Engineering Commons^™

Minimizing Bridge And Pavement Deterioration From Large Trucks: A Policy Analysis For Damage Recovery, Kakan Dey

All Dissertations

Facing an exceptional challenge of maintaining state roadways with ever-shrinking financial resources, this research examined multiple facets of the impact of overweight trucks. The objectives of this research were to investigate the impact of overweight trucks on pavements and bridges, and develop policy recommendations based on technical analysis and the modern political and institutional environment in South Carolina. To achieve the objectives, this research modeled pavement and bridge deterioration, investigated the adequacy of standard practices in state agencies, examined how trucking industry perceives those practices, and developed policy analysis models. Pavement and bridge deterioration analysis revealed that pavement and bridge …

Numerical Simulation Of Flow In Ozonation Process, Jie Zhang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the last two decades, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has shown great potential as a powerful and cost-efficient tool to troubleshoot existing disinfection contactors and improve future designs for the water and wastewater treatment utilities.

In the first part of this dissertation two CFD simulation methodologies or strategies for computing turbulent flow are evaluated in terms of the predicted hydraulic performance of contactors. In the LES (large eddy simulation) methodology, the more energetic, larger scales of the turbulence are explicitly computed or resolved by the grid. In the less computationally intensive RANS (Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes) methodology, only the mean component of …

An Assessment Of The Emas Pump And Its Potential For Use In Household Water Systems In Uganda, Jacob Daniel Carpenter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rural improved water supply coverage in Uganda has stagnated around 64% for a number of years and at this point more than 10 million rural people do not have access to an improved drinking water source. It has been recognized that progress toward improved water supply coverage and increased service levels may be gained through Government and nongovernmental organization (NGO) support of private investment in household and shared water supplies, commonly known as Self-supply. Self-supply can be promoted by introducing and building local capacity in appropriate and affordable water supply technologies such as hand-dug wells, manually drilled boreholes, low-cost pumps, …

Considerations For Hood Placement And Design Downstream From A Fixed-Cone Valve, Barry Jacob Prettyman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In many hydroelectric projects there is a need to safely dissipate the energy associated with the elevation of the water surface. When the flow is not passing through the turbines, bypass valves are often used. A valve that is commonly used is the fixed-cone valve. Fixed-cone valves, also known as Howell-Bunger valves, are devices often used to safely reduce flow energy at dams with medium to high heads. The valve directs the outflow into a conical hollow jet, which requires a large area for energy dissipation. The flow is controlled by an adjustable sleeve, also known as the gate which …

Reliability Analysis For Shear In Lightweight Reinforced Concrete Bridges Using Shear Beam Database, Danile F. Jensen

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

The objective of this report is to analyze and calibrate the reliability indices for shear in reinforced concrete bridge girders. Existing statistical models are based on limited experimental data from only a few research tests. These existing models show that our current procedures for analysis are about 10-15% less conservative for lightweight concrete compared to an analysis for normal weight concrete. Accurate load models are used to find shear and moment envelopes of loads applied to bridges. Analysis is based on different span lengths, span number and girder dimensions. Design calculations are performed using design values and loads calculated from …

Causes And Countermeasures For Nappe Oscillation: An Experimental Approach, Aaron Allan Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Weirs are commonly used as spillways to release flows from a reservoir. The freefalling jet on the downstream side of the weir is called the nappe. Under certain hydraulic conditions, determined mainly by the size, design, and construction of the weir, nappe oscillation, otherwise known as nappe vibration, can occur. Characteristics of this dynamic behavior include excessive acoustic energy manifested as sound pressure waves and lowfrequency noise accompanied by horizontal waves or banding on the nappe. Mitigation of this process may be required, especially if the weir operates in close proximity to occupied structures. Instability of water jets moving through …

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Mash Tl-3 Transition Between Guardrail And Portable Concrete Barriers, David A. Gutierrez

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

Often, road construction causes the need to create a work zone. In these scenarios, portable concrete barriers (PCBs) are typically installed to shield workers and equipment from errant vehicles as well as prevent motorists from striking other roadside hazards. For an existing W-beam guardrail system installed adjacent to the roadway and near the work zone, guardrail sections are removed in order to place the portable concrete barrier system. The focus of this research study was to develop a proper stiffness transition between W-beam guardrail and portable concrete barrier systems. This research effort was accomplished through development and refinement of design …

A Junction Tree Based Reinforcement Learning Algorithm For Coordinated Multi Agent Systems To Solve Network Level Signal Control Problems, Feng Zhu, Husain M. Abdul Aziz, Zinwu Qian, Satish Ukkusuri

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

A Meta-Heuristic Approach To Reposition Bicycles In A Public Bicycle Sharing System, Binh Luong, Pulkit Parikh, Satish Ukkusuri

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

Concrete Conductivity: Effects Of Temperature, Saturation And Air Content, Parth Panchmatia, Jan Olek, Nancy Whiting, Mike Byers, Tommy Nantung

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

Examining The Impact Of Pavement Rehabilitation Trigger Values And Annual Rehabilitation Funding On The Long-Term Network-Level Pavement Condition: A Case Study With The Indiana State Urban Road Network, Menna Noureldin, Jon D. Fricker, Kumares C. Sinha

Purdue Road School

Management of highway assets, including pavements, is immensely challenging in an era of uncertain funding for transportation agencies and higher service expectations from the public. Furthermore, the maintenance of pavement assets in good serviceable condition is one of the most cost-intensive operations for a highway agency.

Between 1996 and 2008, the Indiana DOT spending on improvement of pavement assets fluctuated between 35% and 50% of its asset management budget annually (Everett2012). Therefore, pavement managers are constantly exploring strategies to fulfill their mission of maintaining roads in good condition with the minimumbudget. Strategies may include examining the effectiveness of individual pavement …

Winter Storm Interstate Travel Times (January 5, 2014 Storm), Michelle Mekker, Darcy M. Bullock

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

Mobile Tools For Ltap Centers, Indiana Ltap

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

I-65/I-70 South Split Pavement Reconstruction: Documentation & Quantitative Analysis Using Time Lapse Photography, Steven Lavrenz, Teresa Morris, Darcy M. Bullock

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

Graphical Performance Measures For Practitioners To Triage Split Failure Trouble Calls, Richard S. Freije, Alexander M. Hainen, Amanda L. Stevens, Howell Li, W Benjamin Smith, Hayley Summers, Christopher M. Day, James R. Sturdevant, Darcy M. Bullock

Purdue Road School

Detector occupancy is commonly used to measure traffic signal performance. Despite improvements in controller computational power, there have been relatively few innovations in occupancy-based performance measures or integration with other data. This paper introduces and demonstrates the use of graphical performance measures based on detector occupancy ratios to verify potential split failures and other signal timing shortcomings reported to practitioners by the public. The proposed performance measures combine detector occupancy during the green phase, detector occupancy during the first five seconds of the red phase, and phase termination cause (gap out or force off). These are summarized by time of …

"Elemental Decomposition And Multi-Criteria Method For Valuing Transportation Infrastructure Elemental Decomposition And Multi-Criteria Method For Valuing Transportation Infrastructure ", Michelle S. Dojutrek, Samuel Labi

Purdue Road School

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Multivalent Ions On The Swelling And Mechanical Behavior Of Superabsorbent Polymers (Saps) For Mitigation Of Mortar Autogenous Shrinkage, Qian Zhu

Open Access Theses

The chemical and physical structure-property relationships of model superabsorbent polymer (SAP) hydrogels were characterized with respect to swelling behavior and mechanical properties in different ionic solutions (Na+ , Ca2+ , and Al3+ ). The model hydrogels were composed of poly(sodium acrylate-acrylamide) (PANa-PAM) copolymer with varying concentrations of PANa (0, 17, 33, 67, and 83 wt.%) and covalent crosslinking densities of 1, 1.5, and 2 wt.%. By synthesizing the hydrogels in-house, systems with independently tunable amounts of covalent crosslinking and anionic functional groups were created, allowing for the relative effects of covalent and ionic crosslinking on the properties of the hydrogels …

A Gpr-Gps-Gis-Integrated, Information-Rich And Error-Aware System For Detecting, Locating And Characterizing Underground Utilities, Shaui Li

Open Access Theses

Underground utilities have proliferated throughout the years. The location and dimension of many underground utilities have not always been properly collected and documented, leading to utility conflicts and utility strikes, and thus resulting in property damages, project delays, cost overruns, environment pollutions, injuries and deaths. The underlying reasons are twofold. First, the reliable data regarding the location and dimension of underground utility are missing or incomplete. Existing methods to collect data are not efficient and effective. Second, positional uncertainties are inherent in the measured utility locations. An effective means is not yet available to visualize and communicate the inherent positional …

Water Resources Systems Engineering - University Of California, Los Angeles, William Yeh

All ECSTATIC Materials

Graduate course in water resources systems engineering offered at University of California, Los Angeles in Spring 2014.

Infrastructure Modeling - George Mason University, Mark Houck

All ECSTATIC Materials

To introduce the range of problems encountered in civil, environmental and infrastructure systems engineering. To introduce the concepts of systems analysis and systems engineering. To develop the ability to construct appropriate models of complex systems, including multiple objectives. To use these models to analyze and solve real problems in the field of infrastructure systems engineering. Course taught at George Mason University.

Water Resource Systems Analysis - Colorado State University, John Labadie

All ECSTATIC Materials

The goal of this course is to introduce participants to general concepts of systems analysis and systems engineering as they apply to the planning, design and operation of water resources systems. The course focuses on the use of computer-based mathematical models for analyzing water resources systems. Students are exposed to a variety of example applications of systems analysis to water resources problems. Course taught at Colorado State University.

Water At The Centre Of Environmental Issues – Research At The Ucd Dooge Centre For Water Resources Research, Zeinab Bedri, Eva M. Mockler, Michael Bruen, Yaqian Zhao, Pj Purcell, John O'Sullivan, M. Alsaji, Aisling Corkery, Liam Doherty, M. Dzakpasu, M. Martins, A. Rymszewicz, L. Willuwet

Conference papers

Since 1988, the UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research has been conducting research in a wide range of water topics including hydraulics, hydrology, coastal dynamics and wastewater with an emphasis on multi-disciplinary collaboration. This paper presents an overview of this research, both past and present, and provides an outlook to the future research directions of the Centre.

Hydro-Environmental Modeling Of Sewage And Riverine Discharges Into A Coastal Area: Comparison Of Depth-Averaged And Three-Dimensional Models, Zeinab Bedri, John O'Sullivan, Aisling Corkery, Louise Deering, Katalin Demeter, Wim Meijer, Gregory O'Hare, Bartholomew Masterson

Conference papers

This study applies and compares two hydrodynamic and water quality models; a depth-averaged (TELEMAC-2D) and a three-dimensional model (TELEMAC-3D) on their performance in simulating the transport and fate of Escherichia coli (a main microbial bathing water quality indicator) in the coastal waters of Bray, Ireland subjected to sewage discharges and freshwater inflows from the River Dargle. The models first calibrated and validated against hydrodynamic and water quality data, were used to simulate Escherichia coli distribution patterns based on mean spring and mean neap tides for dry and wet weather scenarios. The hydrodynamic calibration yielded a good match between both models …

Optimization Methods And Applications - Michigan Technological University, Houghton, David Watkins

All ECSTATIC Materials

Undergraduate course in optimization methods and applications offered at Michigan Technological University, Houghton in Spring 2014.

Water Resources Planning And Management - University Of Florida, Jim Heaney

All ECSTATIC Materials

This course is designed to (1) acquaint students with the role of analytical methods in water resources planning processes; (2) differentiate the roles of professionals and decision makers; and (3) present methods for evaluating multi-purpose water resource systems. Course taught at University of Florida.

Water Resources Systems Engineering - Technion, Avi Ostfeld

All ECSTATIC Materials

Course taught at Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

Water Resources Systems Engineering - Cornell University, Patrick Reed

All ECSTATIC Materials

Growing concerns about how “change” (climate, land-use, population, etc.) will strain our water resources is motivating the need for the next generation of professionals that can innovate the planning and management of these systems. Course topics build on the legacy of research in the water resources systems area and seek to provide a new generation of planners with an enhanced ability to discover and negotiate the highly uncertain tradeoffs we face in balancing the water resources demands of the future. Students will be encouraged to explore what sustainable water management means given conflicting demands from renewable energy systems, ecosystem services, …

Selected Durability Studies Of Geopolymer Concrete With Respect To Carbonation, Elevated Temperature, And Microbial Induced Corrosion, Mohammad Sufian Badar

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis reports a comprehensive study related to the experimental evaluation of carbonation in reinforced geopolymer concrete, the evaluation of geopolymer concretes at elevated temperature, and the resistance of geopolymer concrete to microbial induced corrosion (MIC).

Carbonation: Reinforced concretes, made of geopolymer, prepared from two class F fly ashes and one class C fly ash, were subjected to accelerated carbonation treatment for a period of 450 days. Electrochemical, microstructure and pore structure examinations were performed to evaluate the effect of corrosion caused due to carbonation. GPC specimens prepared from class F fly ash exhibited lower corrosion rates by a factor …

Increasing The Supply Of Affordable Housing In Urban India - Mumbai, Upasna Viswanathan

Open Access Theses

The need for housing in today's world is irrefutable. The growing population, accompanied with the fast pace of urbanization, are producing great housing demand, in urban areas in particular. This study focused on one segment of housing - affordable housing, in Mumbai, India, the demand for which has been on a steady rise over the past decade. Though traditionally the State was the provider of affordable housing, private sector has been increasingly involved in the segment, beginning the economic meltdown of 2008-2009. Yet there is a huge demand-supply gap that exists, which needs to be filled. The researcher looks at …