Engineering Commons^™

A Surface-Bound Detection Architecture For Label-Free Evanescent-Wave Sensing Of Cobalt In Complex Fluids, Jeremiah W. Carpenter

All Dissertations

Cobalt exposure is a clinical concern in orthopedic implant surveillance, where cobalt-chromium wear debris can release ions detectable in blood and urine, and an environmental concern in mining-affected and industrial water systems. Reference laboratory methods, including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, provide sensitive quantification but require centralized instrumentation, trained personnel, and controlled sample handling, which limits their availability for routine screening in decentralized clinical and environmental contexts. This dissertation develops a surface-bound detection architecture for label-free evanescent-wave sensing of cobalt in complex fluids. The architecture rests on a physical necessity argument grounded in interfacial optics: at physiologically and environmentally relevant …

Quantifying The Value Of Adaptability: Bridging Real Options Analysis And Adaptable Building Design, Miranda Grice

All Dissertations

As the demands of the built environment continually evolve, buildings are expected to meet changing occupancy needs, or otherwise they become obsolete. Despite positive research on the benefits of adaptable building design, there is a knowledge gap regarding the long-term economic benefits of these designs. Practical methods are needed to determine if premium costs associated with adaptable designs are justified by the economic benefits inherent in adaptability. Therefore, this dissertation provides a discussion on the application of the financial theory of options analysis to the design of adaptable buildings. Additionally, a model and accompanying tool are presented as a solution …

Advancing Life Cycle Assessment Of Mass Timber: Environmental Performance, Circular Design And End-Of-Life Strategies, Muzan Williams Ijeoma

All Dissertations

Mass timber has emerged as a leading candidate for low-carbon construction, offering the dual benefits of reduced embodied emissions and biogenic carbon storage. Yet, fully realizing its sustainability potential requires a comprehensive and context-specific understanding of its environmental performance across the entire life cycle, from raw material production to building operation and beyond end-of-life (EoL). This dissertation advances life cycle assessment (LCA) practices for mass timber by addressing critical challenges across multiple phases of its life cycle. This dissertation is comprised of three published papers, and two submitted manuscripts. First, I conducted a critical review and meta-analysis of mass …

Spatially Mapped Statewide Estimated Potential Evapotranspiration Using An Efficient Surface Interpolation Method: A Case Study Of South Carolina, Sudhanshu S. Panda, Devendra M. Amatya, Ka Kit Liu, Augustine Muwamba, Timothy J. Callahan

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Potential evapotranspiration (PET) exhibits substantial spatial and temporal variability across large landscapes, necessitating site-specific estimation for accurate environmental and water resource assessments. However, obtaining PET or ET data for specific locations across an entire state remains challenging due to the limited number of weather stations and associated environmental datasets. This study aimed to develop an automated geospatial modeling framework to map PET distribution across South Carolina, USA, using PET estimated by the temperature-based Hargreaves–Samani (H–S) method with daily weather data from 59 NOAA stations. Because the accuracy of spatial interpolation depends on both the target variable and the desired spatial …

Life Cycle Assessment Of The Cultivation Of Lettuce In A Hydroponic System Using The Nutrient Film Technique, Raquel Jordan

All Theses

Hydroponic systems are an emerging method of soilless crop cultivation typically done inside a greenhouse where nutrients are delivered dissolved in water rather than being supplied from the soil. Potential benefits of hydroponic systems include reduced irrigation requirements, higher crop yield per area, and the ability to grow crops year-round in nontraditional areas such as urban settings, cold climates, and sites with contaminated soil. However, hydroponic systems tend to have high energy requirements for lighting and climate control, which can yield significant environmental impacts. To explore the environmental impacts of cultivating lettuce in a nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic system, …

Effects Of Lossy Compression Data On Machine Learning Models, Max H. Faykus Iii

All Dissertations

Machine learning is a fundamental tool that is incorporated in every field across academia and other industries. Due to the large amount of data needed for training machine learning models, lossy compression plays a crucial role in storing data. Machine learning involves the use of algorithms and models to learn patterns in data. This allows the AI to make decisions without specific programming. On the other hand, compression utilizes encoding and decoding techniques to reduce the size of files. Compression is either lossy or lossless, lossy causes a loss of data while lossless preserves the data. This dissertation will explore …

Bim-Based Automated System For Carbon Emissions And Construction Costs Estimation (Bas-Cc) In Modular Design And Production, Roshan Bandiwadekar

All Theses

Modular construction adopts a manufacturing-like construction process, enhancing the management of embodied carbon emissions in production and construction phases. However, estimating these emissions presents challenges due to the involvement of diverse stakeholders across various lifecycle stages. Additionally, cost considerations often influence design choices and material selections in modular constructions, neglecting the impact of embodied carbon emissions. To address these challenges, we present a proof-of-concept for an automated Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based system to estimate both carbon emissions and construction costs. This system automates the calculation of embodied carbon and cost implications of different modular designs and materials, enabling informed decision-making. …

Changes In The Western Flank Of The North Atlantic Subtropical High Since 1140 Ce: Extremes, Drivers, And Hydroclimatic Patterns, Joshua C. Bregy, Justin T. Maxwell, Scott M. Robeson, Grant L. Harley, Valerie Trouet

Publications

Summer circulation and moisture patterns in the Southeast United States are controlled by the position of the North Atlantic subtropical high. In a warming climate, the subtropical high is projected to strengthen and expand west, but there remains uncertainty regarding its variability and linkages to natural drivers. Here, we use a tree-ring network across the Southeast United States to reconstruct the relative intensity of the pressure gradient across the subtropical high’s western flank over the past 870 years. Variations in the flank’s position and the pressure gradient have been a major driver of the hydroclimate—including creating a Southeast-Caribbean moisture dipole—since …

Development Of A Cost-Affordable Thin-Layer Chromatography Testing Kit For Falsified And Substandard Pharmaceuticals In Tanzania, Eleanor Hatcher

All Theses

A significant number of pharmaceuticals supplied to Tanzania are falsified or substandard. A majority of these inadequate pharmaceuticals are medications to treat life-threatening conditions. This problem not only causes mistrust in the healthcare system but also prolonged illness and potentially death for the patients. This calls for the need for the development of a cost-affordable testing kit for falsified and substandard pharmaceuticals in Tanzania. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used as the testing method since it is inexpensive and requires a low skill level to complete. Malaria, human immunodeficiency virus, hypertension, tuberculosis, and diabetes are five of the most prevalent diseases …

Root And Causes Of Skilled Labor Shortage In Construction Industry: Comprehensive Literature Review, Nicholas Hardy, Carolina Barbosa-Resende, James Kereri, Arash Taghinezhad

The Professional Constructor

The skilled labor shortage is well documented from a historical perspective via studies focusing various construction trades such as carpentry, mechanical, electric and plumbing, and tile setters. Causes of such shortages such as industry image, college as a preferred choice after high school, and construction being a last resort have been investigated extensively. Consequently, possible solutions ranging from amplifying shop classes in high school to intensifying recruiting efforts for union training programs have all been addressed throughout the last 40 years. However, recent studies have focused on identifying the magnitude and reach of the skilled labor gap while limited attention …

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 49, Number 01

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Addressing Mercury Contamination From Artisanal Gold Mining In Colombia: Pollution Exposure, Health Risk, And Educational Efforts In The Communities Of La Toma, Colombia, Kelli Mccourt

All Dissertations

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has become a primary environmental and public health concern in the region of Colombia known as Alto Cauca. The predominantly Afro-descendent communities of Yolombó and La Toma in Alto Cauca have experienced pollution linked to the use of mercury in the ASGM process. For the past decade, mercury has emerged as a contaminant of increasing concern in the communities due to its toxicity and ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify. Likewise, mining in the region raises concerns over the leaching of metals into local waters. Given the complexity of risk and pollution in the communities, …

The Influence Of Diversity Dimensions On Student’S Collaboration Success: What It Means For Workforce Development In Manufacturing, Oyinkansola Adeite

All Theses

Manufacturing productivity is measured by labor productivity which is the hourly output of the manufacturing economy. The recent reduction in productivity numbers by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics emphasizes the need for workforce development. With globalization and technological advancements, diversity has emerged as a critical aspect for the workplace. By encompassing dimensions such as education, race, and age, diversity creates a tapestry of unique perspectives and experiences. This study’s aim is to figure out the effect of a diversity dimension on team performance using intelligent systems, and in addition, if extra dimensions of diversity further impact team performance. …

The Effect Of Package Types On Fresh Peaches In The Direct-To-Consumer Distribution Environment, Brennan Lytle

All Theses

The direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping mode presents new opportunity for fresh peach sales in North America where demand over the past four decades has steadily declined. The hazards in this distribution mode are severe, and fresh peaches are fragile emphasizing the need for proper protection. A full analysis that not only encompasses the effects of the direct-to-consumer distribution environment, but also incorporates analyses of the environmental and economic impact of the packages utilized for transit of peaches is necessary. In this study, we use the metrics of peach grade, firmness, soluble solids concentration, and percent softness before and after the distribution …

Systematic Literature Review Of Roof Systems On Energy Efficiency Of A Building To Support An Ideal Study Framework, Ayushi Raj Dua

All Theses

A sustainable building envelope is a crucial element to build energy efficient structures that contribute towards sustainable communities. The demand for sustainable building envelopes has grown in response to a growing emphasis on sustainable living. The roofing system is an important component of a sustainable building envelope because it influences the building's energy consumption and indoor comfort levels. The current study focuses on roofing systems and associated solar reflectance and albedo values to document the impact on energy efficiency via cooling/heating energy usage, dollar savings and temperature (ambient and surface) reductions due to the roofing systems. Additionally, the study focuses …

Explaining Spatio-Temporal Evolution Of Extreme Hydro-Climatic Events Using A Complex Network Framework, Somnath Mondal

All Dissertations

Severe hydroclimatic extreme events, such as droughts, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall, are occurring with increasing frequency and causing significant impacts on both people and the environment. These events also compound in space and time, leading to even more significant consequences. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend these phenomena' concurrent and time-delayed progression across different temporal and spatial scales to address adaptation and mitigation effectively. To accurately understand and map the co-evolution of extreme events, it's necessary to have a thorough grasp of their spatiotemporal patterns, how they propagate and interact with one another, and the underlying mechanisms driving their occurrence. …

Design And Operation Of A Microwave Flow Cytometer For Single Cell Detection And Identification, Jeffrey A. Osterberg

All Dissertations

Microwave dielectric sensing has become a popular technique in biological cell sensing for its potential in online, label-free, and real-time sensing. At microwave frequencies probing signals are sensitive to intracellular properties since they are able to penetrate cell membranes, making microwave flow cytometry a promising technology for label-free biosensing. In this dissertation a microwave flow cytometer is designed and used to measure single biological cells and micro particles. A radio frequency (RF)/microwave interferometer serves as the measurement system for its high sensitivity and tunability and we show that a two-stage interferometer can achieve up to 20 times higher sensitivity than …

The Evacuation Simulation Of Wheelchair Users In A Building Fire: An Initial Dynamic Characterization Of Structural Egress Components, Haley Hostetter

All Theses

People with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable groups involved in building fires. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, in the United States alone, an estimated 700 home fires involve people with physical disabilities each year while over 1700 involve those with mental health disorders. Despite this, the current body of literature shows few studies focused on the evacuation of disabled people. This is a direct result of past and present social injustice on people with disabilities and has resulted in high injury and death rates during fires. To combat this, enrich the literature, and improve their experiences in …

Product Lifecycle Management - Application Of Patterning Methods To Gas Turbine Blades And Creation Of Learning Materials, David Procopio

All Theses

To compete in the global marketplace, companies need to embrace virtual design and manufacturing methods. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) embodies both the workflow processes and tools to bring forth products from conception to design to fabrication to service to decommissioning, and to eventual recycling. In response to the growing demand for engineers and technicians with these critical skills, colleges and universities should introduce these virtual tools through seminars, software workshops, and computer laboratory sessions. Some of the opportunities in the PLM Center at Clemson University include short courses on PLM practices, focused software training sessions, hands-on exploration activities, and research …

Quantification Of Compound And Cascading Hydroclimatic Extreme Events, Sourav Mukherjee

All Dissertations

Compound and cascading hydroclimatic extreme events have garnered much attention in recent studies. The combined effects of interconnected extremes can cause widespread damage, with a higher potential impact than individual extremes. Both anthropogenic warming and natural climate variability affect these extremes, which is why detecting past extreme events, understanding the underlying mechanisms, and assessing their future impacts can aid in mitigation efforts to reduce their overall impact. However, thus far, identifying such events is oversimplified and the propagation of their impact as cascades from the physical to human systems remains partly explored.

The overreaching goal of this thesis is to …

Investigating The Presence Of Culture In Engineering Design: A Case Study On Culture In Design Methods, Perception, And Outcomes, Malena Ataa Durowaah Agyemang

All Dissertations

Overwhelming global statistics on economic, social, and health disparities has driven engineers and designers to develop solutions to minimize these disparities [1,2,11,12,3–10]. For the scope of this study, these efforts are referred to as design for humanitarian engineering and global development (HEGD). HEGD solutions are designed to improve access to medical technologies, energy, clean water, and even spark economic development [1–10]. However, many HEGD solutions go unadopted, halting their intended benefits [9,13,22,23,14–21]. Efforts to improve HEGD adoption have focused on ways to incorporate culture in the design solution’s aesthetics or in approaches post-deployment [24,25,34,35,26–33]. However, a review of failed HEGD …

Perspectives On Diversity And Inclusion In Construction, Anna A. Pasha

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry is rapidly growing and contractors are optimistic about the immediate and long-term growth of the industry. As demand increases, the construction industry faces a projected labor shortage crisis. As the construction industry grows, it must rise to meet the challenge of solving this labor shortage by diversifying and widening its labor pool and strategically attracting new talent. This essay offers a detailed solution that includes a redefinition of approaches to diversity, ideas for short-term policies and creative long-term policies, and a lasting vision for the industry that will guide us to continue growing progressively and avoiding crises …

Control Of Infectious Diseases In A Metapopulation, Ceyda Best

All Dissertations

With the motivation of the complex infectious disease control problem, we provide two different approaches to model the resource allocation problem to control an epidemic in a metapopulation. All of our models utilize a detailed stochastic simulation model that is validated with the data from the 2014 Ebola epidemic. This simulation model provides a tool for comparing the performance of different policies.

The first model defines a dynamic allocation problem, which is modeled by a Markov Decision Process, and aims to find feasible and effective quarantine policies to control an epidemic with limited resources. We assume that the populations share …

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 44, Number 01

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Implementing Unbiased Decision-Making In Construction: A Lean Approach, Somik Ghosh, Michelle Robinette, Howard Tapia

The Professional Constructor

Construction project-teams are frequently faced with the task of decision-making as part of their responsibility. The positive effects of the decisions made at various stages of the projects lead to improved project performances, while negative effects can hinder the performances. The project teams take up the task of decision-making surrounded by multiple criteria, which can be arduous and clouded with subjectivity. This paper presents an approach based on the Lean principle of providing more autonomy to the project-teams and supporting collaborative and decentralized process in pursuit of unbiased decision-making. This Lean way of decision-making is formalized as Choosing by Advantage …

Efficacy Of Smart Pv Inverter As A Strategic Mitigator Of Network Harmonic Resonance And A Suppressor Of Temporary Overvoltage Phenomenon In Distribution Systems, Shriram Srinivasarangan Rangarajan

All Dissertations

The research work explores the design of Smart PV inverters in terms of modelling and investigates the efficacy of a Smart PV inverter as a strategic mitigator of network harmonic resonance phenomenon and a suppressor of Temporary Overvoltage (TOV) in distribution systems. The new application and the control strategy of Smart PV inverters can also be extended to SmartPark-Plug in Electric Vehicles as the grid becomes smarter.

As the grid is becoming smarter, more challenges are encountered with the integration of PV plants in distribution systems. Smart PV inverters nowadays are equipped with specialized controllers for exchanging reactive power with …

Convergence Of The Fast State Estimation For Power Systems, Md Ashfaqur Rahman, Ganesh Kumar Venayagamoorthy

Publications

Power system state estimation is a fundamental computational process that requires both speed and reliability. To meet the needs, some variants of the constant Jacobian methods have been used in the industry over the last several decades. The variants work very well under normal operating conditions with nominal values of the states. However, the convergence of the methods are not analysed mathematically and it may contain pitfalls. In this study, the convergence of the constant Jacobian methods are analysed and it is shown that the methods fail under high variations of the states. To increase the reliability of the processes, …

Changes In Temporal Variability Of Precipitation Over Land Due To Anthropogenic Forcings, Goutam Konapala, Ashok Mishra, L. Ruby Leung

Publications

This study investigated the anthropogenic influence on the temporal variability of annual precipitation for the period 1950–2005 as simulated by the CMIP5 models. The temporal variability of both annual precipitation amount (PRCPTOT) and intensity (SDII) was first measured using a metric of statistical dispersion called the Gini coefficient. Comparing simulations driven by both anthropogenic and natural forcing (ALL) with simulations of natural forcing only (NAT), we quantified the anthropogenic contributions to the changes in temporal variability at global, continental and sub-continental scales as a relative difference of the respective Gini coefficients of ALL and NAT. Over the period of 1950–2005, …

Demisting Using An Ultrasonic Standing Wave Field, T. M. Merrell, John Saylor

Publications

Removing drops from an air flow can be challenging, particularly, for small drops. Herein a method for demisting is presented that employs ultrasonics to force small drops to combine. Specifically, a cylindrical ultrasonic standing wave field is established in a tube, forming pressure nodes that take the form of cylinders located within the tube and having the same axis as the tube. Droplets are driven toward these pressure nodes by the acoustic radiation force, forcing smaller drops to combine to form larger drops, which eventually fall due to gravity, thereby demisting the flow. Experiments presented herein show that, for the …

Power System Distributed Dynamic State Prediction, Md Ashfaqur Rahman, Ganesh Kumar Venayagamoorthy

Publications

The security of the power system can be enhanced with the prediction of the dynamic state variables. To increase the security, a distributed predictor is developed based on the Elman Recurrent Neural Network (ERNN) in this study. To develop a scalable distributed predictor, the whole network is divided in a number of ERNNs. They take the current and the previous actual states from its own and its neighbors to predict the near future values of the states. The concept is inspired from the Cellular Computational Network (CCN) framework. Each ERNN is a cell in the CCN framework. Through simulation, the …