Engineering Commons^™

Energy Management And Sizing Of A Stand-Alone Hybrid Renewable Energy System For Community Electricity, Fresh Water, And Cooking Gas Demands Of A Remote Island, Mim M. Ahmed, Barun K. Das, Pronob Das, Md S. Hossain, Md G. Kibria

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research into the off-grid hybrid energy system to provide reliable electricity to a remote community has extensively been done. However, simultaneous meeting electric, freshwater, and gas demands from the off-grid hybrid energy sources are very scarce in literature. Power- to-X (PtX) is gaining attention in recent days in the energy transition scenarios to generate green hydrogen, the primary product of the process as an energy carrier, which is deemed to replace conventional fuels to reach absolute carbon neutrality. In this study, renewable–based hybrid energy is developed to simultaneously meet the electricity, freshwater, and gas (cooking gas via methanation process) demands …

A Bayesian Network-Based Methodology For Improved Bridge Load Rating And Asset Management, Jeffery Mark Roberts

Dissertations and Theses

From the day a new structure is made available for use, to the day that the structure is no longer able to fulfill an intended purpose, structural safety is a vital interest. Managing a portfolio of structures can be a difficult undertaking for an asset manager, particularly if different types of structures are being maintained. The goal is to manage assets in the most efficient manner which can be influenced by, at a minimum, safety and financial concerns.

A potential tool for an asset manager or owner is the use of Bayesian Networks (BNs). When a BN is used to …

A Systems Approach To Design And Plan Sustainable Antifragile Infrastructure Based On Aggregate Footprint And Satisfaction, Farboud Khatami

Theses and Dissertations

The concepts of robustness and sustainability in planning and design of water and energy infrastructures have been extensively explored in previous research, primarily focusing on system reliability, environmental considerations, and economic aspects. This study aims to broaden the understanding of these concepts by offering comprehensive frameworks that capture the essence of robustness and sustainability at two distinct levels.

The first level of investigation focuses on the performance of infrastructure networks during natural disasters. Traditionally, this has been addressed using reliability, resilience, and vulnerability metrics. However, these methods rely on static, deterministic, and non-stationary data, which is inadequate when dealing with …

Indication Of Pedestrian’S Travel Direction Through Bluetooth Low Energy Signals Perceived By A Single Observer Device, Mayank Parmar, Paula Kelly, Damon Berry

Conference papers

This paper presents a study to understand the directional sensitivity of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) monitoring device (Observer) and whether, using a single such Observer, the characteristics of its antenna can be used to identify the direction of a pedestrian’s movement. To comprehend the directional characteristics of the antenna of the Observer employed for this study, the device is subjected to BLE signals emitted from a BLE beacon (Broadcaster) in an anechoic chamber. The results of this study confirmed that in the clean, noiseless environment of the chamber, the antenna we employed is clearly more receptive to signals emerging …

Does Transit Service Reliability Influence Ridership?, Srinivas S. Pulugurtha, Raunak Mishra, Sravya L. Jayanthi

Mineta Transportation Institute

This research focused on analyzing the association between transit service reliability indicators and ridership. Further, the effect of road network, demographic, socioeconomic, and land use characteristics on transit service reliability was analyzed. The analysis was conducted at a bus stop level. Bus arrival/departure and ridership data from the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) was obtained. The road network, demographic, socioeconomic, and land use characteristics were captured within 0.25-mile and 0.50-mile buffers. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to understand the association between road network, demographic, socioeconomic, and land use characteristics and bus transit service reliability measures. The results show that bus …

Effect Of Weather Events On Travel Time Reliability And Crash Occurrence, Sonu Mathew, Srinivas S. Pulugurtha

Mineta Transportation Institute

The magnitude of the effect of adverse weather conditions on road operational performance varies with the type of weather condition and the road characteristics of the road links and adjacent links. Therefore, the relationship between weather and traffic is always a concern to traffic engineers and planners, and they have extensively explored ways to integrate weather information into transportation systems. Understanding the influence of weather on operational performance and safety helps traffic engineers and planners to proactively plan and manage transportation systems. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of adverse weather conditions on travel time …

Improving The Reliability Of Visual Inspections Conducted By Environmental Health And Safety Professionals, On A Hyperscale Data Centre Construction Site, Alex A. Schouten, Victor Hrymak

Conference papers

The conduct of visual inspections on construction sites is of crucial importance for workplace safety. This is because visual inspection is the primary method by which construction site hazards are routinely observed, monitored and controlled. However, there is no consensus guidance as to how such visual inspections should be conducted. This is resulting in many observable hazards going unseen and therefore not being appropriately managed on construction sites worldwide. In an attempt to improve the reliability of visual inspection, this study presents results from an innovative method called systematic visual inspection which utilises an iterative set eye scan pattern during …

Assessment Of Tropical Cyclone Wind And Wave Hazards And Their Effect On The Reliability Of Wind Turbines, Chao Sheng

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Tropical cyclone (TC) induces strong winds, heavy rainfalls, and storm surge. They cause fatalities and property damages, especially in the coastal regions that are prone to TC hazards. The TC wind or wave assessments were reported in the literature. The assessment provides the required hazard characterizations for assessing the reliability and risk of structures such as onshore and offshore wind turbines (WTs). The present study considered sites near the coastline of mainland China. It is focused on 1) the assessment of using different historical best-track datasets on the development of stochastic TC track models and on the estimated TC wind …

Evaluation Of Reliability Indicators Of A Transformer Angular Displacement Transducer, S.F. Amirov, M.S. Yakubov, N.R. Yuldashev

The Scientific Journal of Vehicles and Roads

Based on the analysis of statistical data on the state of transformer angular displacement transducers, the following calculations of probabilistic reliability indicators were performed: failure rate, mean time to failure; the probability of failure-free operation with a sufficiently long operation and gamma-percentage resource; confidence upper and lower bounds are determined, under the chosen conditions of significance, the calculated values ​​satisfy Pearson's χ^2 criterion and therefore do not contradict the experimental data. By analyzing the selected levels of significance, the existence of exponential and normal laws in the laws of probability distribution was revealed.

Best Practices For Performance Measurement In Transportation Operations And Maintenance, Bryan Gibson, Rachel Catchings, Chris Van Dyke, Steve Waddle, Doug Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Public agencies benefit from measuring their performance as it helps to focus employee and organizational activities. State departments of transportation have become more performance-oriented over the past two decades and routinely collect data on highway safety, infrastructure condition, system operations, project delivery, winter maintenance, transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and customer service. While the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) use performance measures in a variety of areas, the agency wants to adopt new metrics related to mobility and the responsiveness of maintenance operations. This report documents performance measurement strategies used at state transportation agencies throughout the country and proposes new performance …

Uncertainties In Internal Pressure Of Oil Pipelines And Implications For The Reliability Analysis, Yue Liu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The internal pressure is the most important operational load for oil and gas pipelines. The maximum operating pressure (MOP) is the maximum pressure the pipeline is qualified to be operated according to a given standard. In deterministic fitness-for-service (FFS) assessment of in-service pipelines containing flaws such as corrosion defects and cracks, the remaining pressure containment capacity of the pipeline is evaluated and compared with MOP multiplied by a factor of safety to determine if immediate rehabilitation actions for the pipeline are necessary. However, the actual internal pressure of an in-service pipeline is however uncertain and fluctuates with time. Due to …

Computational Design Of Nonlinear Stress-Strain Of Isotropic Materials, Askhad M.Polatov, Akhmat M. Ikramov, Daniyarbek Razmukhamedov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article deals with the problems of numerical modeling of nonlinear physical processes of the stress-strain state of structural elements. An elastoplastic medium of a homogeneous solid material is investigated. The results of computational experiments on the study of the process of physically nonlinear deformation of isotropic elements of three-dimensional structures with a system of one- and double-periodic spherical cavities under uniaxial compression are presented. The influence and mutual influence of stress concentrators in the form of spherical cavities, vertically located two cavities and a horizontally located system of two cavities on the deformation of the structure are investigated. Numerical …

Reliability Of Sfrp-Strengthened Rc Bridge Columns Subjected To Blast Loads, Ahmad Alsendi, Christopher D. Eamon

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research Publications

The reliability of reinforced concrete bridge columns strengthened with externally bonded, steel-fiber reinforced polymer fabric subjected to blast loads was investigated. Columns were modeled with a nonlinear finite element approach that considers material damage, fracture, and separation. Different concrete strengths, longitudinal reinforcement ratios, and gravity and blast load levels were considered, while uncertainties in material strength and stiffness parameters, as well as load characteristics, were incorporated in the probabilistic analysis. It was found that the use of SFRP can allow significant increases in blast load while maintaining the same level of column reliability.

Probabilistic Prediction Model For Rc Bond Failure Mode, Ahmad Soraghi, Qindan Huang

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Adequate rebar-concrete bonding is crucial to ensure the reliable performance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Many factors such as the concrete properties, concrete cover depth, transverse reinforcement, and the presence of corrosion will affect the bond behavior, and consequently, the structural performance. While many prior studies have focused on the influence of the aforementioned factors on the bond strength, the impact of these factors on the bond failure mode has not been thoroughly investigated. A probabilistic bond failure mode prediction model that considers various influencing factors including loading type and corrosion is developed in this study. This study uses the …

Corrosion Management System Of Regional Reinforced Concrete (Rc) Bridges, Homero Castaneda, Ayman Okeil

Publications

Civil infrastructure assets, including buildings, transportation networks, energy grids and networks, and water-sewer systems, are critical functional components of day-to-day life activity in a modern society. The durability and reliability of these civil infrastructures are largely affected by corrosion-induced structural deterioration. In addition to continual use and increasing traffic demands, natural environmental conditions set degradation due to corrosion damage as a critical condition to durable and reliable infrastructures. Therefore, in order to improve the durability of the bridge infrastructures affected by corrosion in the most efficient manor, we propose a procedure/methodology to manage integrity of corroding RC bridges which is …

Malfunction Analysis In The Freight Cars Used In Uzbekistan And Measures For Their Elimination, Nodir Botirovich Adilov

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

This article uses the analysis of malfunctions of the load-carrying apparatus of freight car structures used in Uzbekistan. The reasons for the occurrence of malfunctions in the load car structures are studied. It seems that in order to determine the technical condition of the device, it is possible to increase the reliability of the stored device by making the correct conclusion from the fault signs derived from the design parameters using information received from the controlled stands.

Reliability Analysis Of Concrete Gravity Dams Under Earthquake Loads, Anu Abraham

LSU Master's Theses

Dams are infrastructure assets of extreme importance; the failure of which can have catastrophic consequences on adjacent communities. Therefore, it is prudent for authorities to evaluate the safety of existing dams in seismically active regions. This thesis focuses on carrying out a reliability analysis of concrete gravity dams under earthquake loads using an enhanced finite element model. For many years, reliability studies on concrete gravity dams were performed using a finite element model that considered a massless foundation and assumed that water is incompressible. Moreover, the design ground motion was applied without any modification either at the bottom fixed boundary …

Calculation Of Operational Suitability And Reliability Of Structures, Nodira Ziyayevna Saatova, Abdurakhman Asimovich Ishankhodjaev

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

With the acquisition of independence of our Republic in the system of transport communications, great importance was attached to the qualitative improvement of the design, construction, and operation of aboveground structures. Many tasks have been performed to increase the reliability and strength analysis of these bridges. Along with these, improving methods for calculating the resource of artificial structures in the system of transport communications are required. The Strategy for the Further Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including the following tasks: "... implementation of targeted programs for the development and modernization of road transport, engineering, communication, and social infrastructures, ...". …

Method For Evaluating The Residual Resource Of Long Designs, Sergey Vladimirovich Chizhov, Ulugbek Zabixullayevich Shermuxamedov, Sharofat Shavkatovna Kadirova

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

The article describes a method for calculating the safety of extended structures, in particular tunnels. The probabilistic approach to solving the problem is analyzed using the reliability of the structure with the probability of failure-free operation and assessment of the residual life of the structure. These characteristics make it possible to predict the residual life of the structure within a time value until the design has exhausted its ultimate state. An assessment of the operational reliability of the structure is carried out by measuring and establishing existing structural defects. Based on the data obtained, an analysis was carried out and …

Extending Water Resources Performance Metrics To River Ecosystems, Belize A. Lane, J. Pablo Ortiz-Partida, Samuel Sandoval-Solis

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A persistent challenge in integrated water management is the ability to accurately evaluate human and ecological tradeoffs. Two-dimensional (2D) hydraulic models are frequently used to evaluate water management alternatives concerning aquatic species physical habitat needs or preferences. Recent studies have assessed the timing or duration of suitable habitat conditions, but no standardized approach exists to integrate and interpret ecohydraulic model outputs within a water management framework. Such an approach is needed to maximize the information obtained from model outputs and to facilitate communication between river scientists and water managers. This study presents a general framework to aggregate and summarize 2D …

Análisis Por Confiabilidad Del Modelo De Diseño Aashto 93 Para Pavimentos Flexibles En El Valle De Aburrá, Mario Santiago Hernández, Juan Pablo Osorio, Juan Camilo Viviescas

Books/Book Chapters

La necesidad de construir pavimentos con mejores especificaciones técnicas y mayores períodos de servicio requiere de una modelación rigurosa de la variabilidad en las propiedades geotécnicas con el fin de garantizar la confiabilidad de estas estructuras. Por lo tanto, se realizó un análisis basado en la confiabilidad del método Aashto-93, considerando la variabilidad geotécnica del suelo, asociada al módulo resiliente de la subrasante. Los diseños por confiabilidad fueron efectuados de acuerdo con las categorías, parámetros y estructuras establecidas por el Manual de diseño de pavimentos asfálticos en vías con medios y altos volúmenes de tránsito, de 1998, del Instituto Nacional …

Application Of Survival Analysis Techniques To Probabilistic Assessment Of Fatigue In Steel Bridges, Azam Nabizadehdarabi

Theses and Dissertations

The fatigue of engineering materials under repetitive loading is a significant issue affecting the design and durability of components and systems in a variety of engineering-related applications including civil, mechanical, aerospace, automotive, and electronics. Many factors can affect the service life of a component or system under repetitive loading, such as the type of structure, loading, connection details, stress state, peak stress or stress range, surface condition, temperature, and environmental exposure. Currently, there is no comprehensive probabilistic approach that can systematically address all the factors that contribute to fatigue on a single mathematical platform. However, advanced analysis techniques developed for …

Research Of System Conditions For Formation Of Failure On Mathematical Models By The Results Of The Research Of Reinforced Concrete Bridges, E.T. Yaxshiev, F.Z. Zokirov, A.B. Karimova

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

Based on the data of field surveys, the results of assessing the state of reinforced concrete span structures of bridges and characteristic defects that occur in the structure during operation are presented. An analysis of the results of inspections and periodic inspections responsible for the operation of artificial structures shows that a significant part of reinforced concrete spans has various types of defects and damage to load-bearing structures. Studies show that defects have a significant impact on the operational properties of reinforced concrete spans, leading both to a limitation of the speed regime of train movements and to the emergence …

Diagnostic Method For Current Collectors Of Freight Electric Locomotives In The Conditions Of The Republic Of Uzbekistan, B.B. Abdurakhmanov

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

The paper provides a method for diagnosing current collectors of freight electric locomotives in the Republic of Uzbekistan in order to increase the reliability of current collectors, as well as reduce the time for their operation. A large number of failures attributable to current collectors, in particular to current collector inserts, were revealed. Improving the reliability, which will improve the reliability of the electric locomotive as a whole. To date, the electric locomotives of the park of the Republic of Uzbekistan do not have the diagnostic tools to determine the condition of current collector inserts. The article provides an algorithm …

Proposed New Military Live Load For Highway Bridges In The United States, Walter P. Parker

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the results of a mathematical analysis of various live load combinations on highway bridge spans up to 304.8 meters (1,000 feet) total lengths. The analysis included continuous beams, but only the results for simple beams is presented. The analysis was performed using an independently developed Microsoft EXCEL spreadsheet computation, based on superposition and classical mechanics.

In this thesis, several actual bridge live loadings and several hypothetical live loadings were analyzed and compared to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Load and Resistance Factor Design method. Also considered was the new bridge design method adopted …

Design And Evaluation Of Iot-Enabled Instrumentation For A Soil-Bentonite Slurry Trench Cutoff Wall, Jeffrey C. Evans, Alan Marchiori, Yadong Li

Faculty Journal Articles

In this work, we describe our approach and experiences bringing an instrumented soil-bentonite slurry trench cutoff wall into a modern IoT data collection and visualization pipeline. Soil-bentonite slurry trench cutoff walls have long been used to control ground water flow and contaminant transport. A Raspberry Pi computer on site periodically downloads the sensor data over a serial interface from an industrial datalogger and transmits the data wirelessly to a gateway computer located 1.3 km away using a reliable transmission protocol. The resulting time-series data is stored in a MongoDB database and data is visualized in real-time by a custom web …

Reliability Issues Caused By The Retirement Of Large Thermal Generation Facilities: An Irish Case Study, Kyle Lawson, Jane Courtney

Conference papers

Like all developed countries Ireland faces increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. Part of the governments plans include the scaling back of fossil fuel generation facilities and increasing renewable resources. Moneypoint is Irelands only coal fired generation station. In 2025 Moneypoint is due to reach the end of its life cycle. At this point the Irish government will have to make a decission on the future of the generation facility. Currently Moneypoint is responsible for the generation of approximately 10 % of Irelands energy needs. In this paper, the removal of Moneypoint from the Irish generation portfolio will be …

Performance-Based Economical Seismic Design Of Multistory Reinforced Concrete Frame Buildings And Reliability Assessment, Chunyu Zhang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As the next generation of seismic design methodology, performance-based seismic design (PBSD) method requires a structure satisfy multiple preselected performance levels under different hazard levels. Optimal PBSD methods provide different strategies to design the numerous variables, including strength, stiffness and ductility of each structural component. The overall goal of this study is to develop a new optimal PBSD method for multi-story RC moment frames. This method is capable of overcoming the deficiencies of existing optimal PBSD methods and can be implemented by the U.S. design practice. The proposed method minimizes construction cost and takes the limit of member plastic rotation …

Aversion And Warning Factors For Assessing Existing Reinforced Concrete Structures, Marcie Van Weerdhuizen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In a world of aging infrastructure, sustainability initiatives require additional investment in the assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures. Reliability-based assessment should minimize costs by reducing conservatism, while ensuring levels of safety equivalent to those for new designs. Current Canadian and US provisions assign target reliability levels for structural assessment based on criteria including occupancy type, expected failure behaviour, and the effect of element failure on the overall structural integrity. These criteria are defined using discrete and qualitative parameter values. It is shown that the true structural conditions can be better represented by verifying the applicability and completeness of these …

A Comprehensive Reliability-Based Framework For Corrosion Damage Monitoring And Repair Design Of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Homero Castaneda, Aydin Karsilaya, Ayman Okeil, Mahmoud Reda Taha

Publications

In this work, we developed a comprehensive framework for corrosion management of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. This framework includes critical steps of an effective approach to quantify the damage evolution as well as providing the timeframe for effective maintenance/repair strategies for corrosion assessment in RC structures. The framework included several activities including the use of indirect and direct inspection tools, theoretical development for damage prediction, experimental measurements and theoretical development of repair time based on reliability. The uniqueness of the framework is the integration of deterministic modeling of corrosion damage evolution by using mechanistic analysis with statistical modeling on corrosion …