Engineering Commons^™

Extending Link Pivot Offset Optimization To Arterials With Single Controller Diverging Diamond Interchange, Christopher M. Day, Steven M. Lavrenz, Amanda L. Stevens, R Eric Miller, Darcy M. Bullock

Lyles School of Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Opportunities For Detector-Free Signal Offset Optimization With Limited Connected Vehicle Market Penetration: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Christopher M. Day, Darcy M. Bullock

Lyles School of Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Use Of High Frequency Acoustic Cavitation To Improve Water Quality In Commercial Catfish Operations, Bennett Elizabeth Barr

Honors Theses

Catfish processing plants must chill the water used for their fillet wash and flush and refill their piping systems frequently, requiring a pause in operations until the piping flush is complete. There is a need for a (preferably non-chemical) solution that enables the plants to chill the water less and flush their systems less often to mitigate high energy and water consumption. High amplitude acoustic waves (sonication) were introduced into water samples from catfish ponds to determine if they could be used as a replacement for chemical treatments to improve the water quality in the plant piping systems. Preliminary tests …

An Experimental Investigation Of A Reinforced Steel Frame Via Structural Dynamics, Ethan Baker

Honors Theses

With the current decaying condition of America's infrastructure, a need for a more efficient inspection method is evident. The combination of Structural Health Monitoring data and data analysis tools could be a solution. In this study, laboratory data was captured for both a baseline bare-frame and a wooden wall reinforced steel structure. A MATLAB®-based computer program, the in-house SHE™ accomplishes an array of tasks, including signal processing and modal decomposition among others. A SAP2000® model contextualized the experimental data by producing trend behaviors, such as mode order or common mode shapes. Both sequential and cumulative reinforcement detection was performed on …

Analysis Of A Long-Term Record Of Nearshore Currents And Implications In Littoral Transport Processes, Carolina Burnette

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A seasonal and long-term analysis of the vertical structure of currents in the nearshore is conducted to determine the role of the wind in driving currents and consequently affecting littoral transport processes. Approximately ten years (January, 2002 – October, 2011) of nearshore current profiles are examined using the data collected with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) installed off of Spessard Holland North Beach Park located in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Additionally, wind data collected with a directional anemometer from September, 2002, until October, 2008, are used to further characterize the long-term hydrodynamic forcing. With the shoreline oriented nominally 17^{o …}

Composite Confinement Systems For Rc Column Repair And Construction Under Seismic Loads: Concept, Characterization And Performance, Mostafa Fakharifar

Doctoral Dissertations

"This study aims at developing, characterizing and validating an integrated composite confinement system of conventional jackets for: (1) repair and retrofit of existing bridge columns; and (2) construction of new bridge columns, subjected to earthquake excitations.

A new composite steel confinement jacket was proposed by combining a thin steel sheet and prestressing strands as a hybrid jacket, incorporating active and passive confining pressure on damaged RC columns. Both experimental and analytical studies were conducted to understand the performance and effectiveness of the proposed repair method. The experimental study involved two 1/2-scale lap-spliced deficient RC bridge columns originally tested to failure …

Evaluation Of Concrete Degradation Using Acoustic Emission: Data Filtering And Damage Detection, Marwa A. Abdelrahman

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of aging and deteriorating infrastructure in the U.S. has raised concerns regarding its level of serviceability, reliability, and vulnerability to natural disasters. This issue has gained attention recently and efforts are being conducted to accelerate the delivery of enhanced nondestructive testing (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) methods. Acoustic emission (AE) is a strong candidate for these applications due to its high sensitivity and potential for damage detection in different materials. However, several challenges associated with the technique hinder the development of automated, reliable, real-time SHM using AE.

This study aims to advance the use of AE for …

Improved Assessment Of The Magnitude And Acceleration Of Prehistoric Earthquakes In The South Carolina Coastal Plain, Emad Gheibi

Theses and Dissertations

Seismically-induced soil liquefaction is one the most hazardous geotechnical phenomenon that can cause loss of life and devastating damage to infrastructure. Proper estimation of critical ground motion parameters (e.g. peak ground acceleration and earthquake magnitude) is vital for seismic design of new structures and retrofit of existing structures, especially in regions such as the South Carolina Coastal Plain (SCCP) where the frequency of re-occurrence of large earthquakes is low (studies of paleoliquefaction features have revealed seven, large, prehistoric earthquakes occurring within the last 6000 years) and the locations of potential sources are not exactly known. Moreover, due to mechanical and …

Do Characteristics Of Walkable Environments Support Bicycling? Toward A Definition Of Bicycle-Supported Development, Christopher D. Muhs, Kelly Clifton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Does walkability equate with bikeability? Through a comprehensive review of studies of the built environment and bicycling, including mode choice, route choice, safety, and urban design literature, this paper addresses this question. Previous work has raised the issue that the two modes are functionally different, despite them often being combined into a nonmotorized category, and has highlighted research challenges. Existing studies of bikeability have largely focused on infrastructure. This paper contributes to the literature on bicycling and the built environment by providing a thorough review of past research with a focus on the relationships between land use, urban form, and …

Evaluation Of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (Uhpc) In Joints Of Bridge Girders, Saipavan Rallabhandhi

Masters Theses

"Joints are often considered as the weak link in a structure and often deterioration of the structure initiates from the joints. Joints transfer the stresses from super-structure to sub-structure and in this process are subjected to large transfer stresses. Not much attention is given to the design of joints as they are positioned in low moment regions and typically a 4 to 6 ksi (28 to 41 MPa) concrete is used to fill the joints. One of the solution to this problem is Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). In the recent past significant research has been done to use UHPC in …

Strain Distribution And Crack Detection In Thin Unbonded Concrete Pavement Overlays With Fully Distributed Fiber Optic Sensors, Yi Bao, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study aims at evaluating the feasibility of strain measurement and crack detection in thin unbonded concrete pavement overlays with pulse prepump Brillouin optical time domain analysis. Single-mode optical fibers with two-layer and three-layer coatings, respectively, were applied as fully distributed sensors, their performances were compared with analytical predictions. They were successfully protected from damage during concrete casting of three full-scale concrete panels when 5 to 10-cm-thick protective mortar covers had been set for 2 h. Experimental results from three-point loading tests of the panels indicated that the strain distributions measured from the two types of sensors were in good …

Innovative Techniques For Seismic-Resistant Bridge Columns Under Ground Motion Excitations, Ayman A. Moustafa

Doctoral Dissertations

“This dissertation provides innovative alternative solutions for replacing conventional reinforced concrete columns. The proposed columns displayed enhanced seismic resistance and properties compared to their counterpart conventional columns. Two main techniques were followed and proposed to develop seismic-resistant columns. The first technique utilized rubberized concrete to internally enhance energy dissipation and damping. Materials testing of rubberized concrete with scrap tire replacement of fine aggregates were performed to evaluate its dynamic properties. Shaking table testing of a rubberized concrete column was performed and the behavior was compared to that of the conventional one. The rubberized column showed an increase of 16% in …

Microwave Material Characterization Of Alkali-Silica Reaction (Asr) Gel In Cementitious Materials, Ashkan Hashemi

Doctoral Dissertations

"Since alkali-silica reaction (ASR) was recognized as a durability challenge in cement-based materials over 70 years ago, numerous methods have been utilized to prevent, detect, and mitigate this issue. However, quantifying the amount of produced ASR byproducts (i.e., ASR gel) in-service is still of great interest in the infrastructure industry. The overarching objective of this dissertation is to bring a new understanding to the fundamentals of ASR formation from a microwave dielectric property characterization point-of-view, and more importantly, to investigate the potential for devising a microwave nondestructive testing approach for ASR gel detection and evaluation. To this end, a comprehensive …

Java Computer Animation For Effective Learning Of The Cholesky Algorithm With Transportation Engineering Applications, Ivan Makohon, Duc T. Nguyen, Mecit Cetin

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, the well-known Cholesky Algorithm (for solving simultaneous linear equations, or SLE) is re-visited, with the ultimate goal of developing a simple, user-friendly, attractive, and useful Java Visualization and Animation Graphical User Inter-face (GUI) software as an additional teaching tool for students to learn the Cholesky factorization in a step-by-step fashion with computer voice and animation. A demo video of the Cholesky Decomposition (or factorization) animation and result can be viewed online from the website: http://www.lions.odu.edu/~imako001/cholesky/demo/index.html. The software tool developed from this work can be used for both students and their instructors not only to master this technical …

Discrepancy Analysis Between Close-Range Photogrammetry And Terrestrial Lidar, Sam R. Newsome Jr

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study presents a comparison of building measurements performed on 3D models generated by two different approaches. In one approach, the models were produced via close-range photogrammetry. Such models are based on still-frame photographs that are, post-processed with commercially available photogrammetric software. In the second approach, 3D point-cloud models were generated via laser scanning. For this purpose, three case studies were conducted. The first was a simple one story structure, the second was a multi-story Maya ruin, and the third was an earth filled terrace. Several benchmarks within a closed traverse were established to serve as standard georeference points for …

Rehabilitation And Strengthening Of Reinforced Concrete Members Using A Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Matrix Composite, Zena Riyadh Aljazaeri

Doctoral Dissertations

“Externally bonded fiber reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) for structural members was tested and evaluated as a new class of composite material for repairing and strengthening infrastructures. In comparison with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, FRCM composite has a superior high temperature resistance and great compatibility with concrete substrates. Experimental investigation is ongoing in the United States to evaluate the structural and durability performance of FRCM composite to be implemented in field applications. This experimental program consisted of testing 12 strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) beams to study the fatigue and flexure performance under environmental exposure and sustained stress, 10 strengthened RC …

Estimating Air Pollution Concentrations Using Moves-Generated Site-Specific Traffic Emissions, Mayra Consuelo Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The research presented here attempts to estimate air pollution concentrations using MOVES and site-specific traffic emissions particularly those emissions surrounding three different air-monitoring stations. The objectives of this research include using MOVES capability to conduct project-level analyses, choosing impact zones to create emissions inventories. Emissions inventories provided by the MOVES model for impact zones within the El Paso county area were used to identify a relationship between air monitoring stations' measured results and emission estimates from a project-level analysis. The research hopes to identify an optimum zone radius that can be used to compare MOVES estimates with air monitoring stations …

Numerical Simulation Of The Overlay Tester, Andrea Gutierrez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Overlay Tester (OT) is a relatively new testing procedure that characterizes the cracking resistance of hot mix asphalt (HMA) by evaluating the number of cycles to failure of an HMA specimen. The lack of repeatability and high variability of the results have been a concern to transportation agencies. A careful experimental review of the OT test protocol reveals the complex stress and strain distributions that should be understood in order to improve the certainty associated with the test.

The objective of this Thesis is to present the numerical modeling of the OT test through finite element analysis (FEA). When …

Combining Interval And Probabilistic Uncertainty In Engineering Applications, Andrew Martin Pownuk

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In many practical application, we process measurement results and expert estimates. Measurements and expert estimates are never absolutely accurate, their result are slightly different from the actual (unknown) values of the corresponding quantities. It is therefore desirable to analyze how this measurement and estimation inaccuracy affects the results of data processing. There exist numerous methods for estimating the accuracy of the results of data processing under different models of measurement and estimation inaccuracies: probabilistic, interval, and fuzzy. To be useful in engineering applications, these methods should provide accurate estimate for the resulting uncertainty, should not take too much computation time, …

Ontology-Driven Integration Of Data For Freight Performance Measures, Eduardo J. Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Transportation performance measures are defined as quantitative and qualitative indicators that rely on data or information to explain mobility, congestion, safety, environmental and other factors. Though performance measures have been used for freeways and other highways, not many have been specified and applied to the freight transportation system. Recently, freight performance measures have been recommended by Federal Highway Administration to quantify the operating efficiency of the freight transportation system on existing infrastructures. This research seeks to expand this concept and to develop a comprehensive freight performance measurement framework. The expanded framework recommended in this Thesis consists of four criteria: safety, …

Influence Of The Stress Path, Moisture, And Fine Content On Permanent Deformation Of Geomaterials, Uriel Brian Arteaga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Permanent deformation within the unbound granular is a predominant feature that results in the degradation and loss of serviceability to the pavement structure as the passage of traffic wheel loads accumulate. Proper characterization of the multi-layer structures is necessary to improve the rutting performance by mechanistically identifying the factors that contribute to the progression of plastic deformations. A consequence of ignoring these features results in the underestimation of the rutting potential, which amounts to premature failure. Current rutting models fail to incorporate factors such as moisture state, gradation, and stress-paths which are paramount to proper characterization of base and sub-base …

A Discretionary Lane Changing Decision Model Based On Fuzzy Inference System, Esmaeil Balal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A lane changing event involves up to five vehicles: the subject vehicle, preceding and following vehicles in the original lane, and the preceding and following vehicles in the target lane. Understanding the behavior of the subject vehicle with respect to the surrounding vehicles is fundamental to the study of the safety of a lane change maneuver and for the modeling of lane changing behavior. First, the statistical properties of 10 lane changing parameters were defined and studied using the Next Generation SIMulation (NGSIM) vehicle trajectory data collected at the I-80 Freeway in Emeryville, California, and then tested with data collected …

A Cracking Methodology To Assess Fracture And Fatigue Properties Of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures Using Overlay Tester, Victor M. Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Several highway agencies have either implemented or considered implementing performance tests to predict the cracking potential of asphalt concrete (AC) mixtures in the laboratory setting. One such test, the Overlay Tester (OT) test, measures the number of cycles to failure of the AC specimens by simulating the opening and closing of the cracks induced by daily temperature variations and high tensile strain generated by the traffic load. The variability of the OT test results is expressed as a major concern in reliably characterizing the cracking potential of the AC mixes.

The performance of the OT test, in general, and current …

A Multi-Objective Sustainable Model For Transportation Asset Management Practices, Marketa Vavrova

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Transportation Asset Management (TAM) practices have gained popularity in the United States and worldwide with the aim to provide the required level of service for the transportation infrastructure network in the most cost-effective manner. However, TAM is a complex decision-making process because many objectives and different perspectives, often producing conflicting goals, must be considered.

This Dissertation presents a Multi-Objective Sustainable (MOS) model to integrate economic, social, and environmental sustainable objectives into TAM decision-making. The objective is to develop a holistic multi-objective asset management approach integrating environmental and social sustainability related performance measures with traditional indicators, such as asset condition and …

National Evaluation For Development And Exploration Potential Of Mineral Commodities In Produced Waters, Stephanie Ray

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The U.S. Geological Survey recently updated a geochemical database consisting of data for approximately 160,000 produced waters samples, primarily from petroleum and geothermal reservoirs. Using major and trace elements from conventional and unconventional well types from the database, this Thesis provides a comprehensive, national evaluation for mineral commodity potential in produced waters. Produced waters contain virtually every naturally occurring element and can range in salinity to several times that of seawater. Despite the typical outlook to view produced waters as a waste, they have potential for natural resource development.

This Thesis provides, for each mineral commodity found in the produced …

Case Studies In Implementing Intelligent Compaction In Construction Of Earthwork, Jorge Alberto Beltran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The nuclear density gauge (NDG) is the current tool for field compaction quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) for soil and base layers in the state of Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) uses this nondestructive testing (NDT) device to determine the compacted density and moisture content of earthwork and unbound aggregates. However, to provide the missing link between design and quality management parameters, an alternative stiffness-based approach would be more desirable. Intelligent Compaction (IC) is defined as continuous assessment of mechanistic soil properties (stiffness, modulus) through roller parameters (frequency, amplitude and speed) integrated with global positioning system …

A Decision Making Approach For Selection Of Sustainable Pavements In Texas By Integrating Life Cycle Cost Analysis (Lcca), Life Cycle Assessment (Lca) Of Environmental And Social Impacts, Sundeep Inti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A sustainable pavement can be defined as the one that minimally impacts future economic opportunities, social conditions, human health, and the environment and still fulfills the engineering objectives. Although a pavement as outlined above is not yet entirely feasible, continual effort from every stakeholder with a vision of achieving sustainable development is essential for the future of society. In this study, one such effort was initiated by proposing a framework for selection of pavement design based on sustainable development.

The concept of sustainability is widely believed to be founded on three criteria: economic, environmental, and social standards. Since the purpose …

Numerical Model Water Quality For Hidalgo County, Texas; Main Drainage System, Jose Orvyl Gonzalez, Grimaldo Carrillo, Jungseok Ho

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Increasing urbanization, water intake, and human water interaction of drainage canals of the Hidalgo County watershed seals the drainage basin and expands floodplains along the canal-side. Incremental use of drainage systems affects the amounts of nutrients that can cause an exposure to residues of agriculture chemicals, water related parasitic diseases, and fecal diseases. Proper water quality management is crucial for pollutant transport detection, estimation of non-point source discharge, and prediction of pollutant discharge at water endpoints. This research seeks to improve the understanding stormwater quality and quantity that is influenced by the frequency of human-water contacts and associated with treatment …

Structural Control Of Wind Turbines With Soil Structure Interaction Included, Breiffni Fitzgerald, Biswajit Basu

Articles

The importance of considering soil structure interaction in structural control of wind turbines is investigated in this paper. An Euler–Lagrangian wind turbine mathematical model based on an energy formulation was developed for this purpose which considers the structural dynamics of the system and the interaction between in-plane and out-of-plane blade vibrations. Also, the interaction between the blades and the tower including a tuned mass damper (TMD) is considered. The turbine is subject to turbulent aerodynamic loading simulated using a modification to the classic Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory with turbulence generated from rotationally sampled spectra. The turbine is also subject …

An Overview Of The Development Of Cement-Based Batteries For The Cathodic Protection Of Embedded Steel In Concrete, Aimee Byrne, Niall Holmes, Brian Norton

Conference papers

This paper presents an overview of the cement-based batteries developed in DIT for use in the cathodic protection of embedded steel in reinforced concrete undergoing chloride-induced corrosion. Cathodic protection delivers an external current (approximately 20mA per m2 of embedded steel) which effectively polarises the internal current generated during corrosion. The batteries developed in DIT comprise of a cement-based electrolyte containing different additives including sand, aggregate, salts, carbon black and plasticiser with protruding anode and cathode metal plates. These batteries produced an initial electrical output of 1.5V and 23mA through a 10 resistor as measured using data acquisition units and a …