Engineering Commons^™

Thermo-Elasto-Plastic Stability Of Biaxially Loaded Hollow Rectangular Section Steel Beam-Columns With Applied Torsion, George Adomako Kumi

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Presented herein is an experimental and theoretical study of biaxially loaded hollow rectangular section steel beam-columns with applied torsion at elevated temperatures. The theoretical analysis is based on a system of simultaneous materially nonlinear differential equations of equilibrium for which an iterative semi-analytic solution approach is formulated. Although the primary goal of this research is to study the influence of elevated temperatures on the steel member with the complex loading, rigorous analysis is also conducted of the member at ambient temperature for comparison. The experimental part of the study involves conducting tests on the members at both ambient and high …

Quasi-Static And Impact Load Response Of Bfrp-Reinforced Concrete Beams And Post-Terrorist-Attack Sub-Assemblages, José Luis Carrasquillo

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents the outcome of a theoretical and experimental study of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) reinforced concrete beams and post-terrorist-attack subassemblages subjected to either quasi-static or impact load. Both BFRP reinforcement as well as BFRP fabric are used in this investigation. The sub-assemblage consists of an otherwise two-span beam converted to a fixed-end single-span one owing to the loss of a middle column blasted off during the terrorist attack. The simply supported beams are subjected to a midspan quasistatic or an impact load. However, each sub-assemblage is subjected to a quasi-static load up to collapse to simulate the …

Experimental Study On Fiber Reinforced Concrete (Frc) Beams With Splices, Mohie Eldin Salah Shoukry, Ahmed Mokhtar Tarabia, Nabil Youssef Nabil

Journal of Engineering Research

This paper presents the results of an experimental study involving nine simply supported beams featuring lap-spliced bars within the constant moment zone. All beams shared identical reinforcement details, including three longitudinal reinforcement bars (12 mm diameter) and two top reinforcement bars (8 mm diameter) for shear stirrup hanging. The lap-spliced specimens were created with a splice length of thirty times the bar diameter (360 mm). The study focused on two key parameters: the fiber content of hooked-end steel fibers used in the concrete mix and the presence of stirrups in the lap-splice region. The hooked-end steel fiber used was with …

Innovation In Egyptian Linear Construction Projects: Enablers, Obstacles, And Suggested Improvements, Saeed Ahmed Elshinawy, Mohammed Elsayed Elsharkawy Assis. Prof., Adel Ibrahim Eldosouky Emeritus Professor

Journal of Engineering Research

Abstract- This research aims to investigate the obstacles, enablers, and suggested improvements for innovation in the Egyptian linear construction projects. The study is motivated by the need to understand the dynamics of innovation within these projects and identify practical approaches to overcome obstacles to innovation.

Owners, contractors, and consultants involved in linear construction projects constituted the target population of the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a representative sample of 70 participants.

It is found that time and budget constraints, along with traditional tendering and procurement methods were significant obstacles to innovation, while technological and technical …

Effect Of Corrugation Properties On The Flexural Behavior Of Small-Scale Mono-Symmetric Steel Girders With Corrugated Webs, Ahmed Elgendy, Ahmed M. El Hadidy, Dr. Mahmoud Hassan Elboghdadi

Journal of Engineering Research

Steel girders with corrugated webs have been extensively researched and used in a variety of applications during the last few decades, including bridges and industrial buildings. Many studies explored the behavior of double symmetric girders with corrugated webs, but only a few articles used unequal flanges. Furthermore, the majority of research focuses on large-scale girders such as bridge girders, with just a few publications considering small-scale girders that may be employed in traditional construction applications. Additionally, performed investigations that consider the flexural behavior focused their studies on the effect of varying the dimensions of flanges without considering the effect of …

Finite Element Investigation For The Flexural Behavior Of Small-Scale Mono-Symmetric Steel Girders With Corrugated Webs, Ahmed H. Elgendy, Ahmed M. El Hadidy, Dr. Mahmoud Hassan Elboghdadi

Journal of Engineering Research

In the last decades, steel girders with corrugated webs have been widely investigated and implemented in many applications such as bridges and industrial facilities. Many researchers investigated the flexural behavior of traditional doubly symmetric girders with corrugated webs, but a very limited number of investigations considered the usage of unequal flanges. In addition, for most cases the performed investigations focus on the behavior of large-scale girders similar to bridge girders, while few papers considered small-scale girders that could be used in traditional structures. Thus, the objective of this paper is to investigate the lateral torsional buckling behavior of small-scale unsymmetric …

Performance Evaluation Of Gravity Quay Walls Under Seismic Loads, Magdy Ali Fawzy, Bakenaz A. Zeidan, Yasser Elhakem, Ahmed I. Elshinnawy Dr.

Journal of Engineering Research

This study explores the seismic performance of a prototype block-type quay wall using the PLAXIS 2D software. The numerical model was forced by historical records of two earthquakes employing four soil types including sand, clay, gravel, and rock. The study investigated the influence of the earthquake seismic motion level, seismic motion configuration, peak ground acceleration (PGA) value, tidal range, and soil type on the structure behavior under the seismic action. Additionally, we assessed the accepted damage level of the structure based on the computed horizontal displacement and tilting. Results indicate that the structure behaves differently under the same seismic load …

Modelling Techniques For Slab Track Systems, Mohamed Hafez Fahmy Aly, Islam Mahmoud Abou El-Naga, Ahmed Abdul Hay Soliman, Muhammad Ahmad Diab

Journal of Engineering Research

The railway slab track has replaced the ballast material in the classical ballasted track with reinforced concrete slab or asphalt layer to cope up with the increasing axle loads, train high-speeds, and to reduce overall maintenance cost. This paper aims to investigate the linear and nonlinear behavior of the most common slab track systems (BÖGL, Shinkansen, and RHEDA 2000) using American (AREMA) loads for different soil types to recommend the most suitable analysis type for each component of the slab track systems. Slab track Finite Element models have been built using Midas GTS NX software. The geometric model for each …

Watercave: Virtual Reality For Engaging The Next Generation In Wastewater Management, Leeza Duller

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

Within the next five to ten years, a significant portion of water and wastewater personnel are expected to retire, posing a substantial challenge for the utilities industry. The potential shortage of experienced workers poses inherent risks to the continuity of water services. WaterCAVE emerges as one of several tools designed to address this impending issue by engaging and inspiring the next generation to consider careers in the wastewater industry. This virtual reality (VR) simulation utilizes a ten-sided immersive display and was designed using Unity's 3D real-time development platform. Students from various educational levels, ranging from Pre-K to 12, are invited …

Performance Assessment Of Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials With Low To High Thermoregulation Range In Asphalt Binder, Anil Kumar Baditha, Ayyaz Fareed

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

Asphalt pavements face significant challenges due to low temperature cracking and rutting caused by extreme temperature fluctuations and traffic loading. These issues result in higher maintenance costs and reduced service life of the pavements. To address this, researchers explored the use of Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials (MPCMs) to induce thermoregulation in asphalt pavements. However, the existing research focused on high-temperature performance of binders, highlighting the need of research on evaluating the low-temperature performance. Therefore, the study aims to evaluate the impact of incorporating MPCMs on low to high temperature performance of binders. Three types of MPCMs were incorporated into asphalt …

Use Of Waste Plastics In Asphalt Mixes: Addressing The Variability Of Source, Venkatsushanth Revelli, Anil Kumar Baditha

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

Use of waste plastics in asphalt mixtures suffers from a serious problem of significant variability with global sources; preventing proper guidelines for field applications. The aim of this study is to address the variability in source of waste plastic and its impact on asphalt mixture design. The study was designed to provide a selection criterion to evaluate the suitability of waste polyethylene (PE) for asphalt pavements. PE obtained from five sources was used as a replacement for asphalt binder. Dry mixing of plastics with asphalt and aggregate was performed at the dosage levels of 3%, 6%, and 9%. The changes …

Drivers’ Hazard Avoidance During Vehicle Automation: Impact Of Mental Models And Implications For Training, Ganesh Pai Mangalore

Doctoral Dissertations

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are vehicle automation systems that have become more accessible and prevalent in vehicles in recent years. But the introduction of such technologies introduces new human factors challenges. Past literature suggests that users of vehicle automation lack the necessary and appropriate knowledge about their automation system. This may play a negative role in their hazard avoidance abilities when driving with automation features. Improving mental models and knowledge could generally lead to safer interactions with vehicle automation systems, but any effort to develop hazard avoidance skills when driving with vehicle automation is impeded by the lack of …

Safety Investigation Of Crash Rates During Hurricane Evacuations, Amelia K. Lawson

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This study aimed to investigate crash rates across four distinct periods—evacuation, re-entry, emergency, and non-emergency—during Hurricanes Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), and Michael (2018). A notable gap in existing research pertains to understanding crash rates during these critical phases of hurricane events. By addressing this gap, this research contributes to a deeper comprehension of evacuation transportation safety. The methodology employed ArcMap to construct an interactive map for data collection, encompassing key variables such as the number of crashes, traffic volumes, duration of each period under analysis, and roadway segment lengths for each hurricane. Evaluating the crash rate per million vehicular miles …

Sanitation In Urban Areas May Limit The Spread Of Antimicrobial Resistance Via Flies, Drew Capone, Oliver Cumming, Abeoseh Flemister, Victor Ilevbare, Seth R. Irish, Ishi Keenum, Jackie Knee, Rassul Nala, Joe Brown

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Synanthropic filth flies are common where sanitation is poor and fecal wastes are accessible to them. These flies have been proposed as mechanical vectors for the localized transport of fecal microbes including antimicrobial resistant (AMR) organisms and associated antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), increasing exposure risks. We evaluated whether an onsite sanitation intervention in Maputo, Mozambique reduced the concentration of enteric bacteria and the frequency of detection of ARGs carried by flies collected in household compounds of low-income neighborhoods. Additionally, we assessed the phenotypic resistance profile of Enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from flies during the pre-intervention phase. After fly enumeration at study …

Numerical Study Of Cone Penetration In Calcareous Sands: Investigating Cone Tip Resistance Correction Factors For Crushable Soils, Stephanie Michelle Hyder

Dissertations and Theses

The cone penetration test (CPT) is used to characterize the behavior and properties of soils, including the susceptibility to earthquake liquefaction triggering. The cone tip resistance relates to liquefaction susceptibility through relative density, where relative density is closely related to both cone tip resistance and liquefaction susceptibility. Currently, published methods of estimating liquefaction potential (i.e., cyclic resistance ratio) are based on silica sands and do not properly characterize calcareous sands. The measured cone tip resistance in calcareous sands is lower than in silica sands at the same relative density; this difference is generally attributed to the higher compressibility of calcareous …

A 4-Node Shell Finite Element Based On Assumed Bending And Membrane Strains For Static Analysis Of Plates And Shells, Sifeddine Abderrahmani

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

In this paper the development of a new rectangular flat shell element is proposed. This element is called SBRPK-SBRIE. This element is used in the numerical analysis of thin structures based on the strain approach with linear elastic behavior. Combining bending and membrane elements yields the proposed element.The strain-based rectangular finite element for the thin plate bending element denoted SBRPK, and the strain-based membrane element denoted SBRIE. Several numerical examples have been conducted to assess the accuracy and reliability of the developed element compared with the theoretical results and other finite elements. Obtained results show its good performance compared to …

Parametric Analysis Of Co2 Hydrogenation Via Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis: A Review Based On Machine Learning For Quantitative Assessment, Jing Hu, Yixao Wang, Xiyue Zhang, Yunshan Wang, Gang Yang, Lufang Shi, Yong Sun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This review focuses on the parametric impacts upon conversion and selectivity during CO2 hydrogenation via Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis using iron-based catalyst to provide quantitative evaluation. Using all collected data from reported literatures as training dataset via artificial neural networks (ANNs) in TensorFlow, three categorized parameters (namely: operational, catalyst informatic and mass transfer) were deployed to assess their impacts upon conversions (CO2) and selectivity. The lump kinetic power expressions among literature reports were compared, and the best fit model is the one that was proposed by this work without arbitrarily assuming power values of individual partial pressure (CO and H2). More …

Investigating Gulf Coast Aquifer System: Stratigraphy Reconstruction, Inverse Modeling, And Groundwater Stress Assessment, Shuo Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Mississippi Embayment aquifer system (MEAS) and the Coastal Lowlands aquifer system (CLAS) provide substantial groundwater resources for human activities in the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain. However, the overexploitation has led to groundwater depletion in the MEAS and the CLAS, threatening sustainable groundwater use. Such concern highlights the crucial need for an advanced understanding of stratigraphy and groundwater in these aquifer systems, which is essential for effective regional groundwater management. This dissertation presents a comprehensive investigation of MEAS and CLAS in the Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi region, encompassing three fundamental dimensions: stratigraphy reconstruction, groundwater modeling, and groundwater stress assessments. A …

Airport Energy Resiliency Roadmap And Implementation Steps, Susan Zellers

Purdue Road School

An airport needs to meet current and future energy demands, while also being sustainable. However, service from the grid may be vulnerable to natural and human-caused events. ACRP Project 02-98 Airport Energy Resiliency Primer and Roadmap provides a guide to executing an airport energy resiliency program. The critical elements of an energy resiliency roadmap will be presented along with case study examples from airports moving toward energy resiliency.

Assessment Of Bridge Rehabilitation To Improve Asset Management, Brittany Bullard

Purdue Road School

The widespread availability of structural monitoring technologies has led to a rise in adaptable use across various structural systems. With the U.S. infrastructure aging, the integration of technologies during new construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure provides opportunities for assessing innovative designs and material uses to extend the life of assets. This presentation focuses on the assessment of the Indiana Toll Road bridge rehabilitations and the effectiveness of overlay materials and integration of link slabs.

Utility Rope-A-Dope: Muhammad Ali Approach To Conflict Analysis, Deborah Porter, Bill Read, Nathan Frey

Purdue Road School

Learn how to avoid getting hit with utility conflicts when they are coming at you quickly. Discussion will focus on designing around utilities; evaluating conflicts; right-of-way consideration for utility relocations; changes late in design and during construction; and lessons learned.

Best Practices In Design For Preserving Limestone Curbs: A Project Managers Perspective, Larry Lawlor

Purdue Road School

Indiana limestone has been used in roadway construction projects for over 100 years. This session will discuss the best design practices when confronted with lime- stone curbing along historic streetscapes and neighbor- hoods. Additional practices will be discussed that make use of limestone curbs that cannot be preserved in place. Several examples will be shared to demonstrate how creative design and collaboration with consultants has resulted in limestone curb preservation.

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination Information For Local Public Agencies, Taffanee Keys

Purdue Road School

This session will discuss new ADA/Title VI.

Exit 10 Renovations, Will Deuter, Jim Earl

Purdue Road School

Built in 1956, the infrastructure at Exit 10 of the Indiana Toll Road (ITR) needed multiple repairs, including bridge rehabilitation, pavement restoration, and lighting improvements. ITRCC invested in cost-effective renovations on 12 bridges in the Exit 10 vicinity that that would reduce long-term maintenance. The project experienced challenges due to the complexity of construction and mainline work occurring simultaneously to accelerate construction. This presentation will focus on the design approach, contractor procurement, and construction of this investment.

Local Agency Workforce Challenges & Opportunities, Jennifer L. Sharkey

Purdue Road School

This session will explore the workforce issues faced by Indiana’s local road agencies and provide strategies to inform local leaders and policy makers.

Use Of Gpr To Evaluate Pavement Subgrade Problems, Sung Min Yoon, Cherif Amer-Yahia

Purdue Road School

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a non-destructive field test that can provide a continuous profile of existing road conditions. It has the potential to be used for a variety of pavement applications, including measuring the thickness of asphalt pavement structure and assisting in the analysis of pavement distress mechanisms. We will share the experiences gained from GPR testing to evaluate pavement subgrade problems.

Urban Services District Lighting Study, Kyle Henderson, Andrea Bland, Dick Gowin

Purdue Road School

The Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government addressed areas within the right-of-way that had poor lighting levels and might contribute to vehicle crashes or crime occurrence. GIS data from the state and local government was used to identify hot spots where additional lighting might be desired. These hot spots were evaluated, and additional lighting locations were recommended for implementation.

Innovation Through Adaptability: Navigating Project Complexities Spanning Natural Resources, Cultural Resources, Public Involvement, And More, Jennifer Beck, Adam Burns

Purdue Road School

The US 31 and 236th Street Interchange project presented a number of challenges related to environmental coordination and mitigation, real estate acquisition, and public involvement. The project was able to not only construct a dual-roundabout interchange at 236th Street, but also successfully mitigated wetland and floodway impacts with on-site mitigation and by relocating a historic farmhouse and barn.

Broadband Equity, Access, And Deployment (Bead) Program, Monica Hartke-Tarr

Purdue Road School

The federal government will allocate $42 billion to expand broadband across the U.S., thus providing Indiana with $100 million or more for unserved areas. This is a transformative opportunity for Indiana municipalities, but those without a clear plan risk missing out. Join us as we cover essential steps for securing broadband funds, applications, permits, and safe installations. Don’t miss the chance to benefit from this infrastructure investment!

104. I-69 Orx Section 3: Completing The Connection, Steven Nicaise

Purdue Road School

The I-69 Ohio River Crossing (ORX) will be a key, final connection of I-69 between Evansville, Indiana and Henderson, Kentucky. The transformational project includes three contracts, two states and one much-anticipated new river crossing. In this session, you will hear an update on the ORX project as a whole and learn about I-69 ORX Section 3.