Assessment Of Winter Maintenance Performance Objectives Using Maintenance Decision Support System, Curtis L. Walker, Mark R. Anderson, Aemal Khattak, Thomas Kauzlarich, Abdul Farhan

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

It is important for transportation agencies to assess their winter maintenance operations performance to identify areas for improvement and/or resource investment to maintain optimal levels of service, mobility, and safety. This study explores nine winter snowstorms in Nebraska during the 2023-2024 winter season across 20 road segments, 12 of which were along the Interstate-80 corridor. Datasets explored include meteorological information, traffic mobility insights, winter maintenance operations activities, and road conditions before, during, and after the periods of accumulating snowfall. Statistical analyses explored correlations and quantitative relationships among these datasets, while visual dashboards were developed to promote more qualitative considerations of …

Resilience By Design: A Multi-Metric Assessment Of Urban Vulnerability Across Human-Centric, Built, And Climatic Environment Dimensions, Karim Abdelhady

Theses and Dissertations

Urban resilience and sustainability have emerged as fundamental imperatives in contemporary urban planning, as cities face mounting pressures from climate change, population growth, and increasing socio-economic disparities. Resilient urban systems are not only those that withstand shocks, but also those that ensure the long-term well-being, equity, and functionality of their environments. As such, advancing the capacity to systematically evaluate resilience across spatial and temporal scales is critical to informing adaptive, forward-looking planning strategies. Despite a growing body of research on urban resilience, prevailing approaches remain limited in scope and resolution. Many studies tend to examine resilience through isolated lenses—focusing either …

Multifunctional Green Wall Systems For Greywater Treatment And Hygrothermal Regulation In Egypt, Laila Ossama Mohamed Elhusseiny Abdelsalam

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing environmental concerns regarding climate change and the intensifying challenge of water scarcity in Egypt necessitate the development of innovative, sustainable, and resource-efficient strategies for wastewater reuse. In the built environment, greywater constitutes a significant, relatively low-contaminant wastewater stream that, if treated to comply with Egyptian Codes and relevant international standards, can be safely reused for non-potable applications such as irrigation, landscaping, and building services. This research investigates the efficacy of an integrated green wall panel system, installed on building façades, for decentralized greywater treatment under Egypt’s climatic and environmental conditions, while simultaneously enhancing hygrothermal performance to reduce building energy …

Fly Ash Proppant Developed For Hydraulic Fracturing, Raz Rzgar Haydar

Theses and Dissertations

Proppants are critical components in hydraulic fracturing, used to maintain fracture conductivity and enhance reservoir stimulation. In high-pressure and harsh reservoir environments, the use of high-strength proppants is essential to ensure well performance. Conventional proppants, being sand, ceramic, and sintered bauxite can be expensive, and their use often requires costly fracture fluids. This study investigates the possibility of utalizing fly ash geopolymers as a sustainable alternative that is also cost-effective for proppants manufacturing. Fly ash, a by-product from the combustion of coal and other materials, was explored as a base material for proppants, utilizing an alkaline solution as an activator …

Towards Decarbonizing Concrete Industry In Egypt: Material Alternatives, And Economic Viability, Reem Gamal

Theses and Dissertations

The construction industry remains one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, with cement and steel production accounting for approximately 15% of total emissions. As global infrastructure demands continue to rise, there is an increasing need for practical tools that support low-carbon construction practices in line with international climate commitments. This research presents the development and testing of a mathematical, adaptable decision support system designed to assess both the environmental and financial impacts of material selection in concrete production. Focusing on life cycle stages A1 to A3, raw material extraction, transportation, and manufacturing, the decision support system enables …

Design Of Novel Formwork System And Development Of Numerical Model For Comparison Between Formwork Systems, Ahmed Yehia Abdel Aziz El Sayed

Theses and Dissertations

The formwork industry has witnessed major breakthroughs in the last decades. However, they required huge amount of materials leading to negative environmental impacts. Also, the commercially available systems have big number of accessories and requires the extensive use of units to cover the areas to be poured. There was an attempt to target all these disadvantages by introducing the Funicular Arched Steel Truss (FAST) system. However, this system had its own drawbacks, and this is why the researcher introduced an extendable version named the “Extendable Funicular Arched Steel Truss (EAST) system.”

To reach the final version of the EAST design, …

A Bim-Based Flexible Flow Shop Framework For Scheduling Linear Infrastructure Projects, Mahmoud Mohamed Elbassuony

Theses and Dissertations

Repetitive, multi-stage linear projects, such as pipelines or highways, are primarily impacted by spatial and resource constraints during their execution. Cost overruns, delays, and inefficient resource allocation make construction management for such projects complex. Traditional scheduling techniques, such as Critical Path Method (CPM) and Line of Balance (LOB), are less efficient for scheduling dynamic, complex, and multi-objective projects. There are more advanced scheduling methods that can be applied as a decision-making process to determine the optimal timing of activities and achieve other objectives. One of those techniques is the Flexible Flow Shop model (FFS), which can be effectively applied to …

Irrigation Efficiency In Green Wall Systems Utilizing Iot: Developing And Testing A Method To Optimize Water Use For Green Walls, Yomna Zaghloul

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the application of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based automated irrigation system for green walls in Cairo, Egypt, assessing its impact on water conservation, energy consumption, and plant health across a three-month experimental period. The research compared a sensor-controlled drip irrigation system utilizing the ESP8266 microcontroller and real-time environmental monitoring against conventional timer-based irrigation methods. Water usage data revealed that the IoT system consistently achieved substantial savings—averaging nearly 60% less water consumption than the control group—without compromising overall plant vitality. Energy efficiency was also improved, with automated cycles reducing pump operating time by more than 50%. Plant growth …

The Effect Of The Socioeconomic Variety In Greater Cairo On Transport Mode Choices, Rafik Yanni

Theses and Dissertations

In the last decade, Egypt has experienced a noticeable upgrade in its infrastructure investment, implementing a lot of transport projects, especially in the Greater Cairo region. In a city with over 20 million residents, variations lie in socioeconomic elements like income, age, gender, and neighborhood, which shape people’s choice of mobility modes based on their culture and lifestyle. The questions then become: whom are these new projects targeting? What are the barriers to using these services? And is there any willingness to change commuting habits if conditions changed? This thesis investigates how the socioeconomic variety in Greater Cairo metropolitan region …

Performance, Economic And Environmental Evaluation Of A Solar-Assisted Vacuum Deaeration Heating System., Liew Shan Kun

Student Works (2020-2029)

This research evaluates the performance of a solar-assisted heating (SAH) system for makeup water in a vacuum deaeration process. The system integrates solar energy into the heating process, with parametric analysis conducted across varying configuration of total solar radiation and water flow rates. The total solar radiation at the experimental site in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia, characterized by tropical weather, fell within the range between 414W/m2 to 568W/m2. Performance analysis showed that a flow rate of 0.4 LPM achieved the target temperature of 61°C required for the deaeration process. Thermal efficiency peaked at 62.60% under a solar radiation of 900 …

A Point-Cloud Data Analysis Framework For Early Deformation Detection, Avinash Pandey

Theses and Dissertations

Frost heave and thaw-related deformation threaten the performance of roads, runways, embankments, and buried utilities in cold regions, yet traditional inspections remain reactive and often miss early uplift. This study evaluates the capability of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to detect small-scale ground deformation and introduces a practical point-cloud framework designed for early-stage characterization. Controlled jack-lift experiments quantified handheld LiDAR accuracy at uplift increments of 6.35, 12.7, 19.05, and 25.4 mm, with corresponding detection accuracies of 88%, 86%, 93.33%, and 94%. Registration quality had a significant impact. The targetless scans showed slight misalignment, whereas spherical targets provided precise, repeatable outputs. …

Understanding Mobility Limitations And Public Transportation Accessibility For People With Disabilities, Jada Meria Stringer

ETDs from 2020-2029

Mobility for people with disabilities (PWDs) depends on both the availability of transportation and public services and the accessibility of these systems. The presence of public transportation systems does not ensure usability. Vehicles, infrastructure, and the built environment must be designed to accommodate diverse physical, sensory, cognitive, and other needs. PWDs must also be able to navigate public buildings and surrounding spaces safely and comfortably. This thesis examines mobility limitations for PWDs in India and the United States, focusing on accessibility along the full mobility chain. A review of existing literature provides context on accessibility policies, design standards, and the …

Hybrid Quantum-Classical Optimization Of The Resource Scheduling Problem, Tyler Christeson, Md Habib Ullah, Ali Arabnya, Amin Khodaei, Rui Fan

Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Scholarship

Resource scheduling is critical in many industries, especially in power systems where the Unit Commitment (UC) problem determines the on/off status and output levels of generators under physical and economic constraints. Traditional exact methods, such as Branch-and-Bound, Branch-and-Cut, dynamic programming and mixed-integer linear programming (MILP), remain the backbone of UC solution techniques, but they often rely on linear approximations or exhaustive search, leading to high computational burdens as system size grows. Metaheuristic approaches, such as genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, and other evolutionary methods, have been explored to mitigate this complexity; however, they typically lack optimality guarantees, exhibit sensitivity to …

Advanced Control Strategy For Photovoltaic Dc Microgrids Using Model Predictive Control With Rl Filter Enhancement, Yagub Suleymanov

Student Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the modeling and control of a photovoltaic (PV)-based DC microgrid using MATLAB/Simulink. A DC–DC converter with a buck stage is employed to perform a better maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and voltage regulation from PV panel. Predictive control method (MPC) algorithm will be employed, which offers faster transient response and reduced oscillations compared to traditional techniques. Considering the existing works, this study introduces an additional RL filter branch to further improve the stability of the regulated DC bus voltage combining MPC method and Incremental Conductance Maximum Power Point Tracking (IC-MPPT) algorithm. To ensure stable operation of the …

Direct Solar-Energy Powered Hydrothermal Treatment To Promote Biomethane Production From Anaerobic Digestion Of Rice Processing Waste, Kainat Rahnuma

Student Theses and Dissertations

Hydrolysis is a slow and energy-intensive process and a rate-limiting step in anaerobic digestion (AD). This research investigates performance strategies for integrating hydrothermal treatment (HT) with AD. HT-AD systems were less economically viable than AD-only options because of the high energy consumption of HT. Therefore, we used solar energy to conduct HT via either solar cookers or solar panels. The HT method significantly improved digestion performance, reducing the lag phase from 60 to 24 h, and increasing overall yield. Hydrothermally treated rice, rice bran, and rice hulls produced 22,932 mL, 13,136 mL, and 1283 mL, respectively. However, untreated rice, rice …

Angular Scanning Method For Efficient Maximum Power Point Tracking, Saikot Hossain Dadon

Student Theses and Dissertations

The Photovoltaic System (PV) is one of the widely used sources of renewable energy. There are various control mechanisms to manipulate the PV system. However, one of the major control mechanisms is Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) to extract the maximum power from the solar panel. The solar power is intermittent and stochastic in nature due to the unpredictable sunlight exposure to the solar panel and temperature variance throughout the day and year. Consequently, the PV module does not run at Maximum Power Point (MPP) naturally; therefore, an MPPT controller is utilized so that the solar panel runs in the …

Evaluating The Fate And Variability Of Soil Organic Carbon And Nitrogen Species Under Conservation Practices In The Raccoon River Watershed, Zhonglong Zhang, May Wu

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study evaluates the fate and variability of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and nitrogen species using the latest version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool– Carbon (SWAT-C) and assesses how conservation practices influence their dynamics in the Raccoon River Watershed (RRW). Dominated by intensive agricultural pro- duction, the RRW is a significant contributor of sediment and nutrient loads to local rivers and the Mississippi River. This SWAT-C model simulates the export of SOC and nitrogen species and evaluates their responses under varying management scenarios. Model calibration was performed for streamflow, sediment, nitrate, total nitrogen, and organic carbon with …

Energetics Analysis Of Solitary Waves Using A Multi-Layer Model, Hunter Boswell, Frank D. Han, Guirong Yan, Wouter Mostert

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigates the performance of a vertically-Lagrangian multi-layer model on numerically simulating shoaling and breaking two-dimensional solitary waves during both the breaking and post-breaking processes. The energy dissipation of the breaking event for the multi-layer waves is analyzed and compared to prior direct numerical simulation work with the same bathymetric and wave cases. It shows very similar data collapse to shallow-water inertial theory. For post-breaking behavior, bore characteristics are compared to an experimental study of bores formed from breaking solitary waves and similar results are found. While the multi-layer method was not found to behave sufficiently well for direct …

Influence Of Co2 Curing On Carbonation Depth, Phase Composition, And Micro-Mechanical Properties Of Fbc Ash-Blended Cementitious Materials, Heejung Jun, Seongho Han, Sanghwon Wi, Jinyoung Yoon

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigates the physicochemical and mechanical performance of cementitious composites incorporating fluidized bed combustion (FBC) ash under accelerated carbon dioxide (CO₂) curing. FBC ash, due to its high contents of free calcium oxide (CaO) and sulfate (SO₃), has been reported to cause challenges, such as volume instability and lower early-age strength. To address these limitations, CO2 curing was applied to promote accelerated carbonation and stabilize the hydration products. Cement paste and mortar samples, made with up to 40 % by cement weight replacement with FBC ash (labelled CF), were subjected to either CO₂ curing …

Trip Generation Model For Mixed-Use Development In Klang Valley, Malaysia., Goh Boon Hoe

Student Works (2020-2029)

Mixed-Use Developments (MXDs) are single development projects that integrate and interact with different land uses, such as offices, retail, restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, and/or residential areas. MXDs are internally connected, allowing users of different land uses to share internal streets, walkways, driveways, and parking spaces. Traffic is estimated to be reduced with such developments. Currently, in Malaysia, there is no standard procedure to estimate the MXD trip generation rates. The Malaysian Trip Generation Manual (MTGM) 2010 is the guideline used to forecast future trips for a single land use and hence, by summing the trip generation rates for multiple land …

Insight Into The Decalcification Mechanism Of Calcium Silicate Hydrate Under A Water–Heat–Salt Environment, Wei Zhang, Boya Zhang, Jia Sun, Juntao Dang, Xiangke Guo, Keliang Li, Bo Tao Huang, Biqin Dong, Hongyan Ma, Dongshuai Hou

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Understanding the decalcification mechanism of calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) under marine environments is crucial for concrete durability. In this study, the decalcification behavior of C–S–H under a water–heat–salt environment was systematically investigated through immersion experiments and reactive molecular dynamics simulations. Experimental results showed that elevated temperature and NaCl solution significantly accelerated Ca leaching and reduced the Ca/Si ratio of C–S–H. Simulation results further revealed that both high temperature and NaCl reduce the dissolution free energy of Ca, making its release more thermodynamically and kinetically favorable. Local structure analysis indicated that Cl^– disrupts Ca–Os (O atoms in silicate tetrahedra) connection …

Cs Tools - Stormwater Management Software (Version 6.5.0), Donald V. Chase

Drainage Design Tools

The CS Tools program is an outgrowth of research conducted by the University of Dayton for CON/SPAN Bridge Systems.

Optimal Placement Of Electric Vehicle Chargers: A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Model, Joubin Zahiri Khameneh, Emmanuel Fagbenle

Faculty Publications

Electric vehicle adoption is growing, but New Hampshire lags in public charging infrastructure, especially in rural areas. This gap increases range anxiety and economic inefficiencies. In this study, we developed a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model to optimally locate new electric vehicle chargers statewide, maximizing coverage and equity under budget constraints. The model includes geographic coverage requirements, population-weighted equity, capacity limits, and a $28 million budget. Moreover, the model recommends 855 Level 2 chargers and 149 Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFCs) across 247 ZIP Codes, nearly doubling public charging capacity and achieving 98.8% coverage within defined service radii. The plan …

Preliminary Evaluation Of Remote Sensing Evapotranspiration Models For Field-Scale Agricultural Water Management In Arid Central Iran, Somayeh Sima, Iman Raissi Dehkordi, Mohammadhosein Taghikhani, Neamat Karimi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate estimation of actual evapotranspiration (ET_a) is crucial for effective water resource management and optimizing agricultural yields. While satellite-based surface energy balance ET_a models are widely adopted, their field-scale accuracy in under-researched regions, such as Iran, remains a critical knowledge gap. This study assesses five prominent models—PySEBAL, PyMETRIC, SSEBop, PyTSEB, and ETLook (from FAO’s WaPOR v.2, L1 product)—for daily ET_a estimation over an alfalfa field in the arid central part of Iran. Models were adjusted for the field using in situ weather data and Landsat-8 images, and validated against the scintillometer data. Results showed SSEBop provided …

Merging Terrestrial And Satellite Gravity Data For Africa: A Possibility To Fill-In The Data Gaps, Hussein A. Abd-Elmotaal, Norbert Kuhtreiber

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The major challenge that the IAG Sub-Commission on gravity and geoid in Africa faces is the significantly large gravity data gaps. It is essential to properly tackle this issue for all geodetic applications in Africa due to the large interpolation errors occur at these large gaps. Simple interpolation (using any type of interpolation technique) of the gravity data does not add new information at the large data gaps, and the solution is free there. Global Earth gravity models offer themselves as a possible way to fill-in such large data gaps, provided that they approximate the African gravity field to an …

Model-Based Investigation Of The Influence Of Environmental Conditions On The Energy Supply Of Multirotor Uavs, Morten Roßberg, Hanna Dibbern, Claudia Werner

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Flight time of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is limited by available energy, which is affected by the mission profile and external factors, such as environmental conditions. Two main environmental conditions that need to be considered are the impact of wind and ambient temperature on the UAV and its energy supply. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of wind and ambient temperature to conduct a preliminary evaluation of flight performance and flight limitations. For this reason, three locations in the United States—New York City, Miami, and Fairbanks—are selected and the impact of the considered environmental conditions of …

Finite Element Analysis Of Tire–Pavement Interaction Effects On Noise Reduction In Porous Asphalt Pavements, Miao Yu, Geyun Lv, Anqi Li, Jing Yang, Zhexi Zhang, Dongzhao Jin, Rong Zhang, Jiqing Li

Michigan Tech Publications

This study investigated the noise reduction performance of porous asphalt concrete (PAC) pavement under tire–pavement coupling conditions, addressing the limitations of field measurements and laboratory testing. First, tire excitation amplitude parameters were determined based on vibrational contact operational scenarios. Then, finite element simulations were conducted to systematically analyzing the tire–pavement coupling noise characteristics of PAC pavement. The results indicate that PAC pavement effectively reduces the air pumping noise due to its highly porous internal structure, leading to significant noise attenuation. Furthermore, the study examined the key factors influencing the tire–pavement coupling noise in PAC pavement. When maintaining constant vehicle parameters …

Data-Driven Prediction Of Concrete Bridge Deck Corrosion Using Ground Penetrating Radar (Gpr), Nafisa Shafiullah

Civil Engineering Theses

Corrosion detection remains a crucial factor in the proper maintenance of Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures. While several studies have used Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for corrosion detection, quantitative models for prediction are still limited. This study presents an approach for the quantitative prediction of rebar corrosion in concrete using GPR data obtained from a prior experimental program involving accelerated corrosion. A total of 36 RC samples were cast, varying in cover depth, rebar diameter, and concrete porosity. The samples were subjected to an impressed current of 0.65 A in a 5% NaCl solution over three phases: 10, 20, and 30 …

Effect Of Snow Melt On Slope Stability, Gustav G. Gothberg

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project explores the effect of snow melt on slope stability. The different types of slope failure are examined to determine which are most affected by snow melt. Then, the report examines the equations that geotechnical engineers use to determine the exact moment when a slope fails. Using GeoStudio modeling software, Slope/W, landslides caused by snow melt were modeled. GeoStudio was also used to explore methods of mitigating the effects of snow melt. This project also explores how to take advantage of these models to minimize the damage done by landslides.

When Words Flow Like Water: How The Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Failed To Prevent Hydrogeologic Harm In Minnesota, Carly Gutzmann

Journal of Earth and Life Science

For the aquifers of Minnesota, the environmental impact statement (EIS) was a promise of protection that never left the page. An environmental impact statement is meant to be an aid in the decision making process in order to ensure that projects consider potential environmental harms that may occur. However, they are often used instead as another regulatory box to check, rather than as active considerations when planning. As such, a project plan can be flawed from the start—if project developers only consider environmental impacts after they have already put considerable time, effort, and funding into their project as-is, they may …