Civil Engineering Commons^™

Assessing The Surface Energy Balance Components In The Snake River Basin, W Thilini Ajanthik Jaksa

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the interaction of land-surface processes and vegetation in both natural ecosystems and irrigated agricultural lands in a semiarid region using the Noah land surface model (LSM) in combination with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. This study was conducted in the semiarid Snake River plains of south central Idaho comprising of both natural vegetation and agricultural lands. This area is characterized by warm, dry summers with irrigation being the main moisture source during the growing season. In order to properly represent the conditions of agricultural lands and also to investigate the effects of irrigation on land-surface …

Comparison Of Design-Build And Design-Bid-Build Performance Of Public University Projects, James David Fernane

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With an unsure market and scarce work, owners across the United States, especially universities, are finding themselves in situations where they are unable to complete their projects within cost and schedule using the traditional delivery method: Design-Bid-Build (DBB). Under the DBB project delivery method, many competent contractors are electing to send low bids on projects just to keep work on their books, with plans to receive change orders once the project is underway; this practice is leading to cost and schedule overruns. Public universities across the United States are beginning to elect to use Design-Build (DB) as an alternate project …

Structural Health Monitoring Of Historic Masonry Monuments, Saurabh Prabhu

All Theses

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a well-accepted diagnostic technique being used to evaluate modern structures. This method involves monitoring the vibration response of a structure to detect changes in its structural state. The primary intention of this thesis is to address two practical and technical difficulties encountered in deploying SHM on historic masonry monuments: (i) the selection of suitable low dimensional vibration response features that are highly sensitive to the presence and extent of damage, while having low sensitivity to extraneous noise and (ii) the selection of optimal sensor locations for efficient system identification applied to Gothic Cathedrals. Both of …

Sensitivity Analysis Of Load Distribution In Light-Framed Wood Roof System Due To Typical Modeling Parameters, Ranjith Shivarudrappa

All Theses

Since failure of roof systems in past high wind events have demonstrated the consequences of not maintaining a continuous load path from the roof to the foundation, many studies have been conducted to better understand this load path, including how loads are distributed in the system. The present study looks to add to the current knowledge of the vertical load path by focusing on uplift loads and by considering the sensitivity of different modeling parameters. This is done by developing and assessing load influence coefficients for various roof-to-wall (RTW) connections. An analytical model of a light-framed wood structure using finite …

Retrofit Solutions For Sealed Pervious Concrete Pavements, Gregory Bunting

All Theses

The goal of this research was to design, implement, and evaluate several retrofit solutions for sealed pervious concrete. Properly functioning pervious concrete pavements allow water to drain through the structure, eliminating the need for traditional drainage infrastructure. A recent study of South Carolina porous pavements (Putman 2010) revealed that some pervious concrete pavements are not properly draining, either because of sealing at the surface. Sealed pavements are generally a result of construction processes, and sealed pavements cannot be fixed with sediment removal techniques such as vacuuming and pressure washing. This study investigates a technique to increase infiltration of sealed pervious …

Evaluation Of Warm Mix Open Graded Friction Course Mixtures, James Wurst

All Theses

The goal of this study was to evaluate EvothermTM (a chemical package) and foaming (a water-injection method) warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies to determine their effectiveness in producing high quality open graded friction course (OGFC) mixes. Specifically, this study focused on the effect of the removal of stabilizing additives (fibers and polymers) on the optimum binder content and performance of WMA OGFC mixtures. By focusing on additive removal, this study attempted to evaluate practical production concerns and the possible benefits of WMA technologies combined with OGFC.
The EvothermTM WMA and foaming WMA mixes were compared to traditional HMA OGFC by …

Behavior Of The Next-D Beam Shear Key: A Finite Element Approach, Armando Flores

All Theses

State Departments of Transportation have been using adjacent precast bridges for many years. A vital component of this type of bridges is the connection between the members, which is typically done with a grouted shear key. Shear keys have changed through time to adapt to the requirements of bridge design. An assessment of the Northeast Extreme Tee with integral deck (NEXT-D) was performed for the SCDOT as a development possibility for short span bridges. This research focuses on the finite element analysis study of the NEXT-D's specific shear key configuration.
A review of shear key configurations used by different DOTs …

Applied And Mechanistic Studies Of Microbial 17beta-Estradiol Degradation, Zhongtian Li

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

The presence of natural estrogens, a class of endocrine disrupting compounds, in water has caused increasing concerns over their adverse impacts on the health of aquatic eco-systems and human beings. In this study, adsorption characteristics of two natural estrogens, 17β-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1), on granular activated carbon (GAC) were investigated in isotherm tests and in a GAC column. The GAC column was then converted to a biologically active carbon (BAC) column and the removal efficiency of E2 and its primary biodegradation intermediate E1 were monitored. During BAC operation, the impacts of various reactor operation parameters, such as the carbon …

Roadside Grading Guidance, Kevin D. Schrum

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

Provisions for the design of roadside foreslopes are not readily available, and as a result, engineering judgment is often employed. Unfortunately, this can lead to inconsistent designs, where, inevitably, some designs will be too costly and other designs will be too dangerous. Therefore, a design guide was created to lend consistency to the design of these foreslopes while maintaining the most economical and safe design.

This design guide was prepared after conducting a benefit-cost analysis using the Roadside Safety Analysis Program (RSAP). A large test matrix was developed in an attempt to simulate the most possible scenarios, leaving interpolation to …

Relating Climatic Attributes And Water Resources Allocation: A Study Using Surface Water Supply And Soil Moisture Indices In The Snake River Basin, Idaho, David J. Hoekema, Venkataramana Sridhar

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change forced by anthropogenic activities has been ongoing since at least the beginning of the industrial revolution. Part of the recent warming in the western United States has been attributed to anthropogenic climate change. This research seeks to answer the basic question of how declining streamflow, increasing temperatures, and fluctuation in precipitation have impacted water resource allocation in the Snake River Plain over the past 35 years (1971-2005). Understanding how changes in climatic attributes have historically impacted water allocation should help water managers better understand how projected climate change may influence allocation. Annual and monthly diversion trends from 62 …

Theoretical And Numerical Research On Sediment Transport In Pressurized Flow Conditions, Zhaoding Xie

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

Research of river bed erosion is an important part of designing bridges and transportation networks since the stability and hydrodynamic response of bridges critically depends on river bed scour. The engineering designers traditionally focus on the local scour around hydraulic structures, such as piers and abutments, in open channel flow. The pressurized scour under a submerged bridge deck is seldom researched.

In this study, the commercial CFD codes, FLOW3D and STARCCM+, are adopted to simulate pressure scour under a bridge deck with six girders. Several limitations for FLOW3D are found during its application of sediment transport model: a) the scour …

Fourier Finite Element Analysis Of Laterally Loaded Piles In Elastic Media Internal Geotechnical Report 2011-1, William Higgins, Dipanjan Basu

Technical Reports

Laterally loaded piles are analyzed using the Fourier finite element method. Pile response was observed to be a function of the relative stiffness of pile and soil and of the pile slenderness ratio. The analysis is mostly performed for piles embedded in elastic soil with constant and linearly varying modulus although the pile response in two-layer soil profiles is also investigated. Equations describing pile head deflection, rotation and maximum bending moment are proposed for flexible long piles and stubby rigid piles. The design equations were developed after plotting the pile responses as functions of pile-soil stiffness ratio and pile slenderness …

Sustainability In Geotechnical Engineering Internal Geotechnical Report 2011-2, Aditi Misra, Dipanjan Basu

Technical Reports

The built environment serves as a dynamic interface through which the human society and the ecosystem interact and influence each other. Understanding this interdependence is key to understanding sustainability as it applies to civil engineering. There is a growing consensus that delivering a sustainable built environment starts with incorporating sustainability thoughts at the planning and design stages of a project. Geotechnical engineering is the most resource intensive of all the civil engineering disciplines and can significantly influence the sustainability of infrastructure development because of its early position in the construction process. In this report, a review is made of the …

Climate Change Impacts: An Assessment For Water Resources Planning And Management In The Pacific Northwest Of The U.S, Venkataramana Sridhar, Xin Jin

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Assessing the hydrological impacts of climate change in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the United States is important. Many global circulation models (GCMs) have a wide range of temperature and precipitation predictions for the PNW region (Bureau of Reclamation, 2011). Numerous studies have reported that decreasing snow pack, increasing temperatures and decreasing streamflow for many basins. For instance, Mote (2003) indicates that annual average temperatures in the Northwest rose faster than the global average during the 20th century. This warming occurred mostly during the winter and spring. The predominance of winter and spring warming, especially in regard to extreme …

Electromagnetic Waves In Contaminated Soils, Arvin Farid, Akram N. Alshawabkeh, Carey M. Rappaport

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil is a complex, potentially heterogeneous, lossy, and dispersive medium. Modeling the propagation and scattering of electromagnetic (EM) waves in soil is, hence, more challenging than in air or in other less complex media. This chapter will explain fundamentals of the numerical modeling of EM wave propagation and scattering in soil through solving Maxwell’s equations using a finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The chapter will explain how: (i) the lossy and dispersive soil medium (in both dry and fully water-saturated conditions), (ii) a fourth phase (anomaly), (iii) two different types of transmitting antennae (a monopole and a dipole), and …

Design, Behavior, And Performance Of Precast Concrete Bridge Barriers, Walid Rajab Alaywan

Doctoral Dissertations

The guidelines proposed by the NCHRP Report 350 pertaining to the safety of roadway hardware devices necessitated the evaluation of those devices. This study deals with the strength evaluation of precast concrete bridge railing.

A literature review was performed before the start of the study. Though many articles, reports, and publications were found regarding the testing of cast-in-place concrete barriers, such similar publications pertaining to precast concrete bridge railing were almost non-existent.

The theoretical work was performed using the yield line theory to predict the strength of the precast barrier. Though the theory was developed for cast-in-place barriers where the …

A Deterministic Method Of Predicting Long-Term Pile Capacity In Cohesive Soils After The Dissipation Of Excess Pore Water Pressure, Eric J. Steward

Doctoral Dissertations

Pile setup or freeze is a phenomenon where the bearing capacity of a pile increases over time both during and after the dissipation of pore pressure and the stabilization of lateral earth pressure. Driven piles gain capacity after installation because of the dissipation of excess pore pressure and soil aging. Incorporating accurate setup prediction into the design of the piles can significantly reduce the cost of many projects by reducing the size or number of required piles. Various simple, empirical mathematical models have been developed to predict pile setup. However, these models are often unreliable, resulting in very conservative designs. …

Predicting Deterioration Rate Of Culvert Structures Utilizing A Markov Model, Chenguang Yang

Doctoral Dissertations

A culvert is typically a hydraulic passage, normally placed perpendicular to the road alignment, which connects the upstream and downstream sections underneath an embankment, while also providing structural support for earth and traffic loads. The structural condition of culverts continues to deteriorate due to aging, limited maintenance budgets, and increased traffic loads. Maintaining the performance of culverts at acceptable levels is a priority for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and an effective maintenance of culvert structures can be greatly improved by introducing asset management practices. A priority list generated by traditional condition assessment might not provide optimum solutions, and …

Evaluation Of The In-Service Safety Performance Of Safety-Shape And Vertical Concrete Barriers, Francisco Daniel Albuquerque

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

Roadside concrete barriers have been widely used to protect errant motorists from hitting roadside hazards or obstacles. Two concrete barrier profiles, vertical and safety-shape, have been used for this purpose. The safety-shape profile has been shown to produce excessive vehicle climbing which tends to increase rollover propensity. The vertical profile, on the other hand, does not cause vehicle climbing, but it does produce higher lateral forces which may produce higher injury levels.

The objective of this research is to investigate which barrier profile is the safest based on real-world vehicle crash data. The safest barrier profile is defined as the …

Computational Microstructure Modeling Of Asphalt Mixtures Subjected To Rate-Dependent Fracture, Francisco Aragao

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

Computational microstructure models have been actively pursued by the pavement mechanics community as a promising and advantageous alternative to limited analytical and semi-empirical modeling approaches. The primary goal of this research is to develop a computational microstructure modeling framework that will eventually allow researchers and practitioners of the pavement mechanics community to evaluate the effects of constituents and mix design characteristics (some of the key factors directly affecting the quality of the pavement structures) on the mechanical responses of asphalt mixtures. To that end, the mixtures are modeled as heterogeneous materials with inelastic mechanical behavior. To account for the complex …