Digital Commons Network^™

Possible Solution To Housing Problem: Long Term Housing Investment Plan, Tucker Reed

Construction Management

The purpose of this paper is to provide young men and women entering the work force with the ability to invest towards acquiring a large plot of land to live on. In the current housing condition, Americans, more exactly those living in large urban populations are finding it difficult to find a permanent home in the same city as their workplace. This is particularly true for those whose professions require frequent relocation. The research conducted is meant to provide a person with little to no knowledge of construction with the conceptual understanding of the correct channels to purchase land and …

Contrasting Lifestyles In Commercial And Heavy Civil Construction, Michael Rios

Construction Management

The construction industry has different sectors that students can apply for when it comes to acquiring the chance for an internship or a full-time job. The two main sectors many students from the construction management department apply for are commercial construction and heavy civil construction. Information about each sector is provided in each lab, such as what type of projects each sector builds, the type of environment the project can be in and the magnitude in scale of each project. One thing that seems to be a high influence on which industry the students decide to work for is the …

Flexible Fault Tolerance For The Robot Operating System, Sukhman S. Marok

Master's Theses

The introduction of autonomous vehicles has the potential to reduce the number of accidents and save countless lives. These benefits can only be realized if autonomous vehicles can prove to be safer than human drivers. There is a large amount of active research around developing robust algorithms for all parts of the autonomous vehicle stack including sensing, localization, mapping, perception, prediction, planning, and control. Additionally, some of these research projects have involved the use of the Robot Operating System (ROS). However, another key aspect of realizing an autonomous vehicle is a fault-tolerant design that can ensure the safe operation of …

Conceptual Design Of A South Pole Carrier Pigeon Uav, Kendrick M. Dlima

Master's Theses

Currently, the South Pole has a large data problem. It is estimated that 1.2 TB of data is being produced every day, but less than 500 GB of that data is being uploaded via aging satellites to researchers in other parts of the world. This requires those at the South Pole to analyze the data and carefully select the parts to send, possibly missing out on vital scientific information. The South Pole Carrier Pigeon will look to bridge this data gap.

The Carrier Pigeon will be a small unmanned aerial vehicle that will carry a 30 TB solid-state hard drive …

Design Of Structural Stand For High-Precision Optics Microscopy, Sara T. Novell

Master's Theses

Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) is home to the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and most energetic laser. Each of the 192 beamlines contains dozens of large optics, which require offline damage inspection using large, raster-scanning microscopes. The primary microscope used to measure and characterize the optical damage sites has a precision level of 1 µm. Mounted in a class 100 clean room with a raised tile floor, the microscope is supported by a steel stand that structurally connects the microscope to the concrete ground. Due to ambient vibrations experienced in the system, the microscope is only able …

Indoor Positioning Using Acoustic Pseudo-Noise Based Time Difference Of Arrival, Nicholas J. Luong

Master's Theses

The Global Positioning System (GPS) provides good precision on a global scale, but is not suitable for indoor applications. Indoor positioning systems (IPS) aim to provide high precision position information in an indoor environment. IPS has huge market opportunity with a growing number of commercial and consumer applications especially as Internet of Things (IoT) develops. This paper studies an IPS approach using audible sound and pseudo-noise (PN) based time difference of arrival (TDoA). The system’s infrastructure consists of synchronized speakers. The object to be located, or receiver, extracts TDoA information and uses multilateration to calculate its position. The proposed IPS …

Solar Energy Generation Forecasting And Power Output Optimization Of Utility Scale Solar Field, Byungyu Kim

Master's Theses

The optimization of photovoltaic (PV) power generation system requires an accurate system performance model capable of validating the PV system optimization design. Currently, many commercial PV system modeling programs are available, but those programs are not able to model PV systems on a distorted ground level. Furthermore, they were not designed to optimize PV systems that are already installed. To solve these types of problems, this thesis proposes an optimization method using model simulations and a MATLAB-based PV system performance model. The optimization method is particularly designed to address partial shading issues often encountered in PV system installed on distorted …

Maturation And Culture Media Effects On In Vitro Bovine Embryo Developmental Competence, Ciara M. Helland

Master's Theses

In vitro produced bovine embryos are critical to the cattle industry. However, these embryos have altered morphology, epigenetics, and metabolism when compared to their in vivo counterparts. The aim of this thesis was to alter maturation and culture media to improve the developmental competence of in vitro bovine embryos. This thesis is comprised of three experiments and one proof of concept study. Each experiment followed the same general layout: oocyte aspiration from Jersey or Holstein ovaries, oocyte maturation for 24 hours, fertilization with bull semen for 24 hours, then embryo culture for 7-8 days in 38.5 °C in 5% O …

Thermal Modeling And Testing Of The Blue Thermal Vacuum Chamber, Madeline R. Jensma

Master's Theses

The Blue Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) located in the Space Environments Laboratory at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), may be used for thermal vacuum testing of test articles that fit with in the semi cylindrical test section that has a radius of approximately 18 cm and a length of 61 cm. The potential test articles include CubeSat systems and subsystem. The Blue TVAC can also be used for educational and research purposes. The goal of this thesis project is to develop a thermal model of the Blue TVAC to predict and analyze the thermal response of …

The Design, Testing, And Analysis Of A Constant Jammer For The Bluetooth Low Energy (Ble) Wireless Communication Protocol, Aiku Shintani

Master's Theses

The decreasing cost of web-enabled smart devices utilizing embedded processors, sensors, and wireless communication hardware have created an optimal ecosystem for the Internet of Things (IoT). IEEE802.15.4, IEEE802.11ah, WirelessHART, ZigBee Smart Energy, Bluetooth (BT), and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) are amongst the most commonly used wireless standards for IoT systems. Each of these standards has tradeoffs concerning power consumption, range of communication, network formation, security, reliability, and ease of implementation. The most widely used standards for IoT are Bluetooth, BLE, and Zigbee. This paper discusses the vulnerabilities in the implementation of the PHY and link layers of BLE. The link …

A Study Of The Standard Cirrus Wing Lift Distribution Versus Bell Shaped Lift Distribution, William H. Bergman

Master's Theses

This thesis discusses a comparison of the differences in aerodynamic performance of wings designed with elliptical and bell-shaped lift distributions. The method uses a Standard Cirrus sailplane wing with a lift distribution associated with the induced drag benefits of an elliptical distribution (span efficiency = 0.96) as the basis of comparison. The Standard Cirrus is a standard class sailplane with 15-meter wingspan that was designed by Schempp-Hirth in 1969. This sailplane wing was modeled and analyzed in XFLR5, then validated against existing wind tunnel airfoil data, and Standard Cirrus flight test data. The root bending moment of the baseline wing …

Design Of Prototype Prosthesis For A Canine With A Right Front Limb Deformity As An Alternate Approach To Stabilize Gait And Withstand Gait Forces, Tayler R. Kastlunger

Master's Theses

Congenital and developmental limb deformities in canines are rare and can occur as a genetic disorder or be caused by extrinsic factors. Without surgery to correct the deformity, conservative management can be implemented to manage exercise and restrict high-intensity activity of the canine. However, any alteration to the normal gait and locomotive biomechanics of a canine can have significant long-term effects on the musculoskeletal health and quality of life of the canine. To improve quality of life and provide an alternative and more cost-effective approach to surgery, a custom prosthetic was designed and developed for a canine born with a …

The Yanks Are Striking: Kern County, The 1921 Oil Strike And The Discourse On Americanism, Peter F. Hussey

Master's Theses

In the fall of 1921 oil workers of the San Joaquin Valley faced a post-war economic slump, wage cuts across the board and an increasingly hostile attitude of oil operators towards consultation with the federal government on labor relations. They voted to strike, and the next day eight thousand workers walked off the fields. Strikers crafted an image of “patriotic unionism,” underpinned by a faith in the federal government and the ideology of the American Legion. The strike did not end in gruesome class warfare like had been seen months earlier in the coal mines of West Virginia, but rather …

The Effects Of A Baseball Season On Various Body Composition Measurements And Assessment Of Dietary Intake In Ncaa Di Baseball Players, Jordan Marthens

Master's Theses

Despite the known importance of body composition in relation to performance and health of athletes, this study appears to be the first, or one of very few, to evaluate body composition measures from the beginning to end of season for NCAA DI collegiate baseball players and assess their dietary intake. Baseball players from the 2015-2019 seasons were included in the study (n=78; age=19.8±1.28). DXA scans performed at the start and end of season were analyzed and 3-day food records analyzed via ESHA software were utilized to assess dietary intake. Groups were stratified to examine differences in players’ positions (Pitchers vs. …

A Study Of The Utilization Of Panel Method For Low Aspect Ratio Wing Analysis, William Barton D. Newey

Master's Theses

This study demonstrates the applicability of using a modified application strategy of panel method to analyze low aspect ratio wings at preliminary design phases. Conventional panel methods fail to capture the leading edge vortex (LEV) that is shed by wings with low aspect ratios, typically below 2 depending on planform. This aerodynamic phenomenon contributes to a significant amount of the lift of these wings and the result is a drastic underestimation of the lift characteristics when analyzed by conventional panel method. To capture the effect of the leading edge vortex, a panel method code was used with an extended definition …

A Comparative Study On Seismic Analysis Methods And The Response Of Systems With Classical And Nonclassical Damping, Noah G. Bleichner

Master's Theses

This thesis investigated the application of seismic analysis methods and the response of idealized shear frames subjected to seismic loading. To complete this research, a Design Basis Earthquake (DBE) for a project site in San Luis Obispo, CA, and five past earthquake records were considered. The DBE was produced per the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7-10) and used for application of the Equivalent Lateral Force Procedure (ELFP) and Response Spectrum Analysis (RSA). When applying RSA, the modal peak responses were combined using the Absolute Sum (ABS), Square-Root-of-the-Sum-of-Squares (SRSS), and Complete …

Three Axis Attitude Control System Design And Analysis Tool Development For The Cal Poly Cubesat Laboratory, Liam T. Bruno

Master's Theses

The Cal Poly CubeSat Laboratory (CPCL) is currently facing unprecedented engineering challenges—both technically and programmatically—due to the increasing cost and complexity of CubeSat flight missions. In responding to recent RFPs, the CPCL has been forced to find commercially available solutions to entire mission critical spacecraft subsystems such as propulsion and attitude determination & control, because currently no in-house options exist for consideration. The commercially available solutions for these subsystems are often extremely expensive and sometimes provide excessively good performance with respect to mission requirements. Furthermore, use of entire commercial subsystems detracts from the hands-on learning objectives of the CPCL by …

Reduction Of Fat Content In Processed Meats Using Hot-Boning And Cold-Batter Mincing Technology, Morgan P. Wonderly

Master's Theses

Processed meats have received negative publicity due to high fat contents that have been linked to adverse effects on human health. Fat is an essential ingredient in many processed meat products, so reducing this all while maintaining the desired characteristics of the product is a challenge. The purpose of this study was to generate low-fat meat products using a combination of hot-boning/crust-freeze-air-chilling (HB-CFAC) and cold-batter mincing (CBM) technologies. Pork hams were subjected to HB-CFAC or chill-boning/crust-freeze-air-chilling (CB-CFAC) prior to 3 min pre-mincing and 6 min mincing for control gels with back-fat addition or low-fat gels with water addition instead of …

Wildland Fire Location Management System (Wflms), Robert G. Goldie, Jack A. Gallegos

Electrical Engineering

Wildland firefighters work in complex, dangerous environments where effective communication is key to developing situational awareness. Currently, the only communication firefighters have is with Very High Frequency (VHF) 160 MHz band analog radios. While digital radio protocols could potentially allow location data and commands to be sent to field crews, the technology is primarily for voice communication. This project presents a new system that frees up voice channels and uses LoRa transceivers for robust communication. The system allows for emergency and location reports to be sent to a dispatcher via an airborne repeater. The entire system is software-defined, so it …

Fighting For Equality In The Workforce, Madison Taylor Dewing

Communication Studies

Inequality, discrimination, and sexual harassment has been occurring ever since individuals stepped into the workforce. All individuals are affected by these issues but in this paper, I mainly focus on women. I discuss the psychological effects these issues have on individuals, and then introduce my method and concepts. Throughout this paper, I use feminist criticism to take a closer look as to how women are portrayed in the two films, Bombshell, and 9 to 5, which are decades apart, and see how women have been treated in the workforce versus men. I then use identification to discover how these films …

The Building Process Of An Affordable And Constructible Tiny House: Preconstruction Process, Alexis Canas

Construction Management

Tiny Houses have become a trend that promotes affordable and sustainable living. Although tiny houses have become a trend, there are still a lot of people who are unaware of the movement. There are people who want to create their own tiny home but do not know how to or where to begin. This paper discusses the preconstruction process of a tiny house to help the reader get a better understanding of what building a tiny home entails. The preconstruction services included are a BIM model of the design, Architectural and MEP plans, construction estimate, and a schedule. The preconstruction …

Cal Poly Rodeo Observation Deck, Timothy Smith

Construction Management

This senior project was designed to help continue the winning tradition that the Cal Poly Rodeo program established in 1939 with a new observation deck for the practice arena. The major steps taken to complete this project were design, fundraising and construction. The total area of the deck is approximately 1,100 square feet and includes connections to an ADA approved ramp and multiple staircases. This is a landmark project for the Cal Poly Rodeo program and will assist them in keeping the winning Mustang tradition alive.

The Relationship Between Bim And Electrical Prefabrication, Donald J. Lipsey

Construction Management

Recently, with the help of Building Information Modeling, prefabrication has become popular amongst electrical subcontractors. This report dives further into the relationship of the two counterparts and analyzes what allows the relationship to be successful. Currently, little information has been published regarding how Building Information Modeling and electrical prefabrication play off of each other. This report serves to provide information to electrical subcontractors that are either looking to start prefabricating or further their prefabrication methods. Analytical methods used consist of online research combined with interviews from three different people at three different electrical subcontracting firms. All interviewees hold different job …

Student Mentorship: An Essential Practice, Jonathan E. Ott

Construction Management

As an industry that relies heavily on strong relationships, contractors must learn to be effective communicators. At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO), there are several majors that provide students with a peer mentorship program; however, the Construction Management Department lacks one of these programs. Previous research conducted by Construction Management students at Cal Poly SLO revealed a significant demand for peer mentorship relationships (Gauna, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to determine what logistical approaches should be initiated to provide students with this valuable resource. This research was conducted by utilizing a nine-question survey …

Preconstruction Plan For A Pedestrian Pathway Rehabilitation Project, Sean R. Stratton

Construction Management

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed to enforce improvements of public commodities to fill the gaps in our nation's civil rights inequalities for people with disabilities. Public pedestrian pathways are required by federal and state law to comply with ADA guidelines to allow ease of access to individuals with disabilities. Many existing sidewalks and pedestrian pathways have been renovated and modernized to comply with these ADA guidelines. This paper outlines the preconstruction plan for a rehabilitation project of a problematic pedestrian pathway on the campus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and highlights the need for …

Highlighting The Unique Challenges And Differences Of Building With Mass Timber, Ryan L. Richmond

Construction Management

As the construction industry shifts towards sustainability and owners seek to construct buildings that are sustainable - built from natural and renewable materials, and pleasing for their occupants to work in - mass timber is becoming the popular alternative to traditional steel and concrete buildings. An abundance of information is available on mass timber products and their properties and applications, but little information on the process of actually building a mass timber project. This report seeks to extend practical knowledge on building with mass timber. In order to accomplish this, this research will highlight specific differences and challenges related to …

Kentucky St. Fence: 3d Model, Price Estimate, And Construction, Andrew Gordon Shafer

Construction Management

This project consists of the design, estimate, and rebuild of a residential fence. The house is located on Kentucky street in San Luis Obispo, California. The project was completed by two Cal Poly Construction Management students, Andrew Shafer and Michael Cerone, during the spring quarter of the 2020 academic school year. These students will be referred to as “the builders” throughout this paper. The beneficiary of the fence was a local San Luis Obispo woman, who lives on the same street as Michael. Michael walked past the beneficiary’s house every morning, and noticed that the backyard fence was in poor …

Difficulties Posed And Overcoming Challenges In Modular Construction: A Case Study, Matthew W. Meehleis

Construction Management

The modular construction delivery method presents specific challenges that other construction delivery methods often do not. These challenges are present in all parts of the delivery process, including the design, pre-construction, fabrication, shipping, and assembly onsite. These challenges often create reluctance to go the modular delivery method. To understand the modular sector requires an understanding of how successful modular companies overcome these challenges. Qualitative interviews with experienced modular builders were conducted to gain an understanding how they overcame these obstacles, grow, and eventually run smooth and successful projects. Experience gained from facing these challenges help to aid in solving new …

Apple Homekit Application And Cost Breakdown, Nicholas E. Fifield

Construction Management

A principle part of the American dream is to own a home. The definition of an American home is constantly changing, and smart home technology gives more functionality and control over a person’s space. With devices updating constantly and with newer devices coming out every day, having an organized, well-connected smart home can define a person’s home. Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem gives users a single application interface to operate smart home technology for an entire, organized home opposed to other similar ecosystems without necessary functions run by other companies like Google or Amazon. Starting or remodeling a smart home can be …

The Emma Family Backyard Deck – Thousand Oaks, Ca, Christopher Walter Farkas

Construction Management

This paper outlines the planning, design, and construction of an 80 square foot deck/outdoor patio. The main purpose of this project was to assist an elder couple fund and construct a new deck in their backyard. Due to the current world pandemic, COVID-19 the Emma Family was practicing social distancing and adhering to the State and County wide stay at home order. The project plan was to design a deck for Emma family in the design, construction it and receive funding. The deck was a rectangular 8’ x 10’ and raised 6” off the ground. In addition to the deck …