Welcome

The Gambatese Research Group uses its knowledge and experience in construction engineering and management to investigate a broad range of topics related to construction safety, sustainability, innovation, systems, and structures. The group comprises researchers in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE), and is led by John Gambatese, PhD, PE(CA).

Explore, understand, create, and share

Working collaboratively with funding agencies and industry and academic partners, the research group aims to advance construction science and the state of practice in the field of construction engineering and management. Topics investigated include:

• Construction worker safety and health (PtD)
• Prevention through design (PtD)
• Work zone design and safety
• Constructability
• Sustainability
• Temporary construction structures
• Construction innovation and technologies
• Design/construction systems
• Risk and reward
• Lean design and construction
• Industrialization of the construction process

Recent News and Activities

Participate in a research study: The Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI) is sponsoring a reseasrch study titled: "Best Safety Practices Based on the Nature and Stresses of Small Construction Businesses." The study aims to identify and develop best safety practices for small residential construction firms. The study is being conducted by Dr. Vineeth Dharmapalan at the Universityof Hawai'i at Manoa and Dr. John Gambatese at Oregon State University. More information about the study is available at: Job-Site Safety Institute Recent News.

Work zone safety: Have you recently witnessed an intrusion into a construction work zone? If so, we want to hear about it. OSU and TTI/TAMU are conducting a national research study sponsored by NCHRP to develop models to predict the likelihood of an intrusion into a work zone. Part of the study includes documenting details about intrusions. If you have witnessed an intrusion, please take a few minutes to report the details about the intrusion using the following online form: Work Zone Intrusion Report Form.

Safety Excellence Techniques (SETs): The Construction Industry Institute (CII) recently completed a comprehensive study of safety best practices led by OSU, TAMU, and UH-Manoa. The study identified 16 safety excellence techniques (SETs) for implementation on construction projects. A video presentation and slides describing the research are available on the CII website: RT-412: Achieving Safety Excellence in Construction.

Join the OSU CSRP - Interested in improving construction safety through focused research? Join the OSU Construction Safety Research Partnership (CSRP). New members are welcome: Construction Safety Research Partnership (CSRP)

Recent Journal and Conference Papers Published

Alotaibi, A., Gambatese, J., Lee, W.-H., and Tymvios, N. (2025). “An exploratory evaluation of impact of task characteristics on mental workload and safety using multi-approach methods in laboratory environment.” Safety Science, Elsevier, 191, DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2025.106964.

Esmail, A., Gambatese, J., and Alotaibi, A. (2025). “Evaluating Safety Engagements and Near-Miss Incidents in Construction: An Ethnographic Case Study.” Proceedings of the ISARC-CSCE/CRC-MOC 2025, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, July 28-31, 2025.

Abdallah, A., Ibrahim, A., Russell-Vernon, C., Nnaji, C., Gambatese, J., and Shober, J. (2024). “Advancing Safety in Short-term Utility Work Zones: Assessing the Role of Work Zone Intrusion Alert Technologies (WZIATs).” Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Elsevier, 26, DOI: 10.1016/j.trip.2024.101133.

Jin, Z., Gambatese, J., and Nnaji, C. (2024). "Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Assessment in Modern Ready-Made Concrete Formwork Construction." Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (JCEM), ASCE, 150(6), DOI: 10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-14532.

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Recent Reports and Other Publications

Articles: Gambatese, J.A., Louis, J., and Nnaji, C. (2025). "Mitigating Work-Zone Intrusion Risks." TR News, Transportation Research Board (TRB), 352, pp. 3-7, Jan.-March 2025.

Research report: "Integrating High Energy Control Assessments (HECA) and Safety by Design (SbD) to Enhance Workplace Safety." Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Technical Update, 3002029631, Dec. 16, 2024.

Research report: "Best Practices for Work Zone Safety during Traffic Control Placement, Removal, and Modification – Phase II." Final Report (Phase II), SPR 839, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Feb. 2024.

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Upcoming Events

Safety Lab Tour: Participate in a tour of the new construction safety lab on the OSU campus. The lab contains a motion capture system and heavy equipment simulator for studying construction safety. (Tour date to be determined.)

Additional Information

CCE Safety research (video): Safety in Civil and Construction Engineering at OSU

Gambatese Research Group on ResearchGate