Civil Engineering Commons^™

Enhancing Traffic Safety And Connectivity: A Data-Driven Multi-Step-Ahead Vehicle Headway Prediction Leveraging High-Resolution Vehicular Trajectories, Mohamadhossein Noruzoliaee, Fatemeh Nazari, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Vehicle headway, defined as the time elapsed between two successive vehicles passing a roadway point, is a key mesoscopic-scale measure in traffic flow theory with safety-critical transportation applications, such as preemptive collision avoidance warning systems as well as connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) platoon control. Hence, it is crucial to accurately predict vehicle headway over sufficiently long future horizons (i.e., multi-step-ahead prediction) to be applicable for downstream safety-critical applications. This is a challenging task due to several random factors influencing headway, including inter- and intra-driver heterogeneity, asymmetric car-following driving behavior, and vehicle heterogeneity under mixed traffic of different vehicle classes. …

On The Role Of Perceived Safety Concerns On Public Acceptance Behavior Of Autonomous Vehicles, Fatemeh Nazari, Mohamadhossein Noruzoliaee, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Despite maturing road tests and limited commercial mobility services with autonomous vehicles (AVs), the existing behavioral research, surveys, and polls suggest that, to date, the public is largely reluctant or neutral to accept this emerging technology due to potential lurking failures and malfunctions in unexpected weather/road conditions and cyber-attacks. The persistence of this demand landscape for AVs could curb the promising economic, societal, and environmental benefits of prevalent autonomous mobility. Proactive policy interventions are thus much needed early on to provide impetus for AV acceptance, which should be informed by an in-depth understanding of the AV acceptance behavior of the …

Development Of Satellite-Assisted Forecasting System For Vibrio Vulnificus Prevalence In Coastal Waters, Saber Aradpour

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Vibrio vulnificus is a halophilic gamma proteobacterium that is autochthonous to coastal waters and is responsible for 50% of seafood-related deaths in the United States. This study presents a series of nowcasting and forecasting models for predicting vibrio vulnificus abundance in oysters by identifying the long-range dependence of vibrio vulnificus abundance on antecedent environmental conditions and detecting the environmental conditions using satellite remote sensing technology. It was discovered that vibrio vulnificus abundance exhibits a long-range dependence on antecedent environmental conditions which can be characterized by seven independent environmental predictors (stressors) including sea surface temperature (SST), water level (WL), sea surface …

Reality Capture Technologies For Continuous Inline Quality Monitoring In Construction 3d Printing, Michael J. Martin Ii

LSU Master's Theses

Extrusion-based construction 3D printing (C3DP) is an innovative and emerging technology aiming at the modernization of the construction industry. It uses robots and computer control to reduce the need for human labor and to decrease construction time and cost. C3DP creates elements layer by layer without using formworks, and it is critical to detect layer defects and deformations to ensure that each layer is printed with the desired dimensions. These defects can lead to a variety of issues during or after the construction process, including the collapse of freshly printed elements. In order to detect such deformations and to enable …

3d Printing Of Local New Mexican Soil Material: Improving Durability Properties By Assessing Traditional Methods Towards Alternative Sustainable Construction, Daiquiri Devon Zozaya

Civil Engineering ETDs

3D printing (3DP), or additive manufacturing, represents a dynamic and swiftly advancing manufacturing method in which diverse materials are deposited layer by layer through computer-controlled processes, creating intricate geometries. This technology has demonstrated success in various construction applications, including the construction of bridges, bus stop stations, and even residential homes. Nonetheless, the predominant application of 3DP in construction relies heavily on cement due to its robustness, convenience, and ease of use. Regrettably, the cement sector is a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for approximately 8% of worldwide CO₂ emissions. Investigating all facets of carbon emissions reduction is …

A Stable Isotope Study To Investigate Water Movement In The Los Lagos Region Of Southern Chile, Kritan Subedi

Civil Engineering ETDs

The Los Lagos region in southern Chile, located in northwest Patagonia, features rain-fed agricultural lands, glacial lakes, forests, farmlands, and volcanic soils. This study investigates water movement within a micro-basin using stable isotope analysis and hydrological modeling over eight weeks. It aims to develop a conceptual model of water movement by elucidating interactions between precipitation, soil water, and streamflow. Findings highlight the critical role of deeper soil layers in sustaining streamflow during dry spells and indicate that soil acts as a buffer, maintaining hydrological continuity despite variable precipitation. Improved understanding of these dynamics can inform watershed management and water resource …

Performance Assessment Of Aboveground Storage Tanks During Flood Events, Md Manik Mia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research addressed the performance of aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) and connected pipelines during floods. ASTs, integral to the oil and gas industry, store hazardous materials like crude oil and chemicals. Positioned near coastal regions, especially the hurricane-prone Gulf Coast, these areas are vulnerable to natural hazards such as floods and hurricanes. This vulnerability can lead to potential environmental and economic disasters, as seen with past hurricanes.
The primary objectives were to investigate AST bottom plate failure mechanisms under flood conditions, assess material failure in tank shells and bottom plates using finite element models, examine the behavior of connected pipelines, …

Hurricane Vulnerability Of Above Ground Storage Tanks, Santosh Ghimire

LSU Master's Theses

The objectives of this research were to: 1) develop an approach to determine the effectiveness of regional storm surge reduction strategies and structural mitigation measures for aboveground storage tanks (ASTs), and 2) study the feasibility of controlled flotation of ASTs during flood and storm surge events. This study provided a comprehensive risk assessment strategy for regional portfolio of tanks, considering all dominant failure modes relevant to future planning initiatives aimed at reducing AST failures. Additionally, this research contributed a new methodology to prevent AST failures during flooding, offering a potential solution to prevent hazardous spills.

Design guidelines such as API …

Swelling Soil Stabilized With Sand, Mohamed Sakr Prof, Mostafa El Sawaf Prof, Ashraf Nazir Prof, Khloud Mohamed Ali

Journal of Engineering Research

This paper presents the study of swelling soil and its recurrent volume changes with the variation of moisture content. This soil has a unique shrink-swell behavior which changes along with variation in soil water content reducing the strength that can damage a structure. Controlling the swelling potential of soil is one of the important criteria to the civil engineers. Several attempts are being made all over the world to improve the swell-shrink phenomenon of swelling soil. The present paper attempts to study the improvement of the swelling soil with EPS geofoam layer and with sand as a layer and as …

Prediction Of Noise From A Construction Site, Amira Mostafa Ibrahim Miss, Nashwa Mohamed Yossef Prof, Adel Ibrahim Eldosouky Emeritus Professor

Journal of Engineering Research

Construction activities significantly contribute to environmental noise pollution, affecting workers' health and the surrounding community, posing significant challenges to human well-being and productivity. This paper presents a prediction method and a modelling technique used to assess construction site noise. Various factors influencing noise generation and propagation, such as equipment types, operational conditions, site characteristics, and environmental factors, are discussed. This paper explores the application of Monte Carlo technique as an effective method for predicting construction site noise and planning noise mitigation strategies.

High-Resolution Groundwater Modeling For Understanding Sparta-Memphis Aquifer Condition, Rafin Hasan

LSU Master's Theses

The Sparta-Memphis aquifer is one of the major sources of domestic and industrial water supplies in the Mississippi Embayment region. However, besides altering the natural direction of flow, several serious complications such as elevated chloride concentration, significant water level decline, large cones of depression, and land subsidence have arisen from excessive groundwater consumption. To better understand the Sparta-Memphis aquifer condition, a high-resolution groundwater flow model for the Sparta-Memphis aquifer was developed in this study to assess groundwater availability and analyze aquifer responses to future groundwater withdrawal scenarios. For the development of the groundwater flow model, firstly about 3,700 electrical log …

Automated Concrete Bridge Deck Inspection Using Unmanned Aerial Systems Collected Data: A Machine Learning Approach, Rojal Pokhrel

Master's Theses

Many national infrastructures, particularly bridges, are becoming older and older day by day. Their safe operation and maintenance require routine monitoring and inspection. There are lots of bridge inspection specifications and manuals to guide inspectors to give the proper recommendations about the bridge structure and safety. These manuals and specifications require bridge inspectors to manually inspect the bridge and recommend maintenance and repair tasks referring to the specific criteria available in the manuals. In time, the application of technology makes many Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) advancements during the phase of data collection. For the image processing and analysis of collected …

An Experimental Study On Mixed Hydrocarbon Gas On Transport Through Subsurface And Atmospheric Interfaces With Application To Natural Gas Pipline Leak Dection And Quantification, Richard Kolodziej

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Natural gas (NG) production and usage as a fuel source have surged in recent years, becoming a critical component of the global energy system and requiring extensive belowground pipeline infrastructure. Leaks in belowground pipelines release fugitive methane (CH₄) emissions, posing significant environmental, safety, and economic risks. Effective leak detection and quantification (LDAQ) methods are essential for identifying and measuring leaks to enable timely repairs and accurately address these threats. However, few studies have characterized the effectiveness of current and advanced LDAQ survey methods for belowground NG pipelines, with existing work often limited to technology-centric evaluations or studies of …

Deformation Demands And Collapse Performance Of Seismically Detailed Concentrically Braced Frames, Samuel Jablonsky

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Special concentrically braced frames (SCBFs) and ordinary concentrically braced frames (OCBFs) are seismic-force-resisting systems often used in steel building construction. Previous research has shown that lower brace width-to-thickness ratios delay brace fracture during cyclic inelastic loading that is typical during moderate-to-large earthquakes. To ensure adequate seismic performance, SCBF and OCBF brace shapes are thus limited by the highly and moderately ductile width-to-thickness ratio limits, respectively, presented by the American Institute of Steel Construction Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings. To justify these limits, system-level analysis of SCBFs and OCBFs during high seismic events is needed. This study uses nonlinear response-history …

Refinement Of A Regional Storm Surge Mesh For High-Resolution Topographic Representation Of Volusia County, Morgan Harbin

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

In 2022, Volusia and Flagler Counties of northeast central Florida were impacted indirectly by consecutive Hurricanes Ian and Nicole; the destabilization of dunes and armoring infrastructure caused by Ian left the region susceptible to Hurricane Nicole, which caused unprecedented coastal damage to dunes and seawalls. The extent of damage that occurred within Volusia and Flagler Counties during the 2022 hurricane season, the underrepresentation of this region within sustainability and resilience research, and the ecological, social, and economic value of the geography provide just cause for scientific inquiry of the area’s coastal dynamics. This thesis specifically describes an investigation of Hurricane …

Hydrologic Modeling Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay Watershed Using Hecc-Hms With Implications For Future Coupled Coastal Modeling, Christopher Leonard Frost

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the hydrological methodology for modeling a coastal watershed basin using the US Army Corps of Engineers hydrologic software, HEC-HMS with an objective of being able to create riverine boundary conditions that could be applied to a coupled compound flood model. Compound flooding is defined as high water inundation event that occurs due to the simultaneous occurrence of multiple flooding drivers. The Atlantic Seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico regions of the United States account for most of the compound events observed in the United States with a higher occurrence caused by hurricanes from July to November. In …

Development Of A Rule-Based Monitoring System For Autonomous Heavy Equipment Safety, Amirpooya Shirazi

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Roadway construction work zones are constantly exposed to interactions among construction equipment, workers, and vehicles. Furthermore, ensuring safety in these areas is considered a challenging task due to the complexity of the environment. As shown in the rising trend of fatal accidents in roadway work zones, current OSHA regulations in construction safety are insufficient in effectively detecting unsafe situations and mitigating the risks. Furthermore, best practices, such as internal traffic control planning (ITCP), exhibit critical limitations requiring continuous monitoring of active work zones as well as adjustments to the site coordination plans due to the dynamic nature of work zone …

Building Sevices Engineering July/August 2024

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Performance Evaluation Of Asphalt Binder Modified With Recycled Plastics, Abeeb G. Oyelere

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The surge in the production of plastic waste has become a pressing global environmental issue. To address this, repurposing plastic waste to modify asphalt binders in asphalt pavement is being explored This study investigates the potential of recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) and recycled polypropylene (rPP) as asphalt binder modifies to improve pavement performance and sustainability while mitigating plastic waste's adverse environmental impacts. Laboratory investigations were conducted to assess the rheological performances as well as the compatibility of rHDPE and rPP-modified asphalt. Additionally, the impact of aging and mixing temperature on rheological performance was investigated. Experimental results indicated that adding these …

An Experimental Study On The Effect Of Salt And Sugar Combination On Mortar Properties, Lelian Elkhatib, Jamal Khatib, Abbas Hassan, Mohammad Kassem, Adel Elkordi

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

The most important engineering material nowadays, used in construction is concrete. Concrete consists mainly of sand, cement and aggregates. However, weather conditions play a crucial role in affecting concrete characteristics and its serviceability. Weather conditions could be the reason to delay or accelerate the setting time of the concrete. As a result, and in order to deal with weather conditions and its effect on the setting time of concrete, accelerators and retarders must be added to the concrete mix. This research paper focuses on the impact of the use of salt and sugar on the setting time of concrete. Accelerators, …