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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Skilled Worker Shortage Across Key Labor-Intensive Construction Trades In Union Versus Nonunion Environments, Tamima Elbashbishy, Islam H. El-Adaway Jan 2024

Skilled Worker Shortage Across Key Labor-Intensive Construction Trades In Union Versus Nonunion Environments, Tamima Elbashbishy, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Skilled labor plays a crucial role in ensuring that construction projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the required standards of quality and safety. However, the construction industry has been facing a labor shortage in recent years, which poses a significant challenge to the industry's growth and sustainability. Therefore, it is important to examine the characteristics of the construction skilled labor market to understand the factors that contribute to the shortage of skilled workers and develop strategies to address the issue. This paper fills this knowledge gap. To this end, the authors (1) collected and processed project documentation …


An Agent-Based Cellular Automaton Simulation Model To Study Worker Safety Behavior On Construction Sites: The Impacts Of Different Social Influence Rules, Rayan H. Assaad, Mohamad Abdul Nabi, Ghiwa Assaf, Islam H. El-Adaway Jan 2024

An Agent-Based Cellular Automaton Simulation Model To Study Worker Safety Behavior On Construction Sites: The Impacts Of Different Social Influence Rules, Rayan H. Assaad, Mohamad Abdul Nabi, Ghiwa Assaf, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The unsafe behavior of the construction workforce is one of the leading causes of accidents in the construction industry. It has been shown that construction laborers perceive the safety behavior of their co-workers and adjust their personal safety attitudes accordingly. Thus, there has been an increasing attention to studying the impacts of the social influence and norms on the safety behavior of construction workers. While existing studies examined the factors that influence the safety behavior of the construction workforce, there is little-to-no research that specifically focused on modeling the role of social influence on the safety behavior of the workers. …


Impact Of Quenching Intensity Conditions On Using A Finite Element Model To Investigate The Microstructure And Hardenability Of Low-Alloy Steel, J. S. Alabi, E. Heidari, M. F. Buchely, K. Chandrashekhara, S. N. Lekakh, R. J. O'Malley, V. Athavale, A. Kumar Jan 2024

Impact Of Quenching Intensity Conditions On Using A Finite Element Model To Investigate The Microstructure And Hardenability Of Low-Alloy Steel, J. S. Alabi, E. Heidari, M. F. Buchely, K. Chandrashekhara, S. N. Lekakh, R. J. O'Malley, V. Athavale, A. Kumar

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Quenching is one of the primary processes to improve mechanical properties in steels, particularly hardness. Quenching is well established for different geometries of individually treated steel components; while in-steam quenching of large diameter continuously cast steel bar has several specific features which are difficult and costly to experimentally optimize. the end-quench Jominy test has been used extensively to study the hardenability of different steel grades. Different numerical, analytical, and empirical models have been developed to simulate the Jominy process and to understand quenching of steels. However, it is not straight forward to translate experimental data from Jominy test on instream …


Developing A Model To Predict Bleeding Areas In Asphalt Pavements Using Artificial Neural Network, Rami Khalifah, Mena I. Souliman, Pratik Lama, Omar Elbagalati Jan 2024

Developing A Model To Predict Bleeding Areas In Asphalt Pavements Using Artificial Neural Network, Rami Khalifah, Mena I. Souliman, Pratik Lama, Omar Elbagalati

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Bleeding can have a negative effect on the performance of a pavement, as the layer of asphalt on the surface can become slippery, reduce skid resistance, and lead to premature wear and tear. Therefore, predicting the bleeding area in asphalt pavements will help in maintaining better pavements, increasing the safety of the drivers, and delivering timely maintenance. The aim of the study is to develop a model using a highly sophisticated analysis tool called an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the bleeding areas in asphalt pavements as output, with one hidden layer and several neurons and using several independent …


Examining The Effectiveness Of Oiled Ballast Water Treatment Processes: Insights Into Hydrocarbon Oxidation Product Formation And Environmental Implications, Maxwell L. Harsha, Danielle E. Verna, Yanila Salas-Ortiz, Eduardo Osborn, Eduardo Turcios Valle, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Patrick G. Hatcher, Ana M. Aguilar-Islas, Patrick L. Tomco, David C. Podgorski Jan 2024

Examining The Effectiveness Of Oiled Ballast Water Treatment Processes: Insights Into Hydrocarbon Oxidation Product Formation And Environmental Implications, Maxwell L. Harsha, Danielle E. Verna, Yanila Salas-Ortiz, Eduardo Osborn, Eduardo Turcios Valle, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Patrick G. Hatcher, Ana M. Aguilar-Islas, Patrick L. Tomco, David C. Podgorski

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Ballast water released from ships into coastal environments has been identified as a mechanism that introduces contaminants of concern into coastal ecosystems. This study investigates the treatment processes employed at a ballast water treatment facility in Valdez, Alaska, that remove hydrocarbons from unsegregated ballast water. Specifically, the aim is to quantify and characterize hydrocarbons of emerging concern, known as dissolved hydrocarbon oxidation products (HOPs) and heavy metals (HMs), throughout the treatment process. Specialized analytical techniques were employed, such as non-volatile dissolved organic carbon analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Results …


การประเมินผลกระทบสิ่งแวดล้อมของการจัดการแผงพลังงานแสงอาทิตย์ที่หมดอายุการใช้งานจากการติดตั้งบนหลังคา: กรณีศึกษา การไฟฟ้าส่วนภูมิภาค, รสสุคนธ์ สิงห์สม Jan 2024

การประเมินผลกระทบสิ่งแวดล้อมของการจัดการแผงพลังงานแสงอาทิตย์ที่หมดอายุการใช้งานจากการติดตั้งบนหลังคา: กรณีศึกษา การไฟฟ้าส่วนภูมิภาค, รสสุคนธ์ สิงห์สม

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การติดตั้งระบบผลิตไฟฟ้าจากพลังงานแสงอาทิตย์บนหลังคาอาคารสำนักงานของการไฟฟ้าส่วนภูมิภาค (กฟภ.) เป็นแนวทางสำคัญในการส่งเสริมพลังงานสะอาดในประเทศไทย อย่างไรก็ตาม เมื่อแผงพลังงานแสงอาทิตย์หมดอายุการใช้งาน อาจก่อให้เกิดของเสียในปริมาณมากซึ่งส่งผลต่อสิ่งแวดล้อม งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ (1) คาดการณ์ปริมาณของเสียจากแผงพลังงานแสงอาทิตย์ที่หมดอายุซึ่งติดตั้งบนหลังคาอาคารของ กฟภ. และ (2) ประเมินผลกระทบสิ่งแวดล้อมจากแนวทางการจัดการของเสียด้วยวิธีต่าง ๆ โดยใช้ระเบียบวิธีการประเมินวัฏจักรชีวิต (Life Cycle Assessment: LCA) แบบ Gate to Gate ด้วยโปรแกรม SimaPro และวิธีการ ReCiPe 2016 จากข้อมูลการติดตั้งในปี พ.ศ. 2564 และ 2567 คาดว่าจะเกิดของเสียรวมประมาณ 932.01 ตัน ในช่วงปี พ.ศ. 2589–2592 โดยประกอบด้วยวัสดุหลัก เช่น กระจก อะลูมิเนียม ซิลิกอน และทองแดง ซึ่งมีศักยภาพในการนำกลับมาใช้ใหม่ในอัตราสูง ผลการประเมินเปรียบเทียบ 3 แนวทาง ได้แก่ การฝังกลบ (S0) การอบแยกด้วยความร้อน (S1) และการบำบัดด้วยเคมี (S2) พบว่าแนวทาง S0 ซึ่งเป็นแนวทางปัจจุบันก่อให้เกิดผลกระทบทางสิ่งแวดล้อมสูงที่สุด โดยเฉพาะด้านการปล่อยก๊าซเรือนกระจก การใช้ที่ดิน และความเป็นพิษทางทะเล ขณะที่แนวทาง S1 และ S2 มีแนวโน้มลดผลกระทบโดยรวมได้ดีกว่า โดยเฉพาะ S1 ที่ให้ผลกระทบต่ำที่สุดในหลายหมวดหมู่หลักข้อเสนอแนะสำหรับประเทศไทยและ กฟภ. ได้แก่ การจัดทำแผนยุทธศาสตร์การจัดการของเสียแผงพลังงานแสงอาทิตย์ การดำเนินโครงการนำร่องการรีไซเคิล การส่งเสริมการใช้วัสดุรีไซเคิลในประเทศ และการสนับสนุนกลไกความรับผิดชอบของผู้ผลิต (EPR) ทั้งนี้ควรสอดคล้องกับเป้าหมายการพัฒนาที่ยั่งยืน (SDGs) และแนวทางเศรษฐกิจ BCG ของประเทศ เพื่อเสริมสร้างความยั่งยืนทั้งด้านพลังงานและสิ่งแวดล้อมในระยะยาว


Effects Of Steel And Polypropylene Fiberson The Fire-Resistant Performanceof High Strength Concrete, Chutimon Sektheera Jan 2024

Effects Of Steel And Polypropylene Fiberson The Fire-Resistant Performanceof High Strength Concrete, Chutimon Sektheera

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In high-temperature conditions, high-strength concrete (HSC) is often vulnerable to explosive spalling and mechanical degradation due to its dense matrix and low permeability. Enhancing the thermal and mechanical performance of HSC is therefore critical for improving its structural integrity under fire exposure. This study investigates the effects of steel (ST) and polypropylene (PP) fibers on the mechanical properties and fire resistance of HSC exposed to elevated temperatures. Experimental variables included different fiber types and dosages, with concrete mixtures incorporating ST fibers (0.5–1.0% by volume) and two types of PP fibers: macro fibers (0.5–1.0% by volume) and micro fibers (0.05–0.10% by …


Assessment Of Drainage Characteristics Of Recycled Crushed Concrete Aggregate (Rcca) And Plastic Mix Pavement Base, Amena Begum Jan 2024

Assessment Of Drainage Characteristics Of Recycled Crushed Concrete Aggregate (Rcca) And Plastic Mix Pavement Base, Amena Begum

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Recycled Crushed Concrete Aggregate (RCCA) offers a sustainable alternative to natural aggregate in construction, reducing reliance on natural resources and diverting construction and demolition debris from landfills. Similarly, the escalating global plastic waste crisis highlights the need for innovative solutions to address non-biodegradable waste disposal challenges and create opportunities for recycling plastics into value-added applications. This study explores the potential of RCCA mixed with plastic waste, such as HDPE and PP, as a viable substitute for natural aggregates in flexible pavement base layers, with a focus on hydraulic properties and drainage performance to enhance pavement durability.

A comprehensive experimental program …


Impact Of Augmented Documentation Workflows On Transportation Agency Asphalt Paving Operations: A Qualitative And Quantitative Study, Josh Withrow Jan 2024

Impact Of Augmented Documentation Workflows On Transportation Agency Asphalt Paving Operations: A Qualitative And Quantitative Study, Josh Withrow

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

e-Ticketing was an intriguing technology to many state transportation agencies (STAs) pre-COVID-19 pandemic but gained significant attention upon arrival of the pandemic due to the contactless nature of the technology. Research completed prior to the pandemic into e-ticketing for asphalt paving primarily identified qualitative benefits and concerns. However, minimal academic literature exists in the post-pandemic era discussing the additional e-ticketing benefits not previously captured which resulted in increased implementation by STAs. This research seeks to address this gap by gathering information from state members of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Committee on Construction (AASHTO COC), employees …


Estimation Of Mechanical Behavior Of Unsaturated Soils From A Soil-Water Characteristic Curve, Lucas Acheampong Jan 2024

Estimation Of Mechanical Behavior Of Unsaturated Soils From A Soil-Water Characteristic Curve, Lucas Acheampong

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The small-strain shear modulus and shear strength are two crucial mechanical behaviors used in the design of geotechnical structures and in the analyses of earth materials subjected to static and dynamic loadings. Traditional testing methods for these parameters are expensive and time-consuming. This research aimed to address these challenges by developing a model based on the inverse relationship between mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils and the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC). The proposed model integrates a scaling function to align the SWCC with the mechanical property curve. Empirical relationships were established for the scaling function, specifically aligning with the air-entry value …


Geophysical Method Used For The Determination And Prediction Of Soil Strength And Stiffness Parameters, Dabo Adama Jan 2024

Geophysical Method Used For The Determination And Prediction Of Soil Strength And Stiffness Parameters, Dabo Adama

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

This paper presents the results of an effort to use geophysical measurements such as seismic wave velocities and electrical resistivities to calculate airfield design parameters. The study converts all geophysical measurements to equivalent California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values, comparing CBR values estimated from DCP penetration resistance with CBR values estimated from shear wave velocity and electrical resistivity values. Relationships linking the geophysical measurements to CBR estimates were established using laboratory data and applied to field in-situ measurements. The elastic modulus (E) is the stiffness parameter involved in predicting soil strength and stiffness. This research aims to relate electrical conductivity and …


Analysis And Improvement Of The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’S Serious Injury And Fatality Program, Arun Subedi Jan 2024

Analysis And Improvement Of The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’S Serious Injury And Fatality Program, Arun Subedi

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs) within construction and maintenance industries indicate severe vulnerabilities within workplace safety, and their prevention requires the highest priority. SIFs usually occur due to systemic failures, and proactive steps must be taken to identify and neutralize high-risk scenarios. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has recently implemented a safety management system called BOOTS, for improving incident reporting and analysis along with SIFs. This study identifies gaps in KYTC's SIF reporting framework and provides analysis on recurring incident trends utilizing the incidents already reported in the system. While current practice in KYTC relies on event-based decision tree when classifying …


Digital Innovation Roadmap For Construction Industry: Bridging The Gap For Future, Nisa Zahin Jan 2024

Digital Innovation Roadmap For Construction Industry: Bridging The Gap For Future, Nisa Zahin

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Digitalization has considerable value in the digital transformation of the construction business. It means the use of digital technologies to create revenue, improve business, increase profit and sustainability, and create an environment for digital business whereby digital information is at the core. As such, digital transformation requires skills that involve extracting and exchanging data and analyzing and converting that data into actionable information. In addition to technological solutions, a paramount need is to ensure that the people using these solutions and the processes used to integrate, coordinate between teams, and continuously improve the use of technology are in place. Therefore, …


Thermal Alteration Of The Mineralogy Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements: Implications For The Performance Of Rapid Repair Materials, Jillian Cavellier Jan 2024

Thermal Alteration Of The Mineralogy Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements: Implications For The Performance Of Rapid Repair Materials, Jillian Cavellier

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) was developed in part to lessen the environmental impact of cementitious materials compared to traditional Portland cements. CSA was first put into production in the 1970s and has been undergoing various performance testing to investigate its durability. Yet to be evaluated is CSA’s response to a rapid, high temperature event. In this study, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscope imaging were used to analyze alterations in the mineralogy due to such an event. As found in previous studies, after ~125°C, ettringite has been completely dehydrated. Ettringite decomposes into bassanite and calcium …


Visualizing And Automating Past, Real-Time, And Forecast Dynamic Hazard Maps For Shallow Colluvial Landslides In Eastern Kentucky, Nathaniel O'Leary Jan 2024

Visualizing And Automating Past, Real-Time, And Forecast Dynamic Hazard Maps For Shallow Colluvial Landslides In Eastern Kentucky, Nathaniel O'Leary

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Landslide hazards are a persistent threat to communities and infrastructure in Eastern Kentucky, where steep slopes, shallow colluvial soils, and variable hydrological conditions make slope failures frequent. This thesis presents an integrated approach to landslide hazard mapping (LHM) through the development of dynamic, spatiotemporal LHMs for shallow colluvial landslides. Two studies within this work investigate and refine the use of the Lu and Godt (2008) factor of safety (FS) equation to improve landslide predictions. The first study establishes a novel LHM workflow using Hydrus-1D to simulate soil moisture infiltration and fluctuations from precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET) data. This study also …


The Efficacy Of Wetland Treatment Systems Used To Treat Runoff Mixtures From Different Landscapes Across Kentucky, Emily Nottingham Jan 2024

The Efficacy Of Wetland Treatment Systems Used To Treat Runoff Mixtures From Different Landscapes Across Kentucky, Emily Nottingham

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The overarching goal was to improve our understanding of the cumulative effect of increased use and occurrence of commonly detected contaminants of potential concern (CPCs) on nitrogen (N) transformation processes in wetlands. The central hypothesis was that those various mixtures of nutrients and CPCs entering treatment wetlands impact N removal pathways. The first study assessed the current state of the literature on the implications to N removal in wetlands in the presence of pesticides and antibiotics. 181 primary studies were identified. Removal efficiencies for nitrate varied widely across the studies, with CPCs impacting microbial communities. A knowledge gap remains in …


Developing An Assessment Model For Entrepreneurship Ecosystems Using Hierarchical Decision Model, Mustafa Almuzel, Tugrul U. Daim, Birol Yesilada, Marina Dabic, Gulin Idil Bolatan Jan 2024

Developing An Assessment Model For Entrepreneurship Ecosystems Using Hierarchical Decision Model, Mustafa Almuzel, Tugrul U. Daim, Birol Yesilada, Marina Dabic, Gulin Idil Bolatan

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Entrepreneurship is a crucial driver of economic growth, necessitating the development of effective entrepreneurial ecosystems. However, there are significant gaps in the literature regarding the structured assessment of these ecosystems. This study addresses three main research gaps: the lack of structured evaluation methods, the need for a comprehensive analysis of ecosystem challenges from various perspectives, and the identification of critical factors essential for ecosystem growth. To bridge these gaps, the research introduces the Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM) as a universal assessment framework that can be adapted to different cities for creating effective entrepreneurial environments. The research methodology involved formulating perspectives …


Enhancing Pricing Practices Of Subcontractors: A Comparative Analysis Using Simulation Modeling, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway, Kalyn T. Coatney Jan 2024

Enhancing Pricing Practices Of Subcontractors: A Comparative Analysis Using Simulation Modeling, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway, Kalyn T. Coatney

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The construction industry often relies on subcontracting, where subcontractors bid for portions of a project before general contractors bid for the entire project in a process referred to as multi-stage bidding (MSG). MSG can be complex, and winning bidders may be burdened with underestimating their bids and encountering the winner's curse. Despite various studies investigating this issue, further research is necessary to examine bidding strategies for subcontractors. This paper addresses this research need by exploring and comparing how bidding strategies based on reinforcement learning and game theory could aid subcontractors in mitigating the winner's curse in MSG. The authors used …


Aluminum Critical Mineral Production Feasibility Via Landfill Mining: Preliminary Study Of Potential Project Locations And Co-Benefits, Anabel M. Needham Jan 2024

Aluminum Critical Mineral Production Feasibility Via Landfill Mining: Preliminary Study Of Potential Project Locations And Co-Benefits, Anabel M. Needham

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In 2022, aluminum was named a critical mineral by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the global demand for aluminum is projected to increase by 40% from 2020 to 2030 (Aleksić 2023). There are currently no large-scale bauxite mines in the United States to contribute to aluminum production, and this study aims to investigate the feasibility of aluminum landfill mining in the United States to produce secondary aluminum. The feasibility of landfill mining for the purpose of recovering materials and energy is a relatively new technology, and often co-benefits are required to make these projects economically viable. Publicly available …


Assessing Wave Dynamics Induced Coastal Flooding Along The Southern Shores Of Lake Superior, Saumik Mallik Jan 2024

Assessing Wave Dynamics Induced Coastal Flooding Along The Southern Shores Of Lake Superior, Saumik Mallik

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of coastal hazards along the southern shores of Lake Superior, encompassing the interplay of static water levels, surges, and the amplifying effects of wave dynamics. Employing 51 years of historical water level data from five gauge stations in the US portion of Lake Superior, the study conducts extreme value analysis to estimate return levels over various return periods (25, 50, 100, and 500 years) for static water levels and surges. In parallel, Significant Wave Heights (SWH) data generated from the Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) model is calibrated through a multi-step procedure based on historical …


Polymeric Spray-Applied Pipe Lining Selection, Evaluation And System Design, Sanaz Ghalambor Jan 2024

Polymeric Spray-Applied Pipe Lining Selection, Evaluation And System Design, Sanaz Ghalambor

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

POLYMERIC SPRAY-APPLIED PIPE LINING SELECTION, EVALUATION

AND SYSTEM DESIGN

Sanaz Ghalambor, PhD

The University of Texas at Arlington, 2024

Supervising Professor: Dr. Mohammad Najafi

Numerous pipes are considerably aged, and most are no longer functional. Immediate attention is required to either restore or replace these pipelines. To avoid digging up and replacing underground pipes, the Spray-Applied Pipe Lining (SAPL) rehabilitation technology, also known as Spray-In-Place-Pipe (SIPP) lining, can be used for pipe rehabilitation. This approach lowers expenses and downtime while preserving landscapes and structures and enhancing hydraulic characteristics. Although lining water pipes through spray application is the oldest pipeline rehabilitation …


Advanced Network And Graph Theoretical Approaches To Urban Traffic Control And Optimization, Peirong Wang Jan 2024

Advanced Network And Graph Theoretical Approaches To Urban Traffic Control And Optimization, Peirong Wang

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This article-based dissertation consists of four complete manuscripts related to using proposed advanced network and graph theoretical approaches to optimize traffic control. Manuscript One addresses the integration of Connected Automated Vehicles (CAVs) and human-driven vehicles in heterogeneous traffic networks. Traditional models assume uniform driving behaviors, which are now inadequate. To address this, an integer programming formulation for a vehicle-oriented traffic dynamics model in space-time networks is introduced. This model distinguishes between individual vehicles and their unique driving behaviors, capturing diverse attributes of heterogeneous traffic flow. The manuscript demonstrates how the model can estimate the propagation of backward shockwaves for scheduled …


Experimental And Numerical Analyses Of Percussion Driven Earth Anchors Under Monotonic Pullout Tests, Mehran Azizian Jan 2024

Experimental And Numerical Analyses Of Percussion Driven Earth Anchors Under Monotonic Pullout Tests, Mehran Azizian

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation provides a thorough investigation into the behavior and performance of Percussion-Driven Earth Anchors (PDEAs) during monotonic pullout tests. PDEAs are becoming more commonly utilized in geotechnical engineering because of their effectiveness in installation, ability to bear loads immediately, and minimal disruption to the environment. Despite their advantages, a detailed understanding of their pullout capacity and failure mechanisms remains limited.

The research encompasses both experimental and numerical analyses to bridge this knowledge gap. Experimental tests were conducted using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques to obtain precise measurements of soil and anchor interaction and figure out the failure mechanism. Photogrammetry …


Investigating Urban Impacts On Temperature And Rainfall Using Drone, Radar And Machine Learning Techniques, Junaid Ahmad Jan 2024

Investigating Urban Impacts On Temperature And Rainfall Using Drone, Radar And Machine Learning Techniques, Junaid Ahmad

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The global urban population is increasing, and it is anticipated that approximately 70% of people will reside in urban areas by 2050. Urbanization changes land use and land cover, altering local climatology. For example, various urban centers across the globe are experiencing extreme rainfall events, resulting in widespread damage to life and property with possible linkages to urbanization. The use of artificial materials in urban areas brings significant changes to the surface temperatures. Due to the high heat capacity of most of the construction materials, the temperature of the urban area can increase substantially compared to the rural areas. This …


Flood Frequency Analyses Using Depth-Area Reduction Factors (Darfs) In Texas, Mohamad Ahmadzadeh Jan 2024

Flood Frequency Analyses Using Depth-Area Reduction Factors (Darfs) In Texas, Mohamad Ahmadzadeh

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The increasing frequency and severity of flood events globally necessitate more accurate and reliable hydrologic models to inform flood risk management and mitigation strategies. Traditional hydrologic models have often relied on the simplification of uniformly distributed rainfall across watersheds, a method that fails to account for the spatial variability inherent in real-world storm events. This dissertation addresses this critical gap by applying Depth-Area Reduction Factors (DARFs) in hydrologic modeling, specifically focusing on the Trinity and Neches River Basins in Texas. DARFs are used to adjust point rainfall data to reflect the reduction in rainfall intensity as storm areas increase, thereby …


Evaluation Of Air Emissions For Cured-In-Place Pipe Construction Method For Sewer Pipe Rehabilitation, Rasoul Adnan Abbas Jan 2024

Evaluation Of Air Emissions For Cured-In-Place Pipe Construction Method For Sewer Pipe Rehabilitation, Rasoul Adnan Abbas

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The aging underground pipelines in the United States, which include sewer and water supply systems, have exceeded their design lifespan and will have to be renewed or replaced to continue providing these vital services to communities. Two methods can be used to replace the pipes: open-cut and trenchless technologies. Trenchless methods offer several advantages in urban areas: a small work area, lower operational and maintenance costs, and fewer negative impacts on the surrounding communities. Among the trenchless options, the CIPP method has been chosen for this research since it minimizes surface disruption, making it particularly well-suited for densely populated areas …


Sustainable Use Of Wastewater In Concrete Construction, Mohammadamin Soltanianfard Jan 2024

Sustainable Use Of Wastewater In Concrete Construction, Mohammadamin Soltanianfard

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation investigates the use of wastewater from various treatment stages in concrete production to promote sustainable construction practices. Concrete prepared with potable water (PW) served as a control, while wastewater from plant final effluent (FE), chlorine contact basin (CL), secondary clarifier effluent (SC), primary clarifier effluent (PC), and bar screen effluent (BSE) was evaluated.

A comprehensive testing program was implemented to assess performance, including compressive strength tests, water absorption measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results showed that wastewater from advanced stages (FE, CL, SC) had minimal impact on strength and durability, …


Enhancing Resilience Of Critical Infrastructural Systems Against Severe Weather Conditions, Miaomiao Li Jan 2024

Enhancing Resilience Of Critical Infrastructural Systems Against Severe Weather Conditions, Miaomiao Li

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

As climate change intensifies natural hazards and extreme weather events, critical infrastructure systems like power networks and pavements are increasingly vulnerable to damage. While significant progress has been made in studying individual hazards for specific systems, there remains a need for comprehensive frameworks addressing parametrized fragility for key components in critical infrastructure and their application in system risk and resilience evaluation. This dissertation investigates the failure mechanisms and fragility of power systems and pavements under extreme conditions, including winter storms, hurricanes, heatwaves, and flooding. Using structural analysis, numerical modeling, and statistical methods, this work evaluates system vulnerabilities, develops fragility models, …


Recycling Waste Plastics From E-Waste And Household Sources For Sustainable Asphalt Construction, Sepehr Mohammadi Jan 2024

Recycling Waste Plastics From E-Waste And Household Sources For Sustainable Asphalt Construction, Sepehr Mohammadi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The generation of waste plastics is continuing to grow year after year which can also provide valuable opportunities for researchers in different areas to find new applications that will eliminate their potential risks to environment and human health. For instance, in 2022 alone, global plastic production was increased to a remarkable 400.3 million metric tons, showing a 1.6 percent rise from 2021. Another notable example is the waste plastics from electronic waste (e-waste) sources which constitute up to 20% of e-waste streams. The advancement of global economies and technology has resulted in a notable increment of the volume of electronics …


Investigating Chloride Ingression In Concrete And Chloride-Induced Rebar Corrosion, Peifeng Su Jan 2024

Investigating Chloride Ingression In Concrete And Chloride-Induced Rebar Corrosion, Peifeng Su

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The durability of reinforced concrete (RC) structures in chloride-rich environments is compromised due to steel reinforcement corrosion. This dissertation investigates chloride-induced corrosion in concrete containing supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and corrosion inhibitors through experimental and numerical methods.

First, the correlations between commonly used parameters and the chloride penetration resistance of concrete were investigated using matrix scatterplot analysis. Concrete samples with various binder types are tested. Results indicate that bulk resistivity is most related to chloride penetration resistance. The effect of SCMs on chloride binding was then studied, and an improved chloride profile prediction model was developed. The binding isotherm of …