Engineering Commons^™

Characterization And Performance Of Cement-Based Thermoelectric Materials, Ruchita Jani, Niall Holmes, Roger P. West, Kevin Gaughan, Xiaoli Liu, Esther Orisakwee, Conrad Johnston, Ming Qu, Jorge Kohanoff, Lorenzo Stella, Hongxi Yin

Conference papers

Thermoelectric materials enable direct conversion of thermal energy to electricity. Ambient heat energy harvesting could be an effective route to convert buildings from being energy consumers to energy harvesters, thus making them more sustainable. There exists a relatively stable temperature gradient (storing energy) between the internal and external walls of buildings which can be utilized to generate meaningful energy (that is, electricity) using the thermoelectric principle. This could ultimately help reduce the surface temperatures and energy consumption of buildings, especially in urban areas. In this paper, ongoing work on developing and characterizing a cement-based thermoelectric material is presented. Samples are …

Solar Pv Feasibility Study On Higher Education Institutions In Connecticut, Sai Pujitha Karanam

Master's Theses

One of the most common issue in Connecticut (CT) is the high electricity rates. CT stands among the top five states for its high electric rates due to limitation in transmission facilities and storage of natural gas. Education institutions serve as good places to install photovoltaic systems as they have a large number of buildings available. Photovoltaic systems are a growing alternative energy source that reduces the electricity demand and hence higher education institutions should start implementing these technologies to reduce the burden of paying more for electricity bills.

The primary objective of the study was to analyze the economic …

Development Of Artificial Intelligence Approach To Nowcasting And Forecasting Vibrio Prevalence In Coastal Waters, Peyman Hosseinzadeh Namadi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V.p) is an epidemiologically significant pathogen that poses high risks to the human health and shellfish industry, calling for predictive models for management interventions. This study presents an Artificial Intelligence(AI)-based approach to predicting and reducing the risks. The AI-based approach involves the identification of environmental indicators and their optimum variation ranges favoring V.p prevalence, the development of nowcasting and forecasting models for predicting V.p prevalence, and the creation of remote sensing algorithms for mapping concentrations of V.p and its environmental indicators by synergistically combining the Deep Neural Network (DNN) modeling technique, Genetic Programming (GP) method, R …

Study The Effect Of Damping Change During The Dynamic Analysis Of A Reinforced Concrete Bridge With Neoprene Cushions, Mais Ghassoun

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

The damping ratio has a important effect on the dynamic behavior of the bridges. and it is customary when designing to assume it as a predetermined fixed value independent of the response amplitude and frequency of the structure . A lot of experimental research worked on identifying them, but the dependence of damping and other dynamic characteristics of vibration amplitudes and their impact on responses and the results of the analysis need more scrutiny and simulation due to the difficulty of conducting vibration experiments for structures of realistic dimensions and large weights such as a RC bridge, which necessitated a …

Visible-Light-Active Disinfection Of Surface Water Coliform Using Silver/Titanium Dioxide/Silver Bromide(Ag/Tio2/Agbr) As Photocatalyst, Ashraya Upadhyaya

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As human population becomes diverse, the need for sustainable, inexpensive, scalable, and decentralized water treatment technologies to supplement or replace conventional treatment methods are important, especially to satisfy the need of small, rural communities for safe drinking water. These challenges can be somewhat met with the use of semiconductor photocatalysis, especially if the process is driven by visible light energy. Visible-light-active (VLA) photocatalysis can be effectively applied in disinfection of drinking water. In comparison to traditional, energy-intensive, physical and chemical disinfection methods, VLA photocatalysis is capable of providing high disinfection efficiency with the use of cheaper energy, no harmful by-products, …

Development Of A Nomogram To Predict The Maximum Contact Stress Between A Bridge I-Girder And A Support Roller, Thanin Chanmalai

Master's Theses

The incremental launching method (ILM) is one of the methods of bridge construction located in environmentally sensitive areas. During the bridge launching, there are significant contact stress issues at the contact regions between the launching system and the steel bridge girders. The Iowa River Bridge (IRB) is a case study of bridge construction that used the ILM during a steel I-girders installation. Contact stress can cause severe defects during launch, which can occur within the material where the material could be damaged.

Hertz contact theory is applied for calculating contact stress between two solid surfaces, which is initially derived from …

Gas Component Transport Across The Soil-Atmosphere Interface For Gases Of Different Density: Experiments And Modeling, L. M. Bahlmann, K. M. Smits, K. Heck, E. Coltman, R. Helmig, I. Neuweiler

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications - Archive

We investigate the influence of near-surface wind conditions on subsurface gas transport and on soil-atmosphere gas exchange for gases of different density. Results of a sand tank experiment are supported by a numerical investigation with a fully coupled porous medium-free flow model, which accounts for wind turbulence. The experiment consists of a two-dimensional bench-scale soil tank containing homogeneous sand and an overlying wind tunnel. A point source was installed at the bottom of the tank. Gas concentrations were measured at multiple horizontal and vertical locations. Tested conditions include four wind velocities (0.2/1.0/2.0/2.7 m/s), three different gases (helium: light, nitrogen: neutral, …

Investigation Of Modeling Strategies For Slender Lightly Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls, Jenna Marie Williams, Tracy Destiny Doan

Architectural Engineering: Graduate Reports

A large number of pre-1980’s non-ductile reinforced concrete (RC) structures in California utilizing RC shear walls to resist seismic lateral forces have been identified as deficient by industry practitioners. These non-ductile wall systems are typically lightly reinforced and lack adequate boundary element detailing. Analytical studies suggest these walls are susceptible to brittle, compression-controlled failure modes due to damage from concrete crushing and bar buckling. Furthermore, poor behavior of lightly reinforced concrete walls was observed in many recent earthquakes, for example in Chile (1985), New Zealand (2010/2011) and Mexico (2017). This has generated concern among engineers in high seismic regions around …

Accuracy Comparison Of Aerial Lidar, Mobile-Terrestrial Lidar, And Uav Photogrammetric Capture Data Elevations Over Different Terrain Types, Mandar Khanal, Mahamudul Hasan, Nikolaus Sterbentz, Ryen Johnson, Jesse Weatherly

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lidar and other remotely sensed data such as UAV photogrammetric data capture are being collected and utilized for roadway design on an increasing basis. These methods are desirable over conventional survey due to their efficiency and cost-effectiveness over large areas. A high degree of relative accuracy is achievable through the establishment of survey control. In this case study, elevations (z-values) derived from mobile-terrestrial lidar, aerial lidar, and UAV photogrammetric capture collected with survey control were statistically compared to conventionally surveyed elevations. A cost comparison of the methods is also included. Each set of z-values corresponds to a discrete horizontal point …

Impacts Of Beaver Dams On Mountain Stream Discharge And Water Temperature, Timothy R. Clark

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Beaver dam complexes have been shown to affect the hydrologic processes controlling river systems. These processes include surface and groundwater exchanges, water chemistry and temperature variations, and river discharge magnitudes. Majerova et al. (2015) explored the effects of beaver dams on surface and groundwater exchanges and water temperature by evaluating three years of water discharge and temperature data recorded at multiple locations within a small stream in northern Utah. They found that beaver dams increase the water surface elevation and force water into the floodplain resulting in increased inundation and groundwater recharge. They additionally found that beaver dams increase residence …

Quantifying Shallow Depth Concrete Delaminations Using Impact Echo, Mantaka Mahjabin Momo

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Delamination is a type of deterioration commonly found in concrete structures. It may form due to corrosion of embedded steel, poor construction, excessive vibration, or lack of bonding in composite construction. Impact echo (IE) is a simple and straightforward non-destructive testing (NDT) technique that is used to detect the presence and extent of delamination within concrete structures. It is capable of detecting its presence of delaminations in deep depths, but cannot accurately measure the defects that are near the surface. This phenomenon occurs due to the differences in the vibration modes of deep and shallow depth delaminations. The objective of …

Durability And Prediction Of Long-Term Performance Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (Cfrp) Laminates Under Environmental Conditions, Eyad Alsuhaibani

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Strengthening deteriorated concrete structures with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) has been widely validated through laboratory experiments and field tests. Questions and concerns persist related to the CFRP’s long-term performance and service life, however, thus the main objective of this research was to evaluate its durability under various environmental conditions. This research is divided into four distinct phases. In the first phase, the deterioration trends of CFRP laminate under environmental regimes were evaluated after immersion in water at 23, 45, and 60 °C for periods up to 32 weeks. In the second phase, four prediction models of the long-term performance …

Sorption-Mediated Chemical Processes For The Versatile Treatment Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In Complex Media, Naomi Gevaerd De Souza

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

In recent years, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have gained notoriety due to environmental and health concerns. These molecules are chemically stable which contributes to their persistence in biological systems and their increased detections in surface waters. Treatment of highly persistent PFAS has been a challenging but significant task. The most practical technique for removal of PFAS is through adsorption onto granular activated carbon (GAC) or other novel materials. Meanwhile, PFAS are resistant to simple oxidation, and although decomposition of specific PFAS has been reported through advanced oxidation technologies, often energy-intense technologies capable of generating electrons such as ultraviolet radiation, …

Evaluation Of Long Term Durability In Concrete With External Pre-Saturated Cfrp Laminate, Ramya Anandhan

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Many studies have investigated the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) wraps to strengthen structural members, but there is limited literature on the application of presaturated CFRP wraps on reinforced concrete members. The main objective of this research is to study the long-term effectiveness of presaturated CFRP wraps in preventing corrosion of reinforced concrete specimens in severe environments. This paper presents numerical and experimental studies that were conducted to determine whether CFRP presaturated wraps provide a barrier against the ingress of chloride and permeability of water into concrete and thereby decelerate the corrosion process. The results show that the …

An Experimental Study Of Coupled Thermo-Hydro Behavior In Unsaturated Soil, Nice Kaneza

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Understanding unsaturated soils in response to the impact of temperature will better predict the performance of geo-structures that extract and inject underground heat. Previous studies have shown that heat and water in unsaturated soil affect the movement of each other and that thermal gradients are responsible for the migration of water and thermal properties. Therefore, it is essential to study the coupling behavior of thermal and hydraulic (TH) processes to analyze the distribution of moisture and thermal properties of unsaturated soil. These processes are transient and difficult to examine in the field. In addition, there is a lack of laboratory …

Transient Seepage And Slope Stability Analysis In Partially Saturated Earthen Dam, Puneet Bhaskar

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The problem of slope stability in earthen dams is a major concern to geotechnical engineers. Traditionally, the seepage through embankments and other geotechnical structures is estimated using hydraulic properties of saturated soil. In most of the cases, the soil is not fully saturated and use of saturated soil properties can lead to erroneous results. The reliable assessment of slope stability needs comprehensive characterization of both unsaturated and saturated hydraulic properties of soil. The coefficient of permeability is a key hydraulic property in solving any flow related problem in geotechnical engineering. The permeability coefficient of unsaturated soil is usually estimated using …

Development Of A Structural Design Methodology For Polymeric Spray Applied Pipe Linings, Zahra Kohankar Kouchesfehani

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Buried culverts are important components of the highway infrastructure. Most large culverts are built decades ago from corrugated metal or reinforced concrete materials and now have reached their design lives. Trenchless renewal techniques can be utilized to enhance load carrying capacity of the existing deteriorated culverts and provide them a new design life. Spray applied pipe lining (SAPL) is a trenchless renewal methodology to renew damaged pipes and culverts by applying layers of liner on the interior surface of the deteriorated host culvert. The development of practical spray applied pipe linings could be of enormous benefit to the Departments of …

Development Of Reductive/Oxidative Treatment Strategy For The Removal Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In Water, Akshay Parenky

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The detrimental health effects of halogenated compounds in humans has been well documented, and the frequent occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the water environment is a recent global concern. Feasible and sensible treatment strategies are in dire need for environmental remediation and water treatment. Currently, efficient treatment is only obtained at a small scale and at a high energy cost. This research is presented in three subsections, where decomposition of selected PFAS was evaluated under advanced oxidation techniques. The first study involved decomposition of a polyfluoroalkyl substance, 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS), in which 2 carbons of …

Analysis Of Barriers Causing Delay In Post-Hurricane Recovery: Experts’ Vs. Public’S Perspectives, Behzad Rouhanizadeh

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Destructive natural disasters such as hurricanes, affect countries around the world. To recover from a hurricane, the managers need to make various decisions; however, what makes the post-hurricane decision making unique is lack of time to make the optimum decision. A comprehensive understanding of barriers to recovery can lead to development of policies that help prevent delays in recovery process and consequently results in resiliency. Although several studies have been performed to identify the recovery barriers, they did not provide a comprehensive review of barriers and their classification. On the other hand, experts and the public commonly have different understandings …

Statistical Models Of Pipe Service Life Towards Artificial Intelligence Based Decision Support, Vahid Eghbalifarkoosh

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

In this dissertation, through utilizing various artificial intelligence-based as well as statistical models, an effort has been made to investigate the deterioration of sewer pipes. Once the deterioration rates of sewer pipes are estimated, by assuming failure criteria, as specified in the dissertation, the associated service lives for the sewer pipes can therefore be estimated. However, it should be noted that for different sewer pipes and based upon the availability of suitable data, and due to various failure modes that could transpire in various sewer pipes, the results will thus be subjected to uncertainties and variations. In other words, depending …

A Decision Support System For Success Of Post-Hurricane Reconstruction Of Transportation Infrastructures, Elnaz Safapour

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

In the aftermath of hurricanes, when reliable transportation systems are vital, the chaotic and complex environment creates multiple uncertainties and risks in the reconstruction of transportation infrastructures. Damaged transport infrastructures decrease the timeliness of emergency responses and recovery procedures, and make it difficult for authorities, who are under excessive pressure and are struggling to find the financial resources to reconstruct them on time and within budget. The aim of this research was to develop a decision support system that would improve the cost and schedule performance, as well as reduce the number and extent of rework in post-hurricane reconstruction of …

Quantitative Assessment Of Alkali-Silica Reaction In Small And Large-Scale Concrete Specimens Utilizing Nonlinear Acoustic Techniques, Clayton Malone

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

Nonlinear resonance techniques have been shown to be sensitive to microcracking in materials, including alkali-silica reaction (ASR) damage in concrete. However, application of nonlinear resonance tests have been limited due to the difficulty of application to large-scale field structures and the inability to quantitatively relate material nonlinearity with damage development. In this study, the development of ASR in concrete prisms and large concrete beam specimens of varying aggregate types and specimen sizes was monitored using linear and nonlinear resonance techniques.

For the concrete prisms, although the linear resonance frequency test could detect initiation and development of ASR damage in specimens …

Estimation Of Construction Site Elevations Using Drone-Based Orthoimagery And Deep Learning, Yuhan Jiang, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Using deep learning to recover depth information from a single image has been studied in many situations, but there are no published articles related to the determination of construction site elevations. This paper presents the research results of developing and testing a deep learning model for estimating construction site elevations using a drone-based orthoimage. The proposed method includes an orthoimage-based convolutional neural network (CNN) encoder, an elevation map CNN decoder, and an overlapping orthoimage disassembling and elevation map assembling algorithm. In the convolutional encoder-decoder network model, the max pooling and up-sampling layers link the orthoimage pixel and elevation map pixel …

Sharing Is Caring: Assessing Willingness To Share Autonomous Vehicles For Evacuation And Disaster Relief, Thomas Alan Shirley

All Theses

Coastal areas in the southeastern United States face the threat of hurricanes each year. Some of the greatest danger associated with these storms is experienced by citizens without personal means to evacuate. Along with storms comes the inevitable post-disaster relief process of evaluating losses and delivering supplies. With the rapid development of autonomous vehicle technology, this study examines the potential use of autonomous vehicles, publicly or privately owned, to assist in these evacuation and disaster relief efforts. Examining this new field of study, the researchers hosted three focus groups and received 1050 responses to an online survey. Based on the …

Performance Of Cracked Reinforced Concrete Pipes Subjected To Different Environmental Conditions, Bassam Hatem Karim Al-Lami

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Performance of reinforced concrete pipes, as a major part of the water and waste-water infrastructure, plays an important role in the resilience and sustainability of today’s modern cities. Cracks may appear in these pipes due to handling and placement and might affect their long-term performance due to corrosion concerns. Current practice for quality control after installation of these pipes is quite strict and any pipe with a crack width of more than 0.01" is not approved. The goal of this research project is to evaluate the performance of cracked reinforced concrete pipes subjected to saline environments with three different concentration …

Temporal And Spatial Analysis Of The Wage Gap For Women And Underrepresented Minorities In The Architecture, Engineering, And Construction (Aec) Workforce, Saba Nikkhah Manesh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry has failed to solve persistent labor shortage problems or to fill the labor demand in the workforce by recruiting from untapped/underrepresented groups such as Women and Underrepresented Minorities (WUMs). There have been several studies on diversity and inclusion in the AEC industry, but the issue still persists, as the AEC industry has failed to solve these issues. If the industry better understands the status of wage gaps by gender and race, as well as how the industry has performed in terms of providing comparable wages for the workforce over time, along with the …

Active Transportation And Health: Understanding The Impact Of Transportation-Related Physical Activity On Health, Sina Famili

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Car-oriented infrastructure in the U.S. leads to physically inactive lifestyles and negative health outcomes. To promote physical activity, public health officials encourage active transportation, namely biking and walking on daily trips. Previous studies proved that both perceived or self-assessed and objective health measures should be used to understand individuals’ health status. Therefore, this study uses the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data to understand the associations between perceived health and modal trip features including the number of trips, trip distance, and duration for auto, public transit, walk, and bike trips. Regarding the objective health, this dissertation uses one-week walking activities …

Development Of A Structural Design Methodology For Cementitious Sprayed Applied Pipe Linings In Gravity Storm Water Conveyance Conduits, Amin Darabnoush Tehrani

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Culverts are important components of the highway infrastructure. They form passageways through the embankment to convey storm water. Culverts are structurally designed to support superimposed earth loads or other fill materials as well as live loads. Corrugated metal pipes (CMPs) and reinforced concrete pipes (RCPs) are commonly used as culverts in the United States. Most of these culverts were installed four to five decades ago and have reached their design life. Spray applied pipe linings (SAPLs) are trenchless technology solutions for culvert rehabilitation that prevent further deterioration, such as corrosion, abrasion, etc., and can provide structural support for severely damaged …

Advancing Hydrologic And Hydraulic Understanding And Application Through Inundation Mapping And Estimation Of Losses, Jiaqi Zhang

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Flooding is the most frequent weather hazard that can cause serious fatalities and property damages worldwide. Climate change with extreme weather has further increased the impact from flooding and brought unprecedented challenges to engineering infrastructure and design. Scientists and engineers have used models to investigate and forecast the hydrologic and hydraulic responses to environmental changes in meteorological forcing and land use. With recent advances in sensing and computing technologies, models have been reaching higher levels of spatiotemporal granularity and scale. However, gaps exist between the scientific exploration and engineering practices. This doctoral study has been conducted to bridge such gaps …

Kinetics, Affinity, Thermodynamics, And Selectivity Of Phosphate Removal Using Immobilized Phosphate-Binding Proteins, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Erin Wells, Brooke K. Mayer

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A phosphate (P_i)-selective adsorption system featuring immobilized P_i-binding proteins (PBP) has recently attracted attention for ultralow P_i removal followed by recovery. This study investigated the adsorption kinetics, affinity, thermodynamics, and selectivity, as well as the effect of pH and temperature on P_i adsorption using immobilized PBP (PBP resin). Immobilizing PBP did not affect its P_i affinity. Kinetic studies at 22 °C and pH 7.1 showed that the PBP resin achieved 95% of its equilibrium capacity within 0.64 ± 0.2 min. The estimated Langmuir affinity constant (K_L) was 21 ± 5 …