Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

The Long-Term Performance Of Concrete Crack And Deck Surface Sealers, Emily A. Byl

Open Access Theses

Concrete bridge decks in the State of Indiana are undergoing continuous deterioration and loss of service life due to the use of deicing salts during winter weather conditions. As salt water penetrates the deck through cracks and the concrete surface, chlorides, water and oxygen are able to access the reinforcement to initiate corrosion. The corrosion of reinforcing steel over time creates an ongoing need for costly deck repairs and/or deck replacement. This study investigates the performance of crack sealers and deck surface sealers as a potentially cost-effective method of increasing bridge deck service life. An experimental program was developed and …

Laboratory Characterization Of Ohio Gold Frac Sand, Maria Gabriela Alvarado Calle

Open Access Theses

The mechanical response of sand depends on state variables (such as density, stress state and fabric) and intrinsic variables (such as particle size distribution and particle shape). The mechanical response of sand is also a function of sand crushability. Recent research studying the cone penetration process in a unique digital image correlation (DIC) chamber is underway at Purdue University. The test sand is Ohio Gold Frac sand, which meets criteria regarding particle size and gradation related to elimination of chamber boundary and scale effects.

The mechanical behavior of this sand can be simulated by a suitable constitutive model, such as …

Mapping And Analyzing Energy Use And Efficiency In A Modified Hydroponic Shipping Container, Rachel E. Sparks

Open Access Theses

In urban centers today, vertical farming is becoming a popular alternative to conventional agriculture in an effort to increase local food production and improve urban food security by growing crops using hydroponic methods in controlled environment spaces. More specifically, one vertical method involves growing crops inside refurbished shipping containers, or a “farm-in-a-box” concept, which offers a flexible, mobile, and scalable means of year-round food production in a variety of climates. Despite benefits of producing food locally, some of the concerns associated with these vertical farming systems include high energy consumption from climate control and electric lighting systems as well as …

Role Of River Bathymetry In Hydraulic Modeling Of River Channels, Sayan Dey

Open Access Theses

Accurate geometric representation of the river channel is required for accurate hydraulic modeling of rivers. These are generally obtained through remote sensing techniques such as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). However, these techniques lack the ability to model the submerged channel bed effectively and need to be complemented with surveyed bathymetric data for complete representation of the channel bathymetry, which can be time and cost prohibitive. An alternative to address this issue is to develop conceptual models that can estimate bathymetry.

This study aims to evaluate the potential of a conceptual model, the River Channel Morphology Model (RCMM) which estimates …

Roundabout Maintenance Flipbook, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Publications

This flipbook is a summary of the work published in the Roundabout Maintenance Manual by Indiana LTAP. This information was collected through a series of interviews with city engineers, public works directors, and street commissioners experienced in roundabout maintenance. It serves as a model to guide work crews in correct maintenance procedures.

Roundabout Maintenance Manual, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Publications

This maintenance manual serves as an additional resource for communities who have imple­mented roundabouts or are considering them. There are a few other published guides, such as the NCHRP Report 672, Roundabouts: An Informational Guide, and the Wisconsin DOT Facilities Develop­ment Manual. However, the information covered in these guides is very broad. This manual provides specific information regarding roundabout maintenance.

Laboratory And Full Boom-Based Investigation Of Nozzle Setup And Restriction Effects On Flow, Pressure And Spray Pattern Distribution, Shane H. Forney

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pesticide application is an integral part of crop production and ground-based agricultural boom sprayers are used extensively to apply pesticides to the crop canopy or soil surface across millions of acres in the United States. Efficient application is necessary to minimize costs and limit adverse environmental impacts. Errors in flow rate and system pressure measurements may cause as-applied maps to incorrectly indicate application rates and could negatively affect downstream data processing or analysis. The goals of this study were to provide quantified measurements on the effects of nozzle setup errors on spray pattern uniformity and evaluate how laboratory patternator data …

Visualizations Of Travel Time Performance Based On Vehicle Re-Identification Data, Stanley E. Young, Elham Sharifi, Christopher M. Day, Darcy M. Bullock

Lyles School of Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper provides a visual reference of the breadth of arterial performance phenomena based on travel time measures obtained from reidentification technology that has proliferated in the past 5 years. These graphical performance measures are revealed through overlay charts and statistical distribution as revealed through cumulative frequency diagrams (CFDs). With overlays of vehicle travel times from multiple days, dominant traffic patterns over a 24-h period are reinforced and reveal the traffic behavior induced primarily by the operation of traffic control at signalized intersections. A cumulative distribution function in the statistical literature provides a method for comparing traffic patterns from various …

Influence Of Stormwater Control Measures On Watershed Hydrology And Biogeochemical Cycling, Colin D. Bell

Open Access Dissertations

Urban development replaces vegetation with impervious surfaces and natural drainage channels with pipe networks that quicken flow paths and alter hydrologic regimes. Additionally, the import of food, application of fertilizer to lawns and gardens, and heightened atmospheric deposition increases nutrient availability in urban landscapes. These excess nutrients are ultimately routed to streams through the pipe networks before it can be processed by the vegetation and microorganisms of the landscape. This combination of physical and chemical disturbances impacts stream ecosystems and degrades their ability to perform valuable services such as removal of nutrients, degradation of pollutants, and provision of recreational and …

Improving The Laboratory Design Of Asphalt Mixtures To Enhance Asphalt Pavement Durability, Ali Hekmatfar

Open Access Dissertations

Most departments of transportation, including Indiana’s, currently use the Superpave mixture design method to design asphalt mixtures. This method specifies that the optimum asphalt content for a given gradation be selected at 4 percent air voids. During construction, these mixtures are typically compacted to 7-8 percent air voids. If mixtures were designed to be more compactable in the field they could be compacted to the same density as the laboratory mixture design, which would increase pavement durability by decreasing the in-place air voids. The objective of this research was to enhance the asphalt mixture design method in order to increase …

Response Of High-Strength Steel Reinforced Concrete Structures To Simulated Earthquakes, Lucas Laughery

Open Access Dissertations

In reinforced concrete (RC) structures expected to resist earthquake demands, substituting smaller amounts of high-strength steel for conventional steel reinforcement can help reduce reinforcement congestion and placement costs while keeping strength unchanged.

Provided cross-sectional dimensions remain unchanged, reducing the amount of longitudinal steel in a member will result in a member with similar initial stiffness but lower post-cracking stiffness. Nominal strength can be kept nearly the same if this reduction in the amount of steel is accompanied by a corresponding increase in the strength of the steel. The topic of this investigation is whether two frames with the same initial …

Modeling Of Frame Structures Undergoing Large Deformations And Large Rotations, Hui Liu

Open Access Dissertations

Numerical simulation of large-scale problems in structural dynamics, such as structures subject to extreme loads, can provide useful insights into structural behavior while minimizing the need for expensive experimental testing for the same. These types of problems are highly non-linear and usually involve material damage, large deformations and sometimes even collapse of structures. Conventionally, frame structures have been modeled using beam-frame finite elements in almost all structural analysis software currently being used by researchers and the industry. However, there are certain limitations associated with this modeling approach. This research focuses on two issues, in particular, of modeling frame structures undergoing …

Modeling, Control, And Impact Analysis Of The Next Generation Transportation System, Feng Zhu

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation aims to develop a systematic tool designated for connected and autonomous vehicles, integrating the simulation of traffic dynamics, traffic control strategies, and impact analysis at the network level.

The first part of the dissertation is devoted to the traffic flow modeling of connected vehicles. This task is the foundation step for transportation planning, optimized network design, efficient traffic control strategies, etc, of the next generation transportation system. Chapter 2 proposes a cell-based simulation approach to model the proactive driving behavior of connected vehicles. Firstly, a state variable of connected vehicle is introduced to track the trajectory of connected …

Stochastic Modeling And Dem Simulation Of Granular Media Subsidence Due To Underground Activity, Rodrigo Borela Valente

Open Access Theses

Many communities around the world have been established in areas of ongoing, as well as ceased, underground mining activity. Ground movements induced by ore extraction methods and the collapse of abandoned cavities have long been recognized as a hazard to surface structures. A number of approaches have been proposed for the prediction of subsidence in underground mining regions, and their integration to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can produce a powerful risk management tool. Nevertheless, this application is often limited by either a lack of generality or excessive computational cost of the methods available.

In this work, the stochastic subsidence model …

Laboratory Characterization Of #2q-Rok Sand, Wilson Fernando Espinoza Chavez

Open Access Theses

A series of laboratory tests were performed in a sand commercially known as #2Q-ROK to determine its response to loading. #2Q-ROK is a poorly-graded, clean silica sand composed of 99% of quartz (SiO2). Its specific gravity is 2.65 and its maximum and minimum void ratios are 1.03 and 0.7, respectively. In the absence of crushing, the #2Q-ROK sand direct shear critical-state friction angle is 32.8° and the ring shear critical-state friction angle is 29.6°.

One-dimensional compression tests were performed on samples compressed to a normal stress of 24,851.36kPa for time periods ranging from 4 hours to 11 days. The maximum …

Torsional Strengthening Of Reinforced Concrete Beams Using Cfrp Composites, Ranj Rafeeq

Dissertations and Theses

Few decades ago, there were no guidelines for torsion design of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Hence, many existing beams in older buildings have a lack of adequate torsional strength since they were not properly designed for torsion. One way to regain/rehabilitate adequate torsional strength is through application of externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP). To date, American Concrete Institute (ACI) code, as well as other building codes, do not have recommendations or provisions for strengthening RC beams for torsion using fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites due to the inexistence of conclusive experimental and analytical data. Of the very limited works …

Utilizing Egocentric Video And Sensors To Conduct Naturalistic Bicycling Studies, Feng Liu, Miguel A. Figliozzi

TREC Final Reports

Existing data collection methods are mostly designed for videos captured by stationary cameras and are not designed to follow cyclists along a route or to integrate other sensor data. The goals of this research are: a) to develop a platform to collect naturalistic video bicycling data, b) to develop a methodology to integrate video data with other sensors that measure cyclists’ position and comfort levels, and c) to apply the platform and data collection methodology to a real-world route. This research effort has successfully integrated video and sensor data to describe cyclists’ comfort levels along a route. It was found …

Long-Term Health Risk Of Climate Change Associated Surface Pm2.5 Concentration Variation: Multiple Accmip Model Data Under Different Emission Scenarios (Rcp26, 45, 60, 85) And Population Scenarios (Ssp1, Ssp2, Ssp3), Xiufen Zhu

Masters Theses

In this study, multiple models from Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP) are utilized to derive the global burden of disease of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer (LNC), and lower respiratory infection (LRI) derived from surface PM_2.5 elevation. Various Representative Concentration Pathways and Shared Socio-economic Pathways scenarios are compared as well as various models to deduct the impact from various scenarios. The time series variation and seasonal variation are also illustrated in this study. Multi-model ensemble was conducted to reduce the deviation in model projection output.

Projection shows increase in the population normalized relative risk …

Modelling Of Dreissenid Mussel Impacts On Lake Michigan, Chunqi Shen

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive dreissenid mussel appear to have profoundly altered Great Lakes food webs and nutrient cycles during the past several decades. Recent declines of phytoplankton were supposed to be highly related with the increase of mussel population. These phytoplankton declines were further found to be coincident with declines in the abundance of planktivorous fish. In addition, the resurgence of Cladophora in Great lakes was estimated to be associated with the high density colonization of mussels. More light is available at lake bottom due to the mussels’ graze effect. The mussels further promote Cladophora growth by fertilizing it with nutrient-rich excrement. And …

Bridge Deck Research At The University Of Tennessee: A Summary Thesis, Lindsey Brooke Phelps

Masters Theses

Currently, there has been no compilation of all the research the University of Tennessee has completed on chloride ion penetration in concrete bridge decks. The following thesis is a brief summary of the work that has been completed under Dr. Edwin Burdette’s direction over the last six years along with some additional literature review. The testing consisted of Surface Resistivity and Rapid Chloride Ion Penetration testing. This testing showed that there is, in fact a correlation between the two test methods, though SR testing is much easier to conduct. Considerable testing was completed on bridge decks throughout the state of …