Engineering Commons^™

A Fuzzy Model And Decision-Support Tool For Assessing And Predicting The Probability Of Bankruptcy Of Construction Companies, Rayan H. Assaad, Ghiwa Assaf, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Construction firms face considerable risks that might lead to business bankruptcy. Failed construction companies leave behind unfinished projects, which leads to huge losses to project owners. While previous studies were conducted to understand the factors that contribute to the bankruptcy of construction organizations, little to no research was performed to quantitatively assess the risk of construction business bankruptcy. Hence, this paper addresses this knowledge gap by developing a fuzzy model for predicting the probability of business bankruptcy of construction companies. First, the following six failure warning signs were considered: financial management system, borrowed credit, estimating and job-cost reporting, project management, …

Analyzing The Impact Of Db Versus Dbb On Cost Performance In Airport Development: A Data-Driven Approach, Ramy Khalef, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Construction Of Airport Projects Can Be Complex And Costly Due To The Many Stakeholders Involved And Associated Strict Timelines. Traditional Delivery Methods, Such As Design-Bid-Build (DBB), Employed In Airport Projects Often Result In Major Cost Overruns Due To Multiple Facets. Design-Build (DB) Is A Construction Method That Combines Design And Construction Under A Single Entity, And It Has The Potential To Improve Cost Performance. None Have Evaluated DB From A Cost Perspective In The Airport Sector. This Research Fills This Gap. First, The Data Is Collected And Assessed For Validity. Second, Risk Ratings For Cost Performance Are Computed. Finally, …

Data-Driven Analysis Of Progressive Design Build In Water And Wastewater Infrastructure Projects, Fareed Salih, Radwa Eissa, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The United States has invested heavily in water and wastewater infrastructure projects to address growing demand and aging systems. To ensure the effective delivery of these projects, agencies are shifting toward alternative delivery methods such as progressive design build (PDB), which has demonstrated accelerated schedule and enhanced cost performance across the literature as well as multiple projects compared to traditional DB. This has raised a need for evaluating PDB's state of adoption and performance in the water and wastewater sector. To this end, the authors: (1) conducted descriptive and statistical analyses of the 21 PDB water and wastewater projects available …

A Holistic Approach To Exploring The Root Factors Of Work Zone Accidents, Bahaa Chammout, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway, William Lieser

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Work zones are crucial for infrastructure maintenance and improvement. However, ongoing projects within work zones sometimes can place workers and drivers in dangerous situations. Despite safety regulations, work zone accidents persist with notable severity and frequency. Previous research has explored work zone accident causation, but it has not provided a comprehensive understanding of the factors that impact work zone safety. This paper addresses this research gap by following a multistep methodology. First, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to identify a comprehensive list of 37 factors impacting work zone safety. Second, social network analysis (SNA) was employed to analyze …

Inspire Newsletter Spring 2024, Missouri University Of Science And Technology Inspire - University Transportation Center

INSPIRE Newsletters

No abstract provided.

A Vehicle-Bridge Interaction Model Considering Contact Patch Size And Vehicle Self-Generated Excitation – A Theoretical Study, Zhenhua Shi, Yahya M. Mohammed, Nasim Uddin, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents an improved theoretical damped single-axle vehicle-bridge dynamic interaction model to consider the effect of the contact patch size and motor-induced vehicle excitation. The contact patch issue is critical as it determines the minimum time step for simulation and maximum identifiable frequency, while the inclusion of the motor-induced vehicle excitation benefits the design of autonomous self-driven rather than towed vehicles. Estimations of the contact patch size for both the pneumatic tire and solid wheel scenarios are discussed. The contact patch responses, which degenerate into contact point responses when the contact patch size is assumed to be infinitely small, …

Quantifying The Role Of Insurance In Tornado-Impacted Community Recovery: A Survey And Simulation-Based Approach, Jie Zhao, Ji Yun Lee, Guirong Grace Yan, Fangjiao Ma

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Insurance against disasters plays a critical role in community recovery by providing policyholders with reliable and timely payments for repairing or reconstructing damaged houses. By allowing homeowners to transfer risk, insurance enables homeowners to address house without experiencing significant financial burdens. Although historical events have highlighted the importance of insurance, its quantitative impact on community recovery, particularly in tornado-impacted communities, is understudied. This study focuses on advancing our understanding of whether sufficiently insured houses can have a positive impact on the recovery of tornado-impacted communities (i.e., the main research question). This paper proposes a two-stage simulation framework to quantitatively evaluate …

Effects Of Psycho-Attitudinal Characteristics On Drivers’ Behavior: A Driving Simulator Study, Francesco Galante, Filomena Mauriello, Simone Fucito, Mariano Pernetti, Alfonso Montella

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

Human factors are crucial in causing traffic crashes and researchers try to identify and understand these factors to explore patterns of risky driving behavior and its consequences. It is clear that human factors play a crucial role in the causation of traffic accidents, and researchers are trying to identify and understand these factors. That is why it is important to explore the patterns that identify drivers prone to risky driving behavior and the possible negative consequences of that behavior At this aim, an experiment was conducted using the VERA dynamic driving simulator at the Road Safety Laboratory of the University …

Assessment Of Prestressed Concrete Beams: Advancing Non-Destructive Testing Methods For Enhanced Bridge Evaluation, Felipe Mota Ruiz

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The validity of non-destructive methods for evaluating transportation infrastructure conditions was explored in this study. The overarching objective is to assist in developing ideal protocols for bridge inspectors to determine the condition of reinforced concrete infrastructures and the remaining service life. A meticulous evaluation of a prestressed concrete beam decommissioned from a bridge listed in the West Virginia Division of Highways inventory was completed. The evaluation included determining the sizes, spacings, and location of reinforcement steel bars and prestressing tendons. The effort included generating a new computer code to automate the data post-processing, allowing for the automated identification of the …

Adaptively Managing Lake Powell Releases To Respond To Reservoir Inflow And Evaporation, Motasem Abualqumboz, Braden Chamberlain, David Rosenberg

Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Research

Across the Western U.S., reservoir levels are declining towards protection elevations because of aridity amplified by long-standing operations that release more water than inflow. This paper has the purpose to sketch the effects of reservoir operations that release less water than inflow and evaporation. We use the case of Glen Canyon Dam/Lake Powell on the Colorado River, U.S.A. We programed a new rule in the trusted basin simulation model maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The rule releases 95% of inflow in each time step. The 5% reduction is typically greater than reservoir evaporation. Lake Powell levels stabilize and …

Dice Are Blessed Or Cursed, Warren Campbell, Cameron Miller

SEAS Faculty Publications

Dice are cursed or blessed; that is, they roll low or high, but they are never fair. They cannot be manufactured with uniform density and geometric precision. This is particularly true of 20-sided dice or D20s. Faces are smaller than 6-sided dice, and manufacturing tolerances are similar. However, some dice are fairer than others. In our studies of plastic-mold dice about 1 in 4 test fair in 3000 rolls. We have used different statistical tests, including chi-square, modified Kolmogorov Smirnov, and double binomial tests. Of these, the method that consistently performed better is the chi-square goodness of fit test. The …

Risk-Reward Allocation Among Integrated Project Delivery Method Stakeholders: A Gamified Cooperative Data Simulation Approach, Radwa Eissa, Mohamad Abdul Nabi, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Integrated project delivery (IPD) method is associated with numerous benefits, including enhanced project performance, collaboration, and information sharing among project stakeholders. However, the lack of adequate incentive and reward mechanisms is still considered as the main reason for slowing down the adoption of IPD. As such, the goal of this paper is to identify a fair and efficient risk pool distribution among IPD project stakeholders. The adopted methodology included (1) assigning the risks associated with each stakeholder, (2) computing valuations for all possible subset coalitions among IPD project stakeholders that reflect their risk control capabilities as well as their coordination …

Understanding Of Risky Determinants Affecting The Success Of Design-Build Airport Projects Using Computational Clustering Techniques, Ramy Khalef, Islam El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The current delivery practices of airport projects are traditionally outdated, lacking innovative and modern techniques which provide overall better cost, schedule, among other performance metrics. Design-build (DB) is an alternative and viable option for the effective delivery of airport projects. Previous studies have lacked in focusing on studying the determinants that affect the success of DB airport projects. This study aims to fill this gap. The goal of this research is to explore these determinants by computationally analyzing the perception of relevant experts. This goal is achieved by: (1) developing a survey to gather valid data on the likelihood of …

Exploring The Influences On Construction Bidding Decisions: Insights From Literature And Industry Experts, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Decision-Making In Construction Bidding Is One Of The Complicated Processes. In Determining Related Decisions, Contractors Weigh Various Bidding Factors To Assess The Expected Benefits Of A Construction Project. Various Studies Have Identified Factors That Impact Construction Bidding-Related Decisions. However, There Is A Lack Of Research That Examines The Alignment Between Industry And Literature As Related To The Perception Of The Importance Of Bidding Factors On Bidding Decisions. This Paper Fills This Area Of Research Need. First, The Authors Performed A Content Analysis Of 124 Construction Bidding-Related Journal Papers, And Accordingly, 43 Bidding Factors Were Identified And Mapped With Analyzed Journal …

Studying Contribution Of Associated Stakeholders In Risk Control Of Modularized Construction Under Different Project Delivery Methods: A Graph-Restricted Cooperative Games Approach, Mohamad Abdul Nabi, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Modularization is associated with various project benefits including cost savings, schedule reduction, improved quality, among others. However, successful implementation of modular projects requires early collaboration and proactive management of various associated risks. Both project communication structures and early engagement of all project stakeholders have a great impact on risk mitigation efficiency in modular construction. The goal of this paper is to study the stakeholders' contribution in risk control of modular construction projects under different delivery methods. To this end, the authors followed a multistep methodology including (1) literature analysis to assign 17 modular risks among the various project stakeholders; (2) …

Improving Aggregate Abrasion Resistance Prediction Via Micro-Deval Test Using Ensemble Machine Learning Techniques, Alireza Roshan, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Aggregate is the most extracted material from the world's mines and widely used in civil and construction projects. The Micro-Deval abrasion test (MD) is one of the most important tests that provides characteristics of crushed aggregates that show their resistance against mechanical abrasive factors such as repeated impact loading. The impact of various factors on abrasive resistance properties of aggregates has led researchers to seek correlations, often focusing on limited data samples, leading to reduced accuracy. This study employs machine learning (ML) methods to predict MD abrasion values, considering diverse aggregate properties. Various ensemble ML methods were applied, revealing the …

Effect Of Concrete Mix Design Factors On Static Yield Stress Changes Due To Vibration, Ahmed Abd El Fattah, Dimitri Feys, Kyle Riding, Syed Imran

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Digital fabrication of concrete structures has gained substantial research traction over the last decade, enabling efficient material use and adding more architectural freedom. Current research focuses on chemical and mineral admixtures, as well as manipulating the cement hydration reaction to control the yield stress evolution with time in the cement paste. Instead of providing yield stress through the concrete fluid properties, a high yield stress can be provided by interparticle friction from the use of high aggregate volumes and large nominal maximum aggregate size, with flow enhanced for material extrusion by vibration. Granular physics was applied to concrete mixture design …

An Accurate-Pricing Estimate Game-Theoretic Model For Determining Price Escalations In Construction Projects During Economic Uncertainties, Yasser Jezzini, Rayan H. Assaad, Islam H. El-Adaway, Mohamad Abdul Nabi

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Economic Market Uncertainties, Such As Those Experienced During The COVID-19 Pandemic, Can Make Determining Accurate Prices Estimate For Construction Materials A Challenging Task. While Previous Research Focused On The Contractual Aspect Of This Issue By Studying Price Escalation Clauses, There Is Still A Gap In The Literature When It Comes To Proposing An Accurate Pricing Model. Thus, This Study Develops An Accurate Pricing-Estimate Game-Theoretical Model That Can Efficiently And Competitively Account For Escalations In Construction Materials Prices During Uncertain Market Conditions. First, Data On Past Producer Price Indexes (PPIs) Of Different Construction Materials Were Collected. Second, The Percentage Changes In …

A Recruited Participant Study Of Pedestrian Infrastructure, Amy Wyman, Hisham Jashami, David S. Hurwitz

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

No abstract provided.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Pedestrian-Vehicle Conflicts In Urban Intersections Based On Trajectory Data, Qinyi Hu, Jaeyoung Jay Lee

Kentucky Transportation Center Presentations

No abstract provided.

Inspire Newsletter Fall 2024, Missouri University Of Science And Technolgy Inspire - University Transportation Center

INSPIRE Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Data From: Active Transportation Counts From Existing On-Street Signal And Detection Infrastructure, Sirisha Kothuri, Patrick Allen Singleton, Mahyar Vahedi Saheli, Elizabeth Yates, Joseph P. Broach

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Datasets

This study’s objective was to use data from existing traffic signal infrastructure to estimate pedestrian volumes. Pedestrian push-button actuations were collected from signal controller logs at 49 intersections in western Oregon and an additional 16 intersections in eastern Oregon. These actuations were then compared to observed pedestrian counts, totaling over 34,000 people, obtained from video recordings. After exploring various options, a simple quadratic relationship was modeled using a single measure of pedestrian signal activity: the number of push-button presses (filtered to remove multiple presses within 15 seconds). The model’s predictions showed a correlation of 0.86 with observed pedestrian volumes and …

Predicting Compressive Strength Of Concrete Incorporating Fly Ash, Blast Furnace Slag, And Superplasticizer Using Machine Learning Techniques, Muhammad Faisal Yaqub

2024 REYES Proceedings

Concrete is the second most essential element in the construction industry, and its strength requirements vary based on the specific conditions of each project. However, determining the compressive strength of concrete involves laboratory tests, which wastes a lot of time and money. Researchers have developed machine learning models that predict the compressive strength of cement-based concrete having various mixes. In this research, the compressive strength of concrete incorporating fly ash, blast furnace slag, and superplasticizer is predicted using different machine learning models, namely, Linear Regression, Random Forest Regression, Decision Tree Regression, Extreme Gradient Boosting, Light Gradient Boosting, AdaBoost, and CatBoost …

Modelled Effectiveness Of Nbs In Reducing Disaster Risk: Evidence From The Operandum Project, Paul Bowyer, Silvia Maria Alfieri, Bidroha Basu, Emilie Cremin, Sisay Debele, Prashant Kumar, Veronika Lechner, Michael Loupis, Massimo Menenti, Slobodan Mickovski, Jan Pfeiffer, Francesco Pilla, Beatrice Pulvirenti, Paolo Ruggieri, Arunima Sarkar Basu, Christos Spyrou, Silvia Unguendoli, Thomas Zieher, Silviana Di Sabatino

Publications

The use of nature-based solutions (NbS) to address the risks posed by hydro-meteorological hazards have not yet become part of the mainstream policy response, and one of the main reasons cited for this, is the lack of evidence that they can effectively reduce disaster risk. This paper addresses this issue, by providing model-based evidence from five European case studies which demonstrate the effectiveness of five different NbS in reducing the magnitude of the hazard and thus risk, in present-day and possible future climates. In OAL-Austria, the hazard is a deep-seated landslide, and the NbS analysed is afforestation. Modelling results …

Evaluation Of Driveway Assistance Device (Dad) Systems In One-Lane Two-Way Work Zone, Mm Shakiul Haque, Aemal J. Khattak, Li Zhao

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Lane closure on two-lane highways due to the presence of work zones negatively impacts traffic safety and operational efficiency. Additionally, traffic from access points (e.g., commercial and residential driveways, or minor side roads) within work zones make operations more complicated and inefficient. Deploying a driveway assistance device (DAD) system can enable more efficient traffic control for work zones with access points. While traffic agencies are becoming interested in DAD deployments, research on such systems is relatively sparse. This research was the first in-depth operational investigation of the DAD system under different signal strategies, traffic conditions, and work zone characteristics. This …

Plant And Soil Effects Of Alternative Sources Of Phosphorus Over Three Years Of Application, Anna Karpinska, Thomais Kakouli-Duarte, S M. Ashekuzzaman, John Byrne, Achim Schmalenberger, Patrick J. Forrestal

Publications

Plant growth and food security depend heavily on phosphorus (P). Recovering and recycling P from animal, municipal, and food waste streams can significantly reduce dependency on traditional mineral P. This is particularly pertinent in the EU regions with limited native P supplies. The agronomic performance of including P-based recycling-derived fertilisers (two struvite and two ashes) or cattle slurry was compared to a conventional mineral P fertilisation programme along with no P and no fertiliser controls over three years. A field-scale experiment was set up to evaluate the perennial ryegrass dry matter yield (DMY), P uptake, and soil test P effects. …

Enhancing Groundwater Quality Assessment In Coastal Area: A Hybrid Modeling Approach, Md Galal Uddin, M M. Shah Porun Rana, Mir Talas Mahammad Diganta, Apoorva Bamal, Abdul Majed Sajib, Mohamed Abioui, Molla Rahman Shaibur, S M. Ashekuzzaman, Mohammad Reza Nikoo, Azizur Rahman, Md Moniruzzaman, Agnieszka I. Olbert

Publications

Monitoring of groundwater (GW) resources in coastal areas is vital for human needs, agriculture, ecosystems, securing water supply, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability. Although the utilization of water quality index (WQI) models has proven effective in monitoring GW resources, it has faced substantial criticism due to its inconsistent outcomes, prompting the need for more reliable assessment methods. Therefore, this study addressed this concern by employing the data-driven root mean squared (RMS) models to evaluate groundwater quality (GWQ) in the coastal Bhola district near the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. To enhance the reliability of the RMS-WQI model, the research incorporated …

Phosphorus Fertiliser Equivalent Value Of Dairy Processing Sludge-Derived Strubias Products Using Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne L.) And Spring Wheat (Triticum Aestivum), W Shi, Owen Fenton, S M. Ashekuzzaman, K Daly, J J. Leahy, N Khalaf, K Chojnacka, C Numviyimana, J Warchol, M G. Healy

Publications

Background

Struvite, biochar and ash products (collectively known as STRUBIAS) derived from different waste streams are used as fertilisers in agriculture. Raw dairy processing sludge (DPS) shows promise as bio-based fertilisers, but secondary STRUBIAS-derived products need further testing as fertilisers.

Aims

The objective of this study was to calculate the phosphorus mineral fertiliser equivalency (P-MFE) for some STRUBIAS products derived from DPS.

Methods

Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) pot trials were used to determine the P-MFE using the apparent P recovery (APR) method for Fe-DPS and DPS-derived struvites (Struvite 1–4), hydrochars (HC1–3) and …

Distributed Solar Generation: Data Analytics Of The Existing Literature For Guiding Future Prospects, Gasser Ali, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Distributed Solar Generation (DSG) Systems Are Small-Scale Units That Are Located At Or Near End-Consumers Such As Residential Rooftop Photo-Voltaic (PV) Systems. DSG Has Driven A Plethora Of Multidisciplinary Research With Various Interrelated Topics And Perspectives. A Broad Understanding Of Research Directions And Potential Gaps In Knowledge Can Be Elusive. Accordingly, The Goal Of This Paper Is To Investigate The Research Trends Related To DSG And Explore Research Opportunities. This Is Achieved By Performing A Data-Driven Keyword Search And Network Analysis On A Large Dataset Of Publications Related To DSG To Quantify Topics Related To DSG And The Interconnectivity Between …

Prediction Of Carbonation Capacity Of Scms Using Ensemble Learning Method, Kangyi Cai, Jian Liu, Edward Mwanza, Mahelet G. Fikru, Hongyan Ma, Donald C. Wunsch

Economics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The utilization of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) subjected to carbonation processing represents a viable strategy to mitigate anthropogenic CO₂ emissions associated with concrete production, potentially contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality. However, existing studies have limitations in effectively predicting the varying carbonation capacities of different SCMs, a gap that this research aims to address. Recent research efforts focused on the carbonation of waste-material-sourced SCMs are reviewed, along with a comparative discussion on diverse carbonation methods. A detailed data set encapsulating the properties of SCMs, and carbonation configurations was compiled. At the same time, six ensemble learning models were …