Engineering Commons^™

Seismic Response Of Pipeline Systems In A Soil Liquefaction Environment, Hongzhi Zhang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research is a study of the general seismic response behavior of buried pipeline systems during a soil liquefaction process. To aid the design of buried pipelines in a soil liquefaction environment, the purpose of this research is to provide the basic dynamic seismic response of different pipeline systems. Several important parameters such as pipe diameter, buried depth, additional mass and the size of the liquefiable soil zone have been introduced. The pipeline systems under study are cross-types, T-types and straight pipelines, with or without a manhole, buried in a soil liquefiable zone.

Time-varying soil spring constants are used for …

Parallel-Vector Computation For Geometrically Nonlinear Frame Structural Analysis And Design Sensitivity Analysis, Majdi A. Baddourah

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Parallel-vector algorithms are presented for solving the geometrically nonlinear structural problems and obtaining design sensitivity information. A new algorithm is also presented for parallel generation and assembly of the finite element stiffness and mass matrices. The presented assembly algorithm is based on a node-by-node approach rather than the more conventional element-by-element approach. Three different methods, Newton Raphson, Modified Newton Raphson, and the BFGS, are used in the analysis of the nonlinear structural problems. A study is made to determine the performance of each of the mentioned methods in a parallel-vector computer environment. Medium to large-scale, practical problems are solved to …

Parallel-Vector Design Sensitivity Analysis In Structural Dynamics, Yongxing Zhang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this study, the design sensitivity analysis is for the purpose of providing constraint derivative information for structural optimization under dynamic loads. Various existing formulations are reviewed, and the direct differentiation method is justified as the best one for design sensitivity analysis in structural dynamics. An alternative formulation for design sensitivity analysis with direct differentiation method is developed. The alternative formulation works efficiently with the reduced system of dynamic equations, and it eliminates the need for expensive and complicated eigenvector derivatives, which is required in the existing reduced system formulation. The relationship of the alternative formulation and the existing reduced …

Micromechanics Of Granular Materials And Its Relation To Wave Velocity, Tarun K. Agarwal

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The macro characters of the granular materials depend upon micromechanical parameters such as the void ratio, particle shape, contact force distribution, and initial state of the fabric of the assembly. Since it is difficult to evaluate these internal parameters from laboratory experiments, a macro measure is desired which depends directly on these internal parameters. One such measure has been shown to be dynamic shear modulus but it was incomplete in predicting directional changes in the internal parameters. Therefore, it is hypothesized here that the complete elastic moduli matrix will have more direct information about the internal parameters, especially the dynamic …

Continuum Modeling Methodology For Dynamic Behavior Of Towers, Khaled A. Obeid

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A very common problem in Civil Engineering is the analysis and design of lattice structures. These types of structures generally consist of repetitive sections and have been utilized in the erection of transmission and communication towers, space roof trusses, solar energy collectors, and space platforms. Since lattice structures consist of a significantly large number of members and subsequently a large number of nodes, the classical discrete technique of analysis can be very expensive even on today's modern computers. This study applies a rational approach which capitalizes on the repetitive nature of towers to develop the equivalent continuum model for the …

The Frontal Method For Finite Element Analysis On Ibm-3090 Vector Computer, Chaerul Kamal

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this report, a Finite Element program based on the Frontal method was implemented on the IBM-3090 to exploit the vector capabilities offered by modern high performance vector computers. The overall computational speed for the Frontal Finite Element program was increased by 30% when the vector instructions were introduced. The Frontal solution for a system of simultaneous linear equations, however, has shown only minor improvement when vector instructions were used. More improvement in computational speed and memory storage can be expected by using the Parallel Frontal method with Substructures.

Nonproportionally Loaded Steel Beam-Columns And Flexibly-Connected Nonsway Frames, Siva Prasad Darbhamulla

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A theoretical study of the inelastic stability of nonproportionally loaded steel beam-columns and flexibly-connected frames is conducted. Specifically, solution techniques are formulated to predict the nonlinear behavior of cross sections, spatial beam-columns, and nonsway plane frames under the combined influence of imperfections, flexible connections, and nonproportional loads. A set of new inelastic slope-deflection equations for imperfect members are derived and their use illustrated through in-depth studies of flexibly-connected portal and two-bay two-story frames. These equations are derived from a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The member studies are carried out using a second-order finite-difference solution to a set of …

An Experimental Study Of Dewatering Of Alum Sludge, Uday G. Kelkar

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The use of aluminum sulfate (Alum) as a coagulant for treating surface water was introduced in 1884. When this salt is added to water, the aluminum Ion hydrolyzes by reaction that consumes alkalinity in water. The gelatinous hydroxide thus formed in the reaction, carries suspended material with it as it settles. In addition, however, it is likely that positively charged hydroxyl-bridge dimmers and higher polymers are formed which interact specifically with the colloidal particles, bringing about coagulation. These gelatinous floes settle by gravity, called sludge, consists of relatively large quantities of suspended and colloidal inorganic and organic materials.

The disposal …

The Effect Of Grinding On The Sorption Capacity Of Activated Carbon, John Garrett Dempsey

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The current procedure employed to design full scale activated carbon contacting systems is presented in detail and followed by a review of the more important process controls and operating parameters. Inherent limitations of the design procedure are identified, with the need to be able to accurately predict carbon sorption capacity from bench scale analysis determined to be the most important. Some of the more recent models developed to predict activated carbon sorption capacity were analyzed leading to the realization that even the most sophisticated dynamic models were based upon sorption capacities determined from classical isotherm procedures. The validity of the …

Stability Analysis Of Closed Surge Tanks By Phase-Plane Method, Mostafa A. Sabbah

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The governing equations describing water level oscillations in a closed surge tank with compressed air at the top of the tank are a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations if the hydraulic system is analyzed as a lumped system. These oscillations are stable or unstable depending on the parameters of the plant and the type and magnitude of the disturbance.

The present available stability criterion has been developed by linearizing the governing equations and is, therefore, valid only for small disturbances.

In the research reported herein, the governing equations are normalized to reduce the number of parameters from nine to …

Usage And Limitations Of Characteristic Vector Analysis Of Remote Sensing Multispectral Data For The Identification And Quantification Of Water Quality Parameters, Theodore A. Talay

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Recent applications of the technique of characteristic vector analysis to remote-sensing water color data has met with varying degrees of success. It is apparent from these experiments that a more thorough understanding of the informational capability of characteristic vector analysis is needed.

Fundamental Analysis Of The Linear Multiple Regression Technique For Quantification Of Water Quality Parameters From Remote Sensing Data, Charles Henry Whitlock Iii

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Inconsistent results have been obtained from previous experiments which have applied linear multiple regression techniques to remote sensing data for quantification of water quality parameters. The objective of this investigation is to define optical physics and/or environmental conditions under which the linear multiple regression should be applicable. To achieve this objective, an investigation of the signal response equations is conducted and the concept is tested by application to both analytical test cases and actual remote sensing data from a laboratory under controlled conditions.

Investigation of the signed response equations shows that the exact solution for a number of optical physics …

Static And Dynamic Buckling Of Shallow Arches, David D. Loendorf

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The static and dynamic buckling behaviors of a shallow, simply supported sinusoidal arch subjected to both a uniformly distributed step pressure load and a purely impulsive load are considered. Five equilibrium paths are obtained for the arch under static loading conditions. Critical static loads corresponding to two different instability modes and based on characteristics in the load displacement curve are obtained numerically. Critical dynamic loads, corresponding to three different instability modes, are obtained from a numerical procedure in which buckling criteria are based on characteristics in the time response of the structure. The influence of damping on the various dynamic …

An Experimental Study Of Lateral Soil Pressures And Moments On Flexible Sheet Piles, James H. Donahue

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In order to study the effect compaction has on lateral earth pressures exerted on and bending moments in steel sheet pile bulkheads, an experimental study was undertaken which employed the placement of a non-cohesive soil at two specific densities against three model piles of varying thicknesses. The soil was placed both in a loose and a dense state and the bending strains and deflections of the sheet piles were measured at various stages of backfill. Surface loadings were then placed after completion of the backfilling to observe the effects these loads had on the bending moments. The results of the …