Engineering Commons^™

Artificial Intelligence Applications For Social Science Research, Megan Stubbs-Richardson, Lauren Brown, Mackenzie Paul, Devon Brenner

SSRC Publications

Our team developed a database of 250 Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications useful for social science research. To be included in our database, the AI tool had to be useful for: 1) literature reviews, summaries, or writing, 2) data collection, analysis, or visualizations, or 3) research dissemination. In the database, we provide a name, description, and links to each of the AI tools that were current at the time of publication on September 29, 2023. Supporting links were provided when an AI tool was found using other databases. To help users evaluate the potential usefulness of each tool, we documented information …

Unhsc Street Sweeping Credit Calculator, Unh Stormwater Center

UNH Stormwater Center

No abstract provided.

Digital Education And Training Inventory, Ken Thomas, Robin Stubbs, Emily Shakespeare, Theresa Marie Greiwe

Tools

As the construction industry continues to evolve and increasingly embraces digitisation, an early-stage deliverable for Build Digital Project was to conduct a horizon scan of the opportunities available for those within the construction sector. A primary aim, therefore, is to provide a comprehensive inventory of educational and training provisions that exist within Ireland at present.

The resulting searchable inventory focuses on key educational sectors including Universities, Educational Training Boards (ETBS), Colleges of Further Education, Professional bodies and similar organisations.

Dataset For Effects Of Single-Session Practice Structure On Motor Skill Acquisition And Alpha And Beta Eeg Oscillations, Audrey Porter, Ronald V. Croce, Wayne Smith

Faculty Publications

Although it is known that practicing a motor skill updates the associated internal model, it is still unclear as to how cortical oscillations linked with the motor skill change under differing practice schedules. The current study investigated α- and β-power changes associated with motor skill acquisition. Firstly, we investigated the behavioral effects of practice on motor learning and retention during repetitive (RP) and variable (VP) practice schedules on an anticipation timing task. Secondly, we investigated changes in cortical α (10-13 HZ) and β (15-30 Hz) event-related synchronization and dyssynchronization (ERS/ERD) under RP and VP during early (EP) and late …

Fem Eem Dataset: Optimising Retrofitted Insulation For Irish Residential Building Walls, Rakshit D. Muddu, Aimee Byrne, Anthony Robinson Dr.

Datasets

A large number of combinations of Irish wall types, insulation materials, and heating fuel types were produced to compare the multiple variables which influence Optimal Insulation Thickness values. The total cost (TC) and carbon emission (CE) at optimum insulation thickness (OIT) for all combinations of insulation material and three types of fuel are considered. The dataset presents OIT for solid wall, cavity wall and cavity block wall types located in Monaghan, Dublin, and Kerry.

Comparative Analysis Of 3d Printed Bridge Construction In Louisiana, Amirhosein Jafari, Ali Kazemian, Sarah Ataei

Data

A construction 3D printing system could result in automated infrastructure development at reduced cost and time, significantly boosting overall productivity. Although there has been a growing interest in using construction 3D printing for projects such as house construction, implementing this innovative technology for infrastructure development, particularly bridge construction, has not been investigated as extensively. This study aims to compare the environmental impact of precast and 3D concrete printing (3DCP) techniques with a pedestrian bridge case study, located in Louisiana, where the bridge elements were 3D printed off-site and then transported and assembled on the bridge site. A detailed cradle-to-site life …

Rebar-Free 3d Printing Of Transportation Infrastructure, Ali Kazemian, Marwa Hassan, Hassan Noorvand, Gabriel Arce, Hassan Ahmed, Ilerioluwa Giwa

Data

This study investigates the fresh and hardened-state properties of printing mixtures including different dosages of steel fibers, especially at higher dosages which have not been investigated before. This study also considers the effects of other parameters such as sand-to-powder ratio and the limestone content on the properties of steel fiber reinforced printing materials, to reduce the Portland cement content which has a high carbon footprint. The obtained experimental results revealed that high-performance materials incorporating up to 2.5% steel fibers (by volume) can be successfully 3D printed. The mechanical properties of the reinforced mixtures improved significantly at high fiber dosages (2% …

Development Of Robotics & Automation Roadmap For Road Construction/Maintenance Projects, Ashrant Aryal, Chao Wang, Chintan Vijay Vora, Sueed A. Willoughby

Data

Over the past few decades, there have been no significant improvements in the construction industry's productivity. Outside the construction industry, robots have proven to be beneficial in improving productivity, safety, and quality. There is a growing interest in adopting robots in the construction industry to address these issues. As robots get introduced to the project sites, human-robot interaction becomes an important consideration for wide-scale adoption. The success of deploying robots in the construction industry depends on how well humans collaborate with the robots. This project focused on investigating the perception of various construction industry stakeholders in adopting robots in their …

Resilient 3d-Printed Civil Infrastructure With Ultra-High Performance Engineered Cementitious Composites (Uhpeccs), Hassan Noorvand, Marwa Hassan, Ali Kazemian, Gabriel Andres Arce Amador, Daniel E. Game

Data

This study aims to develop and evaluate UHP-ECC materials for 3DP applications. To achieve this, the rheological properties of the cementitious composites were designed to accommodate 3DP functionality. Additionally, this study aimed to evaluate the hardened properties of the 3D-printed UHP-ECCs and compare them to the cast UHP-ECCs. Furthermore, the effect of variables such as sand-to-binder (S/B), fly ash-to-cement ratio (FA/C), and high-range water reducer (HRWR) content on the fresh and hardened properties of the 3D printable mixtures were evaluated. Fresh properties of mixtures were assessed by means of the flowability test, setting time test, and printability test. Hardened properties …

Calorific Value Calculation For Natural Gas -Hydrogen Blend, Utkarsha Chavan

Other resources

This is a sample calculation for the natural gas -hydrogen blend for two different gas samples. The composition of two natural gas samples is provided in two sheets. The calorific value is calculated for a blend with a molar composition of hydrogen varying from 0 to 20%. Along with calorific value (MJ/m3), Wobbe index (MJ/m3) and specific gravity are also calculated.

Replication Data For: A Closer Look At Underground Natural Gas Pipeline Leaks Across The United States, Younki Cho, Kathleen M. Smits, Nathaniel L. Steadman, Bridget A. Ulrich, Clay S. Bell, Daniel J. Zimmerle

Earth & Environmental Sciences Datasets - Archive

Underground natural gas (NG) pipeline leakage can result in methane (CH₄) buildup and migration through the soil. What is not well understood in such scenarios is how the soil conditions affect the gas migration behavior, particularly in regard to the relative contributions of specific soil properties such as soil moisture content. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soil properties on CH₄ concentration and migration from leaking underground NG pipelines. Site characteristics such as surface cover and spatial dimensions, soil samples, and gas concentration data were collected from over 70 gas leakage sites …

Replication Data For: Investigating Detection Probability Of Mobile Survey Solutions For Natural Gas Pipeline Leaks Under Different Atmospheric Conditions, Shanru Tian, Stuart Riddick, Younki Cho, Clay Bell, Daniel Zimmerle, Kathleen Smits

Earth & Environmental Sciences Datasets - Archive

The 2015 Paris agreement aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions and keep global temperature rise below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. Reducing CH4 emissions from leaking pipelines presents a relatively achievable objective. While walking and driving surveys are commonly used to detect leaks, the detection probability (DP) is poorly characterized. This study aims to investigate how leak rates, survey distance and speed, and atmospheric conditions affect the DP in controlled belowground conditions with release rates of 0.5–8.5 g min−1. Results show that DP is highly influenced by survey speed, atmospheric stability, and wind speed. The average DP in Pasquill–Gifford stability …

Development Of A Machine Learning-Based Model To Determine The Optimum And Safe Restriping Timing Of Thermoplastic Pavement Markings In Hot And Humid Climates, Momen R. Mousa, Marwa Hassan

Data

Due to limited budget, most transportation agencies restripe their thermoplastic pavement markings based on a fixed schedule or based on visual inspection instead of monitoring the retroreflectivity and restriping when the retroreflectivity drops below a pre-determined threshold. These strategies are questionable in terms of efficiency and economy. Therefore, previous studies proposed degradation models to predict the retroreflectivity of thermoplastic markings based on key variables. Yet, most of these studies reported low R² (as low as 0.1), which placed little confidence in these models. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate and predict the field performance of thermoplastics …

A Deep Learning Tool For The Assessment Of Pavement Smoothness And Aggregate Segregation During Construction, Mostafa Elseifi, Ramchandra Paudel, Md Tanvir Ahmed Sarkar, Hossam Abohamer, Nirmal Dhakal

Data

Pavement construction monitoring and quality assurance (QA) practices are mostly based on costly, discrete, and destructive methods. Most quality assurance programs are based on pavement construction procedures encompassing in-situ coring for layer thickness determination, density measurements, laboratory testing to measure volumetric properties, and smoothness measurements in case of the availability of a profiler. The main objective of this study was to develop a machine learning-based classifier for predicting pavement roughness and aggregate segregation based on digital image analysis, image recognition, and deep learning machine models. The developed Convolution Neural Networks (CNN) models were trained, tested, and validated using 600-pavement surface …

Performance Monitoring Leveraging Advanced Ai Technique With Cnn, Suyun Ham Ph.D, Stefan Romanoschi, Yin Chao Wu, Dafnik Saril Kumar David, Sanggoo Kang

Data

The main goal of this project is to study and develop a reliable nondestructive testing (NDT)-based structural performance prediction model framework leveraging the advanced machine learning convolutional neural network (CNN) technique and rapid crack evaluation system. There are two steps of application CNN technique in this project: 1) the first step is to identify delamination, noise, and the unexpected signal produced by the existing damage identification algorithm to improve the accuracy of NDT results. The input image or training data of NDT data for CNN is comprehensively studied with several features, such as the duration of the signal, the starting …

Hydrodynamic Limitations To Mangrove Seedling Retention In Subtropical Estuaries, Kelly M. Kibler, Christian Pilato, Linda Walters, Melinda Donnelly, Jyotismita Taye

Flow-biota Interaction and Natural Infrastructure Design

Mangrove forest sustainability hinges upon propagule recruitment and seedling retention. This study evaluates biophysical limitations to mangrove seedling persistence by measuring anchoring force of two mangrove species (Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans). Anchoring force was measured in 362 seedlings via lateral pull-tests administered in mangrove forests of two subtropical estuaries and in laboratory-based experiments. Removal mechanism varied with seedling age: newly-established seedlings failed due to root pull-out while seedlings older than 3 months failed by root breakage. Anchoring force of R. mangle seedlings was consistently and significantly greater than A. germinans (GLM: p = 0.002), however force to …

Replication Data For "Estimating Methane Emissions From Underground Natural Gas Pipelines Using An Atmospheric Dispersion-Based Method", Shanru Tian, Kathleen M. Smits, Younki Cho, Stuart Riddick, Daniel Zimmerle, Aidan Duggan

Earth & Environmental Sciences Datasets - Archive

Methane (CH₄) leakage from natural gas (NG) pipelines poses an environmental, safety, and economic threat to the public. While previous leak detection and quantification studies focus on the aboveground infrastructure, the analysis of underground NG pipeline leak scenarios is scarce. Furthermore, no data from controlled release experiments have been published on the accuracy of methods used to (1) quantify emissions from an area source and (2) use these emissions to quantify the size of a subsurface leak. This proof-of-concept work uses CH₄ mole fraction, as measured by a single gas sensor, as an input to a simple …

Hydrodynamic Signatures Of Recreational Boat Wakes And Their Influence To Sediment Entrainment Along The Shoreline Of A Shallow Estuary, Kelly M. Kibler

Predicting Boat Wake Bank Erosion Risk

Wave energy from recreational boat wakes is associated with erosion and degradation of shoreline ecotones. However, wake effects are often assumed to be negligible when boating lanes are located far from shore. In this study, field experiments were conducted to characterize hydrodynamics of recreational boat wakes at the shoreline of a shallow estuary as offshore sailing-line distance varied from 50 to 200m. Results indicate that wake events were considerably more energetic than ambient conditions, with an average 20% increase in wave height, 190% increase in near-bed orbital velocity, and 110% increase in wave-induced shear stress. Wake events generated farther from …

Data Supporting Effects Of Uv-C Disinfection On N95 And Kn95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator Reuse, Castine A. Bernardy, James Malley

Data Catalog

UV is a proven decontamination tool for microbial pathogens, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Lower log inactivation was observed on FFRs than would have been predicted by aqueous-based UV dose-response data for MS-2 bacteriophage and E. coli. Results have demonstrated that FFR materials yield varying results in terms of effective disinfection in experiments conducted on KN95 and N95 face respirators. The highest inactivation for both surrogates was observed with respirator KN95 B. The respirator yielded 3 and 2.75 log inactivation for E. coli and MS-2, respectively at UV doses of 1500 mJ/cm². KN95 A yielded the lowest …

Replication Data For: Effect Of Varying Atmospheric Conditions On Methane Boundary-Layer Development In A Free Flow Domain Interfaced With A Porous Media Domain, C. T.K.K. Deepagoda, Kathleen Smits

Earth & Environmental Sciences Datasets - Archive

Mitigation of atmospheric emission of methane from leaky underground infrastructure is important for controlling the global anthropogenic greenhouse gas burden. Overexposure to methane may also cause occupational health problems in indoor/outdoor environments at the local scale. Subsurface soil conditions (e.g. soil heterogeneity) affect methane migration in soils while near-surface atmospheric boundary conditions (e.g. wind and temperature) affect off-site emissions across the soil-atmosphere interface. This study investigated the above-surface methane concentration boundary-layer development under different soil conditions (homogenous and layered) and atmospheric boundary controls (wind and temperature). A series of controlled bench-scale experiments was conducted using an open-loop boundary-layer wind tunnel …

Replication Data For: Thermal Conductivity Of Binary Sand Mixtures Evaluated Through Full Water Content Range, Benjamin Wallen, Kathleen Smits

Earth & Environmental Sciences Datasets - Archive

A soil's grain-size distribution affects its physical and hydraulic properties; however, little is known about its effect on soil thermal properties. To better understand how grain-size distribution affects soil thermal properties, specifically the effective thermal conductivity, a set of laboratory experiments was performed using binary mixtures of two uniform sands tightly packed with seven different mixing fractions over the full range of saturation. For each binary mixture, the effective thermal conductivity, λ, capillary pressure, hc, and volumetric water content, θ, were measured. Results demonstrated that the λ–θ relationship exhibited distinct characteristics based on the percentage of fine- and coarse-grained sands. …

Replication Data For: Characterization Of Grain-Size Distribution, Thermal Conductivity, And Gas Diffusivity In Variably Saturated Binary Sand Mixtures, C. T.K.K. Deepagoda, Kathleen Smits

Earth & Environmental Sciences Datasets - Archive

Characterization of differently textured porous materials, as well as different volumetric porous media mixtures, in relation to mass and heat transport is vital for many engineering and research applications. Functional relations describing physical (e.g., grain-size distribution, total porosity), thermal, and gas diffusion properties of porous media and mixtures are necessary to optimize the design of porous systems that involve heat and gas transport processes. However, only a limited number of studies provide characterization of soil physical, thermal, and gas diffusion properties and the functional relationships of these properties under varying soil water contents, especially for soil mixtures, complicating optimization efforts. …

Catalyst Regeneration Of Rap-Binder In Asphalt, D. Spivak, Subramanian Balamurugan

Data

Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) binders are difficult to reuse because they often contain associated/aggregated molecules with very high molecular weights. This is due to the polarity gained during oxidative aging, causing the aggregation to occur. These high molecular weight components are responsible for RAP binder’s increased viscosity and certain deteriorated rheological properties. One strategy to reuse RAP binder is to mix it with virgin asphalt binder and use this partially recycled mixture in asphalt. The RAP binder is usually improved before mixing by the addition of rejuvenators, softening agents, softer binders, and antioxidants to the asphalt binder mix to rebalance …

Replication Data For: Effect Of Subsurface Soil Moisture Variability And Atmospheric Conditions On Methane Gas Migration In Shallow Subsurface, C. T.K.K. Deepagoda, Kathleen Smits

Earth & Environmental Sciences Datasets - Archive

A major concern resulting from the increased use and production of natural gas has been how to mitigate fugitive greenhouse gas emissions (predominantly methane) from natural gas infrastructure (e.g., leaky shallow pipelines). Subsurface migration and atmospheric loading of methane from pipeline leakage is controlled by source configurations and subsurface soil conditions (e.g., soil heterogeneity and soil moisture) and are further affected by atmospheric conditions (e.g., wind and temperature). However, the transport and attenuation of methane under varying subsurface and atmospheric conditions are poorly understood, making it difficult to estimate leakage fluxes from methane concentration measurements at and above the soil …

Autonomous Vehicle Communication Strategies Modeled In Virtual Reality, Nick N. Ferenchak Ph.D

Data

We sought to better understand how autonomous vehicle (AV) communication strategies impact human road users’ perceptions and behaviors. More specifically, we explored the impact of different external human-machine interface (eHMI) designs on understanding, task load, comfort, trust, acceptance, and reaction time. To accomplish this, we created virtual reality (VR) scenarios where human participants interacted with AVs. Participants experienced biking, driving, and pedestrian simulators and were brought back after initial testing to explore acclimation and learning effects. In terms of perceptions, the presence of an eHMI was the strongest predictor of understanding, comfort, trust, and acceptance outcomes in the statistical models …

An Innovative Thermo-Energy Harvesting Module For Asphalt Roadway Pavement, Seyed Amid Tahami, Samer Dessouky

Data

The importance of green technologies for generating renewable energy and sustainable development is widely accepted. Road surfaces are exposed to solar radiation that generates thermal gradients and heat flow in the pavement layers. The heat stored can be harvested providing an untapped source of renewable energy. This report presents the design, construction, and assessment of an improved thermoelectric energy prototype for harvesting heat energy from roadway pavements. To accomplish this, various prototype designs were simulated using Finite Element (FE) analysis, followed by design construction and laboratory testing of the most promising prototypes to evaluate their power harvesting capabilities. The main …

Development Of Novel Ultra-High Performance Engineered Cementitious Composites (Uhp-Ecc) For Durable And Resilient Transportation Infrastructure, Gabriel A. Arce, Marwa Hassan, Daniel E. Game

Data

The objective of this study was to develop novel UHP-ECC materials utilizing readily available ingredients in Region 6 for the construction and repair of transportation infrastructure. Phase one of this study focused on the development of ultra-high strength cementitious matrices by evaluating the effects of ingredient selection and mixture proportioning on the materials’ compressive strength. Variables evaluated included the mass ratios of silica fume to fly ash (SF/FA), supplementary cementitious materials to cement (SCMs/C), and ordinary sand to microsilica sand (OS/MS). Phase two of the study focused on the development of UHP-ECC materials. To this end, based on the knowledge …

Effectiveness Of Softening Agents For Enhancing Properties Of Asphalt Mixes With High Rap Contents, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed, Sumon Roy

Data

A high percentage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in new asphalt concrete can lead to developing premature failure of asphalt pavements due to fatigue or low-temperature cracking. The use of softening agents in asphalt binders can resolve these problems. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of softening agents for enhancing the properties of asphalt mixes with high RAP contents. Two waste products, namely, waste cooking oil (WCO), and engine bottom oil (EBO) along with a commercially produced rejuvenator were investigated in this study. The following three types of Performance Grade (PG) binders, each collected from two …

Feasibility Assessment Of Warm Mix Asphalt In Arkansas, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed, Mohammad Najmush Sakib Oyan

Data

The future of Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) technologies is promising in the U.S. However, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) does not have any specific guidelines to implement them in the field. This research aims to provide necessary baseline data for WMA as a proof of concept. In this study, three ARDOT approved Performance Grade (PG) binders namely PG 64-22, PG 70-22, and PG 76-22 were investigated. Each of these binders was obtained from two different sources. They were modified by varying doses of four selected additives: Sasobit®, Advera®, Evotherm®, and Rediset®. Additionally, four different types of aggregates (sandstone, limestone, …

Development Of Decision Trees For The Selection Of Pavement Maintenance And Rehabilitation Activities In South-Central United States, Momen Mousa, Marwa Hassan, Daniel E. Game

Data

Over time, new pavements deteriorate under the combined effects of traffic loading and the environment, no matter how well-designed or constructed. In general, maintenance and rehabilitation activities are employed to slow down or reset the rate of pavement deterioration. Cement-Stabilized Full Depth Reclamation (CSFDR) is a common rehabilitation treatment used by transportation agencies, specifically in Louisiana. Likewise, Ultra-Thin overlay (UTO) is a pavement maintenance treatment that has increased in popularity in recent years in Region 6. Yet, several gaps exist in the literature regarding the long-term field performance and cost-effectiveness of these two treatments especially in hot and humid climates. …