Engineering Commons^™

Investigating Gulf Coast Aquifer System: Stratigraphy Reconstruction, Inverse Modeling, And Groundwater Stress Assessment, Shuo Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Mississippi Embayment aquifer system (MEAS) and the Coastal Lowlands aquifer system (CLAS) provide substantial groundwater resources for human activities in the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain. However, the overexploitation has led to groundwater depletion in the MEAS and the CLAS, threatening sustainable groundwater use. Such concern highlights the crucial need for an advanced understanding of stratigraphy and groundwater in these aquifer systems, which is essential for effective regional groundwater management. This dissertation presents a comprehensive investigation of MEAS and CLAS in the Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi region, encompassing three fundamental dimensions: stratigraphy reconstruction, groundwater modeling, and groundwater stress assessments. A …

Modeling Of Amine-Based Co2 Capture Process, Zafar Safarovich Turakulov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

A significant factor influencing climate change is the release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere as a consequence of human activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels. Climate change can be slowed down by taking action to mitigate industrial-scale CO₂ emissions. Currently, the most advanced technology for capturing CO₂ from industrial flue gases is the post-combustion CO₂ capture based on amine absorption. However, due to the high energy penalties of existing CO₂ capture technologies and insufficient carbon markets, it is necessary to develop methods that compete with these technologies or minimize their …

Rejuvenation Effect Of Aged Sbs-Modified Asphalt Utilizing Molecule Analysis, Ke Shi, Feng Ma, Jenny Liu, Zhen Fu, Ruimeng Song, Dongdong Yuan, Chen Li

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Performance of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Modified Asphalt (SBSMA) is Significantly Impacted by its Aging and Regeneration. in This Research, the Molecular Dynamics Simulation Was Utilized to Investigate the Rejuvenation Effect of Active Reagents on Aged SBS Modified Asphalt through the Following Tasks: 1) Verifying the Accuracy of the Asphalt Model by Density and Solubility Parameters; 2) Assessing the Changes in the Rejuvenated Asphalt Model's Energetic Parameters and Volume Parameters, 3) Studying the Interaction Energy between SBS Molecules and Asphalt Molecule Models, and 4) Evaluating the Relative Concentration, Interfacial Interaction Energy, and Diffusion Effect of the Asphalt-Asphalt Models. the Results Indicated that …

Assessment Of Bridge Pier Response To Fire, Vehicle Impact, And Air Blast, Chen Fang, Qusai Alomari, Daniel G. Linzell

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Highway bridges exposed to intentional or unintentional fire followed by combined vehicle impact and air blast are at risk of significant damage and, possibly, collapse. Limited studies examining the complex effects of these extreme demands on bridge support elements and parametrizing their response and damage are found in the open literature. Research that is presented is part of an ongoing numerical investigation examining round, multi-column, reinforced concrete (RC), bridge pier behavior subject to multi-hazard scenarios involving fire, vehicle impact, and air blast. Detailed nonlinear finite element analysis models of single columns and multi-column piers supported by a pile foundation system …

Comparing 1d, 2d, And 3d Hydraulic Models In Urban Flooding Applications, Taylor Kesler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Floods have been a hazard to people since people first started building near rivers. Predicting floods can be very beneficial to save lives and property. Computers have made it possible to solve fluid dynamics equations in a fast and efficient manner. Computer programs have been designed to solve these equations and create digital models of floods.

This study compares three different methods of computer modeling and explores their advantages and disadvantages. One-dimensional models solve fluid equations by setting up a series of cross sections. Two-dimensional models use a grid-like mesh to solve fluid equations from one cell to the next. …

Performance Modeling And Analysis Of A Thermoelectric Building Envelope For Space Heating, Xiaoli Liu, Ming Qu, Kazuaki Yazawa, Jorge Kohanoff, Piotr Chudzinski, Lorenzo Stella, Brian Norton, Niall Holmes Dr., Ruchita Jani, Hongxi Yin

Conference papers

To provide energy-efficient space heating and cooling, a thermoelectric building envelope (TBE) embeds thermoelectric devices in building walls. The thermoelectric device in the building envelope can provide active heating and cooling without requiring refrigerant use and energy transport among subsystems. Thus, the TBE system is energy and environmentally friendly. A few studies experimentally investigated the TBE under limited operating conditions, and only simplified models for the commercial thermoelectric module (TEM) were developed to quantify its performance. A holistic approach to optimum system performance is needed for the optimal system design and operation. The study developed a holistic TBE-building system model …

Simulating Flood Control In Progress Village, Florida Using Storm Water Management Model (Swmm), Azize Minaz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Flooding is a natural event caused by heavy rains, melting snow, high tides, and anthropogenic impacts such as channel clogging, improper land use, and deforestation. In this study, the strategies for controlling flooding seek to establish flood prevention systems by implementing grey infrastructure and green infrastructure practices. The main objective of this thesis is to analyze the study area, Progress Village Neighborhood in Delaney Creek Watershed, regarding flood risk and flood mitigation techniques. The analysis was performed using EPA SWMM 5.1 and Arcmap 10.7.1. The study used design storms,10-years 24 hours and 25-years 24 hours, to analyze flood risk in …

Advances In Process Understanding And Methods To Support River Temperature Modeling In Large Regulated Systems, Bryce A. Mihalevich

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

River temperatures play a key role in determining the suitability of habitat for aquatic ecosystems. While thermal regimes are influenced by many factors, flow and temperature patterns in large rivers are often shaped by water development. As such, water management associated with large reservoirs and diversions have also altered aquatic ecosystems. As climate change introduces new climate and hydrologic patterns, the decisions water managers make to address changes in runoff may further impact aquatic ecosystems. This calls for robust modeling tools that can predict river and reservoir temperature responses to water management decisions over large regions. However, highly variable topography …

Literature Review On The Discrete Element Method In Asphalt Mixtures, Hui Yao, Mei Xu, Junfu Liu, Yu Liu, Jie Ji, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications

Asphalt mixtures are commonly used in pavement engineering, especially for highway construction. The mechanism exploration and analysis of pavement distress are the main challenges for researchers and industry managers. Thereby, it is important to understand their properties and interaction mechanisms in asphalt mixtures. It is difficult to conduct some sophisticated or microscale tests in the laboratory, and numerical simulation and virtual tests can be solutions for these cases with low costs. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a promising tool for researchers to undertake these tasks. This paper mainly summarized and analyzed the research progress and development prospect of DEMs …

Resonance Analysis Between Deck And Cables In Cable-Stayed Bridges With Coupling Effect Of Adjacent Cables Considered, Houjun Kang, Yunpeng Cai, Yunyue Cong, Xiaoyang Su, Guirong Grace Yan

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The nonlinear dynamic model of a shallow arch with multiple cables is developed to model a long-span cable-stayed bridge. Based on the veering phenomenon of cable-stayed bridges, the in-plane modal internal resonance between the first mode of the shallow arch and the first mode of the cable is investigated under both primary resonance and subharmonic resonance. Modulation equations of the dynamic system are obtained by Galerkin discretization and the multiple scales method, in which the equilibrium solution of modulation equations is obtained by the Newton–Raphson method. Meanwhile, the Runge–Kutta method is applied to directly solve the ordinary differential equations to …

Sources Of Variability And Uncertainty In Food-Energy-Water Nexus Systems, Heydi Calderon-Ambelis, Deepak R. Keshwani

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

A nexus approach contributes to the strategic allocation of resources to secure food, energy, and water for the world population. Integrated models considering the complex interactions across food, energy, and water (FEW) enhance decision-making and strategic planning towards resilience. However, a significant number of the existing integrated models leave unaddressed the inherent variability and uncertainty present in the FEW sectors. Here, we review the importance of characterizing variability over spatial and temporal scales and the importance of decreasing the uncertainty present within a FEW nexus systems. The review also discusses existing modeling tools that address variability and uncertainty on single …

Sustainable Underground Reactive Barrier To Attenuate Contaminants From Agricultural Drainage, Yuchuan Fan

Doctoral Dissertations

Denitrifying bioreactor (DNBR) has become a popular edge-of-field practice applied to reduce nitrate over the Mississippi river and to prevent a downstream hypoxic zone occurring at the Gulf of Mexico. Despite widespread field and laboratory studies, fewer investigations have been directed toward a systematic means of evaluating the nitrate removal performance achieved by various filling materials, abiotic factors, and other critical parameters. Our ultimate goal is to improve the nitrate removal by choosing the optimum fill materials and operate under optimal conditions, meanwhile, modeling the DNBR by critical variables. This study begins by establishing a global database. Forty filling materials …

Development And Validation Of An Analytical Modeling Tool For Solar Borehole Heat Exchangers, Adam Ornelles

All Theses

Current numerical modeling solutions used for subsurface heat flow, such as the Berkeley TOUGH codes, are often difficult to use and time-consuming compared to analytical modeling methods. However, current analytical modeling methods for subsurface heat flow and groundwater cannot accurately model the subsurface in 3 dimensions, a feature paramount to the planning and installation of thermal borehole heat exchangers used in environmental remediation.

This research developed a novel 3-dimensional analytical modeling tool for solar-powered borehole heat exchangers. The analytical modeling tool can plan thermal remediation systems while being more straightforward to operate than current numerical modeling software. By creating a …

Investigation Of Control Parameters, Strategies, And Transport Modeling For Effective Electrokinetic Nanoparticle Treatment Of Cementitious Materials, Huayuan Zhong

Doctoral Dissertations

Various deleterious chemical species (including sulfates, chlorides, and others) contaminate concrete structures which are inherently porous and thus suffer from compromised durability. Several technologies have been developed for repairing concrete or enhancing the service life. Nevertheless, their efficiency, practicability, and cost can vary widely. Compared with chemical grout, fiber wrap, and traditional repair technology, electrokinetic nanoparticle treatment (EN) has been found to provide remarkable benefits for strength restoration and mitigation of durability problems via porosity reduction. Nanoparticle instability and over dosage issues can arise and lead to problems during treatments. In many cases, these treatment processes have been accompanied by …

Effects Of Acid Deposition And Changing Climate On The Hydrochemistry And Critical Loads Of Watersheds In The Adirondack Region Of New York, Shuai Shao

Dissertations - ALL

Despite decreases in acidic deposition since the 1970s, the recovery of surface waters from acidification has been limited primarily due to the depletion of exchangeable base cations, net mineralization of organic sulfur and nitrogen and release of previously retained SO42- and NO3-, and increases in concentrations of naturally occurring organic acids from soil. The future recovery of stream chemistry from acidic deposition may be altered by projected increases in temperature and precipitation associated with a changing climate. The goals of this study were to conduct a modeling analysis of the response of soils and streams in the Adirondack Park, New …

Computational Design Of Nonlinear Stress-Strain Of Isotropic Materials, Askhad M.Polatov, Akhmat M. Ikramov, Daniyarbek Razmukhamedov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article deals with the problems of numerical modeling of nonlinear physical processes of the stress-strain state of structural elements. An elastoplastic medium of a homogeneous solid material is investigated. The results of computational experiments on the study of the process of physically nonlinear deformation of isotropic elements of three-dimensional structures with a system of one- and double-periodic spherical cavities under uniaxial compression are presented. The influence and mutual influence of stress concentrators in the form of spherical cavities, vertically located two cavities and a horizontally located system of two cavities on the deformation of the structure are investigated. Numerical …

Modeling And Monitoring Of Water Quantity And Quality In Permeable Pavement Systems Using Geophysical Equipment, Abby Klimowicz

Honors Scholar Theses

Permeable pavements are a type of low impact development (LID) that reduces runoff by increasing the permeability of developed surfaces. Less runoff helps protect the surrounding ecosystems from erosion and pollution. Without pools of accumulating runoff, the potential for the development of ice on roads and parking lots is also decreased. However, sufficient research on the movement of water and the ions dissolved in it through the permeable pavement system has not been completed. In this study, geophysical equipment was used to observe how moisture, measured as volumetric water content (VWC), and ions, approximated by electrical conductivity, pass through constructed …

A Review Of Harmful Algal Bloom Prediction Models For Lakes And Reservoirs, Jade Snyder Echard

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

Anthropogenic activity has led to eutrophication in water bodies across the world. This eutrophication promotes blooms, cyanobacteria being among the most notorious bloom organisms. Cyanobacterial blooms (more commonly referred to as harmful algal blooms (HABs)) can devastate an ecosystem. Cyanobacteria are resilient microorganisms that have adapted to survive under a variety of conditions, often outcompeting other phytoplankton. Some species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that ward off predators. These toxins can negatively affect the health of the aquatic life, but also can impact animals and humans that drink or come in contact with these noxious waters. Although cyanotoxin’s effects on humans …

Modeling Considerations For Built-Up Compression Members In Communication Towers, Ghada M. El-Mahdy P.Eng., Ceng, Amro A. Alawamry

Civil Engineering

It is a well-established fact that built-up compression members exhibit extra flexibility than their equivalent solid members due to the shear action which effects the overall stability. This is usually taken into consideration by using a modified slenderness ratio for buckling modes that involve relative deformation of the interconnectors. Built-up members are often used as space truss members in communication towers. When modeling communication towers in structural analysis programs like SAP2000, the built-up member is usually defined as a single member element with a double section cross section. This does not catch the increase in deflection in the member due …

Integrated Approach For Diversion Route Performance Management During Incidents, Rajib Chandra Saha

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Non-recurrent congestion is one of the critical sources of congestion on the highway. In particular, traffic incidents create congestion in unexpected times and places that travelers do not prepare for. During incidents on freeways, route diversion has been proven to be a useful tactic to mitigate non-recurrent congestion. However, the capacity constraints created by the signals on the alternative routes put limits on the diversion process since the typical time-of-day signal control cannot handle the sudden increase in the traffic on the arterials due to diversion. Thus, there is a need for proactive strategies for the management of the diversion …

Strength, Fracture Evolution, And Permeability Changes From Confined Brazilian Tests On Sandstone, Tyler Louis Hagengruber

Civil Engineering ETDs

This research reports on confined Brazilian strength tests and concurrent permeability testing on sandstone. The majority of the tests measured permeability during loading to failure in the confined extension region. Additional testing includes unloading and reloading cycles to detect the development of microcracks and the dependence of permeability on mixed stress conditions. Further testing characterizes fracture networks by observing porosity changes due to microcrack interactions before peak load. All tests involve 5 cm diameter disk-shaped, jacketed samples that are subjected to confining stresses while they are diametrically loaded. Specially designed end caps allow for gas flow measurements. The test configuration …

Development Of A Hurricane Recovery Function And Resilience Model For Single-Family Residential Homes, Uriel Robert Donald Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The resilience of communities, infrastructure, and the environment in the face of hurricanes has increasingly become of public interest in the wake of recent natural disasters and environmental activism. Previous methodologies have attempted to quantify resilience for various structures and scenarios. Many studies have primarily investigated the robustness of critical infrastructure (e.g., bridges, emergency facilities, and water systems) which are essential to the function of a community. However, few studies have applied this approach to individual residential buildings. Therefore, this research aimed to adapt the most recent recovery functions developed for residential homes by considering measurable factors that are known …

Management Of The Phosphorus-Cladophora Dynamic At A Site On Lake Ontario Using A Multi-Module Bioavailable P Model, Martin Auer, Cory P. Mcdonald, Anika Kuczynski, Chenfu Huang

Michigan Tech Publications

The filamentous green alga Cladophora grows to nuisance proportions in Lake Ontario. Stimulated by high phosphorus concentrations, nuisance growth results in the degradation of beaches and clogging of industrial water intakes with attendant loss of beneficial uses. We develop a multi-module bioavailable phosphorus model to examine the efficacy of phosphorus management strategies in mitigating nuisance algal growth. The model platform includes modules simulating hydrodynamics (FVCOM), phosphorus-phytoplankton dynamics (GEM) and Cladophora growth (GLCMv3). The model is applied along a 25 km stretch of the Lake Ontario nearshore, extending east from Toronto, ON and receiving effluent from three wastewater treatment plants. Simulation …

Understanding The Weather- And Soil-Related Variability In Agricultural Water Footprints: Case Study Of Maize And Soybeans Grown In The St. Joseph Watershed, Karleigh M. Krieg

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Introduced in 2002, the water footprint is a valuable tool for understanding the consumption of freshwater resources. The traditional approach to quantifying the water footprint is to sum the green, blue, and gray water footprint components. The green water footprint is the volume of water that comes from precipitation, is stored in the soil, and used by vegetation. The blue water footprint is the volume of surface or ground water that is withdrawn and applied to cultivated lands via irrigation. These components are based on the evapotranspiration of green and blue water resources, respectively. The gray water footprint is the …

Exposure Assessment Of Emerging Contaminants: Rapid Screening And Modeling Of Plant Uptake, Majid Bagheri

Doctoral Dissertations

"With the advent of new chemicals and their increasing uses in every aspect of our life, considerable number of emerging contaminants are introduced to environment yearly. Emerging contaminants in forms of pharmaceuticals, detergents, biosolids, and reclaimed wastewater can cross plant roots and translocate to various parts of the plants. Long-term human exposure to emerging contaminants through food consumption is assumed to be a pathway of interest. Thus, uptake and translocation of emerging contaminants in plants are important for the assessment of health risks associated with human exposure to emerging contaminants. To have a better understanding over fate of emerging contaminants …

Improved Virus Isoelectric Point Estimation By Exclusion Of Known And Predicted Genome-Binding Regions, Joe Heffron, Brooke Mayer

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Knowledge of the isoelectric points (pIs) of viruses is beneficial for predicting virus behavior in environmental transport and physical/chemical treatment applications. However, the empirically measured pIs of many viruses have thus far defied simple explanation, let alone prediction, based on the ionizable amino acid composition of the virus capsid. Here, we suggest an approach for predicting the pI of nonenveloped viruses by excluding capsid regions that stabilize the virus polynucleotide via electrostatic interactions. This method was applied first to viruses with known polynucleotide-binding regions (PBRs) and/or three-dimensional (3D) structures. Then, PBRs were predicted in a group of 32 unique viral …

Study The Effect Of Damping Change During The Dynamic Analysis Of A Reinforced Concrete Bridge With Neoprene Cushions, Mais Ghassoun

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

The damping ratio has a important effect on the dynamic behavior of the bridges. and it is customary when designing to assume it as a predetermined fixed value independent of the response amplitude and frequency of the structure . A lot of experimental research worked on identifying them, but the dependence of damping and other dynamic characteristics of vibration amplitudes and their impact on responses and the results of the analysis need more scrutiny and simulation due to the difficulty of conducting vibration experiments for structures of realistic dimensions and large weights such as a RC bridge, which necessitated a …

Upstream Water Flow At Kotri Barrage, Sindh Pakistan, Rakhshinda Bano, Mehdi Khiadani, Steven Burian

Research Datasets

The dataset contains the water flow data at Kotri barrage, Sindh Pakistan

Construction-Ready Digital Terrain Models, Rachel Catchings, Steven Waddle, Hala Nassereddine, Gabriel B. Dadi, Makram Bou Hatoum, Walter Johnson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Since 2009, Kentucky has made its 3D design data available as a supplemental reference to bidders through the project delivery process. This research discusses methods for ensuring electronic engineering data (EED) — and specifically the proposed digital terrain model (DTM) — support modern construction management methods at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Researchers performed a literature review, surveyed KYTC construction and design staff, engaged with Cabinet staff and industry members to understand the current state of practice, and evaluated quality- related attributes of the EED through case studies. The report presents a set of targeted recommendations for improving KYTC processes …

Model Development To Assess Groundwater Flooding And Levee Underseepage In New Orleans, Louisiana, Shuo Yang

LSU Master's Theses

Flooding is a major threat to New Orleans due to its geographic location and geologic condition. However, potential groundwater flooding is seldom studied and poorly understood even though groundwater level is expected high in the city. High groundwater level might result in groundwater flooding in low-lying areas. High uplift pore water pressures may cause strong underseepage and risk levee safety. The objective of this study is to assess the impacts of hydrogeology on groundwater flooding and evaluate potential underseepage-induced hazards along levees in New Orleans. In this study, a groundwater flow model development which involves stratigraphy modeling, groundwater flow model …