Engineering Commons^™

Characterization Of The Kansas River Alluvial Aquifer Using Towed Transient Electromagnetic Geophysical Method, Jonathon Daniel Voss

Masters Theses

"Forecasted urban development areas west of Kansas City, Kansas in the coming decades has caused an increase of research into water resources (Butler et al. 2022). A location of investigation has been the Kansas River Alluvial Aquifer (KRAA) for shallow ground water resources. To investigate the KRAA structure and grain texture, the towed transient electromagnetic system (tTEM) in conjunction with direct push electrical conductivity logs and lithology wells were used to investigate four locations between Lawrence and Manhattan, Kansas. In total, 110 line-kilometers of tTEM data was collected. The tTEM data collected were high quality and through inversions of the …

Tropospheric Correction For Insar Using Machine Learning, Ngo Hi Kenny Yue

Masters Theses

"Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a popular technique for studying Earth's surface deformation caused by phenomena like earthquakes and subsidence. However, its accuracy is limited by tropospheric delays caused by water vapor in the atmosphere. This limitation can be overcome by using methods that correct for tropospheric noise, such as statistical, empirical, and predictive approaches. This study explores the potential of using machine learning algorithms to predict the zenith total delay caused by tropospheric effects in InSAR measurements. The study employs two different machine learning algorithms, random forest and neural networks, to learn the relationship between numerical weather prediction …

Identification, Mapping, Analysis, And Dating Of Composite Mega Landslides In The Colorado Plateau, Conor Maris Watkins

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research consists of three articles focusing on landslide complexes within the Grand Canyon region of the Colorado Plateau. This is a vast and remote region of rugged topography. The landslide complexes in this study are greater than 10 million cubic meters in volume. The slides are located within different areas of the region and consist of differing geology but share multiple commonalities. Stratigraphic and structural controls tend to dictate where the slides occur. All of the landslides occur where carbonates and/or sandstones overlie over consolidated shales. The shales are susceptible to creep and strain softening where lateral confinement has …

Study Of Contamination Resulting From Historical Mining Within The Old Lead Belt: Mineral Fork Watershed, 2021-2022, Tessa Nicole Mortensen

Masters Theses

“The Old Lead Belt in Missouri has been mined extensively over the past two hundred years, and with historical mining practices often not meeting modern environmental protection standards many areas have significant soil and water contamination as a result. This study focuses on the Mineral Fork River’s watershed in Washington County, Missouri, which includes portions of four separate Superfund sites. In this study, we exam the impact of historical mining on the health of alluvial systems, as evaluated by lead, zinc, and barium (barite) concentrations in the suspended and sediments within tributaries of the Mineral Fork River system. To relate …

Groundwater Withdrawal Estimation Using Integrated Remote Sensing Products And Machine Learning, Sayantan Majumdar

Doctoral Dissertations

"The rising demands for water, food, and energy primarily driven by the increasing global population constitute a pressing issue worldwide. Therefore, the water-food-energy nexus plays a substantial role in developing globally applicable sustainable solutions. Recent technological advancements, including the earth observation programs using spaceborne remote sensing platforms, have enabled us to monitor various critical components affecting the globe. Groundwater, which comprises the world's 30% freshwater, is one such key component of the global water resources and supplies nearly half of the global drinking water.

Despite groundwater overdraft in many parts of the world, including the United States (US), there are …

Pressure Relief Wells: Analysis Of Subsurface Heterogeneity To Evaluate Relief Well Locations For Mississippi River Levees, Emma Marie Young

Masters Theses

“When designing pressure relief well systems, it is imperative to understand what major geomorphology and heterogenies features are present, such as buried oxbow lakes, especially when the feature is parallel to the source, such as the Mississippi River. When present, there is a notable greater increase in head pressures, especially on the landward tow of the levee. This can cause erosional features that originally thought of to have been protected from by installing pressure relief wells. When comparing the effective hydraulic conductivities of horizontal clay layers and vertical clay layers spanning the length of the model, little to no noticeable …

Integrating Remote Sensing And Model-Based Datasets In A Machine Learning Model To Map Global Subsidence Associated With Groundwater Withdrawal, Md Fahim Hasan

Masters Theses

"Quantifying groundwater storage loss is becoming increasingly essential globally due limited availability of this major hydrologic component and its long recharge time. Groundwater overdraft gives rises to multiple adverse impacts including land subsidence and permanent groundwater storage loss. In absence of spatially dense monitoring network, publicly available in-situ data, and uniform monitoring strategies, it is challenging to assess the sustained losses from overexploitation of this resource. Remote sensing based techniques have the capacity to fill this gap to increase our groundwater monitoring capacities. Exploring the interrelation between groundwater pumping and land subsidence using remote sensing datasets can be a very …

Design Methods For Pressure Relief Well Systems At Dams And Levees, Andrew Keffer

Doctoral Dissertations

"Flood risk reduction structures such as dams and levees are important systems that provide significant benefits to the nation. Relief wells reduce the substratum water pressures that can compromise them via internal erosion. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) analytical method to design relief well systems by calculating discharge and excess head along an infinite line of wells was developed from the 1930s – 1950s. The research presented here increases our understanding of the method’s history and uses analytical and numerical models to improve current infinite and finite well system design practices. The historical development of this method was …

Resistivity Imaging Of Prominent Seepage Pathways In Karst Terrain, Abdullah Hadi Zaid Alhaj

Doctoral Dissertations

"An integrated research approach was conducted to evaluate subsurface karstic conditions in Greene County, southwestern Missouri. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was employed to image anomalously low resistivity zones associated with the presence of seepage pathways that were anthropogenic and/or natural in origin. Techniques including visual inspection (VI), multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW), borehole control (BC), and aerial imagery (AI) were supplementally used to constrain the ERT data interpretations.

This research addressed six objectives. First, the ERT data interpretations were verified in terms of depth to the top of bedrock, fractures/voids, and moisture changes using the MASW, borehole control, and …

Investigating The Impact Of Rock Bridges On The Mechanical Behavior Of Jointed Rock Mass Using Lattice Spring-Based Synthetic Rock Mass (Ls-Srm) Approach, Mariam Salem Alebayat

Doctoral Dissertations

"Rock bridges were defined as a segment of intact rock that separates from discontinuities. Numerous studies are focused on developing methods to quantify their significance in rock mass strength and deformability behavior. This thesis aimed to enhance understanding of the effect of rock bridges on jointed rock masses in both laboratory and slope scales. For this purpose, the lattice spring base Synthetic Rock Mass (LS-SRM) method was adopted to conduct the numerical models, distinguished in computational efficiency, and simulates the brittle failure and roughness of discontinuities.

A robust approach was developed to optimize the calibration procedure to avoid the complex …

Gis And Remote Sensing Groundwater Potentiality Investigation Of Gulu District, Uganda Using Synthetic Aperture Radar And Magnetic Geophysics, Rachel Ann Jones

Doctoral Dissertations

“Developing countries have few resources for ground-based hydrological investigations to determine optimal placement of boreholes for community water access. Remote sensing data are available at a variety of resolutions and sense different parameters, and are useful inputs for hydrologic models, but these data are rarely obtainable in developing countries with the parameters or resolutions necessary for hydrologic applications. This research seeks to use and improve existing remote sensing and GIS techniques to identify areas of optimal water supply in locations with limited geologic or hydrologic information, such as Gulu District, Uganda. Fusing different remotely sensed data sets can produce higher …

Evaluation Of Excavated Surface Irregularities And Hardness Of Mechanical Excavations And Their Relationship With Excavator Performance, Prosper Evaristus Akansah Ayawah

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research involved lab and numerical excavation of a clastic sedimentary rock (Roubidoux Sandstone) using a long-bladed disc cutter in a Linear Rock Cutting Machine (LCM) with the aim of establishing relationships between the cutting parameters, excavated surface parameters (underbreaks, overbreaks and hardness), and performance parameters (specific energy and cutting rate). Three-dimensional cutting forces were recorded during the linear cutting. A structured laser imaging system was used to image the excavated surfaces for the estimation of the irregularities (ridge volumes (RV) and overbreak volumes (OV)). The excavated surface hardness was measured using the N-type Schmidt hammer. The numerical simulation was …

Use Of Portable Seismic Property Analyzer And Ground Penetrating Radar To Assess Bridge Decks, Samie Ramadan A Hamad

Doctoral Dissertations

The Montauk Bridge deck was assessed based on the portable seismic property analyzer and ground penetrating radar data. Based on the analysis of the portable seismic property analyzer data, it was determined that over 65% of bridge conditions were rated serious to poor condition with an average compressive strength of less than 2500 psi; less than 35% of bridge deck conditions were rated fair to good with an average compressive strength over 2500 psi. Based on ground penetrating radar data, it was determined that 72% of the bridge deck was in serious to poor condition, and only 28% of the …

Prediction Of Deflection Of Helical Anchors Under Load, Andre Stephen Hawks

Doctoral Dissertations

”As the sophistication of modern structural design methods has improved over time, the ability to accurately predict and model foundation stiffness has become increasingly more important. In complicated structural systems with deep foundations, correct calculation of the distribution of load and serviceability requires proper modeling of axial load-deflection characteristics. To keep pace with advances in structural analysis, there is much need for more practical and scientific work on the load-deflection prediction of deep foundations including Helical Anchors.

The load-settlement mechanism of an axially loaded helical pile is a complex soil-structure interaction problem influenced by helical pile dimensions, installation method, and …

An Integrated Wellbore Stability Study To Mitigate Expensive Wellbore Instability Problems While Drilling Into Zubair Shale/Sand Sequence, Southern Iraq, Ahmed Khudhair Abbas

Doctoral Dissertations

”The Zubair Formation is the most prolific reservoir in Iraq, which is comprised of sandstones interbedded with shale sequences. Due to the weak nature of the shale sequence, the instability of a wellbore is one of the most critical challenges that continuously appears during drilling across this formation. Historically, over 90% of wellbore problems in the Zubair Formation were due to wellbore instability. Problems associated with wellbore instability, such as tight hole, shale caving, stuck logging tools along with subsequent fishing, stuck pipe, and sidetracking result in increasing the non-productive time. This non-productive time has cost an enormous amount of …

Predictive Geohazard Mapping Using Lidar And Satellite Imagery In Missouri And Oklahoma, Usa, Olufeyisayo B. Ilesanmi

Doctoral Dissertations

”Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and satellite imagery have become the most utilized remote sensing technologies for compiling inventories of surficial geologic conditions. Point cloud data obtained from multi-spectral remote sensing methods provide a detailed characterization of the surface features, in particular, the detailed surface manifestations of underlying geologic structures. When combined, point clouds eliminate bias from visual inconsistencies and/or statistical values. This research explores the competence of point clouds derived from LiDAR and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as a predictive tool in evaluating various geohazards. It combines these data sets with other remote sensing techniques to evaluate the sensitivity …

Geophysical Characteristics Of Nickel And Copper Deposits In Wadi Al Khadra Prospect, Southwestern Of Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman Ahmed Aljabbab

Doctoral Dissertations

“Three geophysical datasets (self-potential, magnetics, and time - domain electromagnetics) were acquired at Wadi Al Khadra Ni-Cu prospect in southwest Saudi Arabia, and were processed and interpreted for the Saudi Geological Survey. The primary objectives were to map the distribution of metallic mineralization, map structures, verify the integration of the geophysical interpretations and its signatures in conjunction with boreholes information, distinguish the similarities and differences in the integrated interpretation of geophysical data, and design optimal processing and interpretation data parameters. The self-potential tool was used to map the variation in natural surface potential differences to map lateral variations in the …

Data Analytics Of Natural Gas Injection Enhanced Oil Recovery For Unconventional Reservoirs, Ali Waqar

Masters Theses

"Unconventional Enhanced Oil recovery, via the injection of natural gas has attracted great attention, as studies and projects have shown to be promising. An overview of pertinent studies has been carried out. Core Scale Laboratory Experiments, Core Scale Simulation, Field Scale simulation and pilot projects are analyzed. Data is collected for Core, Reservoir, Operational, and recovery information. Thereafter, Data analysis techniques are applied to identify data ranges, distributions, trends, relationships, and to eventually reach conclusions.

Huff and Puff injection is the preferred mode of injection, delivering most promising results for unconventional reservoirs. Across all the studies, with increase in amount …

Micro-Analysis Of Contaminants In Suspended Load And Bank Deposits From The Mineral Fork Creek Watershed In Potosi, Missouri, 2019-2020, William Joseph Miller

Masters Theses

”There are rising concerns pertaining to water contamination produced by toxic heavy metal contaminants such as lead and zinc. For this study, lead, zinc, and barite are three identified contaminants currently threatening Missouri water supplies. A microanalysis of the amounts of lead, zinc, and barite in the water of Mineral Fork Creek was conducted, involving both field and laboratory work. The purpose of the study was to determine the levels of lead, zinc, and barite contaminants, contributing to Big River, by Mineral Fork Creek, in Potosi Missouri, Washington County.

This research study uses a quantitative micro-analysis approach to determine the …

Evaluation Of Engineering Properties Of Soil In Al Butayn, Mudarraj Al Qassim And Turubah - Hail Saudi Arabia, Turki Essam A. Sehly

Masters Theses

"Fractures, sinkhole, building cracks, and ground subsidence have spread in many regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, some of which are related to seismic activity, others due to the presence of unstable soils (collapsing soils and Expansive soils) and others because of faults, while others result from drawing groundwater at great rates. The current study has several facts related to the formation of cracks and landslides, including:
1) A general study of geomorphology and geology of the study areas.
2) The causes affecting the formation of cracks and subsidence.
3) Detailed geomorphological and geological studies of the locations of …

Geophysical Assessment Of The Lake Chesterfield Site, Missouri, Diya Ali Ahmad Alfuqara

Doctoral Dissertations

"Since construction of the Lake Chesterfield, Missouri in 1986, significant leaks have occurred causing the lake to lose substantive volumes of water. Mitigation efforts, have not solved the problem. Indeed, in June of 2017, the water level in Lake Chesterfield dropped at an alarmingly rapid rate. Prior to authorizing additional mitigation work, the Lake Chesterfield. Home Owners Association (LCHOA) decided to acquire geophysical data across the drained and dry lake bed. These information would help a geotechnical engineering firm determine the most appropriate mitigation plan.

In the summer of 2018, electrical resistivity tomography, multichannel analysis of surface wave, and spontaneous-potential …

Imaging In Karst Terrain Using The Electrical Resistivity Tomography (Ert) And Multi-Channel Analysis Of Surface Waves (Masw) Methods, Hassan Abdullah Alzahrani

Doctoral Dissertations

"Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) methods were used to image the subsurface in karst terrain in the southeast of Missouri. A SuperSting R8 system was used to acquire the ERT profiles; a multi-channel engineering seismograph was used to acquire the MASW data. The latter data were used to constrain and verify the ERT interpreted depth to top-of-rock and soil thickness. The ERT data were used to delineate the soil/rock interface and to identify zones of anomalously high moisture content within the bedrock.

The primary objective of the research was to determine the cause of …

Geo-Engineered Induced Seismicity And The Effects On Federal Infrastructure, Merissa L. Zuzulock

Doctoral Dissertations

“The study of human-induced seismicity and the effects on civil engineering systems are not completely understood or often studied. Moreover, existing studies are focused on the cause of the seismicity and not on the potential damage to infrastructure from these seismic events. There are recent studies that are beginning to focus on shallow induced seismic activity and the effects on infrastructure by establishing innovative ways to quantify that damage. These studies that focus on the potential damage neglect to included considerations for small magnitude cluster events. As geo-induced seismic events increase, soil fatigue becomes of greater concern to structures within …

Development Of Tools For Water Management In The Hatra Watershed (Northwestern Iraq) Using Satellite Technologies, Majid S. Mohamod

Doctoral Dissertations

“All around the world the demand for water is increasing, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, including Iraq which subject to continuous desertification that is worsening, more importantly the Jezira region in northwestern Iraq. Thus, it’s crucial to have a better strategy for water management. One of these strategies is to promote groundwater recharge for restoring the aquifer depletion. The successful groundwater recharge is limited by some potential data such as the annual water budge and precipitation measurements. The atomospheric and hydrological observations are limited by sparse population which tends to be less in arid and semi-arid regions. Therefore, an …

Evaluation Of Naturally Occurring And Anthropogenic Contamination In Missouri Streams, Christina Jane Sehrt

Masters Theses

"The goal of this study is to observe the values and variability of water quality parameters and benthic macroinvertebrates in watersheds with very little anthropogenic impact and to compare these values with those acquired in watersheds with more anthropogenic impact. The following five HUC 12-digit watersheds had very little anthropogenic impact and were considered "pristine": Rogers Creek, Mill Creek, Middle West Fork-Black River, Bee Fork, and Ottery Creek. Five largely urban sub-basins were also considered; these basins are: Grand Glaize Creek, Glaize Creek, Sugar Creek, Hominy Creek, and Grindstone Creek. For each watershed, both water quality parameters and benthic macroinvertebrates …

Using The Ert Method To Differentiate Resistivity Anomalies Attributed To Natural And Man-Made Activities, Ibrahim Faisal Alshareef

Masters Theses

"Karst terrain is considered to be a very complex topography compared with most other geological environments. Many features can be observed such as sinkholes, air-filled cavities, losing streams, and solution widened joints. These karst features can cause subsidence and damage infrastructure such as buildings and roads thus causing economic hardship and disruption of life. The typical geological and hydrological studies are not enough to understand the karst processes.

For this reason, two geophysical methods were involved in investigating the subsurface in the study area. In this research, the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) data …

Temporal Changes Of Nutrients Within The Lower Grand River Watershed And Selected Sites, Weston Scott Duley

Masters Theses

"This report presents the results of a study carried out in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to estimate total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) at five USGS monitoring sites within Lower Grand River Watershed (LGRW) and two monitoring sites on the Missouri River. The objective of this study was to quantify temporal changes in TN and TP concentrations and compare those to best management practices (BMPs).

In this study, the approach to the analysis of long-term surface water-quality data by using Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge and Seasons models …

Geophysical Imaging Beneath Lake Chesterfield, Missouri, James Daniell Hayes

Masters Theses

"Lake Chesterfield in Wildwood, Missouri, has been leaking since construction of the earth-fill dam was completed in 1986, despite numerous mitigation efforts. The mitigation efforts, including the injection of grouting and the emplacement of clay liners, has not solve the leakage problem.

In the current study, geophysical (subsurface imaging) data was acquired across the drained and dry lake bed and along the base of the earth-fill dam to 1) map variable depth to top of bedrock, 2) determine the variable quality of the bedrock to depths on the order of 80 ft., 3) identify any significant karst features beneath the …

Detection And Elimination Of Rock Face Vegetation From Terrestrial Lidar Data Using The Virtual Articulating Conical Probe Algorithm, Kenneth John Boyko

Doctoral Dissertations

"A common use of terrestrial lidar is to conduct studies involving change detection of natural or engineered surfaces. Change detection involves many technical steps beyond the initial data acquisition: data structuring, registration, and elimination of data artifacts such as parallax errors, near-field obstructions, and vegetation. Of these, vegetation detection and elimination with terrestrial lidar scanning (TLS) presents a completely different set of issues when compared to vegetation elimination from aerial lidar scanning (ALS). With ALS, the ground footprint of the lidar laser beam is very large, and the data acquisition hardware supports multi-return waveforms. Also, the underlying surface topography is …

Assessment And Prediction Of Surface Water Vulnerability From Non-Point Source Pollution In Midwestern Watersheds, Fadhil K. Jabbar

Doctoral Dissertations

"Non-point source pollution is the leading cause of impairment in surface water in the Midwest. In this research, we seek to predict which watersheds are most vulnerable to point source pollution without field sampling using publically available GIS databases. Watersheds with higher vulnerability ratings can then be targeted for water quality monitoring, and funds used to improve watershed health can be distributed with greater efficacy. To better understand and target watershed vulnerability, we used three different approaches. In the first project, 35 sub-watersheds were sampled in the Lower Grand Watershed, which is a highly agricultural watershed in northern Missouri/southern Iowa. …