Engineering Commons^™

Wim Based Live Load Model For Bridge Reliability, Marek Kozikowski

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Development of a valid live load model is essential for assessment of serviceability and safety of highway bridges. The current HL-93 load model is based on the Ontario truck measurements performed in 1975. Since that time truck loads have changed significantly. Therefore, the goal of this study is to analyze 2005-2007 Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) data and develop a new statistical live load model.

The analyzed WIM data includes 47,000,000 records obtained from different states. A special program was developed to calculate the maximum live load effect. Comparison of the old and new truck data showed that on average Ontario trucks are …

Implementation Of Erosion Control Warranty Specification, Bob G. Mccullouch, Kok Kuan Ng

JTRP Technical Reports

One of the main issues in a warranty specification for erosion control items is how to evaluate performance objectively. This project developed a methodology that uses digital images to measure compliance with defined vegetation cover requirements. It is designed essentially for areas where vegetation (grass) is selected as the erosion control measure. The research was a technical approach to examine the feasibility of using digital photographic analysis. It does not address all issues related to field conditions and as such would require review by interested parties to be complete. For example, how often should sample pictures to taken. Should a …

Updating And Enhancing The Indiana Bridge Management System (Ibms), Kumares C. Sinha, Samuel Labi, Bobby G. Mccullouch, Abhishek Bhargava, Qiang Bai

JTRP Technical Reports

The Indiana Bridge Management System (IBMS) software package, considered one of the few bridge management system software packages in the United States, possesses several unique features such as multiple criteria analysis but has not been used to its full capabilities because of coding language, outmoded operating system, and other software-related problems. Also, the framework lacked certain considerations such as a preventive maintenance component. In addressing this issue, this study reviewed the existing internal logic of IBMS, and updated some of the cost and deterioration models to include preventive maintenance considerations in the decision tree. Also, the IBMS operating system and …

Modeling The Spatially Varying Water Balance Processes In A Semi- Arid Mountainous Watershed Of Idaho, Benjamin T. Stratton, Venkataramana Sridhar, Molly M. Gribb, James P. Mcnamara, B. Narasimhan

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mountainous watersheds in semi-arid regions are complex hydrologic systems. To critically evaluate the hydrological processes, high resolution spatio-temporal information is necessary. Also, calibrating and validating a watershed-scale model is necessary to enable our understanding of the water balance components in the gauged watersheds. The distributed Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrologic model was applied to a research watershed, the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed (DCEW), near Boise Idaho to investigate its water balance components both temporally and spatially. Daily streamflow data from four streamflow gauges were used for calibration and validation of the model. Monthly estimates of streamflow during the calibration …

Risk Management And Assessment Of Upgrading And Standardizing Guardrail, Karen Zhu, Shuo Li

JTRP Technical Reports

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has installed guardrail systems on interstate highways and other highways in accordance with a variety of standards throughout the years. Traffic volume has increased and the posted speeds have been raised on most INDOT’s interstate highways. Consequently, the characteristics of run-off-the-road (ROR) crashes may have changed. In the meantime, material prices have increased considerably and the guardrail maintenance and crash repair costs have increased accordingly. There is no doubt all these changes will not only greatly affect the ROR crash prediction, but also greatly affect the guardrail benefit/cost analysis. This study examined the current …

Live Load Models For Long Span Bridges, Marta Lutomirska

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the doctoral dissertation a live load model for long span structures was derived. The live load model is valid for spans between 600 ft and 5000 ft and it is intended to reflect current traffic patterns, quantities of trucks and their weights. The live load models available were developed for short and medium span bridges. Those models were not appropriate for long span bridges due to different types of structure and critical traffic patterns. Live load on long spans depends on traffic mix. One heavily overloaded truck does not have significant influence. Moreover, the continuous increase in the number …

Total Storm Management Manual, Indiana Department Of Transportation

JTRP Other Publications and Reports

No abstract provided.

Precast Post-Tensioned Segmental Pole System: U.S. Patent No. Us 6,851,231 B2, Maher K. Tadros, E. Terence Foster, Sherif A. Yehia, Audra L. Hansen

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

A precast post-tensioned segmental pole system capable of supporting a load is provided. The pole system includes a plurality of pole segments that use connectors and strands to anchor them together. The strands extend within a cavity formed in the pole segments and are external to the wall structure of the pole segments. The strands may be coupled between both of the pole segments, or be anchored to a connector. The connector includes an upper piece that is coupled to one pole segment, and a lower piece that is coupled to the other pole segment. Upper and lower pieces interlock …

Eulerian-Lagrangian Two Phase Debris Flow Model, Cora E. Martinez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this work is to develop a quasi three-dimensional numerical model to simulate stony debris flows, considering a continuum fluid phase, composed by water and fine sediments, and a non-continuum phase including large particles, such as pebbles and boulders. Large particles are treated in a Lagrangian frame of reference using the Discrete Element Method, the fluid phase is based on the Eulerian approach, using the Finite Element Method to solve the depth-averaged Navier–Stokes equations in two horizontal dimensions. The particle’s equations of motion are in three dimensions. The model simulates particle-particle collisions and wall-particle collisions, taking into …

A Methodological Framework For Modeling Pavement Maintenance Costs For Projects With Performance-Based Contracts, Kamalesh Panthi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Performance-based maintenance contracts differ significantly from material and method-based contracts that have been traditionally used to maintain roads. Road agencies around the world have moved towards a performance-based contract approach because it offers several advantages like cost saving, better budgeting certainty, better customer satisfaction with better road services and conditions. Payments for the maintenance of road are explicitly linked to the contractor successfully meeting certain clearly defined minimum performance indicators in these contracts. Quantitative evaluation of the cost of performance-based contracts has several difficulties due to the complexity of the pavement deterioration process. Based on a probabilistic analysis of failures …

Development Of A Hurricane-Resistant Roof-To-Wall Connection Using High-Performance Fiber Composites, Cetin Canbek

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Significant portion of losses in hurricanes occur due to a discontinuous load path and weak connections. The purpose of this study was to develop an innovative, efficient and non-intrusive roof-to-wall connection for wood-frame structures using high-performance fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials.

The development of new connections was carried out at the component level tests. Initially the bond strength between FRP and wood interface was investigated. Subsequently, a progressive FRP tie development test was conducted and several alternatives were tested and the most feasible one was chosen.

The new FRP tie was then tested in a full-scale wood-frame structure to …

Integrated Surface-Ground Water Modeling In Wetlands With Improved Methods To Simulate Vegetative Resistance To Flow, Mauro Nalesso

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focused on developing an integrated surface – subsurface hydrologic simulation numerical model by programming and testing the coupling of the USGS MODFLOW-2005 Groundwater Flow Process (GWF) package (USGS, 2005) with the 2D surface water routing model: FLO-2D (O’Brien et al., 1993). The coupling included the necessary procedures to numerically integrate and verify both models as a single computational software system that will heretofore be referred to as WHIMFLO-2D (Wetlands Hydrology Integrated Model). An improved physical formulation of flow resistance through vegetation in shallow waters based on the concept of drag force was also implemented for the simulations of …

Field Investigation Of Subgrade Lime Modification, Chulmin Jung, Sochan Jung, Antonio Bobet, Nayyar Zia Siddiki

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Contract Time Optimization Methodologies For Highway Construction Projects, Yi Jiang, Huaxin Chen

JTRP Technical Reports

This study was conducted to develop methodologies for appropriately determining the monetary values of I/D rates of highway construction projects in Indiana. In this study, a comprehensive literature review was performed to identify possible effective methodologies for work zone effects, construction impacts, and contract time optimization. The highway production rates were developed in a previous study. The production rates were validated and adjusted with the help from INDOT field engineers. The weighin- motion (WIM) collected traffic data were obtained, processed, and analyzed to provide input data for user cost calculations at highway work zones. Construction data were obtained and processed …

Classification Of Marl Soils, Chulmin Jung, Sochan Jung, Antonio Bobet, Nayyar Zia Siddiki

JTRP Technical Reports

Field and laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the degree of uniformity and quality that is obtained with chemical treatment of the subgrade with LKD using current construction techniques. An INDOT road project under construction was selected for the research. A 140-m long subgrade section was chemically treated with LKD with a target thickness of 16 inches, which is the current standard practice, while another 140-m long section was treated with a target thickness of 14 inches. DCP tests were done at each section to obtain the stiffness (or strength) of the chemically-treated and natural (untreated) subgrade soil layers. LWD …

Seismic Vulnerability Of Oregon State Highway Bridges: Mitigation Strategies To Reduce Major Mobility Risks, Albert Nako, Craig Shike, Jan Six, Bruce Johnson, Peter Dusicka, Selamawit Tesfayesus Mehary

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Oregon Department of Transportation and Portland State University evaluated the seismic vulnerability of state highway bridges in western Oregon. The study used a computer program called REDARS2 that simulated the damage to bridges within a transportation network. It predicted ground motions for a specific location and magnitude of earthquake, resulting bridge damage and the cost of the damage, as well as the cost to the public for traffic delays due to detours around damaged bridges. Estimated damage and delay costs were presented for major highways in the region.

Highway Work Zone Risk Factors And Their Impact On Crash Severity, Yingfeng Li, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Numerous factors may contribute to high-severity crashes in highway work zones. Identifying these factors and then alleviating their impact is a challenging task that traffic engineers and researchers have to confront. In this study, the work zone risk factors that could increase the probability of causing fatalities when severe crashes occur were examined using a comprehensive approach. The researchers first identified the significant risk factors based on a screening process that incorporates both statistical analyses and empirical research findings. They then systematically investigated these factors using logistic regression and frequency analysis techniques. The severe crashes including the fatal crashes between …

Use Of Steel Slag In Subgrade Applications, Irem Zeynep Yildirim, Monica Prezzi

JTRP Technical Reports

Steel slag is a by-product of steelmaking and refining processes. In 2006, 10-15 million metric ton of steel slag was generated in the U.S. Out of the total steel slag produced in the U.S. every year, about 50-70% is used as aggregate for road and pavement construction and approximately 15-40% is stockpiled in steel plants and eventually landfilled at slag disposal sites. Since current levels of steel slag stockpiling and landfilling are not sustainable, alternative geotechnical engineering applications for steel slag are being explored to alleviate the slag disposal problem and to help save dwindling natural resources. The main objectives …

Relationship Between Impact Energy And Fracture Toughness Of Prestressed Concrete Railway Sleepers, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Alexander Remennikov

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

The prestressed concrete sleepers (or railroad ties), which are installed in railway track systems as the crosstie beam support, are designed to carry and transfer the wheel loads from the rails to the ground. It is well known that railway tracks are subject to impact loading conditions, which are attributable to the train operations with either wheel or rail abnormalities such as flat wheels, dipped rails, etc. These loads are of very high magnitude but short duration. In addition, there exists the potential of repeated load experience during the design life of prestressed concrete sleepers. Prestressed concrete has played a …

Cross-Well Radar I: Experimental Simulation Of Cross-Well Tomography And Validation, Arvin Farid, Akram N. Alshawabkeh, Carey M. Rappaport

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper explains and evaluates the potential and limitations of conducting Cross-Well Radar (CWR) in sandy soils. Implementing the experiment and data collection in the absence of any scattering object, and in the presence of an acrylic plate (a representative of dielectric objects, such as DNAPL (dense non-aqueous phase liquid) pools, etc.), as a contrasting object in a water-saturated soil is also studied. To be able to image the signature of any object, more than one pair of receiving and transmitting antennas are required. The paper describes a method to achieve repeatable, reliable, and reproducible laboratory results for different transmitter-receiver …

Cross-Well Radar Ii: Comparison And Experimental Validation Of Modeling Channel Transfer Function, Arvin Farid, Sophia H. Zhan, Akram N. Alshawabkeh, Carey M. Rappaport

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Close agreement between theory and experiment is critical for adequate understanding and implementation of the Cross-Well Radar (CWR, otherwise known as Cross-Borehole Ground Penetrating Radar) technique, mentioned in a previous paper by the authors. Comparison of experimental results to simulation using a half-space dyadic Green’s function in the frequency domain requires development of transfer functions to transform the experimental data into a compatible form. A Channel Transfer Function (CTF) was developed to avoid having to model the transmitting and receiving characteristics of the antennas. The CTF considers electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation through the intervening media only (soil in this case), …

Innovative Contracting Manual, Bob Mccullouch

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Design And Applications Of Drilled Displacement (Screw) Piles, Prasenjit Basu, Monica Prezzi

JTRP Technical Reports

Drilled displacement (DD) piles (commonly known as „screw piles‟ in Europe) are being increasingly used as foundation elements for structures, particularly in projects requiring accelerated construction or involving the rehabilitation of foundations of existing, overstressed structures. Different types of DD piles are available in practice; each type is classified according to the design of the drilling tool and associated installation method. Installation of DD piles causes substantial changes in the state of the soil surrounding the pile. These changes result from the complex loading imposed on the soil by expansion of a cylindrical cavity to make room for the specially …

Classification Of Organic Soils, Pao-Tsung Huang, Mital Patel, Maria Caterina Santagata, Antonio Bobet

JTRP Technical Reports

The presence of organics in soils is generally associated with high compressibility, significant secondary compression, often unsatisfactory strength characteristics, and low unit weight. As a result of the above, many state DOTs (Departments of Transportation) in the United States have strict limits on the maximum value of the organic content (2-7%) that can be present in soils to be used as sub grades and backfills. The loss on ignition test is the most widely used technique for measuring organic content. However, especially for low organic content soils, this method can lead to significantly overestimate the true organic content. As a …

Worker Injury Prevention Strategies, Carlos A. Ferreira-Diaz, Alma Torres-Zapata, Christopher A. Nanovic, Dulcy M. Abraham

JTRP Technical Reports

As the trend of increased highway construction and/or rehabilitation continues to grow, the public often demands that delays in work zones be kept to a minimum. Thus, the flow of traffic through the construction zone must be maintained while performing pavement maintenance/ repair/ reconstruction activities. At the same time, the safety of personnel and property in highway construction work zones must be ensured. Three types of risks are encountered by construction and maintenance workers in construction workzones: (a) risks due to underprotection or lack of protection against potential hazards (including lack of hearing protection, eye protection, respiratory protection); (b) effect …

Automated Vehicle Location (Avl) For Road Condition Reporting, Bob G. Mccullouch, Michelle Leung, Wonjin Kang

JTRP Technical Reports

This project developed an AVL system for INDOT that utilized the statewide wireless network, SAFE-T. This option was chosen after doing a cost analysis of commercial AVL systems that use cellular data communications. The system developed provides real time information collected during snow and ice removal. Information includes weather and road conditions, truck speed, amount of chemicals spread, time, location, plow position, and road temperature. This information is displayed on INDOT GIS maps available through a browser on the INDOT network. The data is also transferred to the MDSS that INDOT uses in winter activities. This system experienced significant data …

Pilot Rainwater Harvesting Study Ireland, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender

Conference papers

There are no National Water Quality Standards for Rainwater Harvesting supply in Ireland. The Development Technology Centre (DTC) at the Technological University Dublin was commissioned by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee in 2005 to assess the feasibility of using rainwater harvesting to supplement treated mains water for non-potable uses. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting facilities for rural domestic and agricultural water supply. This paper will present the results from the domestic pilot rwh project. A dual water supply system was designed and installed to use rainwater collected from the roof surface to …

Review Construction Techniques For Accelerated Construction And Cost Implications, Joo Hyoung (Jay) Lee, Bob G. Mccullouch

JTRP Technical Reports

Transportation construction activities on heavy traffic routes can be very disruptive to the system users due to lane closures, construction traffic, or reduced speed zones. Besides the driving public, local businesses are also affected by noise and air pollution, loss of access, or changing access routes. Thus, it is apparent that minimizing construction time will lessen these impacts. The primary objectives of this project are to explore some alternative methods to expedite construction time for particular project types whereby mitigating disruptions to the traveling public and to identify construction activities that can be accelerated by those selected methods. To accomplish …

A Method For Accounting For Pile Setup And Relaxation In Pile Design And Quality Assurance, Prasenjit Basu, Rodrigo Salgado, Monica Prezzi, Tanusree Chakraborty

JTRP Technical Reports

When piles are installed by jacking or driving, they cause substantial changes in the state of soil located near the pile. These changes result from the complex loading imposed on the soil by expansion of a cylindrical cavity to make room for the pile, by multiple cycles of shearing in the vertical direction as the pile gradually moves down into the ground, and by the slow drainage associated with clayey soils. If a pile is load-tested a short time after installation, it will develop an axial resistance that reflects the existence in the soil of the excess pore pressures caused …

A Novel Tdr-Based Coaxial Cable Sensor For Crack/Strain Sensing In Reinforced Concrete Structures, Shishuang Sun, David Pommerenke, James L. Drewniak, Genda Chen, Liang Xue, Michael A. Brower, Marina Koledintseva

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Novel coaxial cable sensors that feature high sensitivity and high spatial resolution are developed for health monitoring of concrete structures using a time-domain reflectometry (TDR). The new sensor was designed based on the topology change of its outer conductor, which was fabricated with tightly wrapped commercial tin-plated steel spiral covered with solder. The cracks that developed within concrete structures will lead to out-of-contact of local steel spirals. This topology change results in a large impedance discontinuity that can be measured with a TDR. A simplified equivalent transmission line model and numerical full-wave simulations using finite-difference time-domain techniques were used to …