Dr. Amit Bandyopadhyay, an FSC Civil Engineering Technology professor and Director of the Graduate Program, has been named to a National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project Panel, which is researching ways to incorporate more elements into a value engineering (VE) analysis process.
The VE analysis process involves in part reviewing a project to optimize its purpose, examine procedures, and suggest the most efficient way of doing the work.
Bandyopadhyay, who also is a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and Director of the Green Building Institute, was invited to serve as the academic representative on the panel. NCHRP panels usually include eight members: six from state departments of transportation from the four American Association of State Highway and Transportation (AASHTO) regions, one consultant or contractor, and one member of the academic community.
The goal of the research is to develop guidelines for the inclusion of rights-of-way and utilities in VE studies. “After plans are drawn up, problems with rights-of-way and utilities often lead to costly delays,” Bandyopadhyay said. “This is very much in my field.” The project is expected to last for two years.
Bandyopadhyay has served on several panels since 2015.