Civil Engineering Commons^™

Enhancing Selective Decomposition Of Ibuprofen Onto Porous Tio₂ Nanoparticles, Abolfazl Zakersalehi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Advanced oxidation technologies have gained tremendous attention for water treatment purposes after demonstration of insufficient efficiency of conventional systems for removal of many emerging chemicals of concern. Among AOTs, a TiO2-UV system is one of the most promising approaches due to its green properties and its effectiveness in generation of extremely oxidizing species such as hydroxyl radicals. However it has been demonstrated that non-selectivity of HRs in decomposition of organic compounds results in parallel decomposing of naturally abundant organic matter (NOM) along with toxic target contaminant, which significantly decreases the decomposition rate of target contaminants. Despite a great amount of …

Investigations To Develop Field Stabilization Methods To Mitigate Surficial Slope Failures, Minh Le

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Surficial slope failures induced by rainfall have been studied for many years. Current research supported by The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is undertaken at the University of Texas at Arlington on two sites, Joe Pool Dam and Grapevine Dam located in the Fort Worth district. The objective of the project is to find the best stabilization method to mitigate those failures. A testing area of 5 sections (one control and four treated) was established on each site with used admixtures of 20% compost, 4% lime with 0.30% polypropylene fibers, 8% lime with 0.15% polypropylene fibers, and 8% …

Hydraulic Performance Evaluation Of Different Recirculation Systems For Elr / Bioreactor Landfills, Shahed R. Manzur

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The major aspect of bioreactor landfill is the addition of liquid and recirculation of collected leachate back into the waste mass through the subsurface Leachate Recirculation System (LRS). The leachate recirculation system consists of the perforated recirculation pipes placed inside horizontal trenches and the permeable beds with different orientation. The application of high permeability material (shredded tire chips, broken glass, pea gravel) in landfills is an emerging technology to distribute the moisture over a wider area in a shorter period of time. Horizontal or vertical perforated pipes are installed in bioreactor landfills as LRS with an expectation of uniform moisture …

Large Diameter Steel Pipe Field Test Using Controlled Low Strength Material And Staged Construction Modeling Using 3-D Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis, Franciele Bellaver

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Using finite element methods and field tests, an extensive study on selected steel pipes is devised for the Integrated Pipeline Project in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. The project integrates Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) existing pipelines to the Dallas system along 150 miles. Field test of buried pipes, monitoring the pipe in different trench conditions is extremely valuable in predicting the displacement of the pipe during construction stages and during its lifetime. The field instrumentation monitors the circular displacements and strains of a buried steel pipe with an outside diameter (O.D.) of 84 in. and 0.375 in. thickness in three different …

Determination Of Safe Roadway Buffer Width To Protect Human Health From No2 Exposure: A Case Study For Grand Prairie, Tx, Hetal Bhatt, Melanie L. Sattler, Stephen P. Mattingly

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications - Archive

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Slope Stabilization Using Recycled Plastic Pin In Texas, Mohammad Sadik Khan

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Shallow slope failures are predominant in the North Texas area and pose significant maintenance problems for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). As a cost effective alternative, the Recycled Plastic Pin (RPP) can be utilized to stabilize the shallow slope failure. RPP are fabricated from recycled plastics and waste materials (i.e. polymers, sawdust, and fly ash). It is a lightweight material and less susceptible to chemical and biological degradation than alternative reinforcing element. RPPs are driven into the slope face, which provide additional resistance along the slip surface and increase the factor of safety. The current study summarized the remediation …

Path Clearance For Emergency Vehicles Through The Use Of Vehicle-To-Vehicle Communication, Craig Jordan, Mecit Cetin, R. Michael Robinson

VMASC Publications

The study described in this paper evaluated and tested a new strategy to enable emergency response vehicles (EVs) to navigate through congestion at signalized intersections more efficiently. The proposed strategy involves the use of vehicle-to-vehicle communication to send messages to alert vehicles to the approach of the EV and to provide specific instructions on maneuvering to allow the EV to proceed through congested signalized intersections as quickly as possible. This movement is achieved by creation of a split in the vehicle queue in one lane at a critical location to allow the EV to proceed at its desired speed but …

Disinfection Performance Of Peracetic Acid In Florida Wastewater Reuse Applications, Killian Eckert

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As Florida’s population continues to grow and urbanization increases, traditional freshwater sources are in danger of being exhausted. Wastewater reuse programs offer a way to create a potable offset in order to protect these freshwater sources and the environments in which they are found. Reuse regulations for the disinfection of wastewater are increasingly becoming more stringent. In addition to tough regulations, operating costs have also become a driving force behind a movement to assess new and potentially economical chemicals and processes for disinfection. The objective of this thesis is to assess the disinfection performance of peracetic acid (PAA), an alternative …

Effect Of Support Compliance On The Resonant Behavior Of Microcantilever-Based Sensors In Viscous Fluids, Rabin Maharjan

Dissertations (1934 -)

Resonant microcantilevers are often considered for use in chemical sensing and biosensing applications. However, when excited in the conventional transverse flexural mode, their performance in liquids is severely compromised. Theoretical and experimental studies have shown that the detrimental effects of the liquid may be mitigated by operating the microcantilever in lateral flexure, especially for microbeams having smaller length-to-width (L/b) ratios. However, for these most promising geometries the predictions of existing models tend to diverge from experimental data for resonant frequency (f_res) and quality factor (Q). A likely reason for these discrepancies is support compliance, which has been neglected …

Cardinal Raúl Silva Henríquez Bridge During The 2010 Chile Earthquake, Zuocai Wang, Genda Chen, W. Phillip Yen, Ian G. Buckle

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a case study of the Cardinal Raúl Silva Henríquez Bridge, which experienced significant damage during an earthquake that occurred in Chile on February 27, 2010. Supported by reinforced concrete and steel columns of varying heights, the superstructure of the bridge consisted of 22 steel-girder spans, with one intermediate expansion joint located at the middle of the bridge. At each end of the bridge, the bottom flanges of the girders were welded to their bearing steel plates, which were embedded and anchored into the bridge abutment. Two, three-dimensional, finite element models (global versus local) with beam and solid …

Monitoring Micropile Foundations Of Bridge During Construction, Devin Tavis Dixon

Masters Theses

"Information regarding the load transfer of micropiles during in-service construction has virtually never been monitored or documented. The primary objective of this research project was to monitor the load transfer versus the depth of production micropiles during construction. The micropiles being studied were used to support Bridge No. 2 of the Foothills Parkway in eastern Tennessee during construction. Two of the piers (1 & 2) were instrumented for the purpose of this study. Vibrating wire strain gages (VWSG) were installed on select micropiles within pile groups of twenty (20) micropiles. Seven vibrating wire strain gages were installed on each micropile …

Analysis Of Model Uncertainty In Hydraulic Modeling: The Bstem Application To The Osage River, Annabell Leigh Ulary

Masters Theses

"Uncertainty is inevitable when creating any kind of model. A model can be used in the most accurate way possible, if the uncertainties are understood. This study determines the level of uncertainty in the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) of the Osage River downstream of Bagnell Dam between Lake Ozark, MO and Jefferson City, MO. The statistical analysis of the BSTEM model was performed using the aid of SAS statistical computer modeling software. There were 4 different analysis values used to determine the best fit model for all dependent variables. These values include the F-test, the coefficient of …

Use Of Ultra-High Performance Concrete To Mitigate Impact And Explosive Threats, Julie Anne Willey

Masters Theses

"This study is a continuation of research conducted by Natalia Carey, Anthony Wulfers, and Dr. John Myers under the DHS ALERT Center. Carey investigated the use of polyurea coating systems to mitigate close range blast threats on wall panels. Wulfers continued this by using both polyurea coatings as well as a sacrificial wood fiber fly ash (WF-FA) layer to try to get increased performance. This research was aimed at the study of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) for the use in impact and blast mitigation. There is little information on the performance of UHPC under close range blast loading; therefore it …

Geotechnical Technique To Strengthen Traditional I-Walls Through The Use Of Composite Material, Jimmy Irby Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the southern gulf coast of the United States. Hurricane Katrina produced record high amounts of surge water along the coastal regions, that over topped and eroded levees and flood walls, inevitably flooding the entire city of New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, the Department of Homeland Security approved a research grant to The University of Mississippi to develop effective but economic technique of strengthening existing I-walls. Using composite materials, a new retrofitting technique was developed to increase the stability of existing I-walls by implementing composite caps. For economical and practical testing, scale models …

Assessment Of Seismic Damage Of Buildings And Related Environmental Impacts, Carley A. Feese

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

Sustainable development has only recently started examining the existing infrastructure, and a key aspect of this is hazard mitigation. To examine buildings under a sustainable perspective requires an understanding of a building's life-cycle environmental costs, including the consideration of associated environmental impacts induced by earthquake damage. Damage repair costs lead to additional material and energy consumption, leading to harmful environmental impacts. Merging results obtained from a seismic evaluation and life-cycle analysis for buildings will give a novel outlook on sustainable design decisions. To evaluate the environmental impacts caused by buildings, long-term impacts accrued throughout a building's lifetime and impacts associated …

A Study Of The Impacts Of Freeze-Thaw On Cliff Recession At The Calvert Cliffs In Calvert County, Maryland, Bonnie Elizabeth Zwissler

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

The Calvert Cliffs, which form much of the western coastline of the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County, Maryland, are actively eroding and destabilizing, resulting in a critical situation for many homes in close proximity to the slope's crest. Past studies have identified that where waves directly interact with the toe of the slope, wave action controls cliff recession; however, where waves do not regularly interact with the slope toe, the past work identified that freeze-thaw controls recession. This study investigated the validity of this second claim by analyzing the recession rate and freeze-thaw behavior of six study sites along the …

An Investigation Of Waste Glass-Based Geopolymers Supplemented With Alumina, Mary U. Christiansen

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

An increased consideration of sustainability throughout society has resulted in a surge of research investigating sustainable alternatives to existing construction materials. A new binder system, called a geopolymer, is being investigated to supplement ordinary portland cement (OPC) concrete, which has come under scrutiny because of the CO2 emissions inherent in its production.

Geopolymers are produced from the alkali activation of a powdered aluminosilicate source by an alkaline solution, which results in a dense three-dimensional matrix of tetrahedrally linked aluminosilicates. Geopolymers have shown great potential as a building construction material, offering similar mechanical and durability properties to OPC. Additionally, geopolymers have …

The Laboratory Evaluation Of Bio Oil Derived From Waste Resources As Extender For Asphalt Binder, Xu Yang

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

A shortage of petroleum asphalt is creating opportunities for engineers to utilize alternative pavement materials. Three types of bio oils, original bio oil (OB), dewatered bio oil (DWB) and polymer-modified bio oil (PMB) were used to modify and partially replace petroleum asphalt in this research. The research investigated the procedure of producing bio oil, the rheological properties of asphalt binders modified and partially replaced by bio oil, and the mechanical performances of asphalt mixtures modified by bio oil. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) is conducted on the test results for the significance analysis. The main finding of the study includes: …

Stilling Basin Scour Remediation Using Air Injection And Flat Plate Extension, Rachael Barlock

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

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is responsible for managing over 2500 miles of waterways and hundreds of water control structures. Many of these control structures are experiencing erosion, known as scour, of the sediment downstream of the structure. Laboratory experiments were conducted in order to investigate the effectiveness of two-dimensional air diffusers and plate extensions (without air injection) on a 1/30 scale model of one of SFWMD gated spillway structures, the S65E gated spillway. A literature review examining the results of similar studies was conducted. The experimental design for this research was based off of previous work done …

Structural Control Of A Small-Scale Test-Bed Shaker Structure Using A Sponge-Type Magneto-Rheological Fluid Damper, Benjamin D. Winter

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

Semi-active damping devices have been shown to be effective in mitigating unwanted vibrations in civil structures. These devices impart force indirectly through real-time alterations to structural properties. Simulating the complex behavior of these devices for laboratory-scale experiments is a major challenge. Commercial devices for seismic applications typically operate in the 2-10 kN range; this force is too high for small-scale testing applications where requirements typically range from 0-10 N. Several challenges must be overcome to produce damping forces at this level. In this study, a small-scale magneto-rheological (MR) damper utilizing a fluid absorbent metal foam matrix is developed and tested …