Engineering Commons^™

2013 Fall Engr333 Student Seminar Presentation, Claire Philippi, Karl Bratt, Mike Houtman, Brandon Koster

ENGR 333

File for student presentation, given by students in the Fall 2013 class of ENGR333.

2013 Fall Engr333 Vehicle Poster, 2013 Fall Engr333

ENGR 333

Waste vegetable oil (WVO) was chosen by the class as the best fuel source for the Calvin Biofuel Vehicle Project. The class then considered vehicle options and selected a lawnmower to be powered by WVO.

2013 Fall Engr333 Fuel And Facilities Poster, 2013 Fall Engr333

ENGR 333

The objective of the project was to answer the question: “What would it take for Calvin College to operate a biofuel vehicle from campus resources.” The class split into 3 teams:

• Fuel/Feedstock
• Facilities/Infrastructure
• Vehicle

Microgrid Development Using A Grid Tie Inverter, Hartono Budi Santoso, Budiyanto Budiyanto

Makara Journal of Technology

The use of renewable energy sources (RES), especially photovoltaic (PV), to meet the demand of electrical energy has been getting a great deal of attention as an alternative solution to electrical energy deficit problems. RES are being applied in power systems in a variety of configurations including microgrid systems. One of the characteristics of a microgrid is capability to supplying power to grid when there is an excess power to supply local load. This research examines the chances of saving power consumption from grid using power converters grid tie inverter (GTI) in a microgrid configuration. The test is done by …

Surface Treatment Of Fly Ash For Improving The Tensile Strength Of Fly Ash/Unsaturated Polyester Composites, Sugiman Sugiman, Paryanto Dwi Setyawan

Makara Journal of Technology

The paper presents the surface treatment of fly ashes using acid and alkali solution on the tensile strength of the fly ash/unsaturated polyester (UP) composites. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4), hydrofluoric acid (HF) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution with concentration of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% (by weight) were used for surface treatment of fly ashes. Generally, the tensile strength of the treated fly-ash/UP composites shows a significant increase compared to the untreated fly ash. Of all surface treatments studied, the optimum tensile strength was obtained at a concentration of 10%. At this concentration, at a fly ash content of 30% …

Recycling Roof Tile Waste Material For Wall Cover Tiles, Ambar Mulyono, Silfia Mona Aryani, Joko Lulut

Makara Journal of Technology

Prior research on roof tile waste treatment has attempted to find the appropriate technology to reuse old roof tile waste by create wall cladding materials from it. Through exploration and experimentation, a treatment method has been discovered to transform the tile fragments into artificial stone that resembles the shape of coral. This baked clay artificial stone material is then processed as a decorative element for vertical surfaces that are not load-bearing, such as on the interior and exterior walls of a building. Before applying the fragments as wall tiles, several steps must be taken: 1) Blunting, which changes the look …

Synthesis Of Tungsten Oxide Nanowires Onto Ito Glass Using T-Cvd, Tomy Abuzairi, Bohr-Ran Huang, Tzu-Ching Lin

Makara Journal of Technology

Tungsten oxide is an n-type semiconductor with interesting physical and chemical properties that make it suitable for various technological applications. Tungsten oxide nanowires were synthesized not only at low temperature but also without the use of any catalysts. The tungsten oxide nanowires were synthesized at 550 °C with tungsten layers onto the ITO glass using thermal chemical vapor deposition (T-CVD). The SEM image shows that the tungsten oxide nanowires are effectively grown with the 200 nm tungsten film. The Raman spectra shoulder at ~690 cm-1 proves the synthesized of tungsten oxide nanowires.

Semiconductor Thermal Neutron Detector, Toru Aoki, Aki Miyake, Takayuki Nakano, Akifumi Koike, Hisashi Morii, Hidenori Mimura

Makara Journal of Technology

The CdTe and GaN detector with a Gd converter have been developed and investigated as a neutron detector for neutron imaging. The fabricated Gd/CdTe detector with the 25 mm thick Gd was designed on the basis of simulation results of thermal neutron detection efficiency and spatial resolution. The Gd/CdTe detector shows the detection of neutron capture gamma ray emission in the 155Gd(n, g)156Gd, 157Gd(n, g)158Gd and 113Cd(n, g)114Cd reactions and characteristic X-ray emissions due to conversion-electrons generated inside the Gd film. The observed efficient thermal neutron detection with the Gd/CdTe detector shows its promise in neutron radiography application. Moreover, a …

Radiation Characteristics Of A Planar Strip Dipole Antenna And A Slot Dipole Antenna For Thz Applications, Catur Apriono, Eko Tjipto Rahardjo

Makara Journal of Technology

The development of a THz system often requires a device that is used to radiate or detect THz waves. One way to fulfill this requirement is to use an antenna. Therefore, we need to consider the radiation characteristics of an antenna working in the THz region. In this paper, we present simulation study of two dipole antennas, i.e. a planar strip dipole antenna and a slot dipole antenna. The simulation results show that a planar strip dipole antenna has a better radiation efficiency (more than 95%) compared to the slot dipole. It also shows that an efficiency of more than …

The Effect Of Pressing Temperature And Time On The Quality Of Particle Board Made From Jatropha Fruit Hulls Treated In Acidic Condition, Apri Heri Iswanto, Fauzi Febrianto, Yusuf Sudo Hadi, Surdiding Ruhendi, Dede Hermawan

Makara Journal of Technology

The high of pH of jatropha fruit hulls causes the negative properties of particleboard made from this material. Adjusting the particle acidity and pressing conditions (temperature and time) is among the technical modifications available to improve this particleboard’s properties. Particle acidity has been adjusted in a previous research project, and immersing the particles in acetic acid was found to be the best treatment in this preliminary research. In order to improve the particleboard’s properties, an experiment was conducted to determine the best pressing temperature and time. The objective of the research was to evaluate the influence of pressing temperature and …

Immobilization Of Lead In Contaminated Firing Range Soil Using Biochar, Deok Hyun Moon, Jae-Woo Park, Yoon-Young Chang, Yong Sik Ok, Sang Soo Lee, Mahtab Ahmad, Agamemnon Koutsospyros, Jeong Hun Park, Kitae Baek

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Soybean stover-derived biochar was used to immobilize lead (Pb) in military firing range soil at a mass application rate of 0 to 20 wt.% and a curing period of 7 days. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. The mechanism responsible for Pb immobilization in military firing range soil was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy analyses. The treatment results showed that TCLP Pb leachability decreased with increasing biochar content. A reduction of over 90 % in Pb leachability was achieved upon …

Mechanistic Characterization Of Rubberized Asphalt Mixture And Design Using Full Scale Tire-Pavement Finite Element Modeling, Sajib Saha

All Theses

Rubberized half-warm mix asphalt (HWMA) is being considered as one of the promising and sustainable solutions to the current environmental and economic crisis of asphalt industry. A fully mechanistic characterization and performance analysis of this mixture subjected to realistic loading and temperature conditions is necessary before its application in a practical pavement structure. The objective of this research is to characterize the viscoelastic properties of rubberized HWMA at different temperatures and to develop and validate a finite element model of a tire-pavement structure. In this research, a generalized Maxwell model is chosen to represent the time dependent stress-strain behavior of …

Application Of Image Processing And Finite Element Analysis In Modeling Chloride Diffusion In Concrete, Arash Razmjoo

All Dissertations

Utilizing numerical simulation models to predict the long-term mechanical and transport behavior of concrete structures is becoming increasingly popular. The majority of these models have been developed using laboratory test data that consider concrete as a homogeneous material with spherical aggregates. These models could not be a represented of real concrete because it has no primitive shaped aggregate besides that the porosity size and distribution varies from point to point. In this study a novel method for more accurate prediction of the chloride diffusion in concrete was developed. A general framework of the quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and finite element …

Mechanism Of Crumb Rubber Modifier Dissolution Into Asphalt Matrix And Its Effect On Final Physical Properties Of Crumb Rubber-Modified Binder, Amir Ghavibazoo, Magdy Abdelrahman, Mohyeldin Ragab

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Modification of asphalt by crumb rubber modifier (CRM) is mostly done through exchange of components between asphalt and CRM. At 160⁰ C and 10 Hz, CRM absorbs aromatics of asphalt and swells; however, at 220⁰ C and 50 Hz, CRM dissolves into the asphalt; this process leads to the release of different components of CRM including carbon black, fillers, and polymeric and oily components. Depending on interaction conditions, CRM dissolution is performed differently, and therefore the state and role of the released components can be different. In this research different mechanisms of dissolution of one size of CRM in asphalt …

Optimal Retrofit Strategy Design For Highway Bridges Under Seismic Hazards: A Case Study Of Charleston, Sc, Shawn Parmelee

All Theses

A significant number of US highway bridges are inadequate for seismic loads and could be seriously damaged or collapse during a relatively small earthquake. On the most recent infrastructure report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), one-third of the bridges in the United States are deemed to be structurally deficient. To improve this situation, at-risk bridges must be identified, evaluated, and effective retrofitting programs implemented to reduce their seismic vulnerabilities. In practice, the Federal Highway Administration uses the expected damage method and indices method to assess the condition of bridges. These methods compare the severity of expected …

Cost And Embodied Energy Optimization Of Rectangular Reinforced Concrete Beams, Alexander Kosloski

All Theses

Concrete has a large environmental footprint so it is desirable to find ways to efficiently design structural members. Engineers can exercise their abilities early on in the design phase of construction projects to reduce the environmental footprint by minimizing the amount of materials required. One way to achieve these results is to optimize the design of structural concrete. In this study, simple-span rectangular reinforced concrete (RC) beams with a range of different bending moments were analyzed. The primary goal was to combine life cycle analysis (LCA), numerical optimization, and reinforced concrete mechanics to create a framework for designing efficient RC …

Safety And Operational Characteristics Of Lane Widths On Urban And Rural Roadways A Simulator Study, Meredith Ladue

All Theses

The primary goal for this study was to further evaluate and assess the effect of lane width on the safety and operation of roadways in South Carolina. Due to various site conditions that affect the safety and operations of roadways, highway design engineers often face many challenges when developing appropriate road design standards. To investigate specific site conditions for the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) a research study took place. In 2011, Part 1 of this research included field studies conducted by Kevin Baumann and Trey Jordan. Due to the various limitations of the field studies it was evident …

Sodhana Environmental - Final Design Report, Eric Taylor, Corissa Bellis, Cody Perez, Cameron Zeller

Mechanical Engineering

A fully designed cost-effective, sustainable, toilet for the developing world.

In-Plane Loading Of Brick Veneer Over Wood Shear Walls, Elias Anis Toubia, James M. Lintz

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

In the design of wood stud walls with brick veneer, current design building codes specify that the wood stud wall should resist all in-plane and out-of-plane loads (IBC 2009). For out-of-plane loads, this assumption is entirely justified as the brittle brick veneer will crack and lose its capacity to resist bending. For in-plane loads, the brick veneer is significantly stiffer than the wood shear wall, and the veneer is unlikely to crack before the wood shear wall reaches its allowable capacity. The assumption that the wood shear wall resists the entire load is based on the further assumption that the …

Impacts Of Climate Changes On The Spatiotemporal Distribution Of Precipitation In The Western United States, Peng Jiang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Precipitation in the Intermountain West is characterized by its great variability in both spatial and temporal distributions. Moreover, the spatiotemporal distribution of the precipitation is changing due to the climate changes. In this dissertation, three studies are conducted to investigate the multi-scale temporal variability of precipitation, the performance of current climate models on this variability, the influence of large-scale ocean oscillations on heavy precipitation, and the impact of human induced global warming on storm properties.

The first study is to examine the performance of current climate models on the simulation of the multi-scale temporal variability determined from the observed station …

Feasibility Of The Use Of Ultrasound Measurements For Grade Verification Of The Performance Grade Asphalt Binders, Mehdi Khalili

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research investigates the feasibility of application of high frequency immersion ultrasonic measurement (UM) to discriminate different performance grade (PG) asphalt binders. PG asphalt binder is one of the main components of hot mix asphalt used for roadway construction. UT may provide an inexpensive alternative to sophisticated tests currently used for quality control of PG asphalt binders. Nine different PG asphalt binders used were selected for this investigation. Velocity (V) and integrated response (IR) of the ultrasonic wave were measured. The IR is a measure of the ratio of ultrasonic energy transmitted into the material to the ultrasonic energy reflected …

A Case Study Of Zero Energy Home Built For Solar Decathlon Competition 2013, Sanjib Mulepati

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Energy consumption in residential homes has been a subject of research related to sustainability. Reduction in the consumption of energy is a goal of sustainable construction. The Department of Energy (DOE) started a Solar Decathlon competition in 2002 in which the students from different universities around the globe build an energy efficient and affordable home suitable for their climate and location. The main goal of this competition is to select the best home that is designed and built in a sustainable way. In this study, the home designed and constructed for participation in the competition by the students at University …

Performance Comparison Of Design-Build And Construction Manager/General Contractor Highway Projects, Binita Shakya

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Researchers have conducted numerous studies comparing project performance of design-bid-build (DBB) and design-build (DB) highway projects. However, little research has been done to compare the performance of DB and construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) highway projects. Therefore, an exploratory study was conducted to compare the performance of 55 DB and 34 CM/GC highway projects from various States Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in terms of cost, change orders, and construction intensity. The results showed that contract award cost growth was significantly lower in DB projects than in CM/GC projects. In contrast to this, the total cost growth of DB projects was higher …

Predictive Maturity Of Inexact And Uncertain Strongly Coupled Numerical Models, Ismail Farajpour

All Dissertations

The Computer simulations are commonly used to predict the response of complex systems in many branches of engineering and science. These computer simulations involve the theoretical foundation, numerical modeling and supporting experimental data, all of which contain their associated errors. Furthermore, real-world problems are generally complex in nature, in which each phenomenon is described by the respective constituent models representing different physics and/or scales. The interactions between such constituents are typically complex in nature, such that the outputs of a particular constituent may be the inputs for one or more constituents. Thus, the natural question then arises concerning the validity …

Heavy Vehicle Performance During Recovery From Forced-Flow Urban Freeway Conditions Due To Incidents, Work Zones And Recurring Congestion, Alexander Drakopoulos, Yue Liu, Alan Horowitz

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Information contained in the Highway Capacity Manual on the influence heavy vehicles have on freeway traffic operations has been based on few field data collection efforts and relied mostly on traffic simulation efforts. In the 2010 Manual heavy vehicle impact is evaluated based on “passenger car equivalent” values for buses, recreational vehicles and trucks. These values were calibrated for relatively uncongested freeway conditions (levels of service A through C) since inadequate field data on heavy vehicle behavior under congested conditions were available. A number of field data collection efforts, that were not included in deriving the passenger car equivalent values …

Laboratory Testing Of Railroad Flatcars For Use As Highway Bridges On Low-Volume Roads To Determine Ultimate Strength And Redundancy, Teresa L. Washeleski, Robert Connor, Jason B. Lloyd

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Technical Reports

Railroad flatcars (RRFCs) are a convenient option to replace existing deteriorating bridge structures on low-volume roads. They are typically used as the bridge superstructure by placing two or more flatcars side-by-side to achieve the desired bridge width. Utilizing RRFCs as a bridge allows for rapid construction and greater cost savings compared to traditional practices. These benefits make them an attractive solution for rural communities in Indiana, as well as other states.

Uncertainty remains about the response under higher loads than could be easily achieved in the field and the level of redundancy of railroad flatcar bridges. Using RRFCs as bridges …

A Simple Method For Estimation Of Queue Length, S. P. Anusha, Lelitha Devi Vanajakshi, Anuj Sharma

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Urban arterials are characterized by frequent intersections. Queue length and delay are the two primary measures of performance of intersection. These measures play a primary role in determining the arterial performance. This article presents a methodology to determine the number of vehicles in queue at a signalized intersection for under saturated traffic conditions. The results obtained were validated using actual values that are manually extracted. The root-mean-square error is of the range 1.3 vehicles for estimation of number of vehicles in queue. The various aspects that have to be considered in accurate estimation of performance measures are also discussed.

An Investigation Into The Water Budget And The Management Of The Snake River System, John Whitney Hildreth

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Future climate change poses a major conceptual challenge to the availability of water resources due to the uncertainty involved with changes to the hydrologic cycle. Over the past decades, observed warming temperatures across the Western United Sates have shown significant impacts on river basin scale hydrology. This research uses physically based modeling tools to assess the hydrologic impacts of climate change in the Snake River Basin. Physically based hydrologic modeling studies of future climate do not typically take into account interactions between groundwater and surface water. To account for these interactions, the Variable Infiltration Capacity model is coupled with the …

Evaluation Of Alternative Project Delivery Methods In Water And Wastewater Projects, Ruiko Maharjan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States (U.S.) is facing significant challenges in addressing aging water infrastructure. Most of the drinking water infrastructure is reaching the end of their useful lives. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) estimated that it will cost about $1 trillion to repair or replace drinking water pipes. Over the next 20 years, it will cost about $298 billion to fix or expand pipes of the nation's wastewater and storm-water systems (AWWA, 2012). Owners, engineers, and contractors are using Alternative Project Delivery (APD) methods - e.g., Design-Build Construction Management-at-Risk Construction Management/General Contractor- to build water and wastewater projects in order …

Research Project Work Plan For Impact Of Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake On The Seismic Evaluation Criteria Of Bridges, Peter Dusicka

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The goal of this project is to provide ODOT with the best rational estimate of ground acceleration values for designing new and retrofitting existing bridges. The objectives are to:

• evaluate the hazard by contrasting the acceleration values from individual CSZ events to PSHA values
• provide experimental evidence of damage difference under longer duration shaking expected from CSZ event