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Articles 1 - 30 of 32
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Predictive Maturity Of Inexact And Uncertain Strongly Coupled Numerical Models, Ismail Farajpour
Predictive Maturity Of Inexact And Uncertain Strongly Coupled Numerical Models, Ismail Farajpour
All Dissertations
The Computer simulations are commonly used to predict the response of complex systems in many branches of engineering and science. These computer simulations involve the theoretical foundation, numerical modeling and supporting experimental data, all of which contain their associated errors. Furthermore, real-world problems are generally complex in nature, in which each phenomenon is described by the respective constituent models representing different physics and/or scales. The interactions between such constituents are typically complex in nature, such that the outputs of a particular constituent may be the inputs for one or more constituents. Thus, the natural question then arises concerning the validity …
Seismic Site Coefficient Model And Improved Design Response Spectra Based On Conditions In South Carolina, Shimelies Aboye
Seismic Site Coefficient Model And Improved Design Response Spectra Based On Conditions In South Carolina, Shimelies Aboye
All Dissertations
A new seismic site coefficient model is developed from the results of over 60,000 total stress, one-dimensional equivalent ground response simulations assuming conditions in South Carolina. Computed site coefficients ( F ) are plotted versus average shear wave velocity in the top 30 m (VS30 ) and grouped by location, spectral acceleration (Soutcrop ) and spectral period. Locations considered in the Coastal Plain include Aiken, Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Lake Marion, Myrtle Beach, and the South Carolina side of Savannah. Locations considered in the Piedmont include Columbia, Greenville, Greenwood, and Rock Hill. In all the plots of …
Cost And Embodied Energy Optimization Of Rectangular Reinforced Concrete Beams, Alexander Kosloski
Cost And Embodied Energy Optimization Of Rectangular Reinforced Concrete Beams, Alexander Kosloski
All Theses
Concrete has a large environmental footprint so it is desirable to find ways to efficiently design structural members. Engineers can exercise their abilities early on in the design phase of construction projects to reduce the environmental footprint by minimizing the amount of materials required. One way to achieve these results is to optimize the design of structural concrete. In this study, simple-span rectangular reinforced concrete (RC) beams with a range of different bending moments were analyzed. The primary goal was to combine life cycle analysis (LCA), numerical optimization, and reinforced concrete mechanics to create a framework for designing efficient RC …
Mechanistic Characterization Of Rubberized Asphalt Mixture And Design Using Full Scale Tire-Pavement Finite Element Modeling, Sajib Saha
All Theses
Rubberized half-warm mix asphalt (HWMA) is being considered as one of the promising and sustainable solutions to the current environmental and economic crisis of asphalt industry. A fully mechanistic characterization and performance analysis of this mixture subjected to realistic loading and temperature conditions is necessary before its application in a practical pavement structure. The objective of this research is to characterize the viscoelastic properties of rubberized HWMA at different temperatures and to develop and validate a finite element model of a tire-pavement structure. In this research, a generalized Maxwell model is chosen to represent the time dependent stress-strain behavior of …
Safety And Operational Characteristics Of Lane Widths On Urban And Rural Roadways A Simulator Study, Meredith Ladue
Safety And Operational Characteristics Of Lane Widths On Urban And Rural Roadways A Simulator Study, Meredith Ladue
All Theses
The primary goal for this study was to further evaluate and assess the effect of lane width on the safety and operation of roadways in South Carolina. Due to various site conditions that affect the safety and operations of roadways, highway design engineers often face many challenges when developing appropriate road design standards. To investigate specific site conditions for the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) a research study took place. In 2011, Part 1 of this research included field studies conducted by Kevin Baumann and Trey Jordan. Due to the various limitations of the field studies it was evident …
Application Of Image Processing And Finite Element Analysis In Modeling Chloride Diffusion In Concrete, Arash Razmjoo
Application Of Image Processing And Finite Element Analysis In Modeling Chloride Diffusion In Concrete, Arash Razmjoo
All Dissertations
Utilizing numerical simulation models to predict the long-term mechanical and transport behavior of concrete structures is becoming increasingly popular. The majority of these models have been developed using laboratory test data that consider concrete as a homogeneous material with spherical aggregates. These models could not be a represented of real concrete because it has no primitive shaped aggregate besides that the porosity size and distribution varies from point to point. In this study a novel method for more accurate prediction of the chloride diffusion in concrete was developed. A general framework of the quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and finite element …
Optimal Retrofit Strategy Design For Highway Bridges Under Seismic Hazards: A Case Study Of Charleston, Sc, Shawn Parmelee
Optimal Retrofit Strategy Design For Highway Bridges Under Seismic Hazards: A Case Study Of Charleston, Sc, Shawn Parmelee
All Theses
A significant number of US highway bridges are inadequate for seismic loads and could be seriously damaged or collapse during a relatively small earthquake. On the most recent infrastructure report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), one-third of the bridges in the United States are deemed to be structurally deficient. To improve this situation, at-risk bridges must be identified, evaluated, and effective retrofitting programs implemented to reduce their seismic vulnerabilities. In practice, the Federal Highway Administration uses the expected damage method and indices method to assess the condition of bridges. These methods compare the severity of expected …
Evaluating The Predictive Capability Of Numerical Models Considering Robustness To Non-Probabilistic Uncertianty In The Input Parameters, Parker Shields
Evaluating The Predictive Capability Of Numerical Models Considering Robustness To Non-Probabilistic Uncertianty In The Input Parameters, Parker Shields
All Theses
The paradigm of model evaluation is challenged by compensations between various forms of errors and uncertainties that are inherent to the model development process due to, for instance, imprecise model input parameters, scarcity of experimental data and lack of knowledge regarding an accurate mathematical representation of the system. When calibrating model input parameters based on fidelity to experiments, such compensations lead to non-unique solutions. In turn, the existence of non-unique solutions makes the selection and use of one `best' numerical model risky. Therefore, it becomes necessary to evaluate model performance based not only on the fidelity of the predictions to …
Robust Design Optimization: Ensuring Robustness Against Uncertainty In Structural Design, Zhifeng Liu
Robust Design Optimization: Ensuring Robustness Against Uncertainty In Structural Design, Zhifeng Liu
All Dissertations
In structural design, if robustness is overlooked in design process, the acquired design is likely to have large variation in its performance due to uncertainties. In that there is no design specification that explicitly considers the robustness against such uncertainties, this dissertation elucidates design methodologies for use in selecting the optimal design parameters to minimize the effect of the hard to reduce or irreducible uncertainties on structural performance, i.e., maximizing the robustness. However, due to limited resources, structural designs are also constrained by available resources and budget. Consequently, in that a tradeoff relationship exists between the robustness and cost (i.e. …
Development Of A Rating System To Measure The Vulnerability Of Residential Homes To Natural Hazards, Corey Cattano
Development Of A Rating System To Measure The Vulnerability Of Residential Homes To Natural Hazards, Corey Cattano
All Dissertations
Hurricanes and tropical storms continue to damage the United States coastline where population migration increases and tourism thrives. Extended dry spells, high winds, and hot summers in the Mountain and Pacific West regions promote ideal conditions for seemingly uncontrollable wildfires. Additionally, the increased frequency of unstable climate conditions foretells signs of Mother Nature not letting up. With recent events such as Superstorm Sandy and the Waldo Canyon wildfires in mind, there is a strong need to improve hazard mitigation techniques in residential homes and encourage resilient building methods. Research within this field is challenging due to the lack of descriptive …
Optimizing Scm Proportions To Meet Multiple Performance Characters Of Ternary Concrete Mixtures Using Simplex-Centroid Design And Analysis Techniques, Sujay Math
All Dissertations
High performance concrete mixtures often contain multiple cementitious components. Among these, cement is the most expensive in addition to having a higher carbon footprint. Life cycle assessment of cement production reveals that the cement content is the most important factor in determining a concrete mixture's embodied energy and carbon footprint. Compressive strength, an important property of concrete, is directly related to the quantity of cement used in the mixture. However, higher quantities of cement lead to durability issues. The increased concerns about the durability of concrete over the past decade have increased focus on improving the long-term performance of concrete …
Development And Evaluation Of An Intelligent Transportation Systems-Based Architecture For Electric Vehicles, Zhiyun Li
All Dissertations
The rapid development of increasingly complex in-vehicle electronics now offers an unprecedented level of convenience and versatility as well as accelerates the demand for connected driving experience, which can only be achieved in a comprehensive Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology based architecture. While a number of charging and range related issues continue to impede the Electric Vehicle (EV) market growth, integrating ITS technologies with EVs has the potential to address the problems and facilitate EV operations. This dissertation presents an ITS based vehicle infrastructure communication architecture in which abundant information can be exchanged in real time through vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to- …
Hydraulic Impact Of Porosity Distribution And Hydrologic Characterization Of Porous Pavements, William Martin
Hydraulic Impact Of Porosity Distribution And Hydrologic Characterization Of Porous Pavements, William Martin
All Dissertations
This research focused on the hydrologic characterization of porous pavement and pavement properties that can affect its hydraulic behavior. The first of these properties investigated was the presence of a vertical porosity distribution which can significantly impact the infiltration rate. A method utilizing image analysis was tested and experimentally verified. The representative elemental area (REA) was needed for this imaging method and was found to be 83.9 cm2 (13 in2). To convert the porosity distribution into a permeability distribution the relationship between porosity and permeability was found using homogenous samples. From the resulting permeability distribution an effective permeability was found …
Miniature Concrete Prism Test - A New Test Method For Evaluating The Asr Potential Of Aggregates, The Effectiveness Of Asr Mitigation And The Job Mixture, Enamur Latifee
All Dissertations
Existing test methods to characterize ASR potential of aggregates and mitigation ability of supplementary cementing materials such as the Accelerated Mortar Bar Test (AMBT) and the Concrete Prism Test (CPT) are widely accepted in the industry. Although, the AMBT is a rapid test, the results from this test can be unreliable, particularly with certain types of aggregates. The CPT is considered as a more reliable test; however, the duration of this test method renders it impractical for routine usage in the industry to screen deleterious materials or inefficient ASR mitigation measures. This research presents a new test method-Miniature Concrete Prism …
Development Of An Environmental And Operational Impact Assessment Framework For Connected Vehicle Technology Supported Alternative Fuel Vehicles, Parth Bhavsar
All Dissertations
The efforts of US automobile manufacturers to introduce Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) to the automobile market, and reduce fossil fuel dependency are changing the energy consumption scenario of the US transportation network. The evolution in Connected Vehicle Technology (CVT) is further accelerating the vision of a safe and sustainable transportation system for the 21st century. However, before such system can be an actuality to meet future US transporation needs, a new generation of traffic micro-simulation tools must be developed to evaluate connected vehicle technologies that can support AFVs in the transportation network.
This research focused on developing an evaluation framework …
Freeze-Thaw Durability Of Portland Cement Concrete Due To Addition Of Crumb Rubber Aggregates, Shubhada Gadkar
Freeze-Thaw Durability Of Portland Cement Concrete Due To Addition Of Crumb Rubber Aggregates, Shubhada Gadkar
All Dissertations
Ground tire rubber also known as crumb rubber has been widely used in asphalt concrete over the past several years due to its ability to improve temperature susceptibility of asphalt binders and enhance the performance of asphalt pavements. However, its inclusion in portland cement concrete is comparatively recent and more research is needed before adopting it as a regular construction material. Past research has shown that while addition of rubber aggregates in concrete reduces its compressive, tensile and flexural strengths, but is useful in improving durability properties as freeze-thaw resistance due to the ability of crumb rubber to generate an …
Effect Of Differential Movement Of Straight Reinforcing Bars During Early Age Curing On The Bond Strength, Tyler Andrews
Effect Of Differential Movement Of Straight Reinforcing Bars During Early Age Curing On The Bond Strength, Tyler Andrews
All Theses
As the nation's infrastructure continues to age, the number of structural deficiencies is rising. Accordingly, there is a great need and desire to replace these failing components in a quick and efficient fashion. Prefabricated elements for structures such as bridges and parking decks are commonly implemented in this process in order to save both time and money. These prefabricated elements are often subjected to moving live loads during construction and repair which, consequently, result in differential movements occurring across the joints connecting the elements of these structures. Potential reductions in joint capacity, joint stiffness, and structural durability are the byproducts …
An Analysis Of A Missing Design Concept For Sustainable Buildings: Addressing The Safety And Health Of The Construction Worker, Christopher Almond
An Analysis Of A Missing Design Concept For Sustainable Buildings: Addressing The Safety And Health Of The Construction Worker, Christopher Almond
All Theses
Construction work is inherently dangerous. The 2010 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the construction industry had the most fatal injuries of all industry sectors, 17%. U.S. regulations place the responsibility for construction safety on the construction contractor. However, owners and designers have the potential to affect the safety of the construction workforce. Owners have gotten more involved in promoting the safety and health of construction workers in recent years; however, studies show that the safety and health of the construction workforce is not typically considered by designers.
The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) - the U.S. Navy's systems command …
Flexural Strength Reliability Of Visually Graded Southern Pine Dimensional Lumber, Mengyu Yang
Flexural Strength Reliability Of Visually Graded Southern Pine Dimensional Lumber, Mengyu Yang
All Theses
The reference design values published in the National Design Specification (NDS) for Wood Construction are derived from full-scale testing of lumber samples performed in the 1980s. This testing program is commonly known as the In-GradeTest Program. Selective annual sample tests of visually graded Southern Pine lumber from 1994 to 2010 revealed an overall decreasing trend in the mechanical properties. Because of this alarming observation, a new round of full-scale In-Grade test of visually graded Southern Pine was initiated in 2010. The new test data indicated significant reductions in certain design values published in the current design code (2005 NDS). …
Application Of Parameter Estimation And Calibration Method For Car-Following Models, Md Rahman
Application Of Parameter Estimation And Calibration Method For Car-Following Models, Md Rahman
All Theses
Both safety and the capacity of the roadway system are highly dependent on the car-following characteristics of drivers. Car-following theory describes the driver behavior of vehicles following other vehicles in a traffic stream. In the last few decades, many car-following models have been developed; however, studies are still needed to improve their accuracy and reliability.
Car-following models are a vital component of traffic simulation tools that attempt to mimic driver behavior in the real world. Microscopic traffic simulators, particularly car-following models, have been extensively used in current traffic engineering studies and safety research. These models are a vital component of …
Data Driven, Performance Based Parking Management In A University Setting, Brian Maleck
Data Driven, Performance Based Parking Management In A University Setting, Brian Maleck
All Theses
With university enrollment increasing, campuses are becoming under increased strain for parking. More students results in more cars on an already stressed parking infrastructure. In many instances, university parking management offices are being asked to accommodate this increase in parking without the construction of new parking infrastructure. In order to accommodate these demands, better parking management is required.
This research develops a framework to evaluate current parking management practices and pinpoint methods to improve upon current practices. The framework is generalized for use by any size and type of university. Clemson University's campus in Clemson, SC was used as a …
Impact Of Channel Conditions On Existing Scour Measuring Instruments, Md Nasimul Hoque Chowdhury
Impact Of Channel Conditions On Existing Scour Measuring Instruments, Md Nasimul Hoque Chowdhury
All Theses
Scour around bridge piers and abutments, is the prominent reason for bridge failures. Bridge failures have substantial effects on economy and human lives. About 60% of the total bridge failures in U.S. can be attributed to scour. In the past, scour has been responsible for several million dollars in bridge repair cost. Given the threat to the bridge infrastructure due to scour, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration has proposed several countermeasures to reduce the impact of bed degradation. One of these countermeasures that is particularly relevant during peak flow periods is the real-time scour monitoring. Scour monitoring involves real-time data …
Corrosion Activity In Precast Concrete Elements And Cementitious Closure Pours, Shabi Abbas Udaipurwala
Corrosion Activity In Precast Concrete Elements And Cementitious Closure Pours, Shabi Abbas Udaipurwala
All Theses
The use of prefabricated elements in the construction of highway bridges has been a common practice in the United States since 1950s. Precast concrete adjacent box beam girder bridges are quite popular given that the precast elements not only have structural capacity to span across the supports, but also form the bridge deck. These bridges have generally performed well during the initial years after construction, but recent failures in Pennsylvania and Indiana have aroused a nationwide alarm to investigate the causes of failure and find solutions to repair these bridges or develop design for new replacement bridges. It was found …
Probabilistic Back Analysis Of Geotechnical Systems, Lei Wang
Probabilistic Back Analysis Of Geotechnical Systems, Lei Wang
All Theses
This thesis is aimed at applying the probabilistic approaches for back analysis of geotechnical systems. First, a probabilistic back-analysis of a recent slope failure at a site on Freeway No. 3 in northern Taiwan is presented. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation is used to back-calculate the geotechnical strength parameters and the anchor force. These inverse analysis results, which agree closely with the findings of the post-event investigations, are then used to validate the maximum likelihood method, a computationally more efficient back-analysis approach. The improved knowledge of the geotechnical strength parameters and the anchor force gained through the probabilistic …
Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration Enabled Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles For Energy Management, Yiming He
Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration Enabled Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles For Energy Management, Yiming He
All Dissertations
The U.S. federal government is seeking useful applications of Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII) to encourage a greener and more efficient transportation system; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) are considered as one of the most promising automotive technologies for such an application. In this study, the author demonstrates a strategy to improve PHEV energy efficiency via the use of VII. This dissertation, which is composed of three published peer-reviewed journal articles, demonstrates the efficacies of the PHEV-VII system as regards to both the energy use and environmental impact under different scenarios.
The first article demonstrates the capabilities of and benefits achievable for …
Incorporating Natural Hazard Resistance Into The Life Cycle Assessment Framework, Jeffery Plumblee
Incorporating Natural Hazard Resistance Into The Life Cycle Assessment Framework, Jeffery Plumblee
All Dissertations
Hazard resistant building materials are not adequately represented by current LCA approaches, which do not account for environmental benefits of the avoided losses (e.g. avoided waste, avoided materials for repairs) promised by hazard resistant materials. The goal of this study was to encourage a more complete understanding of materials' environmental impacts by developing a framework to include hazard related damages in LCA.
Catastrophe modeling is a well-developed tool used by the insurance industry to assess the probability of hazard and quantify related impacts. These models were studied to identify required input data as well as the format of output results. …
Noise-Insensitive Prognostic Evaluation Of Historic Masonry Structures, Ashley Haydock
Noise-Insensitive Prognostic Evaluation Of Historic Masonry Structures, Ashley Haydock
All Theses
In recent years, a significant amount of research has been directed towards the development of prognostic methodologies to forecast the future health state of an engineering system assisting condition based maintenance. These prognostic methods, having furthered the maintenance practices for mechanical systems, have yet to be applied to historic masonry structures, many of which stand in an aged and degraded state. Implementation of prognostic methodologies to historic masonry structures can advance the planning of successful conservation and restoration efforts, ultimately prolonging the life of these heritage structures. This thesis presents a review of prognostic concepts and techniques available in the …
College Level Residential Building Code Education: Current Status And Best Practice, Earl Shealy
College Level Residential Building Code Education: Current Status And Best Practice, Earl Shealy
All Theses
Community destruction and loss of life due to residential building code (RBC) violations still occur too frequently. Increasing RBC enforcement is often not possible due to lack of funds and resources. Teaching RBC to college-level construction students is another way to encourage greater code compliance and enhanced community resilience. This research assesses the current status of RBC education in accredited construction programs, identifies academic and industry perspectives of RBC education, and constructs 'best practice' RBC teaching strategies.
A mix method, exploratory approach including three distinct phases explains the current phenomenon - RBC education emphasis within university curriculums. My research found …
The Hydraulic Performance Of Perforated Pipe Under-Drains Surrounded By Loose Aggregate, Patrick Murphy
The Hydraulic Performance Of Perforated Pipe Under-Drains Surrounded By Loose Aggregate, Patrick Murphy
All Theses
Perforated pipes are commonly used in the construction industry for subsurface drains. These subsurface drains are installed to intercept and convey infiltrated runoff or groundwater. One common application of perforated pipe is to provide an under-drain for an infiltration trench or porous pavement best management practice (BMP). Perforated pipe is installed into a trench on a bed of aggregate ranging from 0 to 28 cm thick and, depending on the design objective, is laid flat or on a slope. However, the actual hydraulic performance of these pipes, i.e. the stage storage relationship, is poorly understood. The resulting flow is quite …
A Methodology For Designing Pervious Bicycle Lanes For Stormwater Management, Donald West Iii
A Methodology For Designing Pervious Bicycle Lanes For Stormwater Management, Donald West Iii
All Theses
Bicycles have proven to be an efficient and reliable form of transportation in urban settings. Therefore, the addition of bicycle lanes into the transportation network could significantly impact and improve the sustainability of our infrastructure by reducing greenhouse emissions and improving the health of individuals who cycle on a regular basis. Pervious pavements are an approved (LID) strategy that could potentially be used to construct these new facilities thereby reducing the quantity of stormwater runoff and improving the water quality. Practicing engineers need both a design aid and research supported methods for designing these improvements before they can be fully …