Engineering Commons^™

Information Manager (Bim) Role Profiles, Davitt Lamon, Robert Moore, Stephen Lynam

Reports

This document, Information Manager (BIM) Role Profiles, has been prepared in support of the Irish Government’s Building Information Modelling (BIM) Mandate. It is the result of a collaborative effort between Build Digital, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (DPER), the Infrastructure Division, and the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). Its primary purpose is to define the competencies, responsibilities, and experience required for Information Management (BIM) roles to facilitate the successful digital delivery of public works projects. It is important to recognise that under the ISO 19650 series of standards, Information Management is defined as …

Identification Of Thruster Faults In Underwater Vehicles By Using Custom Encodings In Spiking Neural Networks, Donovan Gegg

LSU Master's Theses

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are untethered robotic platforms used for tasks such as seafloor mapping, infrastructure inspection, and environmental monitoring. Recent technological advances have produced smaller, more affordable platforms, broadening access to research teams and small companies alike. This miniaturization comes at the cost of them handling drawbacks associated with a more compact machine such as reduced battery capacity as well as limited processing and sensing capabilities. These constraints make small-sized marine vehicle’s reliability critical as they can cause malfunctions, making the loss of a vehicle more likely. Actuator faults are particularly consequential as unintended and unstable control in an …

Polymer Microstructures For Advanced Biomanufacturing, Tongyao Wu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With the continued growth of the biopharmaceutical industry, the demand for scalable, robust, and resource-efficient platforms for large-scale mammalian cell culture is amplified. Recent developments in microfluidic technology, such as precise control of the microenvironment, showed the potential to improve the performance of cell culture systems. However, constrained by scalability and operational efficiency, applying such approaches to large-scale cell culture and biopharmaceutical production presents challenges. This dissertation addresses these challenges through three independent but conceptually related technological developments. First, a roll-to-roll (R2R) fabrication process was developed for the scalable production of hollow microcarriers (HMCs). HMCs provide three-dimensional microenvironments suitable for …

Multi-Objective Optimization Of Waste Incineration For Minimal Carbon Monoxide And Sulfur Dioxide Emission And Rate Maximization: A Case Study Of Mbezi, Mkuranga-Pwani, Tanzania, Grangay M. Nyanghura, Enock W. Nshama

Tanzania Journal of Science

Incineration is widely employed for hazardous waste disposal, but results in harmful flue gas emissions. This study optimizes a double-chamber incineration process to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions while maximizing the incineration rate. The effects of waste mass, primary chamber temperature (PT), and secondary chamber temperature (ST) were analyzed using a full factorial design of 27 experiments. ANOVA revealed that mass had the greatest impact on emissions and incineration time, ST had a moderate effect, and PT had little influence. Regression analysis provided models for incineration time, CO, and SO2 emissions. Single-objective optimization using sequential quadratic …

Adaptive Point Cloud Compression For Multimodal Large-Language Model Tasks, Wenjie Zheng

Computer Science and Engineering Master's Theses

Recently, 3D Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) have enabled language-grounded reasoning over 3D point clouds. However, these billion-parameter models must be deployed on cloud servers, while raw point clouds are extremely large, making efficient compression essential for cloud-based MLLM applications. Existing learning-based point cloud compression methods reduce data size but are not optimized for downstream MLLM tasks, often degrading semantic representations under high compression. To address this, we propose a Parameter-Efficient Fine-Tuning (PEFT) framework to compress point clouds for MLLM tasks. We introduce lightweight adapters either into the frozen PointLLM backbone for feature alignment or into the compression backbone using …

Comparative Study Of Cement-Rice Husk Ash Stabilized Bricks And Fired Clay Bricks, Daniel R. Samson, Emmanuel S. Leo

Tanzania Journal of Science

In some countries, fired clay bricks (FCBs) are widely used for construction, but their production is energy-intensive, relies largely on firewood, and contributes to deforestation and carbon emissions. This study explores unfired clay bricks stabilised with cement and rice husk ash (RHA) as a sustainable alternative, using Dakawa ward in the Morogoro Region, Tanzania, as a case study. The bricks, with a clay of plasticity index 17%, were stabilized with 6%, 10%, and 14% cement by mass, moulded into 40 mm cubes, and cured for 28 days. The compressive strengths achieved were 1.5, 3.6, and 4.1 MPa with water absorption …

Structural Dynamic Response Assessment Of Clt Wall Structure Systems In Wind-Only And Sequential Seismic–Wind Scenarios, Yunxiang Ma, Qingli Dai, Xiang Zhao

Michigan Tech Publications

Because of concentrated connection damage, the impact of sequential hazards on CLT shear wall systems is much more severe than that on traditional concrete and steel structures considering ductile component behaviors. The present paper evaluated the dynamic response of CLT wall structures in wind-only and sequential seismic–wind scenarios and compared the structural dynamic responses and damage levels of different CLT wall systems. The structural models were established separately based on an SOM benchmark structure, a SOFIE project three-story CLT shear wall structure, and a PT CLT wall platform structure from the NHERI Tall Wood project. The equivalent fluctuating wind load …

Graph-Based And Uncertainty-Aware Machine Learning For Academic Performance Prediction, Anca Olivia Muresan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early identification of students at risk of academic failure is essential for timely pedagogical interventions and reducing dropout rates. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly advanced predictive modeling in education, two primary challenges persist: effectively modeling the complex, evolving relationships within heterogeneous educational data, and ensuring the reliability of model outputs for high-stakes decision-making. This dissertation addresses these challenges by proposing a comprehensive framework for early and continuous student performance prediction applied to the Open University Learning Analytics (OULA) dataset. First, we introduce a Heterogeneous Graph Neural Network (HGNN) approach that utilizes metapath structures to capture latent interactions between diverse …

A Novel Optuna-Vmd-Ml Framework For Enhanced Settlement Prediction Of Buildings Around Foundation Pits, Jing Zhang, Zhenlin Wang, Shiyu Sheng, Sifan Shen, Chuang He, Huafeng Shan, Haijie He, Li Ai

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The prediction of building settlement around foundation pit is of vital importance to ensure the safety and stability of urban construction projects. However, current predictions of buildings surrounding foundation pit face numerous challenges. Therefore, this study proposes a framework that integrates Optuna-based hyperparameter optimization, variational mode decomposition (VMD), and machine learning (ML) for accurate and timely settlement prediction in practical engineering scenarios, referred to as the Optuna–VMD–ML framework. Optuna is employed to tune the hyperparameters of both VMD and the ML models; the Optuna-tuned VMD decomposes the settlement time series into mode components, which are then used to train the …

Structural Dynamic Response Assessment Of Clt Wall Structure Systems In Wind-Only And Sequential Seismic–Wind Scenarios, Yunxiang Ma, Qingli Dai, Alexander Zhao

Michigan Tech Publications

Because of concentrated connection damage, the impact of sequential hazards on CLT shear wall systems is much more severe than that on traditional concrete and steel structures considering ductile component behaviors. The present paper evaluated the dynamic response of CLT wall structures in wind-only and sequential seismic–wind scenarios and compared the structural dynamic responses and damage levels of different CLT wall systems. The structural models were established separately based on an SOM benchmark structure, a SOFIE project three-story CLT shear wall structure, and a PT CLT wall platform structure from the NHERI Tall Wood project. The equivalent fluctuating wind load …

The New 11th Edition Of The Indiana Mutcd, Joseph Bruno, David Boruff

Purdue Road School

The updated 11th edition of the Indiana MUTCD released in January of 2026 has many significant changes from the 2011 edition. This presentation provides an overview of the changes from the previous edition and significant variations between the federal MUTCD and the Indiana MUTCD.

Building A Vitalizing Team Culture, Iris Bull, Andrew Cibor

Purdue Road School

Leaders in the public sector face unique challenges in the recruitment and retainage of productive employees. Administrative staff from the City of Bloomington Engineering Department present an analysis of the strategies they employ to shape a high performing team. They examine mutable and designed aspects of their processes for advertising, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and exit interviewing. Session participants will be provided tested strategies for stimulating professional growth, fostering intradepartmental collaboration, and building resilient culture.

Documenting For Success: A Case Study Of A Graduate Writing Retreat, Elliott Rose, Denise Wetzel, Sara C. Kern, Katie O'Hara-Krebs, Laurin Davis, Salah Seoudi, Carmen Cole

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

Graduate students often find themselves balancing the demands of research and writing while managing complex academic and personal needs. Writing retreats provide an intentional space for graduate students to focus on their academic goals while supporting community-building, institutional belonging, and a welcoming environment. This proposal outlines a model for academic librarians and staff to plan and implement an effective graduate writing retreat designed to support graduate student academic activities through intentional collaboration and documentation.

Penn State University’s (PSU) Graduate Student Writing Retreat started as an event housed within the University Library’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) department. The retreat …

History Of The Interstate System In Indiana, Steven Wuertz

Purdue Road School

A brief history of the Interstate System in Indiana and across the Nation— 1956–2026: 70 years of the Interstate System

Improvements In Waterborne Traffic Paint For Indiana, Joseph Bruno, Andrew Blackburn

Purdue Road School

INDOT has updated its specification for waterborne traffic paints that results in improved durability and the ability to apply traffic paint in colder weather. This presentation provides background on INDOT's waterborne traffic paint specification, a summary of the road trials that INDOT conducted to evaluate different paint specifications, future developments for waterborne traffic paint, and a maintenance perspective on INDOT painting operations.

Iconic Henry Street Bridge In Indianapolis, Marshall Lachecki, Keith Echternach, Mary Appel

Purdue Road School

The iconic new Henry Street bridge over the White River in Indianapolis is a connection to the west side of downtown Indy.  From the challenging hydraulics requirements to the bridge concepts, design, procurement and through construction and archaeology work, the City has worked with many stakeholders and the public to make this new crossing a success.  This presentation will focus on design elements of the bridge while touching upon other project elements.

Early In Career Panel: The Value Of Industry Involvement, Stephanie Ferzli, Calvin Rizzo, David Musoke

Purdue Road School

A panel of early-career professionals shares the importance and benefits of participating in industry organizations. Learn how involvement can shape careers and foster professional growth.

Draining Fountain Square With Alternate Delivery, Jason Koch, Mark St. John, Natalie Stephen

Purdue Road School

Indianapolis DPW has started construction on major drainage improvements in one of its oldest neighborhoods, Fountain Square. Building on lessons learned from similar projects in built-up, commercial areas, DPW decided to use an alternate delivery method to procure construction services. This session will provide a high level review of Indiana’s Public-Private Agreement statue (I.C. 5-23), how DPW applied it to the Fountain Square project, lessons learned, and how DPW plans to use this innovative delivery method for future projects.

Let’S Walk And Talk: Building Trust (And Better Projects) Using Community Walk Audits, Ashlyn Devine, Taylor Firestine

Purdue Road School

This session introduces participants to the benefits gained from engaging in community-centered walking audits as practical tools for advancing quality active transportation projects and building trust with the public. Drawing from Health by Design’s Indiana Road to Zero Academy, participants will join a facilitated walking audit near the Purdue campus to discuss common concerns and questions that these exercises address while demonstrating how collaborative notetaking can translate into better planning, engineering, and policy decisions that reflect the unique needs of the community.

Pel Stories, Tim Miller, Cameron Schuh, Sandra Flum, Blake Dollier

Purdue Road School

PEL Stories: Bridging Planning and Environmental Review: This presentation will highlight stories from planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) projects, demonstrating how early planning can streamline environmental review and improve project outcomes.

IndyPEL: Advancing Planning through Environmental Linkages: This session explores the IndyPEL project, highlighting how Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) studies are shaping transportation decisions in Indiana. Attendees will learn about stakeholder engagement, data-driven planning, and lessons learned.

Research On Inter-Satellite Topology Design And Simulation Of Giant Leo Constellation Network With Consistent Pattern, Zhicheng Li, Shuaijun Liu, Lixiang Liu

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The giant low earth orbit (LEO) constellation network uses inter-satellite links to form an intersatellite topology, realizing the transmission of data between satellites. In order to adapt to the nature of uniform and symmetrical distribution of satellites in the constellation, this paper used a consistent connection pattern between satellites to construct an inter-satellite topology, and by analyzing the arrangement of non-mirror links in the constellation, it was found that the connection method of each link of the satellite itself could be independent of each other, which reduced the simulation complexity and the solution space of the inter-satellite topology. …

Design And Verification Of Manned-Unmanned Collaborative Combat Capability System Based On Mbse, Fangbo Wang, Jian Guo, Chenglie Du, Yifan Liu, Pengpeng Zhang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The traditional model-based systems engineering (MBSE) method has problems of failing to fully exhibit complex combat logics in manned-unmanned collaborative combat system modeling, neglecting the scenario constraints in interface modeling, and requiring long-term and costly algorithm verification. In order to solve the problems, a methodology and design tool based on MBSE was proposed. An integrated verification method of a system's operational logic, interface design, and algorithmic design was constructed, thus providing a digital and rapidly iterative verification approach for system simulation. A verification environment for multiple key algorithm simulations was established, effectively reducing the economic cost of building verification …

Review Of 3d Human Reconstruction Methods Empowering Vr/Ar, Lisha Zhang, Yuchi Huo, Qi Ye, Anjun Chen, Shihui Guo, Jiming Chen

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: 3D human reconstruction is critical for VR/AR. Early methods relied on multi-view cameras and depth sensors but were costly. Mid-term approaches using parametric human models enabled efficient single-image reconstruction, while implicit neural representations improved fidelity yet suffered from low efficiency. Currently, 3D Gaussian Splatting achieves high accuracy and real-time rendering as a new paradigm. Challenges include detail distortion and limited generalization, and future development will focus on VR/AR integration.

Neural Radiance Fields Based On Explicit Feature Matching And Scaled Dot-Product Attention, Mingwei Cao, Fengna Wang, Zilong Wang, Haifeng Zhao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To address the problems that neural radiance fields(NeRF) are prone to artifacts and texture blurring in novel view synthesis under sparse view input and complex scenes, this paper proposed neural radiance fields based on explicit feature matching and scaled dot-product attention(EMD-NeRF). A multiscale feature extraction network was used to extract multi-scale feature information from the input sparse views. A fusion dot-product module was utilized to calculate view interaction information as a shared branch. Cosine similarity was adopted as a matching clue for similarity embedding volume rendering. A regularization loss function was used to enhance the quality of the scene …

Analytical Reentry Guidance Method Based On Lift-To-Drag Ratio-Velocity Profile, Weibo Sun, Ping Ma, Yuxuan Wang, Songyan Wang, Tao Chao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: An analytical reentry guidance method based on the lift-to-drag ratio and velocity profile was proposed to address the challenges of precise flight time control and prohibited area avoidance for the hypersonic glide flight vehicle during the reentry phase. A reduced-order reentry motion model was established; the Chebyshev series was used to approximate its nonlinear integral terms and differential equations; analytical expressions for the glide trajectory were yielded. The analytical relationships among flight time, remaining range, and the lift-to-drag ratio and velocity profile were derived. The optimization problem of lift-to-drag ratio and velocity profile was converted into a segmented parameter …

Research And Analysis Of Algorithm For Detecting Surface Defects On Automotive Wheel Hubs Based On Ccl-Yolov8, Yanjun Chen, Min Zhou, Meng Zha, Meizhou Zhang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To address the challenges such as low detection efficiency, difficulties in identifying small defects, and poor accuracy in detecting surface defects on automotive wheel hubs, a lightweight neural network called CCL-YOLOv8 was proposed based on an improved YOLOv8n architecture. A synergistic improvement in both detection accuracy and efficiency was achieved through a three-stage model optimization strategy. A convolutional attention fusion module was introduced, which integrated convolution operations with self-attention mechanisms, thereby enhancing the model's ability to capture local features of small defects while perceiving global context under low signal-to-noise ratio conditions.A C2f-Star module was constructed to reduce computational overhead …

Simulation And Multi-Perspective Recognition Algorithm For Typical Trajectory Shapes, Xuejian Feng, Han Ding, Yiqi Tong, Chaoying Huo, Yanjin Zhang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Current trajectory simulation methods inadequately address geometric shape features and kinematic properties of the target trajectory. To bridge this gap, a target trajectory shape simulation algorithm based on kinematic laws was proposed. The polar coordinate equations and curvature equations of multiple trajectories were integrated. The aircraft state parameters were solved by combining kinematic equations. Angular Gaussian noise was introduced to enhance trajectory diversity and authenticity. Additionally, a multi-perspective trajectory shape recognition algorithm was designed, which could effectively integrate image and sequential multi-modal features by adopting a multilayer perceptron, enabling precise trajectory shape recognition. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed …

Research On Performance Evaluation Of P300 Brain-Computer Interface Under Environment Modeling And Simulation, Xiaofei Ge, Jinling Lian, Jin Han, Xin'an Fan, Danmei Luo, Yuxiang Hua, Hao Liu, Lijian Zhang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In the process of brain-computer interface(BCI) technology stepping from laboratory to practical application scenarios, it is difficult to make an accurate prediction and evaluation of the effect of real environment factors on the system performance. Therefore, a research method based on a multifactor simulation experiment was proposed. A controllable simulation experiment environment was constructed, and the parametric modeling of two key physical environmental factors, namely noise and light, was carried out. By taking the number of electroencephalogram channels as the system parameter, this paper systematically studied the influence mechanism of the aforementioned factors on the decoding performance of P300-BCI. …

Design And Application Of Bds Visual Simulation Teaching Platform Based On Cesium, Liguo Lu, Yulin Cai, Tangting Wu, Canhui Lin

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The deep development of the BeiDou navigation satellite system(BDS) cannot be separated from the support of corresponding talent education, especially the development of new digital resources and tools. A visual simulation teaching platform for BDS was designed based on open source Cesium engine library to address issues such as the large and complex size of the BDS project, the unreachable space environment, and the difficult understanding of principles and concepts. The platform adopted a B/S architecture to achieve visual simulation of course content such as orbit cognition, orbit calculation, constellation simulation, service performance, and satellite links. Teaching applications have …

Key Problems Of Intent Recognition Research: A Survey On Activity, Plan And Goal Recognition, Yi Zhang, Kai Xu, Shuilin Li, Dejun Chen, Yunxiu Zeng, Yong Peng

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: With the development of artificial intelligence technology, realizing intent recognition in human-computer interaction has become one of the key challenges. In this paper, the current research status of three fields was systematically sorted out, namely activity recognition, plan recognition, and goal recognition, and the progress from the problem proposal to the current development was analyzed. The main research approaches in each field were reviewed, and a survey of research on activity recognition, a development overview of plan recognition, and a retrospective analysis of hotspots in goal recognition were conducted. This general view of the problem helped to clarify …