Engineering Commons^™

Quantifying The Impact Of Wide Base Tires On Pavement Performance In Michigan, Lei Yin

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study aimed to investigate the use of wide base tires (WBT) in Michigan to quantify the effect of different percentages of WBT loads on flexible and rigid pavements. Surveys and field investigations were conducted to quantify the WBT usage in Michigan. The JULEA (for flexible pavements) and Illislab (for JPCP) software programs were used to calculate the mechanical response between dual tire (DT) and WBT loads, while the Mechanical-Empirical (ME) pavement design process was utilized for damage accumulation and pavement distress analysis. Investigation results rationalized the assumption of WBT proportion for design purposes as 10% currently and up to …

The Rhetorical Art Of Risk Assessment: Lessons From Risk Management In Rural And Tribal Communities, John L. Velat

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Risk assessment, mitigation, and communication rely on data from multiple sources to form a complete understanding of hazards and how to manage them. Experts can use these data to make informed decisions about the nature and extent of risks and inform the public to protect health, the environment, and economic welfare. However, in an effort to objectively make decisions, technical experts and policymakers increasingly rely on quantitative data as the most important determiner of risk, which can alienate the public, limit risk understanding, and delay or miss obvious signals of impending catastrophe. I examine several cases based on my experiences …

Research And Applications Of Artificial Neural Network In Pavement Engineering: A State-Of-The-Art Review, Xu Yang, Jinchao Guan, Ling Ding, Zhanping You, Vincent C.S. Lee, Mohd Rosli Mohd Hasan, Xiaoyun Cheng

Michigan Tech Publications

Given the great advancements in soft computing and data science, artificial neural network (ANN) has been explored and applied to handle complicated problems in the field of pavement engineering. This study conducted a state-of-the-art review for surveying the recent progress of ANN application at different stages of pavement engineering, including pavement design, construction, inspection and monitoring, and maintenance. This study focused on the papers published over the last three decades, especially the studies conducted since 2013. Through literature retrieval, a total of 683 papers in this field were identified, among which 143 papers were selected for an in-depth review. The …

An Overview Of Converting Kabul’S Traffic Circles And Rotaries To Modern Roundabouts, Mohammad Anas Taeb

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Circular intersections, in the form of traffic circles and rotaries, were built around the world in the first half of the twentieth century. However, with the rise in traffic flow, regular traffic congestion and accidents forced authorities to look for alternative solutions and, in many cases, signalized intersections became the preferred alternative. In the 1960s, the UK introduced concept of modern roundabouts and a new set of priority rules for the circulating traffic. Since the inception of modern roundabouts, they have enhanced both operational and safety aspects at these locations, even when used to replace large traffic circles/rotaries, proving that …

The Laboratory Performance And Aging Characteristics Of Rubber Modified Asphalt Mixture Using A Dry Process, Dongdong Ge

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The accumulation of waste tires generates severe environmental issues. Using crumb rubber processed from waste tires on the pavement could relieve the pressure of waste tire on the environment and improve the performance of the pavement as well. The application of crumb rubber on the pavement using the dry process was proved to be a cost-effective strategy in some projects, however, the interaction between the rubber and asphalt binder was unknown in the rubber modified asphalt mixture using the dry process, especially when reclaimed asphalt pavement was adopted. The performance improvement of the rubber particle to the asphalt mixture was …

Life Cycle Information Models With Parameter Uncertainty Analysis To Facilitate The Use Of Life-Cycle Assessment Outcomes In Pavement Design Decision-Making, Chaitanya Ganesh Bhat

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The objective of this dissertation is to develop Life Cycle Information Models (LCIMs) to promote consistent and credible communication of potential environmental impacts quantified through Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The introduction of Life Cycle Information Models (LCIMs) will shift the focus of pavement LCA stakeholders to collect reliable foreground data and adapt to consistent background data present within LCIMs. LCA methodology requires significant Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data to model real world systems and quantify potential environmental impacts. The lack of guidance in ISO standards on consistently compiling LCI data and defining protocols for modeling lowers the reliability of LCA …

Micromechanical Prediction Model Of Viscoelastic Properties For Asphalt Mastic Based On Morphologically Representative Pattern Approach, Zhichen Wang, Naisheng Guo, Xu Yang, Shuang Wang

Michigan Tech Publications

This paper is devoted to the introduction of physicochemical, filler size, and distribution effect in micromechanical predictions of the overall viscoelastic properties of asphalt mastic. In order to account for the three effects, the morphologically representative pattern (MRP) approach was employed. The MRP model was improved due to the arduous practical use of equivalent modulus formula solution. Then, a homogeneous morphologically representative model (H-MRP) with the explicit solution was established based on the homogenization theory. Asphalt mastic is regarded as a composite material consisting of filler particles coated structural asphalt and free asphalt considering the physicochemical effect. An additional interphase …

Rheological Performance Of Bio-Char Modified Asphalt With Different Particle Sizes, Ran Zhang, Qingli Dai, Zhanping You, Hainian Wang, Chao Peng

Michigan Tech Publications

To improve the performance of petroleum asphalt, bio-char was used as a modifier for a petroleum asphalt binder, in this study. The rheological properties of bio-char modified asphalt binders were compared with different particle sizes and contents, with one control and one flake graphite modified asphalt binder. Specifically, the bio-char modifiers with two particle sizes (ranging from 75 μm–150 μm and less than 75 μm) and three contents of 2%, 4%, and 8% were added into the asphalt binder. A flake graphite powder with particle sizes less than 75 μm was used as a comparison modifier. The Scanning Electron Microscopy …

Life Cycle Assessment (Lca) Of Ore Transportation Route Alternatives For Eagle Mine, Soumith Kumar Oduru

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Transportation sector at large is a major consumer of fossil fuels and constitutes more than a quarter of the global greenhouse gas emissions. When making infrastructure route and mode choice decisions for new freight-oriented projects, it is important that environmental and emissions considerations are included as an integral part of the selection process. Emissions from freight transportation projects related to mining and natural resource industry are especially critical, as they involve high volumes and tonnages often in pristine environments. The most logical time for emissions analysis is during modal and route analysis that are often conducted in the planning stage …

Air Injection As A Scour Countermeasure At Bridge Piers, Ravi Teja Reddy Tippireddy

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Local scour is a major cause of concern for the stability of bridge piers and the safety of the public using the bridges. Structural countermeasures and flow-altering devices have been developed to deal with local scour. Many armoring structural countermeasures are very effective and efficient in clear water conditions but are susceptible to moving bed forms and leaching. The flow-altering devices are effective in both clear water conditions and moving bed forms, but are prone to clogging, less efficient in changing flow direction, etc. This study aims to reduce the local scour by injecting air in order to reduce the …

Polyvinyl Alcohol (Pva) Fiber-Reinforced Rubber Concrete And Rubberized Self-Compacting Concrete, Jiaqing Wang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study experimentally investigates the mechanical performance and durability of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) fiber-reinforced rubber concrete and the rubberized self-compacting concrete. The waste rubber particles were introduced as a partial replacement of fine aggregate in the plain concrete. In addition, the waste tire rubbers were pre-treated with alkali surface treatment method to enhance the performance. The PVA fibers were added to the concrete mixes to enhance the post-failure resistance and thus fracture energy. Rubberized fiber concrete samples were prepared with different fine aggregate replacement ratios and the optimum fiber content. At the same time, the rubber particles had been used …

The Effect Of Community Connectivity On Water And Sanitation Systems In Rural Panama, M.C. Moritz

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The world has yet to realize universal access to water and sanitation. Various academic and professional fields provide frameworks for understanding water and sanitation access, but none directly consider the impact of community connectivity. Community connectivity refers to the infrastructures linking rural communities with urban centers. These infrastructures fall under the broad categories of transportation, energy, and telecommunication. This paper examines 23 rural Panamanian communities and compares connectivity measures with the functionality of the communities’ rural water and sanitation systems (RWSS). Community connectivity was evaluated with the Community Connectivity Analysis Tool (CCAT), while the water and sanitation systems were evaluated …

Timetable Management Technique In Railway Capacity Analysis: Development Of The Hybrid Optimization Of Train Schedules (Hots) Model, Hamed Pouryousef

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

There are two general approaches to improve the capacity in a rail corridor, either by applying new capital infrastructure investment or by improving the operation of the rail services. Techniques to evaluate the railway operation include modeling and optimization through the use of commercial timetable management and rail simulation tools. However, only a few of the existing tools include complete features of timetable management techniques (e.g. timetable compression) are equipped with an optimization model for rescheduling and timetable improvement and this is especially true when it comes to the U.S. rail environment that prevalently uses unstructured operation practices.

This dissertation …

Numerical Study Of Structural Responses Of Rigid And Flexible Pavements Under Heavy Vehicles’ Loading, Rezwana Kabir

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The highway system serves as the most critical transportation link in the economic development of a nation. In Michigan, about 74% of all the commodities delivered annually are transported by heavy trucks. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) permits multi-axle (11 axles) heavy truck with gross vehicle weight (GVW) limit of 164,000 lb., unlike many states having GVW limit of 80,000 lb. The effect of these heavy truck loadings on pavements might accelerate the rate of deterioration for flexible and rigid pavement structures. More detailed knowledge of the interaction of trucks with the pavement structure is essential for better management …