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The Architectural Impact Of Using Ground-Source Heat Pumps In Commercial Buildings In Las Vegas, George Aaron Bergman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A series of parametric studies evaluate the architectural impacts on the design and long term performance of ground-coupled heat pump systems over a fixed period of time. The results are applied to a commercial office building in order to assess the net impact of combining various energy efficiency strategies. The conclusion of the comprehensive study is that energy efficient design strongly contributes to a reduction in the required size of a ground-coupled heat pump system. A comparative life-cycle cost analysis validates these results by using the same commercial office building design to evaluate a ground-coupled heat pump system against two …

Transport Of Perchlorate In The Las Vegas Wash And Lake Mead, Manjula Roshan Boralessa

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates the fate of perchlorate in the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Mead resulting from the long-term contamination by the manufacturing of rocket fuels in Henderson, Nevada. The changes in perchlorate concentrations for the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Mead were investigated for the last 10 years by analyzing frozen water samples. An attempt was made to model the transport of perchlorate along the Wash, and to observe the transport and mixing of perchlorate within the Lake. Statistical analyses were performed to observe seasonal variations in perchlorate levels within the epilimnion, metalimnion and hypolimnion layers of the Lake, …

Thunder In The Desert: Commercial Air Travel And Tourism In Las Vegas, 1959--2001, Daniel Kenneth Bubb

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis carefully examines the relationship between the commercial air travel and tourist industries in Las Vegas, especially highlighting their unprecedented growth in the second half of the twentieth century. It not only provides an accurate historic account of both industries, but clearly delineates the dependence of tourism on commercial air service as the primary source of transportation to Las Vegas; While the thesis's overarching theme focuses on commercial air travel and tourism, it also contains a set of subthemes, one of which highlights the symbiotic relationship of the commercial air travel industry with the Strip "mega-resorts," and the air …

Algal Growth Potential And Nutrient Limitation In The Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, Xiaomo Du

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Algal bioassays were conducted to determine algal growth potential (AGP) and nutrient limitation of the Las Vegas (LV) Bay of Lake Mead using the standard test organism Selenastrum capricornutum and the Lake phytoplankton. Results for the current nutrient levels in the LV Bay revealed that the AGP of the LV Bay waters, measured by the maximum specific growth rates is limited by phosphorus (P). Both the growth rates and the biomass content indicated the LV Bay is P-limited. Bioassay results, using higher nitrogen (N) and phosphorus levels, showed that increasing the N and P of the Bay concentrations to levels …

An Examination Of A Brownfield: The Former North Las Vegas Armory Site, Rebecca L. Fowler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis is a case study of the redevelopment project of the former Armory site in Las Vegas, Nevada, a United States Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Pilot Project. This investigation uses benefit-cost analysis to determine whether the project is economically feasible. This examination includes a description of the Brownfield program, a description of the site, selection criteria, and the proposed future use of it. The results show that the benefits exceed the costs.

Modelling Land Subsidence Due To Groundwater Pumping/Recharging In The Las Vegas Valley, Mehmet Necmi Okuyan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A model for ground settlement and swelling occurring in Las Vegas Spring Preserve due to groundwater level changes has been developed. A FORTRAN code that uses the finite element method has been prepared. The computer code calculates the hydraulic head in the aquifer resulting from pumping and recharging of the Wells The settlement or swelling of the ground level at each node point is calculated based on hydraulic conditions. The computed hydraulic head and settlement resulted between January 1990 and December 1999 have been compared to the observed static heads and the measured settlement; The sensitivity of the settlement to …

Basin-Wide Adjudications In The West: What Works, What Doesn’T?, Ramsey L. Kropf

Strategies in Western Water Law and Policy: Courts, Coercion and Collaboration (Summer Conference, June 8-11)

18 pages.

Contains 2 pages of references.

Unlv Residence Hall Recycling & Reuse Program For Move-In And Move-Out, Angela Michelson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this thesis was to develop a program for the UNLV Residence Hall Recycling & Reuse Program for Move-In and Move-Out that would collect unwanted and unneeded materials from the residents and put them to use. Move-In collected cardboard boxes for recycling while Move-Out collected usable items such as shoes, clothes, food, bedding, and school supplies for resale. In order to have a good collection turnout, a combination of advertising and resident and staff education was conducted. Letters were sent to Resident Assistants (RA’s) and Complex Coordinators and posters and other advertisements were placed in high traffic areas …

The Las Vegas Monorail, An Innovative Solution For Public Transportation Problems Within The Resort Corridor, Cam C. Walker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Las Vegas Monorail project is the first and quite possibly the only private sector endeavor to construct mass transit grade transportation at no cost to the taxpayer, and with no public sector investment, subsidy, or guarantee. The Las Vegas Monorail project follows a structure similar to the innovative toll road projects of the last decade, illustrating how other transportation problems can be solved by similar procedures. This study provides an opportunity to get an inside look at the process of designing, building, operating, maintaining, and financing a major transportation project in Las Vegas and the unique cooperation between public …

A Study To Determine The Minimum Autocad Command Set For Computer-Aided Drafting In The Las Vegas Area, David John Brodersen

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the computer aided drafting (CAD) commands most frequently used in the industrial application of the thirteenth release of the software product AutoCAD, vended by AutoDESK. Respondents were located within the Las Vegas drafting community and nearby areas. The outcome of this study was used to identify commands needed to operate the software at a desired level of competency and to identify any relationship between the release thirteen commands used by the respondents and commands available in the previous release of the software; A questionnaire was delivered to 90 businesses engaged in drafting …

Monoaromatic Hydrocarbons And Aldehydes In Las Vegas Air, Linhong Jing

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The observed concentrations of the monoaromatic hydrocarbons and aldehydes show significant correlations within the various monoaromatic hydrocarbons, and within the various aldehydes as well as between the two groups of compounds. Moderate or good correlations between observed concentrations of target analytes, monoaromatic hydrocarbons and aldehydes, and other pollutants, CO, NO, NO{dollar}\sb2{dollar} were also found. These observations are consistent with vehicle emission as a major source of monoaromatic hydrocarbons and a primary source of aldehydes in ambient air; CO normalized concentrations were used to infer the occurrence of photochemical reactions in atmosphere. There are significant negative correlations between CO normalized concentrations …

The Creation Of The Las Vegas Image: A Case Study Of Harvey Diederich, Leta Lafay Ver Hulst

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The Creation of the Las Vegas Image: A Biography of Harvey Diederich focuses on the 35- year Las Vegas career of publicist Harvey Diederich, which centers on major hotels, including the Last Frontier, Hacienda, Tropicana, MGM Grand and others. Following Diederich's career provides a unique history of Las Vegas, as well as insights into the fields of promotions, public relations, advertising and marketing.

Economic Feasibility Analysis Of Photovoltaic Installations In The Las Vegas Valley, Rinly Joseph

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents a new tool for performing an economic feasibility study of Photovoltaic (PV) power generation for Demand Side Management (DSM) as well as for a stand-alone system. The proposed analytical equations are capable of accommodating the constant changes in the system parameters due to the advances in new technologies and changes in electric utility industry. An economic feasibility study is conducted for photovolaic systems in both suburban areas and in remote locations using actual data collected by Nevada Power Company (NPC). With the present cost and cell efficiency, the study shows that the cost of the panels will …

The Las Vegas Fremont Street Experience: A New Tourist Destination To Revitalize A Declining Downtown, Yihong Liu

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Downtown Las Vegas, the old city center, represents the history, culture, and heritage of Las Vegas. Casino Core is a district whose function as a planned casino, hotel and entertainment district in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas. With the development of Las Vegas as an international entertainment center, the old city center declined. In order to revitalize the declined downtown, the Fremont Street Experience, a project of public-private partnership between City of Las Vegas and the Fremont Street Experience Company, was implemented to try to attract tourists down to downtown area and compete with casinos along the Las Vegas …

Coming To Grips With Growth In The West: Traditional Communities, Free Rivers, And The New Megalopolises, Charles Wilkinson

Dams: Water and Power in the New West (Summer Conference, June 2-4)

25 pages.

Contains 2 pages of references.

Statistical Evaluation Of Motorist And Pedestrian Behavior At Signalized Intersections In Las Vegas, Sivashankar Subramani

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the effect of a law enforcement program implemented to check illegal and unsafe motorist and pedestrian behavior. A case study involving eight selected intersections in Las Vegas (four control and four treatment) was carried out over a period of seven months in conjunction with the pedestrian law enforcement program conducted during March and April of 1996. Pedestrian and motorist behaviors were video taped in 120 minute segments. The tapes were then reviewed to count vehicle violations, pedestrian violations, conflicts, total vehicles and total pedestrians. Violations and conflict rates for pre and during enforcement, and pre and post …

Perceptions Of Importance And Performance: A Study Of University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Hotel College Master's Alumni, Michael F Lamb

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to analyze the graduate program in the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with regard to its success in preparing Master's graduates for careers in the hospitality industry. All graduates of the program's 13 year history were surveyed through the mail and 58% returned valid surveys. Respondents were asked to render opinions as to the relative importance 46 competencies had on their professions. The alumni were then asked to evaluate those same competencies on the basis of how well UNLV taught the skills; The responses were …

Potential Use Of High-Salininty Shallow Ground Water Or Wash Water For Large-Scale Turf Irrigation In Las Vegas, Nevada, Kimberly S Zikmund

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Limited water resources and a rapidly growing population combine to present water resource managers in southern Nevada with a need to identify alternative water sources. Although high in salts, there are two potential sources of water available to augment the current supply, shallow ground water and surface (wash) water. A study was conducted at Desert Rose Golf Course to determine the feasibility of using one of these alternative water sources for large-scale turf irrigation; The results of the study indicate that shallow ground water is not a feasible option at this site due to the low yields of the aquifer …

The Potential For Use Of Stormwater Detention Basins In The Las Vegas Valley For Groundwater Recharge, Timothy L Buchanan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

As an initial step in assessing the potential use of flood control detention basins in the Las Vegas Valley for stormwater harvest and groundwater recharge, a method for estimating precipitation on and runoff from watersheds tributary to detention basins was developed. Literature concerning geology, hydrogeology, stormwater quality, and subsurface water quality in the Las Vegas Valley, potential methods of stormwater harvest and groundwater recharge, and federal, state and local water quality regulatory requirements was obtained and evaluated in order to define the most favorable areas of the Las Vegas Valley for harvest and recharge. Based upon this review, the Red …

Controlling Urban Sprawl In The Las Vegas Valley Through A Mixed Use Zoning Strategy, Gene Paul Pasinski

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Urban sprawl is one of the biggest issues facing communities throughout the country today. Urban sprawl is defined as a detrimental form of growth that occurs on the fringe of communities. Most urban areas in the United States are affected by this type of growth; This thesis will address the problems of urban sprawl within the Las Vegas Valley. It documents the effects of urban sprawl on the Valley's infrastructure cost, transportation, resource depletion and the environment; Strategies will be offered to control urban sprawl. Mixed use combined with increased land use density will emerge as the proposed solution for …

An Ethnography Of Homeless Men In Las Vegas, Kurt B Borchard

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Most recent research on homeless men (1) uses quantitative methods, (2) frequently blames homeless men for being homeless, and (3) does not consider the different meanings different groups assign to homelessness. These studies cannot address (1) the usefulness of other methods in studying homelessness, (2) what other factors beyond personal problems may contribute to homelessness, and (3) how different groups in different locales view the condition; In this dissertation I use qualitative methods first to think about the popular meanings of male homelessness in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the late 1990s, and second, to consider the meanings that local homeless …

A History Of The Las Vegas School Desegregation Case: Kelly Et Al V The Clark County School District, Ronan Matthew

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Kelly et al. v. Clark County School District (1972) is the title of a case initiated in 1968. The lawsuit alleged that de facto segregation existed in six elementary schools in Westside Las Vegas, 14 years following Brown v. Board of Education (1954) which called for the desegregation of American public schools. The case ended in 1972 with a victory for the plaintiffs, with the ordering of desegregation of the elementary schools in question. The purpose of this study was to examine the history of Kelly et al. v. Clark County School District (1972). Included in the study were a …

Las Vegas In Popular Culture, Edward E Baldwin

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Las Vegas in Popular Culture is a survey and analysis of the depiction of Las Vegas in American popular culture. The dissertation identifies themes and patterns of interpretations of Las Vegas, a city which has come to occupy a central position in popular American mythology. The primary emphasis is on nationally published novels, short stories, and magazine articles, with a brief section on films. The material is evaluated in chronological order so that the depictions of Las Vegas can be seen in their historical contexts. Since the 1930s, writers in each succeeding decade emphasize different aspects of Las Vegas which …

Standard Penetration Test Correlations For Las Vegas Soils, Christopher Robert Wener

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Standard penetration tests (SPT) are used to approximate soil properties including the consistency, cohesion and the internal angle of friction. Due to the frequency of cemented sands, gravel and clay in the Las Vegas Valley, the generally accepted SPT correlations vary from actual local conditions. The following discussion will present SPT correlations, based on field test data, for consistency, cohesion and the internal angle of friction, specifically for the Las Vegas Valley. The Las Vegas soil correlations are compared to general soil correlations; Sampling methods other than the Standard Penetration Test are used to estimate soil characteristics. The SPT uses …

Estimation Of Pm-10 From Vacant Lands In The Las Vegas Valley, Joe Alvin Haun

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Las Vegas Valley is a serious nonattainment area for suspended particulate matter less than 10 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM-10). The question is whether the amount of fine particulates less than 10 {dollar}\mu{dollar}m in the soil can be used to predict the amount of PM-10 entering the air stream during a wind erosion event. Over one hundred sixty soil samples were analyzed for soil particle size distribution, and a portable wind tunnel was constructed and operated in the field on fifty-two sites; The study sites covered seven of the nine major …

Determination Of Soluble Mineral Content In Las Vegas Soils, Mark Alan Leonard

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Lower basin areas in the Las Vegas Valley contain soils with large amounts of soluble minerals. Dissolving and leaching processes due to water intrusion into foundation soils containing soluble minerals can cause a volume reduction of the soil which in turn causes structural stress. Soil improvement recommendations for soluble soils are based upon the amount of soluble minerals of a parent soil. This study reports the results of research to develop a correlation between the electrical conductivity and the concentration of soluble minerals in aqueous soil extracts. Correlations were developed by measuring the total dissolved solids and conductance of aqueous …

The Economics Of Free Parking: Transportation Policy At The University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, Richard A. Nielsen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper culminates a natural progression of studies done over the past two years examining parking and transportation policy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The purpose of these studies has been to evaluate the adequacy of these policies and to estimate the potential impact a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program could produce on parking and traffic conditions and air quality improvement. Included in the report are results from a commuter survey conducted in April 1993, a simple rollback model developed to produce an estimation of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) at the University and any subsequent reduction of VMT …

Agenda: Water Organizations In A Changing West, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Water Organizations in a Changing West (Summer Conference, June 14-16)

Conference organizers, faculty and/or moderators included University of Colorado School of Law professors Lawrence J. MacDonnell, David H. Getches and James N. Corbridge, Jr.

Water organizations in the western United States range from small, traditional acequia associations to large metropolitan water suppliers. What do these vastly different kinds of organizations have in common? All are feeling the pressures of change in the region--growing urban populations, environmental concerns, and calls for public participation.

This year's summer program will examine how water organizations are adapting to these pressures for change. Speakers drawn from urban, agricultural, and community organizations will share their experiences …

From The Civil Law Doctrine To The Reasonable Use Theory And From The Frontier Thesis To Community Action: Flood Control In Las Vegas, Nevada, 1905-1976, James L Scholl

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Flood control has long been a major problem for southwestern boom towns, and Las Vegas was no exception. From its birth in 1905 until the mid 1970s, the "Civil Law Doctrine" was the legal concept used by courts and residents to settle disputes over drainage problems; This paper will argue that the court's decision to change the guiding legal principle from the Civil Law Doctrine to the Reasonable Use Rule in Nevada ended the frontier viewpoint of individualism and replaced it with a new spirit of communal action. The legal revolution, along with a series of events tied to the …

Estimation Of Leakage Between The Shallow And Principal Aquifers In The Las Vegas Valley Water District's Main Well Field, Las Vegas, Nevada, Alan Joseph Bernholtz

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Under natural conditions in Las Vegas Valley the shallow aquifer was recharged by upward leakage of ground water from the principal aquifer. Presently recharge to the shallow aquifer is infiltration from over-irrigation which poses a potential threat to the quality of the principal aquifer. To evaluate this contamination potential, water levels from monitoring wells in both aquifers were collected, a three dimensional finite difference ground-water flow model (MODFLOW) was developed to estimate volume and velocity of potential leakage, and water quality samples were collected; Water levels collected in the shallow aquifer show a dependency on potentiometric head in the principal …