Engineering Commons^™

Learning From Cinara: Exploring The Depths Of Participatory Water Engagement In Cali, Colombia, Zachary T. Strickland

Honors College Theses

Located within the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, CINARA is an academic institution, comprised of both engineers and social scientists, that has almost three decades of experience regarding participatory approaches to water supply and environmental sanitation. In this paper, I argue that CINARA’s work is important due to its emphasis on meaningful community participation that significantly involves communities in decisions on technical matters that are usually allocated exclusively to “experts.” Furthermore, the valuation of social considerations and non-technical knowledge found amongst CINARA’s engineers stands in distinct contrast to traditional development practices and engineering mindsets. This paper will go on …

Rule High School Athletic Field Renovation, Nathan W. Foust

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Application Of Multi-Hazard Seismic-Blast Detailing For Highway Bridges, Dominique Morton Torres

Dissertations and Theses

The increase of worldwide terrorist attacks on public transportation has heightened our concerns of protecting the nation’s transportation infrastructure. Highway bridges are an attractive target for terrorist attacks due to ease of accessibility and their overall importance to society. The primary objective of this research is to investigate multi-hazard seismic-blast correlations of blast-induced bridge components through numerical simulations of a high-precision finite element model of a typical highway bridge in New York. Seismic-detailing for blast loading on bridges has been investigated to study the correlations between seismic design for blast load effects. High-precision 3D Finite Element models of bridges detailed …

The Implementation Of A Versatile Pseudodynamic Hybrid Simulation For Seismic Evaluation Of Structural Systems, Chelsea Griffith

Masters Theses

Pseudodynamic hybrid simulation technique was developed to evaluate structural seismic performance by physically testing the critical portion with the remaining structure simulated using a numerical model in the computer. An incremental approach was adopted in developing the control scheme to suit multiple testing facilities and test specimens. First the small scale, predictable specimen was utilized to investigate techniques of improving stability, slowing down the loading rate and triggering the accurate force measurement in a series of at benchmark scale experiments in the Laboratory of Earthquake and Structural Simulation at Western Michigan University (WMU). A step/hold command scheme was developed and …

Rainwater Harvesting Storage Methods And Self Supply In Uganda, Jonathan Peter Blanchard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self supply is an emerging approach to water supply which focuses on fostering household investment in incremental improvements to their water sources. When successful, it can lower costs and increase sustainability by offering users a larger share

of ownership in their own supply, and harnessing the already existing strengths of a community rather than trying to impose an external perspective. In addition to well upgrading and source protection, one of the key self supply areas is rainwater harvesting.

Uganda has a diverse selection of rainwater storage options, but many of them are scattered and disparate.

The objective of this study …

A Study Of Central Florida Nonroad Voc And Nos Emissions And Potential Actions To Reduce Emissions, Michael Radford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ground-level ozone is harmful to the human respiratory system, as well as the environment. The national EPA 8-hour ozone standard for ground-level ozone was reduced from 85 parts per billion (ppb) to 75 ppb in 2008, and trends from previous years show that some of the counties in Central Florida could be in danger of violation. Violation means "non attainment" status; in which the county is ordered by EPA to develop specific implementation plans to reduce its emissions. The objective of this study was to compile an emissions inventory of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from nonroad …

Mexico Engineering Study Abroad: Assessing The Effectiveness Of International Experiences On Teaching Global Engineering Skills, Joshua Benjamin Draper

Theses and Dissertations

Globalization is a rapidly increasing trend in many industries, including civil engineering. This paper defines the skills engineers will need in an increasingly international industry. It also describes an engineering study abroad program designed to teach some of those skills to students and presents a survey used as an assessment tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The program, called Mexico Engineering Study Abroad (MESA), is taught at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, UT. MESA is a project-based extended field trip format class that couples hydrologic modeling with cultural awareness as students work together with Mexican students on …

Computer-Based Instruction For Engineering Education In The Developing World, Bradford G. Singley

Theses and Dissertations

Although civil engineers continually develop new ways to solve problems involving water, energy, infrastructure and environmental sustainability, these innovations can take years – or even decades – to reach developing countries. Computer-based instruction has the potential to dramatically decrease this lag time by improving engineering education in the developing world. This paper discusses the development of instructional simulations, based on the theory of model-centered instruction. These simulations can serve as self-paced learning modules, which can be accessed for free over the Internet. A pilot learning module was developed for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the …

Statnamic Lateral Loading Testing Of Full-Scale 15 And 9 Group Piles In Clay, Rick Davon Broderick

Theses and Dissertations

Studies of seismic and impact loading on foundation piles is an important and a focused interest in the engineering world today. Because of seismic and other natural events are unpredictable, uncontrollable and potentially unsafe it is a vital study to understand the behavior and relationship structures in motion have on there foundation. Statnamic Loading has become a popular method of studying this relationship in a controlled environment. Two groups of 9 and 15 driven hollow pipe piles were tested in saturated clay at the Salt Lake City Airport in July of 2002. The 9-pile group (3x3 configuration) was separated at …

A Computer-Aided-Learning Tool For Teaching Construction Engineering Decision Making: An Excavation Stage Educational Game, Hosnachah Ahmed Refaat Mekkawi

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Hydraulic Characteristics Of Labyrinth Weirs, Corwin M. Willmore

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

Primarily, half-round crest labyrinth weirs were tested in this study with the side leg angle (a) ranging between 7 to 35 degrees. Historical data was primarily limited to quarter-round data. This study presents data and equations for estimating the discharge coefficient for labyrinth weirs with both half-round, quarter-round, and two Ogee-type crest weir shapes . A method is presented for comparing the flow capacity between weirs in order to determine the most efficient weir at a given Ht/P. For a labyrinth weir with the crest shape,# of cycles (N), and the cycle width (w) held constant, the discharge coefficient (Cct) …

Resolving Problems In Engineering Ethics: Precept And Example, Joel C. Adair

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis has served to accomplish several objectives. First, a foundation was laid for the consideration of ethical factors in an engineering context. This was done by first establishing the need for ethical judgement in the engineering disciplines. A summary of several significant classical ethical theories followed, providing several tools with which to evaluate decisions that have ethical implications. Finally, the conclusion was made that the best framework for making ethical decisions is found in the application of the virtues espoused by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jet Velocity Dissipation And Modelling With Aeration, Stephen J. Schlenker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of natural aeration and fall height upon velocity dissipation and modelling were studied. Underwater velocities and void ratios (proportion of air volume to total volume) were measured along the jet centerline at various depths in the receiving pool under 1- and 2-inch diameter vertical circular free-falling jets. Maximum air bubble penetration depths were also measured. In the tests, the nozzle velocities were designed so that the two differently sized models would have equivalent Froude numbers for direct comparison of respective underwater parameters. Air entrainment-the natural development of air bubbles within a pool receiving a free-falling jet-causes voids to …

Evaluation Of A Welded Wire Retaining Wall, Jerold Albert Bishop

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of a Welded Wire Retaining Wall and present design recommendations for its future use. Field data from the instrumentation of a Welded Wire Retaining Wall as well as laboratory data from a study of welded wire fabric as a reinforcing agent for soil was gathered. A study of the theory and practice of reinforced soil construction was made. On the basis of this study and the experimental data obtained, the wall is evaluated and design recommendations presented.

Utah State University Stilling Basin Pipe Flow To Open Channels, Hameed Rasheed

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Energy dissipation problems are often encountered where pipelines discharge into open channels. Normal pipe flow velocities most often result in super-critical velocities in canals. These high velocities may cause scour, overtopping, and unstable flow in the channel.

The principal objective of the study was to find an efficient and economical design of a stilling basin transition from pipe flow to open channels. Pertinent variables were selected and their effects determined by extensive experimentation.

An efficient stilling basin was developed utilizing a short dissipator pipe on the wall opposite the inflow pipe. The optimum diameter, length, and differential elevation between center …

Polarographic Determination Of Germanium, Calvin Leo Stevenson

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

In the past germanium has been determined by either wet methods or by the spectograph; the spectograph being used for the determination of very small amounts of ger­manium and wet methods used when more than one hundredth of one percent germanium is present. Both of these analyti­cal schemes have weaknesses.

A Study Of The Effects Of The Chloride Ion On The Lead-Silver Anodes And On The Lead Tenor Of The Zinc Deposit In Zinc Electrolysis, William A. Mitchell

Bachelors Theses and Reports, 1928 - 1970

The electrolyte used in the commercial production of electrolytic zinc from zinc sulphate solutions contains small amounts of impurities each of which has its own effects upon the process. Impurities such as antimony, cobalt, nickel, and iron tend to lower the current efficiency while other impurities such as chlorine, fluorine, and nitrates tend to increase the corrosion of the lead anodes and thereby increase the lead tenor of the zinc deposit.

Engineering In Traffic Safety In Utah, Donald T. Hunter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Traffic safety involves accident-free movement of physical entities. It includes all means of transportation and is a function of mobility, an important variable affecting directly the mortality rate and increase of accidents. All transportation groups have coincidentally with or without increase of mobility been attempting to reduce accidents. Those notably succeeding are the shipping, railroad, and airline interests. The operating motor vehicle and pedestrian groups have failed conspicuously.

The early means of attaining a better degree of traffic safety in the motor vehicle and pedestrian groups were based on opinions, and though rational, were incomplete because of the dynamic and …