Role Of Binder Compositions And Carbonate Polymorphs On The Performance Of Carbonation Activated Cementitious Composites,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Role Of Binder Compositions And Carbonate Polymorphs On The Performance Of Carbonation Activated Cementitious Composites, Mohammad Rakibul Islam Khan
Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive
The most energy-intensive manufacturing industry in the US is the Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) industry. This industry is responsible for 5-8% of global CO2 emissions caused by humans. The calcination of limestone to produce high lime calcium silicate and high manufacturing temperature (1450°C) are responsible for this significant amount of CO2 emissions. This CO2 footprint of the cement-based composites can be decreased by utilizing cementitious materials with low-lime calcium silicate. Low-lime calcium silicates are typically semi-hydraulic or non-hydraulic. As a result, it is necessary to activate those materials in order to increase their reactivity. Alkali activators, carbonation curing (CO2 curing), …
Rainfall-Induced Slope Failure – An Early Warning System,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Rainfall-Induced Slope Failure – An Early Warning System, Md Aminul Islam
Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive
Globally, slope failures cause substantial death tolls and economic loss. Embankments constructed on high plasticity clay are vulnerable to cyclic swelling and shrinkage when subjected to climate. Thus, over time, soil softens and reduces effective shear strength, and shrinkage cracks on slopes can act as pathways for rainfall infiltration, which increases pore water pressure and lowers the shear strength below critical levels, resulting in slope failure. This study aims to develop early warning criteria for rainfall-induced slope failure. Study areas were Tarrant, Dallas, Johnson, and Ellis, where soil types and a humid subtropical climate result in frequent slope failures. The …
Assessment Of Stormwater Infrastructure For Mitigating Flooding And Non-Point Source Pollution,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Assessment Of Stormwater Infrastructure For Mitigating Flooding And Non-Point Source Pollution, Helia Farzaneh
Civil Engineering Theses - Archive
Flooding is the top natural hazard impacting coastal and inland communities in Texas. Beyond its destructive impact on rising waters in communities, flooding-induced stormwater negatively affects the quality of large bodies of water. Stormwater runs over land, washes off pollutants, and deposits them into rivers which causes water quality issues in bays and estuaries. In addition, the stormwater increases nutrients, sediments, oxygen-demanding substances, pathogens, and toxins which results in hypoxia in the aquatic system. During the last 5-6 years, severe storm events such as Tropical Storm Beta (September 2020), Tropical Storm Imelda (September 2019), Hurricane Harvey (August 2017) have caused …
Fire Performance Of Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Self-Consolidating Concrete (Hfrscc) With Glass Pozzolan,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Fire Performance Of Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Self-Consolidating Concrete (Hfrscc) With Glass Pozzolan, Rishabh Kumar
Civil Engineering Theses - Archive
This research focuses on the effects of hybridizing self-consolidating concrete (SCC) using steel (SF) and polypropylene (PP) fibers to study their benefits post-fire exposure. In an attempt to reduce cement’s environmental impacts and to make concrete more sustainable, this research also studies the substitution of cement using glass pozzolan. Limited research has been done in this regard previously, hence this research makes an effort to bridge the enormous knowledge gap. No research has reported tensile, compressive, and flexural strength of SCC with hybrid fibers and glass pozzolan, making this research unique. Based on previous research, the replacement rate of cement …
Performance Evaluation And Retrofitting Options For An Impact Damaged Non-Composite Steel Girder Bridge,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Performance Evaluation And Retrofitting Options For An Impact Damaged Non-Composite Steel Girder Bridge, Mohd Mezanur Rahman
Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has rated about 32% of total bridges in US as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. One of the most frequently encountered issues for this deficiency is the impact created by cars that exceed the posted clearance for a bridge. Impact damage leads to concrete spalling or cracking, exposed or broken reinforcement/prestressing strands, global and local buckling of the structural member or piercing through the steel girder. For Example, St. Francis Bridge (North Bound) carrying St. Francis Avenue over I-30 east of downtown Dallas was impact damaged by an eighteen-wheeler carrying a heavy-duty wrecker on 29th …
Evaluation Of Geotechnical Parameters Of Soil Using Electrical Resistivity Imaging,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Evaluation Of Geotechnical Parameters Of Soil Using Electrical Resistivity Imaging, Md Asif Akhtar
Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive
Electric resistivity imaging (ERI) is an effective non-destructive and rapid measuring way of obtaining continuous soil subsurface resistivity profiles. An ERI technique can be used to identify moisture variations and soil heterogeneities in an area. Thus, ERI is becoming a popular tool in geotechnical (FHWA, 2015)engineering; however, it only provides qualitative information at the current time. Using qualitative images, it is challenging to extract quantitative geotechnical information, such as the type of soil, moisture content, degree of saturation, and atterberg limit, of the subsurface. Several studies have described the electrical resistance of soil as a function of pore fluid conductivity …
Change In Sedimentation Regime Due To Bridge Construction Activities: A Field Study At Fm 2478 Bridge Over Wilson Creek, Mckinney, Texas,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Change In Sedimentation Regime Due To Bridge Construction Activities: A Field Study At Fm 2478 Bridge Over Wilson Creek, Mckinney, Texas, Subhas Kandel
Civil Engineering Theses - Archive
Bridge construction activities can cause soil disturbances that introduce sediments into a receiving stream and potentially impact its quality and the ecosystem. The impacts of bridge construction activities are studied in two ways: overland erosion and in-stream sediment concentration. For this research, the overland erosion of Wilson Creek in McKinney, Texas was monitored from four erosion plots constructed on its banks, near the bridge construction activities zone. The instream water quality was examined during the construction period by measuring the Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and the turbidity of water samples, and the sediment and water samples were collected and analyzed …
Carbon Footprint Assessment And Emissions Reduction Strategies For The University Of Texas At Arlington,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Carbon Footprint Assessment And Emissions Reduction Strategies For The University Of Texas At Arlington, Dravid Sabarish Villavan Kothai
Civil Engineering Theses - Archive
In the past decade, many universities have started to ascertain their emissions and benchmark their progress towards sustainability and climate control. The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is no exception in working toward the goal of carbon neutrality. While UTA continues to grow and transform, its goal is to simultaneously reduce energy intensity and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To this end, the Office of Sustainability is maintaining a carbon inventory for each year to track GHG emissions and provide information to guide reduction strategies. The primary objectives of this research were: 1. To update UTA’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory …
Relating The Dongre Workability Test To Cold In-Place Recycled Asphalt Pavements,
2021
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Relating The Dongre Workability Test To Cold In-Place Recycled Asphalt Pavements, Gus Williams
Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses
The Dongre Workability Test (DWT) is a test for determining an asphalt pavement’s relative workability from the stress-strain curve of a sample. While the DWT has seen favorable results with warm mix and hot mix asphalt, Casillas and Braham (2020) attempted to apply this test to cold in-place recycled (CIR) asphalt pavements with limited results. This paper looked at the process of reexamining the DWT method to more favorable results with CIR samples. Phase 1 consisted of defining ten possible metrics from the stress-strain curve and applying them to samples with three different curing conditions. From these preliminary results, the …
Effect Of Various Speed Management Strategies On Bicycle Crashes For Urban Roads In Central Florida,
2021
University of Central Florida
Effect Of Various Speed Management Strategies On Bicycle Crashes For Urban Roads In Central Florida, Jorge Ugan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023
In recent years, cycling has become an increasingly popular transportation mode around the world. In contrast to other popular modes of transportation, cycling is more economic and energy efficient. While many studies have been conducted for the bicycle safety analysis, most of them were limited in terms of bicycle exposure data and on-street data. This study tries to improve the current safety performance functions for bicycle crashes at urban corridors by utilizing crowdsource data from STRAVA and on-street speed management strategies data. Speed management strategies are any roadway alterations that causes a change in motorists' driving behavior. In Florida, these …
Decision Tool For Prioritizing Bridge Repair Or Replacement,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Decision Tool For Prioritizing Bridge Repair Or Replacement, Nyoka Amy Florius
Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive
Bridges are typically damaged/deteriorated due to various factors that require close evaluation to make informed decisions about repair/replacement. There are several aspects of study to evaluate bridges for repair/replacement, such as age, structural adequacy, and frequent usage. Further, bridges which are in poor condition must be identified to mitigate their damage/deterioration and as a result, maintain a safe environment for users. Therefore, to assess the need for funding, state Departments of Transportation are required to evaluate bridges by considering several factors, while prioritizing safety. In Texas, the Highway Bridge Program is responsible for funding bridges which are listed for repair/replacement. …
Improving Probabilistic Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting Using Machine Learning And Statistical Postprocessing Methods,
2021
University of Texas at Arlington
Improving Probabilistic Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting Using Machine Learning And Statistical Postprocessing Methods, Mohammadvaghef Ghazvinian
Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive
The objective of this research is to address the limitations inherent in conventional statistical postprocessing schemes to generate probabilistic quantitative precipitation forecasts (PQPFs) and improve postprocessed PQPFs quality through introducing new robust statistical models and machine learning frameworks. This dissertation comprises three main elements. First, a new, two-part scheme for creating PQPFs from single-valued quantitative precipitation forecasts is introduced. This scheme, herein referred to as the Mixed-type Non-Homogenous Regression (MNHR), combines the use of logistic regression for estimating rainfall intermittency, and non-homogeneous regression for estimation of additional parameters of the conditional distribution. The performance of MNHR is evaluated relative to …
The Potential Of Location Data For Contact Tracing And Understanding Individual Mobility During The Covid-19 Pandemic,
2021
University of Central Florida
The Potential Of Location Data For Contact Tracing And Understanding Individual Mobility During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Marcus Figaro
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023
In this study, we first review contact tracing methods used during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide an analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of different data collection and privacy protection methods. Our findings provide the benefits and drawbacks of using GPS versus Bluetooth for contact tracing, as well as the different data collection and storage methods and their effectiveness in protecting user privacy. We then analyze Twitter data to understand individual mobility behavior and sentiment by using a Natural Language Processing tool on text content of user tweets and Tweet coordinate data. Social media's ability to provide data on location …
Detecting And Evaluating Cracks On Aging Concrete Members With Deep Convolutional Neural Networks,
2021
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Detecting And Evaluating Cracks On Aging Concrete Members With Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, Brendan Barnes
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Cracks in concrete structures are evaluated through a timely and subjective manual inspection. The location of cracks is often recorded in an inspection report where some cracks are measured. Although measurements or locations may not be necessary for all cracks observed in concrete members, if quantitative data can be gathered in an autonomous way, allowing measurement data to be used in tracking changes in spatial and temporal scales, this quantitative data can provide useful information not yet captured in the manual inspection process. This thesis aims to construct an image-based crack detection and evaluation pipeline that can assist health monitoring …
Progress And Prospect Of Anodic Oxidation For The Remediation Of Perfluoroalkyl And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances In Water And Wastewater Using Diamond Electrodes,
2021
California Institute of Technology
Progress And Prospect Of Anodic Oxidation For The Remediation Of Perfluoroalkyl And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances In Water And Wastewater Using Diamond Electrodes, Sean T. Mcbeath, Adrián Serrano Mora, Fatemeh Asadi Zeidabadi, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Madjid Mohseni, Michael R. Hoffman, Nigel J. D. Graham
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Although diamond electrodes are widely used in the field of electroanalysis and sensing, their application in the field of environmental engineering has yet to be fully realized. Many research studies have considered their potential application in water and wastewater treatment, where the in-situ electrochemical process can avoid the need for chemical additives by facilitating the oxidation of pollutants on the electrode surface or mediated by electrochemically synthesized oxidants in solution. Diamond-based electro-oxidation can effectively treat a number of organic micropollutants and is now being evaluated for the abatement of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which pose health concerns and are ubiquitous …
Chasing Target Zero: Contributing Factors Of Fatal Crashes In South Carolina,
2021
Clemson University
Chasing Target Zero: Contributing Factors Of Fatal Crashes In South Carolina, Matthew Stanley
All Theses
South Carolina consistently ranks in the top-10 in fatal crashes per 100,000 capita and 100 million vehicle miles traveled. This thesis summarizes an analysis of contributing factors for fatal crashes in South Carolina. A primary objective of this thesis is to investigate differences in contributing factors for fatal crashes as compared to all crashes in South Carolina. 2018 South Carolina fatal crashes (N=970) and all crashes (N=152,973) were analyzed and compared using classic Venn diagrams to compare differences in contributing factors between fatal crashes and all crashes. Fatal, non-fatal, and all crashes were aggregated into one of seven possible contributing …
Structural Impacts Of Super Heavy Load (Shl) Vehicles On Transportation Infrastructure,
2021
University of Texas at El Paso
Structural Impacts Of Super Heavy Load (Shl) Vehicles On Transportation Infrastructure, Ali Morovatdar
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Operation of non-conventional Super Heavy Load (SHL) vehicles is an ongoing challenge for transportation stakeholders and the traveling public across the nation. Despite facilitating the movement of heavy, large, and non-divisible loads, passages of such vehicles with complex loading configurations that typically weigh several folds of the permissible weight limits set forth by regulatory agencies have been adversely affecting the structural integrity of pavement facilities. This translates into accelerated damage of pavement structures, which in turn poses safety concerns for users of the transportation facilities. Accurate quantification of such detrimental impacts is the precursor to preserve the existing transportation facilities. …
Hybrid Structural Health Monitoring Using Data-Driven Modal Analysis And Model-Based Bayesian Inference.,
2021
University of Louisville
Hybrid Structural Health Monitoring Using Data-Driven Modal Analysis And Model-Based Bayesian Inference., Jice Zeng
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Civil infrastructures that are valuable assets for the public and owners must be adequately and periodically maintained to guarantee safety, continuous service, and avoid economic losses. Vibration-based structural health monitoring (VBSHM) has been a significant tool to assess the structural performance of civil infrastructures over the last decades. Challenges in VBSHM exist in two aspects: operational modal analysis (OMA) and Finite element model updating (FEMU). The former aims to extract natural frequency, damping ratio, and mode shapes using vibrational data under normal operation; the latter focuses on minimizing the discrepancies between measurements and model prediction. The main impediments to real-world …
Data Driven Methods For Large Scale Network Level Traffic Modeling,
2021
University of Central Florida
Data Driven Methods For Large Scale Network Level Traffic Modeling, Rezaur Rahman
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023
Rapid growth in population along with urban-centric activities impose a massive demand on existing transportation systems, thus increasing traffic congestion and other mobility related challenges. To overcome such challenges, we need network-scale models to accurately predict real-time traffic demand and associated congestion. However, traditional network modeling approaches have shortcomings due to the complexity in traffic flow modeling, limited scope to incorporate real-time data available from emerging data sources and requiring excessive computation time to generate accurate estimation of traffic flows. Advancement in traffic sensing technologies with big data has created a new opportunity to overcome these challenges and implement deployable …
Improving Pedestrian Safety With The Implementation Of The Demand-Responsive Transverse Rumble Strip As A New Traffic Safety Countermeasure,
2021
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Improving Pedestrian Safety With The Implementation Of The Demand-Responsive Transverse Rumble Strip As A New Traffic Safety Countermeasure, Md Shakhawat Hossen
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
The traditional TRS has been extensively used as a traffic calming device to provide cognitive alerts in the form of sound and vibration to drivers. However, TRS always remains fixed on the road and thus exerts cognitive alerts, irrespective of any potential downstream hazards. Moreover, the continuous exposure to rumble strips has been identified as a source of discomfort and annoyance for drivers, which limits its application to potentially useful scenarios. This study explores a rumble strip design with dynamic behavior named as Demand-Responsive Transverse Rumble Strip (DRTRS) in order to address the limitations of static TRS. The study incorporates …
