Engineering Commons^™

Trade-Off Analysis Methodology For Asset Management, Qiang Bai, Samuel Labi, Zongzhi Li

JTRP Technical Reports

In an era that is characterized by funding limitations, increased stakeholder participation, and the need for increased accountability and transparency, transportation agencies seek to ensure that comprehensive evaluation processes are identified and used for decision-making. Consistent with such processes is the incorporation of multiple performance criteria from different program areas, optimization of decisions under constrained budgets, and investigation of trade-offs between program areas, performance measures, budgetary levels, risk levels, and performance thresholds. To help INDOT carry out these processes, this study developed theoretical constructs for scaling and amalgamation of the different performance measures, and for analyzing the different kinds of …

High-Performance Concrete Bridge Decks: A Fast-Track Implementation Study, Volume 1: Structural Behavior, Robert J. Frosch, Timothy S. Aldridge

JTRP Technical Reports

Transverse cracking of concrete bridge decks is problematic in numerous states. Cracking has been identified in the negative and positive moment regions of bridges and can appear shortly after opening the structure to live loads. To improve the service life of the bridge deck as well as decrease maintenance costs, changes to current construction practices in Indiana are being considered. A typical bridge deck was instrumented which incorporated the following: increased reinforcement amounts, decreasing reinforcement spacing, and high-performance, low-shrinkage concrete. The low shrinkage concrete was achieved using a ternary concrete mix. The objective of this research was to determine the …

Alternative Land Use Patterns To Minimize Congestion (Volume 2: Evaluating The Feasibility Of New Urbanism In An Existing Neighborhood), Huei Koh, Jon D. Fricker

JTRP Technical Reports

Urban sprawl creates serious traffic congestion. Alternative land use patterns may be the best solution. New Urbanists claim that, by placing frequently-visited sites within walking distance of homes and creating a pleasant walking environment, people are more willing to choose non-motorized transportation mode to do such activities.

Part I of this study investigated the ability of travel demand models to estimate the impacts of alternative land use patterns. Part II conducted an economic viability analysis for a mixed land use neighborhood and collected land use preferences at meetings of neighborhood associations. The objective in Part III was to evaluate the …

Methods Of Safety Improvements At Coordinated Signals, Wei Li, Andrew P. Tarko

JTRP Technical Reports

In this research, the safety impact of arterial signal coordination is investigated. Based on the findings, procedures are proposed to incorporate safety considerations into signal coordination design. In addition, a software tool is developed to facilitate the use of the research findings. Signal coordination has been extensively employed as a tool to optimize an arterial system’s mobility performance, commonly measured by the total number of vehicle stops and the time of delays. Although vehicle crashes at signalized intersections have long been recognized as a major safety threat, studies to date have been limited locally to non-coordinated signals or the noncoordinated …

The Effect Of Climate Change On The Hydrology Of A Mountainous Catchment In The Western United States: A Case Study At Reynolds Creek, Idaho, Anurag Nayak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research is focused on understanding the sensitivity of a hydrologic regime at the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW), a snowmelt dominated semi-arid mountain basin located in southwest Idaho, to climate warming.

Climate data, collected during 1962 to 2006 at many locations in the RCEW, was carefully checked, preprocessed, and corrected for errors and noise signals introduced by the instrument malfunctioning and extreme weather conditions. An Automated Precipitation Correction Program (APCP) was developed to remove mechanical errors from the weighing-recording bucket type precipitation gauge measurements. APCP produces comparable results to the manual techniques but a degree faster (few minutes against …

The Influence Of Debris Cages On Critical Submergence Of Vertical Intakes In Reservoirs, Skyler D. Allen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study quantifies the influence of debris cages on critical submergence at vertical intakes in reservoir configurations. Four model debris cages were constructed of light panel material. A vertical intake protruding one pipe diameter above the floor of a model reservoir was tested in six configurations: open intake pipe, a debris grate placed directly over the intake pipe, and debris cages representing widths of 1.5*d and 2*d and heights of 1.5*c and 2*c, where d is diameter of the intake and c is height of intake above reservoir floor. A selection of top grating configurations and a submerged raft configuration …

Development Of A Mathematical Model For 3d Reconstruction Of Target Objects By Photogrammetry, Keith F. Blonquist

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis outlines the development of a mathematical model which can be used to perform 3D reconstruction of a target object from surveillance images. 3D reconstruction is a common procedure in photogrammetry, but performing 3D reconstruction from surveillance images can be more difficult than typical photogrammetry applications.

Surveillance images are generally captured in an unsystematic manner because there is no control over the target that is being photographed. Surveillance images can have a wide variety of fields of view, are often captured with uncalibrated cameras, and typically the targets are objects for which there is no other a priori information. …

Analysis Of Effectiveness Of Bridges With Partial Isolation, Wenying Hu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A special class of seismically isolated bridges shares a common feature in that both ends of the superstructure are restrained and isolators over the columns of bridge uncouple the superstructure from the ground motions. They are defined as partial isolation bridges. From measured acceleration responses, effectiveness of full seismic isolation had been confirmed widely. However, the seismic isolation behavior in the partial isolation has not been widely observed.

The effectiveness of partial isolation is evaluated in this study. The static design procedures for linear and nonlinear partially isolated bridges are developed. Results from the static analysis of linear and nonlinear …

Integrating Surface And Sub Surface Flow Models Of Different Spatial And Temporal Scales Using Potential Coupling Interfaces, Alphonce Chenjerayi Guzha

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The main objective of this research was to develop and utilize a coupled surface water groundwater model to simulate hydrological responses of watersheds. This was achieved by coupling the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) groundwater flow model, MODFLOW, and the rainfall runoff model, TOPMODEL, in one case study and coupling MODFLOW with a networked version of TOPMODEL called TOPNET in another case study. The model coupling was achieved using the InCouple approach, which utilizes Potential Coupling Interfaces (PCIs) that are abstractions from model flow diagrams that expose only those aspects of a model relevant to coupling. Coupling the rainfall-runoff models to …

Investigation Of The Effective Use Of Warning Lights On Indiana Department Of Transportation (Indot) Vehicles And Equipment, Bob Mccullouch, Brandon Stevens

JTRP Technical Reports

This study was requested by INDOT to determine if current lighting packages used on INDOT maintenance vehicles, specifically snow plow vehicles, can be improved with other commercially available products. Different light products were obtained from various vendors, mounted on INDOT vehicles, and visual comparisons were performed under various lighting and weather conditions by a team of observers. The comparison evaluations were performed revealing that other light packages, LED models for most options, were brighter and certain colors more visible. The preferred light models are recommended. These recommendations were forwarded to appropriate individuals that make these decisions at INDOT. Implementation is …

Alternative Land Use Patterns To Minimize Congestion (Volume 3: Empirical Study Of Mixed Land Use Traditional Neighborhoods), Li Jin, Jon D. Fricker

JTRP Technical Reports

Urban sprawl creates serious traffic congestion. Alternative land use patterns may be the best solution. New Urbanists claim that, by placing frequently-visited sites within walking distance of homes and creating a pleasant walking environment, people are more willing to choose non-motorized transportation mode to do such activities.

Part I of this study investigated the ability of travel demand models to estimate the impacts of alternative land use patterns. Part II conducted an economic viability analysis for a mixed land use neighborhood and collected land use preferences at meetings of neighborhood associations. The objective in Part III was to evaluate the …

Use Of Micropiles For Foundations Of Transportation Structures Final Report, Hoyoung Seo, Monica Prezzi

JTRP Technical Reports

In pile design, piles must be able to sustain axial loads from the superstructure without bearing capacity failure or structural damage. In addition, piles must not settle or deflect excessively in order for the serviceability of the superstructures to be maintained. In general, settlement controls the design of piles in most cases because, by the time a pile has failed in terms of bearing capacity, it is very likely that serviceability will have already been compromised. Therefore, realistic estimation of settlement for a given load is very important in design of axially loaded piles. This notwithstanding, pile design has relied …

Alternative Land Use Patterns To Minimize Congestion (Volume 1: Comparative Analysis Of Mixed Land Use And Separated Land Use Neighborhoods), Amica Bose, Jon D. Fricker

JTRP Technical Reports

Urban sprawl creates serious traffic congestion. Alternative land use patterns may be the best solution. New Urbanists claim that, by placing frequently-visited sites within walking distance of homes and creating a pleasant walking environment, people are more willing to choose non-motorized transportation mode to do such activities.

Part I of this study investigated the ability of travel demand models to estimate the impacts of alternative land use patterns. Part II conducted an economic viability analysis for a mixed land use neighborhood and collected land use preferences at meetings of neighborhood associations. The objective in Part III was to evaluate the …

Quantitative Rrna-Targeted Solution-Based Hybridization Assay Using Peptide Nucleic Acid Molecular Beacons, Xu Li, Eberhard Morgenroth, Lutgarde Raskin

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The potential of a solution-based hybridization assay using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) molecular beacon (MB) probes to quantify 16S rRNA of specific populations in RNA extracts of environmental samples was evaluated by designing PNA MB probes for the genera Dechloromonas and Dechlorosoma. In a kinetic study with 16S rRNA from pure cultures, the hybridization of PNA MB to target 16S rRNA exhibited a higher final hybridization signal and a lower apparent rate constant than the hybridizations to nontarget 16S rRNAs. A concentration of 10 mM NaCl in the hybridization buffer was found to be optimal for maximizing the difference between …

Application Of Structural Control For Civil Engineering Structures, Abdollah Shafieezadeh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study presents the application of control methods in seismic mitigation of structural responses. The study consists of two parts. In the first section, fractional order filters are utilized to enhance the performance of the conventional LQR method for optimal robust control of a simple civil structure. The introduced filters modify the state variables fed back to the constant gain controller. Four combinations of fractional order filter and LQR are considered and optimized based on a new performance criterion defined in the paper. Introducing fractional order filters is shown to improve the results considerably for both the artificially generated ground …

Generalized Event Tree Algorithm And Software For Dam Safety Risk Analysis, Anurag Srivastava

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Event tree analysis is a most commonly used method in dam safety risk analysis modeling. Available software tools for performing event tree analyses lack the flexibility to efficiently address many important factors in dam safety risk analysis. As a result of these practical limitations, spreadsheets have been used, sometimes including Visual Basic macros, to perform these analyses. However, this approach lacks generality and can require significant effort to apply to a specific dam or to modify the event tree structure. In response to these limitations, here a generalized event tree analysis tool, DAMRAE (DAM safety Risk Analysis Engine), has been …

P-M Characteristics Of Reinforced Concrete Sections, Paul Johnson

All Theses

This manuscript presents two parametric studies which were performed to evaluate a provision which originated in the 1994 Uniform Building Code (UBC). This provision states that if gravity-induced axial loads carried by a reinforced concrete member are greater than 35% of the pure axial load-carrying capacity (Po) of that member, then the member cannot be used as part of the lateral force resisting system (LRFS). Along with the UBC provision, the Structural Engineers Association of California's (SEAOC) Blue Book states that the value of 0.35Po corresponds to the level of axial load representing a balanced state of strain, i.e., the …

Analysis Of Speed-Related Crashes Using Event Data Recorder Data, Swathi Korpu

All Theses

Safety in general is defined as 'the absence of unintended harm to living creatures or inanimate objects' (Evans, 2004). Traffic safety is measured in terms of motor vehicle crashes. A crash is an unplanned event which results in either fatality, or injury or property damage. Of all the factors that contribute to a crash, speed is a major issue, as more than 31 percent of all fatal crashes involve speeding (NHTSA, 2007). The speed-safety relationship can be determined by knowing the effect of speed on the frequency and severity of crashes. The relationship between speed and frequency of crashes is …

Safety And Operational Impacts Of Alternative Intersections, Andrew P. Tarko, Mike Inerowicz, Brandon Lang

JTRP Technical Reports

As the degradation of service at some conventional intersections increases, there becomes a need for alternative solutions other than expensive interchanges. Many alternative intersections have been proposed in the past. Under certain traffic and local conditions some solutions are more promising than other. In some cases, the conventional intersection may still be the optimal choice. The presented research focused on developing guidelines that would help planners and designers identify the most promising solutions for further analysis. This objective has been addresses in two ways. Firstly, the existing knowledge on alternative intersections has been identified. Secondly, the performance of conventional and …

Empirical Two-Point Α-Mixing Model For Calibrating The Ech2o Ec-5 Soil Moisture Sensor In Sands, Toshihiro Sakaki, Anuchit Limsuwat, Kathleen M. Smits, Tissa H. Illangasekare

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications - Archive

Recently improved ECH2O soil moisture sensors have received significant attention in many field and laboratory applications. Focusing on the EC-5 sensor, a simple and robust calibration method is proposed. The sensor-to-sensor variability in the readings (analog-to-digital converter (ADC) counts) among 30 EC-5 sensors was relatively small but not negligible. A large number of ADC counts were taken under various volumetric water contents (?) using four test sands. The proposed two-point a-mixing model, as well as linear and quadratic models, was fitted to the ADC – ? data. Unlike for conventional TDR measurements, the effect of sensor characteristics is lumped into …

Isolation Of Methyl Laurate From Coconut Oil As Raw Material For Fatty Alcohol Sulfate, Rita Arbianti, Tania Surya Utami, Astri Nugroho

Makara Journal of Technology

Isolation of Methyl Laurate from Coconut Oil as Raw Material for Fatty Alcohol Sulfate. Methyl laurate is a raw or base material for many industries, including surfactant industries. In this research, coconut oil (VCO) is transesterified with methanol to produce methyl ester, using NaOH as the catalyst. Methyl laurate is then separated by method based on the difference in melting point. This research focuses at determining the effects of some variables in transesterification on the concentration of produced methyl laurate. The variables are temperature (40 oC, 50 oC, 60 oC, 80 oC), time of transesterification reaction (0,5 hour, 1 hour, …

The Decompositioning Of Volatile-Matter Of Tanjung Enim Coal By Using Thermogravimetry Analyzer (Tga), Nukman Nukman

Makara Journal of Technology

The Decompositioning of Volatile-Matter of Tanjung Enim Coal by using Thermogravimetry Analyzer (TGA). Coal is a nature material which a kind of energy source. The decompotition of coal could analyze by heat treated using thermogravimetry analyzer. The decomposition of the volatile matter for three kinds of Tanjung Enim coal could be known. The value of activation energy that be found diference, then for Semi Anthracite, Bitumonius and Sub Bituminous Coal, the initial temperatures are 60.8 oC, 70.7 oC, 97.8oC, and the last temperatures are 893.8 oC, 832 oC, 584.6oC.

Phase Unwrapping Insar Image Using Local Energy Minimization Approach, Kusworo Adi, Tati L.R. Mengko, Andriyan B. Suksmono, Hendra Gunawan

Makara Journal of Technology

Phase Unwrapping InSAR Image Using Local Energy Minimization Approach. Reconstruction process of phase data from its cover is called Phase Unwrapping (PU). Ideally, without any noise phrase, singularity, and aliasing problems, the phase information can be unwrapped easily. However, in fact, the phase data actually always get noise disturbance and discontinuity. The PU process becomes more complicated and needs a better PU algorithm to address the problems properly. In this research, the local PU algorithm is developed using minimization of close related firstorder pixels energy approach. In this method, the energy difference between four close related pixels is counted, followed …

Two Element Microstrip Antenna Array With Defected Ground Structure, Fitri Yuli Zulkifli, Eko Tjipto Rahardjo, Muhamad Asvial, Djoko Hartanto

Makara Journal of Technology

Two Element Microstrip Antenna Array with Defected Ground Structure. This paper presents a two element microstrip antenna array using trapezium shape defected ground structure (DGS). The DGS is inserted in the ground plane between two elements of antenna array. Insertion of the DGS is intended to suppress the mutual coupling effect produced by antenna array. Simulation and measurement results were taken and compared between antenna array with and without DGS. Measurement results show that the antenna with DGS compared to antenna without DGS can suppress mutual coupling effect to 7.9 dB, improve the return loss to 33.29% from -30.188 dB …

Neutron Irradiation On Ss316 Material For Radioactive Endovascular Stent Production, Rohadi Awaludin, Abidin Abidin, Sriyono Sriyono

Makara Journal of Technology

Neutron Irradiation on SS316 Material for Radioactive Endovascular Stent Production. It was reported that restenosis could be prevented by radioactive endovascular stent. SS316 material of endovascular stent has been irradiated at pneumatic rabbit system of G.A. Siwabessy reactor for 5 minutes for producing radioactive stent by neutron activation. After 10 days of decay, the irradiated SS316 was measured by gamma spectrometer. The radioisotopes of 51Cr, 59Fe and 60Co were detected in the irradiated SS316 with radioactivity of 5990, 107 and 109 Bq/mg respectively. The Calculation results showed that radioisotopes of 51Cr, 59Fe and 55Fe were produced by neutron activation. The …

Physical Characteristics And Utilization Oft The Karst Beaches In Kabupaten Gunungkidul, Astrid Damayanti, Ranum Ayuningtyas

Makara Journal of Technology

Physical Characteristics and Utilization oft the Karst Beaches in Kabupaten Gunungkidul. Karsts beaches at Gunungkidul Regency (Baron, Kukup, Sepanjang, Drini, Krakal, Ngandong, and Sundak), located in south of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta Province, have economic potential. Even they have similarity in geological condition (genesis and morphological processes), but they have different physical characteristics. Based on result of observation environment on morphological conditions and spatial analysis method, we found the proper utilization of the beaches.

Hydrogen Absorption In Weldments Of Overlaid Claded Pressure Vessel, Ronnie Higuchi Rusli

Makara Journal of Technology

Cracks was found in type 347 stainless steel internal attachment welds of a reactor for a high temperature, and high pressure hydrogen service. One of the possible causes of cracking is low cycle fatigue cracking induced by repetition of thermal stress to embrittled weld metal. Type 347 weld metal loses its ductility by presence of sigma phase and hydrogen.

Spectral Response Surfaces And The Ringing Response Of Offshore Structures, I Ketut Suastika

Makara Journal of Technology

A method, called spectral response surface method, is proposed for the study of the ringing phenomenon of offshore structures. Newman’s results for diffraction force on a column were reformulated in terms of the frequency components of the ocean surface and their Hilbert transforms. Using a first-order reliability method together with a dynamic model for the structural response, it is straightforward to calculate the ocean surface history most likely to generate an extreme ringing response and the ringing response history.

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Building Services Engineering

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Creating Useful Products From Connecticut's 2000 Lidar Data Set Jhr 08-314 Project 07-2, Thomas H. Meyer

Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Articles

The State of Connecticut owns a LIght Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data set that was collected in 2000 as part of the State’s periodic aerial reconnaissance missions. Although collected eight years ago, these data are just now becoming ready to be made available to the public. These data constitute a massive “point cloud”, being a long list of east-north-up triplets in the State Plane Coordinate System Zone 0600 (SPCS83 0600), orthometric heights (NAVD 88) in US Survey feet. Unfortunately, point clouds have no structure or organization, and consequently they are not as useful as Triangulated Irregular Networks (TINs), digital elevation …