Engineering Commons^™

An Analysis On Soil Properties On Predicting Critical Hydraulic Gradients For Piping Progression In Sandy Soils, Tammy Jacobson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Piping is a form of internal erosion in which soil particles are eroded at a seepage exit location due to the forces imposed on the particles by seeping water. Laboratory testing was performed on a variety of soils in order to assess a correlation between unit weight, angle of internal friction, grain size, gradation, and void ratio and the critical hydraulic gradient at which piping initiates and progresses. A multi-variable regression analysis was used to form equations to predict critical hydraulic gradient based upon each of these soil parameters. Variations in the accuracy of these equations are thought to be …

Evapotranspiration Modeling And Forecasting For Efficient Management Of Irrigation Command Areas, Roula Bachour

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It has become very crucial to manage water resources to meet the needs of the growing population. In irrigation command areas, and in order to build a better plan to manage service delivery from canals and reservoirs, it is important to build appropriate knowledge of water needs on a field basis. There is often a lag between the order and delivery of water to the field. Knowledge of the crop water requirement at the field level helps the decision maker to make the right choices leading to more efficient handling of the available water. The purpose of this study was …

Impacts Of Climate Change On Water Resources And Corresponding Adaptation Strategies Of The Nam Ngum River Basin, Laos, Dumindu Lasitha Jayasekera

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Nam Ngum River Basin (NNRB) in Laos has received attention of foreign investors due to high hydropower development potential and low per capita electricity consumption. The NNRB is rapidly developing due to its hydropower generation potentials while water demands will increase for agricultural and domestic purposes due to population increase and land-use changes. Water availability conditions will be affected with the increasing water demand and climate change may worsen the water availability conditions. Climate is often defined as the weather averaged over time whereas weather describes atmospheric conditions at a particular place and time in terms of air temperature, …

Alternative Steel Reinforcement In Mechanically Stabilized Earth (Mse) Walls, Daniel T. Pond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mechanically Stabilize Earth (MSE) is a method in which soil tensile strength and shear resistance is increased by using reinforcement. The traditional forms of reinforcement include bars, galvanized strips, welded wire mats or steel grids, and geosynthetics.
When steel is used as reinforcement in MSE walls, it gets corroded or decayed. Certain shapes of reinforcement will have less corrosion because less surface area is exposed. Pullout resistance is the ability to resist a tensile force. This can be affected by the design and shape of the steel. This study simulates different overburden depths or pressures for pullout resistance and evaluates …

The Benefits Of Using Building Information Modeling In Structural Engineering, Cesar Augusto Hunt

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper explores how the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be a beneficial platform for structural engineers. The current state of BIM is analyzed, giving a general overview on how architectural; engineering and construction firms are applying it on their projects. The applicability of BIM to structural engineering is discussed, and how it impacts the structural design and its workflow. The benefits of using BIM in structural engineering are then analyzed, in the areas of productivity, coordination, and visualization, and a case study is developed to test the interoperability between BIM software and structural analysis software. The findings …

Functional Ontologies And Their Application To Hydrologic Modeling: Development Of An Integrated Semantic And Procedural Knowledge Model And Reasoning Engine, Aaron Range Byrd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In hydrology we straddle the domains of science and engineering. As hydrologists our goal is to predict the movement and volume of water. As scientists we seek to improve our understanding of water-related processes and how to model them. As engineers we seek to be able answer specific water-related questions to provide protection and an essential resource for the people we serve. Underlying all of our work is a body of knowledge that we have developed and continue to develop. This knowledge involves many aspects, such as the role of various hydrologic processes, how to obtain data, computational models that …

Design And Testing Of A Turbidity Sensor For Grain Size Measurements, Sara Rebeca Martin Cid

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Grain-size analysis is a measurement of the size distribution of individual particles in a soil sample. The major features of grain-size analysis are the destruction or dispersion of soil aggregates into discrete units by chemical, mechanical, or ultrasonic means and the separation of particles according to size limits by such means as sieving and sedimentation, as well as other methods.

Soil particles span a large size range, varying from boulders (exceeding 0.25 m in size) down to submicron clays (Grain-size distribution curves are used extensively by civil engineers to evaluate materials used for foundations, road fills, and other construction purposes. …

Transient Effects On Dynamic Torque For Butterfly Valves, Trevor N. Price

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Butterfly valves are versatile components widely used in hydraulic systems as shutoff and throttling valves. Butterfly valve components must be able to withstand the forces and torques that are generated with use. Dynamic torque data are usually obtained in a test lab for a variety of steady state flow conditions; however the dynamic torque under transient (unsteady flow) conditions may be significantly different than that found in the laboratory. If a valve is closed too fast, especially in long systems, large transient pressures are generated and travel as waves through the pipeline. These transient waves increase the pressure difference across …

Effects Of Cordon Pricing On Pm2.5 Production In An Inversion Prone Area: A Case Study In Cache County, Utah., Brandon Charles Brady

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The main objective of this research was to investigate the possibility of a cordon area pricing scheme in an inversion prone area to reduce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) production and to give decision makers more options when it comes to reducing pollution. This project presents a case study in Cache County, Utah to determine the impact that a cordon area-pricing scheme would have in reducing the pollution. Cache Metropolitan Planning Organization (CMPO) provided a CUBE Voyager model of the county that was used and changed to measure vehicle miles travelled (VMT) from different scenarios for the years 2010, 2020, 2030, …

A Quantitative Framework For Assessing Vulnerability And Redundancy Of Freight Transportation Networks, Sarawut Jansuwan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Freight transportation networks are an important component of everyday life in modern society. Disruption to these networks can make peoples’ daily lives extremely difficult as well as seriously cripple economic productivity. This dissertation develops a quantitative framework for assessing vulnerability and redundancy of freight transportation networks. The framework consists of three major contributions: (1) a two- stage approach for estimating a statewide truck origin-destination (O-D) trip table, (2) a decision support tool for assessing vulnerability of freight transportation networks, and (3) a quantitative approach for measuring redundancy of freight transportation networks.

The dissertation first proposes a two-stage approach to estimate …

Nutrient Contribution Of The Shallow Unconfined Aquifer To Pineview Reservoir, Thomas Nyanda Reuben

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pineview Reservoir, near Utah’s populous Wasatch Front, could play an important role in modulating water supply as water demands and water uses change in response to increasing population densities. The reservoir’s water quality may decline if nitrogen and phosphorus additions to the reservoir are not controlled. Most of the water flowing into the reservoir in summer and fall is contributed by the shallow ground water. The quantity and quality of the shallow ground water to Pineview Reservoir were studied from February 2010 through November 2011. The objectives were to: 1) increase understanding of nitrogen and phosphorus transport from ground water …

A Computational Framework For Dam Safety Risk Assessment With Uncertainty Analysis, Anruag Srivastava

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Event tree analysis is a commonly-used method in dam safety risk analysis. Event trees are used to obtain quantitative estimates of the probability of dam failure and its associated consequences. This can be done to evaluate the safety of an existing dam or to provide insights into the choice between risk reduction alternatives. In the past, the calculations have been performed using either generalized software developed primarily for business applications or purpose-built spreadsheets. However, these approaches lack generality, can require substantial effort, can be fragile, and are difficult to modify to represent risk reduction measures or to update using new …

Applications Of Bayesian Statistics In Fluvial Bed Load Transport, Mark L. Schmelter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The science of fluvial sediment transport studies the processes involved in the movement of river sediments. It is commonly understood that when rivers flood they have a great capacity to move sand, gravel, and even larger cobbles and boulders. This process is not only limited to the big floods that usually attract so much attention, but also the more common river flows play a very important role in forming a river. As engineers and scientists, we like to be able to develop equations and relationships that describe some natural phenomenon—in this case, fluvial sediment transport. While we are able to …

Bahavior And Analysis Of An Integral Abutment Bridge, Conner D. Huffaker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As a result of abutment spalling on the integral abutment bridge over 400 South Street in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) instigated research measures to better understand the behavior of integral abutment bridges. The bridge was instrumented with survey targets and monitored each month for one year. The monthly surveys were also supplemented by a day-long survey. Measurements of temperature change and span length were obtained and used to show general trends in the movement of the 400 South Street Bridge. A detailed finite-element model was created and results from the model confirmed locations of …

Effect Of Deposition From Static Test Fires On Corn And Alfalfa, Scout Mendenhall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alliant Techsystems, Inc (ATK) manufactures solid rocket motors for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Promontory, UT facility. Periodically ATK conducts static test fires, where the rocket is restrained horizontally and fired into a hillside. The plume entrains native soil and is carried by the wind until it cools and settles. Although the area around ATK is sparsely populated, residents of nearby Penrose and Thatcher, UT are concerned with the deposition of the test fire soil (TFS) from the static rocket tests. In 2010, several crop fields nearing harvest were dusted with TFS, prompting the investigation of …

The Calibration And Uncertainty Evaluation Of Spatially Distributed Hydrological, Jongkwan Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the last decade, spatially distributed hydrological models have rapidly advanced with the widespread availability of remotely sensed and geomatics information. Particularly, the areas of calibration and evaluation of spatially distributed hydrological models have been attempted in order to reduce the differences between models and improve realism through various techniques. Despite steady efforts, the study of calibrations and evaluations for spatially distributed hydrological models is still a largely unexplored field, in that there is no research in terms of the interactions of snow and water balance components with the traditional measurement methods as error functions. As one of the factors …

Platooning Safety And Capacity In Automated Electric Transportation, James Fishelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Automated Electric Transportation (AET) proposes a system of automated platooning vehicles electrically powered by the roadway via wireless inductive power transfer. This has the potential to provide roadway transportation that is less congested, more flexible, cleaner, safer, and faster than the current system. The focus of this research is to show how platooning can be accomplished in a safe manner and what capacities such an automated platooning system can achieve. To accomplish this, first two collision models are developed to show the performance of automated platoons during an emergency braking scenario: a stochastic model coded in Matlab/Simulink and a deterministic …

Modeling Overlapping And Heterogeneous Perception Variance In Stochastic User Equilibrium Problem With Weibit Route Choice Model, Songyot Kitthamkesorn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Traffic assignment problem is an important component of the transportation planning model. State-of-the-practice traffic assignment models adopt the equilibrium principle to equilibrate the travel demand with the travel supply (e.g., highway and transit networks) under congestion. These models give the transportation network performance measures to compare among transportation alternatives for supporting the decision-making processes. The deterministic user equilibrium (DUE) principle is perhaps the most widely used in the traffic assignment problem. In this principle, all travelers are assumed to minimize their individual travel cost, such that only the lowest-cost route is used at equilibrium. However, this perfect knowledge assumption is …

Live-Load Test And Finite-Element Model Analysis Of An Integral Abutment Concrete Girder Bridge, Robert W. Fausett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As part of the Long Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program, a single-span, prestressed, integral abutment concrete girder pilot bridge near Perry, Utah was instrumented with different sensors at various locations onto the bridge for long-term monitoring and periodic testing. One of the periodic tests conducted on this bridge was a live-load test. The live-load test included driving trucks across the bridge, as well as parking trucks along different lanes of the bridge, and measuring the deflection and strain. The data collected from these tests was used to create and calibrate a computer model of the bridge. The model was afforded …

Improving Surrogate Monitoring Techniques For Suspended Sediment, Brant R. Whiting

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The quality of water of our nation’s rivers and streams is important to many vital uses including drinking water treatment, recreation, and the natural environment. Water quality can be severely impacted by the quantity and type of suspended sediment found therein. Because suspended sediment can be associated with many other contaminants that degrade water quality, it is noted as the most common impairment to water quality in the United States. Suspended sediment can cause significant ecological impacts to the chemical and biological characteristics of surface waters. The ability to accurately quantify suspended sediment concentrations at the appropriate time(s) and location(s) …

Using Qual2kw As A Decision Support Tool: Considerations For Data Collection, Calibration, And Numeric Nutrient Criteria, Andrew J. Hobson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Surface water quality in the United States is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under direction of the Clean Water Act. Designated uses are required for all state waters. Numeric or narrative water quality standards provide measures to determine if each waterbody meets the intended use. Narrative standards typically include vague terminology that is difficult to interpret and this has led EPA to encourage states to develop numeric criteria for nutrients in all its streams, rivers, and lakes. These numeric nutrient criteria are intended to stave off the harmful effects of over-growth of aquatic plants which can result …

Air Vent Sizing In Low-Level Outlet Works For Small- To Medium-Sized Dams, Nathan W. Wright

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The majority of dams contain low-level outlet works, which typically consist of closed conduits that run through the dam, and are used to release water from the reservoir when the water level is below the level of the surface spillways. It is also used to flush the reservoir of sediments and to control the elevation of the reservoir. Low-level outlet works typically consist of a gate that controls the flow within a closed conduit that runs through the dam and an air vent that supplies air behind the gate. In the absence of properly designed air vents, negative pressures may …

Hazard Classification And Hydraulic Remediation Options For Flat-Topped And Ogee-Crested Low-Head Dams, Riley J. Olsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The dangerous hydraulic conditions that can form downstream of a low-head dam were investigated. These dangerous hydraulic conditions have been the cause of hundreds of drowning incidents since the construction of the first low-head dams. Two primary objectives were identified for this study, each of which were primarily performed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics software, Flow-3D^®, with physical models used to verify the numerical results. The first objective was the identification of a risk factor made up of easily measured parameters that could accurately predict when the dangerous hydraulic conditions are present at a low-head dam. The risk …

A Method To Quantify Road Safety Audit Data And Results, Joshua Reid Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Utah Local Technical Assistant Program (Utah LTAP) with assistance from the Utah Department of Transportation conducted over 18 Road Safety Audit (RSA’s) projects on existing roadways. The projects ranged from roads on minor rural collectors to major urban collectors as well as intersections and unpaved roads. Part of this research shows the lessons learned and the common recommendations for each type of facility.

After all the RSA projects were conducted a tool was developed to help quantify the risk for drivers and pedestrians on the roadway. The tool is able to analyze the risk before and after recommended safety …

Canoebis, Mitchel Robert Dabling

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Egyptian mythology is full of legend and mystery. Ra, the Chief God of Ancient Egypt, used a mysterious canoe, named Meseket, to cross the underworld at night (Ions, 1983). Our fabricated legend begins with Aken, Ra's loyal ferryman. When Aken accidentally broke the canoe Meseket, he was left without a vessel to ferry Ra. Without proper materials to fashion another wooden boat, he asked Anubis, the god of embalming for assistance. Together they built a new canoe out of concrete using raw materials from the Egyptian landscape. The 2013 Utah State University Concrete Canoe Team has endeavored to recreate this …