Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Material Sustainability, Jessica Meadows, Natasha Morris

Architectural Engineering

This paper addresses the sustainability of the materials used to construct buildings today. Timber, concrete and steel are analyzed for carbon output, cost, and recyclable-ability.

Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Tests On Compacted Soil, David M. Weidinger, Louis Ge, Richard Wesley Stephenson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Paper, Results of a Series of Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Tests on Compacted Soil Were Presented and Discussed. Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Tests Provide Compression and Shear Wave Velocity Information that Can Be Used in Calculating Dynamic Elastic Moduli Such as Young's Modulus and Shear Modulus. from the Test Results, Calculated Poisson's Ratio Shows a Linear Relation with the Water Content in Compacted Soil, Which Leads to a Linear Trend in Both P and S Wave Velocity Against Water Content. Furthermore, Presenting Plots in Bulk Density Versus Wave Velocity Gives a Clearer Trend Than Dry Density Versus Wave Velocity. © …

Design And Performance Of Load Bearing Shear Walls Made From Composite Rice Straw Blocks, Kevin Robert Camann

Master's Theses

Although rice straw and other grains have been used in building since pre-history, in the past two decades, there has been a move to utilize this rapidly renewable, locally available, agricultural byproduct as part of the sustainable construction movement. Up to this point, this has been done by simply stacking up the full straw bales. Stak Block, invented by Oryzatech, Inc., is a modular, interlocking block made of a composite of rice straw and binding agent that serves as an evolution in straw construction. This study investigates the feasibility of using these Stak Blocks as a structural system. The report …

Structural Damage Localization With Tolerance To Large Time Synchronization Errors In Wsns, Guirong Yan, Shirley J. Dyke, Wei Song, Gregory Hackmann, Chenyang Lu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

With Recent Technological Advances in Smart Sensor Platforms, Structural Condition Monitoring Implementations based on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) Have Received Considerable Attention. Modal Identification is an Integral Step in Many Structural Condition Monitoring Systems. However, Accurate Time Synchronization is Not Always Possible, Leading to Incorrect Identification of the Mode Shapes. Although Strict Time Synchronization of the Wireless Sensors Has Been Viewed as Crucial for the Identification of Mode Shapes, a New Perspective is Taken Herein. the Distortion in the Identified Mode Shapes is Characterized and Accommodated. Then the Resulting Mode Shapes Are Used with a Flexibility-Based Damage Detection Approach to …

Sustainability In Higher Education In 24 Different Universities, Omidreza Saadatian

No abstract provided.

Use Of In-Planta Solid Phase Sampling Devices To Delineate Voc Plumes, Joel Gerard Burken, Kendra Waltermire, Emily Sheehan

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Plants Directly Interact with Surrounding Water, Air, and Soil, Collecting and Storing Chemicals and Elements from the Surrounding Environment. Two New and Innovative Sampling Methods in Which This Valuable Data Can Be Accessed to Replace as Well as Supplement Contaminated-Site Investigations Have Been Developed. When Determining the Extent of the Plume on a Contaminated Site, Groundwater Sampling May Be Limited Due to Time, Site Access, and Expense. by using New Techniques that Place Sampling Devices Inside the Trees on Site, We Can Sample Trees Naturally Occurring on a Contaminated Site or Those Planted in Phytoremediation or Redevelopment Efforts, Evaluate the …

Optimization Of Two-Way Post-Tensioned Concrete Floor Systems, Gaelyn B. Krauser

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates a parametric study of a flat plate floor system designed using post-tensioning. The load balanced by the post-tensioning, the slab depth, and the strength of concrete were varied to create the parametric study of a hotel/condominium grid layout. In order to perform the parametric study, research was conducted on the development of post-tensioning, methods of analysis for two-way slab design, and post-tensioning methods of analysis. Design was conducted by hand through a series of Excel spreadsheets and compared to results found using the computer analysis program, ADAPT-PT. The designs found in the parametric study were then used …

Observation Of Sustainability Practices In Malaysian Research Universities, Highlighting Particular Strength, Omidreza Saadatian

No abstract provided.

Lignin And Lipid Impact On Sorption And Diffusion Of Trichloroethylene In Tree Branches For Determining Contaminant Fate During Plant Sampling And Phytoremediation, Gayathri Gopalakrishnan, Joel Gerard Burken, Charles J. Werth

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Plants Draw All They Need from their Surrounding Environment and in Doing So Also Draw Anthropogenic Contaminants from their Surroundings. Several Natural Processes (E.g., Active Transport, Diffusion, Sorption, and Degradation) Occur within Trees and Affect Chemical Concentrations in Tree Samples. This Study Elucidates Tree Contaminant Chemical Interactions on Equilibrium Sorption and Diffusion into Branch Tissue (I.e., Wood Core and Bark), Specifically the Impacts of Lipid and Lignin Content. Five Tree Species Were Selected to Span a Range of Lignin and Lipid Contents. Linear Isotherms Were Obtained for All Sampled Species over a Limited Concentration Range (2 Μg/ ML < C Gas < 12 Μg/mL), and Equilibrium Distribution Coefficients (Kd) Were Linearly Correlated to Lipid (R2 > 0.83) But …

Conference Review - 4th International Phytotechnologies Conference, Denver, Co, September 24-26, 2007, Jason C. White, Joel G. (Gerard) Burken

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Land Conservation And Land Use In New England: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities, Amanda Loomis, Tom Devine, Andrea Small, Brittany Howard, Brett Richardson, Stephanie Dulac

Land Conservation

Sprawling development patterns accelerated across the New England landscape in the last three decades and consumed the region‘s forests, farms, and open spaces at an unprecedented rate. New England‘ers in all six states formed land trusts, supported statewide conservation organizations, and collaborated with state and federal partners to protect some of their most-prized recreation lands, wildlife habitats, and working lands. The current economic recession has slowed development pressures across the region and offers an opportunity to build on recent successes. The time is right to plan a coordinated New England conservation strategy that protects and links the region‘s natural assets. …

Why Is Fresh Self-Compacting Concrete Shear Thickening?, Dimitri Feys, Ronny Verhoeven, Geert De Schutter

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Rheological Properties of Fresh Concrete Are Mostly Described by Means of the Bingham Model. for Self-Compacting Concrete, the Bingham Model is Applicable in a Lot of Cases, But Some Authors Report that the Rheological Behavior is Non-Linear. the Apparent Viscosity Increases with Increasing Shear Rate and the SCC Shows Shear Thickening Behavior. Shear Thickening Becomes Important in Operations Occurring at High Shear Rates, Like Mixing and Pumping. in These Cases, Shear Thickening Should Not Be Forgotten in Order to Avoid Breaking of the Mixer, Pump or Pipes. This Paper Will Describe Two Possible Theories for Shear Thickening Behavior of …

Integration Approach Of The Couette Inverse Problem Of Powder Type Self-Compacting Concrete In A Wide-Gap Concentric Cylinder Rheometer. Part Ii. Influence Of Mineral Additions And Chemical Admixtures On The Shear Thickening Flow Behaviour, G. Heirman, R. Hendrickx, L. Vandewalle, D. Van Gemert, D. (Dimitri) Feys, G. De Schutter, B. Desmet, J. Vantomme

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Influence of Mineral Additions and Chemical Admixtures on the Shear Thickening Flow Behavior of Powder Type Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) is Studied by Means of a Wide-Gap Concentric Cylinder Rheometer. the Couette Inverse Problem is Treated by Means of the Integration Method in Order to Derive the Flow Curve Τ(Γ̇) from the Torque Measurements. According to the Experimental Results, the Shear Thickening Effect is Found to Be Strongly Influenced by the Addition of the Chemical Admixture (A Polycarboxylate Ether based Superplasticizer), Whereas Mineral Additions Were Found to Modify the Intensity of Shear Thickening. the Limestone, Quartzite and Fly Ash Addition …

Transition Towards Sustainable Campus Through Public Awareness And Understanding On Sustainable Development, Omidreza Saadatian

Omid Saadatian

No abstract provided.

Damage Characterization Of Beam-Column Joints Reinforced With Gfrp Under Reversed Cyclic Loading, Aly M. Said

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement in concrete structures has been on the rise due to its advantages over conventional steel reinforcement such as corrosion. Reinforcing steel corrosion has been the primary cause of deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) structures, resulting in tremendous annual repair costs. One application of FRP reinforcement to be further explored is its use in RC frames. Nonetheless, due to FRP's inherently elastic behavior, FRP-reinforced (FRP-RC) members exhibit low ductility and energy dissipation as well as different damage mechanisms. Furthermore, current design standards for FRP-RC structures do not address seismic design in which the …

Taproot™ Technology: Tree Coring For Fast, Noninvasive Plume Delineations, Joel Gerard Burken, Sallie Bailey, Matt Shurtliff, Jeff Mcdermott

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In Efforts to Evaluate the Use of Plants as a Forensic Tool for Delineating Contaminated Soil and Groundwater, a Laboratory Experiment and a Field Sampling Effort Were Undertaken. Site Assessments Are Often Costly and Inaccurate, Requiring Multiple Mobilizations to Hone in on Source Areas and Getting Accurate Estimates of Contaminant Extent and Distribution. as These Extensive Site Delineations Take Place, Valuable Time and Resources Are Lost. the Findings of This Study Show that Plants Can Be Used as a Tool to Evaluate a Variety of Subsurface Contaminants, Either in the Vadose Zone or in the Saturated Zone. in the First …