Structural Engineering Commons^™

Self-Consolidating Concrete Design For Drilled Shaft Structural Applications, Grady S. Caton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is a relatively new concrete technology which allows the concrete to be placed without the need for manual or machine vibration. This innovation reduces labor costs, construction times, and can provide a smooth, finished surface. However, this technology is used in the United States primarily in the precast and prestressed concrete industry. The utility of SCC in structural applications, such as areas of dense reinforcement or locations where complex geometry makes consolidation impossible, is also advantageous. In this study, a series of SCC mixtures were developed both with and without fly ash replacement. These mixtures were then …

Comparing In-Situ Liquefaction Triggering Procedures For Sites In Arkansas, Sagar Barua

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There currently exists a significant amount of uncertainty when designing piles for bridge foundations in liquefiable soil. Currently ARDOT engineers use a Standard Penetration Test (SPT) based liquefaction spreadsheet developed 10 years ago to evaluate liquefaction triggering. Since this spreadsheet was developed, updates to the liquefaction triggering procedures have been published making the spreadsheet out-of-date. Moreover, additional methods of liquefaction evaluation using cone penetration test (CPT) and shear wave velocity (Vs) provide added means of evaluating liquefaction potential. This thesis updates ARDOT's liquefaction triggering evaluation methodology with the newest procedures and incorporates additional empirical liquefaction hazard estimates such as the …

Development Of Self-Stressing Ultra High-Performance Concrete Using Expansive Chemical Admixtures, Lane Edwards

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of expansive chemical admixtures on ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) and self-stressing mechanisms. A literature review was performed to determine different types of expansive admixtures for feasibility of the self-prestressing concept. Ultimately it was decided that type-k cement, made by combining Komponent admixture with conventional UHPC, was the most suitable option due to its effects on wet and hardened concrete properties. Mix designs with varying amounts of Komponent were developed to test the effects the admixture had on various properties. Tested properties included, workability, compressive strength, expansion, short-term shrinkage, long-term shrinkage, and developed prestress. The development …

Experimental Design For Determining The Cyclic Behavior Of Skewed Reduced Beam Section Moment Connections Having Composite Slabs, Paul Chabaud

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper details the experimental design for determining the cyclic behavior of skewed Reduced Beam Section (RBS) moment connections having composite slabs. The effects of composite concrete slabs on skewed RBS connections subjected to cyclic seismic prequalification loading are addressed in this test setup. Full-scale double-sided RBS SMF specimens representing both interior and exterior column connections are designed and fabricated in this work. Experimental test fixturing and a lateral load application setup within the existing Grady E. Harvell Civil Engineering Research and Education Center (CEREC) are designed. All cyclic loading protocols required for the prequalification testing are described herein. Prequalification …

On The Micro-Mechanical Property Characterization And Bulk-Volume Behavior Prediction Of Additively Manufactured 17-4 Ph Stainless Steels, David González-Niño

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Selective laser melting is an additive manufacturing technology that opens the possibility to manufacture components with complex geometries that are difficult with traditional manufacturing techniques which could benefit engineering applications such as aviation or structural engineering. However, the lack of a reliable universal predictive model for selective laser melting components could impede the full implementation in industrial applications. Therefore, this dissertation investigates the mechanical behavior of selective laser melting 17-4 PH stainless steel under ultra-low cycle fatigue regime and propose a novel micro-mechanical based modeling using statistical and representative volume element. The first phase of this project examined the mechanical …

Evaluating Arkansas Weathering Steel Bridge Performance, Yessenia Gonzalez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Weathering steel enhances corrosion-resistant steel features over conventional steel when a patina properly forms on the weathering steel surface. Weathering steel is a low carbon steel of less than 0.3% carbon by weight and has a chemical composition including other alloying elements such as nickel, copper, and chromium that develops a patina. The patina is a dense protective oxide film layer that develops on the steel member surface. The patina defends the steel from corrosion by preventing moisture, oxygen, and contaminant penetration. However, long periods of moisture and deicing chemicals applied during wet wintry conditions hinder proper patina formation. Without …

Improving Building Cfd Peak Pressure Computation Using Les With A Focus On Inflow Turbulence Methods And Grid Spacing Size., Zahra Mansouri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Structural failures by extreme winds often leads to economic losses and even deaths. Proper design of buildings requires accurate estimation of wind loads to prevent structural damage. Using routine guidelines generally leads to the underestimation of buildings’ peak pressures, in which most failures occur. To estimate wind loads more accurately three different methods (i.e., field measurement, wind tunnel (WT), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD)) are in use. A well-validated CFD provides more flow field details at lower costs compared to field measurements and WT. As strong winds are extremely turbulent, the effects of turbulence in wind should be incorporated into …

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 …

Effect Of Varying Amounts Of Sandstone On The Performance Of Asphalt Mixtures In Arkansas, David Murphy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are many different species and subspecies of aggregate used across the state of Arkansas, and the rest the country. However, it cannot be presumed that the amount and type of these aggregates will be compatible with the commonly used asphalt binder of an area; this can lead to performance issues and premature pavement damage. It has been suspected in Arkansas that an excessive amount of sandstone in asphalt mixtures may be a culprit of some of these premature pavement damage issues, especially regarding the moisture susceptibility of a pavement. This study aimed to analyze the performance effects of using …

Investigations Into Flange Surface Friction Effects On Shear Stud Load Transfer In Composite Bridge Girders, Callie Clark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Composite bridge behavior is commonly achieved through headed shear studs welded tothe steel girder flange and embedded in the concrete deck. Current AASHTO provisions for estimating demands on shear studs during service-level loading consider only bearing load transfer, neglecting adhesion bonding and friction load transfer between the concrete deck and girder flange. Quantifying alternative load transfer mechanisms across the steel-concrete interface may result in improved steel bridge economy by reducing the number of studs required in a composite girder design. This study investigates the effects of flange surface friction (considering various coatings) on resulting stud demands using both experimental testing …

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. …

Port Infrastructure Resilience Through Combined Wind-Surge Demand Characterization, Kaley Callaway

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States economy is reliant on maritime transportation for 70% of imports and exports. Structures that are integral to the operation of ports, such as cranes, are jeopardized when tropical storms approach land. While wind is the only environmental load used to design dockside container cranes, storm surge often accompanies severe wind events and can create large structural loads. This study focuses on determining coupled storm-surge demands and the effect of waves on dockside container cranes. A damage index prediction tool that considers both maximum wind speed and storm surge height is developed and applied to historical hurricane data …

Refining Particle Size Specification For Asphalt Emulsion, Pedro Luis Diaz Romero

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pavements begin to deteriorate as soon as they are constructed, and traffic is released. The rate at which a pavement deteriorates depends on the material quality, the environment, and the loads carried. To properly preserve pavements and extend their life, various pavement preservation treatments are used. For flexible pavements, a considerable number of these treatments use asphalt emulsion (which are refer to simply emulsions from here on). Emulsions are classified based on their particle charge and reactivity. Emulsions used in chip seals are usually of rapid set reactivity and are classified based on tests over fifty years old.

It has …

Validation Of Cfd Tornado Pressure On Building And Wind Field With Ttu Vortex Chamber Measurements, Sumit Verma

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Structural failure of low-rise buildings is the root cause of higher number of casualties, death tolls and economic losses at the place of occurrence of tornadoes. Proper design of low-rise buildings in tornado-prone areas require accurate estimation of tornado-induced wind loads; however, exhaustive research to estimate the wind loads reliably on buildings during tornadic events is still lacking. Several studies have been carried out to investigate the magnitude of forces induced by tornado winds on buildings from experimental as well as computational side. However, the wind pressures obtained on the building from different experimental studies have shown significant variation from …

Cyclic Behavior Of Laterally Skewed Special Moment Frame Connections: Experimental Testing And System-Level Analyses, Mohammad Hossein Kashefizadeh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Special moment frames (SMFs) are frequently used in high seismic areas for architecturally constrained designs. SMFs provide lateral system stiffness without the use of braces that often obstruct views and architectural features. Current American Institute of Steel Construction (ASIC) provisions (AISC 341-16) provide prequalified SMF connection details; however, all prequalified details only consider orthogonal connections between the beam and column. This dissertation investigates the effect of adding skew within SMF beam-to-column connections. The study presented herein involves system-level dynamic time-history analyses of skewed SMF connections, the analytical component-level investigation into the effect of the concrete slab on behavior of the …

Additive Manufacturing Of Soil Using Bio-Cementation, Christina Childress

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is an emerging soil treatment technique that is proven to increase strength, decrease erosion, reduce liquefaction risk, enhance slope stability, decrease compressibility, decrease swelling potential, and overall create a more competent soil. The benefits and applications of MICP are broad, and this research seeks to broaden them further by developing a single-phase additive manufacturing application with no treatment time delay. This is done by analyzing layering behaviors of five USCS soil classifications (100 % Ottawa sand, sand clay mixtures, and 100% lean clay) which provides insight into process variables such as the solution volume and …

Shear Strength Of Concrete Beams Made With Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement, Caleb W. Chesnut

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The need for a cleaner alternative to portland cement (PC) concrete has led to increasing interest in alternatives to PC. Structural properties of most of these alternative cements are still an open research topic. One promising alternative cement is belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement. The study presented in this paper investigated the shear strength, long term compressive strength, and carbonation in BCSA cement and PC concrete beams. A total of twelve eight-foot long beams were made; eight BCSA cement concrete beams and four PC concrete beams to be tested at various ages depending on cement type. Two beams of each …

Improve The Prediction Of Camber, Deflection, And Prestress Losses In Precast, Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girders, Ahmed Ali Hussein Al Mohammedi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many precast, prestressed concrete girders have camber less or higher than the design values. This discrepancy between the design and the actual camber creates construction problems when installing the cast-in-place concrete deck. The objective of this research was to improve the accuracy of estimating long-term camber, deflection, and prestress losses of precast, prestressed concrete girders.

The experimental program consisted of measuring concrete properties and performing field measurements of camber, deflection, and prestress losses for girders in Arkansas. The investigation involved testing nine full-scale girders from two prestressed concrete plants that regularly supply concrete girders to bridge projects in Arkansas. The …

Data-Driven Methods To Address Truck Parking Shortages For Long-Haul Commercial Truck Drivers, Sharif Mahmud

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Truck parking is a critical concern for both the trucking industry and the truck drivers. Long-haul commercial truck drivers rely on safe and adequate parking to support interstate commerce, which has become a challenge due to parking shortages. The recent electronic logging device (ELD) mandate, forcing a strict compliance to hours of service (HOS) regulations, are leading to higher demand for parking. A number of federal, regional, and local studies reveal that truck activity will increase and truck parking demand will outpace parking supply in the coming years. Such parking shortages likely disrupt freight flows and pose risks to truck …

Mitigating Calcium Oxychloride Damage In Cementitious Paste And Concrete Utilizing Supplementary Cementitious Materials, Casey Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is understood among engineers in the United States (U.S.) that improvement is needed throughout the transportation infrastructure. In the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card produced by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the roadways of this nation merit a D. This leaves room for improvement in order to provide durable pavements throughout this nation. Areas with significant winter weather may have exacerbated effects in decreased roadway longevity due to freezing/thawing cycles and the use of chemical deicers to mitigate gelid roadway conditions. Much research focuses on surface scaling and reinforcement corrosion using these materials; however, joint deterioration, due to chemical …

Applications Of Masw And Mhvsr Techniques For Infrastructure Evaluation With A Focus On The Effects Of Different Transformation Techniques And Near-Field Effects On Derived Dispersion Data, Salman Rahimi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is aimed at understanding two aspects of active surface wave methods to improve the accuracy and reliability of this method. These include (1) the performance of four common wavefield transformation methods for the multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) data processing and (2) near-field effects. Toward this end, extensive field measurements were conducted considering different factors affecting these two topics. The MASW and microtremor horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (MHVSR) were then employed to examine their efficiency for infrastructure health monitoring.

Regarding the performance of the four common transformation techniques, it was observed that for sites with a …

Frequency Effect On Peak Pressure Coefficients Using The Narrowband Synthesis Random Flow Generator (Nsrfg) Method, Zayuris Del Carmen Atencio Mojica

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington state in 1940 due to high wind forces gave structural engineers notice of the importance of understanding the behavior of wind forces on infrastructure. Wind forces play an important role in the design of buildings and other structures. ASCE 7-16 is the manual used for the design of these buildings and other structures throughout the country. These design criteria have been approved based on research projects involving experimental procedures. For the design of wind loads, ASCE 7-16 uses criteria based on wind tunnel (WT) tests. However, since the development of computing …

Development Of An Ultraviolet Absorbance Assay To Estimate Air Entrainer Dosing For Concrete Containing Fly Ash, James Spencer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fly ash is a coal combustion byproduct that can be used as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in concrete, offering benefits such as increased workability, durability, and strength. Fly ash can be used as a partial replacement to cement, reducing concrete productions costs and decreasing disposal in landfills. However, variability of fly ash properties (e.g., carbon content, adsorption site density) confounds estimates of the air entraining admixture (AEA) dose needed to achieve a specified air content in concrete. Air entrainment is needed to improve freeze-thaw resistance and limit concrete cracking. The foam index (FI) test is currently used to estimate …

Comparison Of The Resistance Of Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement And Portland Cement To Sulfate Attack And Sulfuric Acid, Rilye Dillard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microbially induced corrosion (MIC) is a fairly common concrete deterioration mechanism with many negative effects. MIC is a complex chemical and biological process that occurs in sewage systems and is nearly impossible to replicate in a laboratory setting. For this study, sulfate and sulfuric acid attack on concrete were studied to mimic two stages of the MIC process. The ASTM C1012, Standard Test Method for Length Change of Hydraulic-Cement Mortars Exposed to a Sulfate Solution and a modified ASTM C1012 accelerated method were used to compare the sulfate resistance of belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement, portland cement (PC), and PC-fly …

Experimental Design And Preliminary Testing For Skewed Special Moment Frame Prequalification, Sara Alimirzaei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Special moment frames having specially detailed connections are common in high seismic regions, providing architectural flexibility for passageways and views without brace obstructions. In situations where the building framing layout requires deviation from typical rectangular framing, skew in the moment frame connections may be required. Currently, the AISC prequalified connections only include testing of orthogonal moment frame connections and it is unclear whether the existing design methods can accommodate skew at the beam-to- column connections. To investigate the effect of out-of-plane skew on the performance of reduced beam section special moment frame connections, an experimental test is designed and a …

Behavior Of Concrete Structures Reinforced With High Strength Steel, Rahman S. Kareem

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The structural strength and corrosion resistance of concrete members are improved when A1035 steel is used as the main reinforcement. The enhancement of A1035 is achieved by the modification of the composition and microstructure of the steel. Therefore, the behavior of concrete structures reinforced with high-performance steel (A1035) is different from those reinforced with the regular steel (A615). Concrete bridge decks reinforced with different amounts of A1035 were studied in this research program. The structural behavior of twelve concrete bridge decks reinforced with A615 Grade 420 (60 ksi) and A1035 Grade 830 (120 ksi) steel was investigated at both service …

Moisture Monitoring Of A Clt Structure In A Southern Climate, Elizabeth Poblete

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding of moisture behavior in cross laminated timber (CLT) is critical to the widespread use of CLT in construction in the United States. Currently, very little data exists on the long-term impact of moisture on CLT. The objective of this research is to collect data regarding the long-term moisture variation in the CLT panel at the University of Arkansas Adohi Hall residence hall. The climate of Northwest Arkansas is different from previously monitored buildings, as they were in the Pacific Northwest. Comparatively, Northwest Arkansas has a warmer climate with higher average annual precipitation. Waterproofing efforts are usually employed to prevent …

Using Bcsa Cement To Repair Waterway Transportation Structures, Anazaria Johanis Ortega Gonzalez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many maritime structures (e.g., locks, dams, ports) in the US are either reaching or are past their design lives, and there are limited funds for the necessary maintenance activities which can lead to repairs that requires closures. These structures are not easy to detour and often require dewatering before repairs can be made, closures can cause delays and business-related losses which can have a large effect on the nation’s economy. Thus, it is advantageous to reduce the repair time for maritime structures. BCSA (belitic calcium sulfoaluminate) cement is a promising material to perform this type of repair due to its …

Seismic Loading Effects Within Orthogonally Connected Steel Lateral Force Resisting Systems, Alhussin Faraj Aliwan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Steel buildings located within seismically active regions require special design considerations to ensure public safety and prevent collapse during an extreme seismic event. Two commonly used steel systems are special moment frames (SMFs) and buckling-restrained braced frames (BRBFs). When two seismic systems share a common column in an orthogonal configuration (such as at a building corner), design specifications currently consider a 100+30 rule wherein the shared column is designed for 100% fuse demand in one direction, plus 30% fuse demand from the other direction. While this rule has been shown to be reasonable for elastic building response, a few studies …

Comparison Of Additively Manufactured And Wrought 17-4 Ph Stainless Steels In Ultra Low Cycle Fatigue, Timothy Strasser

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing (AM) processes allow for creation of complex geometries that are otherwise impractical to fabricate with traditional subtractive methods. AM technology has potential to improve the optimization of seismic lateral force resisting components which dissipate seismic energy through large plastic strains; however, the ultra low-cycle fatigue performance of AM metals are not yet well understood. Void formation during the AM fabrication process has potential to affect performance. This study compares the performance of heat-treated and non-heat-treated AM and wrought 17-4PH stainless steel in Ultra Low Cycle Fatigue. To understand ULCF performance differences between the AM and wrought specimens, post …