Engineering Commons^™

Hybrid Processes In Material Removal Of Hard And Brittle Materials, Hossein Mohammadi

Dissertations

New technologies demand new materials with better mechanical, optical, and thermal properties. Materials that are light weight, strong with high resistance to high temperatures, and compatible with a predetermined condition. Such materials usually are challenging to manufacture and process compared to widely available materials such as metals. Ceramics and semiconductors are considered extremely hard and brittle, making them very difficult to cut and manufacture. The other major and fast-growing type of materials are composites (including Ceramic Matrix Composites, CMC) that are also considered very challenging to machine. All these materials have many applications in major industries (i.e. electronics, aerospace, optics, …

Finite Element Modeling And Experimental Characterization Of Knot Configuration Effect On The Mechanical Performance Of Surgical Suture, Arz Y. Qwam Alden

Dissertations

Tendon injuries in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine are escalating; hence there is great interest in improving tendon repair. The integrity of tendon repair depends in part on a combination of suture material, suture size and knot configuration. Recent studies have indicated the failure of surgical knots as a failure mode during surgical repair. Further, there is still no consensus on the ideal (best/safest) surgical knot techniques. Also, this failure mode is related to stress concentrations, which cannot be easily established with traditional tensile testing. Most researchers have focused on the measurement and comparison of the gross structural response of …

Retinex-Based Visibility Enhancement System For Inclement Weather With Tracking And Distance Estimation Capabilities, Marwan S. Alluhaidan

Dissertations

Road conditions affected by weather are well known to have an impact on the number of vehicle accidents and fatalities, due to low- to no-visibility conditions. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are more than 1,259,000 crashes each year. On average, 6,000 people are killed and more than 445,000 people are injured annually due to severe weather conditions. These accidents could be significantly reduced if real-time visibility enhancement systems were made available. However, eliminating the impact of weather conditions on visibility is still lacking and beyond our control. The time has come to develop technology that is capable …

Free Response And Trim Force Requirements For Aircraft Configuration Changes, Marvin Toepfer

Theses and Dissertations

As an FAA Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor, one comes in contact with many different types of experiences and abnormal situations. A widely known cause of fatal accidents in the general aviation industry, and also currently listed on the National Transportation Safety Board Most Wanted List, is the loss of control in the traffic pattern [1]. For many years now, different departments of the FAA and Department of Transportation, such as the FAA Small Airplane Directorate, have been trying to mitigate the risks and causes associated with the loss of control in the traffic pattern. Due to technological advancements and …

Opensim Versus Human Body Model: A Comparison Study For The Lower Limbs During Gait, Antoine Falisse, Sam Van Rossom, Johannes Gijsbers, Frans Steenbrink, Ben J. Van Basten, Ilse Jonkers, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Friedl De Groote

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Musculoskeletal modeling and simulations have become popular tools for analyzing human movements. However, end users are often not aware of underlying modeling and computational assumptions. This study investigates how these assumptions affect biomechanical gait analysis outcomes performed with Human Body Model and the OpenSim gait2392 model. The authors compared joint kinematics, kinetics, and muscle forces resulting from processing data from 7 healthy adults with both models. Although outcome variables had similar patterns, there were statistically significant differences in joint kinematics (maximal difference: 9.8 degrees {[}1.5 degrees] in sagittal plane hip rotation), kinetics (maximal difference: 0.36 {[}0.10] N.m/kg in sagittal plane …

Development Of A Standard Test Method For Characterization Of Asphalt Modifiers And Aging-Related Degradation Using An Extensional Rheometer, Nazimuddin Wasiuddin

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17BLSU01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"An extensional deformation test method using a Sentmanat Extensional Rheometer (SER) fixture inside a Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) is developed in this study to investigate the degradation of the polymer due to aging and to investigate the effect of modifier type. A relationship between different percentages of modifier and ductility of the modified binder is also investigated. The sample geometrics used in this study are 1 mm  0.72 mm and 3 mm  0.72 mm. A total of one hundred and …

Prediction And Rehabilitation Of Highway Embankment Slope Failures In Changing Climate, Navid Jafari, Anand Puppala

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17GTLSU04. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Highway slopes constructed with clayey soil are prone to desiccation cracks due to wetting and drying weather cycle, which allows greater moisture infiltration into the embankment from precipitation. Fissures formed due to extended wetting and drying cycles allow water to seep deeper into the soil than surficial wetting and increase the water content. This increases the moisture content in the soil and results in reduction in shear strength to the fully softened strength. On the other hand, development of desiccation cracks and …

Bridge Deck Overlays Using Ultra-High Performance Concrete, Craig Newtson, Brad Weldon

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17CNMS01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"This study investigated the use of a locally produced ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) as an alternative to typical overlay materials. Several bond strength tests including slant-shear, splitting tension, and direct tension tests were performed to assess the bond strength between UHPC and normal strength concrete (NSC) substrate with varying surface textures. Tests were also conducted to assess the early-age and longer-term shrinkage behavior and coefficient of thermal expansion of the UHPC as well as rapid chloride permeability testing. Good bond between UHPC …

Modeling Sulfate Attack In Modern Concrete For Building Sustainable And Resilient Infrastructure, Zachary Grasley

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17CTAM01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"External sulfate attack is a complex phenomenon and is manifested in the form of large expansion, cracking, and spalling depending on the exposure solution and material constituent properties. Several models were developed in the past to demonstrate sulfate attack mechanisms that account for the diffusion of sulfate ions into the porous concrete and the successive deformation triggered by the chemical reaction and precipitation of expansive agents. However, none of these models accounts for the effect of the migration of solvent water from …

Use Of Rice Hull Ash (Rha) As A Sustainable Source Of Construction Material, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17CASU02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"With the imminent shortage of natural resources, the need to find sustainable development is the highest in recent history. Therefore, this study examines the potential uses of Rice Hull Ash (RHA) as a sustainable cementitious material (SCM) in preparation of concrete. This study also assesses the use of RHA as an alternative of commonly used polymers in preparing high-grade asphalt binders. RHA is a potential sustainable solution because it is currently being treated as an agricultural waste material, yet its high silica …

Bridge Inspecting With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles R&D, Paul Darby, Vijaya Gopu

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17STLSU11. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"The project achieves through research including literature, on site interviews, and experimentation: 1) a recommendation for a UAV-based system to practically assist in routine bridge inspection work in the State of Louisiana, 2) the identification and description of advantages, disadvantages, and limitations in the use of UAVs for routing bridge inspection work in Louisiana, and 3) provided recommendations for future work. The Yuneec H520 aircraft and its E90 camera are recommended, as is the need for a boat to be included as …

Simplified Approach For Structural Evaluation Of Flexible Pavements At The Network Level, Mena Souliman, Stefan Romanoschi, Samer Dessouky

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17PUTA02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Currently, there are few available simple procedures to identify structurally weak pavement sections utilizing Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) data at the network level (e.g., city, state or province). A simple method is required to determine the structural condition of pavement sections that can be directly implemented and automated in current pavement databases. The objective of this research study is to develop a simple analysis method to determine the structural condition of pavement sections utilizing the currently available non-destructive testing (NDT) deflection measurement …

Relationship Between Road Network Characteristics And Traffic Safety, Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17ITSTSA01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"The Transportation and Capital Improvement of the City of San Antonio, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other related agencies often make several efforts based on traffic data to improve safety at intersections, but the number of intersection crashes is still on the high side. There is no one size fits all solution for intersections and the City is often usually confronted with doing best value option analysis on different solutions to choose the least expensive yet more advancements. The goal of …

Development, Training, Education, And Implementation Of Low-Cost Sensing Technologies For Bridge Structural Health Monitoring (Shm), Fernando Moreu, Chris Lippitt, Dilendra Maharjan, Marlon Aguero, Roya Nasimi

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17STUNM02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Transportation infrastructure needs continuous monitoring. However, traditional inspections cost money and are conducted visually. New technologies for bridge monitoring are expensive and complex. This project involved developing cost-effective sensor technologies that can be applied towards the maintenance of railroad bridges by recording reference-free transverse displacement. More specifically, this project developed new applications of new technologies (Arduino, wireless smart sensors, drones, Hololens) and promoted workforce development with an emphasis on outreach of high-school students. This project was carried out in three main phases: …

Evaluation Of The Performance And Cost-Effectiveness Of Engineered Cementitious Composites (Ecc) Produced From Region 6 Local Materials, Gabriel Andres Arce Amador, Tyson Rupnow, Marwa Hassan

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17CLSU05. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"The project objective is to develop cost-effective Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) with locally available ingredients in Region 6 to address the deficiencies observed in ordinary concrete materials. The study explored the utilization of two types of river sands (coarse and fine), two types of PVA fibers (long and short), four levels of cement replacement with Class F fly ash, and the implementation of recycled crumb rubber in the performance of ECC materials. A total of 24 mix designs were prepared and evaluated …

Impacts Of Moisture On Asphalt Properties, Zahid Hossain

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17BASU03. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Stripping related moisture damage has been recognized as one of the major pavement distresses since the early 1990s. The main objective of this study is to establish an effective test protocol to quantify moisture susceptibility of asphalt pavements. To this end, selective test methods (Texas Boiling test, Tensile Strength Ratio, Retained Stability, and Hamburg Wheel Test), and procedures based on surface chemistries and molecular-level mechanistic properties have been investigated in this study. Firstly, a comprehensive list of literature related to moisture damage …

Integrated Health Monitoring And Reinforcement Of Transportation Structures With Optimized Low-Cost Multifunctional Braided Cables, Ibrahim Karaman, Darren Hartl

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17STTAM04. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Corresponding data set for The objective of this research study is to design, fabricate, and characterize multifunctional high strength and self-sensing braided cables and structures using novel Fe-based shape memory alloys (SMAs). The system exploits unique properties of recently developed low-cost super-elastic FeMnAlNi SMAs, which enables excellent super-elastic properties, high strength, and self-sensing in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. This novel material technology can be coupled with modeling efforts that allow for accurate prediction of both the materials and structural response during …

Investigating Problem Of Distracted Drivers On Louisiana Roadways, Xiaoduan Sun

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17SALSU10. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"Due to the escalating usage of cellphone and social networking, distracted driving is and will remain as one of the most serious problems faced by Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and law enforcement agencies. Under the aim of in-depth investigation of distracted driving crashes in Louisiana, the specific objectives of this study are: (1) reviewing the crash reports for the quality of distracted driving crash reporting, (2) analyzing distracted driving-related crashes through regression model and data mining algorithm to link the severity of …

Modeling Harmonic Impacts Of Electric Vehicle Chargers On Distribution Networks, Nicole Woodman, Robert B. Bass, Mike Donnelly

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

As the proliferation of electric vehicles continues to grow, it is becoming important to understand the impacts that electric vehicle charging will have on distribution assets. EV chargers are non-linear, multi-state loads. This manuscript presents a design method for the modeling of EV charging units using a VHDL-AMS simulation environment, per IEEE Standard 1076.1. Voltage and current data collected from in-service EV charging stations were used to create harmonic profiles of the EV charging units. From these profiles, generalized models for both Level 2 and Level 3 EV chargers were created. These models were validated within a larger system context …

Modeling The Sustainability Of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Technologies: Final Report, Miguel A. Figliozzi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the past decade, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have become increasingly more popular in the commercial sector. Drones are being used for all kinds of purposes, such as surveillance, inspecting architecture, filming, wildlife research, and more. Freight delivery is a potential application that is getting lots of attention from large companies.

This research presented novel data, relationship, and models for deliveries utilizing small UAVs. Small UAVs were defined as aircrafts with a tare of up to 15 kilograms (kg) and a potential payload of up to 15 kg. Since the weight of the UAVs is capped, only drones with engines …

The Passive Effects Of Full-Gateway, In-Street Signs On Vehicular Speed, De'lon Dixon

Masters Theses

Reducing motorist’s speed when approaching crosswalks is an important goal in reducing the number of collision between motorist and pedestrian in crosswalks. The current study addresses this goal. The effect of gateway installation of in-street signs (one in-street sign installed between the two travel lanes in each direction and one on both edges of the roadway in each direction) on vehicle speed was evaluated on nine roads. The results demonstrated that the Gateway in-street sign treatment produced large speed reductions as vehicles approached the crosswalk and at the crosswalk. The average speed reduction was 3.8 mph at the crosswalk and …

Stereotypic Repetitive Hand Flapping Movement Detector Children With Autism, Subodh Ashok Bansode

Masters Theses

The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has increased at a significant rate in recent years, especially in developed nations such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Extensive research is being carried out to study the behavioral characteristics of the disease. Children affected with autism tend to exhibit a spectrum of symptoms depending on the severity of the disease. These behaviors are primarily repetitive, self-stimulatory, and stereotypic behaviors such as hand flapping (i.e., repeatedly shaking their hands), body rocking (i.e., swaying their body back and forth), drumming, walking around in a confined space, and walking with shortened steps …

Use Of Pv/T Panels To Meet The Building Loads Of Light Commercialized Buildings, Sadhvi Arora

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis deals with the analysis of a Photo Voltaic Thermal (PV/T) panel that is capable of producing simultaneously electric power and low-grade heat energy by absorbing the solar energy striking on its surface. A simple mathematical model is developed to estimate the electric power and heat energy gained by the PV/T panel. A water-to-water heat pump is employed that operates by absorbing the low-grade heat energy obtained from PV/T panel, in its evaporator, in order to produce high temperature hot water in its condenser. The high temperature hot water thus produced can be employed to meet the winter heating …

Assessment Of Small-Scale Anisotropy In Stably Stratified Turbulent Flows Using Direct Numerical Simulations, Amrapalli Garanaik, Subhas Karan Venayagamoorthy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study, the validity of the widely used Kolmogorov hypothesis of local isotropy of dissipative scales in stably stratified turbulent flows is investigated using high-resolution direct numerical simulations. Departure from isotropy is investigated for the first time in terms of the turbulent Froude number defined as Fr = ϵ/(NEk), where N is the buoyancy frequency, Ek is the turbulent kinetic energy, and ϵ is the rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy. It is shown that for both ϵ and the rate of scalar (density) dissipation, ϵρ, the small-scale statistics are nearly isotropic in the weakly stratified turbulent regime …

Improving The Quality Of Traffic Records For Traffic Incident Management, Reginald R. Souleyrette, Mei Chen, Xu Zhang, Eric R. Green, Shraddha Sagar

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Traffic incidents in US roadways cause 25 percent of all delays experienced by users. The resulting congestion may lead to secondary crashes, increasing economic costs and further risking the lives of travelers. Traffic Incident Management is a process that detects, responds to, and clears traffic incidents as quickly as possible so that traffic flow is restored safely. This project analyzes the three TIM performance measures: Roadway Clearance Time, Incident Clearance Time and Secondary Crashes of Kentucky to identify a baseline for performance which may indicate potential for improvement. The study pinpoints different data sources, tools and technologies that can be …

Design And Analysis Of Binary Driven Coherent M-Ary Qam Transmitter For Next Generation Optical Networks, Naji Albakay

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This work presents a design for a binary driven optical square M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) transmitter for high speed optical networks. The transmitter applies tandem quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulators to eliminate the need for linear broadband amplifiers and high-resolution digital to analog converters (DACs), which are both required by conventional transmitters. The transmitter design could be scaled to any order of square M-ary QAM by simply adding more QPSK modulators in tandem. It also provides a Gray coded symbol constellation, insuring the lowest bit error rate possible during symbol recovery. We also provide the design for the …

Mitigating Loss Of Control In General Aviation: A Human-Systems Integrated Flight Test Method For Mapping Pilot Cognition And Aircraft Dynamics, Tiziano Bernard

Theses and Dissertations

General aviation (GA) loss of control accidents, in the United States, have continued to occur despite efforts by government and non-government research agencies. The lack of data during loss of control events (due to the absence of data recorders in small aircraft) does not allow for an accurate reconstruction of the accidents, causing accident investigators to focus on generic causes like pilot error. Flight test research has shown that there are various systems induced causal factors that can potentially set up an aircraft to depart controlled flight and do not aid pilot efforts. An example of these causal factors is …

Evaluating Load Adjusted Learning Strategies For Client Service Levels Prediction From Cloud-Hosted Video Servers, Ruairí De Fréin, Obinna Izima, Mark Davis

Conference papers

Network managers that succeed in improving the accuracy of client video service level predictions, where the video is deployed in a cloud infrastructure, will have the ability to deliver responsive, SLA-compliant service to their customers. Meeting up-time guarantees, achieving rapid first-call resolution, and minimizing time-to-recovery af- ter video service outages will maintain customer loyalty.

To date, regression-based models have been applied to generate these predictions for client machines using the kernel metrics of a server clus- ter. The effect of time-varying loads on cloud-hosted video servers, which arise due to dynamic user requests have not been leveraged to improve prediction …

Novel Methods For The Crystallization Of Thin Film Silicon, Shane Mcmahon

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Underpinning much of the technological innovation over the past few decades in the fields of sensors, lighting, displays, and energy conversion has been thin-film electronics. While many of the surfaces in our environment have curvature, silicon wafers do not. Flexible electronics attempt to overcome this fundamental limitation in form factor. Flexible thin-film transistors (TFTs) can be fabricated over large areas to provide switching and driving elements for displays and other devices. While printable organic semiconductors have made significant advances over the past few years, they cannot match the performance capability, electrical quality, temperature compatibility, or stability of silicon. For this …

The Live Load Response Of The Open Web Steel Joist Black Slough Bridge, Piero Caputo

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The bridge being studied spans the Black Slough River in the Nucor/Vulcraft facilities near Brigham City, Utah. The bridge is composed of seven heavyweight open web steel joists supporting a concrete deck-slab element and sitting in two concrete cantilever walls serving as bearings. A full-scale live-load test was performed using forklift vehicles at four locations on the deck. During the test, axial strains, deflections, and rotations where measured.

In their provisions, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) included a simplified number of equations and solutions used to calculate GDFs for standardized decks supported by beam systems. …