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Experimental Evaluation Of Beneficial Use Of Lake Michigan Dredged Materials In Flyash Based Geopolymer Concrete, Sara Dashti

Theses and Dissertations

Dredging harbors and rivers are necessary to maintain the appropriate water depth for navigation. However the disposal facilities for storing dredged materials around the U.S. Great Lakes are at or near their capacities and finding beneficial uses for these materials is a major concern. On the other hand, carbon emission and global warming have become the greatest environmental issues during the last decade. Cement manufacturing is a major contributor to CO2 release into the atmosphere. The objective of this study was to develop a low-cost, environment-friendly geopolymer concrete paste with dredged materials as a substantial mix ingredient. Geopolymer concrete does …

Monitoring And Modeling The Hydrological Performance Of Extensive Green Roof Systems, Joseph Seidl

Theses and Dissertations

Urban stormwater runoff causes many problems for watersheds located within large metropolitan areas, including such detrimental effects as flooding, erosion, pollution, and the increased risk of combined sewerage overflows. Increased amounts of impervious areas resulting from urban sprawl have also been shown to escalate stormwater flows, which exacerbates water management issues in these metropolitan areas. Water resource engineers have progressively turned toward green infrastructure to solve stormwater problems, and green roof systems represent one type of this green infrastructure. As of current, however, green roof systems are largely underused in as an effective stormwater management tool.

The major factor limiting …

Hydrodynamic Modeling Of The Green Bay Of Lake Michigan Using The Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code, Paula Estefania Cedillo

Theses and Dissertations

In this project we created a hydrodynamic model of the Lower Green Bay of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, United States using the Visual Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). The model includes four tributary rivers to Lower Green Bay as well as the open boundary flow conditions at Chambers Island. This case study is used to: 1) compare the results obtained with a previous study of Lower Green Bay to validate the creation of the model 2) examine the hydrodynamics of the bay, and 3) create a framework for future studies at Lower Green Bay. The Geographic Information used to build …

Indicator Bacteria In Beach Environments, Brett Bevers

Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial presence in the environment has become a growing concern in recent years. The exposure of the public to elevated levels of microbes in the environment has been linked with respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. It is important to understand the behavior of bacteria in the environment in order to address public health concerns. This project was intended to improve our understanding of bacteria in the environment that are used as indicators for fecal pollution. Using the standard indicator species E. coli and Enterococci data was collected at Bradford Beach in Milwaukee Wisconsin throughout the summer months of 2013 and 2014. …

The Optimization Of Concrete Mixtures For Use In Highway Applications, Mohamadreza Moini

Theses and Dissertations

Portland cement concrete is most used commodity in the world after water. Major part of civil and transportation infrastructure including bridges, roadway pavements, dams, and buildings is made of concrete. In addition to this, concrete durability is often of major concerns. In 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimated that an annual investment of $170 billion on roads and $20.5 billion for bridges is needed on an annual basis to substantially improve the condition of infrastructure. Same article reports that one-third of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition [1]. However, portland cement production is recognized with …

Reliability Of Bridge Superstructures In Wisconsin, Azam Nabizadehdarabi

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

RELIABILITY OF BRIDGE SUPERSTRUCTURES IN WISCONSIN

by

Azam Nabizadehdarabi

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2015

Under the Supervision of Professor Habib Tabatabai

Bridge reliability analyses form the basis of modern bridge design provisions. Such analyses are also used to evaluate bridge condition and assess future maintenance needs. The majority of these reliability assessments are based on evaluating risks associated with the various load effects exceeding their corresponding resistance. However, bridge components such as decks and superstructures typically do not reach the end of their service lives by exceeding the strength limit states (structural failure). Survival analyses, which are commonly used …

Dynamic Moving Load Identification Using Optimal Sensor Placement And Model Reduction, Paul Augustine

Theses and Dissertations

A structure in service can be subjected to static, dynamic or moving loads. Several situations in practice involve estimation of moving loads which induce vibrations in the structure on which they are applied. An accurate estimation of these loads will ensure product quality and reliability of the final design, and mitigate the cost of structural health monitoring systems. The moving nature of dynamic loads increases the computational difficulty of the problem. One of the types of Inverse Problems involves estimation of the applied load from measured structural response such as strain or accelerations.

Measuring response at a limited number of …

Work Zone Illumination Design: Guidance Stratgies To Specify Appropriatework Zone Lighting Plan, Sherine Anani

Theses and Dissertations

Night construction is frequently used because it can better satisfy the primary traffic control objectives than daytime work. If night construction is used, the design of illumination plans should be analyzed and developed as part of the project development process.

There are fewer crews out working on the road in the winter, partly because of the conditions but also because the days are shorter and there’s not a lot of light by which to work.

In fact, the days can get short enough, especially as you go farther north, that even a normal day involves some “night work.” Construction work …

Experimental Evaluation Of The Effect Of Coal Combustion Products On Constructability, Damage And Aging Resistance Of Asphalt Mastics, Emil Garibaldy Bautista

Theses and Dissertations

Developing a cost-efficient and long-term road infrastructure requires innovative approaches that are both green and environmentally sustainable. Today, building a sustainable, long-lasting, and efficient road infrastructure with little or no repairs is a challenging task and highly innovative technological breakthroughs are urgently needed. For many years fly ash has been effectively used as a partial replacement of portland cement in the production of different types of concrete, as well as in embankments and soil stabilization. On the other hand, the use of Coal Combustion Products (CCPs), including fly ash, as a mineral filler in asphalt pavements has been very limited. …

The Design Of High Performance And Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites With Nano Materials, Scott W. Muzenski

Theses and Dissertations

The use of high performance and ultra-high performance cementitious composites (HPC/UHPC) in critical elements of infrastructure can be a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete. These materials provide superior durability, reducing the need for maintenance and early replacement. The use of special cements and nano-materials improve the strength and durability of HPC/UHPC composites by providing a denser microstructure. The addition of high performance fibers enhances the ductility and restricts the crack size, reducing water penetration in cracked material. In HPC, the addition of superhydrophobic admixtures further reduces water permeability and thus provides superior durability and freeze-thaw resistance by producing a preferred …

Sustainable Decolorization Of Reactive And Acid Dye Wastewater Using Photo-Fenton Oxidation Both With And Without Biodegradation: Laboratory And Field Studies, Marissa R. Jablonski

Theses and Dissertations

Photo-Fenton oxidation is an advanced oxidation process (AOP) used to degrade low-concentration textile dye wastewater using expensive chemicals. The technique has shown promise in laboratory-scale projects, but has not been scaled up sustainably to function for industry. Aerobic biodegradation is a common biological treatment method used in large-scale textile industrial applications that generates large amounts of hazardous biological waste. This waste is often left open to the elements and subsequently leaches into natural waterways or onto land. This is the first study of its kind to combine the two to treat cottage-scale industry-grade textile wastewater with a dye concentration of …

Economic Observations Using Origin And Destination Estimation Through Observed Traffic Counts, Joshua William Depies

Theses and Dissertations

A relationship exists between the economy and the amount of traffic that is observed on

the nation’s roadways. Traffic patterns generally peak during times of economic

prosperity when people are spending more money and new homes and businesses are

being built. On the other hand, as the economy starts becoming more stagnant, people

travel less while home sales decrease and businesses close as fewer patrons shop.

What this thesis attempts to accomplish is to see if an Origin and Destination Estimation

technique is sensitive enough to pick up these economic trends of a region by using

traffic counts.

Two sets …

Applications Of Microbial Desalination And Photocatalytic Disinfection For The Removal Of Contaminants In Drinking Water, Kristen Shirlee-Ann Brastad

Theses and Dissertations

Trends in drinking water treatment in recent years have been moving toward the use of membrane separation in order to reduce contaminants in water. There are many forms of membrane separation technology such as ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and extruded ion exchange membranes. These membranes have many different applications and may be used to remove many materials from water such as salts, viruses and bacteria, selectively remove cations or anions, or remove organics.

Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) are an emerging concept which use bioelectric potential produced from organics via microbial metabolism to accomplish desalination. MDCs consist of three compartments, …