Engineering Commons^™

A Comprehensive Study Of Arsenic Removal From Aqueous Solution Using Low-Cost Adsorbents, Mrinmoyee Mondal

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Arsenic poisoning in water is a global concern for many years due to its high carcinogenic and toxic effect on the human body. Adsorption is one of the promising technology to treat arsenic-contaminant water. Recently, natural adsorbent modified with metal oxide/hydroxide is being studied widely, because of its great removal efficiency, inexpensive and eco-friendly properties.

In the present study, two low-cost adsorbents namely Aerocrete and Vermiculite (modified with iron oxy-hydroxide) were assessed for arsenic (both As(III) and As(V)) removal. The maximum removal of As(V) was ~99% at pH 6 for both adsorbents (3g/L). Optimum removal of As(III) was observed at …

Aversion And Warning Factors For Assessing Existing Reinforced Concrete Structures, Marcie Van Weerdhuizen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In a world of aging infrastructure, sustainability initiatives require additional investment in the assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures. Reliability-based assessment should minimize costs by reducing conservatism, while ensuring levels of safety equivalent to those for new designs. Current Canadian and US provisions assign target reliability levels for structural assessment based on criteria including occupancy type, expected failure behaviour, and the effect of element failure on the overall structural integrity. These criteria are defined using discrete and qualitative parameter values. It is shown that the true structural conditions can be better represented by verifying the applicability and completeness of these …

Experimental Testing And Modeling Of Partial Nitrification At Different Temperatures, Xiaoguang Liu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Nitrogen in wastewater treatment plant effluents has adverse environmental effects on aquatic systems. Excessive concentrations of nitrogen in water bodies can result in the depletion of dissolved oxygen, deterioration of water quality, and shifts of biotic community. Conventional biological nitrogen removal (BNR) processes consume high energy for nitrification and require external carbon for denitrification. Alternatively, partial nitrification is of interest as an emerging technology for its lower need of organic carbon addition and cost savings in aeration. In this study, the main objectives are: 1- developing a mathematical model involving operational parameters for the determination of successful partial nitrification conditions; …

Performance Of Single And Groups Of Hollow Bar Micropiles In Sand, Maged Abdlrahem

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Micropiles offer an efficient load transfer mechanism, which facilitates carrying considerable load in compression and tension. Recently, hollow bar micropiles (HBMP) have gained wide acceptance due to their fast installation and small installation equipment, which allows installation in sites with limited access. The HBMP is commonly constructed using a drill bit/ hollow bar diameter ratio (D_b/D_h) of around 2, and they are typically designed assuming type B micropiles as classified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). However, increasing the drill bit diameter should increase the micropile diameter and hence may enhance its performance and increase its …

Quantification Of Uncertainties In Inline Inspection Data For Metal-Loss Corrosion On Energy Pipelines And Implications For Reliability Analysis, Tammeen Siraj

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One of the major threats to the oil and gas transmission pipeline integrity is metal-loss corrosion. Pipeline operators periodically inspect the size of the metal loss corrosion in a pipeline using in-line inspection (ILI) tools to avoid pipe failure which may lead to severe consequences. To predict pipe failure efficiently, reliability-based corrosion management program is gaining popularity as it effectively incorporates all the uncertainties involved in the pipe failure prediction. The focus of the research reported in this thesis is to investigate the unaddressed issues in the reliability-based corrosion assessment to assist in better predicting pipe failure.

First, a methodology …

Robust Earthquake Site Classification Assessment At Ontario Bridge Sites., Alex Bilson Darko

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Canadian seismic design guidelines classify subsurface ground conditions based on the average shear-wave velocity (V_S) of the upper 30 meters (V_S30). We seek to optimize a robust earthquake site classification procedure for Ontario bridge sites, assessed primarily from blind comparison of non-invasive V_S depth profiling techniques. Non-invasive seismic testing is performed at 10 bridge sites in southern Ontario co-located with invasive penetration and/or borehole V_S measurements. Non-invasive surface wave dispersion and site amplification functions are jointly inverted to retrieve V_S profiles at each site. A general correlation between corrected V_S and cone …

Transient Analysis Of Full Scale And Experimental Downburst Flows, Junayed Chowdhury

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Downbursts are highly transient natural phenomena which produce strong downdrafts evolving from a cumulonimbus cloud They induce an outburst of damaging winds on or near to the ground causing an immense damage to the ground mounted structures and aircrafts. This study investigates the transient nature of downbursts using wind speed records from full scale downburst events employing an objective methodology. This method can detect the abrupt change points in a downburst time series based on statistical parameters such as mean, standard deviation and linear trend. In addition to the analysis of the full scale downburst events, several large scale experimental …

Use Of Regional Scale Field And Modelling Methods To Evaluate Nearshore Groundwater Discharge To A Large Glacial Lake, Hayley A. Wallace Ms.

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Groundwater discharge may be an important pathway for delivering pollutants to large lakes, but this pathway is poorly understood. Understanding the potential for groundwater discharge to deliver pollutants to lakes requires an evaluation of the magnitude and spatial variability of groundwater discharge to the lake, and the history of the discharging groundwater. The first objective of this thesis was to evaluate and quantify the spatial variability of groundwater discharge to a large glacial lake, Lake Simcoe, Ontario, using the naturally occurring radon isotope tracer (²²²Rn). Regional scale boat surveys were conducted along 80% of the Lake Simcoe shoreline …

Electroflotation For Treatment Of Paint Wastewater: Experiments, Kinetics And Hydrodynamics, Syed Reza Mohtashami

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Electroflotation (EF) is a process used to remove suspended particles from water using the gas bubbles generated from the water electrolysis. This dissertation focuses on the fundamental principles and applications of EF in the treatment of industrial wastewaters, and in particular, treatment of automotive paint wastewater. In the first part, an extensive review of applications of electroflotation in the treatment of different categories of industrial wastewaters, including the fundamentals of the process, electrode materials, design aspects and process variables, is conducted. The second part is focusing on the kinetic study, statistical analysis and empirical modeling of available experimental data from …

The Spanwise Structure Of The Roof-Level Turbulence In A Street Canyon Flow, Tomek Jaroslawski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In the present work, for the first time, the spanwise organization of turbulent flow along an urban street canyon subjected to wind normal to the street axis using a boundary layer wind tunnel is systematically investigated.The effect of upstream roughness and canyon width on the turbulence in a street canyon flow is presented. Measurements in a horizontal plane were conducted at near roof-level of a street canyon using Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry. Three upstream roughness arrays and two canyon width (W) to height (h) aspect ratios (AR = W / h = 1 and 3) were …

Field Test Of Electrokinetically-Delivered Thermally Activated Persulfate For Remediation Of Chlorinated Solvents In Clay, Nicholas Andrew Head

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Due to extensive industrial applications, chlorinated solvents are among the most prevalent groundwater contaminants found at hazardous sites. Given their recalcitrant nature and adverse health effects upon exposure, effective remediation technologies are needed to treat sites impacted by chlorinated solvents. In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) has shown success; however, its performance is often hindered in low-permeability media due to the transport of oxidants in such soils being limited. This field-scale study investigated the novel approach of applying electrokinetics (EK) to enhance the delivery of persulfate and electrical resistance heating (ERH) to activate the delivered persulfate for low-permeability soil remediation. Results demonstrated …

Monotonic Stress-Strain Behaviour Of Fibre Reinforced Cemented Toyoura Sand, Muhammad Safdar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Great East Japan earthquake of 2011 generated a huge quantity of disaster waste and tsunami deposits, which required proper treatment and disposal. To effectively use these waste soils in geotechnical applications, it is essential to understand the mechanical behaviour in their native (pure) or mechanically stabilized form (amended with cement and fibre). To address these objectives, a series of monotonic stress-strain (e.g. compression and extension) triaxial drained and undrained tests were performed on pure Toyoura sand and mixtures of Toyoura sand-silt-cement-fibre. Additional laboratory studies were performed to investigate other related aspects, such as density, back pressure, small-strain elasticity, curing …

Biohydrogen Production From Synthetic Lignocellulosic Hydrolysates: Acclimatization And Inhibition, Basem Mikhaeil Fawzy Haroun

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The growing concerns regarding climate change, population growth, depletion of fossil fuel, and pollution arising from the combustion of petroleum-based fuel can be identified as the most important factors driving the urgent need for environmentally friendly renewable energy. Among all the recognized alternatives to gasoline-based fuel, hydrogen is not only considered as a clean energy but also it has a high energy content of 142 kJ/g which is almost three times higher compared to other fossil fuels. Only water and heat are the by-products of hydrogen combustion. Dark fermentative hydrogen production is a feasible option in which inexpensive, low-grade, carbohydrate-rich, …

Electrokinetically-Enhanced Emplacement Of Lactate In A Chlorinated Solvent Contaminated Clay Site To Promote Bioremediation, Ainsley M. Inglis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Bioremediation through the injection of electron donors and bacterial cultures is effective at treating chlorinated solvent contamination but faces limitations in low permeability zones where the injected amendments cannot be delivered successfully. Using electrokinetics in combination with bioremediation to enhance the delivery of amendments was tested at a chlorinated solvent contaminated field site, where lactate was injected into clay under a direct current. Advection at locations with higher hydraulic conductivities contributed to lactate transport and dilution of aqueous chlorinated solvents. There was evidence of successful delivery of lactate by electromigration (EM) in all monitoring locations with EM lactate transport rates …

Eco-Efficient Preplaced Recycled Aggregate Concrete Incorporating Recycled Tire Waste Rubber Granules And Steel Wire Fibre Reinforcement, Saud A. Alfayez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

With increasing world population and urbanization, the depletion of natural resources and generation of waste materials is becoming a considerable challenge. As the number of humans has exceeded 7 billion people, there are about 1.1 billion vehicles on the road, with 1.7 billion new tires produced and over 1 billion waste tires generated each year. In the USA, it was estimated in 2011 that 10% of scrap tires was being recycled into new products, and over 50% is being used for energy recovery, while the rest is being discarded into landfills or disposed. The proportion of tires disposed worldwide into …

Impact Of Trace Element Ions And Fe2+ On Anaerobic Food Waste Digestion, Andisheh Yazdanpanah

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In Canada, about $31 billion worth of food is wasted annually. This amount of food waste (FW) ends up in landfills where it is naturally broken down by bacteria and releases methane to the atmosphere, a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG) which is 21 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide (CO₂). This process can also be done in a controlled environment at wastewater treatment plants, in a process known as anaerobic digestion (AD). Diverting food waste from landfills to wastewater treatment facilities allows for the capture of the methane, which can be used as an energy …

Corrosion Scale Characteristics And Lead Oxide Dissolution In Chloraminated Water, Daoping Guo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The presence of lead in drinking water is a common issue for utilities where lead pipes are used as service lines in drinking water distribution systems. Dissolved lead concentrations have been linked to the destabilization of stratified lead corrosion scales formed at the inner walls of lead pipe used as drinking water service lines. To develop a framework for lead dissolution control, it is necessary to fully describe the characteristics of the surface layer of the lead corrosion scale in direct contact with drinking water. In the first part of this thesis, a thorough lead corrosion scale characterization is carried …

Fundamentals Of Applied Smouldering Combustion, Marco Zanoni

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Smouldering combustion is defined as a flameless oxidation reaction occurring on the surface of the condensed phase (i.e., solid or liquid). Traditional research on smouldering was related to economic damages, fire risk, and death, due to the release of toxic gases and slow propagation rates. Recently, smouldering has been applied as an intentional, engineering technology (e.g., waste and contaminant destruction). Smouldering involves the transport of heat, mass, and momentum in the solid and fluid phases along with different chemical reactions. Therefore, numerical models are essential for the fundamental understanding of the process. Smouldering models either neglected heat transfer between phases …

1-Dimensional Hydraulic And Sediment Transport Modelling Of An Emergency Spillway, Ryan Weise

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Hydropower dams are complex structures that require a high level of safety. Systems approach and system simulation have provided new insights into evaluating dam safety. System simulation of hydropower dams requires that the physical state of the critical infrastructure be represented. A 1-dimensional hydraulic and sediment transport model was developed within HEC-RAS to address erosion in an emergency spillway for an existing system simulation model. Various inflow events were simulated, and the ensuing erosion was evaluated. A range of Manning’s roughness coefficients were tested and the sensitivity was minimal. Erosion and deposition values were not accurate but offer an understanding …

Role Of Zero Valent Iron And Organic Substrates In Chlorinated Solvent Degradation: An Ex-Situ Remediation Case Study, Alexander Stevenson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Field practice suggests that a combination of biotic and abiotic technologies to treat soil impacted by chlorinated solvents positively influences a remediation project’s success rate. Two large remediation programs have used a material containing both zero-valent iron (ZVI) and a dry organic substrate to abiotically reduce contaminants and increase anaerobic bioremediation in soil contaminated with tetrachloroethylene and 1,2-dichloroethylene using ex-situ mixing techniques. This research assesses the contributions made by the dry organic substrate and ZVI to the observed changes in chlorinated solvent concentrations by analyzing field samples collected from the sites previously remediated, as well as conducting bench-scale batch reactor …

Flexural Behaviour Of Reinforced Concrete Elements Retrofitted Using External Unbonded Superelastic Shape Memory Alloy Bars, Yamen Ibrahim Elbahy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Steel reinforced concrete (RC) framed structures are seismically designed for safety, where the earthquake energy is dissipated through yielding of the steel bars. During strong earthquakes, high inelastic deformations are allowed to take place. This allowance results in significant residual deformations. Thus, following an earthquake, the structure might be deemed irreparable, requiring its demolishing and replacement. If the frame can be designed to regain its original shape following an earthquake, then the structure will be repairable. This kind of design can be achieved by using smart materials such as Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs).

SMAs have unique properties, which make them …

A Study On Chemical Grouting Of Quartz Sand, Bingfeng Xue

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Chemical grouting has been used in engineering projects for decades. The primary objectives of chemical grouting in geotechnical engineering projects are to increase the soil strength, to decrease the soil permeability, and to control deformations of in-situ soil. In the design and applications of chemical grouting, laboratory testing of chemical grouted samples is an important step for the feasibility assessment.

The advantages of sodium silicate grout include high penetrability, flexible set times, and environmentally friendly, which makes it one of the most employed grouts in applications. Recently, an innovative sodium silicate, which has the silica to alkali ratio of 4.5 …

Maintaining And Controlling An Extrinsic Biofilm For Pathogen Removal In Dental Unit Water Lines, Bilal B. Al-Bataina

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The control of biofilm formation is a major concern for industrial, environmental, and public health. Undesirable biofilms can harbor different disease-causing pathogens and shorten the operational life of different equipment. On the other hand, beneficial biofilms are also used in various applications and managing its growth and activity can be desirable. Killing the biofilm does not usually incorporate the removal of the dead biofilm structure that is adhered to the surface. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to control biofilm formation; to be able to remove, inhibit, and enhance biofilm formation. This thesis investigated the use of norspermidine, D-amino …

Biobutanol Production From Cellulosic And Sugar-Based Feedstock From The Corn Plant, Reyna Gomez-Flores

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis, biobutanol production by biological fermentation was investigated from the corn plant, integrating two approaches. The first one was to utilize corn cobs, a cellulosic-based material. The second, using a new sugar-based material, sugarcorn juice. Utilizing suitable Clostridia strains for each substrate, these approaches converged into a biorefinery concept to produce renewable biofuels in Ontario, Canada. The corn cob pretreatment was carried out by a dilute acid method resulting in temperature as the variable with most significant effect towards glucose liberation. The enzymatic hydrolysis was performed utilizing a very low concentration of an enzymatic stock solution with approximately …

Wastewater Refining And Reuse And City-Level Water Decision Making, Ahmed Abuhussein

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Direct discharge of treated and untreated wastewater to natural surface water bodies, including rivers and lakes, is generally known to produce adverse environmental impacts that have been of concern for the past 10–15 years, particularly in the Great Lakes basin. Examples of these impacts include eutrophication and the emergence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Advancement in wastewater treatment plant operations alone may not be feasible to meet the 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS), especially on phosphorus reduction targets. Diverting treated wastewater to land could present a multibarrier approach for integrated PPCPs management, and could also shift current …

Microsieving As A Primary Treatment For Biological Nitrogen Removal From Municipal Wastewater, Medhavi Gupta

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

There has been an increased interest in alternative carbon diversion technologies in wastewater treatment to improve the efficiency and performance of primary treatment, increase treatment capacity, and minimize overall energy consumption, especially in geographies with limited space for expansion. Microsieving technologies like the rotating belt filters (RBFs) have emerged as a promising primary solids separation alternative to primary clarification. This research was conducted to study the implications of retrofitting existing wastewater treatment plants (without primary treatment) with RBF technology.

In order to fully evaluate the impact of RBF in water resource recovery facilities, it is paramount to investigate the unique …

Potential Of Five Plant Species For Phytoremediation Of Metal-Pah-Pesticide Contaminated Soil, Ezinne U. Ndubueze

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Contaminated soils are a global environmental concern requiring the development of low cost and sustainable remediation techniques. Often soils are contaminated by more than one class of contaminants (mixed contamination) which further complicates remediation efforts. Phytoremediation of contaminated soils has gained great attention as a low-cost and environmentally friendly remedial option. Given these desired advantages, there is not as much information available on plant species suitable for phytoremediation of mixed contaminated soil compared to single class soil contamination. This research evaluates the potential of established phytoremediation plants: alfalfa, oat, ryegrass, indian mustard, sunflower, tall fescue and switch grass to remediate …

Modeling Of Suspended Sediment Concentration Using Conventional And Machine Learning Approaches, In Thames River, Canada, Issam Mohamed

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Water resource management, planning, hydraulic design, environmental conservation, reservoir management and operation all require reliable information and data about Suspended Sediment Concentration (SSC). To predict such data, direct sampling and Sediment Rating Curves (SRC) are commonly utilized. Since direct sampling can be risky during extreme weather events and SRC cannot provide satisfactorily dependable results, engineers are trying to propose new precise fore-casting approaches. Various soft computing techniques have been applied to model different hydrological and environmental problems and have showed promising results in this regard. Although many studies have been performed to simulate the phenomena of SSC at numerous rivers …

Hydrology And Phosphorus Model For Agricultural Watershed: Swat Simulation Of Discharge And Nutrient Flux In The Medway Creek Watershed, Omar El Abusanina

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

High nutrient concentrations in surface water have been a serious concern that impacts water quality and ecology. High Phosphorus levels in Medway Creek indicate the presence of a pollution source in the watershed that needs to be identified and quantified. To investigate this issue, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) program has been used in this study with the Geographic Information System (GIS) to model the Medway Creek watershed and assess stream flow and nutrient flux. In this research, the SWAT model has been built, calibrated, and validated using two independent observed data sets to evaluate the SWAT efficiency …

Design And Probabilistic Analysis Of Mid- And High-Rise Wood Buildings Subjected To Earthquake Excitations, Shucheng Yang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mass timber products, such as the glulam or cross laminated timber (CLT), are less frequently used construction materials at present for mid-rise and high-rise buildings. The feasibility and possible advantages of applying timber materials for constructing mid- and high-rise buildings are under investigation. One of the issues that needs to be addressed for the use of heavy timber materials is the safety of such constructions under seismic excitations. To address this issue, the nonlinear inelastic seismic responses and capacity curves of a wood buildings must be assessed. For this, the 10-, 15- and 20-storey buildings are designed using heavy timber …