Engineering Commons^™

Sensors To Monitor Cfrp/Concrete Bond In Beams Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Sangdo Hong, Ronald S. Harichandran

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The use of inexpensive electrochemical impedance spectroscopy based sensor technology for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of bond degradation between external carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) reinforcement and concrete is examined. Copper tape on the surface of the CFRP sheet, stainless steel wire embedded in the concrete, and reinforcing bars were used as the sensing elements. Laboratory experiments were designed to test the capability of the sensors to detect the debonding of the CFRP from the concrete and to study the effect of short-term (humidity and temperature fluctuations) and long-term (freeze-thaw and wet-dry exposure and rebar corrosion) environmental conditions on the measurements. The …

The Application Of Advanced Solid Modelling Techniques To The Design Of Precision Air Handling Units For Manufacture, Senan Moynihan

Masters

This thesis investigates the application of ActiveX technology to customise mid range solid modelling software, with a view to exploring the benefits small to medium sized manufacturing companies can experience from its successful implementation. A custom application intended to automate solid modelling software was developed that optimises the product design process and also generates the necessary manufacturing information, including working drawings, for precision air handling units. This was successfully accomplished through research and by integrating Computer Aided Design (CAD) with a custom application using ActiveX technology. A variety of CAD products and associated technologies i.e. solid modelling kernels, were researched …

Bearing Capacity Analysis And Design Of Highway Base Materials Reinforced With Geofabrics, Tommy C. Hopkins, Liecheng Sun, Mikhail E. Slepak

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The primary objective of this study was to develop and implement mathematical bearing capacity models originally proposed by Hopkins (1988, 1991) and Slepak and Hopkins (1993; 1995). These advanced models, which are based on limit equilibrium and are operated together, can be used to analyze the bearing capacity, or stability, of early construction of loads on a single layer of material, two-layered problems involving a layer of base aggregate and subgrade, and a foundation involving multiple layers of different materials, such as a flexible asphalt pavement. A Prandlt-type shear surface is used in the model analyses of layered foundations. In …

Analysis And Design Of Switched Capacitor Converters, Jonathan W. Kimball, Philip T. Krein

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Switched capacitor converters have become more common in recent years. Crucial to understanding the maximum power throughput and efficiency is a model of the converter's equivalent resistance. A new form for equivalent resistance is derived and discussed in a design context. Quasi-resonant operation is also explored and compared to non-resonant operation. Several capacitor technologies are evaluated and compared.

Performance Of Concrete Bridge Deck Joints, Lik Hang Yuen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify the types of joints available for use on concrete bridge decks and to investigate the performance characteristics of each type, including primary functions and movement ranges. Eleven reports on joint performance published by state departments of transportation and universities nationwide were analyzed in order to obtain information on joint performance problems typically encountered by state transportation agencies. In addition, test methods and specifications provided by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) were reviewed for application by bridge engineers to ensure the adequacy of deck joints.

The research indicates that compression …

Optimum Design Of The Printed Strip Monopole, Max Ammann, Matthias John

Articles

A monopole antenna, printed on low-cost laminate and fed by a microstrip line, is examined. These types of antennas are becoming popular in view of their broad bandwidth and low-profile structure, enabling easy integration as a terminal antenna. The move away from a classical ground plane (with normal radiator) is one of the attractive features of these antennas, but the full effects of the radiator and ground plane being on opposite sides of the same laminate are often not investigated. The effect of these ground planes on the impedance bandwidth and radiation pattern is investigated experimentally and numerically.

Use Of Advanced Synthesis Tools In Teaching Vlsi Design, Kevin Berwick, Dominic Nardone

Articles

No abstract provided.

Multidisciplinary Design In Virtual Worlds, M A. Rosenman, G Smith, L Ding, D Marchant, M L. Maher

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

Large design projects, such as those in the AEC domain, involve collaboration among a number of design disciplines, often in separate locations. With the increase in CAD usage in design offices, there has been an increase in the interest in collaboration using the electronic medium, both synchronously and asynchronously. The use of a single shared database representing a single model of a building has been widely put forward but this paper argues that this does not take into account the different representations required by each discipline. This paper puts forward an environment which provides real-time multi-user collaboration in a 3D …

Gene Network Analysis And Design, Matthew J. Berryman, Andrew Allison, Derek Abbott

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

Gene networks are composed of many different interacting genes and gene products (RNAs and proteins). They can be thought of as switching regions in n-dimensional space or as mass-balanced signaling networks. Both approaches allow for describing gene networks with the limited quantitative or even qualitative data available. We show how these approaches can be used in modeling the apoptosis gene network that has a vital role in tumor development. The open question is whether engineering changes to this network could be used as a possible cancer treatment.

Cmos-Aps For Hep Applications: Design And Test Of Innovative Architectures, Alessandro Marras, Daniele Passeri, Pisana Placidi, Guido Matrella, Marco Petasecca, Leonello Servoli, Gian Mario Bilei, Paollo Ciampolini

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

A set of innovative active pixel architectures has been conceived and implemented in standard CMOS technology. Active circuits are introduced into the pixel, to increase S/N ratio and to perform basic signal processing. Testing of such devices, however, becomes critical, due to the circuit relative complexity and to the need of accurately evaluating timing and position of the impinging radiation. A test strategy has thus been devised, exploiting a NIR laser source, which has been carefully characterized and tuned. The NIR laser allows for emulating, in a much more controllable fashion, a MIP event. This allow for validation of novel …

A Cost Effective Sensor Design For Granular Flow Visualization, Anton Fuchs, Peter W. Wypych, David B. Hastie, Ian Frew, David M. Cook, B. Bradstatter

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents a cost-effective sensor design based on an arrangement of light dependent resistors (LDRs) to determine the particle flow velocity and the particle concentration of granular material flow. The sensor is designed for both dense phase and dilute phase flow and can be applied wherever a transparent sightglass is used in material conveying. The measurement setup and its applicability for industrial conveying processes are discussed and measurement results utilising plastic pellets are presented.

Right Turn Split: A New Design To Alleviate Weaving On Arterial Streets, Khaled Shaaban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While weaving maneuvers occur on every type of roadway, most studies have focused on freeway maneuvers. Weaving occurring on non-freeway facilities, such as arterial streets, can cause significant operational problems. Arterial streets weaving typically occur when vehicles coming from a side street at an upstream intersection attempt to enter the main street from one side to reach access points on the opposite site at a downstream intersection by crossing one or more lanes. This dissertation investigates the type of problems occurring on arterial streets due to the weaving movements and recommends a new design to alleviate weaving on arterial streets. …

Design Of Monolimb Using Finite Element Modelling And Statistics-Based Taguchi Method, Winson Lee, Ming Zhang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Background. Monolimb is a transtibial prosthesis having the socket and shank molded into one piece of thermoplastic material. If properly designed, the shank of a monolimb can have a controlled deflection during walking which simulates the ankle joint motions to some extent. However, there is no clear guidance for the design of monolimb considering the dilemma between shank flexibility and structural integrity. Methods. Finite element analysis was used to simulate structural tests based on ISO10328 on monolimbs of different configurations. Statistics-based Taguchi method was employed to identify the significance of each design factor in controlling the deformation and stress within …

Building Vulnerability Design Against Terrorist Attacks, Alexander Remennikov, D. Carolan

Faculty of Engineering - Papers (Archive)

Some of the concepts that can help structural engineers and building owners mitigate the threat of hazards associated with terrorist attacks on new and existing buildings are discussed. The state-of-the-art methods to enhance protection of the building by incorporating low-cost measures at the early stages of building design are highlighted.

Mole Drainage For Increased Productivity In The South West Irrigation Area, D L. Bennett, Richard George, Bill Russell

Bulletins 4000 -

Heavy soils, with low rates of soil-water movement, such as those found in the South-West Irrigation Area (SWIA), require closely spaced (2-6 m apart) subsoil drainage systems to provide sufficient water movement to control the effects of salt-waterlogging on pastures. Such close spacing using traditional buried pipe or tile drainage systems is impractical. As a result, mole drainage systems, used in other parts of the world for over 50 years, have gained popularity in the SWIA in recent years.

This Bulletin Farmnote reports the current ‘best-bet’ mole draining technique for SWIA conditions gathered from observations over a number of years …

Development And Model Formulation Of Scalable Carbon Nanotube Processes: Hipco And Comocat Process Models, Adedeji Ebenezer Agboola

LSU Master's Theses

Carbon nanotubes are seamless cylindrical tubes, consisting of carbon atoms arranged in a regular hexagonal structure. It is considered as the ultimate engineering material because of its unique and distinct electronic, mechanical and material characteristics. The discovery of these materials pioneered the nanotechnology revolution, which encompasses a broad and multidisciplinary spectrum, including nanomaterials, nanobiotechnology, and nanoelectronics. Hundreds of published articles of laboratory scale and pilot plant processes were reviewed that describe potential synthesis and post–synthesis purification methods for large scale production of carbon nanotubes. The main production technologies include electric arc discharge, laser vaporization, and catalytic chemical vapor deposition. These …