Engineering Commons^™

Bentonite Erosion And Cation Exchange Effects On Hydraulic Conductivity Of Geosynthetic Clay Liners, Grace Paananen

Master's Theses

Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) are used in municipal solid waste landfill (MSW) liner and cover systems as an alternative to thick compacted clay layers. Previous field studies have revealed potential for bentonite erosion in GCLs when subjected to wet-dry cycles that occur when GCLs are placed on slopes, covered with a geomembrane, and left exposed without additional soil cover. A laboratory test program was conducted to quantify the effects of bentonite erosion on hydraulic conductivity of sodium-bentonite geosynthetic clay liners and samples subjected to cation exchange treatment in addition to bentonite erosion. This test program determined what level of bentonite …

Shipping Container Library Project: Preconstruction Strategy And Planning, Chris Lochner

Construction Management

This report outlines the preconstruction planning phase for the development of a shipping container library to be deployed to a community in Sub-Saharan Africa. The library is designed as a modular and sustainable solution for delivering access to educational resources. Preconstruction efforts have focused on finalizing design documentation, procurement planning, trade coordination, permitting considerations, and site logistics. While no construction has begun, two 40-foot high-cube containers have been ordered—one for prototyping and one for shipment. One container is currently staged at Tilden-Coil Constructors’ yard in Riverside, California, and the project is approaching the procurement and mobilization phase. All tracking of …

Sustainable Disposal Of Pecan Shells, Jose Carlos Carrasco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Urbanization acceleration has increased the consumption of natural resources and carbon footprint, pushing the need for sustainable development. Even though various construction materials are needed for infrastructure development, the most commonly used material is Ordinary Portland Cement for strength (OPC) and durability, while sand is used as a filler in the mixes prepared with OPC. The main goal of this study is to find a sustainable substitute for sand, which is locally available and currently being placed in landfills. One such material is pecan shells, and a thorough analysis of the literature led us to investigate the possible use of …

Optimizing The Sustainability Of Asphalt Pavements Through Incorporating Crumb Rubber In High-Modulus Asphalt Concrete (Hmac) Mixtures In Louisiana, Heena Dhasmana, Marwa Hassan, Mohamed Abdelmageed

Publications

Asphalt mixtures are traditionally produced using the Superpave mix design method, which emphasizes volumetric properties; however, current research is shifting toward performance-based and sustainable approaches. Within this context, the French High Modulus Asphalt Concrete (HMAC) design focuses on achieving specific performance criteria for workability, stiffness, rutting resistance, and fatigue behavior, employing a hard binder with higher asphalt content and fewer air voids than Superpave mixes. In this study, HMAC mixtures were developed using crumb rubber and locally sourced Louisiana materials. Five HMAC mixes using PG 76-22 and PG 67-22 binders with 10% and 20% crumb rubber were prepared, along with …

Enhancing Water Supply Resilience & Sustainability: Potential Solutions To Address Water Scarcity In Bogotá, Colombia, Sophia Alvarez Wong

Master's Projects and Capstones

Municipal water utilities are in urgent need of adapting to the intensifying impacts of climate change and population growth—key drivers of urban water scarcity worldwide. In rapidly expanding cities like Bogota, Colombia, these pressures have contributed to a severe water crisis driven by prolonged droughts, ecosystem degradation, increasing water demands, and overdependence on limited water sources. This study explores potential adaptation and management strategies that utilities can implement to sustainably strengthen supply system resilience and enhance water security, in the context of low- to middle-income regions. A series of comparative and case study analyses were conducted to assess the feasibility …

How Extreme Rainfall And Failing Dams Unleashed The Derna Flood Disaster, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Ahad Hasan Tanim, Audrika Nahian, Sadik Khan, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

On September 11, 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed, triggering one of the most devastating floods in modern history, striking Derna, a coastal city in Libya. This study reconstructs the disaster using an integrated modeling approach that combines satellite imagery, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geotechnical simulations, machine learning, eyewitness accounts, and digital elevation data to assess the impact of cascading dam failures. Our findings reveal that the region’s dams, even if structurally sound, would have provided minimal protection against the extreme runoff. However, their failure unleashed a destructive surge wave, amplifying the disaster’s magnitude and devastation. …

How Extreme Rainfall And Failing Dams Unleashed The Derna Flood Disaster, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Ahad Hasan Tanim, Audrika Nahian, Sadik Khan, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

On September 11, 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed, triggering one of the most devastating floods in modern history, striking Derna, a coastal city in Libya. This study reconstructs the disaster using an integrated modeling approach that combines satellite imagery, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geotechnical simulations, machine learning, eyewitness accounts, and digital elevation data to assess the impact of cascading dam failures. Our findings reveal that the region’s dams, even if structurally sound, would have provided minimal protection against the extreme runoff. However, their failure unleashed a destructive surge wave, amplifying the disaster’s magnitude and devastation. …

A Laboratory Study Of Local Scour And Driftwood Effects At A Type A Piano Key Weir, Manisha Panthi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Piano key weirs are a unique weir designed to increase the amount of flow that passes over it via its zig-zag shape (similar to the rectangular shape of keys of a piano). With its relatively small footprint, they are becoming more popular to upgrade existing water management projects and are also being used in new construction works. However, there is little information available regarding how these weirs handle sediment and driftwood. Additional information will help researchers and designers to understand the challenges of upstream sediment buildup, driftwood accumulation, and the effects of floods on downstream scour with viable protection measures. …

Bim-Based Automated System For Carbon Emissions And Construction Costs Estimation (Bas-Cc) In Modular Design And Production, Roshan Bandiwadekar

All Theses

Modular construction adopts a manufacturing-like construction process, enhancing the management of embodied carbon emissions in production and construction phases. However, estimating these emissions presents challenges due to the involvement of diverse stakeholders across various lifecycle stages. Additionally, cost considerations often influence design choices and material selections in modular constructions, neglecting the impact of embodied carbon emissions. To address these challenges, we present a proof-of-concept for an automated Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based system to estimate both carbon emissions and construction costs. This system automates the calculation of embodied carbon and cost implications of different modular designs and materials, enabling informed decision-making. …

Groundwater Storage Dynamics In Abu Dhabi Emirate Using In-Situ And Grace Data, Tala Jalal Maksoud

Theses

Water scarcity presents a significant challenge to the sustainable development; especially in arid regions like Abu Dhabi Emirate. Addressing concerns over nonrenewable aquifer depletion, caused by agricultural expansion and lifestyle advancements, has, therefore, become crucial in such regions. This thesis investigates Groundwater Storage (GWS) dynamics in Abu Dhabi Emirate by integrating satellite data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) with in-situ data from 257 wells over two decades (2002-2022), employing GIS and RS technologies. The main aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive approach to evaluate GWS dynamics considering multiple perspectives including: dealing with missing datasets, …

Selecting Green Wall Adoption Best Solutions Using Optimization: Addressing Barriers And Maximizing Benefits, Samar Nadeem

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the potential of green walls as a sustainable solution to mitigate urban challenges and align with global climate change objectives. Despite their ecological and social benefits, green wall implementation faces significant barriers, hindering their adoption. Consequently, this study aims to develop a comprehensive framework to identify the obstacles, propose feasible solutions, and provide actionable strategies for promoting green walls. This framework incorporates an optimization model specifically designed for government-led solutions, evaluating their feasibility based on administrative feasibility, community acceptance, technical feasibility, industrial acceptance, and long-term adoption potential. By quantifying and prioritizing solutions based on their cost, feasibility, …

Microwave Ore Pre-Treatment Review And Process Flowsheet Conceptualization, Baker F. Giyani

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The global demand for mineral commodities has increased dramatically over the years, and this is largely due to several factors, including technological advancements, industrialization, and a rise in population. Further, the demand keeps increasing because the ore being mined is becoming more complex, and the feed grade is declining over the years, prompting the need for innovative technologies to treat such ores more efficiently. Microwave ore pre-treatment is one of the potential technologies that can be employed to improve process performance. This is possible because ores are composed of both good-microwave heaters and poor microwave heaters, which creates thermal stresses …

Flood Inundation Mapping For The Tana River Delta In Kenya, Anne N. Mugatha

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This study aimed at mapping flood inundation areas in the Tana River Delta. The 30 m DEM and digitized streams and road networks data were collected through remote sensing techniques followed by ground truthing. The data used also included Tana River discharge data at Garsen gauging station. Probability distributions were fitted on the annual maximum discharges. The 4 parameter generalized Gamma probability distribution was the best-fitting distribution according to goodness-of-fit criteria and the Q-Q plots and was used to generate the flood quantiles for different return periods. The generated flood quantiles were; 286 m3/s, 369 m3/s, 400 m3/s, 405 m3/s, …

2025 Scholarly Productivity Report, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Scholarly Productivity Reports

No abstract provided.

Changes In The Western Flank Of The North Atlantic Subtropical High Since 1140 Ce: Extremes, Drivers, And Hydroclimatic Patterns, Joshua C. Bregy, Justin T. Maxwell, Scott M. Robeson, Grant L. Harley, Valerie Trouet

Publications

Summer circulation and moisture patterns in the Southeast United States are controlled by the position of the North Atlantic subtropical high. In a warming climate, the subtropical high is projected to strengthen and expand west, but there remains uncertainty regarding its variability and linkages to natural drivers. Here, we use a tree-ring network across the Southeast United States to reconstruct the relative intensity of the pressure gradient across the subtropical high’s western flank over the past 870 years. Variations in the flank’s position and the pressure gradient have been a major driver of the hydroclimate—including creating a Southeast-Caribbean moisture dipole—since …

Utilization Of Paper Sludge Ash In Geotechnical Engineering – Review, Kyungwon Lee, Hoyoung Lee, Junwoo Shin, Byounghooi Choi, Jinwoo An, Jiannan Chen, Boo Hyun Nam

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The pulp and paper industry has grown and created tremendous volumes of byproducts (e.g., fly ash) via combustion process. Unfortunately, most of them are being landfilled; in the meantime, environmental regulations restrict the disposal in landfill because of high disposal cost and reduced land due to urbanization. Therefore, the pulp and paper industries urgently seek for its beneficial reuse and one of the most cost-effective applications is a building and construction sector, particularly its reuse as geomaterials such as stabilizing soils. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the beneficial use of the paper sludge ash (PSA) in geotechnical engineering …

Transdisciplinary Collaborations For Advancing Sustainable And Resilient Agricultural Systems, Brooke Mayer

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Feeding the growing human population sustainably amidst climate change is one of the most important challenges in the 21st century. Current practices often lead to the overuse of agronomic inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers and water, resulting in environmental contamination and diminishing returns on crop productivity. The complexity of agricultural systems, involving plant-environment interactions and human management, presents significant scientific and technical challenges for developing sustainable practices. Addressing these challenges necessitates transdisciplinary research, involving intense collaboration among fields such as plant science, engineering, computer science, and social sciences. Five case studies are presented here demonstrating successful transdisciplinary approaches toward more …

Gis Cpd Geospatial Skills, Niamh O'Reilly

Case studies: Digital Education

The GIS CPD programme is delivered to people from industry wishing to develop their Geospatial skills in GIS. For many this is an important skill. Many organisations and companies encourage and pay for their staff to attend the programme and get the CPD Students gain important skills for managing, analysing and presenting geospatial data in a GIS environment. certificate. Students come from many different industries including local authorities, semi state bodies, National mapping agency, transport consultant practices, cable companies, environmental companies. The programme has been running for almost 30 years by my former colleague Eamonn Donnelly. Up until the pandemic …

Molecular Scale Investigations Of Interactions Between Pfas And Concrete, Eric E. Keeler

Theses and Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), widely referred to as “forever chemicals,” exhibit high environmental persistence and potential health risks due to their robust carbon-fluorine bonds. These substances are prevalent in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), used in industrial and military applications, and are known to contaminate environmental surfaces, including concrete. This study aims to characterize the molecular-level interaction energies of six PFAS species—PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFHxA, 6:2 FTS, and PFBS—with calcium silicate, a key component of concrete, using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Change in Gibbs free energy (ΔG) was determined for each of the interactions, revealing negative ΔG values for …

Analyzing Steel Supply Chain Factors With Analytic Hierarchy Process, Edilberto Urena Jr

Construction Management

The global steel supply chain is a critical component of construction and manufacturing industries. It is a fundamental pillar supporting infrastructure development, economic growth, and technological innovation. However, disruptions in supply, price volatility, and logistical challenges necessitate an in-depth evaluation of key factors affecting the steel supply chain. These uncertainties can pose significant risks to project timelines, cost efficiency and sustainability. This study employes the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision-making approach to systematically rank and prioritize factors influencing the supply chain. A literature review identified critical variables, which are then structured into a hierarchical model after the opinion …

Phosphorus Recovery From Synthetic Stormwater Using Iron- And Slag-Amended Green Infrastructure Soils, Colin B. Wilson, Anthony J. Parolari, Brooke Mayer, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The demand for phosphorus (P), fueled by the need for fertilizers to increase food production due to the ever-increasing population, is increasing P in the environment and diminishing global reserves of this nonrenewable resource. Stormwater runoff transports land-applied P into surrounding waterbodies. Green infrastructure (GI) soils are being engineered to target P removal from stormwater runoff. This research investigates the potential to recover P from engineered GI soils traditionally developed to remove P, contributing to the circular P economy by considering GI as a source of recoverable P. Batch experiments were conducted to determine the P removal performance of iron- …

Operation And Maintenance Costs In Reverse Osmosis Desalination Projects Adopting Public-Private Partnerships: A Comprehensive Investigation And Analysis, Mayar Mohamed Khairy

Theses and Dissertations

Water Desalination projects, specifically ones adopting reverse osmosis (RO) technology, play a pivotal role in addressing the scarcity of water globally. Since these projects require huge investments, there is an imperative need to focus on the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in their developments. This research tries to provide a comprehensive investigation into the factors affecting O&M costs in PPP desalination projects due to their importance.

A comprehensive research approach, including a literature review, expert interviews, survey analysis, and statistical tools, is adopted in this research aiming to identify key factors and recommendations based on best practices in O&M costs …

The Influence Of The Un Watercourses Convention On The Development Of A Policy Design In The Nile River Basin, Zienab Ali Abdelhady

Theses and Dissertations

The adoption in 1997 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (UN Watercourses Convention or UNWC) marked a milestone in the codification and progressive development of international water law. Similarly, the signature in 2010 by the majority of the Nile Basin states of the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) was a major step towards a permanent legal and institutional framework as well as a significant shift from the currently applicable legal regime in the basin. The research concludes that the principles enshrined in the UNWC can assist future regional treaty …

Use Of Activated Palm Kernel Shells On Adsorption Of Heavy Metals (Cu2+ And Pb2+) From Contaminated Wastewater, Edwin N. Richard

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This research aimed to evaluate the adsorption capacity of low-cost agricultural waste adsorbent-activated palm kernel shells (APKS) for the removal of Pb2+ and Cu2+ ions from synthetic wastewater that had the concentration of copper and lead ions comparable to that of waste produced in Tanzanian research and teaching laboratories. This study was carried out in batch and continuous column adsorption reactors. The study examined the influence of particle size (0.71 mm–2.36 mm), pH (4.5–8.6), adsorbent dose (5–20 mg/L) and initial concentration Ci (1.93– 4 mg/l) on APKS adsorption removal efficiency. The batch results indicated that under alkali conditions (pH 8.4 …

Mitigating The Impacts Of Future Climate Change On Urban Infrastructure In Alabama Through Updating Precipitation Intensity-Duration-Frequency (Idf) Curves, Kofi Ntow Opare

All ETDs from UAB

Climate change is set to profoundly impact urban infrastructure, causing increased flooding and storm damage, necessitating the reevaluation and adaptation of design methodologies to account for increasing precipitation extremes. This dissertation aims to enhance the resilience of urban infrastructure in Alabama by updating Precipitation Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves, which are crucial for designing stormwater management systems, drainage networks, and flood control structures. Traditional IDF curves, derived from historical rainfall data, operate under the assumption of stationarity, an assumption increasingly invalidated by climate change. This research employs the Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution and compares the efficacy of L-moments and Generalized Maximum …

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of Conventional Open-Cut Pipeline Replacement With Trenchless Cured-In-Place Pipe Renewal Method For Wastewater Applications Using Midpoint Approach, Eesha Nilesh Karkhanis

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Underground infrastructure development has a significant impact on society, leading to continuous technological advancements. With the rising environmental concerns, novel technology is leaning towards adapting to sustainable practices for pipeline rehabilitation. Conducting a comparative study of environmental impacts produced by pipe renewal and replacement processes is a vital step towards sustainable development of underground infrastructure. Open-cut Pipeline Replacement (OCPR) is the conventional method used for pipeline rehabilitation, which involves the excavation of the ground surface to place a new pipe underground or replace an existing one. This process includes the trenching of ground, followed by surface reinstatement through backfill. The …

Assessment Of Metal Contamination And Potential Health Risk Of Roadside Vegetables Along The Sayre Highway, Province Of Bukidnon, Philippines, John R.N. Labajo, Junesa U. Cristobal, Myrna G. Pabiona

Applied Environmental Research

This study assessed heavy metal contamination in roadside vegetables (Ipomoea batatas and Moringa oleifera) across five urbanized localities in Bukidnon, Philippines, and evaluated potential human health risks. Metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, and Zn) were analyzed via atomic absorption spectro-photometry and compared against FAO/WHO maximum permissible limits. The results revealed severe contamination, with Mn (575.27–862.17 mg kg-1) and Fe (256.46–706.68 mg kg-1) dominating natural soil mineralogy (Adtuyon series) and anthropogenic inputs. Toxic Cr (16.20–21.93 mg kg-1) exceeded permissible limits by nine and a half times in Quezon. Health risk assessments revealed negligible noncarcinogenic risks (THQ …

Spatial Distribution And Potential Ecological Risk Of Microplastics In Surface Sediments Of The Inner Gulf Of Thailand, Sarayut Suanluang, Pathompong Vibhatabandhu, Sarawut Srithongouthai

Applied Environmental Research

The global surge in plastic usage during the COVID–19 pandemic raised concerns about increased microplastic (MP) contamination in aquatic environments. This study assessed the abundance, characteristics, and ecological risk of MPs in surface sediments of the inner Gulf of Thailand during the post–COVID–19 period (April 2021). The sediment samples were analyzed via density separation, stereomicroscopic examination, and polymer identification via micro–FTIR. The mean MP abundance was 196.07 ± 85.60 pieces kg-1, with concentrations ranging from 73.08 to 351.19 pieces kg-1. PTFE and PP were the dominant polymer types, comprising 50% and 32% of all the MPs, respectively. Fibers (34%) and …

Health Risk Assessment Of Copper Exposure Through Hand-To-Mouth Activities In The Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Industry, Adisorn Phungkum, Worawat Meevasana, Khanidtha Marungrueang

Applied Environmental Research

This study aims to evaluate the occupational exposure levels of copper (Cu) among workers in a battery manufacturing facility by analyzing the Cu concentrations on hand surfaces at three distinct time periods: before work (BW), before lunch (BL), and after work (AW). A total of 30 workers involved in 13 different workstations or tasks—such as battery cell preparation, spot welding, soldering, and labeling—were included in the study to reflect diverse exposure scenarios. Surface wipe sampling was conducted according to NIOSH Method 9102, and the Cu concentrations were quantified via inductively coupled plasma‒mass spectrometry (ICP‒MS). Additionally, the hazard quotient (HQ) was …

Spatial Estimation Of Trophic State For Reservoir Using Ground Monitoring And Remote Sensing Data, Thong Nguyen Hoang, Van Tran Thi

Applied Environmental Research

Nutrient pollution, also known as eutrophication, is a severe environmental problem that leads to harmful algal blooms in water bodies and affects water supplies for human use. This study aims to determine the trophic state of the reservoir based on the trophic state index (TSI) calculated from ground monitoring data of Secchi depth (SD), total phosphorus (TP), and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) obtained from 35 points in 2 survey periods during the late rainy season to early dry season 2012–2013 and May 2023. In addition, we combined remote sensing data to spatially estimate the eutrophication situation across the reservoir through correlation analysis …