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Irish Building Services News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Construction Cost Estimating In Project Management, Kalpit N. Patel

Theses

The primary objective of Cost Estimating is to support the timely generation of bid or alternative estimates. Cost Estimating also supports management analysis of estimate accuracy, reasonableness and project risk through the generation of summary reports and analysis. Estimates also provide a base of information during construction for such items as scope changes to the contract, variations in costs of the project cost, total project cost, feedback for scheduling etc.

Contruction cost estimating is the process of identifying and compiling the many items of cost that will enter into a construction project. This is a procedure that requires very detailed …

Experimental Evaluation Of Process Zone Deformation In Concrete, Cherng-Maou Meng

Theses

Concrete structures are often subjected to a variety of loading conditions. Under ultimate load design, concrete structures can resist these loads without evident deformation. However, under service, tension cracks will develop and depending on their location, they may impair load carrying capacity.

It is generally believed that microcrack development is preceeded by formation of a relatively long microcracked region. A large number of studies have indicated that due to formation of this process zone (microcracked zone), Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) principles are not applicable to concrete. However, a number of nonlinear models can be developed if the length of …

Prestressed Concrete Columns Under Bending And Axial Load, Ajit Chiplunkar

Theses

A general analysis and design equation for slender and nonslender prestressed concrete columns subjected to uniaxial or biaxial moments combined with axial load is proposed. The proposed equation is an extension to the one developed by Hsu for reinforced concrete columns. The analytical results of the ultimate loads of eccentrically loaded slender prestressed columns are compared with the experimental results reported by Brown and Hall and Aroni respectively. The comparative study shows that the proposed equation of interaction diagram is in good agreement with the actual tests.

The ultimate loads of biaxially loaded short columns are also compared with the …

Shear Behavior Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams Under Monotonic And Cyclic Loads, June Suh

Theses

Up to now relatively few tests have been reported on shear behavior in fiber reinforced concrete beams. Even less experiments have been carried out under fatigue loading. In the present experiment, the reinforced concrete beams with 1 percent and 2 percent steel fiber volume fraction are investigated. Conventional stirrups are included in number of beams at certain intervals. Beams are loaded under monotonic and cyclic loads. The strength of beams are determined and the behavior of beams under each loading are observed in order to determine some advantages of adding steel fibers to reinforced concrete beams.

It has been found …

Demulsification And Separation Of Oil In A Water/Particulate System, Fong-Jung Tai

Theses

The wastewater generated from installation factories contains high suspended solids ( SS ) and oil. Effective removal of oil and clay particles in washrack wastewater can be achieved by using organic polymer TFL-398 alone or in conjunction with alum. The dissolved/emulsified oil concentration and suspended solids are used to represent the degree of oil demulsification and clay particles destabilization, respectively.

To improve the efficiency of oil demulsification and reduce the chemical consumption, pretreatment of the influent wastewater is essentially necessary. pH adjustment to 11-12 generally reduces chemical requirement. Total oil concentration was reduced significantly at pH = 11.7 without any …

Study Of Essential Factors Affecting The Efficiency Of Sludge Digestion, I-Chang Tsao

Theses

The sludge produced by wastewater treatment plant has some major characteristics such as high COD ( 52093 mg/1 - 79683 mg/1) and VS ( 19247 mg/1 - 44178 mg/1). The present laboratory investigation has indicated that successful treatment and purification of the subject of sludge is possible using multiple-stage anaerobic digestion system.

The multiple-stage system is capable of degrading 40-55% of COD and 50 to 60% of VS. The conventional digestion system degrades 30-45% of COD and 40-50% of VS. After treated by conventional system and multiple-stage system, the concentration of COD and VS are still high (21200 mg/1 - …

Behavior Of Slender High Strength Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Columns Under Combined Biaxial Bending And Axial Compression, Tzuoh-Jaw Wu

Theses

A total of four slender high strength steel fiber ( 20 vol. hooked ends 1 in and 2 in ) reinforced concrete columns were casted, cured and tested to failure under biaxially eccentric load us—KT MTS testing system. The experimental load-deflection behavior exhibits not only the ascending branch but also the descending branch of the load and deformation curves.

The experimental ultimate load capacity was analyzed by the equation of Failure Surface Method developed by Hsu. recently, the result shows that the analysis method is able to predict the ultimate load value for biaxially loaded slender concrete columns.

For biaxially …

Effects Of Fly Ash And Kiln Dust On The Compressive Strength Of Cement Mortar, Yitao Yu

Theses

Fly ash generated from coal-burning power plants has been an increasing problem to the utility company in terms of storage and disposal in compliance with the environmental regulations. Presently, fly ash has been widely used in the concrete mix. Research shows that fly ash can improve many properties of fresh and harden concrete. Landfill is another significant usage of fly ash. Usually, fly ash is stored in dry and weathered conditions. The properties of fly ashes from different sources and in different storage conditions are different.

In this research, the compressive strength of mortar containing cement replacement of Deep Hollow, …

A Study Of Methane Gas Production On Anaerobic Digestion System, Seng-Fung Su

Theses

The anaerobic sludge digestion process is not a recent development. At least 100 years ago in France,Louis H. Mouras designed and constructed fermenters to liquefy the sludge obtained from domestic wastes.

Since the turn of the century, the anaerobic fermentation process has been used extensively in the treatment of waste-water solids.

The necessity of preventing pollution of water resource, as a consequence of the rapid increase in human waste, demands adequate treatment of liquid wastes from domestic and industrial sources. For this purpose, the anaerobic digestion process can play an important role as a method for stabilizing and eliminating wastes …

Calcium Bentonite In Containment Structures, Ramnarayan K. Tirumala

Theses

Experiments were conducted on calcium bentonite from different sources to determine its suitability as a material for slurry wall. The emphasis was placed on cement-bentonite types of materials. A few tests were conducted on specimens consisting of soil-bentonite materials. Permeability, swelling potential, and immersion tests were conducted. Specimens were initially permeated with water to determine which variety of bentonite was most suitable and later with chemicals. In cement bentonite specimens, the effect of addition of blast furnace slag, fly ash, and sand were also studied. Addition of slag cement lowered the permeability value by an order of magnitude, and with …

Behavior Of Slender High Strength Reinforced Columns Under Biaxially Eccentric Loading, Pei-Shiun Wu

Theses

The advantage of using high strength concrete is to reduce column sizes and to increase stiffness. At present there are not any available design aids and the code provisions that provide adequate guidelines for the design of slender columns in high strength concrete.

A total of four 3 in. by 3 in. dimension, 4 ft. length high strength concrete specimens were casted, cured and tested till failures in a vertical pinned-ended configuration.The experimental results were compared with the analysis using Hsu failure surface equation.

Moment, curvature and load deflection cures were obtained successfully from the present experimental tests. These curves …

Investigation Of Mixed-Made Fracture In Concrete, Stylianos C. Aniftos

Theses

This study is aimed at evaluating the failure characteristics of concrete in the notched beam configuration. In general, for Mode I failure tension is commonly encountered. However, in the area of high shear stress, it remains to be a question whether shear or Mode II failure exists. Researches carried out in the past decade confirmed the existance of both Mode I and Mode II failure. It is the objective of this investigation to clarify this failure characteristics using FRANC an interactive fracture mechanics software.

The investigation carried out in this study used the experimental results of Bazant and Pfeiffer (3) …

Design Of Automotive Structural Components Using High Strength Sheet Steels Effect Of Strain Rate On Material Properties Of Sheet Steels And Structural Strengths Of Cold-Formed Steel Members, Maher Kassar, Wei-Wen Yu

CCFSS Library (1939 - present)

In structural design, the material properties of steels and the strengths of cold-formed steel members are affected by strain rate. Two subjects were investigated experimentally and analytically in this study. They are 1) effect of strain rate on mechanical properties of sheet steels in tension and compression, and 2) structural strengths of stub columns and beams subjected to dynamic loads. Three sheet steels with nominal yield strengths ranging from 35 to 100 ksi were studied under different strain rates. A total of 124 tensile coupons and 54 compressive coupons were tested in this phase of study. The structural strengths of …

Design Of Automotive Structural Components Using High Strength Sheet Steels Structural Strengths Of Cold-Formed Steel Members Under Dynamic Loads, Maher Kassar, Wei-Wen Yu

CCFSS Library (1939 - present)

INTRODUCTION Since May 1988, the research project on automotive components sponsored by American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) at University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR) has been concentrated on a study of the effect of strain rate on mechanical properties of sheet steels and the structural behavior and strength of cold-formed steel members subjected to impact loads. The results of the static and dynamic tensile mechanical properties of three selected sheet steels in the virgin condition as well as for the steels subjected to different amount of cold stretchings, were established in 1988 and early 1989. Details of the tension coupon tests …

The History Of The Trinity Highway: A Study In Transportation Dynamics, Richard Wilutus

Books and Other Publications

Although the primary focus of this thesis is a history of California 299--the Trinity Highway, I have studied the construction of that road in the context of the history of transportation between Weaverville and Humboldt Bay. The history of a transportation network is not only a history of connections between people and places but also, in this remote region, the vital link connecting wilderness with civilization.

Ever since the settlement of the Weaverville area in 1848, its residents have sought reliable transportation to Humboldt Bay's seaport and merchandise. During this period a road has connected these two places for less …

Irish Building Services News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Pesticide And Water Management Alternatives To Mitigate Potential Ground-Water Contamination For Selected Counties In Utah, Majid Ehteshami, Antonio M. Requena, Richard C. Peralta, Howard M. Deer, Robert W. Hill, Ahmad Yar Ranjha

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Production of adequate supplies of food and fiber currently requires that pesticides be used to limit crop losses from insects, pathogens, weeds and other pests. Although pesticides are necessary in today's agriculture, they can be a serious problem if they reach and contaminate ground water, especially in places where drinking water needs are supplied from ground water. The relative reduction of potential ground-water contamination due to agricultural use of pesticides was analyzed for particular sites in Utah. The potential reduction of pesticides in ground water was considered by utilizing alternative irrigation systems, water management practices and pesticides. A one-dimensional simulation …

Modeling Of Multicomponent Organic Chemicaltransport In Three Phase Porous Media, Jagath J. Kaluarachchi, J. C. Parker

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A two-dimensional finite-element model was developed to predict coupled transient flow and multicomponent transport of organic chemicals which can partition between nonaqueous phase liquid, water, gas and solid phases in porous media under the assumption of local chemical equilibrium. Gas-phase pressure gradients are assumed negligible and liquid flow equations are solved simultaneously using an upstream weighted solution method with time-lagged interphase mass-transfer terms and phase densities. Phase-summed component transport equations are solved serially after computation of the velocity field also by an upstream weighted finite-element method. Mass-transfer rates are evaluated from individual phase transport equations by back-substitution and corrected for …

The Frontal Method For Finite Element Analysis On Ibm-3090 Vector Computer, Chaerul Kamal

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this report, a Finite Element program based on the Frontal method was implemented on the IBM-3090 to exploit the vector capabilities offered by modern high performance vector computers. The overall computational speed for the Frontal Finite Element program was increased by 30% when the vector instructions were introduced. The Frontal solution for a system of simultaneous linear equations, however, has shown only minor improvement when vector instructions were used. More improvement in computational speed and memory storage can be expected by using the Parallel Frontal method with Substructures.

Assessing The Costs Of Adapting To Sea-Level Rise: A Case Study Of San Francisco Bay, Peter H. Gleick, Edwin P. Maurer

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), tropospheric ozone (O3), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and other trace gases are growing due to human activities. These trace gases are transparent to incoming solar radiation and trap outgoing infrared (heat) radiation, acting like a blanket to warm the Earth. Without any of these gases in the atmosphere, the surface of the Earth would be about 35 C (70 F) colder than at present, and life, if any could exist, would be quite different. This natural greenhouse effect is being intensified by human activities that accelerate the emission of these trace …

Ole Miss Engineer 1990

Ole Miss Engineer

No abstract provided.

Instrumentation Of The Twelvemile Bridge, Theodore Hopwood Ii, David Q. Hunsucker, Edgar E. Courtney

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

An experimental precast, post-tensioned concrete segmental girder bridge over Twelvemile Creek in Campbell County was instrumented with stress and strain sensors. Those sensors were read during beam fabrication and the initial portion of construction. The work was performed to address Transportation Cabinet questions about structural performance and also to assess the effect of long-term creep. The study and bridge were not completed as originally designed due a beam failure during post-tensioning.

A variety of stress, strain, and deflection measuring techniques were to be employed during the study. Several of those including concrete stress and strain meters, and vibrating-wire strain gages …

Seismic Analysis And Retrofitting Priorities For Highway Bridges On Earthquake Priority Route System In Western Kentucky, Yu Ouyang, David L. Allen, Vincent P. Drnevich, L. John Fleckenstein

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Concern has grown in recent years over the seismic activity of the New Madrid seismic zone in Western Kentucky. Bridges, as the vital links of the priority route system, need to be prevented from sever earthquake damages in order to keep the routes passible after an earthquake has occurred. In this report, seismic rating and seismic analysis were performed for each of 276 bridges on the priority route system. A priority order of retrofitting for the bridges was listed according to their vulnerability to the earthquake. At least 111 bridges need retrofitting based on the results of seismic analyses. The …

Plan For Continuing Earthquake Mitigation And Recommended Emergency Response Procedures For Western Kentucky, L. John Fleckenstein, David L. Allen, Vince P. Drnevich

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Concern has grown in recent years over the seismic activity of the New Madrid seismic zone in Western Kentucky. In 1987, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet commissioned the Kentucky Transportation Center to analyze and assess the possible effects of an earthquake on highway facilities. Since 1987, over 1,000 miles of priority routes have been recommended for the transportation of goods and services after a major earthquake. This report summarizes the mitigation research that has been conducted. This report also discusses a plan for continuing earthquake mitigation in Kentucky through seminars, discusses bridge retrofitting, and makes recommendations for a post earthquake response.

Tort Liability Related To Highways In Kentucky, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

An objective of this study was to review and analyze claims made against the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet through the Board of Claims. Another objective was to review the current state-of-the-art related to tort liability and highway agencies. This was accomplished by reviewing the literature and contacting other state highway agencies. Using information obtained from these various sources, recommendations were made relating to the establishment of an effective risk management program.

Information from Board of Claims cases was obtained for the years 1981 through 1989 and then analyzed. This information included the date of the claim, the county where the action …

Nonproportionally Loaded Steel Beam-Columns And Flexibly-Connected Nonsway Frames, Siva Prasad Darbhamulla

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A theoretical study of the inelastic stability of nonproportionally loaded steel beam-columns and flexibly-connected frames is conducted. Specifically, solution techniques are formulated to predict the nonlinear behavior of cross sections, spatial beam-columns, and nonsway plane frames under the combined influence of imperfections, flexible connections, and nonproportional loads. A set of new inelastic slope-deflection equations for imperfect members are derived and their use illustrated through in-depth studies of flexibly-connected portal and two-bay two-story frames. These equations are derived from a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The member studies are carried out using a second-order finite-difference solution to a set of …

Field Inspections Of High-Performance Bridge Paints, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Edgar E. Courtney, James H. Havens

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Paint inspections were performed on 19 steel bridges. Those structures employed various high-performance sacrificial and barrier paints. Those paints were used singly and in combination. The surface preparation varied for some of those paint systems.

The inspections included four girder bridges that had original paint and 15 others, mostly trusses that were repainted. Kentucky Transportation Center personnel also monitored several bridges during repainting operations. The inspections revealed that the original paint was in excellent condition. Most of the coatings on the repainted bridges were performing well. Some of those bridges have some spot corrosion. Only one of those bridges showed …

Irish Building Services News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Review And Analysis Of Pavement Management Practices In Kentucky, David L. Allen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Pavement Management is becoming increasingly more important in an era of limited budgets and aging pavement structures, State Highway Agencies (SHA) are attempting to manage the pavements under their jurisdiction more carefully and economically. All pavement management systems include all or some of the following items as inputs: (1) pavement distress, (2) serviceability or rideability, (3) inventory of the system, (4) structural adequacy, (5) traffic volumes and loadings, and (6) some form of performance history. This report documents Kentucky's present pavement management system. In addition, the duties and goals of the Pavement Management Branch are catalogged and described. Methods for …