Engineering Commons^™

Assessing The Performance Of High-Rap Mixtures Incorporating Crude Vegetable Oils And An Antioxidant From Mechanical, Environmental, And Economic Perspectives, Nitish R. Bastola

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Utilization of mixtures with high amounts of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in the pavement industry is limited because of the adverse effects of aged materials in recycled asphalt materials. To date, numerous approaches have been used to reduce the adversity of RAP in mixtures. One such approach is the use of recycling agents (RAs) from various sources, such as petroleum and bio-oil. However, the current need is to maximize the use of RAP by adopting a sustainable source of RAs. Therefore, this study uses two RAs based on vegetable oils (crude soybean oil and crude corn oil) with high-RAP mixtures …

Non-Destructive Means Of Predicting Masonry Prism Strength Using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (Upv), Connor J. Barlow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Current ASTM standards call for grouted masonry prisms to be tested for compressive strength at 28-days to ensure compliance with the structural design. In the event of failing tests, the subject samples may require redesign or reconstruction which can pose problems due to ongoing development around and including the prisms between the time of placement and obtaining test results. The purpose of this research is to determine if the use of ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) testing can be utilized to determine a correlation between prism composite strength of the masonry prism with ultrasound readings as to provide preliminary means of …

Preferences Toward Augmented Reality Technologies For Pedestrian Navigation, Victoria Alejandra Diaz Mejia

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the demand for pedestrian navigation supported by augmented reality (AR) via headset and mobile technologies by evaluating factors specific to each technology and the decision makers. Recent advances in digital engineering systems, e.g., digital twins and smart cities, are enabling new services like AR-supported wayfinding for pedestrians. Still, it is unknown whether American pedestrians would use AR, the type devices and feature that add value to their navigation, the demographic profiles more inclined to AR wayfinding, and the sensitivity of such demand to software and hardware cost. As the first investigation addressing the demand for AR pedestrian …

Upgrading The Performance Of Steel Beams Using Fastened Advanced Composite Materials, Omnia Ragab Abouelhamd

Dissertations

Bonding Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRP) is commonly used to enhance the structural performance of existing steel beams; however, the brittle failure at the adhesive risks the effectiveness of the bonded system. Fastening FRP is recently proposed to avoid the brittle failure of the adhesive. Promising outcomes of few studies on fastened FRPsteel system provoked the interest to investigate the effects of various fastening parameters on the performance of fastened FRP-steel beams.

This study investigates, experimentally and numerically, the impact of various fastening parameters on the performance of fastened FRP-steel beams. The proposed method involves fastening carbon-glass hybrid FRP (HFRP) strips to …

Machine-Learning-Based Model For Hurricane Storm Surge Forecasting In The Lower Laguna Madre, Cesar E. Davila Hernandez, Jungseok Ho, Dong-Chul Kim, Abdoul Oubeidillah

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

During every Atlantic hurricane season, storms represent a constant risk to Texan coastal communities and other communities along the Atlantic coast of the United States. A storm surge refers to the abnormal rise of sea water level due to hurricanes and storms; traditionally, hurricane storm surge predictions are generated using complex numerical models that require high amounts of computing power to be run, which grow proportionally with the extent of the area covered by the model. In this work, a machine-learning-based storm surge forecasting model for the Lower Laguna Madre is implemented. The model considers gridded forecasted weather data on …

Service-Learning For Infrastructure Improvements In Herald Square - Accuracy, Gabriela Funes, Tanvir Ahmed, Annie Benson, William A. Loyed

Eagle Showcase: Excellence in Service-Learning (Archived)

Generation of Terrestrial LiDAR model to assist in the design of public infrastructure.

Service-Learning Modeling For Infrastructure Improvements In Herald Square, Shane M. Henry, Hayden A. Holder, Joel Juarez, Teresa M. Macias, Zenan C. Merritt, Luke H. Ward, Aniya A. Williams

Eagle Showcase: Excellence in Service-Learning (Archived)

Use of terrestrial LiDAR scanner in Service-Learning project to assist the design of public infrastructure.

Investigating The Severity And Rate Of Occurrence Of Motorcycle Crashes Across Different Land Uses In Georgia, Robert Edwards

Symposium of Student Scholars

In 2020, motorcycle crashes reached their highest number of fatalities nationally since 1975, when 5,579 motorcyclists were killed. Georgia, in recent years, has seen an increase in the number of fatal multi-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles. This would be indicative of the general trend and nothing more if the number of motorcycle crashes reported outside of urban populations did not increase—despite lockdown measures—by 1.7% in 2020. In this investigation, employing a thorough examination of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Crash Data (GDOT) compiled from the last ten years and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) compiled from the last five years, …

Behavior Analysis Of Cement Concrete With Combination Of Waste Rubber And Glass, Abdulaziz Alebra

Symposium of Student Scholars

Glass and Rubber waste materials are valuable materials to use rather than throw which we have more than enough to use and recycle. Recycled glass and rubber materials can reduce and help major climate issues in our times based on the statistics reducing glass can bring down air pollution by 20% and also reduce water pollution by 50% as well as can reduce the use of landfill space. A laboratory study will be launched, and tests will be conducted following the ASTM standards, ASTM C143 for a concrete slump, and ASTM C31 for making and curing concrete specimens. Samples of …

Evaluation Of The Effect Of Mls Density Level Data On Dem, Essam Ghanem, Mostafa Rabah, Fekry Ashraf

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Mobile laser scanning (MLS) systems are quickly establishing themselves as the primary source of high-quality digital elevation models (DEM). Data density is the key element that determine the quality of DEMs. Moreover, point density acts a vital role in MLS operation planning and MLS project's cost. This study's goal was to evaluate the impact of point density from MLS on creating DEMs and the accuracy of computed volume in different interpolation methods. The finding demonstrated that the DEM's quality and the volume are more impacted by density level and interpolation method. Interpolation methods are affected by point density. There is …

The Predicting And Modelling Of Commonly Used Structural Steels Under Cyclic Loading, Adam Maroni

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Three Minute Thesis

Laboratory Evaluation Of The Geotechnical Properties Of Biochar-Amended Clay, Brett Natelborg

Senior Honors Theses

The upkeep and rehabilitation of infrastructure damage related to the shrinking and swelling of expansive soils have cost the United States billions of dollars. Biochar, an innovative and eco-friendly additive proven to improve soil permeability, nutrient retention, and mechanical properties, is investigated as an additive to Mississippi chalk. The index properties of the chalk were determined and used to characterize its nature. The geotechnical engineering properties of the chalk amended with 6% and 12% biochar were evaluated via the Proctor compaction, compression, and direct shear tests. Results were analyzed to make comparative remarks on how the behavior of the chalk …

Veterans Memorial Park In Colon, Mi, Madelyn Landry

Honors Theses

Located in St. Joseph County, MI, the Village of Colon offers a charming small-town feel and a close connection with nature. For this project, our team will be working to create a new design for a small community park located in the downtown area of Colon along the shores of Palmer Lake. The American Legion is seeking to re-imagine the park into a Veterans memorial to celebrate the service of village residents who have served in the armed forces. Elements requested to be incorporated into the memorial include granite stonework with etched displays, flags for each branch of the military, …

Machine Learning Technique For Damage Detection Of Rails On Steel Railroad Bridges Subjected To Moving Train Load, Md Masnun Rahman, Mohsen Amjadian, Mahesh Pokhrel, Constantine Tarawneh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Rail is one of the key elements of the railway system, and its role is to transmit the wheel load to the track bed and guide the train cars along the track. Rail is susceptible to rolling contact fatigue and wear due to being repeatedly subjected to the moving load of the train. This can eventually result in broken-rail damage and train derailment, which if happens on a railroad bridge, it can severely damage the bridge, such as the structural failure of the Tempe Town Lake steel railroad bridge in July 2020 that costed $11 million to repair. Therefore, early …

Calibration And Use Of S3f Sensor For Normal And Shear Stress Measurements In Soil, Hussein Alqrinawi

LSU Master's Theses

Innovative sensors can provide new capabilities to monitor and understand the behavior of soil, rock, and geo-structures and help geotechnical engineers make informed decisions about the construction and maintenance of geo-structures. This study introduced, calibrated, and validated one such sensor, the Surface Stress Sensitive Film (S3F) point sensor, for both normal and shear stress measurements in soil along the soil-structure interface. The measurements of S3F sensor rely on the deformation of an elastic film that is monitored by a floating element embedded in the elastic film. This sensor provides measurements of the 3D deformation of the film which are converted …

Numerical Investigations Of Gfrc Beams Strengthened In Shear With Innovative Techniques, Marwa H. Bondok, Gamal I. Khaleel, Ahmed S. Debaiky, Mohamed H. Makhlouf

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This paper discusses the Finite Element analysis (FE) conducted to predict the behavior of Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) beams without shear reinforcement (stirrups) and strengthen them with proposed techniques to increase their shear strength. for this study, A total of eighteen (18) (120 * 300 * 2200 mm) specimens were modeled using Ansys™ mechanical. The main variables were the percentage of discrete glass fiber in the concrete (0.0, 0.6, and 1.2%), the type of main reinforcing bars (steel or GFRP), the shear strengthening material (GFRP or steel) links, the strengthening systems (side near-surface mounted (SNSM) bars, externally bonded (EB) …

System Dynamics And Topsis Models For Sustainable Building Materials Selection Considering Life Cycle Assessment, Shimaa Elshoubaky, Emad Elbeltagi, Mohammed Abd Elrahman, Islam Elmasoudi

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Construction industry is the most contributor to the environmental impacts. Achieving sustainability in construction is complicated, but one of the most optimal strategies is selecting sustainable building materials.

The major goal of this study is to present a new idea for choosing sustainable building materials (SBMs) by simulating sustainability parameters' behaviour. This research proposes a System Dynamics (SD) model along with the TOPSIS method based on the dynamic interactions among a number of sustainable criteria to help decision makers in sustainable building materials selection. The sustainable criteria that form system boundary are determined from previous studies and experts′ opinions. The …

Examining The Impact Of Different Street Lighting Schemes On Traffic Safety And Drivers’ Behaviors At Unsignalized Intersections, Hisham Mohamed Abdu Kunnah

LSU Master's Theses

Lack of visibility is one of the main challenges that significantly impact drivers’ ability to safely perform driving tasks at night especially at unsignalized intersections. Several prior studies indicated that lighting enhances nighttime traffic safety. Nevertheless, lighting is not mandatory at unsignalized intersections in many states including Louisiana. This study aimed to investigate if lack of lighting is a contributing factor that affects traffic safety at unsignalized intersections in Louisiana. In addition, this study strived to identify current lighting policies adopted by other states, examine if there are any low-cost countermeasures implemented by other states to improve nighttime visibility, and …

Assessing The Ability Of Arduino-Based Sensor Systems To Monitor Changes In Water Quality, Josiah Hacker

Honors College Theses

Access to safe water is vital to public health. While developed countries like the United States are recognized as having reliable and safe water, many small water utilities struggle with supplying consistent water quality. Technicians of these utilities will periodically test water samples from the influent and throughout the distribution system. However, this laborious and costly process does not capture sudden changes in influent water quality due to environmental conditions or pipes breaking in the distribution system. Here I show how an Arduino-based sensor can be used as a real-time, low-cost monitor of water quality parameters. Specifically, I developed a …

The Influence Of The Addition Of Recycled Asphalt Shingles On The Compressive Strength Of Concrete, William E. Webb

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) as an additive on the compressive strength of concrete. This was accomplished by designing a concrete mix and creating 4” by 8” cylindrical test specimens containing 0, 5, 10, and 15 percent RAS by weight. The compressive strength was measured through axial loading until failure utilizing a compression testing apparatus. With these results, a relationship between the content of RAS and compressive strength was able to be developed, giving insight as to how RAS could be used in concrete mixes in the future. This study …

Component Testing And Characterization Of An Innovative Pressurized Sand Damper For The Response Modification Of Structures, Konstantinos Kalfas

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

This study is partly motivated by the need to develop sustainable energy dissipation devices that do not suffer from oil leakage due to failure of their end seals and from displacement limitations; and partly from the need to develop a robust damper that consists only of traditional civil engineering materials (sand and steel) in association with the use of post-tensioned steel rods with which practitioner civil engineers are familiar. Past failures of fluid dampers are both disruptive and costly, therefore not in-line with the current design paradigm of sustainable engineering, where the design and construction of structural systems shall meet …

An Inexpensive, Reproducible Method To Quantify Activated Sludge Foaming Potential: Validation Through Lab-Scale Studies And Year-Long Full-Scale Sampling Campaign, Grace K. Scarim, Emily Lou Lamartina, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Daniel Zitomer, Ryan J. Newton, Patrick J. Mcnamara

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Activated sludge is a conventional treatment process for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). Foaming events are a common operational issue in activated sludge and can lead to decreased treatment efficiency, maintenance issues, and potential environmental health risks. Stable foaming events are caused by biological and chemical drivers (i.e., microbes and surfactants) during the aeration process. However, foaming events are difficult to predict and quantify. We present an inexpensive and easy-to-use method that can be applied at WRRFs to quantify foaming potential. Subsequently, the method was applied over a year-long …

Serviceability Analysis And Feasibility Study Of Rooftop Pv System On Commercial Buildings In New York City, Daniel A. Shedo

Master's Theses

Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) blocks (Ballasts) to counterbalance an uplift wind pressure on Photovoltaic (PV) panels have been used widely. In contrast to mechanically attaching PV panels through penetration of a roof slab, the use of CMU blocks is preferred by many building owners, as penetrating and attaching the panels to a roof slab will pose a serious threat to the warranty of roof membranes, which typically last for 30 years. On the other hand, placing CMU blocks along with PV panels and other system components on a rooftop slab adds additional dead load, which may raise a concern regarding …

Load Rating Evaluation Of Deteriorated Prestressed Channel Girders, Alexander Zane Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is conducting a multi-year effort to load rate its inventory of over 9,400 bridges. This includes many bridges that are load posted due to potential structural considerations (e.g., outdated design loads, members whose capacity is difficult to assess, structural degradation). The number of load-posted bridges in South Carolina is expected to increase significantly due to recent efforts from SCDOT to assess the current state of bridge infrastructure. It is expected that the increased scrutiny may result in more load postings, which in turn may lead to restrictions on truck routes, potential bridge closures, …

Speckle Development And Application In Uav-Based Digital Image Correlation For Transportation Infrastructure Monitoring And Assessment, Taylor Wyatt

Theses and Dissertations

A critical aspect of civil infrastructure is structural health monitoring, of which digital image correlation (DIC) has been proven to be an effective and appropriate method. There is sufficient literature on the use of stationary DIC, but an unexplored aspect is DIC-equipped unmanned aircraft systems. It has been verified in University of South Carolina labs but has not been proved in a field environment. One of the challenges of field implementation is large scale speckle application. This work focusses on identifying and addressing challenges in bringing UAV-DIC technology from the lab to the field. This includes the development of optimized …

Vibration Control Of A Two-Story Base-Isolated Building Using A New Tuned Mass Multi-Sliding Friction Damper, Mohsen Amjadian, Syed Muhammad Bilal Haider

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper studies the use of a new Tuned Mass Multi-Sliding Friction Damper (TMMSFD) to increase the damping capacity of seismic isolators installed on a two-story base-isolated building to limit their lateral deformations. The proposed TMMSFD consists of a set of several masses that are laterally attached to the superstructure floor through linear springs. These masses are placed on top of each other one by one and are allowed to slide with respect to each other during the earthquake. The bottom mass that carries the weight of upper masses is in contact with the superstructure floor. The damping of system …

Peak And Differential Temperature Determination Of Drilled Shafts, Amanda A. Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The term “mass concrete” characterizes a specific concrete condition that typically requires unique considerations to mitigate extreme temperature effects on a structure. Mass concrete has historically been defined by the physical dimensions of a “mass”-ive concrete element with the intent of identifying when differential temperatures may induce early-onset cracking, leading to reduced service life. More recently, in addition to differential temperature considerations, extreme upper temperature limits have been imposed by the American Concrete Institute to prevent long-term concrete degradation. Studies dating back to 2007 show shafts as small as 48 inches in diameter can exceed both differential and peak temperature …

Physics-Based Crystal Plasticity Model For Predicting Microstructure Evolution And Dislocation Densities, Juyoung Jeong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This work presents three different studies investigating plastic deformation mechanisms in metals and alloys using crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) modeling. The first study presents a new nonlocal crystal plasticity model for face-centered cubic single crystals under heterogeneous inelastic deformation. The model incorporates generalized constitutive relations that incorporate the thermally activated and drag mechanisms to cover different kinetics of viscoplastic flow in metals and describes the plastic flow and yielding of single-crystals using dislocation densities. The model is compared to micropillar compression experiments for copper single crystals and clarifies the complex microstructural evolution of dislocation densities in metals. The second …

Analytical Method For Predicting Lateral Facing Deflection Of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Soil Abutment Walls, Thang Pham, S. Mustapha Rahmaninezhad, Andres Palma, Truc Phan, Thuy Vu

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) walls have been recently used as bridge abutments to directly support spread footings on the reinforced soil mass. This application reduces the requirement for using traditional deep foundations, such as piles or drilled shafts, to support bridge beams. GRS abutment walls are generally subjected to high footing loads that are close to the wall facing. Although GRS abutment walls with modular block facing have been the subject of a number of studies, there are limited methods to predict the profile of the lateral facing deflections along the height of the GRS abutment walls. Lateral deflections along the …

Port-Of-Entry Simulation Model For Potential Wait Time Reduction And Air Quality Improvement: A Case Study At The Gateway International Bridge In Brownsville, Texas, Usa, Benjamin Stewart, Hiram Moya, Amit U. Raysoni, Esmeralda Mendez, Matthew Vechione

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The mathematical study known as queueing theory has recently become a major point of interest for many government agencies and private companies for increasing efficiency. One such application is vehicle queueing at an international port-of-entry (POE). When queueing, fumes from idling vehicles negatively affect the overall health and well-being of the community, especially the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents that work at the POEs. As such, there is a need to analyze and optimize the border crossing queuing operations to minimize wait times and number of vehicles in the queue and, thus, reduce the vehicle emissions. For this …