Engineering Commons^™

Computational Modeling And Simulations Of Condition Deterioration To Enhance Asphalt Highway Pavement Design And Asset Management, Zul Fahmi Bin Mohamed Jaafar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A nation’s economy and prosperity depend on an efficient and safe transportation network for public mobility and freight transportation. A country’s road network is recognized as one of the largest public infrastructure assets. About 93 percent of 2.6 million miles of paved roads and highways in the United States (U.S.) are surfaced with asphalt. Longitudinal roughness, pavement cracking, potholes, and rutting are the major reasons for rehabilitation of asphalt roads. Billions of dollars are required annually for the maintenance and rehabilitation of road networks. If timely maintenance and rehabilitation are not performed, the pavement damages inflicted by heavy traffic repetitions …

Design Of A Viability Test For Freshwater Prawn Aquaculture Of Two Different Macrobrachium Species In Aneityum, Vanuatu, Cameron Koizumi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

There is a unique opportunity for freshwater prawn aquaculture on the island of Aneityum in the Republic of Vanuatu. Aneityum has an abundance of fresh water, the streams and rivers on Aneityum are the natural habitat for a freshwater prawn species, Macrobrachium lar, and the people on Aneityum regularly work on projects using communal labor for the benefit of the community. Aneityum also hosts 40 – 120 cruise ships a year, bringing hundreds of thousands of tourists to Aneityum and the nearby islet Mystery Island which creates a readily available market in which to sell freshwater prawns.

The objective …

Modeled And Measured Ecosystem Respiration In Maize–Soybean Systems Over 10 Years, Ming Zhan, Adam Liska, Anthony Nguy-Robertson, Andrew E. Suyker, Matthew P. Pelton, Haishun Yang

Adam Liska Papers

Crop residue is an abundant resource for the potential production of biofuels, but a better understanding of its use on net carbon emissions must be developed to mitigate climate change. This analysis combines two established crop growth models (Hybrid-Maize and SoySim) with a simple soil and crop residue respiration model to estimate daily ecosystem respiration (ERe) from maize and soybean; ERe was estimated to be the sum of CO₂ emissions from the oxidation of the growing crop, crop residue, and soil organic carbon (SOC). Model-estimated CO₂ fluxes from irrigated continuous maize and irrigated maize–soybean cropping systems in eastern …

A Bridge Rehabilitation Strategy Based On The Analysis Of A Dataset Of Bridge Inspections In Co. Cork, Liam Dromey

Masters

Ageing highway structures present a challenge throughout the developed world. The introduction of bridge management systems (BMS) allows bridge owners to assess the condition of their bridge stock and formulate bridge rehabilitation strategies under the constraints of limited budgets and resources. This research presents a decision-support system for bridge owners in the selection of the best strategy for bridge rehabilitation on a highway network. The basis of the research is an available dataset of 1,367 bridge inspection records for County Cork that has been prepared to the Eirspan BMS inspection standard and which includes bridge structure condition ratings and rehabilitation …

Global Food Security Under Climate-Water-Energy Nexus, Ehsan Najafi

Dissertations and Theses

During the last few decades, the global agricultural production has risen and technology enhancement is still contributing to yield growth. However, population growth, water and energy crisis, and extreme weather, climate change, etc. threaten the global food security. The focus of this study is to advance the understanding of the associations between crops productivity and large scale and local scale climatic variables, climate change, technology enhancement and assessing food-water-energy nexus to enhance global food security in a sustainable manner considering current available resources. As decision-makers try to improve food security, it is important to identify the impact of technology enhancement …

Technology For Integrated Groyne-Vetiver Erosion Reduction (Tiger): Case Study In A West African River, Chase M. West

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

River erosion is a problem all over the world. The effects of river erosion are especially hard for farmers in developing countries, where the river is an important part of their farming practices and daily lives. A case study was done in the small village of Fode Binea in Senegal, West Africa to reduce this stream erosion. A new hybrid approach, Technology for Integrated Groyne-Vetiver Erosion Reduction (TIGER) method, was developed. The method includes combining groynes at the toe of the riverbank to reduce toe erosion in the channel and planting a buffer strip with vetiver grass to reduce erosion …

Characterizing Accumulated Oxidation Pond Biosolids At The Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility, Joshua M. Martinez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Oxidation ponds (OPs) are a natural wastewater treatment system that have been used internationally for their low maintenance, cost, and technology characteristics. The City of Arcata has relied on the performance of their two-oxidation ponds for the past 50 years to meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) discharge permit requirements. However, during specific times of the year and after decades of operation and minimal maintenance, these oxidation ponds serve as a source of solids and nitrogen that create stress for downstream components of the system. As bio solids have accumulated, the hydraulics of the OPs have deteriorated and the …

Improved Methods For The Quantification Of Viable Ascaris Suum And Application To Biosolids, Tanner Keyzers

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The current method for detection of Ascaris ova in biosolids and wastewater has several drawbacks including being labor and time intensive as well as being difficult to quantify viable ova that have larvated during treatment. The goal of this thesis was to improve several methods for the detection and quantification of Ascaris ova during long term-storage of biosolids including improvement of quantifying viable ova using a heat and bleach treatment to promote movement of larvae inside of ova, and comparison of the traditional microscopic method with qPCR and PMA-qPCR to prevent the false-positive results. Improved methods to promote movement of …

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Precipitation And Effective Rainfall Using Gauge Observations, Satellite, And Gridded Climate Data For Agricultural Water Management In The Upper Colorado River Basin, Mahyar Aboutalebi, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua, L. Niel Allen

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate spatial and temporal precipitation estimates are important for hydrological studies of irrigation depletion, net irrigation requirement, natural recharge, and hydrological water balances in defined areas. This analysis supports the verification of water savings (reduced depletion)from deficit irrigation of pastures in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The study area has diverse topography with scattered fields and few precipitation gauges that are not representative of the basin.Gridded precipitation products from TRMM-3B42, PRISM, Daymet, and gauge observations were evaluated on two case studies located in Colorado and Wyoming during the 2014–2016 irrigation seasons. First, the resolution at the farm level is discussed. …

Effect Of Subsurface Conditions On Flexible Pavement Behavior: Non-Destructive Testing And Mechanistic Analysis, Md. Fazle Rabbi

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The behavior of flexible pavements under traffic and environmental loading can be significantly affected by subsurface conditions. Inadequate support conditions under the surface can lead to excessive pavement deformations, often leading to structural and functional failure. This research effort focused on assessing the effects of base/subbase and subgrade layer conditions on flexible pavement behavior. The results of this study are presented in the form of two journal manuscripts.

The first manuscript focuses on utilizing pavement structural and functional evaluation data in making pavement rehabilitation decisions. Visual distress surveys and Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing are often carried out by agencies …

Integrating Global And Local Forecasting Resources And Methods For Flood Warning Systems In Central America And Caribbean Region, José Fidel Pérez

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricanes and tropical storms occur very frequently in the Central American and Caribbean Region (CA&CR). These extreme weather events produce a lot of rain and consequently a lot of flooding. Damages and loses have been estimated to amount to 13.4 billion dollars in the last ten years. Flood Warning Systems (FEWS) are a key preventive strategy to reduce risk. Technological progress is improving the resources made available for FEWS to be more viable. In spite of the international support for FEWS and the fast development of ICT, there are very few countries in the CA&CR that have succeeded in developing …

Global Renewable And Nonrenewable Energy Use Impact Assessment Of U.S. Manufacturing: An Integrated Cradle-To-Gate Lca And Dea Approach, Bahadir Ezici

Master's Theses

In this thesis, U.S. manufacturing industries` global supply chain-linked energy use and economic output are investigated considering a total of 16 renewable and nonrenewable energy carriers. A multiregion input output (MRIO) framework is employed to conduct the global supply chain-linked energy use impact assessment. The study period was between 1995 and 2014 based on data availability. Thus, 20 MRIO models were developed. Each MRIO model consists of the 40 largest economies of the world and the rest of the world (ROW) as the 41st country. Each country’s economy was structured into 35 manufacturing and service industries based on the Worth …

Comparative Analysis Of Mosquito Trap Counts In The Peruvian Amazon: Effect Of Trap Type And Other Covariates On Counts And Diversity, George W. Peck, Fanny Castro-Llanos, Victor Lopez-Sifuentes, Erica Lindroth

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Efficient detection of multiple species of adult mosquitoes in various habitats using effective traps is a crucial 1st step in any disease prevention program. Novel trap types that target tropical vectors of human diseases require field testing in the habitat of the vector–disease system in question. This paper analyzes a series of mosquito trapping studies conducted at Mapacocha, San Juan Bautista District, Loreto, Peru, during August–September 2013 and April–May 2014. Six trap configurations were evaluated in forest and rural locations. Adult mosquito counts were analyzed using full Bayesian inference of multilevel generalized linear models and posterior probability point estimates of …

Simplified Approach For Structural Evaluation Of Flexible Pavements At The Network Level, Mena Souliman, Stefan Romanoschi, Samer Dessouky

Publications

Currently, there are few available simple procedures to identify structurally weak pavement sections utilizing Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) data at the network level (e.g., city, state or province). A simple method is required to determine the structural condition of pavement sections that can be directly implemented and automated in current pavement databases. The objective of this research study is to develop a simple analysis method to determine the structural condition of pavement sections utilizing the currently available non-destructive testing (NDT) deflection measurement devices at the network level that can be directly implemented and automated in the database of a typical …

A Flexible Service-Oriented Approach To Address Hydroinformatic Challenges In Large-Scale Hydrologic Predictions, Michael Antonio Souffront Alcantara

Theses and Dissertations

Water security is defined as a combination of water for achieving our goals as a society, and an acceptable level of water-related risks. Hydrologic modeling can be used to predict streamflow and aid in the decision-making process with the goal of attaining water security. Developed countries usually have their own hydrologic models; however, developing countries often lack hydrologic models due to factors such as the maintenance, computational costs, and technical capacity needed to run models. A global streamflow prediction system (GSPS) would help decrease vulnerabilities in developing countries and fill gaps in areas where no local models exist by providing …

Swat Online: Development Of A Web-Based Decision Support System For The Soil And Water Assessment Tool, Spencer Dean Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

As satellite and climate modelling technology continues to improve and as climatological disasters and issues continue to impact the global community, climate data will increase in size and relevance. With this new influx of information, it is becoming more and more important for scientists to simply and concisely communicate their findings to both decision makers in governments and disaster preparedness organizations and also to the general public. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a powerful modelling tool that allows scientists to simulate essentially all of the physical processes involved in the water cycle. The data that SWAT produces …

Water, Energy, And Carbon Footprints Of Bioethanol From The U.S. And Brazil, Mesfin Mekonnen, Thiago L. Romanelli, Chittaranjan Ray, Arjen Y. Hoekstra, Adam Liska, Christopher M. U. Neale

Adam Liska Papers

Driven by biofuel policies, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase domestic energy supply, global production and consumption of bioethanol have doubled between 2007 and 2016, with rapid growth in corn-based bioethanol in the U.S. and sugar cane-based bioethanol in Brazil. Advances in crop yields, energy use efficiency in fertilizer production, biomass-to-ethanol conversion rates, and energy efficiency in ethanol production have improved the energy balance and GHG emission reduction potential of bioethanol. In the current study, the water, energy, and carbon footprints of bioethanol from corn in the U.S. and sugar cane in Brazil were assessed. The …

Wastewater In Context: Systems-Based Approaches To Improving Wastewater Infrastructure Transitions, Christine Prouty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal communities and ecosystems around the world are some of those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In particular, the wastewater treatment systems in these areas are on the forefront of the effects of increasing frequency, duration, and intensity associated with extreme weather events. As such, decision making about adopting new wastewater technologies or transitioning to an improved treatment portfolio is an important area of research for coastal communities because they are critically linked to the health of the nearby aquatic ecosystems (i.e. tourism, fishing, cultural heritage, climate protection).

The decision making process about technology adoption and transitions …

Biofouling Impacts On The Environment And Ship Energy Efficiency, Adel Ali Desher

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Removal Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes In An Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Treating Primary Clarifier Effluent At 20 °C, Anthony D. Kappell, Lee K. Kimbell, Matthew Seib, Daniel Elliott Carey, Melinda J. Choi, Tino Kalayil, Masanori Fujimoto, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR) play a key role in future plans for sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery because they have no energy-intensive oxygen transfer requirements and can produce biomethane for renewable energy. Recent research results show that they can meet relatively stringent discharge limits with respect to BOD₅ and TSS when treating municipal wastewater primary effluent. Sustainable used water recovery plans should also consider removal of unregulated pollutants. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) represent an important emerging contaminant due to public health concerns surrounding the spread of infections resistant to common antibiotics. Conventional activated sludge processes have demonstrated mixed …

Application Of A Floating Membrane Algal Photobioreactor For Freshwater Aquaculture, Hsiang-Yang Shyu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the global population grows, water and food demand also increase. The intensive aquaculture industry has helped to mitigate these problems. In order to make aquaculture sustainable, it is necessary to remove the abundant nutrients produced by fish in the water. In this study, the role of the microalga of Chlorella vulgaris in the Isolated Cultivation of Algal Resources Utilizing Selectivity (ICARUS) membrane photobioreactor was evaluated for nutrient control in the aquaculture system. The production of algal biomass, the removal rate of nutrients, and the impact of microalgae on cultured organisms were monitored during the operation of aquaculture systems. At …

Numerical Analysis Of Leakage Through Defective Geomembrane Liners In Embankment Dams, Sarper Demirdogen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Placing a geomembrane liner in the core of a dam is an alternative construction technique to traditional clay core types. This study aims to assess the performance of such internal geomembrane sealing systems in an earthen dam. Two-dimensional (2D) numerical analysis was performed to evaluate leakage through defective seams within an earthen dam. Five possible applications of internal geomembrane systems were initially modeled to locate the zero-pressure lines in an earthen dam. Then, another application where the geomembrane is placed on the upstream face was modeled to compare the upstream and internal geomembrane systems. The results of this study show …

The Role Of Forests In Securing Hydropower Needs Of Cambodia, Mohit Kaura

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hydropower relies on protection of watersheds to regulate water and sediment yields. Deforestation accelerates the rate of soil erosion, thereby increasing the amount of river sediments heading to the dam's reservoir, decreasing the longevity of the dam. In Cambodia in particular, recent deforestation rates are among the largest on the planet, and forests are expected to disappear within the lifespan of proposed dams. The cost of protecting and restoring forested watersheds can be considered as an annual investment towards sustainable reservoir management and hydropower generation. A modeling framework is developed to estimate the sediment accumulation in reservoirs from deforestation-driven soil …

Evaluation Of Continuous, Low-Intensity Ultraviolet Irradiation For Biofilm Prevention, Stephanie Conrad

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Biofilms occur when planktonic bacteria attach to a surface, forming a sticky, extracellular matrix that makes them difficult to remove. Biofilms are especially troublesome in water filtration membrane systems due to their strong adhesive properties. Once attached, biofilms cause a decrease in water production (biofouling) and an increase in membrane degradation. Traditional cleaning methods use harsh chemicals and require modules being taken offline, which reduces water production rates. Moreover, despite current cleaning efforts, irreversible biofouling inevitably leads to membrane module replacement. The implementation of low-intensity UV irradiation for biofilm prevention could decrease waste and increase production. However, while much is …

An Environmental Science And Engineering Framework For Combating Antimicrobial Resistance, Amy Pruden, Reinaldo E. Alcalde, Pedro J.J. Alvarez, Nicholas Ashbolt, Heather Bischel, Natalie L. Capiro, Emily Crossette, Dominic Frigon, Kassandra Grimes, Charles N. Haas, Kaoru Ikuma, Anthony D. Kappell, Timothy M. Lapara, Lee K. Kimbell, Mengyan Li, Xu Li, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Youngwoo Seo, Mark D. Sobsey, Emanuele Sozzi, Tala Navab-Daneshmand, Lutgarde Raskin, Maria Virginia Riquelme, Peter Vikesland, Krista Wigginton, Zhi Zhou

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

On June 20, 2017, members of the environmental engineering and science (EES) community convened at the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Biennial Conference for a workshop on antimicrobial resistance. With over 80 registered participants, discussion groups focused on the following topics: risk assessment, monitoring, wastewater treatment, agricultural systems, and synergies. In this study, we summarize the consensus among the workshop participants regarding the role of the EES community in understanding and mitigating the spread of antibiotic resistance via environmental pathways. Environmental scientists and engineers offer a unique and interdisciplinary perspective and expertise needed for engaging with other …

In-Situ Mechanical Characterization For Compacted Aggregates, Douglas Cortes, Paola Bandini

Publications

The evaluation of compacted unbound aggregate layers is perhaps the most common undertaking in transportation-related projects. The assessment of compaction compliance in engineered fills, subgrades, subbases, and bases in roadways and railways is central to ensure longevity of ground transportation infrastructure. In many cases, premature failures in roadways that originate in the unbound aggregate layers can be traced back to inadequate compaction. These failures are preventable, provided the problem areas can be identified by a suitable field test during construction. The most widely used method for compaction assessment during construction is the nuclear density gauge (NDG) test. While the device …

A Comparative Analysis Of Key Elements Of The Strategic Decision-Making Process Across Construction Professional Services Firms: Evidence From The Irish Construction Industry, Oluwasegun O. Seriki, Roisin Murphy Dr

Conference papers

The Irish construction industry is experiencing a well-established growth phase following a prolonged recession. While the economic impact has been well documented, there remains less emphasis on discipline-specific studies pertaining to strategy within construction firms in Ireland. Additionally, evidence regarding strategic management within the construction sector is predominantly concentrated on contracting organisations, with less emphasis on highly knowledge-intensive professional service firms (PSFs). As the construction sector in Ireland continues its sustained growth, there have been increased calls within the industry for further collaboration between key stakeholders. However, exploring collaboration within project-centric firms without understanding the individual strategic decision-making processes within …

Where There Is No Engineer - Designing For Community Resilience, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain

Books/Book Chapters

Where There Is No Engineer – Designing for Community Resilience” is a design initiative coordinated by the Development Technology in the Community (DTC) Research Group, Technological University Dublin (DIT) and Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Ireland.

The programme is delivered in partnership with various development partners and Engineers Ireland. It provides participants with the opportunity to learn about design, teamwork and communication through real, inspiring, sustainable and crosscultural development projects. By participating in the programme, students and professionals will have the opportunity to design creative solutions to real life development projects. This initiative formed part of the DIT team submission which …

Evaluation Of Site Variability And Its Application In Design, Abu Hakim Muhammad Hasan Faisal

LSU Master's Theses

Geotechnical characterization has an important role in engineering geology as well as in implementation of any project. There are several variables and uncertainties involved in characterizing a project site. Four different sources of uncertainties represent the characterization of geotechnical variability, which include spatial variability, measurement error, statistical error and model bias. Spatial variability is expressed in terms of the mean, variance, and scale of fluctuation. Several statistical techniques such as the Gauge R & R, which includes X-Bar/R and ANOVA, and the Second Moment can be applied to compute site variability in terms of the coefficient of variations. Measurement error …

Climate-Informed Environmental Inflows To Revive A Drying Lake Facing Meteorological And Anthropogenic Droughts, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The rapid shrinkage of Lake Urmia, one of the world’s largest saline lakes located in northwestern Iran, is a tragic wake-up call to revisit the principles of water resources management based on the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The overarching goal of this paper is to set a framework for deriving dynamic, climate-informed environmental inflows for drying lakes considering both meteorological/climatic and anthropogenic conditions. We report on the compounding effects of meteorological drought and unsustainable water resource management that contributed to Lake Urmia’s contemporary environmental catastrophe. Using rich datasets of hydrologic attributes, water demands and withdrawals, as well …