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Articles 1 - 28 of 28
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Drinking Water Infrastructure Assessment With Teleconnection Signals, Satellite Data Fusion And Mining, Sanaz Imen
Drinking Water Infrastructure Assessment With Teleconnection Signals, Satellite Data Fusion And Mining, Sanaz Imen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Adjustment of the drinking water treatment process as a simultaneous response to climate variations and water quality impact has been a grand challenge in water resource management in recent years. This desired and preferred capability depends on timely and quantitative knowledge to monitor the quality and availability of water. This issue is of great importance for the largest reservoir in the United States, Lake Mead, which is located in the proximity of a big metropolitan region - Las Vegas, Nevada. The water quality in Lake Mead is impaired by forest fires, soil erosion, and land use changes in nearby watersheds …
Trihalomethane Removal And Re-Formation In Spray Aeration Processes Treating Disinfected Groundwater, Cassandra Smith
Trihalomethane Removal And Re-Formation In Spray Aeration Processes Treating Disinfected Groundwater, Cassandra Smith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Historically, chlorination has been widely utilized as a primary and secondary disinfectant in municipal water supplies. Although chlorine disinfection is effective in inactivating pathogenic microbes, the use of chlorine creates the unintentional formation of regulated chemicals. On January 4, 2006, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated the Stage 2 Disinfectants/Disinfection by-product rule (DBPR) that focuses on public health protection by limiting exposure to four trihalomethanes (THM) and five haloacetic acids (HAA5), formed when chlorine is used for microbial pathogen control. This thesis examines post-aeration TTHM formation when employing spray-aeration processes to remove semi-volatile TTHMs from chlorinated potable water …
Traffic Conflict Analysis Under Fog Conditions Using Computer Simulation, Binya Zhang
Traffic Conflict Analysis Under Fog Conditions Using Computer Simulation, Binya Zhang
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The weather condition is a crucial influence factor on road safety issues. Fog is one of the most noticeable weather conditions, which has a significant impact on traffic safety. Such condition reduces the road's visibility and consequently can affect drivers' vision, perception, and judgments. The statistical data shows that many crashes are directly or indirectly caused by the low-visibility weather condition. Hence, it is necessary for road traffic engineers to study the relationship of road traffic accidents and their influence factors. Among these factors, the traffic volume and the speed limits in poor visibility areas are the primary reasons that …
Development Of Regional Optimization And Market Penetration Models For Electric Vehicles In The United States, Mehdi Noori
Development Of Regional Optimization And Market Penetration Models For Electric Vehicles In The United States, Mehdi Noori
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Since the transportation sector still relies mostly on fossil fuels, the emissions and overall environmental impacts of the transportation sector are particularly relevant to the mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change. Sustainable transportation therefore plays a vital role in the ongoing discussion on how to promote energy insecurity and address future energy requirements. One of the most promising ways to increase energy security and reduce emissions from the transportation sector is to support alternative fuel technologies, including electric vehicles (EVs). As vehicles become electrified, the transportation fleet will rely on the electric grid as well as traditional transportation …
Exploration And Development Of Crash Modification Factors And Functions For Single And Multiple Treatments, Juneyoung Park
Exploration And Development Of Crash Modification Factors And Functions For Single And Multiple Treatments, Juneyoung Park
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Traffic safety is a major concern for the public, and it is an important component of the roadway management strategy. In order to improve highway safety, extensive efforts have been made by researchers, transportation engineers, Federal, State, and local government officials. With these consistent efforts, both fatality and injury rates from road traffic crashes in the United States have been steadily declining over the last six years (2006~2011). However, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, 2013), 33,561 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States in 2012, compared to 32,479 in 2011, and it …
Functional Characterization Of Green Sorption Media And Scaling Of Pilot Studies For Copper Removal In Stormwater Runoff, Cameron Houmann
Functional Characterization Of Green Sorption Media And Scaling Of Pilot Studies For Copper Removal In Stormwater Runoff, Cameron Houmann
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Green adsorption media with the inclusion of renewable and recycled materials can be applied as a stormwater best management practice for copper removal. A green adsorption media mixture composed of recycled tire chunk, expanded clay aggregate, and coconut coir was physicochemically evaluated for its potential use in an upflow media filter. The results found that the use of the green adsorption media mixture in isolation or the coconut coir with an expanded clay filtration chamber could be an effective and reliable stormwater best management practice for copper removal. A suite of tests were conducted on the media mixture and the …
Applications Of Computer Vision Technologies Of Automated Crack Detection And Quantification For The Inspection Of Civil Infrastructure Systems, Liuliu Wu
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Many components of existing civil infrastructure systems, such as road pavement, bridges, and buildings, are suffered from rapid aging, which require enormous nation's resources from federal and state agencies to inspect and maintain them. Crack is one of important material and structural defects, which must be inspected not only for good maintenance of civil infrastructure with a high quality of safety and serviceability, but also for the opportunity to provide early warning against failure. Conventional human visual inspection is still considered as the primary inspection method. However, it is well established that human visual inspection is subjective and often inaccurate. …
Optimization Of Glycerol And Biodiesel Waste Prefermentation To Improve Ebpr, Marzieh Ghasemi
Optimization Of Glycerol And Biodiesel Waste Prefermentation To Improve Ebpr, Marzieh Ghasemi
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process efficiency relies on different operational and process conditions especially the type of carbon source available in the wastewater. Acetic acid and propionic acid are the two major volatile fatty acids (VFAs) found in domestic wastewater which can drive biological phosphorus (P) removal to the desired level. However, often domestic wastewater does not have a sufficient amount of VFAs. Due to high acetate and propionate production-cost, it is not economic to add acetate and propionate directly in full-scale wastewater treatment plants. This brought up the idea of using external carbon sources (e. g. molasses …
Damage Detection Methodologies For Structural Health Monitoring Of Thin-Walled Pressure Vessels, Arturo Modesto
Damage Detection Methodologies For Structural Health Monitoring Of Thin-Walled Pressure Vessels, Arturo Modesto
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
There is a need in exploring structural health monitoring technologies for the composite structures particularly aged Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) for the current and future implementation of COPVs for space missions. In this study, the research was conducted in collaboration with NASA Kennedy Space Center and also NASA Marshall Space and Flight Center engineers. COPVs have been used to store inert gases like helium (for propulsion) and nitrogen (for life support) under varying degrees of pressure onboard the orbiter since the beginning of the Space Shuttle Program. After the Columbia accident, the COPVs were re-examined and different studies (e.g. …
Evaluation Of Strength And Hydraulic Properties Of Buried Pipe Systems Used For Stormwater Harvesting, Mario Samson Mena
Evaluation Of Strength And Hydraulic Properties Of Buried Pipe Systems Used For Stormwater Harvesting, Mario Samson Mena
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Water scarcity has been identified as a global issue. Both water harvesting and an efficient water piping system are some of the important factors to meet the water demand. In this study, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes used as an underground storage was evaluated and a Microsoft EXCEL based model was developed, called PIPE-R Model. To study the structural integrity of the pipes, laboratory and field testing were conducted. For the water harvesting, UCF Stormwater Management Academy designed an EXCEL based model to simulate the system's performance to store and redistribute water for an average year. The purpose of PIPE-R Model …
Base Flow Recession Analysis For Streamflow And Spring Flow, Debapi Ghosh
Base Flow Recession Analysis For Streamflow And Spring Flow, Debapi Ghosh
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Base flow recession curve during a dry period is a distinct hydrologic signature of a watershed. The base flow recession analysis for both streamflow and spring flow has been extensively studied in the literature. Studies have shown that the recession behaviors during the early stage and the late stage are different in many watersheds. However, research on the transition from early stage to late stage is limited and the hydrologic control on the transition is not completely understood. In this dissertation, a novel cumulative regression analysis method is developed to identify the transition flow objectively for individual recession events in …
Sustainability Assessment Of A Municipal Utility Complex: A System Of Systems Approach, Tarek Fahmy
Sustainability Assessment Of A Municipal Utility Complex: A System Of Systems Approach, Tarek Fahmy
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Construction of municipal utility complexes has to support continuing population growth, economic development, and a widespread of social interest in environmental preservation. Municipalities face challenges in designing, constructing, and operating environmentally sustainable utility complexes, and their primary goal in developing such a complex is to minimize the environmental impact resulting from energy production and waste treatment (both liquid and solid), management, and disposal. However, decision and policy makers lack a system of systems approach that takes into account multiple interdependent systems comprised of the functional system (infrastructure, facilities, operations within the complex…), the economic system, the social/cultural system, and the …
Analytical Study Of Computer Vision-Based Pavement Crack Quantification Using Machine Learning Techniques, Soroush Mokhtari
Analytical Study Of Computer Vision-Based Pavement Crack Quantification Using Machine Learning Techniques, Soroush Mokhtari
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Image-based techniques are a promising non-destructive approach for road pavement condition evaluation. The main objective of this study is to extract, quantify and evaluate important surface defects, such as cracks, using an automated computer vision-based system to provide a better understanding of the pavement deterioration process. To achieve this objective, an automated crack-recognition software was developed, employing a series of image processing algorithms of crack extraction, crack grouping, and crack detection. Bottom-hat morphological technique was used to remove the random background of pavement images and extract cracks, selectively based on their shapes, sizes, and intensities using a relatively small number …
Response Of Streamflow And Sediment Loading In The Apalachicola River, Florida To Climate And Land Use Land Cover Change, Paige Hovenga
Response Of Streamflow And Sediment Loading In The Apalachicola River, Florida To Climate And Land Use Land Cover Change, Paige Hovenga
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Located in Florida's panhandle, the Apalachicola River is the southernmost reach of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River basin. Streamflow and sediment drains to Apalachicola Bay in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, directly influencing the ecology of the region, in particular seagrass and oyster production. The objective of this study is to evaluate the response of runoff and sediment loading in the Apalachicola River under projected climate change scenarios and land use / land cover (LULC) change. A hydrologic model using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was developed for the Apalachicola region to simulate daily discharge and sediment load under present …
Mathematical Modeling Of Carbon Removal In The A-Stage Activated Sludge System, Thomas Nogaj
Mathematical Modeling Of Carbon Removal In The A-Stage Activated Sludge System, Thomas Nogaj
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This research developed a dynamic activated sludge model (ASM) to better describe the overall removal of organic substrate, quantified as chemical oxygen demand (COD), from A-stage high rate activated sludge (HRAS) systems. This dynamic computer model is based on a modified ASM1 (Henze et al., 2000) model. It was determined early in the project that influent soluble COD, which is normally represented by a single state variable in ASM1, had to be subdivided into two state variables (SBs and SBf, or slow and fast fractions) to simulate the performance of A-stage systems. Also, the addition of state variables differentiating colloidal …
Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (Frp) Composites In Retrofitting Of Concrete Structures: Polyurethane Systems Versus Epoxy Systems, Elie El Zghayar
Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (Frp) Composites In Retrofitting Of Concrete Structures: Polyurethane Systems Versus Epoxy Systems, Elie El Zghayar
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been of interest to the structural engineering society since the earliest days of FRP composites industry. The use of such systems has been implemented in both new construction and for repair and rehabilitation of existing structures. Since the 1980s, researchers have developed a significant body of knowledge to use FRP composites in infrastructure applications; however, most of this established knowledge was concentrated on the use of traditional epoxy (EP) systems (epoxy matrix FRPs and epoxy adhesives). FRP composites with polyurethane (PU) matrices and adhesives have recently attracted the attention of a few researchers due …
Tidal Hydrodynamic Response To Sea Level Rise And Coastal Geomorphology In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Davina Passeri
Tidal Hydrodynamic Response To Sea Level Rise And Coastal Geomorphology In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Davina Passeri
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Sea level rise (SLR) has the potential to affect coastal environments in a multitude of ways, including submergence, increased flooding, and increased shoreline erosion. Low-lying coastal environments such as the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) are particularly vulnerable to the effects of SLR, which may have serious consequences for coastal communities as well as ecologically and economically significant estuaries. Evaluating potential changes in tidal hydrodynamics under SLR is essential for understanding impacts to navigation, ecological habitats, infrastructure and the morphologic evolution of the coastline. The intent of this research is to evaluate the dynamic effects of SLR and coastal geomorphology …
A New Methodology For Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Bus Rapid Transit Strategies, Ahmad Alomari
A New Methodology For Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Bus Rapid Transit Strategies, Ahmad Alomari
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Over the last few years, public transportation has become more desirable as capacity of existing roadways failed to keep up with rapidly increasing traffic demand. Buses are one of the most common modes of public transportation with low impact on network capacity, especially in small and congested urban areas. However, the use of regularly scheduled buses as the main public transport mode can become useless with the presence of traffic congestion and dense construction areas. In cases like these, innovative solutions, such as bus rapid transit (BRT), can provide an increased level of service without having to resort to other, …
Evaluating Travelers Experience With Highway Advisory Radio (Har) And Citizens Band Radio Advisory System (Cbras) On Florida's Turnpike Enterprise Toll Roadways And Florida Interstate Highways, Nabil Muhaisen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The goal of this thesis is to evaluate travelers' experience with Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) and Citizens' Band Radio Advisory System (CBRAS) technologies on both Florida Interstate Highway system (FIH) and the Florida Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) toll roads. To achieve this goal, two different survey tools were used. The first tool is a random digit dialing phone survey known as CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing). The second tool is a field survey that intercepts travelers at the Florida Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) service plazas and the Florida Interstate Highway (FIH) rest areas. HAR and CBRAS are traditional components of the Advanced Traveler …
Data-Driven Simulation Modeling Of Construction And Infrastructure Operations Using Process Knowledge Discovery, Reza Akhavian
Data-Driven Simulation Modeling Of Construction And Infrastructure Operations Using Process Knowledge Discovery, Reza Akhavian
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) domain, simulation modeling is mainly used to facilitate decision-making by enabling the assessment of different operational plans and resource arrangements, that are otherwise difficult (if not impossible), expensive, or time consuming to be evaluated in real world settings. The accuracy of such models directly affects their reliability to serve as a basis for important decisions such as project completion time estimation and resource allocation. Compared to other industries, this is particularly important in construction and infrastructure projects due to the high resource costs and the societal impacts of these projects. Discrete event simulation …
Development Of An Automated Method For Identification Of Wet And Dry Channel Segments Using Lidar Data And Fuzzy Logic Cluster Analysis, Chris Rowney
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Research into the use of LiDAR data for purposes other than simple topographic elevation determination, such as urban land cover classification and the identification of forest biomass, has become prominent in recent years. In many cases, alternative analysis methodologies conducted using airborne LiDAR data are possible because the raw data collected during a survey can include information other than the classically used elevation and coordinate points, the X, Y, and Z of the plane. In particular, intensity return values for each point in a LiDAR grid have been found to provide a useful data set for wet and dry channel …
Assessing Biofiltration Pretreatment For Ultrafiltration Membrane Processes, Andrea Cumming
Assessing Biofiltration Pretreatment For Ultrafiltration Membrane Processes, Andrea Cumming
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
An engineered biological filtration (biofiltration) process treating a nutrient-enriched, low-alkalinity, organic-laden surface water downstream of conventional coagulation-clarification and upstream of an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane process was assessed for its treatment effectiveness. The impact of biofiltration pretreatment on UF membrane performance was evaluated holistically by investigating the native source water chemistry and extending the analysis into the drinking water distribution system. The biofiltration process was also compared in treatment performance to two alternative pretreatment technologies, including magnetic ion exchange (MIEX®) and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption. The MIEX®, GAC adsorption, and biologically active carbon (BAC) filtration pretreatments were integrated with conventional …
Integrated Sustainability Assessment Framework For The U.S. Transportation, Nuri Onat
Integrated Sustainability Assessment Framework For The U.S. Transportation, Nuri Onat
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation aims to investigate the sustainability impacts of alternative vehicle technologies and develop comprehensive sustainability assessment frameworks to analyze potential impacts of these vehicles in the U.S. In order to assess sustainability impact of vehicle alternatives, life-cycle based models has been extensively used in the literature. Although life cycle-based models are often used for environmental impacts of alternative vehicles, analysis of social and economic impacts of these vehicles has gained a tremendous interest. In this regard, there is a growing interest among the international platform and academia to use the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment framework to have more informed …
Characterization Of Waste-To-Energy (Wte) Bottom And Fly Ashes In Cementitious Materials, Jin Woo An
Characterization Of Waste-To-Energy (Wte) Bottom And Fly Ashes In Cementitious Materials, Jin Woo An
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Waste-to-Energy (WTE) ashes (or called as municipal solid waste incineration ashes) have been recycled in the areas of road bed, asphalt paving, and concrete products in many European and Asian countries. In those countries, recycling programs (including required physical properties and environmental criteria) of ash residue management have been developed so as to encourage and enforce the reuse for WTE ashes instead of landfill disposal. However, the U.S. has shown a lack of consistent and effective management plans as well as environmental regulations for the use of WTE ashes. Many previous studies demonstrated the potential beneficial use of WTE ash …
Examining Multiple Approaches For The Transferability Of Safety Performance Functions, Ahmed Tarek Ahmed Farid
Examining Multiple Approaches For The Transferability Of Safety Performance Functions, Ahmed Tarek Ahmed Farid
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Safety performance functions (SPFs) are essential in road safety since they are used to predict crash frequencies. They are commonly applied for detecting hot spots in network screening and assessing whether road safety countermeasures are effective. In the Highway Safety Manual (HSM), SPFs are provided for several crash classifications for several types of roadway facilities. The SPFs of the HSM are developed using data from multiple states. In regions where jurisdiction specific SPFs are not available, it is custom to adopt nationwide SPFs for crash predictions then apply a calibration factor. Yet, the research is limited regarding the application of …
Sustainable Material Solution For Flexible Pavements; Performance Evaluation And Impact Assessment Of Utilizing Multiple Recycled Materials In Hma, Behnam Golestani
Sustainable Material Solution For Flexible Pavements; Performance Evaluation And Impact Assessment Of Utilizing Multiple Recycled Materials In Hma, Behnam Golestani
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The demand for pollution-free and recyclable engineering materials has been increased as the cost of energy and environmental concerns have risen. Green material design can lead to better environmental quality and sustainability of civil infrastructure. Road construction is one of the largest consumers of natural resources. Beneficial utilization of recycled materials can result in an important opportunity to save the mining and use of virgin materials, to preserve energy, and to save landfill space. Two main research questions addressed in this study are: (1) How much pollution, energy, natural resources, time and money can be salvaged by applying recycling materials …
Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Water Footprint Of Residential Waste Collection And Management Systems, Mousa Maimoun
Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Water Footprint Of Residential Waste Collection And Management Systems, Mousa Maimoun
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Three troublesome issues concerning residential curbside collection (RCC) and municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems in the United States motivated this research. First, reliance upon inefficient collection and scheduling procedures negatively affect RCC efficiency, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and cost. Second, the neglected impact of MSW management practices on water resources. Third, the implications of alternative fuels on the environmental and financial performance of waste collection where fuel plays a significant rule. The goal of this study was to select the best RCC program, MSW management practice, and collection fuel. For this study, field data were collected for RCC programs …
An Improved Biosolid Gasifier Model, Hannah Mclean
An Improved Biosolid Gasifier Model, Hannah Mclean
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
As populations increase and cities become denser, the production of waste, both sewage sludge and food biomass, increases exponentially while disposal options for these wastes are limited. Landfills have minimal space for biosolids; countries are now banning ocean disposal methods for fear of the negative environmental impacts. Agricultural application of biosolids cannot keep up with the production rates because of the accumulation of heavy metals in the soils. Gasification can convert biosolids into a renewable energy source that can reduce the amount of waste heading to the landfills and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. A recently published chemical kinetic …