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Irish Building Services News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Irish H & V News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Rock Model Testing Capability At The New Jersey Institute Of Technology And Testing Of Plane Stress Models Possessing A Central Circular Opening With A Nearby Horizontal Discontinuity, David R. Good

Theses

This thesis had three main objectives. They were to develop a rock model testing capability at N.J.I.T. by (1) developing and building a load testing frame for rock models, including all necessary appurtenances and load measuring devices, (2) developing a rock modelling material and quantifying its properties, and (3) applying the capabilities described in items 1 and 2.

A high capacity load test frame was constructed from structural steel members. Heavy screw rams were utilized to apply load and specially constructed proving rings were employed to accurately measure load. Additionally, load platens and other support equipment were constructed.

The model …

Effect Of Fabric On Stress-Strain Relation, Volume Change, And Dynamic Shear Modulus Of Ottawa Sand, Ming-Tarng Chen

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

To evaluate the effect of fabric on stress-strain behavior, volume change, and the dynamic shear modulus of Ottawa sand, four series of tests on hollow cylindrical specimens were performed by a torsional simple shear/resonant apparatus. All specimens were first isotropically consolidated, and then sheared along the different stress paths while keeping the mean effective stress constant. The test results showed that depositional fabric had a slight influence on the stress-strain behavior, and one half-cycle of pre-shearing created a clear anisotropy on the stress-strain response. The intermediate principal stress had a dominant effect on volume change characteristics but it might not …

Optimal Allocation Of Water Among Industries In Dar Es Salaam City, Tanzania, J. I. Matondo

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Dar es Salaam is the city with the largest number of industries in Tanzania. However, the water demand for these industries is more than the supply. Therefore, there is a water use competing problem among the industries. Dynamic programming technique has been applied to optimally allocate the available water among the industries with the objective of maximizing the net benefits. Results reveal that, industries with the highest net return per unit of water will get the first priority of being allocated water.

Estimation Of In-Situ Compression Index Of Contaminated Clays Using The Electrical Method, Prasanna Ratnaweera

Theses

For contaminated clay soils, it has been found that current testing methods to determine compressibility characteristics do not truly identify the physico-chemiral interaction present in the soil-pore fluid-electrolyte system. Most methods are virtually impracticable due to various reasons such as evaporation of pore-fluid, difficulty of handling toxic chemicals, etc. Also, destructive test methods may not maintain in-situ conditions while testing.

The electrical properties of soils, the dielectric dispersion in particular is considered to represent the amount of physico-chemical interaction present in the soil-pore fluid-electrolyte system. For uncontaminated soils, correlations between the dielectric dispersion and the slope of the isotropic consolidation …

Friedman's Model Of Calculating The Optimum Bid Price Using Dbase Iii Plus, Selim Uzel

Theses

The micro-computer program, BIDCALC presented in this thesis is offered as simple, practical, and proven approach to developing an effective data-based competitive bidding strategy. BIDCALC is written in dBASE III Plus programming language for MS-DOS based computers.

Main purpose of the program is to evaluate the optimum bid using the Friedman's model of Maximizing the Expected Profit. At the same time the program keeps track of necessary competitor and project information in data base files which are easily transferable to other software packages. The program is capable of generating a variety of reports in a matter of seconds.

BIDCALC is …

Estimation Of Modified Proctor Densities Based On Visual Identification, Ramesh Damodaram

Theses

Often in construction jobs requiring controlled compaction, there is a delay involved in testing the soil sample to be used as a structural fill. Here a rational approach has been adopted to get these values from 600 test data available. Using these data, appropriate relationships between grain sizes, maximum dry densities and optimum moisture content were developed. From these, two tables were derived to estimate the maximum dry density and optimum moisture content based on grain size distribution.

In a fill control job, if the borrow pit happens to change, the field personnel could obtain soil samples and send them …

Determination Of Project Duration For Resource Constrained Projects Without Using Resource Scheduling Procedure, Rabindra Nath Karmakar

Theses

The problem addressed in this thesis is that of determining the practicability of equating measures of network and resource characteristics to the early finish date of a project which is constrained by resources. The output of standard critical path calculations along with information on resource profiles that are easy to calculate can be of use in estimating resource constrained project duration.

Twenty two different equations ( developed by Hall) were used to find the estimated project finish dates. These results were compared to the schedule resulting from the application of the heuristic rule of minimum activity float. It is shown …

Softening Response Of Concrete In Direct Tension, Teresa Cintora

Theses

Due to the increased attention in nonlinear fracture mechanics and numerical methods of cementitious material, it has become necessary to have a reliable investigation of the post-peak softening response of concrete under direct uniaxial loading. But due to the brittleness of the material previous researchers have encountered great difficulty in obtaining complete data regarding the load-deformation behavior. This study uses a strain-controlled testing method and therefore the post-peak curve can be more easily obtained. Based on these results a unique formula for the normalized load vs. deformation curve has been proposed to be applied in fracture analysis applications.

Study Of The Structure And Capacity Of Construction Industry In Pakistan, Tayyab A. Ansari

Theses

The construction industry is the second largest sector in Pakistan's economy after agriculture. It is a fragmented industry which includes very small and very large contracting groups. It includes professional groups such as architects, engineers, management personnel etc. Major part of this industry is dominated by material's suppliers, vendors etc.

In the light of the developments which have taken place particularly over the last ten years, the study has covered the capacity of the construction industry in terms of estimated output, availability of manpower, demand and production of building materials , financial problems, credit, quality of work, the role of …

Sorptive And Geotechnical Characteristics Of Kaolinite, Chi-Yuan Shih

Theses

The sorption/desorption behavior of phenol and chlorobenzene as well as their influence on geotechnical characteristics of kaolinite were studied. The results reveal that the sorption process follows closely with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm whereas the sorption/desorption ratio depends upon the characteristics of organic compounds.

A series of geotechnical properties tests was also undertaken after achieving equilibrium at different concentrations of organic compounds. It was found that the parameters such as liquid limit, plastic limit, optimum moisture content, and dry density increase with an increasing-concentration of organic compounds.

The relationship between the geotechnical, properties and sorption behavior of soils provides the …

Expert Systems Approach For Means Of Egress Analysis, Dimitrios N. Dontas

Theses

The use of Expert Systems has grown dramatically during the 1980's. Developed as a branch of Artificial intelligence, knowledge based Expert Systems were at first of academic interest only. With successful application of knowledge based Expert Systems to medical and other diagnostic problems, industrial and commercial use of this technique is also increasing significantly. As of 1986, fifty percent of the Fortune 500 companies are embarked in their own Expert Systems research.

A variety of knowledge based Expert Systems has been developed for the Civil Engineering design and construction industries. The applications cover a wide range of subjects, including among …

Sorption Characteristics And Their Effects On Geotechnical Properties Of Clay Soils, Arambawattage Mahendra Rodrigo

Theses

An experimental investigation on the sorption characteristics of clay soils with liquid organics (phenol, chlorophenol, nitrophenol and chlorobenzene) and their effects upon geotechnical properties was undertaken. The investigation consisted of two different phases, namely, (1) the sorption/ desorption study, including kinetic rate, equilibrium time, isotherm modeling, and (2) geotechnical properties due to clay/ liquid organic interactions. The results of kinetic rate study indicate that the equilibration time for the contaminants way dependent upon the hydrophobic or the hydrophelic nature of the chemical. For equilibrium adsorption models, the linear isotherm was found to be the best fit in predicting sorption capacities …

Irish H & V News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

A Hydrological Characterization Of A Zero-Order Basin In Volcanic Hillslope Terrain, Neil A. Mock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hydrologists have displayed a renewed effort towards understanding the complexity of runoff generation and its association with basin structure. Basin structure is defined as the complex geomorphological, vegetation, and soil characteristics that make up and distinguish the physical nature of a drainage basin. Zero-order basins are an integral part of watershed structure because they furnish the capacity to store and transmit snowmelt and rainfall. By definition, zero-order basins are sub-basins which are depressions in the surf ace and shallow bedrock topography. This study involves a space time characterization of a zero-order basin in fractured media located in southwest Idaho.

The …

Irish H & V News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Irish H & V News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Reliability Of Existing Bridge Inspection And Evaluation Procedures, Leroy R. Klouser

Theses

In general, bridge inspection is subjective since visual observation and the basic inspection tools cannot reveal hidden structural deterioration, such as corrosive and delaminated rebars embedded in the concrete. Based on the NJDOT SI&A report, a scale (9 to 0) is used in rating five bridge components. This approach seems reasonable, since the time span, manpower and cost are limited throughout the counties of New Jersey. On the other hand, based on the scaling system, the SI&A reports can vary depending upon the exposed surface appearance and the experience of the bridge inspector.

Water, de-icing agents, freezing and thawing cycles …

Use Of Latex Modified Concrete For Repairs And Overlays, Chen-Hoang Lo

Theses

Latex modified concrete and polymer concrete have been widely used for bridge deck overlays and crack repairs for the past decade. In recent years, many of these repaired structures were found to be defective. The causes of these failures are not clearly confirmed. Some blame the quality of the latex products while manufacturers accuse the contractors of improper placement and/or surface preparation. While most of these failures largely appeared to be debonding and delamination of the overlays, excessive cracks, possibly shrinkage cracks, were also reported in the overlaid LMC.

To evaluate the suitability of using latex modified concrete for crack …

Column Base Plate Under Eccentric Loading, Ja-Pung Sheu

Theses

The understanding of the strength and deformational behavior of column base plates is of paramount importance in the analysis and design of pipe and pressure vessel supports. Both elastic and plastic stress analyses, using ANSYS computer program to simulate the strength and deformation of column base plates anchored over a concrete block with an eccentric load, are presented in this study. The work presented here includes the effects of bolt pretension and prying actions of stressed flexible plates.

The analytical results were benchmarked with the published test data by D.P. Thambiratnam and P. Paramasivam for the maximum longitudinal strain along …

Material Characterization Of Hot-Mix Recycled Bituminous Pavements : Executive Summary, Leonard E. Wood, Ahmed Samy Noureldin

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

An Automatic Quantitative Image Analysis System For Construction Materials : Executive Summary, Dexiang Shi

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Erosion On Cut Or Fill Slopes, Jen-Chen Fan

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Structural Behavior Of High Strength Concrete Prestressed I-Beams, Volume Ii: Executive Summary, M. Keith Kaufman, J. A. Ramirez

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Effects Of Routine Maintenance On Highway Surface Conditions : Informational Report, Turki Ibrahim. Al-Suleiman, Kumares C. Sinha

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Prototype System For Snow Route Design And Management, J. R. Wright

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Behavior Of Reinforced Loess Specimens Under Triaxial Load, Mohammad Taghi Izadi

Masters Theses

"Effects of reinforcement on shear strength of a loessial (silty) soil arc studied. Unconsolidated undrained triaxial tests are performed on unreinforced and fabric reinforced soil specimens. Analyses of the test results showed that in general the shear strength of remolded loess specimens were improved substantially and increase in the shear strength was directly related to reinforcement spacing.

The mechanism of soil-reinforcement interaction and several existing analytical models are described. A modified analytical model based on enhanced confining theory is developed. This model can be used in assessing the effects of the reinforcement on shear strength of triaxial specimens. Comparison of …

Effects Of Asphalt Composition And Compaction On The Performance Of Asphalt Pavement Mixtures: Executive Summary, Leonard E. Wood, A. G. Altschaeffl

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Priority Assessment Of Routine Maintenance Needs And Optimal Programming : Interim Report, Tien Fang Fwa, John Daniel Riverson, Kumares C. Sinha

JTRP Technical Reports

No abstract provided.