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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Locally Derived Nonpoint Loading Estimates For The Boeuf River/Bayou Lafourche Watershed, Emerald Purser Roider Jan 2007

Locally Derived Nonpoint Loading Estimates For The Boeuf River/Bayou Lafourche Watershed, Emerald Purser Roider

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

There is currently a great demand for data and models that can be used to quantify nonpoint source pollutant loads from different land-use types. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) is in the process of implementing management programs for impacted water bodies based on the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of a pollutant. Pollutants of concern include total suspended solids (TSS), nitrogen, and phosphorus. One of the key parameters in determining the TMDL of a water body is the nonpoint source pollutant load from different land-use types. To date, such load estimates in Louisiana are lacking. The primary objective …


Characterization Of Unsaturated Soils Using Elastic And Electromagnetic Waves, Bashar Alramahi Jan 2007

Characterization Of Unsaturated Soils Using Elastic And Electromagnetic Waves, Bashar Alramahi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent advances in laboratory instruments and techniques enabled researchers to explore new aspects of the behavior of geomaterials and perform measurements that would be otherwise impossible to acquire using traditional geotechnical laboratory techniques. This dissertation is focused on utilizing elastic and electromagnetic wave measurements and SMCT imaging to non-destructively characterize different aspects of the behavior of unsaturated soils. A model that relates P-wave velocity in soils to the volumetric water content was used to develop a new methodology to determine the in situ density and moisture content of soils. It was numerically and experimentally verified to assess it validity and …


Flow And Distribution Of Water In Fractional Wettability Unsaturated Porous Media, Zaydoun Turkey Abusalem Jan 2007

Flow And Distribution Of Water In Fractional Wettability Unsaturated Porous Media, Zaydoun Turkey Abusalem

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, interest in fluid flow and transport in the unsaturated zone has gained more attention, due to growing concerns that the quality of the subsurface environment is adversely affected by agricultural, industrial, and municipal activities. The wettability properties (e.g., water repellency) of soil in the unsaturated zone play an important role in determining fluid movement and ultimate distributions. A number of studies have shown that preferential flow and spatially variable moisture content is likely to occur in water repellant soils. Development of appropriate constitutive relations for numerical modeling becomes even more difficult in systems that contain water repellant …


Effects Of Capping On Biodegradation Of Organic Contaminants In Sediments, Eun Ju Lee Jan 2007

Effects Of Capping On Biodegradation Of Organic Contaminants In Sediments, Eun Ju Lee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sediment capping remains an effective remediation technique for contaminated sediments due to its capability to contain contaminants and provide a sound habitat for indigenous biota. This research investigated the effect of capping on biodegradation of organic contaminants in Anacostia River sediments using both experimental and modeling techniques. 14C–Phenanthrene mineralization was monitored under various redox conditions in Anacostia River sediments. Mineralization of 14C–phenanthrene was strongly linked to sulfate reduction, which was the more energetic process than any other anaerobic condition in Anacostia sediments. Sulfate is a more promising terminal electron acceptor for intrinsic degradation in Anacostia River and other PAH contaminated …


Three Dimensional Behavior Of Retaining Wall Systems, Kevin Abraham Jan 2007

Three Dimensional Behavior Of Retaining Wall Systems, Kevin Abraham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this study was to perform an engineering assessment of key three-dimensional (3-D) soil-structure interaction (SSI) features of selected earth retaining walls utilizing the nonlinear finite element method (FEM). These 3-D features are not explicitly incorporated in conventional two-dimensional (2-D) procedures that are commonly used to design these retaining walls. The research objective was accomplished utilizing the nonlinear FEM. The retaining walls selected for this research were described in detail. Design methodologies and computed responses for the walls based on conventional 2-D design procedures were summarized. Key engineering features of these structures such as construction sequence and system …


An Experimental Study On Characteristics And Behavior Of Reinforced Soil Foundation, Qiming Chen Jan 2007

An Experimental Study On Characteristics And Behavior Of Reinforced Soil Foundation, Qiming Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research study aims at investigating the potential benefits of using the reinforcement to improve the bearing capacity and reduce the settlement of shallow foundations. To implement this objective, a total of one hundred seventeen tests were performed to study the behavior of reinforced soil foundation. The test results showed that the inclusion of reinforcement can significantly improve the soil's bearing capacity and reduce the footing settlement. The geogrids with higher tensile modulus performed better than geogrids with lower tensile modulus. The strain developed along the reinforcement is directly related to the settlement. The test results also showed that the …


Wind Loads For Petrochemical Structures, Samuel Amoroso Jan 2007

Wind Loads For Petrochemical Structures, Samuel Amoroso

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Techniques currently available to practicing engineers for estimating wind loads for petrochemical structures have little theoretical or experimental basis. This dissertation research is an effort to expand the understanding of wind effects on petrochemical and other, similar structures. Petrochemical structures introduce geometric scales into wind tunnel model simulations below what are common for enclosed structures. Wind tunnel experiments were performed to help determine whether this will introduce problems in achieving dynamic similarity between models and prototypes. The experiments did not reveal any clear indication that petrochemical structures cannot be modeled in wind tunnels at scales similar to those used for …


Readjustment Of A Regional Geodetic Leveling Network To Account For Temporally And Spatially Variable Vertical Displacement Of Benchmarks, Kurt Shinkle Jan 2007

Readjustment Of A Regional Geodetic Leveling Network To Account For Temporally And Spatially Variable Vertical Displacement Of Benchmarks, Kurt Shinkle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation describes and analyzes the temporally and spatially non-linear nature of the vertical displacement of 1st order geodetic benchmarks in the lower Mississippi Valley and northern Gulf of Mexico coastal region. The least-squares method of adjusting redundant surveying observations is implemented to compute the most likely value of the most recent rates of displacement at node benchmarks within the network, along with estimates of the uncertainty of those values. Using that result, a modification of the standard method of adjusting geodetic leveling networks is developed and demonstrated to compute new elevations for the node benchmarks which accounts for both …


Laboratory Characterization And Numerical Modeling Of Geogrid Reinforced Bases In Flexible Pavements, Munir Darwish Nazzal Jan 2007

Laboratory Characterization And Numerical Modeling Of Geogrid Reinforced Bases In Flexible Pavements, Munir Darwish Nazzal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation documents the results of an extensive research study that was conducted to characterize the behavior of geogrid reinforced base course materials. The research was conducted through an experimental testing and numerical modeling programs. The experimental testing program included performing different laboratory tests to evaluate the effect of various factors on the performance geogrid reinforced base course materials. Finite element models were also developed to investigate the benefits of placing geogrids within the base course layer in a flexible pavement structure. The results of the experimental testing demonstrated that the inclusion of the geogrid reinforcement layer(s) improved the compressive …