Civil Engineering Commons^™

Physical And Mechanical Properties Of Palm Kernel Oil-Based Polyester Polyurethane/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites, Khairul Anuar Mat Amin, Muhammad Alif Zailani, Nurul Nabilah Zulkifli, Khairiah Haji Badri

Makara Journal of Technology

In this study, polyurethane (PU) films from palm kernel oil-based polyester (PKO-p) incorporated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are prepared via a evaporative casting method. Nanoparticle fluid dispersions containing 0.02%, 0.03%, and 0.05% wt. of MWNTs are added into PKO-p based resin and mixed by digital probe sonicator for 30 min followed by mixing with isocyanate to produce PU-MWNTs composite films. The mechanical properties, swelling, water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) and conductivity of the PU-MWNTs composite films are examined. Results show that the toughness (T) or flexibility, the tensile strength (TS), and Young’s modulus (YM) values of PU-MWNTs composite films increase …

Personality Trait Based Intervention For Workplace Accident Prevention, Yassierli Yassierli, Nurhayati Nurhayati, Marisa Anatasia, Shamsul Bahri

Makara Journal of Technology

Previous research has suggested that some traits may be useful as the predictors of risk behaviours behaviors. Therefore, personality traits seem to play a role in accident involvement. The purpose of this study is was to explore the relationship between the personality traits based on the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and worker accident experiences in order to elaborate personality traits based intervention for workplace accident prevention. A cross cross-sectional study was conducted among 173 workers in a cement company using a set of questionnaires consisting of respondents’ characteristics, BFI, and self-reported accident experience. The correlations were computed using Goodman Kruskal’s …

Viscoelastic Analysis And Fatigue Characterization Of Bituminous Materials In Two Length Scales Under The Influence Of Aging, Santosh Reddy Kommidi

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

Fatigue cracking in asphalt concrete (AC) is of immense importance to pavement design and analysis because it is one of the most important forms of distress that can lead to structural failure in pavement. Once started, these types of cracks can be combined with other environmental factors leading to detrimental effects such as faster rates of pavement deterioration and shortened pavement life and functionality.

Currently AASHTO TP101, also known as linear amplitude sweep (LAS) specification, is being widely used to evaluate the ability of an asphalt binder to resist fatigue. The LAS method, although mechanistic in its approach, has certain …

Geophysical Assessment Of Kinion Lake Dam, Tim Allen Moody

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Geophysical methods including Capacitively-Coupled Resistivity (CCR), Electrical Resistivity Tomography/Imaging (ERT/ERI), Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) with Love and Rayleigh waves and a Full-Waveform Inversion (FWI) were performed on Kinion Lake Dam, an earth-filled embankment dam that has historically experienced significant seepage and internal erosion issues. Surveys were completed along the crest and downstream toe of the dam. Results from the surveys indicate that each method is capable of resolving the bedrock depth within 1-2 m of locations shown on previous drilling logs, though some discrepancies between the methods exist. A weathered bedrock layer is believed to have led to …

Mitigation And Evaluation Of Alkali-Silica Reaction (Asr) And Freezing And Thawing In Concrete Transportation Structures, Richard Albert Deschenes Jr.

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An evaluation of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and freezing and thawing (F/T) in concrete transportation structures is presented along with mitigation methods for slowing the rate of deterioration in concrete. A combination of field and laboratory testing confirms ASR deterioration is exacerbated by exposure to F/T. Laboratory testing indicates an aggregate previously deemed inert to ASR, caused ASR deterioration in several concrete pavement and transportation structures. Existing standard test methods deem this aggregate safe for use in concrete. A modified test method shows the concrete can deteriorate rapidly when subjected to cycles of conditions promoting ASR and F/T. Several structures containing …

Conditional Bias-Penalized Kalman Filter For Improved Estimation And Prediction Of Extremes, Miah Mohammad Saifuddin

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Kalman filter (KF) and its variants are widely used for real-time updating of model states and prediction in environmental sciences and engineering. Whereas in many applications the most important performance criteria may be the fraction of the times when the filter performs satisfactorily under different conditions, in many other applications the performance for estimation and prediction of extremes, such as floods, droughts, algal blooms, etc., may be of primary importance. Because KF is essentially a least squares solution, it is subject to conditional biases (CB) which arise from the error-in-variable, attenuation, effects when the model dynamics are highly uncertain, the …

Hydrocarbon Pool Fire Performance Of Reinforced Elastomeric Bearing Pads, Shashank Malal

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Bearing pads are used as support for bridge girders to transfer the reaction forces to the substructure. They are designed to accommodate high axial loads from girder, shear deformations due to lateral thermal expansion of girder, and rotational deformation. Apart from these deformations bearing pads may also be subjected to thermal stresses due to daily temperature variations and extreme events like fire hazard. Current design methods do not account for these thermally induced stresses in elastomeric bearing pads. The objective of this research is to study the hydrocarbon pool fire performance of elastomeric bearing pad. This research has three parts. …

Investigation And Proposed Remedy Of Vibration Problem In Industrial Crane System Due To Human Operation, Dustin C. Lorance

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

A recent investigation of a crane system began when a facilities manager reported a runway beam under-going torsional vibration during operations. The investigation revealed the runway beam’s twisting was caused by resonance vibration due to “inching” of the crane hoist. A Fourier spectrum analysis revealed that one of the harmonic frequencies of this rhythmical motion coincided very close to the natural frequency of the crane system. The runway beam, although met strength requirements, failed to meet serviceability criteria due to the resonance vibration. Resonance vibration issues due to human activity in crane operation (inching, sway, etc.) is often encountered by …

Performance Of Lime- And Cement- Based Treatments Of Sulfate-Rich Soil Via Rc Testing, Azadeh Asghariastaneh

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Chemical treatment of expansive sulfate-rich soils, particularly lime- and cement-based methods, had been rather popular due to their relatively low cost and ready availability. However, over the last few decades, extensively documented pavement failures, mainly caused by excessive heaving and/or shrinkage of lime- and cement-treated subgrades with moderate-to-high sulfate content, have led to thorough investigations to assess the actual feasibility and effectiveness of calcium based stabilizers in sulfate-rich soils. Studies have concluded, with solid experimental evidence, that the calcium present in the chemical stabilizers react with the sulfate and alumina of the treated soil to form Ettringite, an expansive mineral …

Making Public Health Performance Measures For Transportation Accessible To Practitioners, Ziaur Rahman

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Pollutants emitted into the atmosphere from static and mobile sources pose a threat to human health. The detrimental impact associated with air pollution varies by the type of pollutant, the magnitude, frequency and duration of exposure, and the associated toxicity. While stationary sources play an important role in air pollution, motor vehicle exhaust emissions represent the single largest source of regional air pollution in urban areas. Moreover, outdoor physical activity requires an increased oxygen level with an increase in exercise intensity. Research has shown that both the ventilation and deposition fractions increase significantly during outdoor activities, which may lead to …

Integrated Modeling Of Storm Drain And Natural Channel Networks For Real-Time Flash Flood Forecasting And Stormwater Planning And Management In Large Urban Areas, Hamideh Habibi

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Urban flash flooding is a serious problem in large highly populated areas such as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex (DFW). Being able to monitor and predict flash flooding at a high spatiotemporal resolution is critical to mitigating its threats and for cost effective emergency management. In this reserach, a high-resolution flash flood forecast system which operates in real time is developed for DFW using a gridded distributed hydrologic model and high-resolution quantitative precipitation estimates from the DFW Demostration Network of the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) Program high-resolution X band radars and the National Weather Service (NWS) NEXRAD radar. …

Building Intelligence In The Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures With Advanced Data Analytics, Tingting Huang, Subhadipto Poddar, Chris Aguilar, Anuj Sharma, Edward J. Smaglik, Sirisha Kothuri, Peter Koonce

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Automated traffic signal performance measures (ATSPMs) are an effort to equip traffic signal controllers with high-resolution data-logging capabilities and utilize this data to generate performance measures. These measures allow practitioners to improve operations as well as to maintain and operate their systems in a safe and efficient manner. Although these measures have changed the way that operators manage their systems, several shortcomings of the tool, identified by talking with signal operators, are a lack of data quality control and the extent of resources required to properly use the tool for system-wide management. To address these shortcomings, intelligent traffic signal performance …

Simulation And Prediction Of The Groundwater Level In The Surrounding Area Of The Nebraska Management System Evaluation Area Site In Central Nebraska., Cesar Augusto Gomez Peña

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

An efficient water budget is necessary to develop sustainable practices in irrigated lands and determine future trends. Despite a lack of detailed knowledge, climate change is found to profoundly influence groundwater resources through changes in groundwater recharge, groundwater elevation, and groundwater flow processes. Prediction of the groundwater level (GWL) under a changing climate is essential to improve agricultural management.

The goal of this research is to predict the GWL from 2056 to 2060 in the surrounding area of the MSEA. In order to achieve the target, the first research task is to develop a groundwater flow model and then simulate …

The Macro-Modelling Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete/Mortar Flexural Tensile Behavior And Mix Optimization For Flexural Strength., Li Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the continuous advances in materials’ technology, the performance of the commonly used concrete building material has continued to improve. Compressive strengths exceeding 75 MPa are now being used in applications throughout the world. However, the concrete becomes less ductile and more susceptible to sudden failures with increases in its compressive strength. Although the behavior of concrete is generally governed by its compressive strength, its tensile strength, although much lower, is also important. This tensile strength impacts appearance, the serviceability and durability of concrete elements. In addition, minimum levels of tensile strength are required for many concrete applications including, earthquake …

A Shared Ontology Approach To Semantic Representation Of Bim Data, Mehrdad Niknam, Saeed Karshenas

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Architecture, engineering, construction and facility management (AEC-FM) projects involve a large number of participants that must exchange information and combine their knowledge for successful completion of a project. Currently, most of the AEC-FM domains store their information about a project in text documents or use XML, relational, or object-oriented formats that make information integration difficult. The AEC-FM industry is not taking advantage of the full potential of the Semantic Web for streamlining sharing, connecting, and combining information from different domains. The Semantic Web is designed to solve the information integration problem by creating a web of structured and connected data …

Remote Sensing Of The Environmental Impacts Of Utility-Scale Solar Energy Plants, Mohammad Masih Edalat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Solar energy has many environmental benefits compared with fossil fuels but solar farming can have environmental impacts especially during construction and development. Thus, in order to enhance environmental sustainability, it is imperative to understand the environmental impacts of utility-scale solar energy (USSE) plants. During recent decades, remote sensing techniques and geographic information systems have become standard techniques in environmental applications. In this study, the environmental impacts of USSE plants are investigated by analyzing changes to land surface characteristics using remote sensing. The surface characteristics studied include land cover, land surface temperature, and hydrological response whereas changes are mapped by comparing …

Evaluation Of The Properties Of Rubberized Asphalt Binders And Mixtures, Kazem Jadidirendi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rubber modified binder samples are tested and evaluated based on SHRP requirements. Best rubber content is suggested for modifying binder. Rubber modified asphalt mixtures were manufactured and tested. Based on Hveem stability and volumetric properties of asphalt mixtures, optimum binder content is evaluated and reported. Performance properties of asphalt mixtures made with various rubber size and method were analyzed and compared. An ultrasound measurement performed on asphalt mixture samples and the results were analyzed. It is discovered that rubber improves asphalt viscosity and resistance to rutting deformation. Rubber also increases asphalt’s dynamic modulus.

Life Cycle Assessment And Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Landfill Mining At The City Of Denton Landfill, Umme Zakira

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The concept of landfill mining has evolved the way of transforming the existing landfills from a final waste disposal site to a temporary storage location for the potentially valuable resources. The convergence of the sustainable material management and environmental protection issues have emerged the demand for the feasibility study of the landfill mining both in environmental and economic aspects considering the scope of potential resource recovery. Few studies have been conducted either on the environmental impacts on waste management (especially incineration) and operational options or generalized cost-benefit estimation for landfill mining project. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate both …

Subsurface Characterization Of Flexible Pavements Constructed Over Expansive Soil Subgrades And Selection Of Suitable Rehabilitation Alternatives, Kazi Moinul Islam

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Expansive soils present significant engineering challenges, with annual costs associated with repairing structures constructed over expansive soils estimated to run into several billion dollars. Volume changes in expansive soil deposits induced by fluctuations in the moisture content can result in severe damage to overlying structures. A flexible pavement section near the Western Border of Idaho has experienced recurrent damage due to volume changes in the underlying expansive soil layer; traditional stabilization methods have provided partial success over the years. The main objective of this research effort was to characterize the problematic soil layer contributing to the recurrent pavement damage and …

Effect Of Particle Size Distribution And Packing Characteristics On Railroad Ballast Shear Strength: A Numerical Study Using The Discrete Element Method, S. M. Naziur Mahmud

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Railroad infrastructure plays a significant role in sustaining the economy of a country, and facilitates fast, safe and reliable transportation of passengers as well as commodities. Significant capital investments are required for the construction and maintenance of a railroad network that is structurally and functionally adequate. The ballast layer is one of the main structural components of a conventional rail track system, and comprises coarse-grained unbound particles, often as large as in size. The ballast as a load-bearing layer resists train-induced stresses through particle-particle interaction. Accordingly, particle-size distribution and packing characteristics are important factors that govern the mechanical behavior of …