Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Primary Consolidation Settlement Of South Louisiana Clay Deposits In Marsh Environment, Alice E. Stark

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Accurate estimation of primary consolidation of in-situ marsh soils is inherently difficult in south Louisiana due to the soft, settlement prone soils and variable alluvial material. To investigate the accuracy of settlement analysis methods commonly utilized in local practice, estimates from numerical models were compared to the results of a settlement monitoring program at a project site during construction. Sensitivity analyses were then performed using several parameters that were used in the settlement analysis, and the results were compared to the field observations.

The disagreement of observed settlement data and settlement estimates produced with a model that did not include …

Hydrological Modeling For The Impact Of Predicted Climate Change And Urbanization: A Case Study Of The Lower Mississippi River Basin, Amelie E. Lagarde

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi River Basin is the United States’ largest watershed and consists of many subbasins. Each subbasin has hydrological processes including flow rate, evapotranspiration, and groundwater flow. It is important to understand how these processes change through shifts in weather, time, and land use. This study uses the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to predict how changes in temperature, rainfall, and land use can change hydrological processes responses. This study concludes that, for the studied subbasin, a high representative concentration pathway (RCP) will result in lower flow rates and ground water flow as well as higher evapotranspiration by the …

Erosion And Resuspension Of Cohesive Sediments In Coastal Louisiana, Laith Qasem Shamaileh

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The research presented in this study is motivated by the need to improve the predictions of cohesive sediment erosion and subsequent transport. In addition, the knowledge of the geotechnical engineering soil properties related to the erosion of sediments in coastal Louisiana has broad implications as these properties are used in transport models guiding the current restoration efforts. The erosion measuring device used in the study is the Cheng-Han Tasi and Wilbert Lick Shaker. Previous studies have been conducted before using the Shaker, but challenges with the calibration of the shear stress hampered the resuspension results produced by the Shaker. Therefore, …

Travel Behavior Change And Economic Transition In Gentrified Neighborhoods, Maryam Izadi

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Post-industrial cities in the US have experienced social and economic transitions, mostly in declining downtown neighborhoods. This process, known as gentrification, typically involves revitalization that reverses the decline and disinvestment in inner-city neighborhoods. The industrial shift increased the demand for housing near downtown. The employment of college-educated and high-skill workers has been centralized, while low-skilled jobs continue to decline downtown. While the impacts of gentrification on housing and residential displacement is frequently investigated, little attention has been given to its impact on travel behavior change and economic transition, which is the focus of this research. Change in travel behavior is …

Strain-Based Design Of Steel-Polymer-Steel Composite Pipes, Vul Thang

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Many offshore single-wall pipelines and structural failures have occurred in the past. As a result, lives were lost, and billions of dollars were spent. In addition, natural disasters such as earthquake fault zones can cause a large volume of soil movement. This can easily damage single-wall pipelines or piles of fixed offshore platforms in the earthquake fault zone.

Currently, the single-wall pipelines are used for the offshore and onshore oil and gas industry. This research investigated the use of double-wall composite pipe steel-polymer-steel (SPS) in place of single-wall pipe to prevent such failures. The double-wall composite pipe has a larger …

A Gis-Swmm System To Evaluate Low Impact Development (Lid) Feature Effectiveness On Uno's Campus, Demetria C. Christo

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The EPA’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) includes the ability to model low impact development (LID) systems involving various types of green infrastructure (GI) for stormwater detention and infiltration.

The SWMM model requires hydrologic attribute inputs for individual subcatchments, including percent impervious surfaces, surface roughness, depression storage, and curve number. These SWMM attributes can be more accurately, consistently, and efficiently be defined in GIS by calculating the subcatchment area-weighted attribute values and importing them to SWMM. Thus, GIS becomes a valuable pre-processing input tool for SWMM-LID modeling.

The three objectives of this thesis are to 1) use GIS geoprocessing tools …

The Race To Fifty Feet: An Effort To Determine The Benefits Of Deepening The Mississippi River, Brian Miles

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the benefits and drawbacks of deepening the Lower Mississippi River to fifty feet. It established that the deepening of the Lower Mississippi River will impact not only the local area but also the inland regions that rely on the river systems and lower river ports for product movement. The perspectives of vessel operators, maritime industry experts and charterers are provided to offer insight. The sources for the research include educational literature, maritime research and interviews of industry experts. Based on this research, it is clear that this project will benefit many parties. The beneficiaries will include both …

Low Impact Development Mitigation For Base Flood Elevation Disparity Between Adjacent Properties, Shaelynn Moore

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Disputes between adjacent property owners in which new development at higher elevation requirements has caused adverse effects in stormwater drainage towards lower, older developments has recently grown in concern. The difference of elevations between properties causes a faster sheet flow effect that bypasses existing drainage paths in the servitude. The goal of this research is to design a low impact development methodology that encourages detention and redirection back toward the shared drainage boundary. Detention is encouraged through subsurface infiltration, storage and re-direction of the flow path. Infiltration trench simulations using EPA’s SWMM software were used to mirror the new LID …

Feasibility Of Geothermal Energy Piles In New Orleans Alluvial Soils, Patrick A. Thurmond

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Geothermal energy piles offer the benefits of modifying existing construction practices to reduce costs associated with heating and cooling. A major obstacle today in effective utilization of these systems is a general lack of site-specific data on the thermal properties of subsoils. To maximize the potential efficiency of these systems, engineers require an understanding of the potential impact of this technology on existing foundation design methodology as well as a means for quantifying potential heat transfer through soil by determination of the soil’s thermal conductivity. This study examines the feasibility of energy piles with a focus on alluvial soils found …

Visible-Light-Active Disinfection Of Surface Water Coliform Using Silver/Titanium Dioxide/Silver Bromide(Ag/Tio2/Agbr) As Photocatalyst, Ashraya Upadhyaya

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As human population becomes diverse, the need for sustainable, inexpensive, scalable, and decentralized water treatment technologies to supplement or replace conventional treatment methods are important, especially to satisfy the need of small, rural communities for safe drinking water. These challenges can be somewhat met with the use of semiconductor photocatalysis, especially if the process is driven by visible light energy. Visible-light-active (VLA) photocatalysis can be effectively applied in disinfection of drinking water. In comparison to traditional, energy-intensive, physical and chemical disinfection methods, VLA photocatalysis is capable of providing high disinfection efficiency with the use of cheaper energy, no harmful by-products, …

Morphodynamics Of Transgressive Coastal Systems: Modeling Allogenic And Autogenic Response To Sea Level Rise, Storms, And Changes In Sediment Supply, Kevin C. Hanegan

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Barrier islands are widespread and typically enclose landward basins connected to the ocean through tidal inlets. Low energy in the basin enables fine sediment accumulation and salt marsh formation. Sea Level Rise (SLR) causes loss of marshes due to their low elevations and inundation sensitivity. Both long-term trends in sediment supply due to SLR and episodic transfers of sediment due to storms are important to the sustainability of marshes and tidal basins. The trajectory of deltas, including the Mississippi River Delta (MRD), are also impacted by sediment supply. The redistribution of sediments (autogenic reorganization) within transgressive systems will determine their …

Response Of Large Diameter Offshore Wind Turbine Monopile Foundations To Extreme Event Loading Expected At U.S. Atlantic Coast Wind Energy Areas, Laura Hulliger

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Extra-tropical (ETC) and tropical cyclones (TC) pose potential risks to offshore wind farms along the U.S. Atlantic coast, where the offshore wind energy industry is gaining momentum. This research aims to evaluate the stability of large diameter offshore wind turbine monopile foundations under these extreme conditions using the governing industry practice in IEC 61400-3-1. To quantify the risk at U.S. Atlantic coast wind energy areas (WEAs), the ETC and TC impact frequency and intensity are identified using the NHC Historical Hurricane Tracks Archive. Numerical simulations in Plaxis 3D are performed on foundations ranging from 8 to 12 meters in diameter …

Modeling Of Distributary Channels Formed By A Large Sediment Diversion In Broken Marshland, Dylan Blaskey

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A 2-D DELFT3D model was developed to address the morphological response of Barataria Bay, the sediment deposition rate in the receiving basin, and the impact on the existing distributary channels within the broken marsh system due to the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. The model had a mesh size sufficient to accurately represent the development of the distributary channels, localized flooding, erosion, and salinity in the basin. The model predicts that the receiving basin will experience extensive erosion during the first year the diversion is open creating three major distributary pathways which flood much of the basin in freshwater. Most locations …

Suitability Of Fusing Vehicle Probe Data And Vessel Data To Contextualize The Multimodal Interaction Impacts On Corridor Mobility – A New Orleans Case Study, Kirk Zeringue

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Using New Orleans as a case study, this thesis explores the conflation of vehicle probe data with various vessel datasets to characterize the interactions between container vessels and motor vehicles as it relates to interstate congestion in a port city. The case study investigates the impact of container vessel presence/size, fluctuations in container volumes, and container on barge services on roadway congestion. The exploration relies on comparing different conditions using cumulative distribution functions and the Innovative Trend Analysis. The results showed that fusing vehicle and vessel data is achievable and appropriate, but temporal and data completeness issues can effect results. …

Two Clamped Pipe Support Connections For Oil And Gas Brownfield Projects, Helen M. Claycomb

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the oil and gas industry, brownfield projects focus on the modification of or addition to an existing production facility that is fully operational and operating. Welding is typically avoided on these projects. The drilling of holes in existing primary structural elements is also prohibited. Clamped connections are often used when adding additional services in a brownfield project. There are different types of clamped connections utilized when a new structural support must be attached to an existing vertical structural pipe. The short bolt clamped connection is a well-established connection and typically used on offshore projects. The U-bolt clamped connection is …

General Nonlinear-Material Elasticity In Classical One-Dimensional Solid Mechanics, Ronald Joseph Giardina Jr

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

We will create a class of generalized ellipses and explore their ability to define a distance on a space and generate continuous, periodic functions. Connections between these continuous, periodic functions and the generalizations of trigonometric functions known in the literature shall be established along with connections between these generalized ellipses and some spectrahedral projections onto the plane, more specifically the well-known multifocal ellipses. The superellipse, or Lam\'{e} curve, will be a special case of the generalized ellipse. Applications of these generalized ellipses shall be explored with regards to some one-dimensional systems of classical mechanics. We will adopt the Ramberg-Osgood relation …

Geotechnical And Geothermal Properties Of Louisiana Coastal Sediments, Myriam Bou-Mekhayel

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Land loss in South Louisiana is increasing at a fairly rapid rate. In an effort to reduce land loss and save the marshes of Louisiana, marsh creation projects have been proposed in carefully selected regions around the coast as part of the CPRA Coastal Master Plan 2017. Properties and characteristics of the soil obtained from soil borings were analyzed and used to determine the various design parameters that allow the marsh creation process to occur. Other properties that were taken into consideration for Louisiana coastal sediment are the geothermal properties.

This research analyses those different properties obtained from geotechnical reports …

Total Fume Emissions And Emission Factors Applicable To Gas Metal Arc Welding, Nayara De Souza

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Welding is a common industrial practice that has the potential to emit air pollutants. Emission factors are useful indicators to help in the understanding of the extent of pollution from a process and managing them to reduce or minimize health impacts. The objective of this thesis is to determine emission factors applicable to the gas metal arc welding (GMAW), under varying current and voltage conditions. The most used base metals and an electrode for the shipbuilding industry were considered. A weld fume chamber was used to achieve the project goals along with standard sampling and analytical procedures. Three test runs …

Evaluation Of Total Fume And Heavy Metal Emission Factors Applicable To Gas Metal Arc Welding, Abhinay Jilla

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Welding is a metal joining process widely used in many manufacturing facilities around the world. It involves the process of heating the base and filler metals to a high temperature that leads to the formation of fumes. Welding emissions consist of gaseous pollutants and micron and sub-micron particles consisting of different heavy metals. Health risks associated with exposures to weld fume is well recognized in the literature. This research evaluates emissions and emission factors applicable to gas metal arc welding (GMAW) on AH 36 (mild steel) and 316 L (stainless steel). Emission factors evaluated consisted, total fume, chromium, cobalt, lead, …

Detection Of Sand Boils From Images Using Machine Learning Approaches, Aditi S. Kuchi

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Levees provide protection for vast amounts of commercial and residential properties. However, these structures degrade over time, due to the impact of severe weather, sand boils, subsidence of land, seepage, etc. In this research, we focus on detecting sand boils. Sand boils occur when water under pressure wells up to the surface through a bed of sand. These make levees especially vulnerable. Object detection is a good approach to confirm the presence of sand boils from satellite or drone imagery, which can be utilized to assist in the automated levee monitoring methodology. Since sand boils have distinct features, applying object …

Proposed New Military Live Load For Highway Bridges In The United States, Walter P. Parker

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the results of a mathematical analysis of various live load combinations on highway bridge spans up to 304.8 meters (1,000 feet) total lengths. The analysis included continuous beams, but only the results for simple beams is presented. The analysis was performed using an independently developed Microsoft EXCEL spreadsheet computation, based on superposition and classical mechanics.

In this thesis, several actual bridge live loadings and several hypothetical live loadings were analyzed and compared to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Load and Resistance Factor Design method. Also considered was the new bridge design method adopted …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Recycled Crushed Glass Cullet For Use As An Aggregate In Beach Nourishment And Marsh Creation Projects In Southeastern Louisiana, John C. Wildman

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

To combat the rapid degradation of the Louisiana coast, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has planned strategic land building initiatives throughout the Louisiana Gulf coast, including beach nourishment and marsh creation projects. It is commonly agreed that the state lacks sufficient renewable sediment resources to maintain the planned CPRA land building program. However, Louisiana, the state that commonly ranks last in state recycling percentage, recycles an estimated 0.6% of the waste glass consumed in the state. Glass is predominantly silica sand. This thesis evaluates laboratory‑determined characteristics of recycled crushed glass cullet to assess its suitability as a renewable …

Long Term Bathymetry Changes In The Lower Mississippi River Due To Variability In Hydrograph And Variable Diversion Schemes, Nina J. Reins

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research is part of an ongoing effort to improve predictions for bathymetric and morphological changes in the Lower Mississippi River. The utilized model is a subset of a previously calibrated Delft3D model. This shorter model has reduced computational time, and can be deployed for analysis focused on the area between Belle Chasse and HOP, which is the domain of the model. Simulation runs conducted under this study vary from 12 years to 48 years, utilizing a developed 12-year variable hydrograph.

The comparison of variable annual hydrograph and repeated representative annual (uniform) hydrograph input data on bathymetric changes indicated that …

Simplified Sewerage Systems And Potential Application To Rural Louisiana Communities, Homero De Toledo Sobrinho

Senior Honors Theses

Today’s rapid growth in population on sub-urban areas has caused an increase in fecal coliforms to be discharged to down-streams and lakes. The unaffordability of conventional sewerage systems makes it inaccessible to big part of the population of rural communities to receive proper sanitation. Since population growth is only projected to increase during the next few years, action is necessary to change the course of the future of rural communities, more specifically described on this report, Louisiana’s communities. One option to offer affordable sewerage systems to the Louisiana region is that we utilize of the Simplified Sewerage technology. Simplified Sewerage …

Nitrogen Doped Titanium Dioxide In The Photocatalytic Degradation Of Methylene Blue, Ashraya Upadhyaya

Senior Honors Theses

Titanium dioxide(TiO2) is a stable, effective and well-known photocatalyst for degradation of pollutants. However, its practical applications are limited due to the need for energy higher than 3.2 eV, or a wavelength lower than 390 nm (high frequency waves, ultraviolet and above) hindering its ability to effectively work in the visible light region (about 400 nm to 700 nm). Nitrogen-doped TiO2 (N-TiO2) has garnered some attention as a photocatalyst as it appears to work even in the visible light region. This could allow the utilization of a larger part of the solar spectrum. This thesis presents the results of photocatalytic …

On The Ramberg-Osgood Stress-Strain Model And Large Deformations Of Cantilever Beams, Ronald J. Giardina Jr

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis the Ramberg-Osgood nonlinear model for describing the behavior of many different materials is investigated. A brief overview of the model as it is currently used in the literature is undertaken and several misunderstandings and possible pitfalls in its application is pointed out, especially as it pertains to more recent approaches to finding solutions involving the model. There is an investigation of the displacement of a cantilever beam under a combined loading consisting of a distributed load across the entire length of the beam and a point load at its end and new solutions to this problem are …

Particulate Matter And Carbon Monoxide Emission Factors From Incense Burning, Abhinay Jilla Mr.

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Indoor air quality is a growing concern in the world. People spend a considerable amount of time in indoor environments such as homes, workplaces, shopping malls, stores, and so on. Indoor sources like incense and candle burning, cooking contribute a significant amount of indoor air pollutants such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds. Exposure to these kinds of pollutants can result in adverse health effects.

The purpose of this research is to determine the particulate matter and carbon monoxide emission factors (EFs) from incense stick burning. A test chamber with a rectangular exhaust duct, a fan to …

Schedule And Cost Performance Analysis And Prediction In Louisiana Dotd, Mahmoud Hamide

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Many construction projects in the United States are facing the risk of cost overrun and schedule delays. This is also happening here in the State of Louisiana. When these things happen, it causes cost overrun which can then be passed on to the tax payers and may also cause the state to take on less projects than they normal. Many researchers have studied the reasons behind both the cost overrun and the delays resulting in private firms, developing project management tools and best practices to prevent this risk. In this research, I aim to study the historical trend in 2912 …

Numerical Computation Of Transient Response Of 2d Wedge Impact, Naresh Kumar Koyyapu

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The diverse applications of advanced marine craft ascribed to their high speed and technological advancements has led to the use of stronger and lighter metals in such crafts. High speed, in effect also increases slamming loads as higher speed increases frequency of wave encounter while operating in waves. The present study is limited to wedge impact models. Fundamentally, the study is thus about two-dimensional (2D) wedge impact in water. In an attempt to predict the structural response to impact hydrodynamic force, a beam element based finite element (FE) computer program is written and the results of the code are presented …

Factors Affecting Algal Biomass Growth And Cell Wall Destruction, Alicia E. Simosa

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Research using microalgae Chlorella vulgaris was conducted in order to determine the maximum CO₂ concentration under which algae can grow, within the emission range from oil and natural gas burning plants (0-20%).

After choosing the optimal CO₂ percentage, pH and alkalinity were determined; and finally, an electrochemical (EC) batch reactor connected to DC current was applied to achieve algae cell annihilation, and therefore, facilitate anaerobic digestion, methane production and energy recovery.

It was determined that algae can grow under 20% CO_2, being 15% CO₂ the most effective (pH of 6.64 and alkalinity of 617.5 mg/L CaCO …