Application Of Text Mining Techniques To Identify Actual Wrong-Way Driving (Wwd) Crashes In Police Reports, Parisa Hosseini, Seyedalireza Khoshsirat, Mohammad Jalayer, Subasish Das

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Wrong-way driving (WWD) has been a long-lasting issue for transportation agencies and law enforcement, since it causes pivotal threats to road users. Notwithstanding being rare, crashes occurring due to WWD are more severe than other types of crashes. In order to analyze WWD crashes, there is a need to obtain WWD incidents or crash data. However, it is time-consuming to identify actual WWD crashes from potential WWD crashes in large crash databases. It often involves large man-hours to review hardcopy of crash narratives in the police reports. Otherwise, it may cause an overestimation or underestimation of WWD crash frequencies. To …

Environmental Sustainability Of Small Wastewater Treatment Systems And Pathways For Improvement, Matthew James Thompson

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Wastewater treatment protects society and the environment by reducing pollutants generated from communities prior to discharge into local water bodies. Small water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) represent the majority of centralized wastewater treatment systems, are resource intensive, and often lack resources needed to evaluate sustainability improvements. The goal of this dissertation was to identify primary sources and drivers of environmental impacts in small WRRFs and exploration of pathways to improve their environmental sustainability.

Case study data collected from small WRRFs in Nebraska was analyzed using environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental impact of facilities and existing opportunities. …

Durability Of Cfrp/Steel Bond In Natural Weather, Mastour Alsulami

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) are increasingly being used for infrastructurestrengthening and repair of steel structures. Though there have been several durability studies, exposures used are not representative of outdoor service conditions. Fewer studies have explored the effect of changing outdoor conditions typical in infrastructure use. The goal of the research is addressing this gap by evaluating the performance of commercially available CFRP systems under natural weather characteristic of hot, humid tropical conditions mainly and cold weather secondary in three different locations.

Thirty CFRP/steel joint specimens were prepared in laboratory conditions and exposed to ambient temperature on the Engineering building roofs …

A Bridge Information Modeling (Brim) Framework For Inspection And Maintenance Intervention In Reinforced Concrete Bridges, Ahmed Gouda Mohamed

Civil Engineering

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A Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) Framework for Inspection and Maintenance Intervention in Reinforced Concrete Bridges

Optimizing The Dynamic Replacement Of Soft Soils With Sand Using A Fem Tools, Walid Salem A Elsiwi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

First a dynamic finite element methodology (FEM) was developed to simulate an entire dynamic replacement (DR) program of clay with sand involving multiple poundings. The main objective of this research was to employ FEM and geotechnical test data such as cone penetration test (CPT) data at the site to predict the maximum achievable sand column (SC) depth and the corresponding optimum levels of attributing parameters such as number and height of pounder drops. Another goal was to predict the pore pressure generated in clay due to pounding. A full-scale ground improvement project was used to guide the analytical process. Comparison …

Predictive Modelling Of Road Deterioration Using An Artificially Intelligent Bayesian Belief Networks Approach, Babitha Elizabeth Philip

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The ability to predict road deterioration is the cornerstone for developing a reliable Pavement Management System (PMS) that optimizes pavement maintenance programs. Such prediction capacity becomes increasingly important, especially when highway agency funds are confined. This research focuses on the development of prediction models based on an artificial intelligence technique, Bayesian Belief Networks (BBN), that aid decision-makers in forecasting expected road distress curves on the lights of various (e.g., environmental, traffic, and road-specific) factors and maintenance decisions. The novelty of this research revolves around deploying BBNs which allow analysts to yield Markovian predictions of annual road deterioration based on incomplete …

Characterization And Structural Shear Behavior Of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Beams Reinforced With Basalt Fibers And Basalt Bars, Shahrukh Shoaib Ul Haq

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Recycling construction waste material offers a sustainable solution to the problem of disposing of concrete construction and demolition waste. The use of basalt fibers (BF) and basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) reinforcing bars in concrete structures made of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) would prolong their service life and reduce the maintenance cost. This research aims to investigate the potential use of BF, RCA, and BFRP reinforcing bars to produce sustainable and steel-free structural concrete. The study consisted of material characterization testing, numerical simulation, and large-scale beam testing.
Material characterization tests were performed on normal-strength concrete (NSC) and high-strength concrete (HSC). The …

A Bayesian Network-Based Methodology For Improved Bridge Load Rating And Asset Management, Jeffery Mark Roberts

Dissertations and Theses

From the day a new structure is made available for use, to the day that the structure is no longer able to fulfill an intended purpose, structural safety is a vital interest. Managing a portfolio of structures can be a difficult undertaking for an asset manager, particularly if different types of structures are being maintained. The goal is to manage assets in the most efficient manner which can be influenced by, at a minimum, safety and financial concerns.

A potential tool for an asset manager or owner is the use of Bayesian Networks (BNs). When a BN is used to …

Interdependency Between Water And Road Infrastructures: Cases And Impacts, Shihab Uddin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies the interdependency between road and water infrastructures and associated interdependency impact on these two critical infrastructure systems. Critical infrastructures and the interdependency among these infrastructures have gained much attention recently because of its growing complexity, importance, and vulnerability to natural and man-made threats. In response, researchers have spent significant effort to study these infrastructures individually as well as when they are interdependent to understand complex interdependency relationship and to figure out ways to make these infrastructures more reliable, robust, and resilient. However, water and road infrastructure systems have not been studied as vastly as other critical infrastructures …

Hydrological System And Water Balance Of Ungauged Crater Lakes Of The Northern Crater Highlands, Godwin Lucas

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The study aimed to unveil the hydrological system and water balance of the ungauged crater lakes with major focus on the Emakati Lake which occupy 46% of the Empakaai Crater associated to the East African Rift Valley and form part of the Northern Crater Highlands. Water samples for analysis of NO3- , Cl- and stable isotopes (2H and 18O) were collected from the Emakat lake, springs of the inner, outer and the foot of the Empakaai Crater rims. A combination of satellite data such as digital elevation model (DEM), Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS), net shortwave …

Integrated Periphyton Biofilters In Marine Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, Adam N. Bell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marine aquaculture is a growing industry that has the potential to reduce eutrophication, overfishing, and loss of biodiversity. Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are a type of aquaculture system that decreases discharge, raises biological control, and conserves water; however, RAS are challenged due to high energy cost, low biodiversity, water quality control, and waste nutrients. Periphyton biofilters are a new technology that allows for feed production, water quality control, microbial diversity, and resource recovery in marine aquaculture systems. The overarching question that this dissertation investigates is, how can periphyton biofilters be integrated into RAS to address the challenges of modern sustainable …

Biological Seawater Desalination Using Green Algae And Cyanobacteria, Abdul Mannan Zafar

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Water shortage in many coastal parts of the world is reaching alarming situation, including the United Arab Emirates. Urbanization and rapid population growth are generating critical water demands with an increase in per capita consumption. Seawater is usually treated by membrane processes such as reverse osmosis (RO). However, this technology is energy intensive and generates excessive brine as a waste. The solution to this problem can be found in natural remediation techniques that can reduce salt concentration from seawater, such as halophytes. A salt-tolerant species can consume Na+ and Clions and increase cellular growth which is termed biological desalination or …

Evaluation Of Residual Flexural Behavior Of Corroded Fiber-Reinforced Super Workable Concrete Beams, Jingjie Wei, Nima Farzadnia, Alfred Addai-Nimoh, Kamal Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Study Investigates the Effect of Macro Synthetic Fiber (MSF) Volume and Crack Widths on Corrosion of the Reinforcing Bars and Residual Flexural Behavior of Fiber-Reinforced Super-Workable Concrete (FR-SWC) Beams Exposed to Accelerated Corrosion. FR-SWC Beams Prepared with 0, 0.33%, and 0.66% MSF Were Pre-Cracked at 0.2-, 0.4-, and 0.75-Mm Widths Before Corrosion Testing. the Controlled Crack Width Was Initiated in One Set of Beams that Were Then Unloaded. the Crack Width Was Maintained for Another Set of Beams during Corrosion Testing by Inserting a Shim. Test Results Showed that the Use of 0.33% and 0.66% MSF Reduced Crack Development …

Cement-Based Materials With Solid-Gel Phase Change Materials For Improving Energy Efficiency Of Building Envelope, Zhuo Liu, Jiang Du, Ryan Steere, Joshua P. Schlegel, Kamal Khayat, Weina Meng

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper evaluated the cement-based materials incorporated with novel solid-gel phase change materials (PCMs) for improving the energy efficiency of building envelopes. This novel PCM is form-stable, which will not leak as solid-liquid PCMs do and not need encapsulation, and it features high energy-storage capacity. Experimental results showed that the thermal properties of cement-based materials were improved as the increase of PCM content. A 30% replacement of sand by volume with PCM can increase the latent heat of the mixture from around 0 to 7 J/g and decrease the thermal conductivity of PCM mortar based on the generalized self-consistent (GSC) …

Permeable Concrete Barriers To Control Water Pollution: A Review, Rehab O. Abdel Rahman, Ahmed M. El-Kamash, Yung-Tse Hung

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Permeable concrete is a class of materials that has long been tested and implemented to control water pollution. Its application in low-impact development practices has proved its efficiency in mitigating some of the impacts of urbanization on the environment, including urban heat islands, attenuation of flashfloods, and reduction of transportation-related noise. Additionally, several research efforts have been directed at the dissemination of these materials for controlling pollution via their use as permeable reactive barriers, as well as their use in the treatment of waste water and water purification. This work is focused on the potential use of these materials as …

Implementation Of Experimental Static Recrystallization Of High Strength Steel Into Computational Simulation Of Multi-Pass Slab Hot Rolling, S. K. Dasari, S. Ganguly, A. Abutunis, K. Chandrashekhara, M. F. Buchely, S. N. Lekakh, R. J. O'Malley, T. Natarajan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microstructural changes and softening due to static recrystallization have a critical influence on thermo-mechanical behavior of high strength steels during industrial multi-pass hot rolling. Numerical simulation using finite element analysis (FEA) can be used to accurately predict the softening behavior during the hot rolling process. Therefore, the implementation of an experimentally defined static recrystallization model into FEA is necessary to get realistic simulation prediction. in this study, the extent of softening during static recrystallization in Si and Mn alloyed high strength steel was measured using double hit tests. a Gleeble™ thermo-mechanical simulator was used to perform the double hit tests …

Transportation Components Of The City Of Bennet Comprehensive Plan And Downtown Economic Development Plan, Kyle Mclaughlin

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

In partnership with the City of Bennet, the University of Nebraska, and Marvin Planning Consultants, this project assisted the creation of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Economic Development Plan by creating a transportation focused report as a supplement to those plans. The project operates in six sections; Introduction and Overview, Evaluate the Present, Engage the Community, Recommendations, Strategies, and Policies, Implementation and Funding, and Monitoring and Evaluation. The project scope included existing conditions understanding, qualitative and quantitative transportation analysis, public engagement and stakeholder meetings, coordination with two plan creators, identifying transportation improvements, description of implementation steps, overview of available …

Advancing Airport Project Delivery: A Comparison Of Design-Build And Traditional Methods In Terms Of Schedule And Cost Performance, Ramy Khalef, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Current airport infrastructure is in a state of decline, with reports scoring it at an underperforming classification of D+. To address this issue, significant improvement and advancement of the infrastructure is needed. With backing on an authoritative level, the nation can expect an increase in the number of improvement projects. Airport stakeholders have long been accustomed to delivering their projects using traditional methods, such as design-bid-build (DBB). Design-build (DB) is an alternative delivery method that has added benefits for project metrics, such as schedule and cost performance. There is a lack of research evaluating DB within the context of airport …

Kytc Department Of Aviation Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Amt) Program Optimization, Bethany Paris, P. Gayle Marks, Bryan Gibson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The aviation industry is a linchpin of Kentucky’s economy. Major firms such as UPS, Amazon, and DHL have major hubs at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). As of December 2022, 4,570 aircraft mechanics and service technicians (AMTs) were employed in the state. Demand in this sector is poised to grow. As such, it is critical to understand what resources Kentucky has available to train the next generation of professionals and the number of people the aviation industry is likely to employ statewide over the next decade. Kentucky and the surrounding states are home …

Urban Versus Lake Impacts On Heat Stress And Its Disparities In A Shoreline City, T. C. Chakraborty, Jiali Wang, Yun Qian, William Pringle, Zhao Yang, Pengfei Xue

Michigan Tech Publications

Shoreline cities are influenced by both urban-scale processes and land-water interactions, with consequences on heat exposure and its disparities. Heat exposure studies over these cities have focused on air and skin temperature, even though moisture advection from water bodies can also modulate heat stress. Here, using an ensemble of model simulations covering Chicago, we find that Lake Michigan strongly reduces heat exposure (2.75°C reduction in maximum average air temperature in Chicago) and heat stress (maximum average wet bulb globe temperature reduced by 0.86°C) during the day, while urbanization enhances them at night (2.75 and 1.57°C increases in minimum average air …

Effect Of Type And Quantity Of Inherent Alkali Cations On Alkali-Silica Reaction, Pengfei Ma, Jiaoli Li, Jincheng Bai, Ying Zhuo, Lingyu Chi, Yanping Zhu, Zhenhua Shi, Hongyan Ma, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study, the macroscopical expansion induced by alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and its corresponding ASR products are investigated using ordinary Portland cement (OPC) mortar specimens with a gradient of boosted alkalis. Experimental results show that the expansion increases with the concentration of inherent alkalis. Sodium-boosted samples expand approximately three times as much as potassium-boosted samples. ASR gels that are present in aggregate veins are calcium-free and amorphous; the atomic ratios of ASR gels are nearly independent of the type and quantity of alkali cations. Aggregate ASR gel exudation occurs in high (≥2.5 %) sodium cases and produces potential Na-shlykovite. Crystalline …

Peroxi-Electrocoagulation For Treatment Of Trace Organic Compounds And Natural Organic Matter At Neutral Ph, Donald R. Ryan, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Claire K. Baldus, Yin Wang, Brooke K. Mayer

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Iron-based oxidation technologies can be advantageous for mitigating trace organic compounds (TOrCs) during water and wastewater treatment due to their production of hydroxyl radicals. However, iron-based oxidation often occurs at acidic pH to promote Fenton's reaction, which limits the processes' feasibility for treatment applications. This study focused on utilizing iron-electrocoagulation (EC) paired with ex situ H₂O₂ addition (peroxi-electrocoagulation [EC:H₂O₂]) to promote oxidative reactions at neutral pH conditions. The hydroxyl radical probe para-chlorobenzoic acid (pCBA) was used to gauge oxidant activity and serve as a representative TOrC. The impact of water …

Design Guidance For Wetland-Road Crossings To Reduce Blanding’S Turtle Mortality Risk, Thomas P. Ballestero, Lauren E. White, Sandra Houghton, David Burdick, Josh Megyesy

Faculty Publications

Road mortality is a leading threat to freshwater turtles, particularly the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), an endangered species in New Hampshire. Wildlife wetland-crossing structures, such as culverts and/or fences, have proven effective in reducing wildlife road mortality while retaining habitat connectivity. Funding for adequate wetland-crossing creation or restoration is limited, so prioritizing areas of high mortality risk is essential to ensuring that the resources spent are impactful. A research team of professionals from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, New Hampshire Fish and Game, University of New Hampshire, and other organizations formed to create a model capable …

Integrating The Concept Of Complete Streets Into Pavement Preservation, Sirisha Gangireddy

LSU Master's Theses

This study is motivated by the evident gap in integrating Complete Streets principles into pavement preservation. Complete Streets opportunities, which aim to accommodate all road users, are typically encouraged in all kinds of projects including new construction, reconstruction, preservation, and rehabilitation. While the concept of Complete Streets is understood in terms of new construction (e.g., building sidewalks), its application through pavement preservation programs is not well-developed. To bridge the gap between the Complete Streets and pavement preservation, this study conducted a comprehensive review on how state Department of Transportation (DOTs) are currently incorporating Complete Streets into pavement preservation and identified …

Understanding And Modeling Drivers’ En-Route Diversion Behavior During Congestion, Mohammad Shapouri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the field of transportation, traffic assignment models primarily have been used to forecast driver route preferences, translating their choices into traffic flow patterns across networks. These models are grounded in distinct behavioral theories and strive to explain how drivers navigate routes based on network features and personal tendencies. Using an aggregation approach, conventional traffic assignment models distribute demand among paths, considering utility and attractiveness. Despite their prevalent use in transportation planning and operations, the fundamental behavioral assumptions of these models have rarely been thoroughly explored. This gap is further compounded by their limited consideration of real-time adjustments and choices …

A Consortium Of Microalgae And Wastewater Activated Sludge To Generate Biohydrogen, Muhammad Asad Javed

Dissertations

Hydrogen is a clean source and carbon-free source of energy that can be generated photobiologically using green microalgae with 122 kJ/g of energy output which is 2.75 times that of hydrocarbon-based fuels. However, challenges, such as presence of molecular oxygen (O₂) within the cells, hinder their practical application. Molecular O₂, emanating from the activity of photosynthesis, acts as a powerful and effective switch that turns off bioH₂ production activity. The objective of this research was to develop an innovative approach to increase the yield and sustain bioH₂ photoproduction. For this purpose, a consortium of …

Building Services Engineering November/December 2023

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Meta-Analysis Of Insulated Concrete Wall Panel Design Methods For Shear And Flexure Behavior, Maryam Al-Bayati

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Insulated Concrete wall panels have been designed and constructed since the early 1950s with various shear ties, dimensions, and methods; nonetheless, thermal bridging and rational design are still a concern. Many companies have recently developed plastic connectors that have gradually replaced solid concrete sections and steel connectors due to their superior thermal efficiency and strength. However, there is no generally accepted method for predicting the behavior of sandwich wall panels in structural engineering practice or codes, but many methods have been used since the early 1920. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of current methods for predicting the flexural …

An Energy-Efficient Pumping System For Sustainable Cities And Society: Optimization, Mathematical Modeling, And, Impact Assessment, Md S. Hossain, Mohammad R. Islam, Arnob Das, Hasibul H. Himel, Barun K. Das, Tamal K. Roy, Md S. Hasan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this research work, we have focused on one of the reasons called drawdown (difference between static and pumping heads) for getting maximum efficiency. Therefore, various mechanical attachments have been designed and fabricated for performance evaluation. Since pump performance and drawdown are inversely related, the primary goal is to reduce drawdown as much as possible. The effect of various types of mechanical attachments on pump performance is investigated in this research work. Three bowl-type mechanical attachments can be integrated at once and can increase efficiency by up to 58%, which is 8% more than utilizing no attachment. Additionally, the impact …

Study On The Performance Of Solar Cells Cooled With Heatsink And Nanofluid Added With Aluminum Nanoparticle, Rouhollah Salehi, Ahmad Jahanbakhshi, Jong B. Ooi, Abbas Rohani, Mahmood R. Golzarian

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The cooling of photovoltaic (PV) panels based on nanofluids is one of the emerging cooling methods to improve the efficiency of PV panels. In this study, the effects of aluminum nanoparticles on the cooling performance and conversion efficiency of PV panels were investigated experimentally. The surface temperature, output power, and efficiency of the PV panels were assessed in Mashhad, Iran on a sunny winter day in November 2020 under ambient temperatures between 10 and 17 °C. Experimental results indicated that the nanofluid with aluminum nanoparticle improved the solar panel efficiency and solar PV panel's output power by an average of …