Engineering Commons^™

Analysis Of Runway Incursion Trends: Implications For Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Mitigation Investments, David C. Ison

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This causal-comparative and correlation study investigated the costs of runway incursion safety improvements in relation to their effectiveness to assess potential aviation system benefits.Two airports (Los Angeles International and Dallas-Ft. Worth International), which were early adopters of Runway Status Lights (RWSL), a runway incursion technology, were targeted in this analysis. Findings indicated that there were no significant differences in counts or rates of Category A, B, and D incursions at LAX and DFW when comparing the time periods before versus after RWSL installation. Category C counts and rates were found to have increased significantly after RWSL installation. The findings of …

Advanced Security Analysis For Emergent Software Platforms, Mohannad Alhanahnah

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Emergent software ecosystems, boomed by the advent of smartphones and the Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, are perpetually sophisticated, deployed into highly dynamic environments, and facilitating interactions across heterogeneous domains. Accordingly, assessing the security thereof is a pressing need, yet requires high levels of scalability and reliability to handle the dynamism involved in such volatile ecosystems.

This dissertation seeks to enhance conventional security detection methods to cope with the emergent features of contemporary software ecosystems. In particular, it analyzes the security of Android and IoT ecosystems by developing rigorous vulnerability detection methods. A critical aspect of this work is the …

The Business Case For Industrial Safety: Revealing The Comprehensive Value Of Ergonomic Investments For Manufacturing Enterprises In Industry 4.0, Shane Stan

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

How can today’s manufacturing enterprises construct, implement, and optimize modern safety initiatives in a manner that will present maximum return on investment and facilitate enterprise growth? Furthermore, how can these manufacturers assure individual ergonomic investments become part of a larger strategy to facilitate organizational change in safety? This work addresses these questions by placing industrial ergonomics in a business improvement context which comprehensively presents the financial returns and growth opportunities poised by modern safety initiatives. Additionally, to further strengthen the business case for industrial safety, an ergonomic action planning framework is established to guide the creation of holistic safety programs …

Risk Awareness Enhancement Systems For Hazmat Transportation: Prototyping And Technology Evaluation, Jian Xue, Katherine Linville, Yu Li, Pranav Nitin Godse, Suzanna Long, Ruwen Qin

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Workers of hazardous material (hazmat) transportation have a higher chance than other workers to be exposed to various risks in their workplace. Assisting them to safely operate in their workplace in a near real-time manner is in particular need. This paper presents a study of designing, prototyping and developing feedback systems to help increase the risk awareness of workers in the loading and uploading phases of hazmat transportation. The first system was prototyped on an Arduino board, serving as the reference for system development. Then, the second system, named a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon based system, was designed as …

Prototyping A Conductive Polymer Steering Pad For Rail Freight Service, Anthony A. Villarreal, Constantine Tarawneh, Miguel Ontiveros, James Aranda, Robert Jones

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The AdapterPlus™ steering pad is a polymer component on a railcar that helps to reduce stresses on the axle as a railcar rounds a curve. One railway application requires a minimum of 240 mA to be passed through the steering pad to the rail, which activates air valves that control automated cargo gates. Currently, two copper studs are inserted into the pad to provide a conductive path. However, after continuous cyclic loading caused by normal service operation, the copper studs deform, wear, and eventually lose contact between the two surfaces rendering the pad nonconductive. One proposed solution to this problem …

Verification Of Stochastic Reach-Avoid Using Rkhs Embeddings, Adam J. Thorpe

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

A solution to the terminal-hitting and first-hitting stochastic reach-avoid problem for a Markov control process is presented. This solution takes advantage of a nonparametric representation of the stochastic kernel as a conditional distribution embedding within a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). Because the disturbance is modeled as a data-driven stochastic process, this representation avoids intractable integrals in the dynamic recursion of the reach-avoid problem since the expectations can be calculated as an inner product within the RKHS. An example using a high-dimensional chain of integrators is presented, as well as for Clohessy-Wiltshire-Hill (CWH) dynamics.

Estimating The Outer Ring Defect Size And Remaining Service Life Of Freight Railcar Bearings Using Vibration Signatures, Joseph Montalvo, Constantine Tarawneh, Jennifer Lima, Jonas Cuanang, Nancy De Los Santos

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The railroad industry currently utilizes two wayside detection systems to monitor the health of freight railcar bearings in service: The Trackside Acoustic Detection System (TADS™) and the wayside Hot-Box Detector (HBD). TADS™ uses wayside microphones to detect and alert the conductor of high-risk defects. Many defective bearings may never be detected by TADS™ since a high-risk defect is a spall which spans more than 90% of a bearing’s raceway, and there are less than 20 systems in operation throughout the United States and Canada. Much like the TADS™, the HBD is a device that sits on the side of the …

Analysis Of The Effects Of Adaptive Ramp Metering On Measures Of Efficiency With A Proposed Framework For Safety Evaluation, Jacky Loh

Master's Theses

Adaptive ramp metering (ARM) is a widely popular intelligent transportation system (ITS) tool that boasts the ability to reduce congestion and streamline traffic flow during peak hour periods while maintaining a lower implementation cost than traditional methods such as freeway widening. This thesis explores the effectiveness of ARM implementation on an 18 mile segment of the Interstate 80 (I-80) corridor in the Bay Area residing in northern California. Smaller segments of this particular segment were analyzed to determine the effective length of ARM on efficiency at various lengths originating from a known bottleneck location. Efficiency values were also compared against …

The Changing Face Of Airmanship And Safety Culture Operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Tracy Lamb

Student Works

The notion of using drones for commercial purposes has evolved in the past 5 years from the initial “boom” of excitement around this, somewhat of a novelty and curiosity, to more calculated and sophisticated use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones. In the hands of true professionals, drones can offer highly efficient and profitable solutions for industrial, and commercial inspections and other data capturing tasks. The appetite for safe and efficient collection of data is a changing face of safety cultures and how teams and individuals apply airmanship principles, and how inspection crew and UAS crew interact. UAS are …

Automated Generation Of Daily Evacuation Paths In 4d Bim, Kyungki Kim, Yong-Cheol Lee

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Spatial movements of workers and equipment should be carefully planned according to project plans. In particular, it is crucial for workers’ safety to prepare emergency evacuation paths according to changing construction site configurations and construction progress. However, creating evacuation paths for all crews for each day can be an extremely labor-intensive task if it is done manually. Consequently, in most construction projects, evacuation plans are not provided to managers and crews throughout the entire construction. Even state-of-the-art technologies do not suggest ways to generate evacuation paths according to changing progresses presented in 4-Dimensional Building Information Model (4D BIM). This research …

An Analysis Of Decision Boundaries For Left-Turn Treatments, Michael Louis Adamson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the safety and operational differences between three left-turn treatments: permitted, protected, and protected-permitted left-turn phasing. Permitted phasing allows vehicles to turn left after yielding to any opposing vehicles; protected phasing provides an exclusive phase for vehicles to turn left that does not allow opposing vehicles; and protected-permitted phasing combines the previous phasing alternatives, allowing vehicles to turn after yielding while also providing some green time for protected left-turns.As part of evaluating the differences between these left-turn treatments, crashes before and after the change at intersections that had experienced a permanent change from …

34-Inch Tall Three Beam Transition To Concrete Buttress, Scott Rosenbaugh, Wyatt Fallet, Ronald K. Faller, Robert W. Bielenberg, Jennifer Schmidt

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Roadway resurfacing and overlay projects effectively reduce the height of roadside barriers placed adjacent to the roadway, which can negatively affect their crashworthiness. More recently, bridge rails and concrete barriers have been installed with slightly increased heights to account for future overlays. However, adjacent guardrails and approach transitions have not yet been modified to account for overlays. The objective of this project was to develop an increased-height, approach guardrail transition (AGT) to be crashworthy both before and after roadway overlays of up to 3 in. (76 mm).

A 34-in. (864-mm) tall, thrie beam transition was designed such that the system …

Analysis Of Blade Fragment Risk At A Wind Energy Facility, Scott Larwood, David Simms

All Faculty Articles - School of Engineering and Computer Science

An analysis was performed to determine the risk posed by wind turbine fragments on roads and buildings at the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The authors used a previously developed model of fragment trajectory and took into account the wind speed/direction distribution at the site and the probability of rotor failure. The site‐specific risk was assessed by determining the likelihood of impact and related consequences. For both the roads and buildings, the risk varied from low to routine, which was considered acceptable.

The Nature Of Stalls: Not All Stalls Are Created Equal, Nihad E. Daidzic

Aviation Department Publications

FAA Safety Seminar (GL1588593F) held at Modern Avionics/Air Trek North, Eden Prairie, MN at 9:00 CST on Saturday, February 9, 2019.

Determination Of The Technical Condition Of Buildings And Structures On The Basis Of Verification Calculations, U. Djurayev, A. Mingyasharova

Problems of Architecture and Construction

This article is dedicated to one of the actual problems of modernization and renovation of the existing structures and buildings. The technical condition of buildings lace estimated and through to strengthening the building in order to prolonging the life and seismic safety of buildings and structures are studied.

Multi-Dimension Proportion-Differential Nonlinear Pilot Model And Simulation Application, Weian Jiang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: For better simulated study of pilot’s accident avoidance ability and pilot induced oscillation (PIO) characteristic of a man-aircraft close loop system, a method of “physiology-psychology-physiology” is presented to divide pilot models into three parts of input(signal), processing(decision making) and output(action), and a new multi-dimension proportion-differential nonlinear pilot model (MPDNLPM) is presented also. Simulated study is performed by simulated control of an aircraft pitch control model under backside tracking status for carrier landing. Conclusion: 1) The control performance of the man-aircraft system is slightly better than an ideal proportional control. 2) PIO is possible for well-trained pilot. 3) Proper anticipation, …

Autojack - Hydraulic Powertrain System, Tyce Vu

All Undergraduate Projects

A primary problem for mechanics and automotive enthusiasts is the risk associated with lifting and securing a vehicle with conventional jack stands. Often times, improper jack-stand installation results in the vehicle collapsing unexpectedly, causing injury and/or death. This problem can be minimized through the application of a newly re-designed vehicle lifting system. The conventional method for lifting cars is time consuming and can be unsafe in many circumstances. A better, safer, and more efficient lift design was needed; the AutoJack. The approach of the AutoJack design was entirely focused on the safety of lifting a vehicle. Safety was improved by …

A Novel Method Of Near-Miss Event Detection With Software Defined Radar In Improving Railyard Safety, Subharthi Banerjee, Jose Santos, Michael Hempel, Pejman Ghasemzadeh, Hamid Sharif

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Railyards are one of the most challenging and complex workplace environments in any industry. Railyard workers are constantly surrounded by dangerous moving objects, in a noisy environment where distractions can easily result in accidents or casualties. Throughout the years, yards have been contributing 20–30% of the total accidents that happen in railroads. Monitoring the railyard workspace to keep personnel safe from falls, slips, being struck by large object, etc. and preventing fatal accidents can be particularly challenging due to the sheer number of factors involved, such as the need to protect a large geographical space, the inherent dynamicity of the …

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2018, Eric R. Green, Paul A. Ross, Christopher L. Blackden, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report is based on collision reports submitted to the Kentucky State Police Records Branch. As required by Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.635, “every law enforcement agency whose officers investigate a vehicle accident of which a report must be made...shall file a report of the accident...within ten days after investigation of the accident upon forms supplied by the bureau.” The stated purpose of this requirement is to utilize data on traffic collisions for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth. Data contained in this report are based solely on the observations and judgements …

Comprehending The Safety Paradox And Privacy Concerns With Medical Device Remote Patient Monitoring, Marc Doyle

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Medical literature identifies a number of technology-driven improvements in disease management such as implantable medical devices (IMDs) that are a standard treatment for candidates with specific diseases. Among patients using implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD), for example, problems and issues are being discovered faster compared to patients without monitoring, improving safety. What is not known is why patients report not feeling safer, creating a safety paradox, and why patients identify privacy concerns in ICD monitoring.

There is a major gap in the literature regarding the factors that contribute to perceived safety and privacy in remote patient monitoring (RPM). To address this …

Secure Networked Control Via Software Rejuvenation, Paul Griffioen, Raffaele Romagnoli, Bruce H. Krogh, Bruno Sinopoli

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Software rejuvenation has been proposed as a prevention mechanism against unanticipated and undetectable attacks on cyber-physical systems. Without needing to implement any detection algorithm, the system is periodically refreshed with a secure and trusted copy of the control software to eliminate any malicious modifications to the run-time code and data that may have corrupted the controller. Previous work has considered using software rejuvenation while being able to disconnect from the network when recovering from dangerous situations. In contrast, we consider using software rejuvenation in cases where a network connection is needed in order for proper recovery to occur. We present …

Autonomous Airliners Anytime Soon?, Samuel M. Vance, Evan C. Bird, Daniel J. Tiffin

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This research seeks to extend the body of knowledge on factors influential in the decision to fly on an autonomous airliner as a passenger. Only a handful of studies have probed this direct question in the last 16 years, but the data is showing a growing public acceptance of this type of travel. Pivotal in this consideration is the basic element of trust – trust in automated airliners and trust in the airline and Air Traffic Control systems which are responsible for autonomous airliners. Human trust has many forms and manifestations, but in the end, it is a dichotomous or …

Development Of A Statistical Model To Predict Australian Flight Students’ Valuation Of Aviation Safety, Michael Chiu, Nickolai Isaksen, Steven Leib

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This study was a quantitative approach to explore whether certain demographic factors, exposure to safety training, flight experience, and engagement could be used to develop a predictive model for how Australian flight students and early career pilots valued safety. Participants were given an online Likert-scale survey to determine their valuation of safety based on SMS safety sub-cultures, safety training, engagement, as well as provided basic demographic metrics including age, flight experience, gender. In addition, a second group of participants representing local Australian culture were given a survey to determine their safety valuation. Linear regression was used to develop the best …

Sae Baja Brakes, Aaron Holden, Byron Janke

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The brakes system is critical in the safety of the vehicle. If not designed correctly, the use of the vehicle could end in disaster. The brakes team had three requirements they needed to meet:

• Design a braking system that is capable of locking all four tires traveling 30mph
• Design a system to distribute braking force between rear and front
• Design and Manufacture mounts to attach brake system to vehicle

Novel Infrastructure Monitoring Using Multifaceted Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems - Close Range Photogrammetry (Uav - Crp) Data Analysis, Surya Sarat Chandra Congress

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Remote sensing is a method of collecting data without making any physical contact with the object under inspection. Modern day remote sensing kicked off with the invention of the camera and continued on to the invention of advanced satellite mounted sensors. Photogrammetry is defined as a science that measures distances using one or more images captured remotely. Remote collection of images within a range of 1000 ft is termed close-range photogrammetry (CRP). Unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAV or UAS) have become a popular means of remotely gathering information and assessing infrastructure conditions due to their versatile nature. Multirotor and fixed-wing …

Evaluation Of Bike Boxes And Protected Intersections With Bicycle Signal Treatments For Improving Safety And Multimodal Mobility At Urban Signalized Intersections, Odai Al Houz

Masters Theses

With the dramatic increase of non-motorized transportation users, more people are concerned about the non-motorized traffic safety. Unfortunately, bicyclist and pedestrian are prone to more severe injuries when involved in a crash. For bicycle crashes, failing to yield/disregarding traffic control device, and lack of non-motorized facilities were identified to be the main causes of bicycle crashes in urban intersections. This research investigated the effectiveness of two bicycle crash countermeasures with bicycle signal treatments at urban signalized intersections. The two countermeasures are the bike boxes and the protected intersections. The bicycle signal treatments are the leading bicycle interval and the exclusive …

Hard Hat Safety By California Contractors, Jonathan G. Hernandez

Construction Management

The hard hat is the quintessential item of PPE, and yet it often gets overlooked when ensuring safety standards are being met. We all expect our hard hat to protect us, but many never inspect it to ensure that it is properly fulfilling its purpose. This disregard to inspection and maintenance can lead to serious injury or death in the event of an accident. While organizations such as OSHA and the hard hat manufacturers themselves post information on this topic, it is unclear if this information is actually being received by the people involved in a construction project. This research …

Osha-30 Lab Topics Course On Construction Safety And Hazard Identification, Patrick Garcia

Construction Management

The end goal of this research-based project is to evaluate whether an OSHA-30 integrated lab course would be beneficial to Cal Poly’s Construction Management (CM) program and how it might also benefit the construction industry. The research conducted will be to interpret whether or not there is a need for this type of class to be included into the Construction Management Curriculum. Along with data research, two separate surveys were conducted, one survey taken by the Cal Poly Construction Management student population and the other survey taken by industry professionals. Additionally, a fellow Construction Management student, Mathew Bramlett, is working …

Autonomous Trajectory Planning For Satellite Rpo And Safety Of Flight Using Convex Optimization, Nicholas G. Ortolano

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Optimal trajectory planning methods that implement convex optimization techniques are applied to the area of satellite rendezvous and proximity operations. This involves the development of linearized relative orbital motion dynamics and constraints for two satellites, where one maintains a near-circular reference orbit. The result is formulated as a convex optimization problem, where the objective is to minimize the amount of fuel required to transfer from a given initial condition to the desired final conditions. A traditional rendezvous and proximity operations scenario is analyzed, which includes examples of initial approach, inspection, final approach, and docking trajectories. This scenario may include trajectory …

Sensor-Based Safety Performance Assessment Of Individual Construction Workers, Jeewoong Park, Yong K. Cho, Ali Khodabandelu

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Over the last decade, researchers have explored various technologies and methodologies to enhance worker safety at construction sites. The use of advanced sensing technologies mainly has focused on detecting and warning about safety issues by directly relying on the detection capabilities of these technologies. Until now, very little research has explored methods to quantitatively assess individual workers’ safety performance. For this, this study uses a tracking system to collect and use individuals’ location data in the proposed safety framework. A computational and analytical procedure/model was developed to quantify the safety performance of individual workers beyond detection and warning. The framework …