Civil Engineering Commons^™

Low-Cost And Reliable Integrated Hardware And Software Framework For Remotely Operated Water Release From Storage Units, Vivek Verma

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main contribution of this research is towards the broader area of water management that can be used for multiple purposes. For instance, floods can be mitigated using a novel approach based on the integrated dynamic management of water storage units such as reservoirs, wetlands, and ponds. This approach will enable adaptive water release from storage units hours or days ahead of rainfall events, thereby maximizing storage capacity and minimizing flooding.

This approach can be implemented by retrofitting water storage units using siphon hydraulic systems and are remotely controlled in an integrated manner using the decision support system. To make …

Evaluating The Sustainability Of Infrastructure Projects During Front-End Planning Phase, Valentina Ferrer Rivero

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Front-End Planning (FEP) for Sustainable Infrastructure (SI) projects is a promising process that can support addressing multiple challenges in infrastructure projects (i.e. cost overruns, schedule delays, and poor sustainability). This study aims to investigate synergies between sustainability and FEP tools for infrastructures through stakeholders’ surveys, multiple case-study analyses, and a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) activity with students. The PBL activity enhanced students’ knowledge on FEP for SI projects, and, together with other analyses, it helped in defining three different frameworks that correlate sustainability and FEP tools for infrastructure projects. The findings of this thesis contribute to the infrastructure, engineering and construction …

Design Of Low Impact Development And Green Infrastructure At Flood Prone Areas In The City Of Miami Beach, Florida, Usa, Noura Alsarawi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the effectiveness of Low Impact Development Infrastructure (LIDI) and Green Infrastructure (GI) in reducing flooding resulting from heavy rainfall events and sea-level rise, and in improving stormwater quality in the City of Miami Beach (CMB). InfoSWMM was used to simulate the 5, 10, and 100-year, 24-hour storm events, total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) loadings, and in evaluating the potential of selected LIDI and GI solutions in North Shore neighborhood.

Post-development results revealed a decrease of 48%, 46%, and 39% in runoff, a decrease of 57%, 60%, and 62% in …

The Effects Of Frequent Atmospheric Events And Hydrologic Infrastructure On Flow Characterization In Tims Branch And Its Major Tributary, Sc, Mohammed Albassam

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hydrological models are powerful tools used to predict water systems behavior such as flow and water level characteristics for rivers and streams. In this research, a fully dynamic 1-D model was developed using the MIKE 11 model for a specific stream called A-014, this stream is in the Savannah River Site (SRS), SC.

A field study was conducted in order to collect data needed as inputs for the model development. Data like water velocity and cross-section measurement played a major role in understanding the behavior of the A-014 and the validation of our model.

Results showed a correlation capable to …

Water Quality Modelling Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis And Remote Sensing In South Florida, Mohammad Hajigholizadeh

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of this dissertation research is to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of water quality parameters in different water bodies of South Florida. Two major approaches (multivariate statistical techniques and remote sensing) were used in this study. Multivariate statistical techniques include cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA), discriminant analysis (DA), absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) and PMF receptor modeling techniques were used to assess the water quality and identify and quantify the potential pollution sources affecting the water quality of three major rivers of South Florida. For this purpose, a 15-year (2000–2014) data …

Hydrogeochemical Modeling Of Saltwater Intrusion And Water Supply Augmentation In South Florida, Yonas T. Habtemichael

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Biscayne Aquifer is a primary source of water supply in Southeast Florida. As a coastal aquifer, it is threatened by saltwater intrusion (SWI) when the natural groundwater flow is altered by over-pumping of groundwater. SWI is detrimental to the quality of fresh groundwater sources, making the water unfit for drinking due to mixing and reactions with aquifer minerals. Increasing water demand and complex environmental issues thus force water utilities in South Florida to sustainably manage saltwater intrusion and develop alternative water supplies (e.g., aquifer storage and recovery, ASR).

The objectives of this study were to develop and use calibrated …

On The Role Of The Pore Water Chemistry Of Deficient Post-Tension Grout To Promote Steel Corrosion, Samanbar Permeh

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Corrosion failure of post-tension tendons with pre-packaged thixotropic grout was documented in Florida Bridges in less than 10 years of service. Analysis of deficient grout in Florida post-tensioned (PT) bridges where severe corrosion developed indicated enhanced sulfate ion concentration, high pore water pH, enhanced moisture and low chloride content. The corrosion wasn’t consistent with the conventional causes of steel corrosion such as bleed water accumulation in grout void spaces, chloride contamination and pore water carbonation. Corrosion development was associated with deficient grout with enhanced sulfate levels. However, limited information is available on the corrosion behavior of PT strand in grout …

Xpswmm Analysis Of The Ornl Stormwater Collection System Up To Outfall 211, Heidi Belle Henderson

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, was the site for a number of US Government projects during the 1940s and 1950s including the development of thermonuclear weapons. Chemical processes conducted at the site as part of these projects resulted in contamination of certain building areas at the ORNL. The purpose of this study is to develop a hydraulic-hydrologic computer model via XPSWMM to determine surface water flow rates and water stages within the drainage system during rainfall events and introduce a conservative contaminant into the system to trace peak concentrations of contaminants.

The model was calibrated by simulating actual rainfall …

Climate, Land Use And Hydrologic Sensitivities Of Stormwater Quantity And Quality In Complex Coastal Urban Watersheds, Shams Al-Amin

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study analyzed hydro-climatic and land use sensitivities of stormwater runoff and quality in the complex coastal urban watershed of Miami River Basin, Florida by developing a Storm Water Management Model (EPA SWMM 5). Regression-based empirical models were also developed to explain stream water quality in relation to internal (land uses and hydrology) and external (upstream contribution, seawater) sources and drivers in six highly urbanized canal basins of Southeast Florida. Stormwater runoff and quality were most sensitive to rainfall, imperviousness, and conversion of open lands/parks to residential, commercial and industrial areas. In-stream dissolved oxygen and total phosphorus in the watersheds …

Integration Of A Sedimentation Module To A Hydrologic Model And Its Application To A Mercury Tmdl Analysis, Lilian Marrero

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is part of continued efforts to correlate the hydrology of East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) and Bear Creek (BC) with the long term distribution of mercury within the overland, subsurface, and river sub-domains. The main objective of this study was to add a sedimentation module (ECO Lab) capable of simulating the reactive transport mercury exchange mechanisms within sediments and porewater throughout the watershed. The enhanced model was then applied to a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) mercury analysis for EFPC. That application used historical precipitation, groundwater levels, river discharges, and mercury concentrations data that were retrieved from government …