Other Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Effect Of Waste Covid-19 Masks On Compaction Characteristics Of Silty-Clay Soil, Sydney K. Lawson

Honors College Theses

The present study aims to explore the effect of adding shredded waste Covid-19 masks to silty-clay soil on the soil’s compaction characteristics for beneficial use in embankment, the subgrade of roadways, or backfill. This was accomplished by using two different types of masks: blue surgical masks and KN95 masks. Both mask types were hand shredded into half-inch sections using safety-scissors. The maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content (OMC) are the two most important compaction characteristics, and they were determined by the Standard Proctor Compaction Test (ASTM D698 / AASHTO T99). The change of both the MDD and OMC …

Design And Development Of An Inert Controlled Environmental Chamber For Evaluation Of Contaminant Mass Transfer, Brian Magnuson, Zachary Limaye

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Modeling Of Equilibrium Shoreline Of Headland Bay Beaches, Mohamed Ahmed Elmarakby, Ahmed Elshinnawy, Bakenaz A. Zeidan

Journal of Engineering Research

Engineering tools for predicting a long-term reaction of beaches include equilibrium beach formulations. They are used to assess how human interference (protection works, breakwaters, ports etc.) has affected the shoreline reaction since they Specify the final orientation of a beach on a time scale of years. One of the equations for determining the Static Equilibrium Planform (SEP) of Headland Bay Beaches (HBBs) that can be found in the literature is the Parabolic Bay Shape Equation (PBSE). The placement of the down-coast control point (P_o), which is the down drift limit from which the PBSE is applied, has a …

The Effects Of Phoslock And Water Treatment Residual On Phosphate Concentration Levels And Phosphate Adsorption, Anna Soehnlen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Eutrophic, nutrient enriched water can induce adverse effects like harmful algal blooms (HABs) in aquatic ecosystems. Numerous studies have been conducted to control nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen in order to mitigate the growth rate of HABs. During the spring semester of 2023, a research project investigated if the bentonite clay product, Phoslock, was able to remove phosphorus when it was added to distilled water and surface water under laboratory conditions. The researchers noted potential deficiencies in Phoslock’s ability to decrease the concentration of phosphorus while maintaining the initial value of adsorbed phosphorus. Expanding from this past research, two additional …

Stage And Discharge Prediction From Documentary Time-Lapse Imagery, Kenneth W. Chapman, Troy E. Gilmore, Mehrube Mehrubeoglu, Christian D. Chapman, Aaron R. Mittelstet, John E. Stranzl Jr.

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Imagery from fixed, ground-based cameras is rich in qualitative and quantitative information that can improve stream discharge monitoring. For instance, time-lapse imagery may be valuable for filling data gaps when sensors fail and/or during lapses in funding for monitoring programs. In this study, we used a large image archive (> 40,000 images from 2012 to 2019) from a fixed, ground-based camera that is part of a documentary watershed imaging project (https://plattebasintimelapse.com/). Scalar image features were extracted from daylight images taken at one-hour intervals. The image features were fused with United States Geological Survey stage and discharge data as …

Preliminary Water Quality Assessment Using Canadian Water Quality Index Of Ras El-Ain Ponds, South Lebanon, Hussien Ali Fayad, Safaa Baydoun, Mohamad Reda Soliman

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Water quality deterioration in Lebanon is a pressing national issue and there is a high need for continuous water quality assessment and monitoring of water bodies in the country. This study aims at assessing water quality of Ras El-Ain Ponds, a major natural water resource for domestic use in Tyre district, South Lebanon by using the widely applied Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI). Sampling was conducted during February-March, 2023 and physiochemical and microbiological water quality parameters were determined using standardized methods. Assessed parameters in our study are temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity (EC), total …

Functional Cementitious Composites With Micro-Sized Particulate Fillers For Additive Construction And Energy-Efficient Buildings, Adam Brooks

Doctoral Dissertations

With a growing energy demand, the development of sustainable and energy efficient building materials is growing rapidly. Numerous researches have focused on low carbon footprint construction materials, high-performance thermal insulations, high-performance façade, and thermal energy storage. Among these, the development of functional cementitious composites has attracted significant attention due to its potential utilities in building energy reduction and decarbonatization efforts. For example, fly ash cenospheres have been used as micro-size lightweight fillers to achieve low density and thermal conductivity. The use of phase change materials (PCM) in concrete has been studied to answer energy demands. While their inclusion into concrete …

Feasibility Of Using High-Alkali Natural Pozzolans And Reclaimed Fly Ash As Alternative Supplementary Cementitious Materials In Concrete, Weiqi Wang

All Dissertations

Due to the shortage of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in the concrete industry, it is necessary to seek a new alternative. This study evaluates the feasibility of high-alkali SCMs, which were not recommended previously due to potentially exacerbating alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in concrete. The study addresses theSCMs’ ASR mitigation performance, evaluated by ASTM C1567, C1293, and AASHTO T380. Other concrete durability tests, including ASTM C596 drying shrinkage test, ASTM C1012 sulfate resistance test, and ASTM C1202 rapid chloride ions penetration test, were also conducted in this study. The ASTM C311 strength activity index test, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and ASTM …

Effects Of Perforations On Internal Cathodic Protection And Recruitment Of Marine Organisms To Steel Pipes, Alexander John Paluzzi

Theses and Dissertations

Steel monopile support structures for offshore wind turbines require protection from corrosion on their external and internal surfaces. Cathodic protection (CP) works effectively to protect the external surfaces of monopiles, but internally, byproducts from aluminum sacrificial anode CP (SACP) and impressed current CP (ICCP) induce acidification that accelerates steel corrosion. This project investigated the effects of perforations on the performance of aluminum SACP and ICCP when used inside of steel pipes. Additionally, marine growth on the external and internal surfaces of the pipes was assessed to determine if CP byproducts affect marine organism development.

Two sealed and two perforated steel …

Aicropcam: Deploying Classification, Segmentation, Detection, And Counting Deep-Learning Models For Crop Monitoring On The Edge, Nipuna Chamara, Geng (Frank) Bai, Yufeng Ge

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Precision Agriculture (PA) promises to meet the future demands for food, feed, fiber, and fuel while keeping their production sustainable and environmentally friendly. PA relies heavily on sensing technologies to inform site-specific decision supports for planting, irrigation, fertilization, spraying, and harvesting. Traditional point-based sensors enjoy small data sizes but are limited in their capacity to measure plant and canopy parameters. On the other hand, imaging sensors can be powerful in measuring a wide range of these parameters, especially when coupled with Artificial Intelligence. The challenge, however, is the lack of computing, electric power, and connectivity infrastructure in agricultural fields, preventing …

Fine Tuning Mobilenet Neural Networks For Oil Spill Detection, Caixia Wang, Andrew Coulson

I-GUIDE Forum

The monitoring of open water and early identification of oil spills in the Alaska Arctic has become increasingly critical due to the rise in oil and gas exploration and shipping activities, facilitated by the increasing number of ice-free days resulting from global warming. This escalating risk of oil spills is further compounded by potential accidents in offshore operations, illicit oil discharges, and knowledge gaps in Arctic coastlines, rapidly changing due to rising seas, permafrost melting, and coastal erosion. To address these pressing challenges, we propose a deep learning model based on MobileNet neural networks to detect oil spills in remotely …

Upscaling Wetland Methane Emissions From The Fluxnet-Ch4 Eddy Covariance Network (Upch4 V1.0): Model Development, Network Assessment, And Budget Comparison, Gavin Mcnicol, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Zutao Ouyang, Sara Knox, Zhen Zhang, Tuula Aalto, Sheel Bansal, Kuang Yu Chang, Min Chen, Kyle Delwiche, Sarah Feron, Mathias Goeckede, Jinxun Liu, Avni Malhotra, Joe R. Melton, William Riley, Rodrigo Vargas, Kunxiaojia Yuan, Qing Ying, Qing Zhu, Pavel Alekseychik, Mika Aurela, David Billesbach, David I. Campbell, Jiquan Chen, Housen Chu, Ankur R. Desai, Eugenie Euskirchen, Jordan Goodrich, Timothy Griffis, Manuel Helbig, Takashi Hirano, Hiroki Iwata, Gerald Jurasinski, John King, Franziska Koebsch, Randall Kolka, Ken Krauss, Annalea Lohila, Ivan Mammarella

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Wetlands are responsible for 20%–31% of global methane (CH4) emissions and account for a large source of uncertainty in the global CH4 budget. Data-driven upscaling of CH4 fluxes from eddy covariance measurements can provide new and independent bottom-up estimates of wetland CH4 emissions. Here, we develop a six-predictor random forest upscaling model (UpCH4), trained on 119 site-years of eddy covariance CH4 flux data from 43 freshwater wetland sites in the FLUXNET-CH4 Community Product. Network patterns in site-level annual means and mean seasonal cycles of CH4 fluxes were reproduced accurately in tundra, boreal, and temperate regions (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency ∼0.52–0.63 and 0.53). …

Influence Of Ultrasound Machine Settings On Quantitative Measures Derived From Spatial Frequency Analysis Of Muscle Tissue, Scott K. Crawford, Stephanie A. Kliethermes, Bryan C. Heiderscheit, Greg Bashford

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Background Ultrasound is a powerful tool for diagnostic purposes and provides insight into both normal and pathologic tissue structure. Spatial frequency analysis (SFA) methods characterize musculoskeletal tissue organization from ultrasound images. Both sonographers in clinical imaging and researchers may alter a minimized range of ultrasound settings to optimize image quality, and it is important to know how these small adjustments of these settings affect SFA parameters. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of making small adjustments in a typical default ultrasound machine setting on extracted spatial frequency parameters (peak spatial frequency radius (PSFR), Mmax, Mmax%, and …

Prairie Protector: Student Development Of Systems Thinking Habits In The Context Of Agroecosystems, Erin Ingram, Jennifer Keshwani

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Introduction: The Great Plains ecosystem offers an opportunity for young people to gain knowledge about intricate systems through practical learning. The spread of woody plants into grasslands, known as the “Green Glacier,” poses a risk to biodiversity and animal production. Although effective management strategies exist, some land managers are reluctant to use them. It is critical to cultivate a scientifically literate population that can think systematically and make informed decisions based on STEM principles to address such complex agroecosystem problems.

Methods: In this study, semi-structured focus group discussions with high school students were analyzed to determine whether Prairie …

Energy Dissipation Optimization For Circular Culverts, Chi Zhang

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The principal goal of the current research is to develop and improve weir-based energy dissipator designs at the outlets of circular culverts. In the present case, we are interested in full-length weirs and staggered weirs. A review of related literature was completed and reported; a test facility was carefully designed and constructed to collect flow information in a basin downstream of a model broken-back circular culvert; instrumentation was installed to measure discharges, streamwise depths, and velocities. Both full-length and staggered weirs were tested over a range of discharges and tailwaters. The two types of weirs were subjected to two types …

Investigation And Modification Of Single-Post Aluminum Sign Supports For Mash Crashworthiness, Rodrigo Quintero

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traffic signs are used to display information to drivers and are one of the most commonly encountered roadside structures. Although they are a vital traffic control device, signs can pose a significant safety risk to errant drivers due to their extensive placement and proximity to the roadway. Therefore, traffic signs and their supports must be designed with crashworthiness in mind to reduce the likelihood of injury in the event of a vehicle impact. Prior to 2009, these systems were evaluated using the crash testing criteria found in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report No. 350 [1]. Currently, they …

Assessing The Impact Of Spatial Resolution Of Uas-Based Remote Sensing And Spectral Resolution Of Proximal Sensing On Crop Nitrogen Retrieval Accuracy, Kianoosh Hassani, Hamed Gholizadeh, Saleh Taghvaeian, Victoria Natalie, Jonathan Carpenter, Jamey Jacob

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Foliar nitrogen (N) plays a central role in photosynthetic machinery of plants, regulating their growth rates. However, field-based methods for monitoring plant N concentration are costly and limited in their ability to cover large spatial extents. In this study, we had two objectives: (1) assess the capability of unoccupied aerial system (UAS) and non-imaging spectroscopic data in estimating sorghum and corn N concentration and (2) determine the impact of spatial and spectral resolution of reflectance data on estimating sorghum and corn N concentration. We used a UAS and an ASD spectroradiometer to collect canopy- and leaf-level spectral data from sorghum …

Exploring The Determinants Of Organic Matter Bioavailability Through Substrate-Explicit Thermodynamic Modeling, Firnaaz Ahamed, Yaqi You, Amy Burgin, James C. Stegen, Timothy D. Scheibe, Hyun-Seob Song

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Microbial decomposition of organic matter (OM) in river corridors is a major driver of nutrient and energy cycles in natural ecosystems. Recent advances in omics technologies enabled high-throughput generation of molecular data that could be used to inform biogeochemical models. With ultrahigh-resolution OM data becoming more readily available, in particular, the substrate-explicit thermodynamic modeling (SXTM) has emerged as a promising approach due to its ability to predict OM degradation and respiration rates from chemical formulae of compounds. This model implicitly assumes that all detected organic compounds are bioavailable, and that aerobic respiration is driven solely by thermodynamics. Despite promising demonstrations …

Analysis Of Evolution And Morphology Of Urban And Road Networks: Case Study Lebanon-Nabatiyeh Area, Amal Al Ghorayeb, Adel Elkordi, Ghaleb Faour, Zeinab Jaber, Youssef Attallah

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

This study examines the morphology and evolution of urban and road networks and their relationship with topography in the Lebanon-Nabatiyeh area, by using GIS and remote sensing data. and calculate the annual urban growth percentage rate. The results reveal a clear relationship between the morphology of urban and road networks and their evolution over four periods, as well as the influence of the surrounding topography on their configuration. The study recommends that urban areas should be developed in areas with a slope range of 15º or more to improve the urban structure and infrastructure surrounding them. Understanding the evolution and …

Methods And Surface Materials Repair For Concrete Structures – A Review, Lelian W. Elkhatib, Adel Elkordi, Jamal Khatib

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Concrete is a very critical material that may require maintenance and possible repair periodically, especially in important structure such as bridges. In general, concrete in structures (e.g. reinforced concrete) may be subjected to cracks due to a variety of reasons. These include, design and external environments such as the ingress of harmful ions into the concrete, unexpected extra loads including earthquakes. These cracks can affect not only the appearance of the structure but more importantly the structural performance of concrete and the integrity of the concrete structure. Therefore, when cracks occur a proper repair method should be selected, based on …

Mechanical And Durability Properties Of Fly Ash Geopolymer Concrete – A Review, Ali Shebli, Jamal Khatib, Adel Elkordi

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Geopolymers have emerged as a promising alternative for Ordinary portland cement (OPC) in construction industry, due to their potential to minimize the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and improve the efficiency of waste recycling. This paper aims to study the fresh and hardened properties of fly ash geopolymer concrete (GPC), as well as to review the raw materials used in the production of geopolymers. Several factors impact the mechanical and durability properties of fly ash GPC, including the specific type of fly ash utilized, the curing temperature, the alkaline activator (AA) concentration, and the type of AA used. …

Understanding The Flow Dynamics Of The Pearl River, Ms, Through Hydrodynamic Modeling, Nahruma Mehzabeen Pieu

Master's Theses

The Pearl River brings fresh water and nutrients into Lake Borgne regulating conditions for oyster growth in estuarine waters. However, there are no flow measurement stations installed on East Pearl or West Pearl either at the river outlets or after the upstream bifurcation of the Pearl. This study aims to model the Lower Pearl River to understand the flow dynamics in the major branches, and to determine the final outflow distribution into the Mississippi Sound, aiming to improve river forcing for ocean models studying estuarine dynamics of the Mississippi Sound.

Synthetic meandering bathymetry with updated banks is developed and applied …

Maize Nitrogen Uptake, Grain Nitrogen Concentration And Root-Zone Residual Nitrate Nitrogen Response Under Center Pivot, Subsurface Drip And Surface (Furrow) Irrigation, Suat Irmak, Ali T. Mohammed, Matthew Drudik

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

While the impact(s) of irrigation and nitrogen (N) levels on crop yields have been investigated separately, research lacks about how different irrigation methods coupled with different N application timing strategies under full and limited irrigation levels effect yield, soil nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) residual and stover N uptake. Knowledge of these dynamics can help to establish effective water and N management guidelines for the same crop under different irrigation methods and irrigation levels. This research investigated maize (Zea mays L.) residual soil NO₃-N concentration and stover and grain N uptake response to water under different irrigation …

Enhancing Construction Safety Training Of Bridges Using Augmented Reality And Virtual Reality, Mohamed Sherif Elrifaee

Theses and Dissertations

Infrastructure development projects are widely acknowledged as some of the most complex and challenging projects to undertake. The construction of bridges, in particular, has proven to be a significant safety risk for workers, with a considerable number of accidents reported on construction sites. There is a lack of comprehensive training programs specifically designed for bridge construction safety, and only a few studies have explored the use of both AR and VR to enhance safety training in construction. As such, this research aims to improve the safety of bridge construction sites through the implementation of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality …

Integration Of Environmental Sustainability And Decision Making: Case Studies Of Civil Infrastructure, Sussan Moussavi

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sustainable development is important in the planning and design of critical civil infrastructure systems. However, decision making related to these systems currently lacks meaningful sustainability considerations. To fill this gap, this research explores the life cycle impacts of wastewater and energy infrastructure using case studies, life cycle assessment methodologies, and stakeholder discussions. Environmental and economic impacts, which are more commonly quantified, as well as more difficult to quantify societal factors, are explored. The goal of this research is to help inform decision making and facilitate the consideration of the three pillars of sustainability (e.g., economic, environmental, and social) during the …

Engineering A Multicompartment In Vitro Model For Dorsal Root Ganglia Phenotypic Assessment, Sydney M. Caparaso, Adan Redwine, Rebecca A. Wachs

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Despite the significant global prevalence of chronic pain, current methods to identify pain therapeutics often fail translation to the clinic. Phenotypic screening platforms rely on modeling and assessing key pathologies relevant to chronic pain, improving predictive capability. Patients with chronic pain often present with sensitization of primary sensory neurons (that extend from dorsal root ganglia [DRG]). During neuronal sensitization, painful nociceptors display lowered stimulation thresholds. To model neuronal excitability, it is necessary to maintain three key anatomical features of DRGs to have a physiologically relevant platform: (1) isolation between DRG cell bodies and neurons, (2) 3D platform to preserve cell–cell …

Post-Processed Data And Graphical Tools For A Conus-Wide Eddy Flux Evapotranspiration Dataset, J. M. Volk, J. L. Huntington, F. Melton, B. Minor, T. Wang, S. Anapalli, R. G. Anderson, S. Evett, A. French, R. Jasoni, N. Bambach, W. P. Kustas, J. Alfieri, J. Prueger, L. Hipps, L. Mckee, S. J. Castro, M. M. Alsina, A. J. Mcelrone, M. Reba, B. Runkle, M. Saber, C. Sanchez, E. Tajfar, R. Allen, M. Anderson

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Large sample datasets of in situ evapotranspiration (ET) measurements with well documented data provenance and quality assurance are critical for water management and many fields of earth science research. We present a post-processed ET oriented dataset at daily and monthly timesteps, from 161 stations, including 148 eddy covariance flux towers, that were chosen based on their data quality from nearly 350 stations across the contiguous United States. In addition to ET, the data includes energy and heat fluxes, meteorological measurements, and reference ET downloaded from grid- MET for each flux station. Data processing techniques were conducted in a reproducible manner …

Soybean Crop Coefficients Under Different Seeding Rates And Full And Limited Irrigation And Rainfed Management, Suat Irmak, Rupinder Sandhu

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

The effects of soybean seeding rates on evapotranspiration (ET_c) and grassand alfalfa-reference crop coefficients (K_co and K_cr) were investigated under five seeding rates (185,250, 247,000, 308,750, 370,500 and 432,250 seeds ha^-1) (62, 82, 103, 124 and 144% of the recommended seeding rate of 300,000 seeds ha^-1 in the experimental region) and different irrigation strategies (i.e. full irrigation treatment [FIT], limited irrigation of 75% FIT and 50% FIT and rainfed treatment). K_co and K_cr values were developed for each soybean growth stage. The seasonal ET_c ranged from 460 mm for …

Toward Automated Irrigation Management With Integrated Crop Water Stress Index And Spatial Soil Water Balance, Sandeep Bhatti, Derek M. Heeren, Susan A. O’Shaughnessy, Christopher M. U. Neale, Jacob Larue, Steve Melvin, Eric Wilkening, Geng Bai

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Decision support systems intended for precision irrigation aim at reducing irrigation applications while optimizing crop yield to achieve maximum crop water productivity (CWP). These systems incorporate on-site sensor data, remote sensing inputs, and advanced algorithms with spatial and temporal characteristics to compute precise crop water needs. The availability of variable rate irrigation (VRI) systems enables irrigation applications at a sub-field scale. The combination of an appropriate VRI system along with a precise decision support system would be ideal for improved CWP. The objective of this study was to compare and evaluate two decision support systems in terms of seasonal applied …

Toward Automated Irrigation Management With Integrated Crop Water Stress Index And Spatial Soil Water Balance, Sandeep Bhatti, Derek M. Heeren, Susan A. O’Shaughnessy, Christopher M. U. Neale, Jacob Larue, Steve Melvin, Eric Wilkening, Geng Bai

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Decision support systems intended for precision irrigation aim at reducing irrigation applications while optimizing crop yield to achieve maximum crop water productivity (CWP). These systems incorporate on-site sensor data, remote sensing inputs, and advanced algorithms with spatial and temporal characteristics to compute precise crop water needs. The availability of variable rate irrigation (VRI) systems enables irrigation applications at a sub-field scale. The combination of an appropriate VRI system along with a precise decision support system would be ideal for improved CWP. The objective of this study was to compare and evaluate two decision support systems in terms of seasonal applied …