Civil Engineering Commons^™

Performance-Based Engineering Framework For Earthquake And Fire Following Earthquake, Aerik Carlton

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The objective for this thesis is to outline a Performance-Based Engineering (PBE) framework to address the multiple hazards of Earthquake (EQ) and subsequent Fire Following Earthquake (FFE). Currently, fire codes for the United States are largely empirical and prescriptive in nature. The reliance on prescriptive requirements makes quantifying sustained damage due to fire difficult. Additionally, the empirical standards have resulted from individual member or individual assembly furnace testing, which have been shown to differ greatly from full structural system behavior. The very nature of fire behavior (ignition, growth, suppression, and spread) is fundamentally difficult to quantify due to the inherent …

Development Of A Field Test Method For Total Suspended Solids Analysis, Tian Zhang, John S. Stansbury, Jessica Branigan

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Total suspended solids (TSS) are all particles in water that will not pass through a glass fiber filter with a pore size less than 2 μm, including sediments, algae, nutrients, and metals. TSS is an important water quality parameter because of its adverse effects on aquatic species and wildlife. TSS is regulated through the EPA via the NPDES in many states. Since there are no accepted field tests for TSS, projects with TSS regulations must send samples to a laboratory for analysis, which can delay projects for days or weeks. The goal of this research was to develop a rapid, …

Calibration Of Work Zone Impact Analysis Software For Missouri, Praveen Edara Ph.D., P.E., Ptoe, Carlos Sun Ph.D., P.E., Jd, Zhongyuan Zhu

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

This project calibrated two software programs used for estimating the traffic impacts of work zones. The WZ Spreadsheet and VISSIM programs were recommended in a previous study by the authors. The two programs were calibrated using field data from two work zones in Missouri. Both work zones involved a single lane closure on a three-lane section of roadway. The I-44 work zone was a long-term work zone, while the I-70 work zone was temporary, lasting only a few hours. The capacity values required for calibration were nearly identical for the two programs: 1,575 veh/hr/ln for the WZ Spreadsheet and 1,514 …

Investigation Of Alternative Work Zone Merging Sign Configurations, Praveen Edara Ph.D., P.E., Ptoe, Zhongyuan Zhu, Carlos Sun Ph.D., P.E., Jd

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

This study investigated the effect of an alternative merge sign configuration within a freeway work zone. In this alternative configuration, the graphical lane closed sign from the MUTCD was compared with a MERGE/arrow sign on one side and a RIGHT LANE CLOSED sign on the other side. The study measured driver behavior characteristics including speeds and open lane occupancies. The measurements were taken at two identical work zones on I-70 in Missouri, one with the new test sign and the other with the standard MUTCD sign. The study found that the open lane occupancy upstream of the merge sign was …

Development Of A Guide For Prioritization Of Railway Bridges For Repair And Replacement, Anna Maria Rakoczy, Andrzej S. Nowak

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The objective of this study was to develop evaluation bases for the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of existing railway bridges. Considering the importance of bridges to the railway network, the research involved the review and analysis of major factors that influence structural performance, e.g., degree of corrosion, loss of material (section loss, holes), fatigue problems, and loose connections. In particular, the research focused on connections, and their importance relative to the evaluation of bridge performance. The relationship between various conditions and the ability to perform the required function (i.e., carry a freight train) was established in the form of maximum …

Calibration Of The Highway Safety Manual For Missouri, Carlos Sun Ph.D., P.E., Jd, Henry Brown Msce, P.E., Praveen Edara Ph.D., P.E., Boris Carlos, Kyuongmin Andrew Nam

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The new Highway Safety Manual (HSM) contains predictive models that need to be calibrated to local conditions. This calibration process requires detailed data types, such as crash frequencies, traffic volumes, geometrics, and land-use. The HSM does not document in detail techniques for gathering such data, since data systems vary significantly across states. The calibration process also requires certain decisions, such as the correct sampling approach, determination of the minimum segment length, the treatment of left-turn phasing, and the inclusion or exclusion of speed-change lane crashes. This report describes the challenges, practical solutions, and results from a statewide HSM calibration in …

Probabilistic Design And Optimization - University Of California, Davis, Jay R. Lund

All ECSTATIC Materials

Graduate course in probabilistic design and optimization offered at University of California, Davis in Winter 2013.

Investigation Of Pressure Fluctuations In The Hyporheic Zone In Response To Flow Around A Hydraulic Structure, Timothy Calappi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Erosion around a cylinders is a well studied field. Particles erode when lift and drag forces overcome a critical threshold. These forces are typically studied from above the water-riverbed interface. This study maps hyporheic pressure fluctuations as they are related to surface water velocity. The pressure map is used to evaluate lift enhancement and destabilization forces on the riverbed. High pressure events in the subsurface help generate a destabilizing force from within the riverbed. This work develops a probability distribution function relating turbulent velocity fluctuations and subsurface pressure fluctuations.

A cylinder was fitted with differential pressure transducers such that the …

Investigation Of Synergistic Effects Of Warm Mix Asphalt And High Fractionated Reclaimed Asphalt For Safe, Environmentally Sustainable Highway, Hosin David Lee Ph.D., P.E., Taha Ahmed Msc, E.I.

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

To increase RAP materials by up to 75% by binder replacement, a fractionation method was applied to the RAP stockpile by discarding RAP materials passing No. 16 sieve. This fractionation method was effective in improving volumetric properties of the HMA mixture with high RAP contents. The mix designs were then performed for both HMA and WMA with varying fractionated RAP amounts accounting for a replacement of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 75% of the mixture’s optimum asphalt binder content. All mix designs met the Iowa DOT mix design requirements except the one with 75% RAP materials by binder replacement due …

New Highway Accident Location Manual For Missouri, Carlos Sun Ph.D., P.E., Jd, Praveen Edara Ph.D., P.E., Ptoe, Henry Brown M.S., P.E.

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The Missouri HAL manual is used to identify, analyze, and correct high crash locations, and has not been updated since 1999. This new edition brings the manual up to date, while incorporating the methodology of the national Highway Safety Manual (HSM). This 4th edition represents a complete re-working of all existing chapters of the manual. The changes are both stylistic and substantive. A contemporary book-style stylesheet was used to improve the appearance of figures, tables, headings, and labels. Even the title of the manual was changed from HAL (Identification, Analysis, and Correction of High-Crash Locations) to S-HAL (Safety Handbook for …

Development And Implementation Of A Proactive Safety Performance Evaluation System For General Contractors, Ahmet Selim Alpmen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Construction safety is an essential aspect of the construction industry and measuring safety performance has been of continuing concern. Most of the preceding studies concentrated on two widely used metrics in industry to evaluate and improve safety performance, EMR and incidence rates. However, it is recognized that these metrics have shortcomings, such as being reactive and not proactive, or representing a macroscopic approach and not microscopic approach, or disregarding the events that lead to accidents and only being result-oriented. Improving safety is one aspect of a research but using an appropriate safety measure is as important. Using these parameters comes …

Development Of Geopolymer Concrete For Precast Structures, Preeti Shrestha

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This study presents 'geopolymer' as a new binder to replace Portland cement in concrete to make concrete more environmentally friendly and durable. This utilizes industrial by-products like fly ash which is disposed in landfills. Therefore, the use of geopolymer as a binder in concrete production not only reduces the emission of CO2 because of elimination of cement, but also utilizes an industrial by-product to produce a green and sustainable construction material. In this research, the fly ash and alkaline liquid (mix of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate) were used as the basic constituents of the geopolymer. More than 1000 cylinders …

Development Of Finite Element Model For Analysis Of Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe-Embedded Cylinder Pipe With Experimental Comparison, Sangit Rauniyar

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) is a composite pipe that consists ofconcrete and steel, which has layers of concrete core, steel cylinder, prestressing wire andmortar coating. PCCP is generally constructed of two types; a steel cylinder lined with aconcrete core and a steel cylinder embedded in a concrete core. The former type is calledPCCP-Lined Cylinder Pipe (PCCP-LCP) and the latter type is called PCCP-Embedded CylinderPipe (PCCP-ECP). The scope of this paper is limited to PCCP-ECP.PCCP-ECP is a composite material with complex stress phenomenon due to prestressand interaction between different layers of components. A three dimensional non-linear finiteelement model is generated …

Durability Studies Of Controlled Low Strength Material Using Native Soils As Fine Aggregates, Durga Praveen Reddy Vanga

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Controlled Low Strength Material using native soils as fine aggregates is an effective option in addressing issues relating to strength requirements, sustainability, and project cost. Using native soil in the place of conventional aggregate will greatly reduce the overall project costs and will enhance the sustainability of the project as it eliminates dumping of excavated material in a landfill. CLSM mixes, designed for the particular flowing characteristics as well as the compressive strength should maintain targeted engineering properties throughout its design life period to minimize long term maintenance cost. Though CLSMs do meet the short term strength requirements, their long-term …

Quantification And Geostatistical Mapping Of Soluble Sulfates In Soils Along A Pipe Line Alignment, Justin David Thomey

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Sulfate induced heave is a growing concern for civil engineering projects utilizing calcium based soil stabilizers. Therefore, addressing sulfate concentrations in soils is vital to the success of a civil engineering project. Pavement, foundations, tunnels, embankments, pipe lines, etc. are all susceptible to sulfate induced heave if the appropriate conditions and constituents are present. The work presented here within focuses on the soluble sulfate testing completed on six (6) different geologic formations within the Integrated Pipe Line (IPL) alignment of North Texas. The testing and analyses were conducted to identify problematic zones and quantify sulfate values in order to prevent …

Finite Element Modeling Of Prestressed Girder Strengthening Using Fiber Reinforced Polymer And Codal Comparison, Muruganandam Mohanamurthy

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite materials provide effective and potentially economic solution for rehabilitating and upgrading the existing reinforced and precast concrete bridge structures that have suffered deterioration. Each year, there are a significant number of damaged bridges, mainly due to structural failure, reinforcing steel corrosion or vehicle collision. Using FRP materials has many advantages over other strengthening methods. This study consists of reviewing relevant guidelines, codes, standard practices and manufacturer's specifications that deals with FRP strengthening of damaged concrete bridges based on both U.S and international sources. Based on literature review, the available design guidelines are summarized and compared. …

Evaluating The Performance Of Controlled Low Strength Materials (Clsms) Prepared Using Sulfate Spiked High Plasticity Clay, Sadikshya Poudel

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

When large scale civil engineering projects such as Integrated PipeLine (IPL) are to be constructed, several factors play a significant role in the successful completion of the project on time and on budget. With pipeline construction, one of the important tasks is excavation, with excavation comes the hauling of the excess excavated trench material to the disposal site. The hauling of unwanted excavated dirt from the site and bringing in select backfill material that meets the project requirements not only adds to the overall cost of the project but also raises concerns about sustainability. Transport of unwanted excavated materials require …

Leachate Recirculation Modeling Using Vertical Wells In Bioreactor Landfills, Aminollah Ghorbanpourbabakandi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is made up of household and commercial waste. Total MSW generated in USA in 2009 was 243 million tons and 54.3% of this waste generation was landfilled (EPA, 2009). MSW buried in landfills contribute a significant amount of gas (Landfill Gas or LFG) to atmosphere. The landfilled MSW is the third largest methane contributor to the atmosphere.One way to manage the LFG is the concept of bioreactor landfills. A bioreactor landfill is a controlled landfill where liquid and gas conditions are actively managed in order to accelerate or enhance biostabilization of MSW. Biostabilization of MSW is …

Testing And Design Life Analysis Of Polyurea Liner Materials, Siavash Ghasemi-Motlagh

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Certainly, water pipes, as part of an underground infrastructure system, play a key role in maintaining quality of life, health, and wellbeing of human kind. As these potable water pipes reach the end of their useful life, they create high maintenance costs, loss of flow capacity, decreased water quality, and increased dissatisfaction.There are several different pipeline renewal techniques available for different applications, among which linings are most commonly used for the renewal of water pipes. Polyurea is a lining material applied to the interior surface of the deteriorated host pipe using spray-on technique. It is applied to structurally enhance the …

Development Of Statistical Models For Predicting Leachate Parameters From Simulated Landfills, Arpita Hetal Bhatt

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Leachate generation and management is recognized as one of the greatest problems associated with environmentally sound operation of landfills, as leachate can cause major pollution problems to surrounding soil, ground water, and surface waters. There are many landfills, especially in developing parts of the world like India, Bangladesh, Africa, and Latin America, where open dump systems are used for final disposal of solid waste rather than engineered landfills. In the near future, regulations in developing countries will likely require installation of liner systems, leachate collection systems, and treatment operations. A major requirement for successful leachate treatment is quantifying its typical …