Architecture Commons^™

Comprehensive Academic And Classroom Facilities Plan, Joel Nordberg, Alex Wing, Jeff Funovits, Emily Blaze, Jenna Beltram, Ann Storer, Bryan Harvey, Ludmilla D. Pavlova-Gillham

Campus Planning Books

In 2009 UMass Amherst, under the direction of Chancellor Robert Holub, engaged in a Framework for Excellence initiative and a commitment to elevate the national profile of the institution. The Framework for Excellence called for the recruitment of 250 additional faculty and an increase of 2,500 undergraduate students over the next 10 years. More space and improved, state-of-the-arts facilities was recognized as key in attracting and retaining the highest caliber faculty and students.

The Comprehensive Academic and Classroom Facilities Plan was funded by the MA Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance (DCAMM), which hired Burt Hill to initiate an …

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.

Performance Based Analysis Of Steel Buildings, Matthew Joseph Williams

Master's Theses

This project investigated the performance of two separate building types, designed using ASCE 7-05, using the analysis procedures from ASCE 41-06. The results from the ASCE 41-06 analyses were compared to the expected performance level of Life Safety to determine the adequacy of the ASCE 7-05 design. ASCE 7-05 is intended to result in designs that perform to a Life Safety performance level regardless of the building type. A design using the AISC specifications for a steel Special Moment Frame and the lateral loads from ASCE 7-05 resulted in a building that slightly exceeded an Immediate Occupancy performance level for …

Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Tests On Compacted Soil, David M. Weidinger, Louis Ge, Richard Wesley Stephenson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Paper, Results of a Series of Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Tests on Compacted Soil Were Presented and Discussed. Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Tests Provide Compression and Shear Wave Velocity Information that Can Be Used in Calculating Dynamic Elastic Moduli Such as Young's Modulus and Shear Modulus. from the Test Results, Calculated Poisson's Ratio Shows a Linear Relation with the Water Content in Compacted Soil, Which Leads to a Linear Trend in Both P and S Wave Velocity Against Water Content. Furthermore, Presenting Plots in Bulk Density Versus Wave Velocity Gives a Clearer Trend Than Dry Density Versus Wave Velocity. © …

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 …

Structural Damage Localization With Tolerance To Large Time Synchronization Errors In Wsns, Guirong Yan, Shirley J. Dyke, Wei Song, Gregory Hackmann, Chenyang Lu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

With Recent Technological Advances in Smart Sensor Platforms, Structural Condition Monitoring Implementations based on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) Have Received Considerable Attention. Modal Identification is an Integral Step in Many Structural Condition Monitoring Systems. However, Accurate Time Synchronization is Not Always Possible, Leading to Incorrect Identification of the Mode Shapes. Although Strict Time Synchronization of the Wireless Sensors Has Been Viewed as Crucial for the Identification of Mode Shapes, a New Perspective is Taken Herein. the Distortion in the Identified Mode Shapes is Characterized and Accommodated. Then the Resulting Mode Shapes Are Used with a Flexibility-Based Damage Detection Approach to …

Sustainability In Higher Education In 24 Different Universities, Omidreza Saadatian

No abstract provided.

Do Companies Value Maintaining Iso 9000 Certification? 2009 Case Study Of 41 Us Companies First Certified In 2000, Sarah Joy Namara

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The costs of obtaining and maintaining ISO certification are high. Moreover, studies have shown mixed results on the benefits of the certification. Consequently, the objective of this research was to verify whether or not companies do value maintaining the ISO 9000 certification.

The empirical study was conducted on 41 U.S. companies that were first certified in 2000. The companies formed an existing database as they were used by Dr. Arbuckle in 2004 in his doctoral dissertation. Of the 41 companies, 12 were found to be out of business, leaving a final sample size of 29. Data were gathered from this …

Use Of In-Planta Solid Phase Sampling Devices To Delineate Voc Plumes, Joel Gerard Burken, Kendra Waltermire, Emily Sheehan

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Plants Directly Interact with Surrounding Water, Air, and Soil, Collecting and Storing Chemicals and Elements from the Surrounding Environment. Two New and Innovative Sampling Methods in Which This Valuable Data Can Be Accessed to Replace as Well as Supplement Contaminated-Site Investigations Have Been Developed. When Determining the Extent of the Plume on a Contaminated Site, Groundwater Sampling May Be Limited Due to Time, Site Access, and Expense. by using New Techniques that Place Sampling Devices Inside the Trees on Site, We Can Sample Trees Naturally Occurring on a Contaminated Site or Those Planted in Phytoremediation or Redevelopment Efforts, Evaluate the …

The Structure Of A Story, Pamalee Brady, Edmond P. Saliklis

Architectural Engineering

The stories of engineering heroes can serve as an exciting means of engaging young students in engineering concepts that are linked to their math and science curriculum. This research explores the development of a storytelling framework including the story of an engineer, a hands-on activity for exploring a related engineering idea, reinforcement of standard math and science curriculum and assessment of the effectiveness of the storytelling medium to teach and inspire young students. Storytelling principles are used to develop these narratives into compelling and engaging stories through the perspective of an individual character. Archival and other scholarly materials on fascinating …

Analysis Of Stabilized Adobe In Rural East Africa, Grace Ying Yu Chen

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

ANALYSIS OF STABILIZED ADOBE IN RURAL EAST AFRICA

Grace Ying Yu Chen

This project seeks to assist people in rural East Africa by proposing sustainable building methods which implement affordable and durable adobe bricks for construction. Adobe, one of the oldest sustainable building materials in the world, is strong when dry but lacks structural integrity when exposed to moisture. Chemical additives such as cement and lime are added into the adobe mix to protect the brick against moisture decomposition. Once the chemicals are added and the mix is formed into a brick, a stabilized adobe brick is formed.

Cement, …

Optimization Of Two-Way Post-Tensioned Concrete Floor Systems, Gaelyn B. Krauser

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates a parametric study of a flat plate floor system designed using post-tensioning. The load balanced by the post-tensioning, the slab depth, and the strength of concrete were varied to create the parametric study of a hotel/condominium grid layout. In order to perform the parametric study, research was conducted on the development of post-tensioning, methods of analysis for two-way slab design, and post-tensioning methods of analysis. Design was conducted by hand through a series of Excel spreadsheets and compared to results found using the computer analysis program, ADAPT-PT. The designs found in the parametric study were then used …

Graham, Robert Duke, 1900-1984 (Sc 1972), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1972. Specifications from Ingram and Ingram, Architects and Engineers (Louisville, Kentucky) for a new residence to be built for Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Graham, 1716 Normal Drive, Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Observation Of Sustainability Practices In Malaysian Research Universities, Highlighting Particular Strength, Omidreza Saadatian

No abstract provided.

Fatigue Of Masonry Walls With Cfrp Applied Externally For Out-Of-Plane Loads, Joseph Louis Williams

Master's Theses

This master’s thesis presents an investigation on the effects of fatigue on fiber- reinforced polymers (FRP) when applied to masonry walls subjected to out-of-plane loading. The project aims to provide further research and add to the general testing database of FRP enhanced masonry. An introduction to the problems and solutions associated with unreinforced masonry is discussed along with a literature review on previous testing done in the field of FRP enhanced masonry. The investigation on the effects of fatigue on FRP when applied to masonry walls subjected to out-of-plane loading is performed through experimental testing. A total of four wall …

Breaking The Mould 3, Joseph Little

Articles

This article is the third in a series looking at thermal upgrades to single-leaf walls of existing houses. The theme for this article was intended to be an analysis of various drylining options for brick and rubble-built walls of older properties. That will follow. The following events forced a change in focus.

Lignin And Lipid Impact On Sorption And Diffusion Of Trichloroethylene In Tree Branches For Determining Contaminant Fate During Plant Sampling And Phytoremediation, Gayathri Gopalakrishnan, Joel Gerard Burken, Charles J. Werth

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Plants Draw All They Need from their Surrounding Environment and in Doing So Also Draw Anthropogenic Contaminants from their Surroundings. Several Natural Processes (E.g., Active Transport, Diffusion, Sorption, and Degradation) Occur within Trees and Affect Chemical Concentrations in Tree Samples. This Study Elucidates Tree Contaminant Chemical Interactions on Equilibrium Sorption and Diffusion into Branch Tissue (I.e., Wood Core and Bark), Specifically the Impacts of Lipid and Lignin Content. Five Tree Species Were Selected to Span a Range of Lignin and Lipid Contents. Linear Isotherms Were Obtained for All Sampled Species over a Limited Concentration Range (2 Μg/ ML < C Gas < 12 Μg/mL), and Equilibrium Distribution Coefficients (Kd) Were Linearly Correlated to Lipid (R2 > 0.83) But …

Going Green With Concrete Masonry Grout, James Mwangi, Craig Baltimore

Architectural Engineering

Concrete, which is a product containing Portland cement, is the second most used building material (after water) worldwide. Masonry grout is similar to concrete except that grout has a high water content and smaller size aggregates. The excess water is immediately absorbed into the masonry units during placement, which lowers the water/cement ratio and allows for a normal hydration process. During the process of making Portland cement, more than 1/5 ton of carbon dioxide is produced for every ton of cement with 60% of the carbon dioxide production due to a chemical reaction. There is currently no viable remedy to …

Conference Review - 4th International Phytotechnologies Conference, Denver, Co, September 24-26, 2007, Jason C. White, Joel G. (Gerard) Burken

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Land Conservation And Land Use In New England: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities, Amanda Loomis, Tom Devine, Andrea Small, Brittany Howard, Brett Richardson, Stephanie Dulac

Land Conservation

Sprawling development patterns accelerated across the New England landscape in the last three decades and consumed the region‘s forests, farms, and open spaces at an unprecedented rate. New England‘ers in all six states formed land trusts, supported statewide conservation organizations, and collaborated with state and federal partners to protect some of their most-prized recreation lands, wildlife habitats, and working lands. The current economic recession has slowed development pressures across the region and offers an opportunity to build on recent successes. The time is right to plan a coordinated New England conservation strategy that protects and links the region‘s natural assets. …

Teaching Architects And Engineers: Up And Down The Taxonomy, Edmond P. Saliklis, Robert Arens, Joseph Hanus

Architectural Engineering

Engineering faculty and Architecture faculty both address student learning through the prism of Bloom’s taxonomy of the cognitive domain, but do so in diametrically opposite manners. Engineering faculty tend to assess student learning starting at the lowest taxonomy level, Acquisition of Knowledge, and progress in their curriculum and courses to the higher levels of Synthesis and Evaluation. Compare this to a studio environment in an undergraduate Architecture curriculum, where the faculty often begin with the highest levels, such as Evaluation in applying value judgments about the adequacy of the design and Synthesis, by putting disparate pieces of …

Project Managers, Architects, And Engineers--Oh My! An Interdisciplinary Collaboration, David Lambert, Allen Estes, Craig Baltimore

Architectural Engineering

The Architectural Engineering (ARCE) Program at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo is creating a unique and novel interdisciplinary course where architecture, architectural engineering and construction management students collaborate to design and plan the construction of a building structure. The current plan is to develop a default interdisciplinary experience that can be taken by every student and then allow course substitutions for other options as they are created. This paper reports on one of those other options, specifically a unique real world, global, multi-disciplinary experience in East Africa that has resulted from a master’s degree project that …

Solar Power For Deployment In Populated Areas, Nathan Andrew Hicks

Master's Theses

The thesis presents background on solar thermal energy and addresses the structural challenges associated with the deployment of concentrating solar power fields in urban areas. Two potential structural systems and urban locales of deployment are proposed and investigated to determine whether they have the potential to be a cost-effective renewable energy solution for urban areas. The structural issues explored in the thesis include flutter, the wind loading of open frame structures, performance-based design, and the design of flexibly mounted equipment on a building.

Why Is Fresh Self-Compacting Concrete Shear Thickening?, Dimitri Feys, Ronny Verhoeven, Geert De Schutter

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Rheological Properties of Fresh Concrete Are Mostly Described by Means of the Bingham Model. for Self-Compacting Concrete, the Bingham Model is Applicable in a Lot of Cases, But Some Authors Report that the Rheological Behavior is Non-Linear. the Apparent Viscosity Increases with Increasing Shear Rate and the SCC Shows Shear Thickening Behavior. Shear Thickening Becomes Important in Operations Occurring at High Shear Rates, Like Mixing and Pumping. in These Cases, Shear Thickening Should Not Be Forgotten in Order to Avoid Breaking of the Mixer, Pump or Pipes. This Paper Will Describe Two Possible Theories for Shear Thickening Behavior of …

Seismic Performance Of Unreinforced Masonry Walls Retrofitted With Post-Tensioning Tendons, Daniel Louis Lazzarini

Master's Theses

Unreinforced masonry (URM) structures have historically been regarded as structurally unsound in response to seismic events. The tendency for URM walls to collapse out-of-plane in a brittle manner is continually cause for concern. Retrofit of these walls is necessary in order to prevent severe damage and injury to occupants.

This paper is concerned with the retrofit of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls in response to out-of-plane loading. A retrofit design was developed and verified through structural testing. The selected retrofit technique incorporates vertical coring of URM walls to allow for the insertion of a single post-tensioning (PT) tendon. Tendons are spaced …

Interview With Kirk Davis, Glumac International, 2009 (Audio), Kirk Davis

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Kirk Davis by Jay Fielding at Glumac International, Portland, Oregon on May 22nd, 2009.

The interview index is available for download.

Breaking The Mould 2 : An Analysis Of Single-Leaf Insulation Upgrades, Joseph Little

Articles

This article is the second in a series looking at thermal upgrades to single-leaf walls of existing houses. It compares a range of ways of upgrading masonry single-leaf walls, particularly the ubiquitous hollow block wall, and the impact of those decisions on moisture content, wind- and airtightness, cost and heating. Future articles will look at various drylining approaches for a range of walls including brick walls of various widths.

Bamboo: An Alternative Building Material For Urban Ethiopia, Bewketu Z. Kassa

Master's Theses

This project explores the potential of bamboo as an alternative building material for low cost housing units suitable for urban Ethiopia. The rational for the application of bamboo comes from its abundance throughout the country, and its proven physical properties that equate it to other building material like timber, steel and concrete. The proposed bamboo based design solution concentrates on simplification of construction methods, prefabrication of structural components and vertical densification of housing units, addressing the lack of skilled labor, cost of construction time and urban land respectively. An understanding of the design solution was established by constructing a full-scale …

Breaking The Mould 1 : A Study Of Condensation In Single-Leaf Concrete Wall Upgrades, Joseph Little

Articles

This article is the first of a series looking at upgrade options and issues associated with single-leaf walls of existing houses. This article will focus on insulated drylined concrete block walls of the ubiquitous housing estate house. This will include the findings of software that dynamically models moisture movement through the wall over several years. The article following this will look at a range of options for replacing existing drylining or installing drylining where it never was before, be that for a solid block wall of a 1950s house or a solid brick wall of an 1850s house.

Integration Approach Of The Couette Inverse Problem Of Powder Type Self-Compacting Concrete In A Wide-Gap Concentric Cylinder Rheometer. Part Ii. Influence Of Mineral Additions And Chemical Admixtures On The Shear Thickening Flow Behaviour, G. Heirman, R. Hendrickx, L. Vandewalle, D. Van Gemert, D. (Dimitri) Feys, G. De Schutter, B. Desmet, J. Vantomme

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Influence of Mineral Additions and Chemical Admixtures on the Shear Thickening Flow Behavior of Powder Type Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) is Studied by Means of a Wide-Gap Concentric Cylinder Rheometer. the Couette Inverse Problem is Treated by Means of the Integration Method in Order to Derive the Flow Curve Τ(Γ̇) from the Torque Measurements. According to the Experimental Results, the Shear Thickening Effect is Found to Be Strongly Influenced by the Addition of the Chemical Admixture (A Polycarboxylate Ether based Superplasticizer), Whereas Mineral Additions Were Found to Modify the Intensity of Shear Thickening. the Limestone, Quartzite and Fly Ash Addition …