twenty pipefitters wore eye-tracking glasses to record their eye movement patterns while completing a model pipe spool assembly. The eye-tracking glasses and Visual Eyes software measured visit metrics, fixations, fixation durations, convex hull coverage, assembly time, rework, and errors. Unlike previous studies, convex hull areas are calculated and used to measure search efficiency. This research found that people interacted more frequently with more complex visual stimuli but did not necessarily require more time to complete a task. People with lower search efficiency visited the drawings more frequently than people with higher search efficiency. People with higher search efficiency made fewer mistakes, redid less work, and completed tasks quicker than those with lower search efficiency. Search efficiency was found to be a good predictor of task performance.

Productivity of craft workers in construction projects can be negatively impacted by ineffective communication of the project’s design and information. Traditional delivery of mechanical, electrical, and piping (MEP) designs rely on two-dimensional isometric drawings. Developments in three-dimensional (3D) computer aided design (CAD) and 3D printing have provided new format options for delivering engineering information, however providing them to crafts for use at the construction workface remains relatively rare. The objective of this research is to understand how eye gaze patterns of construction craft workers are influenced by information formats when completing complex spatial tasks. A series of field trials with MEP workers was conducted to examine the influence of information format on their eye gaze patterns in completing a scale model task assembly. Participants were provided eye tracking glasses with one of three information formats: traditional, two-dimensional (2D) isometric drawings; 2D isometric drawings supplemented with a three-dimensional (3D) image of the assembly; and 2D isometric drawings supplemented with a 3D physical model of the assembly. Eye gaze patterns were examined to understand if performance can be improved by alternative formats of information displays and/or training.