Hydraulic Engineering Commons^™

A Multi-Criteria Ranking System For Prioritizing Maintenance Of Levee Systems In Arkansas, Nguyen Danh Phan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are 208,009 properties in Arkansas that have more than a 26% chance of being severely affected by flooding over the next 30 years, which represents 13% of all properties in the state. A levee system is designed to reduce the flooding risk for urban and rural communities; however, most of the state's levees have been significantly outdated or built with engineering standards less rigorous than current best practices. The Levee Safety Action Classification (LSAC), as recorded in the National Levee Database (NLD), communicates the risk associated with living behind a particular levee and assists local, state, and federal stakeholders …

Wind Tunnel Modeling Of Jack Rabbit Ii Mock Urban Environment Gas Concentration Measurements, Sami S. Fares

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 2015 Jack Rabbit (JR) II field trials were conducted to improve understanding of the denser-than-air dispersion of chlorine in an urban environment. The field study involved five large-scale, outdoor release trials of chlorine in a mock urban environment (MUE) at Dugway Proving Ground (DPG). Various instrumentation was deployed, including JazTM Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) point sensors capable of measuring gas-phase chlorine concentration throughout the mock urban array.

The Chemical Hazards Research Center (CHRC) was tasked by the Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) with the Mock Urban Wind Tunnel (MUWT) program to study the 2015 JR II Trials at wind tunnel scale. …

Evapotranspiration In Mid-South Rice Production, Colby Wade Reavis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice provides much needed sustenance to a large portion of the global population, particularly in the developing world. With stress placed on food production systems under the reality of climate change and an increasing global population, rice production systems require solutions to a number of issues, including a limited water supply. As producers explore new strategies for conserving local water resources to continue to maintain yields, new irrigation strategies and technologies are being developed and validated for use at commercial production scales. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) is an irrigation practice that provides water savings through the capture of rainfall …

Identification Of Phosphorous Loading Point Source Facilities To 303(D) Listed Nutrient Impaired Waters Through Watershed Delineation Using Arcgis For Life Cycle Assessment Applications, John Zimmerman

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The work done for this project is part of a larger “life cycle assessment (LCA) of novel electrochemical phosphorus recovery technology at the wastewater treatment plant and U.S. watershed scales” (Morrissey 2019). The goal of that LCA is to determine “environmental impacts of implementing electrochemical struvite recovery at the wastewater treatment plant, U.S watershed, and global scales” (Morrissey 2019). This project’s goal is to identify locations deemed more sensitive to eutrophication impacts. The results will be used as part of the life cycle inventory (LCI) accounting for geographically explicit phosphorus flows. The waters identified as impaired were sourced from the …

Surface Modification Of Pvdf Membranes For Treating Produced Waters By Direct Contact Membrane Distillation, Zahra Anari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Direct contact membrane distillation is a promising unit operation for treating hydraulic fracturing flow back and produced water. However, while a hydrophobic membrane is essential to prevent the passage of water from the feed to the permeate side, fouling by dissolved organic species can compromise membrane performance and result in wetting of the membrane pores. Here four monomers, hydroxyethylmethacrylate, acrylic acid, 1-vinyl-3-allylimidazolium bromide, and 1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium bromide have been grafted from the surface of a PVDF membrane. The modified and base membranes were tested in a direct contact membrane distillation system. All membranes were challenged with real produced water. In addition, …

Accumulation Of Lead By Biofilms In Drinking Water Distribution Systems, Kaleb Oren Belcher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent crises, such as the one in Flint, MI, indicate that lead exposure from drinking water is a major health concern in the United States. Over six million lead service lines are still in use in the United States, and a universal protocol to safely remove these lead service lines from drinking water distribution systems has not yet been established. This paper calls to attention the potential hazard that biofilms pose as a source of lead in distribution systems, even after the removal of lead pipes. This study used a simulated water distribution system containing a lead source pipe and …

Testing And Development Of Pre-Stressed Cfrp Retrofit Strategies For Controlling Fatigue Cracking In Steel Waterway Lock Gate Structures, Maggie Langston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Steel waterway lock gates across the national inland waterway transportation network are reaching and exceeding their intended service life, often experiencing component failures that lead to service interruptions. Unscheduled maintenance and repair of lock gates can be expensive and cause economic ripples throughout the entire inland waterway network. These lock gate component failures are often caused by fatigue cracking from repeated loading during operation. This thesis develops and tests a prestressed carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) fatigue retrofit for controlling fatigue demands within lock gate components. The study expands upon a recent analytical work by Lozano (2017) by experimentally investigating …

Evaluation Of Water Resources And Hydraulic Influences In The Restoration Of The Western Part Of The Mesopotamian Marshlands, Ali Kareem Al-Quraishi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to assess the water resources and water conveyance system of the western part of the Mesopotamian marshes (Al-Hammar marsh) as well as develop a water conveyance system to distribute water throughout the western Al-Hammar marsh. These processes are significant to identify the current restoration problems and help to create restoration strategies for the marsh. Also, proper management strategy to the Al-Hammar marsh is necessary to preserve the marsh ecosystem, irrigate lands, and provide domestic necessities in the villages.

The overall project is divided into three main chapters which address the current ecological and hydrological …

Systematic Review For Water Network Failure Models And Cases, Yufei Gao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As estimated in the American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 report, in the United States, there are approximately 240,000 water main pipe breaks each year. To help estimate pipe breaks and maintenance frequency, a number of physically-based and statistically-based water main failure prediction models have been developed in the last 30 years. Precious review papers focused more on the evolution of failure models rather than modeling results. However, the modeling results of different models applied in case studies are worth reviewing as well.

In this review, we focus on research papers after Year 2008 and collect latest cases without repetition. …

Asbestos Cement Pipe Condition Assessment And Remaining Service Life Prediction, Abiy Melles Ghirmay

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research details a condition assessment of asbestos cement (AC) pipe within in the Bella Vista Village Property Owners Association water distribution system. Bella Vista Village contains appropriately 300 miles of AC pipe with nominal diameters from 6-14 inch. The goal of the research is to determine the current condition of AC pipe within the system and predict future performance of the pipes. AC pipe samples were obtained from 23 locations disturbed across the distribution system with nominal pipe diameters of 6-8 inch. Estimates of current level of degradation were obtained using phenolphthalein staining and hardness measurements of each sample. …

Trend Analysis Of Water Quality In Northwest Arkansas Streams Reflects Changes In The Watershed, Zachary Paul Simpson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Watershed export of nutrients, sediments, and chemicals impacts receiving waters. Changes within the watershed (e.g., anthropogenic or climatic) can alter the transport of constituents in streams. Stream monitoring is crucial for understanding these effects. This study developed a potential improvement to flow-adjusting constituent concentrations in streams, an important step of analyzing monitoring data in lotic systems for trends. The method incorporates a K-fold cross-validation procedure to optimize a model explaining the relationship between the concentration and streamflow, thus providing a valuable tool to researchers in water quality. Additionally, two case studies were conducted on watersheds located in northwest Arkansas using …

Evaluating A Measure-Calculate Method For Determining Sediment Oxygen Demand In Lakes, Adrian Beirise

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A steady-state mass diffusion model used with simple measurable and calculable inputs for determining sediment oxygen demand (SOD) is compared to an intact core incubation (ICI) SOD method using samples from three lakes. The mass diffusion model coupled with inputs is known as the measure-calculate method (M-C) and is a potential alternative to existing methods for measuring SOD which are more complex, time-consuming, and costly. The M-C method requires inputs for volumetric sediment oxygen uptake (Ṅsed), sediment density and porosity, and water properties. Ṅsed was determined by suspending sediment in oxygen-saturated water with a DO probe and determining the steady …

Electrodeionization Versus Electrodialysis: A Clean-Up Of Produced Water In Hydraulic Fracturing, Brigitte Marie Rodgers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrodeionization (EDI) is a widely studied process ranging from applications in wastewater clean-up in the food and beverage industry to purifying organic compounds. To date, there are no apparent studies on applying this technology to produced wastewater recovered from hydraulic fracking sites. Water consumption within hydraulic fracturing sites can reach in the upwards of millions of gallons per site, so a need for a water recycling process becomes necessary within areas where water requirements are scarce. Implementation of an EDI module that is capable of handling high salt solutions from produced wastewater in subsequent fracturing practices will decrease overall water …

An Empirical Water Quality And Best Management Practice Prioritization Model For Select Arkansas Watersheds, James Mccarty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to prioritize subwatersheds using water quality data and watershed characteristics. Water quality data was provided through studies by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Beaver Water District, Arkansas Water Resources Center, and publicly available USGS gage data. A total of 114 sites across five HUC-8 watersheds were analyzed, including 12 USGS gages. Watershed characteristic data was retrieved from USGS and Arkansas GeoStore geodatabase repositories. A significant linear relationship between baseflow and stormflow nutrient concentrations was established allowing for the use of baseflow concentrations in the prioritization methodology. Pearson correlation, linear regression, classification and regression tree, …

Evaluation Of The Equations Used To Calculate Hydraulic Conductivity Values From Two-Stage Borehole Tests, Johnathon Dale Blanchard

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A compacted clay liner (CCL) test pad was constructed for the purpose of evaluating the testing procedures utilized for determining hydraulic conductivity of a CCL. These procedures include ASTM D6391 (2014) Method C and ASTM D6391 Method A. Method C was recently added to ASTM D6391(2014) and was evaluated based upon comparison of results obtained from previous research with results from the data presented herein. The test pad was instrumented with volumetric water content probes and water matric potential sensors to monitor the wetting front in the soil. The data obtained from this instrumentation should be used to develop a …

Numerical Modeling Of Fluid Migration In Hydraulically Fractured Formations, Toyin Christie Aseeperi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Economic production from low permeability shale gas formations has been made possible by the introduction of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. To ensure that gas production from these formations is optimized and carried out in an environmentally friendly approach, knowledge about the patterns of gas flow in the shale reservoir formation is required. This work presents the development of a shale gas reservoir model for the characterization of flow behavior in hydraulically fractured shale formations. The study also seeks to develop more computationally efficient approaches towards the modeling of complex fracture geometries. The model evaluates the migration patterns of gas …

Recycling Wastewater For Hydraulic Fracturing By Use Of Nanofiltration Membranes, Haley D. Cleous

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hydraulic fracturing creates large volumes of produced water, contaminated with organics, suspended solids, and dissolved minerals. This water must either be disposed of in injection wells or treated for reuse. One option is to use a combination of ultrafiltration and nanofiltration to treat this water and reuse it in future hydraulic fracturing wells. The object of this study was to test and characterize commercial nanofiltration membranes. The work done for this project will lead to future work in modifying membranes to improve the rejection of desired components.

Development Of A Hydrologic Model For An Urban Headwater Stream: The Influence Of Pervious Surface Properties On Runoff Dynamics, Dawn A. Farver

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A hydrologic model was developed for the Mullins Creek (MC) catchment located on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The MC catchment is a small, dynamic urban stream system with a range of land use/land cover (LULC), an extensive and well-developed stormwater drainage network, and extensive urbanization (over 90% developed, and almost 50% impervious surface area (ISA)). Selected datasets provided information on the stormwater drainage network, the physical attributes of the catchment and receiving waterway (i.e. drainage area, slope, etc.), infiltration potential of soil map units, LULC, and percent ISA. These datasets were analyzed to provide input parameters …

Dynamic Testing Of An Elevated Water Tank, Alexander Michael Font

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to identify the modal properties of a pedesphere type, elevated water tank under different operating conditions relating to the water level in the tank. The research that was conducted included both numerical and experimental components. The numerical components consisted of a simple hand calculation to identify the fundamental frequency as well as numerical computer models to identify the natural frequencies and mode shapes for the first three bending modes. The experimental components consisted of characterizing the vibration of the elevated water tank in its current environment through ambient vibration testing.

Examination Of Nitrogen To Phosphorus Ratio In Nutrient Removal From Wastewater Through Chlorella Vulgaris, Courtney L. Hill

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A need for phosphorus removal is becoming increasingly evident as some wastewater treatment plants struggle to meet wastewater effluent nutrient requirements. High nutrient levels in wastewater effluents have also caused ongoing tension between the state of Oklahoma and Arkansas regarding the pollution of the Illinois River. This research seeks to establish the relationship between nitrogen to phosphorus ratio in wastewater and the level of nutrient reduction using Chlorella vulgaris. Seed cultures of Chlorella vulgaris were added into solutions with various ratios of nitrate to phosphate representative of treated domestic wastewater and the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus were measured in …

Comprehensive Drainage Study Of The Upper Reach Of College Branch In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Kathryn Lea Mccoy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College Branch is a stream with headwaters located on the University of Arkansas campus. The stream flows through much of the west side of campus, gaining discharge and enlarging its channel as it meanders to the south. College Branch has experienced erosion and flooding issues in recent years due to increased urbanization of its watershed and increased runoff volume.

The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive drainage study of College Branch on the University of Arkansas campus. Storm runoff and flood flow patterns were evaluated in order to understand the hydraulics and hydrology of the watershed and …

Magnitude And Frequency Of Floods For Rural, Unregulated Streams Of Tennessee By L-Moments Method, Hongxiang Yan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a regional frequency analysis of Tennessee using the well-known Bulletin-17B method standardly used in the United States and the relatively new and developing L-Moments methods. Flood frequency characteristics were defined for 416 gaging stations located primarily in rural and lightly developed areas of Tennessee. All the gaging stations have 10 or more years of record through 2006. Using the L-Moments method, the generalized extreme value distribution was identified as the most robust distribution for each of four hydrologic areas. Multiple regression equations were also calculated for estimating the flood frequency of ungaged, unregulated, rural streams in each …

Mathematical Modeling Of Fluid Spills In Hydraulically Fractured Well Sites, Oluwafemi Michael Taiwo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Improved drilling technology and favorable energy prices have contributed to the rapid pace at which the exploitation of unconventional natural gas is taking place across the United States. As a natural gas well is being drilled, reserve pits are constructed to hold the drilling fluids and other materials returned from the drilling process. These reserve pits can fail, and when they do, plant and animal life of the surrounding area may be adversely affected. This project develops a screening tool for a suitable location for a reserve pit. This work will be a critical piece of the Infrastructure Placement Analysis …

Hydraulic Conductivity Of Environmentally Controlled Landfill Liner Test Pad, Camila Maldonado Soria Galvarro

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Laboratory and field hydraulic conductivity tests have been conducted on soil samples to develop and verify the zone of acceptance for liner placement. Compaction testing and flexible wall hydraulic conductivity tests were performed on fifteen (15) samples to determine the dry unit weight, molding water content, and laboratory permeability. Five of the fifteen samples were compacted at Standard proctor energy, five were compacted at 75 percent of Standard proctor energy, and five were compacted at 50 percent of Standard proctor energy. The results obtained from the laboratory portion of the testing program (the zone of acceptance) are presented. A ten …

Effects Of Piston Uplift, Piston Friction, And Machine Deflection In Reduced Triaxial Extension Testing, Morgan Race

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A series of Reduced Triaxial Extension (RTE) tests were conducted on dummy (brass) and null (water) samples to determine the effects of (corrections required for) piston uplift, piston friction and system compliance associated with RTE tests. During the consolidation stage of RTE tests, the sample may be consolidated in isotropic or anisotropic stress conditions. During the shearing stage of an RTE test, the sample is unloaded in the axial direction by decreasing the deviator stress while the radial stress remains constant. Ten (10) tests were conducted on a brass "dummy" sample. The device was assembled in the same manner as …