Digital Commons Network^™

Design, Construction, And Preliminary Investigations Of Otta Seal In Iowa, Sharif Y. Gushgari, Yang Zhang, Ali Nahvi, Halil Ceylan, Sunghwan Kim, Ali Arabzadeh, Charles T. Jahren, Charles Øverby

Ali Nahvi

Faced with limited financial resources, pavement engineers constantly seek more durable and economical technologies for road preservations and rehabilitations. Consequently, there have been many efforts to study resurfacing strategies, including various types of sealing for local roads. Among different sealing methodologies, Otta seal is a technique that has not yet been sufficiently studied in the U.S.A. For this investigation, the first Otta seal site in the state of Iowa was constructed using a double-layer Otta seal design over 6.4 km of cracked asphalt pavement. Otta seal design and construction details are documented and discussed, and test sections using various aggregates …

Nchrp Synthesis 499: Alternate Design/Alternate Bid Process For Pavement-Type Selection. A Synthesis Of Highway Practice, Douglas D. Gransberg, Ashley F. Buss, Ilker Karaca, Michael C. Loulakis

Ilker Karaca

Highway administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which information already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviating the problem. There is information on nearly every subject of concern to highway administrators and engineers. Much of it derives from research …

Engineering Standards In Highway Design Litigation, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Umass Amherst Green Building Guidelines 2013, Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham, Ted Mendoza, Ezra Small, Patricia O'Flaherty, Nariman Mostafavi, Mohamed Farzinmoghadam, Somayeh Tabatabaee Pozveh

Ludmilla D Pavlova

Facilities & Campus Services, Sustainable UMass and Campus Planning support sustainability and energy conservation initiatives by providing in-house resources to campus staff as well as designers and contractors working with the University. The UMass Amherst Green Building Guidelines provide a framework for approaching new construction and major renovation projects at UMass Amherst that are undergoing LEED certification by focusing the conversation on green building aspects that are most important to the campus. They are intended to be the beginning of a dynamic conversation between designers, environmental consultants and constructors, university stakeholders, and users of new high performance buildings.

Membrane Biological Reactors: Theory, Modeling, Design, Management And Applications To Wastewater Reuse, Faisal Hai, Kazou Yamamoto, Chung-Hak Lee

Faisal I Hai

Membrane Biological Reactors: Theory, Modeling, Design, Management and Applications to Wastewater Reuse comprehensively covers the salient features and emerging issues associated with the MBR technology. The book provides thorough coverage starting from biological aspects and fundamentals of membranes, via modeling and design concepts, to practitioners’ perspective and good application examples. Membrane Biological Reactors focuses on all the relevant emerging issues raised by including the latest research from renowned experts in the field. It is a valuable reference to the academic and professional community and suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.

Design Of Holes And Web Openings In Railway Prestressed Concrete Sleepers, Erosha Kahawatta Gamage, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Alex M. Remennikov

Sakdirat Kaewunruen

As the crosstie beam in railway track systems, the prestressed concrete sleepers (or railroad ties) are principally designed in order to carry wheel loads from the rails to the ground. Their design takes into account static and dynamic loading conditions. It is evident that prestressed concrete has played a significant role as to maintain the high endurance of the sleepers under low to moderate repeated impact loads. In spite of the most common use of the prestressed concrete sleepers in railway tracks, there have always been many demands from rail engineers to improve serviceability and functionality of concrete sleepers. For …

Design And Fabrication Of A Cop-Based Microfluidic Chip: Chronoamperometric Detection Of Troponin T, Llibertat Abad, Francisco Javier Del Campo, Francesc Xavier Munoz, Luis J Fernandez, Daniel Calavia, Gloria Colom, Juan P Salvador, Maria Pilar Marco, Vanessa Escamilla-Gomez, Berta Esteban-Fernandez De Avila, Susana Campuzano, Maria Pedrero, Jose M Pingarron, Neus Godino, Robert Gorkin Iii, Jens Ducree

Robert Gorkin III

This work demonstrates the design and fabrication of an all cyclo-olefin polymer based microfluidic device capable of capturing magnetic beads and performing electrochemical detection in a series of gold electrodes. The size of chip is of a microscope slide and features six independent measuring cells formultianalyte detection purposes. The aim of this work is to show that rapid prototyping techniques can be instrumental in the development of novel bioassays, particularly in clinical diagnosis applications. We show the successful determination of troponin-T, a cardiac disease marker, in the clinically relevant range of 0.05–1.0 ng/mL. This methodology achieves a detection limit of …

Love Is A Two Way Street, William W. Riggs, John Gilderbloom

William W. Riggs

A half a century ago, we were in love with our streets. They were also living things. They were the open-air living room of our society, the conduct for neighborhood play and discussion, the glue of our social fabric. One of the key urban theorists of the 20th century, Jane Jacobs wrote in Fortune Magazine that the street “…works harder than any other part of downtown. It is the nervous system; it communicates the flavor, the feel, the sights. It is the major point of transaction and communication. Users of downtown know very well that downtown needs not fewer streets, …

An Islanding Detection Strategy For Distribution Network Connected With Hybrid Dg Resources

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The exponential growth in electricity demand has driven the Distributed Generation (DG) technology a boost in the power system. The use of DG is beneficial to power utilities, DG owners', and end-users in terms of reliability, power quality, and economics. However, to fully utilize the benefits of DGs, some technical issues need to be addressed. Islanding condition is one of the most important issue in this context. Until now, several islanding detection techniques have been proposed for detecting the islanding condition. This paper presents a brief overview of existing islanding detection techniques with their relative merits and demerits. Apart from …

Design And Analysis Of A Mars Supply Spacecraft, Tristan Plante, Alex Holland, Landon Klein, Jordan Forbord, Benjamin Kading, Jeremy Straub, David Whalen

Jeremy Straub

This poster considers one part of a space solar power-based mission to sup-ply wireless power for use on the Mar-tian surface. It presents a cargo capsule designed to house the necessities for human survival, as well as research equipment , and safely deliver them to a predetermined destination on Mars.

Innovative Hybrid Bonding Method For Strengthening Reinforced Concrete Beam In Flexure

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper presents the test results of the experimental behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with the newly proposed hybrid bonding technique, which is the wise combination of plate bonding and near surface mounting (NSM) technique. Many studies have focused on the experimental behavior of RC beams strengthened with externally bonded steel plates. However, the presence of high interfacial shear stresses at the end of the plate may reduce the resistance to failure of the strengthened structure. Recently, to a certain extent, the development of the near surface mounted strengthening technique can reduce the problem of this premature end …

A Review Of Survivability And Remedial Actions Of Tidal Current Turbines

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Tidal current energy is one of the most predictable ocean renewable energies. Survivability of the device used to harness tidal power and its remedial actions are critical to ensure a successful power generation. Marine environment is harsh with the continuous attacks of waves, current saline water and microorganism. Support structures are discussed including gravity base, monopile, tripod/piled jacket and floating structure. Extreme weather increases the wave height and current speed to produce high loading at the turbine. Support structure is designed to sustain the loadings from the extreme weather. Protective seabed unit should be included to prevent the seabed scouring. …

Social And Economic Sustainability, Jason Sargent, Khanjan Mehta, Katina Michael

Professor Katina Michael

But what about long-term stability in developing nations? For example, as we strive to mainstream alternate energy sources and make them accessible in resource poor communities [ ], how do we think beyond the technological and economic dimensions and ensure respect for social, political and environmental imperatives? Computers, including the tiny but powerful ones on cell phones can be game-changers, but they will not save lives directly. They cannot be eaten by a starving population. And then, they need to be serviced and maintained. Jason, along with Katina’s husband Michael, visited and taught Karen refugee students in camps and remote …

Zigbee-Based Data Acquisition System For Online Monitoring Of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

For grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system, monitoring is considered as a crucial aspect for observing the stability and performance of the system. The simplest method is to have the data collected and transmitted across data cables. Due to the cost and technical limitations of the data cable, the monitoring station needs to be located reasonably close to the monitored plant. Apart being inconvenient, the use of data cable often adds capital and maintenance cost to the system. In this research project, a Zigbee-based wireless monitoring system is developed for online monitoring of a grid-connected photovoltaic system. Parameters like temperature, irradiation, PV …

Development Of Novel Passive Check Valves For The Microfluidic Cd Platform

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Microfluidic CD platforms are utilized to perform different biological processes and chemical analyses. In general, a microfluidic CD implements the centrifugal force that is created by the spinning of the platform to pump liquid through the microfluidic network of chambers and channels. Over the last few decades, a wide range of active and passive valving methods were proposed and tested on various microfluidic platforms. Most of the presented valves are too complex to design and involve lengthy fabrication processes. In this paper, easy to fabricate air and liquid check valves for centrifugal microfluidic platforms are presented: a Terminal Check Valve …

Effective Utilization Of Excess Energy In Standalone Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems For Improving Comfort Ability And Reducing Cost Of Energy: A Review And Analysis

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

One of the features that characterize renewable energy sources is their variability and intermittency. Intermittency covers both the predictable and unpredictable variations of their power outputs and uncertainty in the power availability. To overcome the drawback of intermittency, special design considerations should be taken into account. These additional design considerations increases the overall cost of the renewable energy systems. Adding storage system and/or backup source to the renewable sources is one of the measures used to guarantee the continuity of power supply to the loads, and therefore improve the reliability of the renewable energy systems. The operation of renewable energy …

Guided Routing On Spinning Microfluidic Platforms

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Flow directionality, valving and liquid routing in centrifugal microfluidics (Lab-on-CD) are typically controlled by applying centrifugal and Coriolis forces and have been the subject of active research interest in recent years. Determining and switching the flow direction at a T-junction is a common fluidic operation important for implementing several chemical and clinical assays for Lab-on-CDs. The present work describes a novel approach to route samples and control flow direction on a spinning disc that employs a guiding microstructure that relies on a two-stage valve comprised of an auxiliary inlet, which is a recess embedded at a T-junction, and a bent …

Design And Biomechanical Performance Analysis Of A User-Friendly Orthotic Device

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Material selection and proper design are essential for developing a new product, especially biomedical devices. Stance-control-orthosis (SCO) are walking assistive device for the patients with weak quadriceps. This manuscript presents the development of a prefabricated SCO with suitable material and design. It is 45% lighter than commercially available prefabricated device. It contains some adjustable features to make it competent for wide range of patients in terms of height (153-183 cm) and weight. Finite element analysis (FEA) was used for selecting the best material and optimizing weight of different components of this device. Basic structures the device were made of aluminum …

Practical Performance Analysis Of An Industrial-Scale Ultrafiltration Membrane Water Treatment Plant

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Common design and operational issues to evaluate the performance of an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane water treatment plant are highlighted with a case study on an industrial-scale drinking water treatment plant located in Malaysia. This treatment plant has been in operation since February 2013 using dead-end polyethersulfone UF membrane filtration system to produce up to 14 million litres a day of drinking water to a small township. Literature solutions are compared with the practised solutions and elucidated with the case study. Gaps between literature solutions which are mainly based on lab-scale research and industry practices are identified. Reducing this gap will …

Safety-Critical Medical Device Development Using The Upp2sf Model, Miroslav Pajic, Zhihao Jiang, Insup Lee, Oleg Sokolsky, Rahul Mangharam

Oleg Sokolsky

Software-based control of life-critical embedded systems has become increasingly complex, and to a large extent has come to determine the safety of the human being. For example, implantable cardiac pacemakers have over 80,000 lines of code which are responsible for maintaining the heart within safe operating limits. As firmware-related recalls accounted for over 41% of the 600,000 devices recalled in the last decade, there is a need for rigorous model-driven design tools to generate verified code from verified software models. To this effect we have developed the UPP2SF model-translation tool, which facilitates automatic conversion of verified models (in UPPAAL) to …

Sample Design Using Imperfect Design Data, Robert Clark

Robert Clark

A well-designed sampling plan can greatly enhance the information that can be produced from a survey. Once a broad sample design is identified, specific design parameters such as sample sizes and selection probabilities need to be chosen. This is typically achieved using an optimal sample design, which minimizes the variance of a key statistic or statistics, expressed as a function of design parameters and population characteristics, subject to a cost constraint. In practice, only imprecise estimates of population characteristics are available, but the effects of this variability are usually ignored. A general approach to sample allocation allowing for imprecise design …

Developing The Design Of A Continuous National Health Survey For New Zealand, Robert Clark, Robert Templeton, Anne Mcnicholas

Robert Clark

Background A continuously operating survey can yield advantages in survey management, field operations, and the provision of timely information for policymakers and researchers. We describe the key features of the sample design of the New Zealand (NZ) Health Survey, which has been conducted on a continuous basis since mid-2011, and compare to a number of other national population health surveys. Methods A number of strategies to improve the NZ Health Survey are described: implementation of a targeted dual-frame sample design for better Maori, Pacific, and Asian statistics; movement from periodic to continuous operation; use of core questions with rotating topic …

Frontier Technologies In Design And Construction For Sustainable Transport Infrastructure, Buddhima Indraratna, Sanjay Shrawan Nimbalkar, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Railways are expected to be one of the main modes of future transport in rapidly developing countries with high population densities, including Sri Lanka. In spite of recent advances in rail track geotechnology, ballasted tracks progressively degrade under heavy cyclic and impact loading. Field studies often provide significant knowledge to better understand track performance and to extend the current state-of-the-art in design. Therefore, comprehensive field trials were carried out on two instrumented rail tracks in Bulli and in Singleton, New South Wales, Australia. In these studies, several track sections were reinforced with different types of geosynthetics placed beneath the ballast …

State-Of-The-Art Design Aspects Of Ballasted Rail Tracks Incorporating Particle Breakage, Fouling, And The Benefits Of Geosynthetic Reinforcement, Buddhima Indraratna, Sanjay Nimbalkar, Michael Martin, Tim Neville, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

No abstract provided.

Rail Track Infrastructure For Enhanced Speed - Analysis Design And Construction Challenges, Buddhima Indraratna, Sanjay Shrawan Nimbalkar, Jayan Sylaja J S Vinod

Buddhima Indraratna

Rail is one of the largest transportation modes offering freight and passenger traffic in rapidly developing nations, including India. Conscious efforts to improve productivity, modernization and technology upgrading have led to an impressive growth in railways. Large-scale physical modeling, sophisticated numerical modeling and full-scale field monitoring often provide significant knowledge to better understand track performance and to extend the current state-of-the-art in design. A series of large-scale laboratory tests were conducted to establish relationships between (i) ballast breakage and train speed, (ii) ballast fouling and strength and (iii) interface strength and geogrids. Comprehensive field trials were carried out on instrumented …

Frontier Technologies In Design And Construction For Sustainable Transport Infrastructure, Buddhima Indraratna, Sanjay Shrawan Nimbalkar, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Buddhima Indraratna

Railways are expected to be one of the main modes of future transport in rapidly developing countries with high population densities, including Sri Lanka. In spite of recent advances in rail track geotechnology, ballasted tracks progressively degrade under heavy cyclic and impact loading. Field studies often provide significant knowledge to better understand track performance and to extend the current state-of-the-art in design. Therefore, comprehensive field trials were carried out on two instrumented rail tracks in Bulli and in Singleton, New South Wales, Australia. In these studies, several track sections were reinforced with different types of geosynthetics placed beneath the ballast …

State-Of-The-Art Design Aspects Of Ballasted Rail Tracks Incorporating Particle Breakage, Fouling, And The Benefits Of Geosynthetic Reinforcement, Buddhima Indraratna, Sanjay Nimbalkar, Michael Martin, Tim Neville, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Buddhima Indraratna

No abstract provided.

Rational Design Of P-Type Thermoelectric Pbte: Temperature Dependent Sodium Solubility, Sima Aminorroaya-Yamini, Teruyuki Ikeda, Aaron Lalonde, Yanzhong Pei, S X. Dou, G. Jeffrey Snyder

Shi Xue Dou

We develop a solid understanding of the termperature-dependent solubility of sodium p-type PbTe, the most efficient thermoelectric material. The maximum solubility of socium telluride (NaTe) in PbTe is measured to be 1.4+0.3 at percent and the heat of solution is evaluated and that addresses fundamental issues regarding the formation of nano-precipitates.

Effect Of Using Adjusted Parameters, Local And Global Optimums, For Phase Equilibrium Prediction On The Synthesis Of Azeotropic Distillation Columns, Claudia Gutierrez-Antonio, Andrea Ojeda-Gasca, Adrian Bonilla-Petriciolet, Juan Gabriel Segovia-Hernández, Abel Briones-Ramírez

Adrian Bonilla-Petriciolet

We analyze the effect of using adjusted parameters, corresponding to local and global optimums, in the NRTL thermodynamic model on the complete process synthesis (design, optimization and control) of homogeneous azeotropic distillation columns. The adjusted parameters that corresponding to a global optimum were obtained with simulated annealing technique, while the adjusted parameters that corresponding to a local optimum were taken from Dechema Collection. Both sets of parameters were used to design a conventional sequence, a side-stream column and a Petlyuk sequence. These designs were used as initial solution to a multiobjective genetic algorithm with constraints handling, coupled to a processes …

Design Of Water Holding Bulkheads For Coal Mines, Verne Mutton, Alexander Remennikov

Alex Remennikov

Water control has been and remains a fundamentally important aspect of underground coal mine design and operation worldwide. Mining in the vicinity of large bodies of water, below a worked out coal seam or under confined aquifer or abandoned water logged workings is always fraught with the possibility of the danger of inundation. Inrush control is now part the Fatal Hazard Protocols which is a risk based process in all operations. In modern Australian underground coal mines, in which panel layouts have been extended and production rates are approaching 10 Mtpa, there is much focus on the control of water …