Architectural Engineering Commons^™

Arsenic Accumulation In Rice Grains: Effects Of Cultivars And Water Management Practices, Bin Hua, Wengui Yan, Jianmin Wang, Baolin Deng, John Yang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Arsenic (As) accumulation in rice grains is a threat to human health and marketability of rice products. in an effort to minimize as uptake by rice grains, field experiments were conducted to investigate as accumulation in rice grains of three cultivars in monosodium methane arsonate-treated soil under saturated and flooded water management practices. Results indicated that as concentrations in rice grains were cultivar-dependent and influenced by water management. Soil flooding would substantially enhance the as accumulation with a great variation among cultivars. Extractable as in the soil was positively correlated with sodium dithionite-sodium citrate-sodium bicarbonate solution-extractable Fe, suggesting a strong …

Numerical Modeling Of Aquaculture Dissolved Waste Transport In A Coastal Embayment, Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy, Hyeyun Ku, Oliver B. Fringer, Alice Chiu, Rosamond L. Naylor, Jeffrey R. Koseff

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Marine aquaculture is expanding rapidly without reliable quantification of effluents. The present study focuses on understanding the transport of dissolved wastes from aquaculture pens in near-coastal environments using the hydrodynamics code SUNTANS (Stanford Unstructured Nonhydrostatic Terrain-following Adaptive Navier-Stokes Simulator), which employs unstructured grids to compute flows in the coastal ocean at very high resolution. Simulations of a pollutant concentration field (in time and space) as a function of the local environment (bathymetry), flow conditions (tides and wind-induced currents), and the location of the pens were performed to study their effects on the evolution of the waste plume. The presence of …

Phytoforensics, Dendrochemistry, And Phytoscreening: New Green Tools For Delineating Contaminants From Past And Present, Joel Gerard Burken, Don A. Vroblesky, Jean Christophe Balouet

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As Plants Evolved to Be Extremely Proficient in Mass Transfer with their Surroundings and Survive as Earth's Dominant Biomass, They Also Accumulate and Store Some Contaminants from Surroundings, Acting as Passive Samplers. Novel Applications and Analytical Methods Have Been Utilized to Gain Information About a Wide Range of Contaminants in the Biosphere Soil, Water, and Air, with Information Available on Both Past (Dendrochemistry) and Present (Phytoscreening). Collectively These Sampling Approaches Provide Rapid, Cheap, Ecologically Friendly, and overall "Green" Tools Termed "Phytoforensics". © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Implementation And Testing Of Rans Turbulence Models For Stably Stratified Flows, Zachary A. Elliott, S. K. Venayagamoorthy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The presence of buoyancy forces due to stratification has a substantial effect on the flow development and mixing processes and hence influences the distribution of pollutants and suspended matter in environmental flows such as in reservoirs, lakes, and estuaries. In this study, we focus on the implementation and testing of proposed changes that explicitly account for buoyancy effects in Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) data of stably stratified homogeneous turbulence are used to study the parameters in two-equation RANS turbulence models such as the buoyancy parameter Cε3, and the turbulent Prandtl number Prt in the k-ε …

A Slurry Consolidation Approach To Reconstitute Low-Plasticity Silt Specimens For Laboratory Triaxial Testing, Shuying Wang, Ronaldo Luna, Richard Wesley Stephenson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silt Specimen Reconstitution using a Slurry Consolidation Approach is Commonly Used for Laboratory Testing. This Paper Presents a New Slurry Consolidation Approach to Reconstitute Silt Specimens for Use in Triaxial Testing. Silt Specimens Were Reconstituted in a Split Vacuum Mold Mounted on a Special Experimental Setup. the Uniformity of the Reconstituted Specimens Was Verified by Measuring the Water Content and Grain Size Distribution throughout the Specimens. the Testing Program Was Expedited using a Special Sample Handling Technique to Move the Specimen from the Special Experimental Setup to the Triaxial Chamber Base Platen. the Handling Process Did Not Disturb the Specimens …

In-Plane Cyclic Shear Performance Of Interlocking Compressed Earth Block Walls, David William Bland

Master's Theses

This thesis presents results from testing of interlocking compressed earth block (CEB) masonry shear walls.  CEBs are low strength earth masonry units sometimes stabilized with cement or lime.  The interlocking compressed earth blocks (ICEBs) used in this experiment are dry stacked interlocking hollow units, which can be reinforced and grouted after they are laid.  Although significant research has been undertaken to optimize the material properties of CEBs, little has been done to investigate the performance of structural systems currently being built using this technology.

Test results are reported for three 1800 mm x 1800 mm wall specimens constructed with cement …

Spatial Variation And Correlation Between Undrained Shear Strength And Plasticity Index, Xin Kang, Site Onyejekwe, Louis Ge, Richard Wesley Stephenson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Soil Variability Analysis is Presented in This Paper. About 317 Unconsolidated Undrained Triaxial Compression Tests (UU) Were Carried Out on Undisturbed Samples from Four Locations in Missouri. the Spatial Variation of the Undrained Shear Strength and Plasticity Index Was Described by the Second-Moment Statistics (Mean and Variance). Meanwhile, the Correlation between the Undrained Shear Strength and Plasticity Index Was Established and Compared with Other Published Empirical Equations. the Results from the Soil Variability Analysis Provide a Framework to the Reliability-Based Design. © 2011 ASCE.

Effectiveness Of Objective Functions In Soil Model Calibration Through Numerical Optimization, Michelle Deng, Louis Ge

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

When a conventional method such as linear regression is insufficient to identify the constants and parameters of an advanced constitutive model, numerical optimization techniques are often being used. in employing numerical optimization to constitutive model calibration, an objective function essentially needs to be formulated in such way that the difference between the measured and computed data points is quantified. When a minimum value of the objection function is obtained, the corresponding variables are the optimized model constants and parameters. in this paper, a modified Cam-Clay model is calibrated against laboratory data. Three objective functions are proposed in different forms to …

Variability Analysis Of Undrained Shear Strength For Reliability-Based Design, Site Onyejekwe, Xin Kang, Louis Ge, Richard Wesley Stephenson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Description of the Spatial Variation of Compositional and Mechanical Soil Parameters is Often Paramount in Site Characterization of Geotechnical Design and Analysis. the Values of the Parameters Themselves Largely Depend on In-Situ State Factors Which Are Related to Spatial Locations. Also, for Large-Scale Engineering Projects Such as Earth Dams or Highways, It is Generally Expected that Heterogeneous Site Characteristics Will Be Revealed by Investigations at Spatially Distant Locations. Currently, Most Reliability-Based Design Methods Are based on the Second-Moment Statistics (Mean and Variance). However, They Are Unable to Adequately Describe the Spatial Variation of Soil Properties. in This Paper, Spatial Correlation …

Surface Reaction Rate And Probability Of Ozone And Alpha-Terpineol On Glass, Polyvinyl Chloride, And Latex Paint Surfaces, Shi Shu, Glenn Morrison

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ozone can react homogeneously with unsaturated organic compounds in buildings to generate undesirable products. However, these reactions can also occur on indoor surfaces, especially for low-volatility organics. Conversion rates of ozone with α-terpineol, a representative low-volatility compound, were quantified on surfaces that mimic indoor substrates. Rates were measured for α-terpineol adsorbed to beads of glass, polyvinylchloride (PVC), and dry latex paint, in a plug flow reactor. a newly defined second-order surface reaction rate coefficient, k2, was derived from the flow reactor model. the value of k2 ranged from 0.68 - 10-14 cm 4s-1molecule-1 for α-terpineol adsorbed to PVC to 3.17 …

How Much Do U.S. University Students Know, And Want To Know, About Sustainability And Green Building? The Findings Of A Survey, And Possible Implications For General Elective Curricula., Jeremy R. Farner

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Using the survey approach, this investigation examined the attitudes and interest of college students at two universities in different geographic locations within the United States.  Approximately 24,000 students from all disciplines and majors at Weber State University (WSU) in Utah, and 4,000 at Purdue University in Indiana, were invited to participate in a study to determine current knowledge, familiarity, and interest in topics within the sustainability and Green Building educational arena. The goal of this study was to determine what students already know, would like to know, and how much interest there would be in developing …

Systematic Evaluation Of A Variable Speed Limit System In St. Louis Missouri, Khushboo Lall, Ghulam H. Bham

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the systematic evaluation of Variable Speed Limit (VSL) system implemented on I-270 in St. Louis County. the system varies the speed limit in real time during periods of recurring and non-recurring congestion to prevent traffic from breaking down. the system was evaluated objectively and subjectively, and this paper describes the objective evaluation of the system. the objective evaluation was performed by comparing the traffic flow parameters during static speed limit (pre-VSL) with variable speed limit (post-VSL) by using five measures of performance: 1) speed, 2) volume, 3) occupancy, 4) travel time, and 5) congestion measures. Identification of …

An Exploratory Study Of Speed Limit Compliance In Missouri Work Zones, Mojtaba A. Mohammadi, Ghulam Bham, Hadi Khazraee

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study evaluated the speed compliance with the posted speed limit both quantitatively and qualitatively using objective and subjective data analysis. Free flow speed data for three work zones on I-44 in Missouri were used for the objective evaluation. Speeds analyzed for cars and trucks were distributed normally. Construction activity had a significant effect in reducing the speed of vehicles. Results indicate that the speeds of vehicles were statistically higher than the speed limit regardless of the construction activity, when the lane width was not reduced. the subjective evaluation investigated the drivers' perception of driving through the work zone by …

Travel Time Reliability Estimation: Use Of Median Travel Time As Measure Of Central Tendency, M. Arezoumandi, Ghulam H. Bham

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper proposes use of median travel time compared to mean travel time as the measure of central tendency to calculate Buffer Time Index (BTI), one of the most important measures of travel time reliability. This study examined gamma, exponential, largest extreme value, smallest extreme value, logistic, Weibull, lognormal and log-logistic distributions to determine the best fit to travel time data for two cases: 24 hours and peak hours for a highway with Variable Speed Limit (VSL) conditions. the goodness-of-fit tests indicated that the log-normal distribution best represented the travel time data for peak periods and log-logistic distribution better fitted …

Slip Ramp Spacing Design For Truck Only Lanes Using Microscopic Simulation, Ghulam H. Bham, Manoj Vallati

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

For the Corridors of the Future project, slip ramps will provide access to trucks between the proposed truck-only lanes (TOLs) and general-purpose lanes (GPLs) for trucks to exit using at-grade interchanges. This paper proposes recommendations for slip ramp spacing between the TOLs and the general GPLs along Missouri rural interstate highways using a microscopic simulation model, VISSIM. Simulation of peak period traffic conditions indicated that heavy vehicle speeds were directly proportional to the lengths of the merge, diverge, and link sections. the proposed design recommendations for slip ramp spacing are based on the results of these section lengths. Central composite …

Wave Passage And Ground Motion Incoherency Effects On Seismic Response Of An Extended Bridge, Aman M. Mwafy, Oh Sung Kwon, Amr Elnashai, Youssef M.A. Hashash

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper investigates the implications of ground motion spatial variability on the seismic response of an extended highway bridge. an existing 59-span, 2,164-meter bridge with several bearing types and irregularity features was selected as a reference structure. the bridge is located in the New Madrid Seismic Zone and supported on thick layers of soil deposits. Site-specific bedrock input ground motions were selected based on a refined probabilistic seismic hazard analysis of the bridge site. Wave passage and ground motion incoherency effects were accounted for after propagating the bedrock records to the ground surface. the results obtained from inelastic response-history analyses …

Develop Energy Dashboard For Real-Time Campus Energy Use Monitoring, Hsui-Lin Winkler, Charlene Hoegler, William Batina

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.

How Much Do U.S. University Students Know, And Want To Know, About Sustainability And Green Building? The Findings Of A Survey, And Possible Implications For General Elective Curriculum., Jeremy R. Farner

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Using the survey approach, this investigation examined the attitudes and interest of college students at two universities in different geographic locations within the United States.  Approximately 24,000 students from all disciplines and majors at Weber State University (WSU) in Utah, and 4,000 at Purdue University in Indiana, were invited to participate in a study to determine current knowledge, familiarity, and interest in topics within the sustainability and Green Building educational arena. The goal of this study was to determine what students already know, would like to know, and how much interest there would be in developing …

Stochastic Hybrid Embodied Co2-Eq Analysis: An Application To The Irish Apartment Building Sector, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy, Biswajit Basu

Articles

Although embodiedCO2-eq analysis has seen recent developments as evident in the establishment of the ISO14040 and 14044 LCA standards, it is recognized that due to weaknesses in gathering data on product-related emissions,embodiedCO2-eq values are probabilistic. This paper presents a stochastic analysis of hybrid embodied CO2-eq in buildings to account for this weakness in traditional methods and, by way of example, applies it to an Irish construction-sector case study. Using seven apartment buildings, 70,000 results are simulated with Monte Carlo analysis and used to derive probabilistic and cumulative embodied CO2-eq intensity distributions for apartment buildings in Ireland. A Wakeby distribution with …

Asce 7–05 Design Rule For Relative Strength In A Tall Buckling-Restrained Braced Frame Dual System, Lisa J. Aukeman

Master's Theses

In mid- to high-rise structures, dual systems (DS) enable a structural designer to satisfy the stringent drift limitations of current codes without compromising ductility. Currently, ASCE 7-05 permits a variety of structural systems to be used in combination as a dual system yet the design requirements are limited to the following statement: Moment frames must be capable of resisting 25% of the seismic forces while the moment frames and braced frames or shear walls must be capable of resisting the entire seismic forces in proportion to their relative rigidities.

This thesis assesses the significance of the 25% design requirement for …

Postearthquake Recovery Of A Water Distribution System: Discrete Event Simulation Using Colored Petri Nets, Ronaldo Luna, Nandini Balakrishnan, Cihan H. Dagli

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Planning and preparedness is essential for any resilient infrastructure system. Modeling and simulation give engineers and planners a better understanding of the system and help them make better decisions. the objective of this study is to demonstrate an improved model for the disaster restoration process by using a discrete event simulation approach. the study also aims to help improve the post-earthquake restoration process by simulating restoration curves. in this paper, colored Petri nets are used to model the system and to simulate its behavior. the resource allocation after a rare event such as an earthquake differs from the resource allocation …

A Financial Impact Assessment Of Ld 1725: Stream Crossings, New England Environmental Finance Center, Muskie School Of Public Service

Water

This report looks at the potential financial impact of LD 1725 on the estimated 30,000 stream crossings in the State of Maine that would be affected by the law. Our research for this report included the analysis of nearly 2000 stream crossings and the data collection necessary for the development of extensive stream crossing replacement cost models. We found that the 1.2 bankfull requirements in LD 1725 would result in a 75% ‐ 250% increase in structure widths for stream crossing projects across the state. An upsize of this magnitude would increase the cost of replacing stream crossings statewide by …

A Financial Impact Assessment Of Ld 1725: Stream Crossings Presentation, New England Environmental Finance Center

Economics and Finance

This report looks at the potential financial impact of LD 1725 on the estimated 30,000 stream crossings in the State of Maine that would be affected by the law. Our research for this report included the analysis of nearly 2000 stream crossings and the data collection necessary for the development of extensive stream crossing replacement cost models. We found that the 1.2 bankfull requirements in LD 1725 would result in a 75% ‐ 250% increase in structure widths for stream crossing projects across the state. An upsize of this magnitude would increase the cost of replacing stream crossings statewide by …

Physical Impact Of Waterjet-Based Sediment Remediation On Benthic Organisms, Grace Harper, Andrew Curtis Elmore, Christopher Redell, Gavin Risley, Joel Gerard Burken

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Adding Activated Carbon to Sediments Has Been Shown to Be an Effective Means of Reducing the Bioavailability of Certain Contaminants. the Current State of the Practice is to Mechanically Mix Activated Carbon to a Target Concentration of 3 Percent at Depths of Approximately 30 Cm using a Rotovator or Similar Construction Equipment. Waterjets Have Been Used to Cut Hard Material using a Mixture of Water and an Abrasive. If Activated Carbon is Substituted for the Abrasive, Waterjets Have the Potential to Use Surface Injection as a Replacement for Mechanical Mixing during Sediment Remediation. a Perceived Benefit of Waterjet-Based Sediment Remediation …

Development Of A Waterjet System For Direct Delivery Of Granular Iron And Activated Carbon To Remediate Contaminated Aqueous Sediments, Gavin H.R. Risley, Andrew Curtis Elmore, Joel Gerard Burken, Grzegorz (Greg) Galecki

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

While the Techniques and Technologies Associated with Contaminated Sediment Remediation Are Relatively Mature, There Are Several Issues Associated with These Practices that Make Them Unattractive. the Inability of Currently Used Mechanical Mixing Implements to Place Amendments in Aqueous Environments and their Intrusive Behavior toward Benthic Communities Are Just Two Examples of a Necessity for an Improved Delivery Method. Waterjets May Be a Viable Option for Placement of Particulate Remediation Amendments, Such as Activated Carbon and Granular Iron, at Depth. a Custom Waterjet Nozzle and Injection System Has Been Fabricated by the Authors to Examine This Delivery Concept. the Developed Injection …

Special Section On Advanced Modeling And Numerical Simulations In Geomechanics, Louis Ge, Dar Hao Chen, Rafiqul Alam Tarefder

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

A Web-Based Learning Module For Teaching Gis Within The Context Of Environmental Engineering, Sirjana Dahal, Richard H. Hall, Glenn Morrison, Seth Paul Lamble, Ronaldo Luna

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

There is a Growing Need for Teaching Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Engineering Disciplines, Such as Environmental. However, There Has Been Limited Focus on GIS in Undergraduate Programs, Since It's Difficult to Fit a GIS Class into the Large Number of Class Requirements Already Included in Engineering Curricula. the Purpose of This Research is the Evaluation of Web-Based Learning Module Created by a Multidisciplinary Team at a Midwestern Technological Research University, Which Allows Instructors to Integrate GIS Instruction into Existing Courses. This Module is One Part of a Large-Scale National Science Foundation Funded Project in Which GIS Modules Are Being …

Localization Of Free-Spanning Damage Using Mode Shape Curvature, Guirong Yan, Xuelin Peng, Hong Hao

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Study Proposes a Damage Indicator based on Mode Shape Curvature to Localize Free-Spanning Damage of Submarine Pipeline Systems. the Feasibility of Curvatures of Low-Frequency Mode Shapes for Localizing Free-Spanning Damage of Pipeline Systems is Discussed, and Damage Indicators based on Mode Shape Curvatures Are Proposed. the Efficacy of the Proposed Damage Indicators is Demonstrated by Numerical Simulations of Dynamic Responses of a Submarine Pipeline under Ambient Conditions with Considering the Real Subsea Environment. the Proposed Approach is Simple, Which Does Not Require Baseline Data, and Thus is Promising in Practical Applications. © 2011 Published under Licence by IOP Publishing …

High-Strength Selfconsolidating Concrete Girders Subjected To Elevated Compressive Fiber Stresses, Part 2: Structural Behavior, Jared E. Brewe, John J. Myers

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The design of prestressed concrete members is restricted by the requirement that the extreme compressive fiber stress at midspan be less than 60% of the concrete compressive strength at release of prestressing. the purported purpose of this limit is to provide serviceability performance, but it places unnecessary limits on the capability of the materials. for this research program, six prestressed concrete girders were produced with high-strength, self-consolidating concrete and subjected to elevated compressive fiber stress levels ranging from 65% to 84% of initial concrete compressive strength at release of prestressing. Part 1 of this series analyzed time-dependent prestress losses and …

Reaction Rates Of Ozone And Terpenes Adsorbed To Model Indoor Surfaces, M. Springs, J. R. Wells, Glenn Morrison

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Reaction rates and reaction probabilities have been quantified on model indoor surfaces for the reaction of ozone with two monoterpenes (Δ3-carene and d-limonene). Molar surface loadings were obtained by performing breakthrough experiments in a plug-flow reactor (PFR) packed with beads of glass, polyvinylchloride or zirconium silicate. Reaction rates and probabilities were determined by equilibrating the PFR with both the terpene and the ozone and measuring the ozone consumption rate. to mimic typical indoor conditions, temperatures of 20, 25, and 30°C were used in both types of experiments along with a relative humidity ranging from 10% to 80%. the molar surface …