Engineering Commons^™

Improving Direct Reduced Iron Briquette Properties, Abigail Clark

Honors Theses

Fines are generated during the reduction, handling, and transportation of iron oxide pellets and lump ore. These fines present significant safety concerns due to their tendency to oxidize rapidly and combust spontaneously. In addition, they contribute to material losses and reduced revenue. However, DRI fines can be recycled through briquetting and reused in downstream steelmaking processes. Briquettes are produced by agglomerating and compacting direct reduced iron (DRI) fines with binders such as molasses and lime, calcium stearate, and bentonite. Although many different binders have been developed and studied for iron oxide agglomeration and induration, far fewer studies have been conducted …

Terrain Characterization And Spot Traversability In Mining Environments, Gordon Oti

Honors Theses

Hazardous mining environments, including abandoned underground workings and disturbed surface areas, remain difficult to explore safely because of unstable ground conditions, limited accessibility, and unknown terrain characteristics. The Boston Dynamics SPOT quadruped platform supports remote exploration and data collection in these environments; however, effective operation requires a better understanding of how measurable terrain characteristics relate to SPOT traversability performance.

This study combined terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)-based terrain characterization with field-based SPOT testing to evaluate traversability performance in representative mining environments. High-resolution TLS data acquired using a Maptek laser scanner were processed to quantify terrain slope and rock fragmentation, while field …

Continuous Process Intensification For Rare Earth Element Adsorption, Kyle Madill

Honors Theses

A continuous flow resonant vibratory adsorption swing reactor was designed to facilitate adsorption interactions between biochar and rare earth elements in a slurry or aqueous solution. A continuous mixing vessel can allow operators to run a large quantity of material through the RVM in an automatic manner that requires little supervision. This will save the operators time and allow them to focus on other research tasks. The reactor that was built was designed to bolt into Resodyn Acoustic Mixers’ Lab Resonance Acoustic Mixer-II (LabRAM-II). A design with two stacked stages within the LabRAM-II’s acoustic enclosure was settled on. These stages …

Selective Oxidation And Reduction For Recycling Samarium-Cobalt Permanent Magnets, Mitchell Harvey

Honors Theses

Samarium cobalt (SmCo) based magnets are among the strongest permanent magnets second only to neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) based magnets. While SmCo-based magnets have lower remanence and coercivity than NdFeB-based magnets at room temperature, SmCo-based magnets retain these properties better at higher temperatures. As a result, SmCo-based magnets find use in a variety of devices operating at elevated temperatures including traveling wave tubes for satellite communications, electrical generators, and control surface actuators for aviation system. With increasing geopolitical tension over the sourcing of Sm and Co, there is a renewed interest in recycling end-of-life SmCo-based magnets. This work explores a …

Wip: Developing A Generative Ai Autoethnography Assistant, Jyoti Suhag, Jennifer Drewyor, Kathryn Bugbee, Michelle Jarvie-Eggart, Lynn Albers, Leo Ureel

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Generative AI (genAI) is transforming educational research, offering new possi-bilities for conducting interviews while local sandboxing minimizes data privacy risks and hallucinations. Purpose: This work-in-progress presents the AI Autoethnography Assistant, a project investigating how large language models (LLMs) can support autoethnographic interview design and execution. Approach: Using prompt engineering grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Anal-ysis, paraphrasing techniques, and structured follow-up questions, we developed protocols that incorporate po-sitionality and prompt reflection on origin stories and pivotal life moments. Outcomes: Conversations conclude at the user’s discretion, with the AI generating a thematic summary. We tested refined prompts across four platforms (Gemini, Claude, …

C.S.A. Assessment - Tamp Family Health Center Portal, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This C.A.S. assessment evaluates how the Tampa Family Health Centers website influences userattention, cognitive processing, information accessibility, navigation efficiency, and digital user experience.The assessment examines whether the platform supports intentional engagement and informed decision-making while minimizing cognitive overload, distraction, confusion, and unnecessary attentional demands.

TFHC serves as a healthcare access portal providing appointment scheduling, patient resources, providerinformation, healthcare services, MyChart access, payment services, and community health resources.These functions make attention management and information clarity critical to successful user outcomes.

Linear Relationships Of Gibbs Free Energy For Rare Earth Element Oxide, Hydroxide, Chloride, Fluoride, Carbonate, Ferrite, And Zirconate Minerals And Crystalline Solids, Ruiguang Pan, Alexander P. Gysi, Artaches A. Migdisov, Nicole C. Hurtig, Chen Zhu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Rare Earth Elements (REE) are classified as critical minerals and materials essential for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable and clean energy. Accurate thermodynamic properties of REE minerals and other crystalline solids are crucial for geochemical modeling of REE speciation, solubility, and transport in ore deposits and for extraction, chemical processing, and recycling. However, the standard Gibbs free energy of formation (∆Gof,REEX) for these solids vary by 10s kJ mol−1 across different sources from literature. We applied the Sverjensky linear free energy relationship (LFER) to evaluate internal consistency for isostructural REE solid groups and predicted ∆Gof values for solid …

Modeling Formation Of Turbulent Sporadic-E Clouds Using Realistic Wind Data, Aaron M. Schinder, Kenneth S. Obenberger, Jorge L. Chau, Juan M. Urco, Matthias Clahsen, Benjamin F. Akers, Daniel J. Emmons

Faculty Publications

A high resolution two-dimensional multi-fluid model of sporadic-E layers was developed and driven with physically realistic mesosphere, lower thermosphere (MLT) winds measured over Albuquerque, New Mexico. The realistic E-region winds are produced by the HYdrodynamic Point-wise Environment Reconstructor (HYPER) model that ingests meteor derived wind observations from a Spread-spectrum Interferometric Multistatic meteor radar Observing Network (SIMONe) system combined with the Navier-Stokes equations to provide high resolution three-dimensional wind fields over time. Sporadic-E dynamics are simulated using both realistic winds from HYPER as well as idealized hyperbolic tangent windshears to compare and contrast. Overall, the model shows greater inhomogeneity and irregularity …

Developing And Validating A Socio-Technical Bim-Lean Integration Maturity Model For Predicting Construction Project Performance, Felix Delmonte

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This study proposes a socio-technical, multi-level maturity model that integrates BIM and Lean to explain variation in project performance across cost, schedule, productivity, quality, safety, and sustainability, and outlines a sequential mixed-methods design-science programmed for instrument development and validation. Combining systematic review, semi-structured expert interviews, Delphi consensus, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, multi-criteria weighting, and PLS-SEM, the approach separates adoption, subsystem capability, and integration maturity, and treats integration as an emergent property of aligned infrastructure, human capability, governance, and continuous-improvement routines. Measurement development emphasizes reflective multi-item constructs for BIM technical capability, Lean production governance, system integration quality, socio-technical alignment, and …

An Integrated Bim, Ipd And Lean Capability Maturity Model For Construction, Felix Delmonte

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This study proposes an integrated BIM–IPD–Lean maturity construct that conceptualizes digital information management, contractual governance, and production system discipline as interdependent socio-technical capabilities and develops a validated measurement architecture to relate this higher order construct to project performance. A mixed methods strategy is described that uses qualitative interviews and expert panels to generate items and maturity level descriptions, followed by pilot testing and rigorous psychometric evaluation (EFA, AVE, Composite Reliability, CFA/PLS-SEM) to establish convergent and discriminant validity for BIM, IPD, and Lean subscales. Hypotheses anticipate a positive association between integrated maturity and quality, time, cost, safety, productivity, sustainability, and stakeholder …

Ground To Roof Snow Load Ratio (Gr) Data Release, Brennan Bean, Cooper Nelson, Jesse Wheeler, Scout Jarman, Salam Adil Al-Rubaye, Marc Maguire

Browse all Datasets

This data release provides historical ground-to-roof snow load ratio (GR) datasets used for snow load research and model development. The release includes original referenced datasets, cleaned country specific datasets, and a master dataset that combines Canadian and United States datasets into a standardized format for research and engineering applications.

Single Fluorogens And Orientation-Localization Microscopy For Quantifying Chemical And Biomolecular Dynamics At The Nanoscale, Yiyang Chen, Yuanxin Qiu, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Many chemical systems look uniform only because ensemble measurements average over their most interesting molecules. Electron-transfer rates vary across electrode surfaces; lipid membranes contain nanodomains with distinct packing and fluidity; peptide aggregates exhibit local polymorphism; and biomolecular condensates contain transient networks of interactions that are blurred in ensemble images. A central challenge in chemical imaging is not simply to see smaller structures, but to measure chemical variables such as polarity, redox potential, and molecular confinement at the single-molecule level. In this Account, we describe how fluorogens, molecules whose brightness, blinking, spectral shifts, orientation, rotational mobility, and motion are directly shaped …

Ensemble Learning Framework For Predicting Close Proximity Tire–Pavement Noise On Expressways, Woo Young Cho, Jin Hwan Kim, Guk Gon Song, Kyungnam Kim, Youngguk Seo

Faculty Articles

Traffic noise is a critical public health concern affecting millions of highway users and adjacent residents worldwide. In response, many transportation agencies have adopted functional surface materials to reduce noise at the source on pavement, but assessing their effectiveness remains expensive and logistically challenging. Close Proximity (CPX) testing quantifies tire-pavement noise but requires specialized equipment costing $50,000-$126,000 and is limited to existing pavement, preventing proactive noise assessment during pavement design. This study develops machine learning models to predict CPX noise levels from readily available pavement characteristics, eliminating the need for costly tests during design and planning phases. To train and …

A Semantic Data Management Framework For Uncertainty Quantification In Synchrotron Diffraction Pattern Analysis, Ayorinde E. Olatunde, Ozan Dernek, Erika I. Barcelos, Roger H. French, Anirban Mondal

Student Scholarship

Advancements in technology have enabled scientists and engineers in the synchrotron science domain to generate high-dimensional data. To conduct a machine learning study on these data, an analyst undergoes multiple analytical stages, including dimensionality reduction, predictive modelling, and uncertainty quantification (UQ).

To ensure reproducibility in science, it is necessary to document the semantic relationships among the stages of the analysis to enable provenance, interoperability, and knowledge reuse. In this work, we present a Semantic Data Management (SDM) framework rooted in FAIR principles that provides ontologies for UQ workflows. We illustrate the application of UQ ontology in synchrotron diffraction pattern analyses …

A Review On Bridge Scour Analysis In Cohesive Soils And Scour-Susceptible Rocks, Darud E. Sheefa, Zhen Liu, Stanley Vitton, Brian Barkdoll

Michigan Tech Publications

Bridge scour analysis, especially scour depth calculation practices implemented mostly by hydraulics and geotechnical engineers, was traditionally built upon flume tests with cohesionless materials, e.g., sands. As a result, the analysis of bridge scour in cohesive materials, i.e., cohesive soils and scour-susceptible rocks, was less understood and thus has been gaining increasing attention. This paper presents a state-of-the-practice survey on the analysis of bridge scour in cohesive materials represented by cohesive soils and scour-susceptible rocks. This includes a literature review covering the concepts and understanding of scour susceptibility, material sampling, erodibility tests, bridge scour calculation methods for cohesive soils and …

Wind Effects Induced By Multivortex Tornadoes On A Low-Rise Building, Yi Zhao, Guirong Yan, Tetsuya Takemi, John Van De Lindt

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Multivortex tornadoes contain two or more subvortices that orbit within a parent vortex and can generate highly intermittent and localized near-ground wind fields. This study investigates how tornado flow structure affects wind effects on a low-rise building using large-eddy simulations. One single-vortex tornado and three multivortex tornadoes with different subvortex configurations are examined by systematically varying swirl ratio. Tornado translation is modeled using a relative-motion framework in which the building traverses the vortex field. Aerodynamic force and moment coefficients are evaluated along the traversing path. Additional stationary simulations are conducted to examine repeated load amplification associated with subvortex passages. Compared …

Reframing Soil Freezing As An Unsaturated Process, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Soil freezing and frost heave are inherently unsaturated soil phenomena. However, most existing numerical models are based on saturated soil mechanics or assume full saturation. This simplification introduces conceptual inconsistencies, requires modifications that violate fundamentals in soil mechanics and fluid mechanics, and often leads to the use of self-conflicting soil properties. To overcome these limitations, this study develops a physically consistent, fully coupled thermohydraulic model for soil freezing grounded in modern unsaturated soil mechanics. A soil freezing characteristic surface (SFCS) is introduced to represent unfrozen water content in partially frozen soils as a function of both suction and temperature. Recognizing …

Storm Surge And Tides In Convergent Estuaries: The Case Of Extratropical Storm Merbok In Alaska, Steven Dykstra, Stefan Talke, David A. Jay, Matthew Lobo, Silvia Innocenti, Pascal Matte

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coastal floods are composed of multiple drivers that interact with coastline geometries and are difficult to differentiate. To investigate the effects of basin shapes on storm surge and tides, we study the landfall of ex-Typhoon Merbok in the east Bering Sea, Alaska. Water levels at 34 stations are detided with a new tide wavelet tool, CWT_Multi (Lobo et al., 2024), and the spatial and temporal shifts in tides and surge are interpreted via long-wave theory. Results show nonstationary semiannual trends in tidal constituents due to ice effects and large interannual variability in mean-sea level (20-40 cm). After removing non-stationary tidal …

Experimental And Molecular Dynamic Simulation Assessment Of H2/Brine/Cement Interfacial Interactions During Underground Hydrogen Storage, Nurudeen Yekeen, Sikiru, Ahmed Al-Yaseri, Berihun Mamo Negash

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Cement is widely used as a structural and sealing material to ensure hydrogen containment in geological formations. However, the influence of H2–brine–cement wettability and H2–brine interfacial tension (IFT) on the integrity and sealing efficiency of cemented caprocks remains poorly understood. Furthermore, previous studies provide limited insights into hydrogen adsorption and sorption behavior under subsurface storage conditions. In this study, wettability and IFT of H2–brine–cement systems were experimentally measured at pressures of 500–1000 psi and temperatures of 25–50 °C to evaluate hydrogen migration, trapping, and the performance of cemented seals. Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted at pressures of 500–3000 psi and …

Underground Mine Tunnel Fire Dynamics: Experimental Investigation And Ai-Driven Characterization Of Flame Behavior, Jingmin Xu, Rui Tian, Ashish Kakoria, Aamir Iqbal, Tao Yang, Lina Zheng, Guang Xu

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Underground mine tunnel fires pose serious threats to personnel safety and infrastructure integrity, yet their detection and characterization remain challenging due to complex ventilation environments and limited visibility. This study combines full-scale fire experiments with advanced computer vision analysis to investigate the influence of fire size and ventilation on thermal, chemical, and visual signatures of mine fires. Six full-scall controlled experiments were conducted using two fire pan sizes under three ventilation conditions. Fuel mass loss, temperature distribution, and gas concentrations were systematically recorded using thermocouples, gas sensors, and visual/thermal imaging. Results show that mass loss rate is primarily governed by …

Synthesis Of Bea Zeolite From Coal Fly Ash Nano-Silica Extract: Application In Co2 Adsorption, Alechine E. Ameh, Shabnam Feyziyeva, Jean Luc Mukaba, Keagan Pokpas, Baylar Zarbaliyev, Ojo O. Fatoba, Benoit Louis, Leslie F. Petrik, Oluwaseun O. Oyekola

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study demonstrates a circular economy approach to carbon dioxide sorption by re-purposing coal fly ash (CFA) into BEA zeolite using CFA-derived nano-silica and aluminum precursors via hydrothermal synthesis. The XRD patterns, with characteristic peaks at 15° and 37° 2θ, and SEM images both confirmed the complete transformation of the spherical-shaped CFA particles into amorphous nano-silica materials with particle sizes less than 100 nm. The absence of amorphous phases and the formation of high-intensity peaks at 7.8° and 22.8° 2θ further indicated the production of a highly crystalline BEA zeolite, obtained after hydrothermal synthesis durations between 10 and 72 h. …

Development Of Reduced Conflict U-Turn (Rcut) Guidance In Kentucky, Travis Thompson, Duane Thomas, Jill Asher, Jeff Jasper

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A reduced conflict U-turn (RCUT) intersection eliminates left-turn and through movements from the minor road. Instead, drivers must turn right onto the main road and complete a U-turn at a downstream median opening. Recognized by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as a proven safety countermeasure, RCUT intersections have reduced fatal and injury crashes 22 – 63%. Despite more than 35 RCUT intersections in operation across Kentucky, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) lacked specific guidance for their planning, design, construction, and operation.

This project, conducted by the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) in cooperation with KYTC, addressed this gap through a comprehensive …

Chameleon Carriers In Trucking: Detection, Enforcement, And Financial And Safety Impacts, Brian Howell, Drew Law, Andrew Martin

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Chameleon carriers are motor carriers that evade regulatory enforcement by dissolving and reregistering under new corporate identities. This study, commissioned by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), examined how states characterize, detect, and respond to chameleon carrier activity and assessed its financial and safety impacts in Kentucky from 2020 through 2025. The research team conducted a literature review of existing agency practices and relevant stakeholder perspectives, reviewed administrative codes and statutes across 13 pilot states, and administered two structured surveys to state motor carrier credentialing officials examining carrier characterization and enforcement practices. An analysis of KYTC's carrier data flagged by CVIEW …

Automated Guided Wave Characterization Of Marcelling: In-Plane Fiber Waviness In Thermoplastic Composites, Sourav Banerjee, Ana Tudor, Corey Leydig, Thomas Ferguson, Tally Bovender, Darun Barazanchy, Josh Widosky, Paul Ziehl

Faculty Publications

Thermoplastic composite (TPC) materials often develop in-plane fiber waviness during manufacturing, a defect known as marcelling. Marcelling negatively impacts the strength and overall performance of the composite and are hard to control. While it may appear as a surface imperfection, it can also extend partially through the thickness of the material. Currently, there is no established nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method to reliably detect and quantify marcelling in composites after manufacturing. As marcelling is not a local defect but spans across the surface in in-plane dimensions of the structure, traditional pulse-echo and phased-array ultrasonic NDE are ineffective. Automated multi-directional guided …

What Drives Blockchain Technology Adoption? A Meta-Analysis Across Tam, Tpb, And Utaut Frameworks, Amir Rahmani, Roohollah Ahmadi, Tugrul Unsal Daim, Mehdi Zamani, Dilek Ozdemir

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research on blockchain adoption has expanded rapidly, with most studies conceptualizing adoption as behavioural intention. Technology adoption models, such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), are commonly applied to explore blockchain technology adoption (BTA). However, empirical results from the 12 hypotheses associated with these models remain fragmented and, at times, inconsistent, with limited comprehensive quantitative integration. To address this gap, the present study performs a meta-analysis to evaluate the degree and direction of these hypotheses systematically. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, 149 quantitative …

Impact Of Climate Change On Extreme Windstorms And Implications For Structural Design In The United States, Teng Wu, Reda Snaiki, Frank Lombardo, Sihan Li, Michele Barbato, Guirong Yan, Robert J. Trapp

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Climate change impacts various extreme windstorms associated with specific meteorological phenomena in different ways. Because various windstorms contribute to the design wind speeds, this study systematically reviewed the state-of-the-art understanding of climate change effects on wind events that collectively contribute to structural wind design in North America, particularly the US, including extratropical cyclones (as well as nor'easters), tropical cyclones, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. For each windstorm type, the general evidence of climate change impacts on storm activities (e.g., occurrence frequency and intensity) are summarized, followed by the introduction of existing simulation frameworks for yearly (or subyearly) maximum storm winds under changing …

Field Calibration Of Flow Over Tilting Weirs In Canals, Joseph E. Pugh, Timothy K. Gates, S. Karan Venayagamoorthy, Caner Kutlu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tilting weirs are widely used to regulate water levels in open channel irrigation systems and can also provide flow measurement capability that helps optimize irrigation efficiency and ensure equitable water distribution. This case study demonstrates adaptation of lab-based tilting weir ratings to field settings, where flow behavior is more complex. We compile and analyze an extensive data set derived from independent studies of five structures within three canal systems, featuring both lined and unlined channels with discharge ranging from 0.35 to 15 m3/s (12 to 530 ft3/s). Results indicate that lab-based rating equations can be calibrated to account for site-specific …

Five-State Seismic Damage Classification Of Steel-Girder Bridges On Soft Soil Using Directional Intensity Measures And Multi-Parameter Damage Indices, Ibrahim Alomari, Woubishet Zewdu Taffese, Mohammad Hossein Afsharmovahed, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Rapid yet accurate post-earthquake damage assessment of highway bridges is essential to ensure transportation network resilience. Traditional inspection, fragility analysis, and finite element modeling are time-consuming or inaccurate for real-time decision-making. This study compares ten machine-learning classifiers for the seismic damage states of highway steel-girder bridges that incorporate directional intensity measures to represent the variance of ground motions. Based on the nonlinear time-history analyses of two Missouri bridges, one Michigan bridge, and one Wisconsin bridge, multi-parameter structural damage indices were proposed and mapped to five damage states from none to collapse. Among ten supervised algorithms studied, the artificial neural network …

Effect Of Rheology Modification On Fiber Orientation And Dispersion In 3d-Printed Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, Haodao Li, Alfred Addai-Nimoh, Seongho Han, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The extrusion process in 3D concrete printing (3DCP) facilitates horizontal alignment of steel fibers along the printing direction, thus enhancing the load-bearing capacity of printed elements. However, such shear-induced fiber alignment is highly sensitive to rheological properties. This study investigates how variations in dynamic yield stress (τd) and plastic viscosity (μ), influence the extrudability, fiber orientation and dispersion, and anisotropic mechanical behavior of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). Five viscosity-modifying agent (VMA) types were incorporated at two content levels to modify the rheology of printable UHPC. Results showed that moderate VMA additions improved printability, whereas excessive contents markedly increased τd and μ; …

Barrier-Drainage Performance Of A Wicking Geotextile In Controlling Capillary Rise In Silt: Experimental Evaluation, Dahao Zou, Yipeng Guo, Jiejin Chen, Yafeng Li, Xiong Zhang, Yongjie Zhang, Luqiang Ding

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Capillary rise in silt significantly degrades its strength and durability, yet the hydraulic mechanisms governing moisture control using wicking geotextile in silt remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates the barrier-drainage performance of a wicking geotextile in silt through one-dimensional column experiments, supported by preliminary trials. Three configurations were examined: a control specimen without geotextile (CS), an embedded configuration (ES), and a surface-exposed configuration (SES). Volumetric moisture content and matric suction were monitored, capillary responses at the soil-geotextile interface and water storage behavior were evaluated. The results show that the wicking geotextile initially acts as a temporary capillary barrier due to …