Engineering Commons^™

Geospatial Analysis Based On Hurricane Storm Surge Scenarios On Coastal South Texas And North Mexico, Layda Belia Spor Leal

Theses and Dissertations

The coastal area of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and Northern Tamaulipas, Mexico, has historically faced a variety of natural disasters involving flooding hazards, such as hurricanes and tropical storms. These scenarios not only represent imminent danger for the population in the area but can lead to long term effects on the infrastructure located in the impact zone. As such, it is imperative to conduct analysis on not only the specific areas that will be affected, but the severity of flooding that can result after a catastrophic event. Modelling work that simulates the storm surge in case of various …

Quantum Artificial Intelligence Supported Autonomous Truck Platooning, Pronab Kumar Biswas

All Theses

Truck platooning can potentially increase the operational efficiency of freight movement on U.S. corridors, improving commercial productivity and economic vibrancy. Predicting each leader vehicle trajectory in the autonomous truck platoon using Artificial Intelligence (AI) can enhance platoon efficiency and safety. Reliance on classical AI may not be efficient for this purpose as it will increase the computational burden for each truck in the platoon. However, Quantum Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used in this scenario to enhance learning efficiency, learning capacity, and run-time improvements. This study developed and evaluated a Long Short-Term Memory Networks (LSTM) model and a hybrid quantum-classical …

Personal Protective Equipment Usage And Injury Type, Nathan Giannini

Construction Management

Workers in the construction industry have many injuries both minor and life-altering. The industry suffers from injuries of all kinds such as falls, electrocution, and being struck by flying objects. To protect against this, workers wear certain types of personal protective equipment (PPE) on construction sites as a last line of defense. The equipment available such as hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, respirators, and hearing protection either protects against acute injuries (those that occur instantly) or chronic injuries (those that occur over time). This study investigates whether the type of injury that PPE protects against, acute or chronic, affects the …

Damage Tracking In Laboratory Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns Under Reverse-Cyclic Loading Using Fusion-Based Imaging, Sina Mehdinia, A K M Golam Murtuz, Thomas Schumacher, Peter Dusicka

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fusion-based imaging using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and ultrasonic echo array (UEA) was employed to track damage progression in the columns of two full-scale reinforced concrete (RC) bridge column-footing subassembly laboratory specimens. The specimens had different lap-splice detailing and were subjected to reverse-cyclic lateral loading simulating a subduction zone earthquake. GPR and UEA scans were performed on the east and west faces of the columns at select ductility levels. Reconstructed images were obtained using the extended total focusing method (XTFM) and fused using a wavelet-based technique. Composite images of each column's interior were created by merging the images from both sides. …

Upgrading The Performance Of Steel Beams Using Fastened Advanced Composite Materials, Omnia Ragab Abouelhamd

Dissertations

Bonding Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRP) is commonly used to enhance the structural performance of existing steel beams; however, the brittle failure at the adhesive risks the effectiveness of the bonded system. Fastening FRP is recently proposed to avoid the brittle failure of the adhesive. Promising outcomes of few studies on fastened FRPsteel system provoked the interest to investigate the effects of various fastening parameters on the performance of fastened FRP-steel beams.

This study investigates, experimentally and numerically, the impact of various fastening parameters on the performance of fastened FRP-steel beams. The proposed method involves fastening carbon-glass hybrid FRP (HFRP) strips to …

Development Of A Unified Personal And Commercial Residential Hurricane Vulnerability Model Including Sensitivity And Uncertainty Studies, Roberto Vicente Silva De Abreu

Theses and Dissertations

As the population and properties in the state of Florida increase, there is an increase in hurricane losses. Hurricane winds and debris can impact the exterior components of a building envelope. The envelope breaches and defects of these components provide a pathway to hurricane wind-driven rain into the building, which causes interior and contents damage. Loss models, such as the Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model (FPHLM), estimate hurricane insured losses for portfolios of buildings. The vulnerability component of the FPHLM has a personal residential module (PR), for single family homes, and a commercial residential module (CR-LR), for apartment buildings. They …

A Step-By-Step Guide To Identify The Most Reliable Inventory Management System For Small Businesses Using Discrete Event Simulation And Pros And Cons Analysis: A Case Study At Camid-Florida Tech, Djalma Batista Oliveira Filho

Theses and Dissertations

According to the Department of Labor Statistics (2022), 20.6% of small businesses fail in their first year of operation, 42.6% fail after five years, and over 62.6% fail by their tenth year. One factor that can affect continued viability is the lack of knowledge and experience among small and medium-sized firms in inventory management. Despite the fact that inventory control is one of these businesses' most ignored management responsibilities, the expense of procuring inventory often accounts for a considerable portion of their budget. Due to poor inventory management or an inability to appropriately supervise their inventory, small firms may have …

Effects Of Process Parameters On The Dimensional Accuracy Of Fused Deposition Modeled Parts, Ethan Eugene Bair

Theses and Dissertations

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is one of the most common additive manufacturing techniques used with applications ranging from rapid prototyping at a professional scale to simple part creation at a hobbyist scale. FDM printing has very little in terms of information based on how accurate printed parts can be. This issue, which is common amongst many different types of additive manufacturing techniques, is something that has not been studied in FDM printed parts in high volumes. Research based on the effects of process parameters on mechanical properties has been conducted in high proportions. This study focused on FDM machines using …

An Exploration Of The Application Of Desalination In Disaster Relief, Emma Sager

Senior Honors Theses

This paper aims to explore the application of small-scale desalination systems to provide clean water in the wake of marine natural disasters. A lack of clean water is a devastating impact of many natural disasters. Desalination technologies, both thermal and membrane, show potential for being scaled down and self-powered by renewable energy. Desalination can transform ocean water and contaminated drinking water with a high salt content into drinkable, usable water. While these techniques are not perfected, and the solution to a need for clean water is multifaceted, desalination shows potential. Through further research and ever-advancing technology, small-scale desalination could develop …

Rattus Norvegicus As A Biological Detector Of Clandestine Remains And The Use Of Ultrasonic Vocalizations As A Locating Mechanism, Gabrielle M. Johnston

Master's Theses

In investigations, locating missing persons and clandestine remains are imperative. One way that first responder and police agencies can search for the remains is by using cadaver dogs as biological detectors. Cadaver dogs are typically used due to their olfactory sensitivity and ability to detect low concentrations of volatile organic compounds produced by biological remains. Cadaver dogs are typically chosen for their stamina, agility, and olfactory sensitivity. However, what is not taken into account often is the size of the animal and the expense of maintaining and training the animal. Cadaver dogs are typically large breeds that cannot fit in …

Fatigue Performance Of Flexural Retrofits For Precast Slab Bridges, Ian Stewart

All Theses

This thesis discusses flexural and cyclic load testing of two potential retrofits for pre-cast slab bridges. These slabs came from South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) decommissioned bridges as a part of an ongoing project with SCDOT. The first is a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plate (CFRP) retrofit where four CFRP plates were adhesively bonded to the bottom of a slab. The second is a steel plate that was mechanically attached to the bottom of a slab using bolted connections. The bolts were cast into grouted holes in the slab. To better understand the failure mode of these retrofits and their …

Impacts Of Preferential Flow On Tc-99and Np-237 Vadose Transport In Soils At The Savannah River Site, Josh Parris

All Theses

Since the 1950s, the United States has produced approximately 90,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) (Office of Nuclear Energy, 2022); however, no long-term storage solutions are available. Technecium-99 and neptunium-237, two fission products found in SNF, readily form highly mobile species in oxidizing conditions (Hu, 2008; Bondietti, 1979) and have respective half-lives of 2.13 x 10⁵ and 2.14 x10⁶ years (Hu, 2010). Considering these characteristics, ⁹⁹Tc and ²³⁷Np are two risk-driving isotopes found in SNF storage. The process of macropore-facilitated preferential flow, transport through cracks within a soil matrix, has been recognized to increase …

Piezoresistivity Of Electrically Conductive Asphalt Concrete, Mateo Schmit Mendoza

Theses and Dissertations

Electrically conductive asphalt concrete is considered as a multifunctional construction material due to its structural and non-structural functions. This study aims to investigate piezoresistivity of conductive asphalt concrete. Piezoresistivity is an electrical property of some materials which electrical resistivity changes with induced strain and subsequently, it has the potential for self-sensing smart technology. Graphite Powder F-516 with various contents was added into the asphalt mixtures to impart the electrical conductivity. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was selected to measure the electrical properties of the specimens in dry and wet conditions, and low and high temperatures. The impedance measurement shows that the …

Photocatalytic Nanoparticle Treatment Of Cyanotoxins In Harmful Algal Blooms, Brian Baird

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) have the ability to cause detriment to water bodies, ecosystems, and human health. Furthermore, current evidence suggests that these events are becoming increasingly common due to factors such as increased pollution and global warming. While there are current methods to treat water that is negatively impacted by the bacteria and toxins associated with HABs, these methods are often costly and inefficient. The purpose of this research is to explore a potential treatment option that uses titanium dioxide photocatalytic nanoparticles attached to a retractable net to treat toxins produced by HABs in situ. Specifically, the toxin …

Innovations In Football Protective Headgear, Henry Bethel

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adding impact reduction to football protective headgear decreases the reactionary acceleration experienced by the cranium. Utilizing an iteration of the National Operating Committee for Standards in Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) method of testing per ASTM F429, a drop tower was fabricated, and 27 drop tests were conducted upon a standard helmet (control) and the Summerlin model helmet (test), measuring the maximum acceleration experienced by each drop. Drop tests involved variable heights and test angles with three drops being made per combination. The Summerlin model drops were conducted until failure, occurring at the third 3” drop at the “front” location at an …

Understanding The Bond Strength Of Bcsa Cement Repair Concrete To Portland Cement Concrete, Brenden Simmons

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concrete structures deteriorate over time, and there is an increasing demand for quick repair solutions. Belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement, a type of rapid setting cement, is thought to be a more sustainable and convenient alternative to portland cement in repair concrete applications. Indicated by the name, rapid setting concrete can set up quicker than traditional portland cement concrete. Because of this, there has been a lot of research about the properties of rapid setting concrete mixes. One of the most popular topics is the strength of the concrete itself. However, there is a need for more research to understand …

Computational Modeling Of Patterned Membranes And Spacers For Improved Hydrodynamics And Fouling Reduction In Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Processes, Zuo Zhou

All Dissertations

My research goal is to discover ways to improve the hydrodynamics of reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems through creative membrane surface patterning and spacer designs. Since concentration polarization (CP) usually promotes membrane fouling, improving hydrodynamics would result in reduced fouling and better membrane performance. With computational fluid dynamics (CFD), we can explore dozens or even hundreds of models with different geometries and boundary conditions. Through plotting their velocity profile, streamlines, shear stress, pressure profile, concentration profile, and so on, we can determine which design would lead to the best performance.

At first, patterned membranes were evaluated and compared with flat …

Characterization And Modeling Of Unbound And Cementitiously Stabilized Materials For Structural Analysis Of Multilayer Pavement Systems, Edgar Daniel Rodriguez Velasquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The incorporation of cement for soil improvement is a sustainable solution for utilizing marginal materials in the construction of new pavements and the rehabilitation of existing roadway systems. To effectively design and assess the performance of pavement structures, it is crucial to determine the strength and resilient properties of cementitiously stabilized aggregates. Accurate determination of the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS), tensile strength, and Resilient Modulus (Mr) is of utmost importance for thoroughly characterizing the structural capacity of pavement layers through a mechanistic approach.The tensile strength of stabilized materials can be assessed in a laboratory setting through the implementation of two …

Optimizing Laboratory Curing Conditions For Hot Mix Asphalt To Simulate Field Behavior, Benjamin Arras

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The engineering properties of asphalt mixtures change with time. Shortly after placement, asphalt concrete (AC) layers are more susceptible to rutting. As the pavement ages, the AC layer becomes stiffer, brittle, and thus more susceptible to cracking. Current protocols provide guidelines for the selection of materials, the determination of the material proportions (e.g., aggregates and binder content), and the evaluation of the engineering properties (e.g., cracking and rutting potentials) of any given asphalt mix design. However, these protocols do not consider the impact of aging on the mixture. This study investigated existing and novel laboratory methods to determine protocols that …

A Multiple Model Approach To Bridge Deterioration Modeling, Jin A. Collins

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Bridge Management Systems (BMSs) have been used to support decision-making in bridgeprojects, including maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement under financial constraints. These decisions are predicated on the ability to estimate bridgesâ?? future condition states to optimize bridge network systems' performance. Deterioration models are commonly used tools to help transportation agencies make predictions of future condition states of infrastructure facilities, schedule capital investments, and make comparative decisions. Numerous deterioration models have been developed over the last few decades. In particular, Markov chain models utilize bridge data collected from the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database to make predictions. The accuracy of predictions is …

Historic Downtown Streetscape Plan Price City, Utah, Patricia Beckert

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The idea of a small-town Main Street has profound meaning within the American culture that has prevailed for the past two centuries. Historically, Main Street serves as the beating heart of a community, a place where economic, social, cultural, and civic activities are centered (Francaviglia, 1996; Main Street America, n.d.). Since the beginning of the 19th century, many factors have led to the decline of Main Streets, and despite a variety of efforts from different stakeholders, that decline has only intensified in recent decades (Isenberg, 2008; Orvell, 2014 Howard, 2015). In 1980, after a three-year project conducted by the National …

Thermal Behavior Of Plain And Fiber-Reinforced Rigid Concrete Airfield Runways, Arash Karimi Pour

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The environmental condition and temperature gradient are important factors resulting in concrete airfield runways cracking during the time. Rigid concrete airfield runways experience different thermal gradients during the day and night due to changes in air temperature. Curling and thermal expansion stresses are the main consequences resulting in various types of cracking over the surface and thickness of concrete airfield runways and increasing maintenance costs. The curvature of concrete slabs increases with an increase in the temperature gradient which is amplified when runways open to traffic. Additionally, the combination of the curling and shrinkage stresses, in rare circumstances, can be …

Catalytic Water Photolysis For Generating Renewable Hydrogen Fuel, Dr. Niveditha Nanda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Modern advances have enabled rapid industrialization and urbanization. However, the consequences of global modernization have included significant pollution to the air and water resources. Consequently, many changes to energy use must come to address and mitigate damages to our future. Solar energy derived hydrogen gas is a clean, renewable fuel that does not produce carbon dioxide or other pollutants. My research investigates the use of heterogeneous photocatalysis, by focusing on solar photochemical energy conversion, which is the making of hydrogen from water using sunlight. The production of clean, renewable hydrogen fuel will enable the utilization of low-cost, pollution-free energy resources …

An Approach For Verification Of Traffic Speed Deflectometer Measurements, Mahsa Beizaei

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Recent research studies have shown the usefulness and applicability of Traffic Speed Deflectometers (TSD) in support of the network-level pavement management process. There are, however, no accepted procedures for verification and validation of the TSD measurements to be utilized by practitioners. To address this need, TSD measurements may be verified with the data obtained by widely accepted road-testing equipment, Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD). In this study, TSD and FWD operations on pavement sections were simulated employing the finite layer approach which resulted in the development of a comprehensive database of pavement responses. Using the established numerical simulation database, theoretical relationships …

Comparing 1d, 2d, And 3d Hydraulic Models In Urban Flooding Applications, Taylor Kesler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Floods have been a hazard to people since people first started building near rivers. Predicting floods can be very beneficial to save lives and property. Computers have made it possible to solve fluid dynamics equations in a fast and efficient manner. Computer programs have been designed to solve these equations and create digital models of floods.

This study compares three different methods of computer modeling and explores their advantages and disadvantages. One-dimensional models solve fluid equations by setting up a series of cross sections. Two-dimensional models use a grid-like mesh to solve fluid equations from one cell to the next. …

Estimating Seasonal Crop Water Consumption In Irrigated Lands Using Soil Moisture And Reference Evapotranspiration, Oliver Henry Hargreaves

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The increase in population and the megadrought that the American west has been experiencing for the past two decades and for the foreseeable future are the cause of great stress on the region’s water resources. In an effort to mitigate the worst effects of water shortages many public and private agencies have been pursuing ways to reduce water use while maintaining the current status quo of living standards, industrial productivity, and agricultural yield. This project aims to study water use in irrigated lands dedicated to agriculture with the objective of quantifying crop water use, often referred to as evapotranspiration (ET), …

Improved Sustainability And Efficiency Of Partial Depth Concrete Bridge Deck Repair, Israi I. H. Abu Shanab

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recently, significant advances have been made in the development of rapid setting cementitious materials for partial depth bridge deck repair. The rapid set times of these materials allow for traffic to be re-opened onto the bridge deck in several hours versus days once the material has been placed. While this is a substantial improvement in reducing the traffic closure time, a large amount of time is still spent on the removal of damaged and deteriorated bridge deck and in preparing the concrete cutouts for placement of the rapid set material. Partial deck removal is a much more delicate process than …

Groundwater-Surface Water Interaction To Increase Groundwater Availability, Saeid Masoudiashtiani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study develops procedures for using surface water to increase groundwater availability and sustainable yield, and for evaluating impacts on surface water. Increasing sustainable groundwater yield requires reducing the gap between the volumes of discharge from versus recharge to an aquifer. The study presents procedure for water user(s) to help increase groundwater availability. Toward that end, this study simulates and evaluates: a) aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) of water diverted from Red Butte Creek in Salt Lake Valley, Utah for subsequent turf irrigation; b) ASR injection of residential runoff from daily rainfall for subsequent extraction to irrigate turf; and c) …

Physical Model Of Rainwater Along Roadway Filter Strip, Ryan C. Eberhard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to investigate infiltration rates of rainwater into a roadside filter strip. The findings of this study were intended to be used by the Utah Department of Transportation in their design of stormwater retention. A testing apparatus was designed and constructed to simulate rainfall and infiltration on an inclined slope during the 80^th percentile 24-hour rainstorm event in Utah. The model was used to test six different surface soil configurations at three slope inclinations. Each test was subjected to a simulated storm event of ½ inch of rain over a 2-hour period. The variation …

Locating Low Head Dams Using A Deep Learning Model In Arcgis Pro With Aerial Imagery, Caitlin R. Arnold

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Low Head Dams are man-made structures that span the width of a river and allow water to flow over them. Although these structures vary in age and original purpose, some pose a life-threatening danger when recreationalists are entrapped in the reverse current at the toe. Despite these dangerous structures causing many drowning deaths in the USA each year, most low head dams do not have safety regulations and remain unknown to those charged with dam and public safety. Thus, to improve public safety at these structures, the first step is to fully inventory low head dams, so that subsequent efforts …