Engineering Commons^™

Self-Consolidating Concrete Design For Drilled Shaft Structural Applications, Grady S. Caton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is a relatively new concrete technology which allows the concrete to be placed without the need for manual or machine vibration. This innovation reduces labor costs, construction times, and can provide a smooth, finished surface. However, this technology is used in the United States primarily in the precast and prestressed concrete industry. The utility of SCC in structural applications, such as areas of dense reinforcement or locations where complex geometry makes consolidation impossible, is also advantageous. In this study, a series of SCC mixtures were developed both with and without fly ash replacement. These mixtures were then …

Innovative Methods To Strengthen Internal Kytc Communications, P. Gayle Marks, Jeff Jasper

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Communication is the linchpin of every organization. Poor communication leads to inefficiencies, frustration among staff, and employee disaffection and disengagement. Although some state transportation agencies have adopted comprehensive strategic plans for internal communications, many have taken a more piecemeal approach, with some Offices and units (e.g., incident management) developing their own plans that apply only to their operations. The latter approach is less than ideal because establishing a comprehensive communications plan provides an organizing framework for all communications within an organization and is critical for uniting staff around a shared sense of purpose and equipping them with the tools they …

Optimal Concrete Mix Design And Finish For Skateboarding Performance, Lohgan Christoper Spencer

Construction Management

While concrete has been used in construction for hundreds of years, the introduction of concrete to skateboarding is a relatively new development. Concrete and concrete finishes are very well studied in the context of buildings and building design. Shotcrete is also very well understood as it has been in use for over 100 years. Because it is a relatively new sector of the industry, concrete skatepark construction is an area that has plenty of room for research and development. This research paper will describe the finish methods and mix designs used for concrete skatepark construction by leading skatepark construction companies …

Assessing The Performance Of High-Rap Mixtures Incorporating Crude Vegetable Oils And An Antioxidant From Mechanical, Environmental, And Economic Perspectives, Nitish R. Bastola

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

Utilization of mixtures with high amounts of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in the pavement industry is limited because of the adverse effects of aged materials in recycled asphalt materials. To date, numerous approaches have been used to reduce the adversity of RAP in mixtures. One such approach is the use of recycling agents (RAs) from various sources, such as petroleum and bio-oil. However, the current need is to maximize the use of RAP by adopting a sustainable source of RAs. Therefore, this study uses two RAs based on vegetable oils (crude soybean oil and crude corn oil) with high-RAP mixtures …

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 …

Assessment Of Long-Term Performance Of Pavements Containing Warm Mix Asphalt Technologies In Louisiana, Kwadwo Ampadu Boateng

LSU Master's Theses

This study focused on the assessment of long-term performance of asphalt pavements containing warm mix asphalt technologies in Louisiana. A total of five rehabilitation projects were studied in the state of Louisiana. The study consisted of engineering desk analyses of field performance indicators, indices and the initial laboratory performance indicators measured for five rehabilitation projects.

The engineering desk study consisted of a review of literature from previous WMA technology projects done in Louisiana. Additionally, data was acquired and validated from the Louisiana Pavement Management System (PMS). Pavement performance indicators (i.e., cracking (transverse, longitudinal, and fatigue cracking), roughness, rutting, and pavement …

Design And Validation Of A High-Power, High Density All Silicon Carbide Three-Level Inverter, Zhongjing Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transportation electrification is clearly the road toward the future. Compared to internal combustion engine, the electrified vehicle has less carbon-dioxide emission, less maintenance costs and less operation costs. It also offers higher efficiency and safety margin. More importantly, it relieves human’s dependence on conventional fossil energy. In the electrification progress, the revolution of electric traction drive systems is one of the most important milestone. The traction system should keep high efficiency to avoid performance reduction. Moreover, the motor drive should be designed within limited space without sacrificing output power rating. Based on the road map from US Drive Electrical and …

New Generation Of Performance-Engineered Asphalt Mixtures Based On Balanced Mix Design Concept, Victor Manuel Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Asphalt mixtures must ideally exhibit long-lasting durability and stability to perform wellin the field. However, improving the stability and durability of asphalt mixtures has become a major concern. Given that available design approaches rely mainly on stringent volumetric criteria for asphalt mixtures, design approaches and specifications that incorporate performance tests are needed to follow a performance-engineered mix design (PEMD) process, especially with the introduction of the balanced mix design (BMD) concept

This Dissertation study presents a comprehensive investigation of a feasible designapproach that can be implemented to develop PEMD specifications and produce BMD mixtures. An experimental evaluation of different mix …

Moisture Monitoring Of A Clt Structure In A Southern Climate, Elizabeth Poblete

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding of moisture behavior in cross laminated timber (CLT) is critical to the widespread use of CLT in construction in the United States. Currently, very little data exists on the long-term impact of moisture on CLT. The objective of this research is to collect data regarding the long-term moisture variation in the CLT panel at the University of Arkansas Adohi Hall residence hall. The climate of Northwest Arkansas is different from previously monitored buildings, as they were in the Pacific Northwest. Comparatively, Northwest Arkansas has a warmer climate with higher average annual precipitation. Waterproofing efforts are usually employed to prevent …

Hydrostatic Performance Of Reinforced Concrete Pipe For Infiltration, Lui Sammy Wong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Groundwater infiltration into underground sewer systems has long been a costly issue for municipalities. With reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) being a primary option for sewer systems, existing hydrostatic testing methods conducted by manufacturers to measure internal pipe pressure, as required by specifications, do not reflect in-situ external hydrostatic conditions. This thesis records the development of a novel testing method to evaluate the RCP joint performance for infiltration. The test is safe and easy to conduct by RCP producers at the factory. The test method mimics field conditions of possible RCP joint gap and joint offset. Over 100 tests were conducted, …

A Performance-Based Analysis Of Balanced Mix Designs, Elias Aaron Castillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Superpave design procedure was established to provide a more representative design methodology and to minimize typical pavement distresses such as fatigue cracking and permanent deformation. This Superpave design methodology was developed on the premise that the voids in mineral aggregate can evaluate the quality and constructability of asphalt mixture during the design and production phases. With the increased use of recycled materials, recycling agents, modified binders and warm mix asphalt additives, several highway agencies including the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), have investigated whether the Superpave volumetric-based design method is enough to ensure appropriate performance of the final product. …

Development Of A Mix Design Adjustment Method For Fiber Reinforced Concrete And Super High Performance Concrete Based On Excess Paste, Joe Malloy

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

The main objective of this study was to develop a mix design adjustment method for Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) that would maintain appropriate workability while improving hardened concrete performance. A literature review was conducted to examine existing methods for adjusting mix designs to account for fiber introduction. It was found that while increasing fine aggregate and cement paste content can make up for lost workability with the addition of fibers, no rational mix design adjustment method is available. Reference mix designs from the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nebraska Department of Transportation were used, and this study focused on …

Flow Analysis Through Collector Well Laterals: A Case Study From Sonoma County Water Agency, California, Matteo D'Alessio, John Lucio, Ernest Williams, James Warner, Donald Seymour, Jay Jasperse, Chittaranjan Ray

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

The Sonoma County Water Agency (SWCA) uses six radial collector wells along the Russian River west of Santa Rosa, to provide water for several municipalities and water districts in north-western California. Three collector wells (1, 2, and 6) are located in the Wohler area, and three collector wells (3, 4, and 5) are located in the Mirabel area. The objective of this paper is to highlight the performance of the three collector wells located in the Mirabel area since their construction. The 2015 investigation showed a lower performance of Collectors 3 and 4 compared to their original performances after construction …

Building Information Modeling (Bim) Impact On Construction Performance, David D. John

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is designed to address the need for having a measure for Construction Performance on BIM-assisted construction projects. Through this study a new Construction Key Performance Indicator (CKPI) matrix is identified and created by the author. The CKPI could be used to assess BIM-assisted projects. Utilizing a sequential mixed methodology approach, academic and practitioner perspectives are assessed. A qualitative content analysis and quantitative descriptive analysis based on demographics are conducted to establish a better understanding of BIM and Construction Performance. The academic perspective is used to assess the relevance of BIMM and CKPI indicators, and the practitioner perspective is …

Experimental Study Of The Chimney Height Variation Against Double Pots Biomass Stove Performance, Faisal Faisal, Adi Setiawan, Wusnah Wusnah, Khairil Khairil, Luthfi Luthfi, Mona Fajriana

Makara Journal of Technology

This research aims to get optimal chimneys height of double pots biomass stove. Optimal chimneys height needs to provide best performance of the stove. Experimental study was done by varied the chimney heights. Water boiling test as the standard method was used to obtained stove performance for each chimney height variation. The results showed that best performance stove was the one with 1.65 cm chimney height, with thermal efficiency at 37.66%.

In-Field Fuel Use And Load States Of Agricultural Field Machinery, Santosh Pitla, Joe D. Luck, Jared Werner, Nannan Lin, Scott A. Shearer

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

The ability to define in-field tractor load states offers the potential to better specify and characterize fuel consumption rate for various field operations. For the same field operation, the tractor experiences diverse load demands and corresponding fuel use rates as it maneuvers through straight passes, turns, suspended operation for adjustments, repair and maintenance, and biomass or other material transfer operations. It is challenging to determine the actual fuel rate and load states of agricultural machinery using force prediction models, and hence, some form of in-field data acquisition capability is required. Controller Area Networks (CAN) available on the current model tractors …

Nebraska Data Collection, Keyvan Zare Rami, Yong-Rak Kim

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Automated pavement performance data collection is a method that uses advanced technology to collect detailed road surface distress information at traffic speed. Agencies are driven to use automated survey techniques to enhance or replace their current manual distress survey because of the advantages of objective measurements, safety benefits, and reduced measurement time. As agencies move toward the transition to fully automated data collection methods, there are common concerns regarding how the output of the new method will match the current manual survey ratings and how they will be adopted into the existing Pavement Management System (PMS). This study evaluates the …

Effects Of Supplier-Manufacturer Relationships On Supply-Chain Performance Of Manufacturing Industries In Indonesia, Rachmad Hidayat, Khisbullah Hudha, Sabarudin Akhmad

Makara Journal of Technology

The present study describes the relationships between commitment, communication, satisfaction, trust, relationship quality with suppliers, and supply-chain performance. The population of the study was manufacturing companies in Indonesia. Respondents were the chief executive officers or corporate secretaries or the designated managers involved in strategic decision making. Samples were taken by using a proportional area random sampling technique. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used for analysis. Results of both direct and indirect testing of hypothesis indicated two hypotheses of positive and significant effects and nine hypotheses of positive but insignificant effects. Those hypotheses of positive and significant effects were the direct …

Eggshells: A Novel Bio-Filler For Intumescent Flame-Retardant Coatings

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The aim of this study was to develop intumescent flame-retardant coatings that incorporate chicken eggshell (CES) waste as a novel eco-friendly bio-filler. Three flame-retardant additives, namely, ammonium polyphosphate phase II, pentaerythritol and melamine were mixed with flame-retardant fillers and acrylic binder to synthesize the intumescent coatings. The fire performance of the coatings was evaluated in accordance with 'BS 476: Part 6-Fire Propagation' and 'BS 476: Part 7-Surface Spread of Flame' test standards. It was found that 4 out of 5 of the coated specimens (B, C, D and E) neither showed surface spread of flame nor any afterglow combustion upon …

Influences Of Flame-Retardant Fillers On Fire Protection And Mechanical Properties Of Intumescent Coatings

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

A combination of acrylic binder and flame-retardant ingredients was used to synthesize the solvent-borne intumescent coatings designed for steel substrates. The influences of individual and various combinations of flame-retardant fillers on the fire protection and mechanical properties of the coatings were characterized by using Bunsen burner, thermogravimetric analysis, limiting oxygen index, field emission scanning electron microscopy, freeze thaw cycles, static immersion and pull-off type equipment. It was found that the combination of aluminium hydroxide (Al(OH)(3)) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) has significantly improved the fire protection, thermal stability and water resistance of the coating. This formulation had an LOI value of …

Situation Awareness And Maritime Traffic: Having Awareness Or Being In Control?, Fulko Van Westrenen, Gesa Praetorius

Gesa Praetorius

Situation awareness (SA) is generally seen as a mental representation of the system state, an objective measure of the ‘situation out there’. In this article, the authors make an argument that SA can only have a meaning in relation to the task of the user and characteristics of the system. This will be argued with the help of a specific environment: vessel traffic monitoring. The long-time constants and the complex constraints imposed on the ship require that the operator monitoring the traffic has a good SA: the operator must make long-term predictions about possible traffic developments. For this, being in …

A Comparative Study Of Performance, Impediments, Advantages, And Disadvantages Of Construction And Professional Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, Ravi Sharma

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Construction and professional disadvantaged, minority, and women business enterprises (DBE/MBE/WBEs) face several impediments that hinder their business growth. A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the important factors that affect their business performance, impediments faced by these business enterprises, advantages, and disadvantages of being DBE (DBE will be an umbrella designation for DBE, MBE, and WBE). This study compares the difference in responses from these two groups. A total of 333 business enterprises responded to the questionnaire. The survey results showed that construction firms gave significantly higher importance to "financial" issues and "safe work practices" as their most important factors …

Safety Performance Evaluation Of The Non-Blocked Midwest Guardrail System, Kevin D Schrum, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Robert W. Bielenberg, Scott K. Rosenbaugh, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Performance Of Post-Tensioned Curved-Strand Connections In Transverse Joints Of Precast Bridge Decks, Zane B. Wells

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to minimize traffic delays on the nation’s bridges, precast concrete bridge decks have been utilized to quickly and efficiently construct bridges. These precast concrete decks are cast off site and transported to the bridge after they have cured. The decks are then placed onto the bridge and grouted into place. These precast panels have an inherent weakness in that the joints between adjacent panels tend to leak. In order to mitigate leaking of the joints, two adjacent panels are typically post-tensioned together. A variation on the standard post-tensioning in use by some DOT’s was designed and investigated in …

Implementation Of Warm-Mix Asphalt Mixtures In Nebraska Pavements, Yong-Rak Kim, Jun Zhang, Hoki Ban

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of several WMA mixtures as potential asphalt paving mixtures for Nebraska pavements. To that end, three well-known WMA additives (i.e., Sasobit, Evotherm, and Advera synthetic zeolite) were evaluated. For a more realistic evaluation of the WMA approaches, trial pavement sections of the WMA mixtures and their HMA counterparts were implemented in Antelope County, Nebraska. More than one ton of field-mixed loose mixtures was collected at the time of paving and was transported to the NDOR and UNL laboratories to conduct comprehensive laboratory evaluations and pavement performance predictions of the …

Performance Analysis Of Solar Walls In Minnesota: Final Project Report, Patrick A. Tebbe, Saeed Moaveni, Louis Schwartzkopf

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department Publications

A study of unglazed transpired solar collectors (referred to as solar walls for this report), has been undertaken. Several installations in the Twin Cities, MN region have been identified, researched, and studied. A combination of weather stations, data logging systems, and building energy management systems were used to collect experimental data on four buildings. Performance calculations were then performed for these buildings and compared with various performance/modeling tools.

Performance And Policy Evaluation Of Solar Energy Technologies For Domestic Application In Ireland, Lacour Ayompe

Doctoral

The aim of this research is to investigate the techno-economic and environmental performance of domestic scale grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) and forced circulation solar water heating (SWH) systems in Ireland; and propose a new feed-in tariff designed using a large sample of high resolution electricity demand data in order to provide credible information for informed policy formulation. Detailed field trials of experimental installations of a 1.72 kWp grid-connected PV and two SWH systems (with 4 m2 flat plate and 3 m2 heat pipe evacuated tube collectors) were undertaken to collect data. The energy, economic and environmental performances of the systems was …

Effects Of Warm-Mix Asphalt Additives On Asphalt Mixture Characteristics And Pavement Performance, Jun Zhang

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

The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of several WMA mixtures as potential asphalt paving mixtures for Nebraska pavements. To that end, three well-known WMA additives (i.e., Sasobit, Evotherm, and Advera synthetic zeolite) were evaluated. For a more realistic evaluation of the WMA approaches, trial pavement sections of the WMA mixtures and their HMA counterparts were implemented in Antelope County, Nebraska. More than one ton of field-mixed loose mixtures were collected at the time of paving and were transported to the NDOR and UNL laboratories to conduct comprehensive laboratory evaluations and pavement performance predictions of the …

Performance Evaluation Of Open Graded Base Course With Doweled And Non-Doweled Transverse Joints, Robert Schmitt, Samuel Owusu-Ababio, James Crovetti

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

The objectives of this study were to investigate the performance of 20-year old doweled/non-doweled and dense-graded/permeable base test sections on three concrete pavement segments in Wisconsin: USH 18/151 in Iowa and Dane counties, STH 29 in Brown County, and USH 151 in Columbia and Dane Counties. Five pavement bases were placed including: dense graded, asphalt-stabilized permeable, cement-stabilized permeable, and untreated permeable having two gradation sizes.

USH 18/151 test sections had similar performance (PDI) for doweled unsealed pavement on dense and permeable base. Distresses common to all segments included slight to moderate distressed joints/cracks and slight transverse faulting. Asphalt-stabilized permeable base …

Effects Of Aggregate Angularity On Mix Design Characteristics And Pavement Performance, Leonardo T. Souza, Yong-Rak Kim

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.