Architectural Engineering Commons^™

Numerical Modeling Of Aquaculture Dissolved Waste Transport In A Coastal Embayment, Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy, Hyeyun Ku, Oliver B. Fringer, Alice Chiu, Rosamond L. Naylor, Jeffrey R. Koseff

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Marine aquaculture is expanding rapidly without reliable quantification of effluents. The present study focuses on understanding the transport of dissolved wastes from aquaculture pens in near-coastal environments using the hydrodynamics code SUNTANS (Stanford Unstructured Nonhydrostatic Terrain-following Adaptive Navier-Stokes Simulator), which employs unstructured grids to compute flows in the coastal ocean at very high resolution. Simulations of a pollutant concentration field (in time and space) as a function of the local environment (bathymetry), flow conditions (tides and wind-induced currents), and the location of the pens were performed to study their effects on the evolution of the waste plume. The presence of …

Phytoforensics, Dendrochemistry, And Phytoscreening: New Green Tools For Delineating Contaminants From Past And Present, Joel Gerard Burken, Don A. Vroblesky, Jean Christophe Balouet

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As Plants Evolved to Be Extremely Proficient in Mass Transfer with their Surroundings and Survive as Earth's Dominant Biomass, They Also Accumulate and Store Some Contaminants from Surroundings, Acting as Passive Samplers. Novel Applications and Analytical Methods Have Been Utilized to Gain Information About a Wide Range of Contaminants in the Biosphere Soil, Water, and Air, with Information Available on Both Past (Dendrochemistry) and Present (Phytoscreening). Collectively These Sampling Approaches Provide Rapid, Cheap, Ecologically Friendly, and overall "Green" Tools Termed "Phytoforensics". © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Arsenic Accumulation In Rice Grains: Effects Of Cultivars And Water Management Practices, Bin Hua, Wengui Yan, Jianmin Wang, Baolin Deng, John Yang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Arsenic (As) accumulation in rice grains is a threat to human health and marketability of rice products. in an effort to minimize as uptake by rice grains, field experiments were conducted to investigate as accumulation in rice grains of three cultivars in monosodium methane arsonate-treated soil under saturated and flooded water management practices. Results indicated that as concentrations in rice grains were cultivar-dependent and influenced by water management. Soil flooding would substantially enhance the as accumulation with a great variation among cultivars. Extractable as in the soil was positively correlated with sodium dithionite-sodium citrate-sodium bicarbonate solution-extractable Fe, suggesting a strong …

Optimized Control Strategies For A Typical Water Loop Heat Pump System, Xu Lian

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Water Loop Heat Pump (WLHP) System has been widely utilized in the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry for several decades. There is no doubt about the energy saving potential of this type of system from the design and construction perspective. However, there are still many unsolved problems, such as high loop pump energy consumption, low heat pump efficiency and high electricity cost due to improper operation, although the system design intension was to save energy. Thus, how to control the WSHP to realize its energy-efficient value is an innovative but practical topic on which this thesis will focus. …

Implementation And Testing Of Rans Turbulence Models For Stably Stratified Flows, Zachary A. Elliott, S. K. Venayagamoorthy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The presence of buoyancy forces due to stratification has a substantial effect on the flow development and mixing processes and hence influences the distribution of pollutants and suspended matter in environmental flows such as in reservoirs, lakes, and estuaries. In this study, we focus on the implementation and testing of proposed changes that explicitly account for buoyancy effects in Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) data of stably stratified homogeneous turbulence are used to study the parameters in two-equation RANS turbulence models such as the buoyancy parameter Cε3, and the turbulent Prandtl number Prt in the k-ε …

A Slurry Consolidation Approach To Reconstitute Low-Plasticity Silt Specimens For Laboratory Triaxial Testing, Shuying Wang, Ronaldo Luna, Richard Wesley Stephenson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silt Specimen Reconstitution using a Slurry Consolidation Approach is Commonly Used for Laboratory Testing. This Paper Presents a New Slurry Consolidation Approach to Reconstitute Silt Specimens for Use in Triaxial Testing. Silt Specimens Were Reconstituted in a Split Vacuum Mold Mounted on a Special Experimental Setup. the Uniformity of the Reconstituted Specimens Was Verified by Measuring the Water Content and Grain Size Distribution throughout the Specimens. the Testing Program Was Expedited using a Special Sample Handling Technique to Move the Specimen from the Special Experimental Setup to the Triaxial Chamber Base Platen. the Handling Process Did Not Disturb the Specimens …

How The New Architectural Engineering Program Criteria Differs From The New Civil Engineering Program Criteria, Allen Estes

Architectural Engineering

There are 17 ABET accredited architectural engineering (AE) programs in the country and over 200 civil engineering (CE) programs. To gain accreditation, a program must meet the ABET general criteria common to every engineering program and specific criteria that are unique to an individual program. The American Society of Civil Engineers is the lead professional society in this effort for both CE and AE programs. Recently the Civil Engineers rewrote and implemented the Civil Engineering ABET Program Criteria to incorporate changes in the ABET general criteria, the publication of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge I, and the work accomplished …

Interdisciplinary Design: The Saga Continues, Brent Nuttall, Jill Nelson, Allen Estes

Architectural Engineering

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo is the only college in the nation that has departments of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Construction Management in the same college. The institution has a 60 year tradition of collaboration between the engineering, architecture and construction disciplines, particularly at the lower division level. To enhance this collaboration, the college committed to providing an upper division interdisciplinary experience to every student in the form of a project based, team oriented five unit studio that every student would take. This new course, launched in 2009, requires small …

International Sustainability Through Knowledge Transfer Considering Culture And Resources – Sledgehammer Attacks On Adobe Masonry Walls, Craig V. Baltimore, David Lambert

Architectural Engineering

In terms of knowledge and technology innovation, sustainability is defined as the ability for a society or culture to develop, incorporate and maintain knowledge and technology in a long term manner without continued outside input. In rural East Africa, the prevalence of low-cost building materials and unskilled labor produce buildings that provide poor security for charitable groups working to improve the quality of life for communities and individuals there. Medicine and other medical supplies are targeted by thieves for their high value. Buildings constructed of the most common building material in the region, adobe masonry, are easily broken into by …

In-Plane Cyclic Shear Performance Of Interlocking Compressed Earth Block Walls, David William Bland

Master's Theses

This thesis presents results from testing of interlocking compressed earth block (CEB) masonry shear walls.  CEBs are low strength earth masonry units sometimes stabilized with cement or lime.  The interlocking compressed earth blocks (ICEBs) used in this experiment are dry stacked interlocking hollow units, which can be reinforced and grouted after they are laid.  Although significant research has been undertaken to optimize the material properties of CEBs, little has been done to investigate the performance of structural systems currently being built using this technology.

Test results are reported for three 1800 mm x 1800 mm wall specimens constructed with cement …

Forced Vibration Testing And Analysis Of Pre- And Post- Retrofit Buildings, Erica Dawn Jacobsen

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Forced Vibration Testing and Analysis of Pre- and Post- Retrofit Buildings

Erica Dawn Jacobsen

The primary goal of the thesis was to detect the retrofit through vibration testing of both buildings.  The secondary goal focused on correctly identifying the behavior of the building through FVT, comparing that behavior to computational model predictions, and determining the necessary level of detail to include in the computational modeling.  Forced vibration testing (FVT) of two stiff-wall/flexible-diaphragm buildings yielded natural frequencies and mode shapes for the two buildings.  The buildings were nearly identical with the exception that one had been retrofitted.  Both buildings were …

Variability Analysis Of Undrained Shear Strength For Reliability-Based Design, Site Onyejekwe, Xin Kang, Louis Ge, Richard Wesley Stephenson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Description of the Spatial Variation of Compositional and Mechanical Soil Parameters is Often Paramount in Site Characterization of Geotechnical Design and Analysis. the Values of the Parameters Themselves Largely Depend on In-Situ State Factors Which Are Related to Spatial Locations. Also, for Large-Scale Engineering Projects Such as Earth Dams or Highways, It is Generally Expected that Heterogeneous Site Characteristics Will Be Revealed by Investigations at Spatially Distant Locations. Currently, Most Reliability-Based Design Methods Are based on the Second-Moment Statistics (Mean and Variance). However, They Are Unable to Adequately Describe the Spatial Variation of Soil Properties. in This Paper, Spatial Correlation …

Spatial Variation And Correlation Between Undrained Shear Strength And Plasticity Index, Xin Kang, Site Onyejekwe, Louis Ge, Richard Wesley Stephenson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Soil Variability Analysis is Presented in This Paper. About 317 Unconsolidated Undrained Triaxial Compression Tests (UU) Were Carried Out on Undisturbed Samples from Four Locations in Missouri. the Spatial Variation of the Undrained Shear Strength and Plasticity Index Was Described by the Second-Moment Statistics (Mean and Variance). Meanwhile, the Correlation between the Undrained Shear Strength and Plasticity Index Was Established and Compared with Other Published Empirical Equations. the Results from the Soil Variability Analysis Provide a Framework to the Reliability-Based Design. © 2011 ASCE.

Effectiveness Of Objective Functions In Soil Model Calibration Through Numerical Optimization, Michelle Deng, Louis Ge

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

When a conventional method such as linear regression is insufficient to identify the constants and parameters of an advanced constitutive model, numerical optimization techniques are often being used. in employing numerical optimization to constitutive model calibration, an objective function essentially needs to be formulated in such way that the difference between the measured and computed data points is quantified. When a minimum value of the objection function is obtained, the corresponding variables are the optimized model constants and parameters. in this paper, a modified Cam-Clay model is calibrated against laboratory data. Three objective functions are proposed in different forms to …

A Virtual Supply Airflow Rate Meter In Rooftop Air Conditioning Units, Daihong Yu

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Virtual sensing technology aims to estimate difficult to measure, expensive, or new quantities by using multifarious mathematical models along with non-invasive and low-cost measurements. Such embedded intelligence is a key to improving the performance of building systems in terms of functionality, safety, energy efficiency, environmental impacts, and costs. Considering the progress that has been achieved over many various fields (e.g., process controls, automobiles, avionics, autonomous robots, telemedicine) within the last two decades, numerous intelligent features have been incorporated and enabled that would otherwise not be possible or economical.

To identify the potential opportunities and research/development needs of virtual sensing technology …

Surface Reaction Rate And Probability Of Ozone And Alpha-Terpineol On Glass, Polyvinyl Chloride, And Latex Paint Surfaces, Shi Shu, Glenn Morrison

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ozone can react homogeneously with unsaturated organic compounds in buildings to generate undesirable products. However, these reactions can also occur on indoor surfaces, especially for low-volatility organics. Conversion rates of ozone with α-terpineol, a representative low-volatility compound, were quantified on surfaces that mimic indoor substrates. Rates were measured for α-terpineol adsorbed to beads of glass, polyvinylchloride (PVC), and dry latex paint, in a plug flow reactor. a newly defined second-order surface reaction rate coefficient, k2, was derived from the flow reactor model. the value of k2 ranged from 0.68 - 10-14 cm 4s-1molecule-1 for α-terpineol adsorbed to PVC to 3.17 …

How Much Do U.S. University Students Know, And Want To Know, About Sustainability And Green Building? The Findings Of A Survey, And Possible Implications For General Elective Curricula., Jeremy R. Farner

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Using the survey approach, this investigation examined the attitudes and interest of college students at two universities in different geographic locations within the United States.  Approximately 24,000 students from all disciplines and majors at Weber State University (WSU) in Utah, and 4,000 at Purdue University in Indiana, were invited to participate in a study to determine current knowledge, familiarity, and interest in topics within the sustainability and Green Building educational arena. The goal of this study was to determine what students already know, would like to know, and how much interest there would be in developing …

Slip Ramp Spacing Design For Truck Only Lanes Using Microscopic Simulation, Ghulam H. Bham, Manoj Vallati

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

For the Corridors of the Future project, slip ramps will provide access to trucks between the proposed truck-only lanes (TOLs) and general-purpose lanes (GPLs) for trucks to exit using at-grade interchanges. This paper proposes recommendations for slip ramp spacing between the TOLs and the general GPLs along Missouri rural interstate highways using a microscopic simulation model, VISSIM. Simulation of peak period traffic conditions indicated that heavy vehicle speeds were directly proportional to the lengths of the merge, diverge, and link sections. the proposed design recommendations for slip ramp spacing are based on the results of these section lengths. Central composite …

Travel Time Reliability Estimation: Use Of Median Travel Time As Measure Of Central Tendency, M. Arezoumandi, Ghulam H. Bham

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper proposes use of median travel time compared to mean travel time as the measure of central tendency to calculate Buffer Time Index (BTI), one of the most important measures of travel time reliability. This study examined gamma, exponential, largest extreme value, smallest extreme value, logistic, Weibull, lognormal and log-logistic distributions to determine the best fit to travel time data for two cases: 24 hours and peak hours for a highway with Variable Speed Limit (VSL) conditions. the goodness-of-fit tests indicated that the log-normal distribution best represented the travel time data for peak periods and log-logistic distribution better fitted …

Systematic Evaluation Of A Variable Speed Limit System In St. Louis Missouri, Khushboo Lall, Ghulam H. Bham

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the systematic evaluation of Variable Speed Limit (VSL) system implemented on I-270 in St. Louis County. the system varies the speed limit in real time during periods of recurring and non-recurring congestion to prevent traffic from breaking down. the system was evaluated objectively and subjectively, and this paper describes the objective evaluation of the system. the objective evaluation was performed by comparing the traffic flow parameters during static speed limit (pre-VSL) with variable speed limit (post-VSL) by using five measures of performance: 1) speed, 2) volume, 3) occupancy, 4) travel time, and 5) congestion measures. Identification of …