Digital Commons Network^™

Study Of Capital And Operation Costs For Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plants, Habiba Mahdy Mohamed

Theses and Dissertations

Desalination is a progressively common solution to supply freshwater in numerous parts of the globe where this resource falls short. Among all desalination techniques, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) is the most globally prevalent technology. Evaluating a desalination technology's cost-effectiveness is essential to ensure a well-designed plant can be implemented successfully and within an acceptable budget. In the Egyptian context, where water scarcity heightens the urgency of effective resource allocation, economic indicators such as capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) are pivotal in shaping policy and planning decisions. Adopting this integrated financial perspective ensures that desalination projects are not only …

Key Determinants In Electric Vehicle Charging Station Locations, Sania Pirouzi

Theses (2016-Present)

The growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) requires metropolitan areas to strategically plan the placement of charging infrastructure to support accessibility, efficiency, and sustainability. This study investigates key determinants for the optimal siting of EV charging stations, using Houston, Texas, as a case study. Through a comprehensive literature review and expert consultation, eight critical criteria were identified: land use type, population density, median income level of residents in the area, vehicle ownership rate in the area, young and middle-aged residents share in the area, flood risk, traffic density and proximity to major roads, and educational attainment of the residents in …

Building Confidence, Building Careers: An Industry-Informed Evaluation Of A High School Aec Camp, Madisen Berube

Construction Management

This study assesses the effectiveness of the Girls Build Summer Academy, an architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) summer camp for high school girls, and similar programs by gathering and analyzing feedback from industry professionals. The research aims to identify which program elements most successfully inspire interest and build foundational skills for young women considering careers in architecture, engineering, and construction. An anonymous survey was distributed to AEC professionals, some who were familiar with the program. The survey included multiple choice, rankings, and open-ended questions to evaluate areas for improvement and future curriculum development. Findings revealed strong support for interactive learning …

Performance Evaluation Of Aminated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Incorporated With Green Synthesized Iron Nanoparticles For Toxic Dyes Sequestration From Textile Wastewater, Titus Chinedu Egbosiuba, Cynthia Chukwuemeka, Jonah Chukwudi Umeuzuegbu, Nwanneka Chibuzo Mmonwuba, Ugochukwu Ewuzie, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo, Valentine Chikaodili Anadebe, Saheed Mustapha, Ambali Saka Abdulkareem, Jimoh Oladejo Tijani, Ashish Patel, Virendra Kumar Yadav

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study evaluates the performance of aminated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (AM-MWCNTs) integrated with zerovalent iron nanoparticles (ZVI) synthesized using cashew leaf (Anacardium occidentale) extract (AM-MWCNTs@ZVI) for the removal of Congo Red (CR) and Methylene Blue (MB) dyes from textile industrial wastewater. The nanocomposite was characterized using FTIR, XRD, BET, HRSEM, and HRTEM analyses, confirming its functional groups, crystalline structure, and enhanced surface area of 1050.4 m²/g. The ecological risk degree of the textile pollutants was assessed to determine the percentage concentrations of crystal violet, Congo red, methyl orange, methylene blue and rhodamine B. Batch adsorption experiments identified optimal …

Circular Economy In Construction: Decision-Making Factors And Future Research Avenues, Bahaa Chammout, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The construction sector is a major consumer of raw materials and a significant contributor to environmental degradation. Circular economy (CE) - an economic and systemic approach aimed at minimizing waste and fostering sustainable resource use - offers a remedy for these impacts. However, CE adoption in construction remains under-researched and limited. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a comprehensive understanding of CE decision-making factors in construction. This paper addresses this research need. First, the authors reviewed 138 journal articles on CE in construction, published between 2015 and 2023, and compiled a comprehensive list of 40 factors influencing CE decision-making. …

Comparative Analysis Of Lab-Data-Driven Models For International Friction Index Prediction In High Friction Surface Treatment (Hfst), Alireza Roshan, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High Friction Surface Treatments (HFSTs) are often utilized as a spot treatment to enhance selected areas with high friction demand rather than extended pavement sections and are helpful in increasing skid resistance and minimizing road accidents. A laboratory design approach was created to assess the fundamental ideas behind the international friction index (IFI) concept and update the present IFI model parameters for HFST applications based on test findings to gain a better understanding of HFST performance. Two aggregate types in three sizes were tested under controlled polishing cycles. Friction and texture were measured using the Dynamic Friction Tester (DFT) and …

An Inquiry Into The Physics Of Mixing And Floc Filtration, Andrew P. Pennock

Dissertations

Flocculation and clarification are two essential processes to deliver safe water at a reasonable cost to consumers. There are two major thrusts to the research presented in this dissertation. The first is to better characterize the physics and mixing parameters used for the design of hydraulic flocculators in the context of drinking water treatment plants. The second major thrust is to investigate floc filtration as a mechanism for the removal of primary particles during floc blanket clarification.

The intensity of mixing in environmental and chemical engineering applications is often characterized by the Camp and Stein velocity gradient. This parameter has …

Causation Analysis Of Crane-Related Accident Reports By Utilizing Chatgpt And Complex Networks, Yifan Wang, Junyu Chen, Bo Xiao, Shane T. Mueller, Jingjing Guo

Michigan Tech Publications

This study integrates ChatGPT and complex network (CN) techniques into an accident analysis framework designed to reduce manual effort in accident causation analysis. The proposed framework supports construction stakeholders in extracting causal factors (CFs) from accident reports and identifying both critical CFs and key causal paths. A multistep research design was adopted to develop and validate this novel framework for analyzing crane-related construction accident reports using ChatGPT and CN techniques. First, ChatGPT was prompted to extract CFs from a database of crane-related accident reports. Second, evaluation metrics and an expert questionnaire survey were developed to assess ChatGPT’s performance in CF …

Airfield Pavement Management Framework Using Advanced Modeling Techniques, Heena Dhasmana, Marwa Hassan, Elise Mansour

Publications

Airport authorities constantly collect pavement condition data and utilize life-cycle cost analysis to select construction and maintenance alternatives. The current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular 150/5380-7B recommends using Pavement Condition Index (PCI) to assess airfield pavement condition for planning of Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) treatments. However, structural and functional performance might not be fairly represented by solely one indicator, the PCI. The latter might mask the root cause of the pavement deterioration and lead to inadequate M&R recommendations. Furthermore, the regression nature of the existing airfield pavement assessment models is not adequate for establishing pavement performance prediction as a …

An Artificial Neural Network-Based Battery Management System For Lifepo4 Batteries, Roger Painter, Ranganathan Parthasarathy, Lin Li, Irucka Embry, Lonnie Sharpe, S. Keith Hargrove

Civil and Architectural Engineering Faculty Research

We present a reduced-order battery management system (BMS) for lithium-ion cells in electric and hybrid vehicles that couples a physics-based single-particle model (SPM) derived from the Cahn–Hilliard phase-field formulation with a lumped heat-transfer model. A three-dimensional COMSOL® 5.0 simulation of a LiFePO4 particle produced voltage and temperature data across ambient temperatures (253–298 K) and discharge rates (1 C–20.5 C). Principal component analysis (PCA) reduced this dataset to five latent variables, which we then mapped to experimental voltage–temperature profiles of an A123 Systems 26650 2.3 Ah cell using a self-normalizing neural network (SNN). The resulting ROM achieves real-time prediction accuracy comparable …

Enhancing Water Supply Resilience & Sustainability: Potential Solutions To Address Water Scarcity In Bogotá, Colombia, Sophia Alvarez Wong

Master's Projects and Capstones

Municipal water utilities are in urgent need of adapting to the intensifying impacts of climate change and population growth—key drivers of urban water scarcity worldwide. In rapidly expanding cities like Bogota, Colombia, these pressures have contributed to a severe water crisis driven by prolonged droughts, ecosystem degradation, increasing water demands, and overdependence on limited water sources. This study explores potential adaptation and management strategies that utilities can implement to sustainably strengthen supply system resilience and enhance water security, in the context of low- to middle-income regions. A series of comparative and case study analyses were conducted to assess the feasibility …

Analysis Of Incident Duration And Real-Time Incident Delay Estimation Using Big Data Analytics And Machine Learning Techniques, Zhubin Najafi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Traffic incidents have a significant impact on freeway operations, leading to severe delays, congestion, fuel wastage, and economic losses for commuters. Each year, billions of gallons of fuel are wasted, and drivers incur thousands of dollars in lost time due to incident-related delays. To mitigate these effects, Traffic Management Centers (TMCs) implement incident management strategies aimed at reducing both the frequency and severity of incidents while ensuring their prompt and safe clearance.

Dynamic Message Signs (DMSs) are key tools used by TMCs to communicate travel times and incident information to commuters. Under normal conditions, default travel times are displayed on …

Memory-Augmented Llm Agent For Predicting Locomotion Modes In Construction Activities, Ehsan Ahmadi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The construction industry faces significant challenges, including labor shortages, high physical demands, and safety risks, necessitating advanced assistive technologies like exoskeletons to enhance worker efficiency and reduce injuries. However, effective exoskeleton control in dynamic construction environments requires accurate locomotion prediction, a task complicated by the diversity of activities and reliance on supervised learning methods that struggle to generalize. This study investigates a multimodal approach to locomotion prediction, leveraging speech commands and visual data from smart glasses to enable adaptive and safe human-exoskeleton interaction. The research unfolds in two stages: the first develops a framework to evaluate the zero-shot capability and …

Proposed Civil Design Package For Lincoln Youth Sports Complex, Gracie Kerr, Hayden Wulf, Kiley Pham, Caitlin Keathley

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The following report is a proposal of civil work and an engineering design package for the City of Lincoln to construct a Youth Sports Complex on the vacant lot at 2100 North 1^st Street, Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska. The city has requested five U10 to U14 combination baseball and softball fields, one championship softball field, and one championship baseball field. Additionally, a playground area, concessions building, and designated parking areas have been requested. This design package includes introductory company and project information, a summary of the design request and constraints, three overall design alternatives, discipline-specific engineering designs and recommendations, …

A Framework For Establishing An Automated Traffic Violation Detection System In New Assiut City Using Ordinary Cctv Units, Mahmoud Owais, Ali Shehata, Abdou Shaband, Ghada S. Moussa

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Violating traffic rules in transport networks is a genuine concern for operators as it is one of the most important causes of fatal accidents. With the increasing number of residents in the new cities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the incompleteness of the transportation system in those cities, including traffic signs, light signals, and control points, the possibility of committing such violations increases. The study aims to propose the framework for establishing an intelligent monitoring system in the new city of Assiut consisting of high-resolution cameras optimally distributed on the traffic network points in the city. They will …

Feasibility Analysis For The Implementation Of An Anaerobic Digestion System In The City Of Pittsburgh, Pa, Gianna L. Kolencik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study is investigating the feasibility of an anaerobic digestion system

in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the old State Correctional Institute (SCI-Pittsburgh)

located at 1922 Westhall St. This location is immediately upstream of the Allegheny

County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) along the Ohio River. Municipal solid waste

from ALCOSAN may be used as the main form of feedstock. ALCOSAN produced

roughly 36,500 tons of dry sludge in the reporting year 2023-2024. Based on the volume

of dry sludge from ALCOSAN it is estimated that an anaerobic digestion system could

yield approximately 29,930,000 kWh of energy, which is enough to power over …

How Extreme Rainfall And Failing Dams Unleashed The Derna Flood Disaster, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Ahad Hasan Tanim, Audrika Nahian, Sadik Khan, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

On September 11, 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed, triggering one of the most devastating floods in modern history, striking Derna, a coastal city in Libya. This study reconstructs the disaster using an integrated modeling approach that combines satellite imagery, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geotechnical simulations, machine learning, eyewitness accounts, and digital elevation data to assess the impact of cascading dam failures. Our findings reveal that the region’s dams, even if structurally sound, would have provided minimal protection against the extreme runoff. However, their failure unleashed a destructive surge wave, amplifying the disaster’s magnitude and devastation. …

How Extreme Rainfall And Failing Dams Unleashed The Derna Flood Disaster, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Ahad Hasan Tanim, Audrika Nahian, Sadik Khan, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

On September 11, 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed, triggering one of the most devastating floods in modern history, striking Derna, a coastal city in Libya. This study reconstructs the disaster using an integrated modeling approach that combines satellite imagery, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geotechnical simulations, machine learning, eyewitness accounts, and digital elevation data to assess the impact of cascading dam failures. Our findings reveal that the region’s dams, even if structurally sound, would have provided minimal protection against the extreme runoff. However, their failure unleashed a destructive surge wave, amplifying the disaster’s magnitude and devastation. …

Calculating The Radius Of The Earth Using Sunset Method: Comparison With Al-BīRūNi Method, Jana Kamal, Tayeb Brahimi

Effat Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper attempts to compare the earth's radius calculation based on the sunset or sunrise (moonset or moonrise) with the Method developed by the scientist Al-Bīrūni. The sunset sunrise method is used to calculate the earth radius by standing in front of a flat horizontal plane. In addition, the authors have use Al-Bīrūni's rule to calculate the radius. Furthermore, the error percent of both Al-Bīrūni and the sunset sunrise method were calculated as well. The results showed that the earth actual radius is 6371 km. Eratosthenes radius which is 6366 km is the closest to the actual earth radius, then …

Toxicity And Biodegradability Of Novel Boronium Vs Conventional Ammonium Based Anti Microbial Compounds In Wastewater Treatment Systems, Noor Shalan

Poster Presentations

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are highly effective as disinfectants, herbicides, and pesticides; thus, overuse causes elevated levels of residual toxicity in domestic and industrial wastewater. QACs can be toxic to essential bacteria breaking down pollutants in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and can remain untreated in effluent, harming the environment, and contributing to antibiotic resistance, posing risks to human health. Novel boronium-based antimicrobial compounds have demonstrated efficacy in eliminating bacteria, fungi, and viruses. If the boronium compounds exhibit lower residual toxicity, they could offer a promising alternative to QACs. Because these compounds are still in development, their potential toxicity to the …

Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Quadrata) As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish

Poster Presentations

Coastal erosion is heavily impacting coastal ecosystems across the Gulf. For instance, the state of Louisiana loses a football field worth of land every 100 minutes (Couvillion, 2017). The drastic loss of coastline highlights the dire need for restoration in the Northern Gulf Coast. An unexpected solution to this sediment loss may solve two major environmental issues at once by diverting millions of tons of glass waste from entering America’s landfills each year. By crushing glass to create sand and gravel for coastal restoration, we may generate a consistent and sustainable source of substrate. Our goal is to determine the …

Bayesian Model Updating Of Structural Parameters Using Temperature Variation Data., Ujjwal Adhikari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physical digital twins have now emerged as a technology in structural health monitoring and other domains of structural modeling. A Finite Element Model can be a tool for digital twin technology in conjunction with measured physical data. Developing an accurate digital model requires the integration of various parameters to replicate the real structure; however, temperature is dynamically changing, resulting in difficulty in the identification of structural parameters. Typically, temperature is considered noise or filtered out. Limited research has addressed the physics-based model using temperature variation related to structural modal properties. Finite Element Model Updating (FEMU) is a typical inverse problem-solving …

Development Of Soil Water Characteristic Curves Through Control Of Relative Humidity, Lauren E. Johnson, Julia I. Loshelder, Richard A. Coffman

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The relationship between soil suction and soil water content in unsaturated soil mechanics is important but can be difficult to measure. The objective of the research described herein was to develop soil water characteristic curves (SWCC) from relative humidity values by incorporating the use of glycerin-water mixtures. Glycerin-water mixtures can be used to achieve different relative humidity levels by varying the concentration of glycerin within the mixture. The relative humidity created by each mixture was measured with a relative humidity sensor, and the relative humidity values and Kelvin’s equation were used to compute the total suction.

Soil water characteristic curves …

Relating Strength, Time, And Temperature For Bcsa Cement Concrete Using The Maturity Method, Daniel M. Passarelli

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belite calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement is an extension of CSA cement technology designed to provide early setting times and rates of strength gain with reduced environmental impact compared with portland cement. However, its application in the field of structural concrete is widely unexplored. To that end, this paper details research conducted at the University of Arkansas Civil Engineering Research and Education Center (CEREC) exploring the rates of strength gain in concrete samples created using BCSA cement relative to various temperatures and ages. Following the practices outlined in ASTM C1074, the maturity method, compression strength tests were conducted on the aforementioned …

Impacts Of Cognitive Workload On Veteran Driver Reaction Time: Predictive Modeling Using Bayesian And Machine Learning Methods, Kenneth Ofosu-Kwabe

All Theses

In high-demand environments, the ability to manage cognitive workload can mean the difference between optimal or safe performance and critical failure or accidents. Veterans face an elevated risk of fatal motor vehicle accidents due to post-deployment stress, combat-related injuries, and challenges readjusting to civilian driving. This study explores how cognitive workload affects reaction time performance using a driving simulator by collecting and analyzing subjective workload ratings (using the NASA-TLX survey), physiological signals from eye-tracking and performance data from a sample of 28 Veterans.

We examined how task difficulty, cognitive indicators and personal attributes influence reaction times across an interactive driving …

Bim-Based Automated System For Carbon Emissions And Construction Costs Estimation (Bas-Cc) In Modular Design And Production, Roshan Bandiwadekar

All Theses

Modular construction adopts a manufacturing-like construction process, enhancing the management of embodied carbon emissions in production and construction phases. However, estimating these emissions presents challenges due to the involvement of diverse stakeholders across various lifecycle stages. Additionally, cost considerations often influence design choices and material selections in modular constructions, neglecting the impact of embodied carbon emissions. To address these challenges, we present a proof-of-concept for an automated Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based system to estimate both carbon emissions and construction costs. This system automates the calculation of embodied carbon and cost implications of different modular designs and materials, enabling informed decision-making. …

Drainage Area Limitations Of Single Watershed, Peak Flow Estimates From Nrcs Methods, Timothy A. Maughan, Rollin H. Hotchkiss, Riley Hales

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Most state Department of Transportation roadway design sections predict peak flow for culvert design using, amongst other approaches, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) TR-20 technology. Even though this technology is more than 50 years old, there are no clear guidelines for how large a single watershed drainage area may be while remaining appropriate for predicting peak discharge with this method. Our objective was to identify the drainage area where TR-20 peak flow predictions significantly deviate from flow frequency predictions. We developed flow frequency estimates for 130 small-area stream gage sites in rural Nebraska and compared the calculated return period discharges …

Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish

Honors Theses

Over 60% of the Gulf of Mexico coastline is actively eroding, which has resulted in thousands of miles of lost coastline over the last 100 years. This drastic loss of coastal land highlights the dire need for coastal restoration across the entirety of the Gulf Coast. A vital aspect of restoring these eroded areas is replenishing eroded substrate, traditionally conducted through offshore dredging of substrates which comes with high economic and ecological costs. Recycled glass sand may be able to fill this role and reduce our reliance on dredging while lowering the amount of glass waste entering landfills each year. …

Analysis Of Hydrological Model Uncertainty In The Response Of Farmers' Decision Models: A Case Study From The Lower Mississippi River Basin Region, Aayush Khadka

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Ever since human have evolved on planet earth, they have been dependent on water resources for almost every aspect of their lives. From food production to industry, water has been an integral part of the ever-growing human civilization. Increasing reliance on water has resulted in development of effective and sustainable management strategies. However, water management has remained a complex task due to different human and natural stressors. Hydro-economic models are powerful tools that have been widely used to study water resource systems, management options, economic values, and infrastructures. They have been used to analyze the Water-Energy-Food nexus, climatic interactions, and …

Subsurface Characterization Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (Ert) Integrated With Masw, P-Wave Refraction, And Boring Results, Mohammadyar Rahimi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has gained widespread application in geotechnical engineering as a non-invasive method for subsurface characterization. Despite its versatility, several challenges remain regarding its resolution capabilities, interpretive limitations, and integration with other investigative methods. This dissertation addresses three key applications of ERT, focusing on its effectiveness and limitations in resolving thin subsurface layers, detecting anomalies such as voids, and supporting environmental assessment in river restoration projects.

The first study investigates the ability of ERT to resolve thin, discontinuous clay layers beneath levees, using the Melvin Price Reach of the Wood River Levee on the Mississippi River as a …