Engineering Commons^™

Structural Calculations For Salvation Academy School For Disadvantaged Children, Emma Constance Lambert

Architectural Engineering

Journeyman International is a non-profit organization who partners with students and professionals to provide architectural design, architectural engineering, and construction management work for developing countries in order to combat poverty and ecological destruction on a global scale. The Salvation Academy for Disadvantaged Children is sponsored by Journeyman International and a private client to provide a school campus with a safe and productive environment for children and staff with disabilities. The campus is equipped with classrooms, outdoor gymnasiums, residences for both students and faculty, as well as computer labs and conference areas. The site is located in the Western Area of …

Handheld Transvaginal Probe For Pap Smear Exams, Kim Knollenberg, Taeah Truong

Biomedical Engineering

This project aims to discard the use of the speculum in pap smear exams. A pap smear is a procedure that tests for cervical cancer in individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) by screening cells collected from the cervix. Speculums are utilized in these examinations, as well as other gynecologic examinations and procedures. Due to the stigma and racist and misogynistic history of the speculum, we moved to design a device that removes the need for specula in pap smear exams. This device will aim to decrease the cervical cancer mortality rate and reduce the stigma around pap smear exams.

3-D Positioning System For Trackable Adjustments Of Papillary Muscles, Ryan Michael Winters, Micaela Andrea Bataclan, Christine Do, Giselle Morales

Biomedical Engineering

Redacted.

Hand Strength And Dexterity Enhancer, Julia Ann Denison, Autumn B. Rexford, Melissa A. Kurani, Christina K. Fong

Biomedical Engineering

Good Grips created the hand strength and dexterity enhancer project to meet the challenge presented by Bill Phelps. He has Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM), an inflammatory muscle disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Bill has limited strength in both hands and lost the ability to bend his fingers, making it difficult to grip anything. He needed a device that would help with everyday tasks such as writing, lifting, and holding various objects.

Our team consists of four engineering students attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. We researched, designed, manufactured, and tested a device that would fulfill the problem …

Automatic Tourniquet For Military Emergencies, Arshia Nazerani Houshmand, Marina Felt, Blake Juett

Biomedical Engineering

This document contains the progress and development of an automated tourniquet that would be intended for use within the United States military. The project was student-led and sponsored. Coordination and confirmation of our device was provided by Dr. John F. Kragh, who is part of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research. The document will outline the research conducted on tourniquets, specification development of the tourniquet, morphology process, and final design production of the automatic tourniquet.

The Vibe Tr Series: Fit-Widget Bracelet, Angela Michelle Colabella, Molly Rodda, Emma Paige Neal, Joey Chen

General Engineering

As our society begins to understand the impact of mental health on human behavior, David Postula saw the need for a product that could help children increase their productivity in the classroom. David imagined the VIBE Bracelet, designed as an anti-anxiety tool that helps young children reduce stress in the classroom and intermittently reminds the user of goals or ideas throughout the day. David offered sponsorship for the development of the VIBE Bracelet design project by Cal Poly SLO students. The students designed the VIBE Bracelet to fit David’s requirements for a thoughtful reminder bracelet: a fidget element on the …

Newly Developed Antifouling Coating Alloys For Hydraulic Cylinder Applications, Christopher Liam Fahey, Robin Ashley Payne

Materials Engineering

In a marine environment solid surfaces are subject to corrosion and fouling, which is the buildup of unwanted material such as algae and barnacles, that can impede the functionality of components. The application that this project focuses on are hydraulic cylinders. Eight alloys, including three newly developed alloys, were tested for marine fouling performance. Three of the alloys were primarily NiCr, these included Inconel 625, Metco 1720, and P105-X3. Four alloys contained varying amounts of Cu, and these were Monel 400, CuproNickel, Monel 450, and P76-X24. Finally, one sample of a Co-based alloy was also tested, Ultimet. Of the samples …

Life Cycle Assessment Of An Ifixit Pro Tech Toolkit, Camden N. Webb, Dylan A. Ell

Materials Engineering

A life cycle assessment of an iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit was performed to determine the environmental impacts of iFixit’s best-selling toolkit. SimaPro software was used to measure three impact categories: energy usage, water consumption, and global warming potential. This project provides quantitative data on the resources required for repairing devices through use of the toolkit to ultimately reduce the global e-waste stream by re-using electronics. Using the cut-off method, global warming potential of the kit was 4.1 kg of CO₂ equivalents, water consumption was 1.5 m³, and energy usage was 73.9 MJ. Major contributors to these impact …

Dental Cement Thickening Agents For Mudslide Prevention, Kristina Emiliya Babayev, Emily Elizabeth Johnson, Diana Evet Reihaneh

Materials Engineering

The purpose of this project is to develop a non-toxic mud thickening agent for the application of decreasing mudslide intensity where performance is measured by flow rate, viscosity, and toxicity tests. We hypothesized that dental cements could be a potential candidate due to their adhesive, hydrophilic, and biocompatible properties. Zinc phosphate, glass ionomer, and polycarboxylate cement were among the dental cements tested. These tests were performed at low and high concentrations of 25 grams and 125 grams, respectively, mixed into soil to produce 3500 gram samples. The dental cements produced noticeable thickening effects in the mud, as the average viscosity …

Effect Of Dissolved Oxygen On Corrosion Of Carbon And 13cr Steel In A Brine Environment, Kevin Peter Iu, Andy Zhou

Materials Engineering

Oxygen corrosion is a major threat to seawater injection systems that are part of offshore drilling operations. Seawater is typically deoxygenated to an industry standard of(DO) by injection through a deaeration column followed by treatment with oxygen scavenging chemicals. Commercial simulation software like OLI Studio: Corrosion Analyzer predicts high corrosion rates when injection seawater contains high DO levels, justifying deoxygenation. However, a notable lack of experimental data exists concerning the effect of varying levels of dissolved oxygen on corrosion rate. The goal of this project is to measure the effect of three dissolved oxygen levels (0, 62, and 620 ppb) …

Uv Polymerization Of A Zwitterionic Antifouling Membrane Coating, Amanda Jia-Hwa Tsai, Vincent Matthew Guarino

Materials Engineering

Membrane filtration is used in a wide array of industries to separate components in a mixture. Filtration membranes suffer from the external deposition of pollutants and microorganisms, a phenomenon known as fouling. Fouling reduces the lifetime of a membrane and therefore increases production costs. The goal of this project was to modify the surface of a hydrophobic commercial membrane with a charged coating to induce antifouling properties. A zwitterionic monomer, sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA), was used for its steric hindrance and hydration shell formation mechanisms, which result in superior non-specific antifouling performance. When polymerizing the coating onto the surface of the …

Effects Of Uv Exposure On The Thermo-Mechanical Properties Of Cactus Based Biopolymers, Madison Glozer, Megan Bolling, Addison Wolfson

Materials Engineering

The viability of renewable biopolymers as sustainable alternatives to synthetic plastics is promising, however ultra-violet (UV) radiation can lead to premature degradation and reduction in the material’s performance. Biopolymers comprised of nopal cactus juice, animal protein, natural wax, and glycerin in differing percentages were studied to obtain thermo-mechanical data in relation to UV exposure. To quantify degradation, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, goniometry and gravimetric measurements were performed. Each formulation experienced mass loss as a result of UV exposure, which could be attributed to water evaporation. The thermogravimetric analysis indicated a reduction in the second …

The Effects Of Glass Fiber Fillers On Epoxy Resin Performance, Ashton Robert Reinhold, Manuel Jose Aguirre Ii

Materials Engineering

Premature failure of filtration members in biochemical processing is a costly issue for manufacturers. This research aims to determine whether or not the premature failure due to thermal fatigue in medical filtration devices can be mitigated by glass fiber addition. The study was conducted to identify the effects of e-glass fiber filler content in an epoxy matrix on the mechanical and thermal properties of the epoxy system. The epoxy was evaluated over a filler content of 0-50wt% in level increments of 12.5wt% and temperatures ranging from ambient to 160°C in increments of 15°C. Cylindrical and tensile bar specimens were prepared …

Solvent Analysis Of Phenolic Resin Glass Fiber Reinforced Prepreg During Out-Time, Sixin Zhai, Crystal Ipong

Materials Engineering

Phenolic resin glass fiber reinforced prepregs are highly suitable for airplane interior components due to their high fire resistance, high temperature performance, and low-density characteristics. Safran Cabin seeks to improve their storage of the phenolic resin prepreg during their manufacturing process. The issues the company faces are the occasional delamination of prepreg laminas or the loss of tackiness rendering the lamina unfit for use. The area of investigation was determining the weight loss of volatiles during out-time. The term “out-time” consists of the time the prepreg experiences in transit, on the shop floor, and in short-term temperature-controlled storage. Simulated storage …

Reducing The Fouling Of Microfiltration Membranes Through Uv-Initiated Surface Modifications Using Poly (Ethylene Glycol) Based Monomers, Christopher Lo, Matthew Truong

Materials Engineering

Meissner Filtration Product Inc. designs and manufactures membranes for food and beverage, microelectronics, ultrapure chemicals, and pharmaceutical industries. Membrane filters utilized in these industries have lifetimes greatly limited due to membrane fouling. Increasing membrane lifetime will reduce downtime, waste, and cost of operation. The proposed project is aimed to develop a methodology for synthesizing a fouling-resistant polymer coating layer on hydrophobic membrane surfaces for reducing membrane fouling and increasing membrane filterability (membrane lifetime) that are critical for effective membrane operations in the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, commercial membranes were coated with a solution containing a monomer, crosslinker, and photoinitiator …

Development Of A Marine Biodegradable Target Balloon, Blake Samuel Robinson, Arash Sam Akhavi, David Leonardo Albarran-Martinez

Materials Engineering

The US Navy utilizes PVC target balloons, known as Killer Tomatoes, that are inflated onboard a naval vessel then deployed into the ocean to calibrate a variety of weaponry. The Navy has requested the investigation of biodegradable polymers to replace the PVC in attempts to reduce ocean waste that is generated from the leftover PVC material. After communicating with American Pacific Plastic Fabricators (APPF), the current manufacturer of the Killer Tomatoes, we gained an understanding of the manufacturing process and the material requirements that would allow a new material to be integrated into their current process. Two proprietary, trial polymers …

Strengthening Of 7175 Aluminum Alloy Through Multi-Step Aging Process, Colin E. Masterson, Ryland W. Jolliffe

Materials Engineering

7175 is a heat-treatable aluminum alloy commonly used in aerospace forgings. This alloy is aged with a multi-step heat treatment. This treatment must balance strength with stress corrosion cracking resistance through a degree of overaging. The team was tasked by Weber Metals to increase the strength of this treatment without sacrificing stress corrosion cracking resistance. Both two-step and retrogression and reaging treatments were tested in experiments to find a heat treatment that could increase the yield and tensile strength by 1-2 ksi while maintaining a minimum electrochemical conductivity equivalence of 38% relative to copper. Two-step aging is the more conventional …

Inventory Locating With Quuppa: The Design And Development Of A Real-Time Process Monitoring Web Application Solution, Dylan C. Moreland, Trevor J. Howell, John W. Takiff, Patrick S. Dillon, Theo E. Fritz, William K. Mcintyre

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Viasat, Inc. requires precise inventory tracking at their production facility in San Diego, CA. Viasat has installed the Quuppa indoor real-time locating system (RTLS), which it uses to track the real-time position of high-value work-in-process items. In its current state, the system only displays in-the-moment location information, with no available functionality for storing historical data for review, analysis, or visualization. In addition, the data displayed is noisy and prone to significant random error. This paper provides an overview of RTLS methods and technologies, assesses alternative solutions to Viasat’s issue, demonstrates our RTLS integrated web app solution, analyzes its impact, and …

Pressure Driven Desalination Membranes: Lyotropic Liquid Crystals Containing Single Walled Carbon, Matteo A. Del Giudice, Samantha Castillo Merigold

Materials Engineering

This project presents a potential alternative desalination technique that utilizes the ion rejection properties of single walled carbon nanotubes dispersed in a lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) matrix. Previous research has pointed to the polymerizable surfactant methacryloxy ethyl hexadecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (C16MA) having capabilities of filtering molecular components smaller than a nanometer, when oriented in cylindrical micelles. SWCNTs were dispersed in deionized water by probe sonication and addition of surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) due to SWCNTs’ hydrophobic properties. Membranes were produced containing 55wt% C16MA, 37wt% DI water, 0.1wt% with respect to the monomer (WRM) SWCNTs, 1.9 wt% WRM 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (photointiator), …

Eventhub Application: Sharing Medium For Popup Stores / Events, Coby Hong

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

Creation of Full Stack web application using technologies MongoDB backend, REST API services, and React.JS front end. Web application centered around providing a news feed for local businesses and popup events to post / share their listings on. Users can log on with their Google account to traverse the website.

The Leed Decision-Making Processes For Northern California Commercial Construction, Shannon Marie Coyle

Construction Management

The purpose of this project was to establish a common decision-making process behind selections on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) scorecard. This report describes the similar and dissimilar motives and processes that lead construction project teams to choose the LEED credits to be implemented. By interviewing experienced project executives, architects, project managers, and LEED accredited professionals at industry-leading companies in the Bay Area, a summarization of the motives behind credit selection have been reported and commonalities and differences in the process have been noted. Through these interviews, time, cost, efficiency, and sensibility have all been considered prioritizing …

Development Plan For A Multi-Family Residential Building In San Luis Obispo, Shelby L. Wineman

Construction Management

Real estate development is often regarded as a daunting effort that requires a large sum of time and money. However, a greater supply of multi-family housing will protect cities from this homelessness, lack of availability to education, along with poor mental and physical health conditions. This paper addresses methods in which any new developer can efficiently approach developing small-scale, multi-family housing in San Luis Obispo and see overall profitability. The initial research set forth provides interested parties with a generalized basis of the analysis of value, design considerations, and methods of savings involved in development. The research is then directly …

The Benefits And Challenges Of Automation In The Modular Construction Industry, Allen Le

Construction Management

Modular construction combined with automation technology such as robotics presents benefits and challenges associated with it. Modular construction takes on the traditional building methods and has streamlined the production of modules making it safer, efficient, and productive. Along with innovation and cutting-edge technology such as automation, it offers an alternative building method to the modular construction industry that enhances productivity, worker safety, and efficiency. This research presents an investigation on factors that may be benefited from the adoption of automation but also addresses the challenges in modular construction. Qualitative interviews with designers and consultants in the modular industry were conducted …

Addressing Mep Labor Shortages And Methods To Attract Young Adults Into The Trades, Hernan Garcia Alonso

Construction Management

The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) fields require a large skilled workforce. In recent years, companies have experienced shortages of skilled employees. These shortages arise from many causes, a root cause identified is the decrease of young adults pursuing MEP careers. This project focuses on the reasons young adults are reluctant to enter these careers, such as misconceptions or lack of knowledge on MEP careers. A pool of twelve MEP companies was surveyed regarding their experiences with the causes of labor shortages and the short-term mitigation methods used. They were also asked about their perspective on the lack of young …

San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Benches, Brandon Keefer

Construction Management

The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden is an outdoor area where people often gather for events such as weddings or just simply for a casual stroll through nice scenery. There were 6 students, including myself, who teamed up to complete this project where we divided into two sub-teams, one design team and one construction team. Since I was assigned to be the team captain but was placed on the construction team, I will touch a little bit on the design process since I was involved with overseeing this aspect but focus mainly on the actual construction of the benches. This …

Sustainability In Residential Construction: Homeowner Input On Sustainable Features, Samuel Bina

Construction Management

Recently, sustainability has become extremely popular in construction, and in particular residential construction. Regulations for sustainable construction have increased over the years and have begun to increase in popularity amongst homeowners. This report dives further into the importance of sustainability in residential construction, in particular working with homeowners to identify the best methods of increasing sustainability in their homes. Currently, little information has been published regarding homeowners’ perspectives on sustainability and the types of features they would be likely to incorporate into their homes that are not mandated by codes. This report serves to provide information to both the construction …

Analyzing The Causes Of Labor Shortage In The Commercial Carpentry Trades In The San Francisco Bay Area, Jack Crayne

Construction Management

Skilled labor is vital to the success of any construction project, and no contractor would be able to operate without the skilled laborers that they employ. The construction industry has been subject to a shortage of skilled labor for the last two decades for many reasons, including the poor image of construction workers among the public, inadequate training measures, and an aging workforce. Reviewing the literature on the matter shows that the leading cause of shortage is low pay and increasing age of the workforce overall, while the demand for labor grows at a faster rate than the supply of …

Terra Nova High School Outdoor Development, Amanda J. Kaesler

Construction Management

This paper describes the preconstruction planning of an outdoor space at Terra Nova High School in Pacifica, Ca. The project involved the production of three separate proposals at a high, moderate, and low-cost point. Each proposal included a conceptual design, takeoff, estimate, and model renderings. To create the conceptual designs and estimates, several programs and outside sources were utilized, including Revit, Bluebeam, RS Means, and Precision Estimating Services. The end designs include varying combinations of outdoor picnic seating, site boulders, raised planter beds, and a concrete stage. The resulting proposals outline the expected project costs for each design as well …

Conceptual Proposal For New Student Housing In San Luis Obispo, Jack F. Tunney

Construction Management

This real property development project walked through the steps and procedures that are typical for real property development. The project focused on a conceptual multi-unit student housing project located near Cal Polys campus. The rental market in San Luis Obispo is very competitive and through market and financial analysis, it was determined that there is a demand for projects like the one proposed. The project walked through the processes associated with the financial analysis of a potential construction project in San Luis Obispo. The project identifies a site, creates a budget both for construction, development, and design costs, then analyzes …

The Utilization Of Industrial Hemp As A Structural Material, Matthew C. Wirick

Construction Management

The need for alternative materials within the construction industry is increasing as more projects are undertaken. Many of the natural resources currently used are being depleted. Various alternatives, such as using recycled concrete as a replacement for aggregate, are being researched and applied to projects with the purpose of reducing construction waste. However, substitutes are needed especially when it comes to structural materials. Industrial hemp is a fast-growing fibrous plant that can be made into a variety of goods and has properties that give it a high enough strength to be fabricated into products that can handle loads such as …