Engineering Commons^™

Alternate Novel Thermal Structure Interaction Designs Of Molten Salt Shell Structures At High Temperatures Ranging From 565˚C To 700˚C, Nathan David Tyrrell Loyd

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Excess energy from solar power stations and other baseline power production methods canbe stored in molten salts (MS) in the 565°C range, therefore allowing the use of large containers to store energy for up to a week and generate eight hours of electricity or more to be used during peak demand hours, at night, or adverse weather conditions, depending on the container size. Supported by Office of Naval Research (ONR), this research presents a survey of molten salt properties used in solar power storage, as well as the history of molten salt usage for energy storage and production for nuclear …

Impact Of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Participation And Mobilization Cost On Highway Project Performance, Shristy Maharjan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Construction practitioners have their goals to complete projects within time without exceeding the allocated budget. However, studies have shown many projects overrun their allocated budget and face delays due to numerous reasons. Some of the main reasons are lack of efficient construction and financial resource management, lack of proper planning, and unavailability of new construction technologies, as well as ineffective supervision and communication, design changes, and unskilled workers. In some studies, mobilization costs, along with the participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) in projects were identified as factors affecting the cost and schedule performance of construction projects. However, no statistical …

Temporal And Spatial Analysis Of The Wage Gap For Women And Underrepresented Minorities In The Architecture, Engineering, And Construction (Aec) Workforce, Saba Nikkhah Manesh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry has failed to solve persistent labor shortage problems or to fill the labor demand in the workforce by recruiting from untapped/underrepresented groups such as Women and Underrepresented Minorities (WUMs). There have been several studies on diversity and inclusion in the AEC industry, but the issue still persists, as the AEC industry has failed to solve these issues. If the industry better understands the status of wage gaps by gender and race, as well as how the industry has performed in terms of providing comparable wages for the workforce over time, along with the …

Sacrificial Piles As Scour Countermeasures In River Bridges A Numerical Study Using Flow-3d, Mohammad Nazari-Sharabian, Aliasghar Nazari-Sharabian, Moses Karakouzian, Mehrdad Karami

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Scour is defined as the erosive action of flowing water, as well as the excavating and carrying away materials from beds and banks of streams, and from the vicinity of bridge foundations, which is one of the main causes of river bridge failures. In the present study, implementing a numerical approach, and using the FLOW-3D model that works based on the finite volume method (FVM), the applicability of using sacrificial piles in different configurations in front of a bridge pier as countermeasures against scouring is investigated. In this regard, the numerical model was calibrated based on an experimental study on …

An Evaluation Of Bank Storage At Lake Mead Reservoir In The Southwest United States, Jon Woodrow Wilson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A water balance model is employed at Lake Mead to monitor and verify changing hydrology that affects total volume at the reservoir. Bank storage, which is defined as the volume of water captured in permeable lithologic layers subject to changes induced by contact and proximity to an open waterbody, is one component that is updated regularly and is based upon data and methods that were developed in the 1960’s from observations made within the first 30 years of the reservoir's maturation. Since this period, the reservoir has undergone further development and a current understanding of additional hydrologic affects to bank …

Acoustic Sonolysis Of Antibiotics In Water, Natalie Pinon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Antibiotic resistance is a prominent issue in the world today. It is said by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that it is one of the major public health challenges we face today. Predominantly, antibiotic resistance is growing because conventional wastewater treatment processes are not able to completely break down antibiotics. As bacteria are exposed to such antibiotics, which don’t kill them due to selective pressure, they become immune and develop resistance which is a huge health concern. To prevent this from occurring, antibiotics need to be removed from hospital wastewater. Sonication is a promising technology that can be …

A Hybrid Experimental-Numerical Study On The Flow Topology In The Confluence Hydrodynamics Zone Of An Open Channel With Lateral Drainage Pipe Discharge, Mohammad Nazari-Sharabian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

To avoid disrupting the flow in flood control channels with lateral drainage pipes, or impact channel capacity, confluences are constructed at small angles (Maximum 30○). These small angles are costly to construct, since they require more real estate than greater angles.

By performing several laboratory experiments in the Fluid Dynamics Laboratory of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and utilizing a numerical model (FLOW-3D), this study investigated the impact of submerged lateral drainage pipe discharges into rectangular open channels, on flow topology in the confluence hydrodynamics zone (CHZ). This was done across a range of channel widths, flow rates, …

Public-Private Partnership Contract Framework Development And Project Performance Analysis Compared To Design-Build In The Us Highway Projects, Medya Fathi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Construction projects can be delivered through various approaches; nevertheless, all practitioners and involved parties have a mutual goal, which is completing the project within the original scope, defined budget, and schedule. Reviewing the literature on public-private partnership (PPP), many efforts have been made covering different research areas, including policies, risks, roles and responsibilities, and finance. However, a study involving the development of a framework for PPP contracts, and quantitative assessment of project performance associated with PPP highway projects in the US is lacking. Therefore, this research fills such a noticeable gap in the body of knowledge on the PPP delivery …