Digital Commons Network^™

Passive Earth Pressures On A Pile Cap With A Dense Sand Backfill, Robert Ashall Marsh

Theses and Dissertations

Pile groups are often used to provide support for structures. Capping a pile group further adds to the system's resistance due to the passive earth pressure from surrounding backfill. While ultimate passive earth pressure under static loading conditions can be readily calculated using several different theories, the effects of cyclic and dynamic loading on the passive earth pressure response are less understood. Data derived from the full-scale testing of a pile cap system with a densely compacted sand backfill under static, cyclic, and dynamic loadings was analyzed with particular focus on soil pressures measured directly using pressure plates. Based on …

Estudio De Las Ventajas Del Reciclado In Situ En Caliente De Pavimentos Flexibles, Juan Carlos Sanchez Angel

Ingeniería Civil

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Flowable Fill On The Lateral Resistance Of Driven-Pile Foundations, Dustin David Miner

Theses and Dissertations

Flowable fill was used to strengthen the soft soil surrounding piles and behind the pile cap. The flowable fill placed beneath the pile cap surrounding the piles showed no appreciable increase in lateral resistance, this was partially due to the fact that the flowable fill placed had an unconfined compressive strength of 30 psi. Flowable fill was also used to replace a 12 ft wide, 6 ft thick, and 6 ft deep zone consisting of an average 475 psf clay that was adjacent to a 9-pile group in 3x3 pile configuration capped with a 9 ft x 9 ft x …

Experimental And Theoretical Investigation Of Adsorption Of Water Vapor On Carbon Nanotubes, Pyoungchung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations

The adsorption of water in nanoporous materials becomes an important issue in the environmental fate and applications when one considers the practical use of these materials as adsorbents for hazardous organic compounds in the diverse environments.

In this study, the complexity of water-SWNTs interaction was investigated by morphological and chemical characterization techniques, by gravimetric adsorption measurement and by interpretation of experimental adsorption isotherms by fitting to several existing semi-empirical water adsorption models. Commercially available SWNTs samples were measured for chemical and physical characterization such as O% by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, I_D/I_G by Raman spectroscopy and surface and …

Structural Health Monitoring And Damage Evaluation Of Full-Scale Bridges Using Triaxial Geophones: Controlled In-Situ Experiments And Finite Element Modeling, William S. Ragland Ii

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various vibration-based damage detection methods using triaxial vibration records obtained using inexpensive geophones during in-situ, full-scale, damaged bridge tests.

Geophones are passive directional sensors and much cheaper than accelerometers which are typically used for structural vibration measurements. However, magnitude and phase errors associated with a geophone’s output must be corrected for if they are implemented in bridge monitoring systems. This research discusses correction procedures for magnitude and phase errors associated with geophones. A simply supported beam was analyzed to verify that the correction procedures and modal parameter identification procedures …

Development Of Dbt Bridge System With Continuous Joints For Accelerated Construction, Lungui Li

Doctoral Dissertations

Speed of construction has become a critical issue to minimize disruption of traffic and commerce. One of the promising systems for accelerated bridge construction is the use of the decked bulb-tee (DBT) girders for the bridge superstructure. An integral deck that is precast and prestressed with the girder provides benefits of rapid construction along with improved structural performance. However, the limited research and concerns about the use of longitudinal joints as well as intermediate diaphragms limit widespread of the DBT bridge system.

This dissertation presents a study of the continuous for both moment and shear transfer longitudinal joint detail and …

Material Sustainability, Jessica Meadows, Natasha Morris

Architectural Engineering

This paper addresses the sustainability of the materials used to construct buildings today. Timber, concrete and steel are analyzed for carbon output, cost, and recyclable-ability.

An Integrated Database Management System And Building Information Modeling For Sustainable Design, Sultan Althobaiti

Masters Theses

The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) with sustainable design is getting widespread since it helped architects, engineers, and contractors in achieving the sustainability goal. The present work is using green and certified products and materials to be integrated with Building Information Model (BIM) to simulate and generate a conceptual design for green and sustainable design. The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) would help achieving sustainability, which would be predictable and possible. Revit Architecture is a tool of BIM technology that can be used for building designing and modeling.

The research represents a database system for green building products …

Estado Esfuerzo-Deformación De La Estructura De Sostenimiento De Un Túnel A Partir De Un Modelo Físico, Henry Oswaldo Gómez Balceros

Ingeniería Civil

No abstract provided.

Export Of Carbon, Nutrients And Microbiological Indicators In Beaver Creek Watershed, Tennessee, Si Chen

Masters Theses

Storms are the most important events impacting stream water quality at the watershed-scale. With the goal to develop effective water resource management strategies for the impaired Beaver Creek Watershed in East Tennessee, the impacts of storm events on water quality were assessed by monitoring the intra-storm dynamics of the export of carbon, nutrients, and microbiological indicators (E. coli), which are parameters critical to water quality and ecological functions of the target watershed. The dynamics of carbon export from the Beaver Creek Watershed as represented by dissolved organic carbon revealed distinct carbon transport mechanisms as a function of storm …

Parshall Flume Staff Gauge Location And Entrance Wingwall Discharge Calibration Corrections, Bryan J. Heiner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Utah Water Research Laboratory, in conjunction with the State of Utah, initiated a study to determine the accuracy of a wide variety of flow measurement devices in Utah. The project selected 70 sites with flow measurement devices throughout the state. During the assessment each device had its physical condition and flow measurement accuracy documented.

Although a wide variety of flow measurement devices were tested, the majority were Parshall flumes. Many of the assessed Parshall flumes were not measuring flow to the specified ±5 percent design accuracy. Problems in flow measurement were due to issues with the staff gauge location …

Identifying And Comparing Key Process Attributes For Sustainable Building Delivery In India And The U.S., Prashanth Palanisamy

All Theses

India is a rapidly developing nation with the associated brisk pace of construction. More sustainable building practices for construction in India would have social, environmental, and economic benefits. However, the key process attributes for successfully planning, designing, and constructing sustainable buildings in India are largely undefined. Other projects in India would benefit from a rigorous identification of these key process attributes which could help leapfrogging the sustainable building delivery in India to the best available practices.
Sustainable buildings require different delivery processes than traditional buildings; this can lead to process wastes due to unfamiliarity or incompatibility of the processes. These …

Comparing Problem-Based Learning And Lecture As Methods To Teach Whole-Systems Design To Engineering Students, Michael Dukes

All Theses

The objective of this research is to compare problem-based learning and lecture as methods to teach whole-systems design to engineering students. A case study, Appendix A, exemplifying successful whole-systems design was developed and written by the author in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Institute. Concepts to be tested were then determined, and a questionnaire was developed to test students' preconceptions. A control group of students was taught using traditional lecture methods, and a sample group of students was taught using problem-based learning methods. After several weeks, the students were given the same questionnaire as prior to the instruction, and the …

Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (Vii) Enabled Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (Phevs) For Traffic And Energy Management, Xueying Kang

All Theses

Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) program (also known as IntelliDrive) has proven the potential to improve transportation conditions by enabling the communication between vehicles and infrastructure, which provides a wide range of applications in transportation safety and mobility. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that utilize both electrical and gasoline energy are a commercially viable technology with potential to contribute to both sustainable development and environmental conservation through increased fuel economy and reduced emissions. Considering positive potentials of PHEVs and VII in ITS, a framework that integrates PHEVs with VII technology was created in this research utilizing vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications for …

Biological Treatment To Remove Color And Toxicity Of Effluent From The Manufacturing Of Navipol Yellow Gr, Larry French

All Theses

Navipol Yellow GR is an organic solvent azo dye manufactured by Sunbelt Corp. in Rock Hill, SC. The effluent generated from the manufacturing of this dye is highly colored, toxic, and contains trace solvents consisting of mixed xylene isomers and ethyl benzene. Traditional wastewater treatment systems are unable to remove the color and toxicity from the effluent. This study investigated using a sequential anaerobic / aerobic treatment system to decrease color and toxicity of the dye effluent. The anaerobic phase used bacteria cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, or Enterobacter aerogenes to decrease the color of the dye. …

The Formation And Control Of Iodinated Trihalomethanes In Drinking Water Treatment, Darryl Jones

All Theses

Ever since toxic disinfection by-products (DBPs) were discovered in the 1970s drinking water utilities have had to continue to develop treatment strategies to reduce the acute health risk from infectious pathogens in water, and at the same time limit the formation of disinfection by-products. The recent two stage (1998, 2006) D/DBP rule enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which sets limits of 80 µg/L for trihalomethanes (THMs) and 60 µg/L for haloacetic acids (HAAs) will likely put more pressure on utilities in the future to decrease their chorine contact time and follow that with ammonia addition to form monochloramine …

Analysis Of Factors Contributing To Roadside Tree Crashes In South Carolina, Vijay Bendigeri

All Theses

The state of South Carolina has experienced a large number of fatalities and injuries resulting from run off the road tree related crashes. According to 2008 FARS data tree related fixed object fatal crashes in South Carolina (65%) are more than double that of the national (25.8%). Thus, trees are much bigger proportion of all roadside hazards in South Carolina than nationally. In order to achieve a safer roadside which is favorable to the road user, factors contributing to the tree related crashes should be critically analyzed to determine suitable safety improvements.
This research aims at qualitatively and quantitatively assessing …

Evaluation Of An Online Intelligent Transportation System (Its) Asset Management System, Tahera Anjuman

All Theses

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) enhances the performance of modern transportation systems by improving the reliability of travel times and reducing the risk of collisions and injuries. Recently, many public agencies have expressed a need for an ITS asset management system that will effectively and efficiently meet their requirements of managing associated resources, which often includes technologically sophisticated devices, computer hardware and software, and communications infrastructure. To address this need, the author evaluated different asset management systems for their potential efficacy to support public agencies requirements for an ITS asset management system. These requirements were identified through a nationwide survey of …

Stream Channel Stability And Channel Evolution In A Rapidly Urbanizing, Ridge-And-Valley Watershed, Beaver Creek, Knox County, Tennessee, Francis Bartholomew Keaney

Masters Theses

In Tennessee, sedimentation is among the leading causes of stream impairment. Excessive loads of alluvium are detrimental to the ecological health and human use of these resources. Sediments in streams have many sources, but there is evidence that stream bank erosion is a major contributing factor. Development and urbanization in a stream’s watershed will have impacts on the concentration of stream sediment because the increase in the area covered by impervious surfaces, which reduces initial abstraction and retention times. This, in turn will increase the peak storm water discharge and sediment carrying capacity. If the stream channel cannot accommodate these …

Characterizing Episodic Stream Acidification Using A Concentration-Duration-Frequency Methodology In Watersheds Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, John Leland Mauney Iii

Masters Theses

Episodic stream acidification occurs as storm events temporarily reduce acid neutralizing capacity and pH. Stream acidification is suspected to have damaging effects on the health of aquatic ecosystems and biota and is dependent on various watershed characteristics such as drainage area, elevation, slope, and surficial geology. Here, a stochastic modeling approach is applied to continuous pH data for multiple stream monitoring sites within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in order to characterize episodic acidification responses during stormflows for different streams. The approach summarizes voluminous pH data recorded by water quality sondes at 15-minute intervals into concentration-duration-frequency relationships. Unique to …

Geotechnical Site Characterization Using Multi-Channel Analysis Of Rayleigh And Love Waves, James David Lane, Jr.

Masters Theses

The Multi-Channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) is a technique in which surface waves can be analyzed to determine soil shear wave velocity profiles with depth. The shear wave velocity of soil can be used to calculate the shear modulus, which is an important geotechnical engineering parameter. Site surveys were conducted and analyzed located at a location on the flood plain of the Tennessee River. The flood plain consists of a thin layer of soil above rigid (Knox Dolomite) bedrock and exhibited strong stratification. Three different aspects of MASW data acquisition and analysis are presented in the study. The first …

Relative Performance Comparison And Loss Estimation Of Seismically Isolated And Fixed-Based Buildings Using Pbee Approach, Prayag J. Sayani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Current design codes generally use an equivalent linear approach for preliminary design of a seismic isolation system. The equivalent linear approach is based on effective parameters, rather than physical parameters of the system, and may not accurately account for the nonlinearity of the isolation system. The second chapter evaluates an alternative normalized strength characterization against the equivalent linear characterization. Following considerations for evaluation are included: (1) ability to effectively account for variations in ground motion intensity, (2) ability to effectively describe the energy dissipation capacity of the isolation system, and (3) conducive to developing design equations that can be implemented …

Quantifying Surface Water And Groundwater Interactions In A High-Gradient Mountain Stream For Solute Transport, Noah M. Schmadel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study reach in a mountain stream highly influenced by groundwater was selected to test common data collection strategies used to characterize and quantify groundwater exchange processes necessary to predict solute transport. The data types collected include: high frequency discharge estimates with the use of rating curves, dilution gauging techniques with instantaneous tracer experiments, groundwater table and stream water surface elevations, vertical head gradients, and hydraulic conductivity estimates. The first two data types were categorized as stream gauging and the remaining three data types as site characterization. The stream gauging data were used to quantify net changes in stream discharge …

Live-Load Test And Computer Modeling Of A Pre-Cast Concrete Deck, Steel Girder Bridge, And A Cast-In-Place Concrete Box Girder Bridge, Leonardo A. Pockels

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The scheduled replacement of the 8^th North Bridge, in Salt Lake City, UT, presented a unique opportunity to test a pre-cast concrete deck, steel girder bridge. A live-load test was performed under the directions of Bridge Diagnostic Inc (BDI) and Utah State University. Six different load paths were chosen to be tested. The recorded data was used to calibrate a finite-element model of this superstructure, which was created using solid, shell, and frame elements. A comparison between the measured and finite-element response was performed and it was determined that the finite-element model replicated the measured results within 3.5% of …

Factors Affecting Air Entrainment Of Hydraulic Jumps Within Closed Conduits, Joshua D. Mortensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While there has been a great deal of research on air entrainment at hydraulic jumps within closed conduits, very little of the research has specifically addressed size and temperature scale effects. Influences from jump location and changing length characteristics on air entrainment have also received little attention from past research. To determine the significance of size-scale effects of air entrained by hydraulic jumps in closed conduits, air flow measurements were taken in four different-sized circular pipe models with similar Froude numbers. Each of the pipe models sloped downward and created identical flow conditions that differed only in size. Additionally, specific …

Removal And Utilization Of Wastewater Nutrients For Algae Biomass And Biofuels, Erick W. Griffiths

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Logan City Environmental Department operates a facility that consists of 460 acres of fairly shallow lagoons (~ 5'deep) for biological wastewater treatment that meets targets for primary and secondary treatments (solids, biological oxygen demand (BOD), and pathogen removal). Significant natural algal growth occurs in these lagoons, which improves BOD removal through oxygenation and also facilitates N removal through volatilization as ammonia under high pH conditions created by algal growth. Phosphorus, however, is non-volatile and stays in the water and likely cycles in and out of algal cells as they grow and die in the lagoons. In the near future, …

Design And Performance Of Load Bearing Shear Walls Made From Composite Rice Straw Blocks, Kevin Robert Camann

Master's Theses

Although rice straw and other grains have been used in building since pre-history, in the past two decades, there has been a move to utilize this rapidly renewable, locally available, agricultural byproduct as part of the sustainable construction movement. Up to this point, this has been done by simply stacking up the full straw bales. Stak Block, invented by Oryzatech, Inc., is a modular, interlocking block made of a composite of rice straw and binding agent that serves as an evolution in straw construction. This study investigates the feasibility of using these Stak Blocks as a structural system. The report …

An Assessment Of Indoor Infiltration Parameters For Black Carbon From Residential Wood Combustion And The Spectral Dependence Of Light Absorption For Organic Carbon, Christopher John Malejan

Master's Theses

Black carbon, a proxy for woodsmoke was measured indoors and outdoors for an occupied residence in Cambria, CA during the winter months of 2009. The purpose was to investigate the infiltration parameters: air exchange rate, deposition rate, and penetration factor. The second part of this study investigated the light absorption properties of organic carbon from residential wood combustion, the dominant fraction of woodsmoke.

To assess woodsmoke variation, a study conducted parallel to the one presented in this thesis (Ward, 2009), a grid array of personal emission monitors (PEMS) and aethalometers were placed in a small area, approximately one square kilometer, …

Extraction And Characterization Of Lipids From Microalgae Grown On Municipal Wastewater, Matthew W. Hutton

Master's Theses

Based on results of its Aquatic Species Program (1978-1996), which sought to develop algae-to-liquid fuel technology, the U.S. Department of Energy has suggested that algal wastewater treatment may be incorporated into biodiesel production schemes to reduce the operating costs of both processes. the purpose of the current research was to evaluate the triglycerides produced by wastewater-grown algae for their suitability as a fuel feedstock and to investigate the effectiveness of several solvent mixtures and extraction procedures at recovering lipids from fresh algae. The research involved two separate experiments. The first determined the quantity and quality of lipids produced over the …

Impact Of Larger Diameter Strands On Aashto/Pci Bulb-Tees, Jayaprakash Vadivelu

Masters Theses

This thesis consists of the analytical study and the experimental investigation of larger diameter strands in AASHTO Type I girders. The main purpose of this study was to verify that the 2 inch minimum spacing recommended by ACI 318-08 and AASHTO (2008) can be used for 0.7 inch diameter strands by comparing various effects in girders using 0.7 and 0.6 inch diameter strands. Based on the parametric analysis it was concluded that by using 0.7 inch strands there was a considerable saving in the material. For example, an AASHTO BT-72 with 0.6 inch strand could be replaced with AASHTO BT-54 …