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Articles 391 - 420 of 1706

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Fight For Flight: The Narratives Of Human Versus Machine Following Two Aviation Tragedies, Andrew Prahl, Rio Kin Ho Leung, Alicia Ning Shan Chua Apr 2022

Fight For Flight: The Narratives Of Human Versus Machine Following Two Aviation Tragedies, Andrew Prahl, Rio Kin Ho Leung, Alicia Ning Shan Chua

Human-Machine Communication

This study provides insight into the relationship between human and machine in the professional aviation community following the 737 MAX accidents. Content analysis was conducted on a discussion forum for professional pilots to identify the major topics emerging in discussion of the accidents. A subsequent narrative analysis reveals dominant arguments of human versus machine as zero-sum, surrender to machines, and an epidemic of mistrust. Results are discussed in the context of current issues in human-machine communication, and we discuss what other quickly automating industries can learn from aviation’s experience.


Evaluating Groundwater Storage Change And Recharge Using Grace Data: A Case Study Of Aquifers In Niger, West Africa, Sergio A. Barbosa, Sarva T. Pulla, Gustavious P. Williams, Norman L. Jones, Bako Mamane, Jorge L. Sanchez Apr 2022

Evaluating Groundwater Storage Change And Recharge Using Grace Data: A Case Study Of Aquifers In Niger, West Africa, Sergio A. Barbosa, Sarva T. Pulla, Gustavious P. Williams, Norman L. Jones, Bako Mamane, Jorge L. Sanchez

Faculty and Student Publications

Accurately assessing groundwater storage changes in Niger is critical for long-term water resource management but is difficult due to sparse field data. We present a study of groundwater storage changes and recharge in Southern Niger, computed using data from NASA Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. We compute a groundwater storage anomaly estimate by subtracting the surface water anomaly provided by the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) model from the GRACE total water storage anomaly. We use a statistical model to fill gaps in the GRACE data. We analyze the time period from 2002 to 2021, which corresponds …


Supetai Well Water Purification, Claire Russon, Geovanni Usher, Nicole Valdivia Apr 2022

Supetai Well Water Purification, Claire Russon, Geovanni Usher, Nicole Valdivia

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

The rural Kenyan community of Oldonya Rasha had depended on water from a distant spring of unknown quality from which there have been reports of typhoid. A non-governmental organization, Sabore’s Well, built the centrally-located Supetai Well with the intention of solving the lack of accessible potable water, but due to high fluoride levels in the groundwater, this water source is unsafe. The team designed a water treatment system to be integrated into the existing well infrastructure that removes fluoride and pathogens to meet Kenyan and World Health Organization (WHO) water quality standards. The design includes dosage of alum and soda …


Development Of Membrane Assisted Recovery Of Solids (Mars) Technology For Nutrient Management In Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems, Itzé Alejandra Kenney Mar 2022

Development Of Membrane Assisted Recovery Of Solids (Mars) Technology For Nutrient Management In Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems, Itzé Alejandra Kenney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing global populations will result in a rise of eutrophic wastewater and an increased need in food supply. Both problems share a commonality: nutrients. Not all communities are equipped to handle one or both of those challenges, considering that typical solutions require large and energy intensive technologies. Wastewater treatment in most major cities is done through centralized treatment plants, which is not feasible for places with limited resources. Decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DWTS) have been developed as an alternative solution for those communities, but they still struggle to sustainably treat nutrients such as ammonium (NH4) and phosphate (PO4^(3-)). Zeolite has …


Development Of Cost-Effective High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (Hmac) Mixtures Using Crumb Rubber And Local Construction Materials In Louisiana., Ibrahim A.I.E Elnaml Mar 2022

Development Of Cost-Effective High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (Hmac) Mixtures Using Crumb Rubber And Local Construction Materials In Louisiana., Ibrahim A.I.E Elnaml

LSU Master's Theses

One of the emerging solutions to enhance the durability of asphalt pavements is the use of a French asphalt mix known as “High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (HMAC).” This mix uses a hard asphalt binder, high binder content (about 6%), and low air voids content as compared to Superpave mixtures. The key objective of this study was to develop a cost-effective HMAC mixture using crumb rubber and local materials in Louisiana. To achieve this objective, four HMAC mixtures were prepared using two asphalt binders (PG 82-22 and PG 76-22 plus 10% crumb rubber) and two Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) contents (20% and …


Groundwater Level Modeling With Machine Learning: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mojtaba Sadegh Mar 2022

Groundwater Level Modeling With Machine Learning: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Groundwater is a vital source of freshwater, supporting the livelihood of over two billion people worldwide. The quantitative assessment of groundwater resources is critical for sustainable management of this strained resource, particularly as climate warming, population growth, and socioeconomic development further press the water resources. Rapid growth in the availability of a plethora of in-situ and remotely sensed data alongside advancements in data-driven methods and machine learning offer immense opportunities for an improved assessment of groundwater resources at the local to global levels. This systematic review documents the advancements in this field and evaluates the accuracy of various models, following …


Hydrologic Profiles And Geospatial Trend Analysis Evaluating Recurrent Flooding At Coastal U.S. Air Force Installations, Dylan D. Bechen Mar 2022

Hydrologic Profiles And Geospatial Trend Analysis Evaluating Recurrent Flooding At Coastal U.S. Air Force Installations, Dylan D. Bechen

Theses and Dissertations

Military installations are exposed to numerous threats, including a changing climate and the risk of recurrent flooding. The four components of recurrent flooding are sea-level rise, tidal fluctuations, storm surges, and precipitation. This research analyzed 40 years of historical precipitation and tidal data at 17 coastal U.S. Air Force installations using indicators of both peak and threshold exceedances to identify long-term temporal trends in the hydrologic components that make up recurrent flood risk, establishing an installation’s “hydrologic profile” which can be used to better inform decision makers when evaluating portfolio-wide adaptation strategies and prioritization of long-term infrastructure investments.


The Preconstruction Of Sustainable Housing In Muhanga, Rwanda, Rachael Worstman Mar 2022

The Preconstruction Of Sustainable Housing In Muhanga, Rwanda, Rachael Worstman

Construction Management

This project involved the designing and building process of a sustainable, environmentally sound housing option designed for the people of Muhanga, Rwanda. This project was initially inspired by the Earthships built in New Mexico. During the design process the Earthships' design and materials used was evaluated, then altered to better suit Rwanda based on the available natural resources and needs of the people. Rwandans have endured a traumatic history and still experiences struggle today. An example of this is the anti-thatching campaign in 2011 that left thousands of people homeless as they were forced out of their unsafe homes. One …


A Case Study Of Community-Engaged Design: Creating Parametric Insurance To Meet The Safety Needs Of Fisherfolk In The Caribbean, Daniel B. Oerther Mar 2022

A Case Study Of Community-Engaged Design: Creating Parametric Insurance To Meet The Safety Needs Of Fisherfolk In The Caribbean, Daniel B. Oerther

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The creation of the Caribbean Ocean and Aquaculture Sustainability faciliTy (COAST) is used as a case study of community-engaged design addressing safety needs. COAST is a parametric insurance product, sold to national governments, which was designed to meet the food and nutrition security of small- and medium-scale fisherfolk. The design of COAST is an example of convergence research, where the discipline of engineering was integrated with another discipline to solve pressing societal needs of Caribbean fisherfolk. This case study demonstrates that community-engaged design helps to (1) identify and include historically underrepresented stakeholders, (2) emphasize the importance of professional responsibility for …


Heavy Metals In Harvested Rainwater Used For Domestic Purposes In Rural Areas: Yatta Area, Palestine As A Case Study., Fathi Anabtawi, Nidal Mahmoud, Issam A. Al-Khatib, Yung-Tse Hung Feb 2022

Heavy Metals In Harvested Rainwater Used For Domestic Purposes In Rural Areas: Yatta Area, Palestine As A Case Study., Fathi Anabtawi, Nidal Mahmoud, Issam A. Al-Khatib, Yung-Tse Hung

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Rainwater harvesting is considered one of the most important water resources in the Palestinian countryside. In this research, the study area chosen for the study was Yatta town in Hebron city. 75 water samples were collected from 74 cisterns in a number of neighborhoods in Yatta, and a structured household survey was conducted with the same households where the water samples were collected. Statistical analysis was made using the SPSS software. An analysis for the samples was made using ICP-MS to test the existence of a number of heavy metals, namely Pb, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd. …


Increasing Heat-Stress Inequality In A Warming Climate, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, John T. Abatzoglou, Jan F. Adamowski, Jeffrey P. Prestemon, Bhaskar Chittoori, Ata Akbari Asanjan, Mojtaba Sadegh Feb 2022

Increasing Heat-Stress Inequality In A Warming Climate, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, John T. Abatzoglou, Jan F. Adamowski, Jeffrey P. Prestemon, Bhaskar Chittoori, Ata Akbari Asanjan, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Adaptation is key to minimizing heatwaves' societal burden; however, our understanding of adaptation capacity across the socioeconomic spectrum is incomplete. We demonstrate that observed heatwave trends in the past four decades were most pronounced in the lowest-quartile income region of the world resulting in >40% higher exposure from 2010 to 2019 compared to the highest-quartile income region. Lower-income regions have reduced adaptative capacity to warming, which compounds the impacts of higher heatwave exposure. We also show that individual contiguous heatwaves engulfed up to 2.5-fold larger areas in the recent decade (2010–2019) as compared to the 1980s. Widespread heatwaves can overwhelm …


Mathematical Modeling And Optimization Of Water Efficiency In Residential Buildings, Mahmoud Amin Jan 2022

Mathematical Modeling And Optimization Of Water Efficiency In Residential Buildings, Mahmoud Amin

Theses and Dissertations

Water scarcity is a global issue that is rapidly worsening. The domestic sector is one of the fastest-growing segments of world water usage. Many researchers have explored various approaches to promote sustainable uses of water, with Greywater (GW) recycling and utilization of innovative plumbing fixtures among the methods presented to reduce freshwater consumption for domestic usage. Nonetheless, previous studies have dealt with both means independently, with limited analysis of the integrated effect of utilizing GW recycling with innovative plumbing fixtures, both on quality of supplied water, as well as on cost of the integrated system. Accordingly, this research aims at …


Project Leanness Score: A Machine Learning Approach, Julia Said Jan 2022

Project Leanness Score: A Machine Learning Approach, Julia Said

Theses and Dissertations

The construction industry is known to have several inadequacies in resource utilization leading to cost and schedule overruns. One of the popular recent methods that attempts to eliminate these inadequacies is lean construction principles, techniques and tools. Lean construction is a philosophy, backed with principles and tools, aiming at maximizing value, eliminating waste, optimizing efficiency, and seeking continuous improvement. Lean construction techniques (such as pull planning, just-in-time delivery, fail safe for quality, etc.) are widely researched and well developed. However, their implementation in construction sites is tricky as their success depends on several other factors such as the level of …


Impact Of Rapid Urbanization, Climate Change, And Drainage Design On Urban Flash Floods In New Cairo, Egypt, Bassma Taher Hassan Jan 2022

Impact Of Rapid Urbanization, Climate Change, And Drainage Design On Urban Flash Floods In New Cairo, Egypt, Bassma Taher Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

Urban flooding is considered one of the most hazardous disasters in metropolitan areas, which causes growing risk on people’s lives, infrastructure and environment. Egypt witnessed an unprecedent extreme rainfall event in 2020 that caused more than four hundred injuries and major damage in properties and infrastructures affecting the economic and social aspects adversely. This was not the first extreme rainfall event causing catastrophic implications, over the past 5 years, New Cairo have been experiencing intense rainfall events almost every year that put the community in jeopardy. This research intends to investigate the main drivers prompting urban flash floods in New …


Collaborative Environmental Approach For Development Of The Lower Laguna Madre Estuary Program Strategic Plan In South Texas, Javier Guerrero, Ahmed Mahmoud, Taufiqul Alam, Augusto Sanchez, Kim D. Jones, Andrew Ernest Jan 2022

Collaborative Environmental Approach For Development Of The Lower Laguna Madre Estuary Program Strategic Plan In South Texas, Javier Guerrero, Ahmed Mahmoud, Taufiqul Alam, Augusto Sanchez, Kim D. Jones, Andrew Ernest

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The National Estuary Program (NEP) is a promising eco-system based approach to improve the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national importance in the United States. Due to population growth and concomitant development pressure in South Texas, the future of the Lower Laguna Madre (LLM) without an estuary program is problematic. The development of a management plan for the LLM will enable the region to develop local solutions to local problems. The fundamental purpose of this research was to develop a strategic plan for the foundation of the Laguna Madre Estuary Program of the Gulf Coast of Texas. …


A Systematic Literature Review Exploring The Barriers To Innovative Modular Construction Methods For The International Hyper-Scale Data Centre Sector, Peter E. Lonergan, A.Omar Portillo-Dominguez Jan 2022

A Systematic Literature Review Exploring The Barriers To Innovative Modular Construction Methods For The International Hyper-Scale Data Centre Sector, Peter E. Lonergan, A.Omar Portillo-Dominguez

Other

Data centres form the essential global infrastructure relied upon for multiple industries such as the internet, financial services, and telecommunications. Consequently, data centre construction has developed into a buoyant business sector, leveraging increasing global investment. However, traditional means of data centre procurement do not match stakeholder’s ambitions or current delivery demands. Thus, there is a need for the adoption of new and innovative construction methodologies in the sector to introduce improvements for the delivery of this essential infrastructure. As a step in that direction, this paper presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) that investigates the barriers preventing the implementation of …


The Brazilian Soil Spectral Service (Braspecs): A User-Friendly System For Global Soil Spectra Communication, José A. M. Demattê, Ariane Francine Da Silveira Paiva, Raul Roberto Poppiel, Nícolas Augusto Rosin, Luis Fernando Chimelo Ruiz, Fellipe Alcantara De Oliveira Mello, Budiman Minasny, Sabine Grunwald, Yufeng Ge, Eyal Ben Dor, Asa Gholizadeh, Cecile Gomez, Sabine Chabrillat, Nicolas Francos, Shamsollah Ayoubi, Dian Fiantis, James Kobina Mensah Biney, Changkun Wang, Abdelaziz Belal, Salman Naimi, Najmeh Asgari Hafshejani, Henrique Bellinaso, Jean Michel Moura-Bueno, Nélida E. Q. Silvero Jan 2022

The Brazilian Soil Spectral Service (Braspecs): A User-Friendly System For Global Soil Spectra Communication, José A. M. Demattê, Ariane Francine Da Silveira Paiva, Raul Roberto Poppiel, Nícolas Augusto Rosin, Luis Fernando Chimelo Ruiz, Fellipe Alcantara De Oliveira Mello, Budiman Minasny, Sabine Grunwald, Yufeng Ge, Eyal Ben Dor, Asa Gholizadeh, Cecile Gomez, Sabine Chabrillat, Nicolas Francos, Shamsollah Ayoubi, Dian Fiantis, James Kobina Mensah Biney, Changkun Wang, Abdelaziz Belal, Salman Naimi, Najmeh Asgari Hafshejani, Henrique Bellinaso, Jean Michel Moura-Bueno, Nélida E. Q. Silvero

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Although many Soil Spectral Libraries (SSLs) have been created globally, these libraries still have not been operationalized for end-users. To address this limitation, this study created an online Brazilian Soil Spectral Service (BraSpecS). The system was based on the Brazilian Soil Spectral Library (BSSL) with samples collected in the Visible–Near–Short-wave infrared (vis–NIR–SWIR) and Midinfrared (MIR) ranges. The interactive platform allows users to find spectra, act as custodians of the data, and estimate several soil properties and classification. The system was tested by 500 Brazilian and 65 international users. Users accessed the platform (besbbr.com.br), uploaded their spectra, and received soil organic …


Evidence Of Coal Conversion In The Majuba Underground Coal Gasification Pilot Plant, South Africa, L.S. Mokhahlane, N.J. Wagner, D. Vermeulen Jan 2022

Evidence Of Coal Conversion In The Majuba Underground Coal Gasification Pilot Plant, South Africa, L.S. Mokhahlane, N.J. Wagner, D. Vermeulen

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Underground coal gasification (UCG) is a coal conversion method that permits coal resources to be exploited in situ using high-temperature conversion reactions. An understanding of the chemical, mineralogical, and petrographic properties of the coal, and resultant unburned carbon, degasified coal, and ash (minerals) in the UCG gasification zone, is fundamental to determining conversion rates, gas composition, and environmental and groundwater risk assessments. This study aims to provide a mineralogical and petrographic characterization of UCG residues obtained from the Eskom Majuba UCG pilot plant site in South Africa. Samples were selected from a verification borehole (VH3) drilled at the site following …


Modelling Of Radiological Health Risk In Water From Abstraction Well Close To A Hypothetical Radioactive Waste Repository In The Accra Plains, Paul Essel, Mark Amo-Boateng, Dominic Otoo, Thomas Tetteh Akiti Jan 2022

Modelling Of Radiological Health Risk In Water From Abstraction Well Close To A Hypothetical Radioactive Waste Repository In The Accra Plains, Paul Essel, Mark Amo-Boateng, Dominic Otoo, Thomas Tetteh Akiti

Applied Environmental Research

This study evaluated the integrity of the geosphere of the Accra Plains to host a radioactive waste disposal facility for Ghana’s radioactive waste materials. The study thus assessed the migration of radioactive contaminant from a hypothetical radioactive waste disposal facility through the geosphere to the biosphere in the Accra Plains. The Accra Plains is predominantly underlain by schist rocks, hence the hydrogeologic parameters of schist rock from literature were used as input data. AMBER software was used to develop a model to estimate the peak total annual effective dose from all the radionuclides at various receptor locations. The endpoint of …


Identification Of Saline Water Intrusion Using Integrated Geoelectrical Method In The Coastal Aquifer Of Holo-Quaternary Formation, Lampung Bay, Rustadi -, Agus Setiawan, I Gede Boy Darmawan, Suharno -, Nandi Haerudin Jan 2022

Identification Of Saline Water Intrusion Using Integrated Geoelectrical Method In The Coastal Aquifer Of Holo-Quaternary Formation, Lampung Bay, Rustadi -, Agus Setiawan, I Gede Boy Darmawan, Suharno -, Nandi Haerudin

Applied Environmental Research

Increased groundwater extraction from aquifers in Holo-Quaternary rock formations in Lampung Bay has caused saltwater intrusion. This indication appears in several community wells and can spread further inland. Therefore, this study aims to identify the distribution of areas exposed to saline water and the boundaries of areas that have not, especially in the Holo-Quaternary Formation. This research uses the geoelectric method integrated with salinity data and the Soil Penetration Test (SPT) analysis at four drilling points. A total of 4 lines of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and 8 points of Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) have been acquired with a Schlumberger …


Insights Into The Aerodynamic Versus Radiometric Surface Temperature Debate In Thermal-Based Evaporation Modeling, Kaniska Mallick, Dennis Baldocchi, Andrew Jarvis, Tian Hu, Ivonne Trebs, Mauro Sulis, Nishan Bhattarai, Christian Bossung, Yomna Eid, Jamie Cleverly, Jason Beringer, William Woodgate, Richard Silberstein, Nina Hinko-Najera, Wayne S. Meyer, Darren Ghent, Zoltan Szantoi, Gilles Boulet, William P. Kustas Jan 2022

Insights Into The Aerodynamic Versus Radiometric Surface Temperature Debate In Thermal-Based Evaporation Modeling, Kaniska Mallick, Dennis Baldocchi, Andrew Jarvis, Tian Hu, Ivonne Trebs, Mauro Sulis, Nishan Bhattarai, Christian Bossung, Yomna Eid, Jamie Cleverly, Jason Beringer, William Woodgate, Richard Silberstein, Nina Hinko-Najera, Wayne S. Meyer, Darren Ghent, Zoltan Szantoi, Gilles Boulet, William P. Kustas

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Global evaporation monitoring from Earth observation thermal infrared satellite missions is historically challenged due to the unavailability of any direct measurements of aerodynamic temperature. State-of-the-art one-source evaporation models use remotely sensed radiometric surface temperature as a substitute for the aerodynamic temperature and apply empirical corrections to accommodate for their inequality. This introduces substantial uncertainty in operational drought mapping over complex landscapes. By employing a non-parametric model, we show that evaporation can be directly retrieved from thermal satellite data without the need of any empirical correction. Independent evaluation of evaporation in a broad spectrum of biome and aridity yielded statistically significant …


Targeting Current And Future Threats: Recent Methodological Trends In Environmental Antimicrobial Resistance Research And Their Relationships To Risk Assessment, Tucker R. Burch, Ryan J. Newton, Lee K. Kimbell, Emily Lou Lamartina, Kassidy N. O'Malley, San Marie Victoria Thomson, Christopher Marshall, Patrick J. Mcnamara Jan 2022

Targeting Current And Future Threats: Recent Methodological Trends In Environmental Antimicrobial Resistance Research And Their Relationships To Risk Assessment, Tucker R. Burch, Ryan J. Newton, Lee K. Kimbell, Emily Lou Lamartina, Kassidy N. O'Malley, San Marie Victoria Thomson, Christopher Marshall, Patrick J. Mcnamara

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health threat. Improved surveillance of AMR's genetic indicators in environmental reservoirs should lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the problem at a global scale, as with SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in sewage. However, the “best” monitoring approach is unclear. Some scientific works have emphasized monitoring for the abundance of already-known antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs); others have emphasized monitoring for the potential of new ARGs to arise. The goal of this study was to examine which methods were employed by highly-cited papers studying AMR in environmental engineering and agricultural systems, thus providing insight into current …


Investigation Of Pfas Exposure Risks In Kentucky Using Mapping Tools, Sweta Ojha Jan 2022

Investigation Of Pfas Exposure Risks In Kentucky Using Mapping Tools, Sweta Ojha

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of environmentally-persistent compounds, are environmentally ubiquitous and challenging to remediate. Several studies show that PFAS are detected in drinking water systems when sampling is conducted, making human exposure via drinking water an important health consideration. This research: 1) develops a mapping tool for prioritizing sampling locations; 2) establishes a method for making GIS data and meta(data) in the mapping tool accessible; 3) fosters decision making by integrating knowledge brokering and the alignment interest and influence matrix (AIIM). The tool developed is this research is a geospatial and statistical PFAS hot-spot screening model that …


Evaluating Effects Of Sediment On Microbial Loading In A Drinking Water Distribution System, Erika Osborne Jan 2022

Evaluating Effects Of Sediment On Microbial Loading In A Drinking Water Distribution System, Erika Osborne

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) are critical for protecting public health by ensuring safe water is transported from centralized treatment facilities to consumers. Sediment accumulation in DWDS is a common challenge that water utilities face that may pose some health risks when waterborne pathogens colonize biofilms formed on the sediment surface. Water utilities often establish flushing routines to help mitigate sediment accumulation in their system but the role that sediment plays in contributing to the total microbial loading in the system is unclear. The main objective of this study was to determine if sediment in a DWDS presents a significant …


Climatic And Land Cover Sensitivities Of Stormwater Runoff In A Coastal Natural-Urban Basin Of Texas, Usa., Nusrat Nasrin Khan Jan 2022

Climatic And Land Cover Sensitivities Of Stormwater Runoff In A Coastal Natural-Urban Basin Of Texas, Usa., Nusrat Nasrin Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Changes in climatic and land use drivers typically drive stormwater runoff quantity and quality. This study focuses on determining the stormwater runoff sensitivities to variation in climatic and land cover changes in a coastal natural-urban basin. A mechanistic hydrologic model was developed for the Spring San Jacinto Basin (SSJB) of Texas, USA considering the basin as a pilot study area by using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Storm Water Management Model 5.2. The SSJB drains an area of 1949 km2 ultimately into the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA through peripheral neighborhoods of the Greater Houston area. The model …


Towards An Artificial Intelligence Based Decision Support System To Evaluate Various Transit Projects, Patricio F. Vicuna Jan 2022

Towards An Artificial Intelligence Based Decision Support System To Evaluate Various Transit Projects, Patricio F. Vicuna

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation addressed a subset of the Transit Network Design Problem (Transit-NDP), where the main evaluation parameter is the impact of various transit projects – Bus Lines, Tram, Light Rail, Rail – on the Network Travel Time (NTT) of the vehicles. The NTT is estimated using the static four-step travel demand model (trip generation, trip distribution, modal split, and traffic assignment). A set of five metaheuristic models were developed and implemented for this specific Transit-NDP, namely, Simulated Annealing (SA)-VISUM, Simulated Annealing-Random Forest Regression Model (SA-RF), Tabu Search (TS)-Random Forest (TS-RF), SA-RF-TS-VISUM, SA-RF-VISUM. These models were evaluated using two test networks …


On A New Framework For Detecting, Classifying, And Forecasting Floods For Large-Scale Flood Risk Analysis, Equisha Glenn Jan 2022

On A New Framework For Detecting, Classifying, And Forecasting Floods For Large-Scale Flood Risk Analysis, Equisha Glenn

Dissertations and Theses

Increasing trends in flooding events are projected to continue as climate changes have increased the chance of extreme weather events. Given the significant, damaging impacts of extreme floods, the ability to effectively model floods is crucial for risk management and mitigation of the impacts of these extreme flooding events. This dissertation presents a new framework for detecting and predicting large-scale flood risk in the United States using climate information. This methodology categorizes regional, simultaneous floods into an index that is used to forecast the risk of extreme flooding a season ahead. The index proposed herein, named the Spatial Flood Index …


Overcoming The Limitations Of The Green Pyramid Rating System In The Egyptian Construction Industry: A Critical Analysis, Ahmed Osama Daoud, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Obas John Ebohon, Ali Bayyati Jan 2022

Overcoming The Limitations Of The Green Pyramid Rating System In The Egyptian Construction Industry: A Critical Analysis, Ahmed Osama Daoud, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Obas John Ebohon, Ali Bayyati

Architectural Engineering

Despite the tangible contributions of the construction industry to social development and economic growth, it is known for its natural resources overconsumption and solid waste (SW) generation both of which have major negative impacts on the natural environment. In the particular case of materials waste, the construction industry worldwide accounts for about 50% of global annual generated SW. In addition, construction materials may contribute up to 50% of the total project cost. Accordingly, the negative implications of the construction industry have compelled many nations to develop green building rating systems in order to preserve the environment, promote the economic efficiency …


Causes And Impacts Of Site Accidents In The Egyptian Construction Industry, Mostafa Adel, Omar Elnawawy, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Mohamed Badawy Jan 2022

Causes And Impacts Of Site Accidents In The Egyptian Construction Industry, Mostafa Adel, Omar Elnawawy, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Mohamed Badawy

Architectural Engineering

This paper aims to investigate the causes and impacts of site accidents in the Egyptian construction industry. To achieve this aim, a research methodology consisted of literature review and survey questionnaire was developed to accomplish three objectives. First, literature review was used to investigate the nature of the construction industry, identify and classify the causes of site accidents as well as their social and economic impacts on organizations and affected families. Second, a survey questionnaire was conducted with a representative sample of large and medium sized construction firms in Egypt to examine their perception of the causes of site accidents. …


Preliminary Study And First Evidence Of Presence Of Microplastics In Green Mussel, Perna Viridis From Phuket, Phaothep Cherdsukjai, Vararin Vongpanich, Pensiri Akkajit Jan 2022

Preliminary Study And First Evidence Of Presence Of Microplastics In Green Mussel, Perna Viridis From Phuket, Phaothep Cherdsukjai, Vararin Vongpanich, Pensiri Akkajit

Applied Environmental Research

Plastics can reach the coastal environment and could impact the marine environment. Mussels are marine organisms which are prone to be exposed to microplastics pollution. Therefore, in this preliminary study, the commercially important green mussel (Perna viridis) collected at the Koh Phee Canal in Phuket, Phuket Province, southern peninsular Thailand, was investigated. The collected mussels from aquaculture farm fell into three age groups, namely 1 year-1 month, 1 year-7 months, and 1 year-9 months. Results from the investigation showed 200 items of microplastics present in Perna viridis with 76 items (38%) in flushed water and 124 items (62%) …