Awad S. Hanna

Dr. Awad S. Hanna is a professor and chair of construction engineering and management program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Hanna holds M. S. and Ph.D. degrees from Penn State University and he is a register professional engineer in the U S and Canada. Awad has been an active construction practitioner, educator and researcher for over 30 years including 10 years as a design engineer and project manager. He has taught construction management courses at Penn State University, Memorial University in Canada, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Hanna is arguably today’s leading active North American researcher working in the area of construction craft productivity. This is highlighted in many ways:

• He has been active in industry-funded productivity research for nearly 20 years, with such renowned research sponsors as the Electrical Contracting Foundation, the Mechanical Contracting Foundation, the New Horizon Foundation, and the Construction Industry Institute, among others.

• He has authored over 100 refereed journal articles on construction-related topics with special emphasis on labor productivity, construction methods, cumulative impact of change orders, construction risk management and knowledge-based systems.

• He has authored 15 major productivity-related books for the Construction Industry Institute, Electrical Contracting Foundation, Inc., the National Electrical Contractor Association, Mechanical Contracting Foundation, and the New Horizon Foundation. These have addressed such topics as the effects of absenteeism and turnover on labor productivity, the impact of change orders on labor efficiency, manpower loading, optimal project peak workforce, optimal project duration, the effect of multi-story construction on productivity, the effect of temperature on productivity, and factors affecting labor productivity for electrical contractors.

• He is the author of both the National Electrical Contractors Association’s course on Construction Labor Productivity Improvement and the Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation’s course on Improving Labor Productivity. As such, he has presented over 1000 one-day seminars and instructed more than 20,000 people in the U.S. and Canadian construction industry on how to improve construction labor productivity and site performance through proper pre-construction planning. His audiences have included NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association), MCAA (Mechanical Contractors Association of America), Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation, Electrical Contractors Association of Canada, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractor’s National Association, and National Association of Boilermaker Construction Employees (NACBE).

• Dr. Hanna has served as consultant and/or expert witness on many major national claims cases that involved craft productivity evaluation, including such projects as the Massachusetts Central Artery “The Big Dig” and the New England Patriots Stadium.

• Dr. Hanna was the recipient of the Construction Industry Institute’s 2006 Outstanding Researcher Award and was selected by a jury of internationally known experts as the winner of the Canadian Construction Research Board’s 1990 international competition for the “Best Innovative Ideas in Construction”. In 2009, Dr. Hanna was elected as a Fellow for American Society for Civil Engineers. This honor is given to only 2% of ASCE members. Most recently, Dr. Hanna was selected by he American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Institute Board of Directors to receive its 2010 Construction Management Award for his significant contributions as an educator and researcher in the construction industry.