Digital Commons Network^™

Price Escalation In Construction Projects: Examining National And International Contracts, Bahaa Chammout, Islam H. El-Adaway, Mohammad Abdul Nabi, Rayan H. Assaad

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The construction industry has witnessed unprecedented disruptions in the supply chain (SC) over the past four years due to the consecutive impacts of the 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian-Ukrainian war. SC disruptions have been linked to price escalations, the management of which varies across different construction contracts. Thus, there is a timely need to understand the contractual implications of price escalation clauses. This article fulfills this research requirement by following an interdependent research methodology. First, the authors analyzed and compared price escalation provisions under various US-based, international, and UK-based standard design-bid-build contracts. Second, the …

Building Services Engineering September/October 2024

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Forecasting Construction Material Prices Using Macroeconomic Indicators Of Trading Partners, Ahmed Shiha, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Supply chain instabilities and inflated material prices have had a disruptive impact on cost estimating of construction projects. While several research efforts used national macroeconomic indicators to forecast the prices of domestically produced construction materials, none of the existing studies investigated whether the lagged macroeconomic indicators of the main trading partners could enhance the predictability of the prices of cement, steel, and lumber in the US construction sector. This paper fills this knowledge gap. The authors adopted a multi-step methodology that included: (1) collecting data on the target variables and the candidate leading indicators; (2) identifying the structural breaks in …

Engineering-Enhanced Theatre: How Engineering Involvement Can Aid Regional Theatres, Albert M. Le

Architectural Engineering

Engineering and theatre are disciplines not often associated with each other within regional and small theatre companies in the United States. The distinction between the two fields of study is not simply from the fundamental differences between how each field is taught and practiced, but also the difficulties encountered within a scope of theatre often constrained with limited budget and time for each production. However, when beginning to explore the intersection between engineering and theatre, it is found that the empirical nature of current theatrical practices can be countered, and scenic design and construction can be re-envisioned with engineering involvement …

Design, Fabrication, And Physical Properties Analysis Of Laminated Low-E Coated Glass For Retrofit Window Solutions, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Mikhail Vasiliev, Boon Kar Yap, Mohammad Aminul Islam, Yaseer Fouad, Tiong Sieh Kiong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The ever-growing demand for improved energy efficiency in buildings has stimulated a stream of research focused on innovative retrofit energy solutions. Laminated low emissivity (Low-E) type coated glass components can be used in retrofitting window systems for enhancing energy savings provided by the insulating properties of glass laminates containing these heat-mirror-type coatings. In particular, custom-designed double-silver low-E coatings embedded into the laminate structure (directly facing the polymer interlayers during and after the lamination) are of interest due to being protected from environmental exposure, enabling easy component transportation, storage, and window retrofits. In this study, we provide some details on the …

Assessment Of Dune Change Using Historical Aerial And Satellite Photos, Topographic Surveys, And Wave Data At Toro Creek Beach, Owen D. Emerson

Master's Theses

Coastal sand dunes play an important role in the littoral processes of California’s coastline. Functioning as both source and sink for sand, these dunes often protect coastal infrastructure and provide a buffer between anthropogenic development and coastal forces. At Toro Creek Beach, north of Morro Bay California, recent extreme winter storms have raised concerns about the erosion of the sand dunes that front California State Highway 1. This thesis attempts to characterize the historical growth and recession patterns of the Toro Creek dunes since 1977, the dune movement over the 2023-2024 winter seasons, the wave forcings behind recent high erosion …

Heliport Emergency Medical Services (Hems) In Unstable Geopolitical Region; Palestine – Mobility Perspective, Anas Dirawi, Khaled A. Al-Sahili

Palestinian Medical and Pharmaceutical Journal

Currently, emergency medical services (EMS) in Palestine are solely provided through ground transportation. This study aims to explore the potential for implementing the most effective Heliport Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) system in Palestine and evaluate its expected performance. The current average demand for ground EMS stands at 83,000 trips per year, with many rural communities experiencing response times exceeding 25 minutes, which is considered high. The study investigates the most suitable locations for HEMS based on the condition of existing hospitals and aims to achieve the highest population coverage within the shortest possible response time. To determine these locations, the …

A Step By Step Shoreline Attribute Analysis For Selected Waterbodies In The Gulf Of Mexico To Promote The Use Of Living Shorelines, Christoper Boyd, Xutong Niu, Taylor R. Horn

The Journal of Extension

Living Shorelines are being promoted by coastal extension professionals as a more resilient nature-based solution to control shoreline erosion. The Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences Living Shorelines Suitability Model was run in selected waterbodies within the Gulf of Mexico.

The locations of the selected water bodies, coastal data sets used, and shoreline protection recommendations generated by the Model are presented. A step-by-step statistical analysis conducted through ArcGIS Pro from these selected coastal shorelines will illustrate how extension professionals with novice GIS experience can use the model output to promote living shorelines to coastal property owners, city managers, and developers.

Thermal And Structural Performances Of Screen Grid Insulated Concrete Forms (Sgicfs) Using Experimental Testing, Yosra El Maghraby

Civil Engineering

No abstract provided.

Erodibility Of Sand-Silt-Xanthan Gum Mixtures, Edwin Kotey

Theses and Dissertations

The high frequency of earthen embankment failure recorded during floods has led to the general rule that embankments should not be overtopped. This notwithstanding, overtopping cannot be entirely avoided particularly during extreme events, such as winter storms and hurricanes. Reducing soil erodibility is thus fundamental to prevent and control disasters caused by embankment failure. Recent studies have explored the use of environmentally friendly additives, such as biopolymers, to improve soil properties. Geotechnical tests have shown that biopolymers can effectively increase soil strength, but little is known about biopolymer-treated soil resistance to erosion by flowing water. Results of flume experiments to …

B-Spline Impulse Response Functions For Transient Ssi Analysis Of Pile Foundations, Kingsley C. Ozegbe

Theses and Dissertations

The advent and consequential advancements in geotechnical earthquake engineering has made soil-structural analysis (SSI) an important component in the analysis and design of earthquake resistant structures. The filtering effects of pile foundations which reduces the seismic demand on pile-supported superstructure when they are subjected to seismic waves have been investigated and confirmed by several researchers in the last 40 years. To this end, several methods of analyzing the effects of SSI have been developed over the years. From the simplified Winkler model to the more robust finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM), researchers and structural engineers alike …

Classifying Floor Accelerations For Gait Estimation And Detection, Jean Michel Franco Lozada

Theses and Dissertations

Structural vibrations are traditionally used to learn about structural systems, such as determining the dynamic characteristics of a structure and evaluating its structural performance under certain dynamic loads. Recently, researchers have proposed the use of structural vibrations to know more about the occupants of the structure in addition to the structure itself. One example of such would be to determine when a person falls, or to identify the location of a person walking in a building. Using structural vibrations to study occupants can be directly applicable to many fields, ranging from healthcare to security applications. One powerful use of structural …

Coastal And Inland Flooding - From Advanced Hydrodynamics And Data-Driven Modeling To Multi-Variate Coastal Vulnerability Assessment, Ahad Hasan Tanim

Theses and Dissertations

Flood risks in coastal and inland areas have historically been underestimated and underpredicted, resulting in increased flood damage and loss of human life. Flood risk under climate change and sea level rise will disproportionately impact low-wealth and marginalized communities, as they are often located in areas with less flood protection and have limited resources to adapt to the impacts of flooding. The systematic workflow of the life cycle of FRM is frequently disengaged in the current state of flood hazard assessment with system vulnerability assessment. This research aims to improve the life cycle of FRM by incorporating flood observation, monitoring, …

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Insights Into Rejuvenating Aged Asphalt With Waste Soybean Oil And Polymers, Ke Shi, Feng Ma, Zhen Fu, Jenny Liu, Ruimeng Song, Dongdong Yuan, Yujie Tang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study utilized molecular dynamics simulations to assess the rejuvenation of aged asphalt (AA) with waste soybean oil (WSO) and functionalized SBS polymers, focusing on: 1) constructing and validating models for virgin asphalt (VA), AA, and composite rejuvenated asphalt with WSO and polymers; 2) analyzing diffusion effects and binding abilities in these rejuvenated models; 3) evaluating interface binding and diffusion behaviors in composite rejuvenated models. The addition of functionalized SBS molecules and WSO improved the diffusion rates of various components within these models. Specifically, functionalized linear-SBS (LSBS) molecules demonstrated superior diffusion performance compared to star-SBS (SSBS) molecules. Incorporating WSO and …

Field Implementation Of A Stereo Vision System For Rnt And Stress Measurements In Cwr, Brittany Stinson

Theses and Dissertations

The use of Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) provides many advantages to the rail industry compared to the alternatively used jointed-track segments. However, one significant disadvantage is the development of thermal stresses longitudinally in the rail, which is not of concern when expansion joints are used. This is due to CWR’s inability to release thermal expansion in the absence of joints. The Rail Neutral Temperature (RNT) is the temperature at which the rail is in a stress-free state. A desired RNT is calculated based on local climate conditions and CWR installation practices are implemented to set the desired RNT at installation. …

Investigation Of The Cohesive Behavior Of Water-Intervened Rejuvenated Sbs-Modified Bitumen, Ke Shi, Feng Ma, Zhen Fu, Jenny Liu, Ruimeng Song, Dongdong Yuan, Yujie Tang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

When water interacts with bitumen, the diffusion and cohesion characteristics between the components of bitumen are negatively impacted. Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to construct various bitumen models, including bitumen–bitumen (without water), water-containing single bitumen, water-containing bitumen–bitumen, and bitumen–water–bitumen models. The primary research objectives were as follows: comparing the changes in the densities of bitumen models with and without water, analyzing the interlayer cohesive energies of bitumen models interacting with water, evaluating the hydrogen bonds in water-containing bitumen models, and characterizing the diffusion behaviors of bitumen components. The results indicated that when water interacted with the bitumen, it filled internal …

The Bioremediation Effect Of Microalgae On Wastewater: A Green Technology Approach, Mohamed Ahmed Reda Hamed Dr, Marwa Abdelfattah Abdallah Dr

Journal of Engineering Research

The present study lays an emphasis on the microalgae-based for simultaneous wastewater bioremediation using Chlorella vulgaris and Micrococcus luteus mixed algal cultures to remove its constituent pollutants, amazing green technology guarantees benefits with the decrease in the formation of dangerous solid sludge. Ten days of fully monitoring laboratory experimental program were performed in batch cultures to investigate the effect of various dominant mixing ratios for attaining wastewater concentrations and different governing temperature ranges on the performance of microalgae treatment. The results revealed that there is a significant impact of both wastewater concentrations and temperature treatment conditions on the capability of …

A Hybrid Model For Assessing Safety Implementation And Project Success In The Construction Industry, Aya Hassan, Ali Hassan

Civil Engineering

Construction projects are prone to accidents and injuries, necessitating a focus on implementing safety programs. However, the implementation of such programs is influenced by various factors. Developing countries often have poor safety performance in their building sectors, with limited research in this area. This study aimed to identify essential safety program activities (SPAs) specific to the building sector. Through a literature review and survey, 25 SPAs were identified and validated via a pilot survey involving building sector experts. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 105 participants from the construction industry and academia. They were then categorized into four interconnected measurements …

Effect Of Superabsorbent Polymer On 3d Printing Characteristics As Rheology-Modified Agent, Yu Cun Gu, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study aims to investigate the effects of two superabsorbent polymer (SAP) types, S1 and S2 (with continual absorption and rapid desorption, respectively) as rheology-modified agent on 3D printing characteristics. Three base mixtures were selected with different thixotropic behaviors (i.e., mixtures with high re-flocculation (τfloc), high structuration rate (Athix), and both low τfloc and Athix, respectively). The initial mini-slump flow of 190±10 mm was secured by adjusting superplasticizer (SP) or water demand (increasing w/b by either 0.025 or 0.05). An extrudable region was determined within the range of τfloc (200-890 Pa) and Athix (15-60 Pa/min). The use of the S2 …

Coupled Effect Of Fiber Type And Reinforcement Ratio On Flexural Behavior Of Reinforced Beams Cast With Super Workable Concrete, Jingjie Wei, Le Teng, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigated the effect of 5-dimensional hooked-end fiber (5D) on the structural performance of beams and compared its efficiency with other fibers in strengthening structural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams with an increase in reinforcement ratio (ρ). The potential of using fibers to reduce the longitudinal rebar based on various design criteria was investigated. The fibers included 5D, a combination of 80 % 3-dimensional hooked-end and 20 % short steel fibers (STST), and two combinations of macro synthetic fibers A and B (MSF). Experimental results indicated that, compared to non-fibrous beams, using 5D was the most efficient in …

Balancing Results From Ai-Based Geostatistics Versus Fuzzy Inference By Game Theory Bargaining To Improve A Groundwater Monitoring Network, Masoumeh Hashemi, Richard C. Peralta, Matt Yost

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

An artificial intelligence-based geostatistical optimization algorithm was developed to upgrade a test Iranian aquifer's existing groundwater monitoring network. For that aquifer, a preliminary study revealed that a Multi-Layer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network (MLP-ANN) more accurately determined temporally average water table elevations than geostatistical kriging, spline, and inverse distance weighting. Because kriging is usually used in that area for water table estimation, the developed algorithm used MLP-ANN to guide kriging, and Genetic Algorithm (GA) to determine locations for new monitoring well location(s). For possible annual fiscal budgets allowing 1-12 new wells, 12 sets of optimal new well locations are reported. Each …

Environmental Impacts Potential Of Natural Gas Production Through Life Cycle Assessment, Akmal Al Afghani, Mochamad Adhiraga Pratama, Astryd Viandila Dahlan

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology used to evaluate potential environmental impacts in various industry sectors, including the oil and gas industry to quantify the environmental impacts and determine the processes that have significant impacts along their production cycle. This environmental impact study adheres to ISO 14040:2016 and 14044:2017 standards, using the ReCiPe methodology within a gate-to-gate scope to analyze potential environmental impacts of 1 MMSCFD natural gas production. The impact categories analyzed in this study are Global Warming Potential (GWP), Particulate Matter Formation (PM), Ozone Formation (OF), and Terrestrial Acidification (TA). The results of this study identified several …

Projected Climate Change Impacts On The Number Of Dry And Very Heavy Precipitation Days By Century’S End: A Case Study Of Iran’S Metropolises, Rasoul Asfari, Mohammad Nazari-Sharabian, Ali Hosseini, Moses Karakouzian

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

This study explores the impacts of climate change on the number of dry days and very heavy precipitation days within Iran’s metropolises. Focusing on Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz, and Tabriz, the research utilizes the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) Global Circulation Models (GCMs) to predict future precipitation conditions under various Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) from 2025 to 2100. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how climate change will affect precipitation patterns in these major cities. Findings indicate that the SSP126 scenario typically results in the highest number of dry days, suggesting that …

Evaluation Of Mechanical Vapor Recompression And Easy Multi-Effect Desalination Systems In Different Climate Conditions-Sensitivity And 7e Analysis, Hamed Kariman, Mehdi Khiadani, Siamak Hoseinzadeh, Shahin Shoeibi, Abdellah Shafieian

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Evaporative desalination systems, such as Multi-Effect Desalination (MED) and Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR), play important roles in addressing this challenge. Although large-scale desalination systems possess limitations in catering to the water demands of remote regions and islands and entail the cost of water transportation to residential areas, it is imperative to concentrate on studying the feasibility of employing centralized evaporative water production systems. Firstly, in this study, the initial focus is on conducting energy and exergy analyses of MVR and Easy MED systems, with a goal of enhancing knowledge about the energy consumption, exergy destruction and exergetic efficiency of these …

Evaluation Of Unreinforced And Geosynthetic-Reinforced Subgrade Material Performance With Large-Scale Tracking Wheel Tests And Dynamic Cone Penetrometer Tests, Kenaz Owusu

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

Subgrade has a significant impact on the performance of a pavement as it serves as the foundation layer on which traffic loads are transferred. Many pavement failures can be attributed to weak subgrade strength. The integration of geosynthetics in road pavements has been identified as an effective solution for enhancing subgrade performance to withstand imposed traffic. This study evaluated the performance of unreinforced and geosynthetic-reinforced subgrades in Nebraska to quantify the contribution of geosynthetics to unpaved layer systems.

The strength and stiffness of different soil subgrades were assessed through unconfined compressive strength tests and repeated load triaxial (RLT) tests, which …

Quantifying Lock Criticality For Inland Waterway Navigation Using An Agent-Based Simulation, Ashwin Narayan

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Inland waterway travel has tremendous potential to improve multimodal transportation in the United States due to its environment-friendly and safe nature. Waterway travel has proven to be much cheaper per ton-mile and more fuel efficient than trucks. Millions of dollars have recently been invested in inland waterway networks to facilitate travel. The waterway infrastructure must be resilient to enable efficient waterway travel and prevent unnecessary delays. Locks, an important component of waterway infrastructure, enable vessels to travel between waterways of varying depths and must be maintained consistently to avoid unexpected failures. However, with limited resources, it is difficult to preserve …

Applying Uas Lidar For Developing Small Project Terrain Models, Ashraf Siddiqui

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) LiDAR was used to collect survey data for small-area projects, particularly bridge replacement projects. The project aimed to compare UAS LiDAR data with conventional surveying methods. For the project, five bridge sites were selected for UAS LiDAR and conventional survey data collection, which include Lincoln Bridge 1 (East), Lincoln Bridge 2 (West), Humnoke, Frenchman’s Bayou, and Mountain Home. Data for each site was collected during the 2021–2022 winter. A DJI M600 Pro and Phoenix LiDAR Systems AL3-16 LiDAR unit were used for the UAS LiDAR measurements. The conventional survey equipment used included a global navigation satellite …

Development Of An Innovative Rapidly Constructible Bridge, Swikar N. Pyakurel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapidly deployable temporary bridges are critical for military operations in hostile environments. The research focuses on conceptualizing bridge solutions for MLC 40 loading and 30 feet span that can be operational within hours, require minimal personnel and equipment, and are compact for logistics. An extensive literature review covered historic deployable structures, retractable stadium roofs, structures in aerospace, permanent deployable bridges, current military bridges, innovative deck solutions, lightweight structural materials, and compliant mechanisms. The study then investigated bridge superstructures made of lightweight Aluminum 6061-T6 alloy utilizing tensegrity and prefabricated aluminum extruded decks to meet the criteria. Two concepts, expandable scissor truss …

Impact Of Equipment Type On Measured Particle Size Of Civil Engineering Materials, Tanner Turben

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Particle size analysis (PSA) captures the size distribution of fine-grained or emulsified materials with particles generally smaller than 1000 microns. Asphalt emulsions and many other civil engineering materials do not leverage PSA for material specifications or acceptance despite the insight into material performance and quality gained through understanding the particle size. The objectives of this study are to compare PSA measurement principles by testing 13 civil engineering materials by laser diffraction, Coulter counter, and microscopy and to develop a draft standard procedure for asphalt emulsion PSA. Asphalt emulsions, cementitious materials, sands, clays, and biological samples were selected to represent a …

Identifying Waterway Traffic Flow Patterns Using Modified Clustering, Shihao Pang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Efficient management of inland waterways is essential for the economic and operational efficiency of transportation networks. Characterization and prediction of waterway vessel traffic flow patterns by time of day are critical for optimizing planned disruptive events like maintenance activities. This study identifies and predicts inland waterway traffic flow patterns along the Lower Mississippi River (LMR) using a modified clustering approach. A five-year period of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, which tracks vessel movements in real-time, is used for model development and evaluation. The model first segments the river into approximately one-mile-long traffic message channels (TMCs) to estimate vessel counts and …