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Rheological Models For Non-Newtonian Viscosity Of Modified Asphalt Binders And Mastics, Aboelkasim Diab, Zhanping You, Xuelian Li, Jorge Carvalho Pais, Xu Yang, Siyu Chen Dec 2019

Rheological Models For Non-Newtonian Viscosity Of Modified Asphalt Binders And Mastics, Aboelkasim Diab, Zhanping You, Xuelian Li, Jorge Carvalho Pais, Xu Yang, Siyu Chen

Michigan Tech Publications

This paper is aimed at providing a comprehensive experimental work on the viscosity behavior of different modified asphalt binders and mastics, as well as exploring mathematical representations of the results in attempts to predict the viscosity and flow behaviors according to Vinogradov-Malkin and Phillips-Deutsch models. The modified asphalt binders were prepared in the unaged and aged states using styrene-butadienestyrene (SBS), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and crumb rubber (CR); while the hydrated lime (HL) and fly ash (FA) were selected to produce the binder-filler mastics. To widen the study findings, the additives (polymers, rubber, and fillers) were applied at different possible levels …


High-Temperature Performance Of Polymer-Modified Asphalt Mixes: Preliminary Evaluation Of The Usefulness Of Standard Technical Index In Polymer-Modified Asphalt., Kezhen Yan, Lingyun You, Daocheng Wang Aug 2019

High-Temperature Performance Of Polymer-Modified Asphalt Mixes: Preliminary Evaluation Of The Usefulness Of Standard Technical Index In Polymer-Modified Asphalt., Kezhen Yan, Lingyun You, Daocheng Wang

Michigan Tech Publications

The objectives of this study are to evaluate the high-temperature performance of polymer-modified asphalt and asphalt mixtures, and to investigate if the standard technical indexes are useful in the performance evaluation of the polymer-modified asphalt. There are four typically used polymer-modified asphalt types employed in the study. The standard high-temperature rheological test, such as the temperature sweep test, was used to express the high-temperature performance of the polymer-modified asphalt. Also, considering the non-Newtonian fluid properties of the polymer-modified asphalt, the multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) and zero-shear viscosity (ZSV) tests were employed for the characterizations. Besides, based on the mixture …


Experimental Investigation Of The Effects Of Drilling Fluid Activity On The Hydration Behavior Of Shale Reservoirs In Northwestern Hunan, China, Han Cao, Zheng Zhang, Ting Bao, Pinghe Sun, Tianyi Wang, Qiang Gao Aug 2019

Experimental Investigation Of The Effects Of Drilling Fluid Activity On The Hydration Behavior Of Shale Reservoirs In Northwestern Hunan, China, Han Cao, Zheng Zhang, Ting Bao, Pinghe Sun, Tianyi Wang, Qiang Gao

Michigan Tech Publications

The interaction between drilling fluid and shale has a significant impact on wellbore stability during shale oil and gas drilling operations. This paper investigates the effects of the drilling fluid activity on the surface and osmotic hydration characteristics of shale. Experiments were conducted to measure the influence of drilling fluid activity on surface wettability by monitoring the evolution of fluid-shale contact angles. The relationship between drilling fluid activity and shale swelling ratio was determined to investigate the osmotic hydration behavior. The results indicate that, with increasing drilling fluid activity, the fluid–shale contact angles gradually increase—the higher the activity, the faster …


Correction: Responses Of Deposition And Bioaccumulation In The Great Lakes Region To Policy And Other Large-Scale Drivers Of Mercury Emissions, Judith Perlinger, N. R. Urban, A. Giang, N. E. Selin, A. Hendricks, H. Zhang, Aditya Kumar, S. Wu, Valoree Gagnon, Hugh Gorman, E. S. Norman Jun 2019

Correction: Responses Of Deposition And Bioaccumulation In The Great Lakes Region To Policy And Other Large-Scale Drivers Of Mercury Emissions, Judith Perlinger, N. R. Urban, A. Giang, N. E. Selin, A. Hendricks, H. Zhang, Aditya Kumar, S. Wu, Valoree Gagnon, Hugh Gorman, E. S. Norman

Michigan Tech Publications

Correction for ‘Responses of deposition and bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes region to policy and other large-scale drivers of mercury emissions’ by J. A. Perlinger et al., Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2018, 20, 195–209.

In the original article, there were errors in some numerical values in Table 3 and in the text in Sections 3.1 and 4.1. The corrected Table and Sections are shown below. The changes are to the magnitudes of mercury species deposition to the Great Lakes region, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the Adirondack region of the Lakes basin. The changes to the Adirondack …


Management Transition To The Great Lakes Nearshore: Insights From Hydrodynamic Modeling, Chenfu Huang, Anika Kuczynski, Martin T. Auer, David M. O'Donnell, Pengfei Xue May 2019

Management Transition To The Great Lakes Nearshore: Insights From Hydrodynamic Modeling, Chenfu Huang, Anika Kuczynski, Martin T. Auer, David M. O'Donnell, Pengfei Xue

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Publications

The emerging shift in Great Lakes management from offshore to nearshore waters will require attention to complexities of coastal hydrodynamics and biogeochemical transformations. Emphasizing hydrodynamics, this work resolves transport processes in quantifying discharge plume and pollutant of concern (POC) footprint dimensions, the latter being the portion of the plume where water quality standards are not met. A generic approach, isolated from pollutant-specific biokinetics, provides first-approximation estimates of the footprint area. A high-resolution, linked hydrodynamic-tracer model is applied at a site in the Greater Toronto Area on Lake Ontario. Model results agree with observed meteorological and hydrodynamic conditions and satisfactorily simulate …


Capability Of Matterport 3d Camera For Industrial Archaeology Sites Inventory, R. Shults, E. Levin, R. Habibi, S. Shenoy, O. Honcheruk, T. Hart, Z. An May 2019

Capability Of Matterport 3d Camera For Industrial Archaeology Sites Inventory, R. Shults, E. Levin, R. Habibi, S. Shenoy, O. Honcheruk, T. Hart, Z. An

Michigan Tech Publications

This paper provides an overview of state-of-The-Art technology and sensor for the inventory of industrial archaeology. As an object of study, a historical copper shaft the Quincy Mine in Michigan State Upper Peninsula was chosen. This shaft was operated for nearly 100 years from 1846 to 1945 and today, what remains of the shaft is a part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park. The main sensor for data acquisition that was used is a 3D camera Matterport. In given research, the results of the above ground scanning using of Matterport are presented. Before scanning a calibration of Matterport camera was …


Comparative Study Of Ethanol Foamed Asphalt Binders And Mixtures Prepared Via Manual Injection And Laboratory Foaming Device, Mohd Rosli Mohd Hasan, Zhanping You Apr 2019

Comparative Study Of Ethanol Foamed Asphalt Binders And Mixtures Prepared Via Manual Injection And Laboratory Foaming Device, Mohd Rosli Mohd Hasan, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications

The consistency of the ethanol foamed binders and mixtures prepared using asphalt binders foamed by the manual injection technique and laboratory foaming device were evaluated and compared in this study. The asphalt binders foamed using both methods was prepared at 120 °C, 130 °C and 140 °C. The performance of ethanol-foamed binders was evaluated in terms of rotational viscosity, expansion ratio, and low temperature cracking. Meanwhile, the performance of foamed WMA mixtures was tested using semi-circular bending (SCB), disk-shaped compact tension (DCT), and tensile strength ratio (TSR) tests. In order to conduct the TSR test, the samples were conditioned using …


Moisture Susceptibility Of Warm Mix Asphalt (Wma) With An Organic Wax Additive Based On X-Ray Computed Tomography (Ct) Technology, Jie Ji, Zhikai Yuan, Zhi Suo, Ying Xu, Pengfei Li, Zhanping You Apr 2019

Moisture Susceptibility Of Warm Mix Asphalt (Wma) With An Organic Wax Additive Based On X-Ray Computed Tomography (Ct) Technology, Jie Ji, Zhikai Yuan, Zhi Suo, Ying Xu, Pengfei Li, Zhanping You

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Publications

The warm mix asphalt was fabricated with different moisture contents (0%, 1%, 2%, and 3%) of limestone aggregates using the Superpave gyratory compactor. The moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixtures with an organic wax additive RH was studied. The samples were compacted and tested using the modified Lottman test AASHTO T283, and the X-ray computed tomography technology was used to capture the internal structure images before and after the freeze-thaw cycles. The test results show that the air voids were distributed in the size range of 0–5 mm3 and 5–10 mm3. The number of air voids decreased with …


Lowering Emissivity Of Concrete Roof Tile's Underside Cuts Down Heat Entry To The Building, Xuejun Chen, Lei Wang, Zhikui Liu, Yinghong Qin, Ting Bao Apr 2019

Lowering Emissivity Of Concrete Roof Tile's Underside Cuts Down Heat Entry To The Building, Xuejun Chen, Lei Wang, Zhikui Liu, Yinghong Qin, Ting Bao

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Publications

Buildings in Southern China widely use a double-skin roof to reduce heat entry through the roof to the building interior during summertime. Concrete roof tiles are preferably installed as the outmost layer of the double-skin roof due to their resistance to hail and wind damages and their attractive price. However, after construction, the tile’s top tends to be darkened by dust deposit and algae growth, increasing the heat entry through the roof to the building. Here, we show that this heat entry can be curtailed by lowering the emissivity at the tile’s underside. Temperatures and heat fluxes at different elevations …


Mechanical Properties Of Michigan Basin's Gypsum Before And After Saturation, Mohammadhossein Sadeghiamirshahidi, Stanley Vitton Mar 2019

Mechanical Properties Of Michigan Basin's Gypsum Before And After Saturation, Mohammadhossein Sadeghiamirshahidi, Stanley Vitton

Michigan Tech Publications

The stability analysis of an abandoned underground gypsum mine requires the determination of the mine pillar's strength. This is especially important for flooded abandoned mines where the gypsum pillars become saturated and are subjected to dissolution after flooding. Further, mine pillars are subjected to blast vibrations that generate some level of macro- and micro-fracturing. Testing samples of gypsum must, therefore, simulate these conditions as close as possible. In this research, the strength of gypsum is investigated in an as-received saturated condition using uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) and point load index (PLI) tests. The scale effect was …


Evaluation Of Waste Express Bag As A Novel Bitumen Modifier, Yuming Lin, Chichun Hu, Sanjeev Adhikari, Chuanhai Wu, Miao Yu Mar 2019

Evaluation Of Waste Express Bag As A Novel Bitumen Modifier, Yuming Lin, Chichun Hu, Sanjeev Adhikari, Chuanhai Wu, Miao Yu

Michigan Tech Publications

With the rapid development of China’s e-commerce and logistics industry, a large number of waste express bags (WEBs) have been produced, which are difficult to recycle. The existing methods of waste express bag disposal often cause severe environmental pollution. It was discovered in this paper that the use of WEBs to modify bitumen could be an environmentally friendly way to recycle WEBs. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using WEBs to modify bitumen and promote the performance of WEB-modified bitumen. In order to verify this assumption, a series of basic or rheological experiments were conducted on different dosages …


Unified Strength Model Of Asphalt Mixture Under Various Loading Modes, Chengdong Xia, Songtao Lv, Lingyun You, Dong Chen, Yipeng Li, Jianlong Zheng Mar 2019

Unified Strength Model Of Asphalt Mixture Under Various Loading Modes, Chengdong Xia, Songtao Lv, Lingyun You, Dong Chen, Yipeng Li, Jianlong Zheng

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Publications

Although the rutting resistance, fatigue cracking, and the resistance to water and frost are important for the asphalt pavement, the strength of asphalt mixture is also an important factor for the asphalt mixture design. The strength of asphalt mixture is directly associated with the overall performance of asphalt mixture. As a top layer material of asphalt pavement, the strength of asphalt mixture plays an indispensable role in the top structural bearing layer. In the present design system, the strength of asphalt pavement is usually achieved via the laboratory tests. The stress states are usually different for the different laboratory approaches. …


Evaluation Of Photogrammetry And Inclusion Of Control Points: Significance For Infrastructure Monitoring, Renee Oats, Rudiger Escobar-Wolf, Thomas Oommen Mar 2019

Evaluation Of Photogrammetry And Inclusion Of Control Points: Significance For Infrastructure Monitoring, Renee Oats, Rudiger Escobar-Wolf, Thomas Oommen

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Publications

Structure from Motion (SfM)/Photogrammetry is a powerful mapping tool in extracting three-dimensional (3D) models from photographs. This method has been applied to a range of applications, including monitoring of infrastructure systems. This technique could potentially become a substitute, or at least a complement, for costlier approaches such as laser scanning for infrastructure monitoring. This study expands on previous investigations, which utilize photogrammetry point cloud data to measure failure mode behavior of a retaining wall model, emphasizing further robust spatial testing. In this study, a comparison of two commonly used photogrammetry software packages was implemented to assess the computing performance of …


Impact Of Water Mixing And Ice Formation On The Warming Of Lake Superior: A Model-Guided Mechanism Study, Xinyu Ye, Eric J. Anderson, Philip Y. Chu, Chenfu Huang, Pengfei Xue Mar 2019

Impact Of Water Mixing And Ice Formation On The Warming Of Lake Superior: A Model-Guided Mechanism Study, Xinyu Ye, Eric J. Anderson, Philip Y. Chu, Chenfu Huang, Pengfei Xue

Michigan Tech Publications

The Laurentian Great Lakes are one of the most prominent hotspots for the study of climate change induced lake warming. Warming trends in large, deep lakes, which are often inferred by the observations of lake surface temperature (LST) in most studies, are strongly linked to the total lake heat content. In this study, we use a 3D hydrodynamic model to examine the nonlinear processes of water mixing and ice formation that cause changes in lake heat content and further variation of LST. With a focus on mechanism study, a series of process-oriented experiments is carried out to understand the interactions …


Performance Test On Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (Sbs) Modified Asphalt Based On The Different Evaluation Methods, Chen Zhang, Hainian Wang, Zhanping You, Junfeng Gao, Muhammad Irfan Jan 2019

Performance Test On Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (Sbs) Modified Asphalt Based On The Different Evaluation Methods, Chen Zhang, Hainian Wang, Zhanping You, Junfeng Gao, Muhammad Irfan

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Publications

To uniform the evaluation indicators of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) modified asphalt, the SK70# and SK90# matrix asphalt were modified by different SBS modifier dosage in this study. The test methods in China and Superpave were used to test the performance of each SBS-modified asphalt respectively, from which the appropriate evaluation index of SBS-modified asphalt was determined. The results showed that the addition of SBS modifier improved the high temperature performance and lowered the temperature sensitivity of asphalt binder, while it increased the viscosity of asphalt binder in high temperatures. Due to the variability that appeared in the results of the penetration …


Mechanical Vibration For The Control Of Membrane Fouling In Direct Contact Membrane Distillation, Frank Y.C. Huang, Carolyn Medin, Allie Arning Jan 2019

Mechanical Vibration For The Control Of Membrane Fouling In Direct Contact Membrane Distillation, Frank Y.C. Huang, Carolyn Medin, Allie Arning

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Publications

One of the biggest challenges for direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) in treating wastewater from flue gas desulfurization (FGD) is the rapid deterioration of membrane performance resulting from precipitate fouling. Chemical pretreatment, such as lime-soda ash softening, has been used to mitigate the issue, however, with significant operating costs. In this study, mechanical vibration of 42.5 Hz was applied to lab-scale DCMD systems to determine its effectiveness of fouling control for simulated FGD water. Liquid entry pressure and mass transfer limit of the fabricated hollow fiber membranes were determined and used as the operational constraints in the fouling experiments so …


Special Edition: Surveying Engineering Newsletter, Department Of Civil And Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University Jan 2019

Special Edition: Surveying Engineering Newsletter, Department Of Civil And Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Newsletters

Table of Contents

  • Student News
  • 2018 and 2019 Program Scholar Awards
  • Alumni Notes
  • Program News
  • New Geospatial Data Act That Will Bring Changes to America and the World
  • National Society of Professional Surveyors


2019 Civil And Environmental Engineering Department News, Department Of Civil And Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University Jan 2019

2019 Civil And Environmental Engineering Department News, Department Of Civil And Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Newsletters

Table of Contents

  • PCA
  • Department Awards
  • Faculty Awards
  • Faculty Features
  • New Faculty
  • Student Features
  • Alumni Features
  • Lifetime Donors
  • Student Orgs
  • Outreach


Design Of A Viability Test For Freshwater Prawn Aquaculture Of Two Different Macrobrachium Species In Aneityum, Vanuatu, Cameron Koizumi Jan 2019

Design Of A Viability Test For Freshwater Prawn Aquaculture Of Two Different Macrobrachium Species In Aneityum, Vanuatu, Cameron Koizumi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

There is a unique opportunity for freshwater prawn aquaculture on the island of Aneityum in the Republic of Vanuatu. Aneityum has an abundance of fresh water, the streams and rivers on Aneityum are the natural habitat for a freshwater prawn species, Macrobrachium lar, and the people on Aneityum regularly work on projects using communal labor for the benefit of the community. Aneityum also hosts 40 – 120 cruise ships a year, bringing hundreds of thousands of tourists to Aneityum and the nearby islet Mystery Island which creates a readily available market in which to sell freshwater prawns.

The objective …


Spread Of Emerging Contaminants In Water Distribution Systems, Danielle Pilarski Jan 2019

Spread Of Emerging Contaminants In Water Distribution Systems, Danielle Pilarski

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Emerging contaminants are a growing concern to humans and the environment. Studies have shown these contaminants are present in the environment through continuous release into surface waters from wastewater treatment effluent, manufacturing processes, and agricultural use. The effects of these contaminants have been observed in ecological studies, but they have not yet been well studied for long term exposure in humans. These emerging contaminants have also not been well studied to determine the rates at which they decay or how they move through distribution systems. This study aims to determine the importance of decay rate on concentration throughout a distribution …


A Preliminary Sustainability Analysis Of Producing Class A Biosolids With Conventional And Low-Cost, Low-Tech Processes, Janna Brown Jan 2019

A Preliminary Sustainability Analysis Of Producing Class A Biosolids With Conventional And Low-Cost, Low-Tech Processes, Janna Brown

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Producing Class A biosolids is a beneficial way to reuse wastewater sludge. Low-cost, low-tech (LCLT) processes are attractive to small water resource recovery facilities (WRRF) because of their low capital costs and simple designs. This study examined the sustainability of conventional and LCLT processes at small WRRFs. The environmental impacts were determined by conducting life cycle assessments. Cost analyses determined the economic impacts. The social impacts were analyzed by investigating case studies and surveys of social response to biosolids. The environmental, economic, and social impacts were normalized, and each technology received an overall score. The technologies studied were direct heat …


Assessing Benthic Recovery In The Torch Lake Aoc, Anya Clare Leach Jan 2019

Assessing Benthic Recovery In The Torch Lake Aoc, Anya Clare Leach

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Torch Lake, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, was a site of copper ore processing from the 1860s through the 1960s. During this time, various mining by-products were deposited into the lake and along its shoreline, including mine tailings and associated heavy metals contaminants (e.g., copper). It was anticipated that natural sediment deposition would cover and attenuate toxic sediments over time, but a comprehensive assessment of the benthos has not been performed since a baseline survey conducted in 1999 and 2000. This study was conducted in 2018 to evaluate the current benthic community status as well as sediment composition and metal …


Pathogen And Indicator Organism Inactivation And Quantification For Low-Cost Low-Tech Biosolids Treatment, Karina Eyre Jan 2019

Pathogen And Indicator Organism Inactivation And Quantification For Low-Cost Low-Tech Biosolids Treatment, Karina Eyre

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Biosolids are a by-product of municipal wastewater treatment which, when treated to reduce pathogens, can be land applied as a fertilizer. Class A biosolids must contain low pathogen levels and are unrestricted in their use. This thesis describes methods to identify pathogen and indicator organism (PIO) inactivation mechanisms and PIO inactivation rates for use in low-cost low-tech Class A processes. Procedures to control the levels of spiked bacteria and viruses, total solids, volatile fatty acids, pH, and temperature in biosolids are described for their use in laboratory experiments. Methods for coliphage in biosolids as a surrogate for total enteric viruses …


The Role Of Ephemeral Stratification, Anoxia, And Entrainment In Mediating Spatiotemporal Trophic State Dynamics In A Lake Michigan Drowned River Mouth System (Mona Lake, Mi), Hayden Henderson Jan 2019

The Role Of Ephemeral Stratification, Anoxia, And Entrainment In Mediating Spatiotemporal Trophic State Dynamics In A Lake Michigan Drowned River Mouth System (Mona Lake, Mi), Hayden Henderson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Mona Lake, MI (a drowned river mouth system) has become eutrophic as result of cultural eutrophication. The integrated monitoring effort and subsequent modeling (LAKE2K) reported on here has shifted the management focus to internal phosphorus loads (60 percent of annual load, 90 percent of load during the stratified and anoxic period) as a necessary precursor to trophic state change. Sediment phosphorus release can yield extreme elevations (> 1 mgSRP/L) of bottom water soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), with blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria (largely Microcystis) occurring annually. Such blooms are ascribable to stochastic mixing and phosphorus entrainment to the surface waters, …


Improved Methods For The Quantification Of Viable Ascaris Suum And Application To Biosolids, Tanner Keyzers Jan 2019

Improved Methods For The Quantification Of Viable Ascaris Suum And Application To Biosolids, Tanner Keyzers

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The current method for detection of Ascaris ova in biosolids and wastewater has several drawbacks including being labor and time intensive as well as being difficult to quantify viable ova that have larvated during treatment. The goal of this thesis was to improve several methods for the detection and quantification of Ascaris ova during long term-storage of biosolids including improvement of quantifying viable ova using a heat and bleach treatment to promote movement of larvae inside of ova, and comparison of the traditional microscopic method with qPCR and PMA-qPCR to prevent the false-positive results. Improved methods to promote movement of …


Investigation Of Long Term Pillar Stability In An Abandoned Gypsum Mine Based On Dissolution Models, Mohammadhossein Sadeghiamirshahidi Jan 2019

Investigation Of Long Term Pillar Stability In An Abandoned Gypsum Mine Based On Dissolution Models, Mohammadhossein Sadeghiamirshahidi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The abandoned Domtar Mine in Grand Rapids, MI underlies Interstate I-196. The mine operated for over 140 years, mining a 30-meter-deep, four-meter thick gypsum seam. In 2000, the mine was abandoned with the removal of the mine’s dewatering pumps allowing groundwater to flood the mine. The initial flooding resulted in saturating the mine pillars along with some amount of pillar dissolution. Overtime, gypsum dissolution would cease as the water becomes saturated with the gypsum dissolution products. The mine, however, is located adjacent to the Grand River and has groundwater moving through the mine resulting in the potential for continuing dissolution. …


Flood Inundation Mapping For Huron Creek, Houghton County, Michigan, Sarah Washko Jan 2019

Flood Inundation Mapping For Huron Creek, Houghton County, Michigan, Sarah Washko

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The 2018 Father’s Day Flood rattled the Houghton County, MI community. Thousands of dollars in damage to public and private property were incurred due to slope failure, scour and stagnant water. Though the flood was billed as a once-in-a-lifetime event, hazard mitigation planning has become essential, as extreme weather events are expected to become more frequent with a changing climate. While Federal Emergency Management Agency funding will provide detailed flood hazard maps in the future, mapping is expected to be several years out. To aid the City of Houghton community with immediate flood hazard mitigation planning, a hydraulic-based flood depth …


Technology For Integrated Groyne-Vetiver Erosion Reduction (Tiger): Case Study In A West African River, Chase M. West Jan 2019

Technology For Integrated Groyne-Vetiver Erosion Reduction (Tiger): Case Study In A West African River, Chase M. West

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

River erosion is a problem all over the world. The effects of river erosion are especially hard for farmers in developing countries, where the river is an important part of their farming practices and daily lives. A case study was done in the small village of Fode Binea in Senegal, West Africa to reduce this stream erosion. A new hybrid approach, Technology for Integrated Groyne-Vetiver Erosion Reduction (TIGER) method, was developed. The method includes combining groynes at the toe of the riverbank to reduce toe erosion in the channel and planting a buffer strip with vetiver grass to reduce erosion …


Hydrologic Impacts And Trade-Offs Associated With Forest-Based Bioenergy Development Across The Americas, Azad Heidari Jan 2019

Hydrologic Impacts And Trade-Offs Associated With Forest-Based Bioenergy Development Across The Americas, Azad Heidari

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A simulation-based framework for studying hydrologic impacts and associated tradeoffs for existing and proposed biofuel projects in the US (poplar), Argentina (eucalyptus) and Mexico (oil palm) is developed. For each case study, a representative watershed is selected and a SWAT model is set up and calibrated for an improved simulation of hydrologic processes and plant growth cycles. Potential bioenergy scenarios are developed that represent various planting densities, harvest cycles, fertilization and irrigation rates, land cover types being converted, slope, and locations across the watershed.

Simulations indicate that growth and biomass production are significantly dependent on nitrogen availability, making fertilization a …


Urban Evapotranspiration In Water Scarce Regions Estimates For The Middle Rio Grande Basin, United States And Mexico, Jessica Alger Jan 2019

Urban Evapotranspiration In Water Scarce Regions Estimates For The Middle Rio Grande Basin, United States And Mexico, Jessica Alger

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Urban evapotranspiration (ET) in semi-arid and arid regions is an important component of the urban water cycle, especially in regions that have limited freshwater supplies. Understanding urban evapotranspiration in these regions is necessary for assessing and managing water resources and ensuring that conservation strategies are effective and sustainable. The objective of this study is to estimate urban ET in the Middle Rio Grande Basin to provide an understanding of evaporative water losses in semi-arid to arid urban environments for future water management decisions. The focus of this study is on the cities of El Paso, TX, US; Las Cruces, NM, …