Engineering Commons^™

Drainage And Pedestrian Access Improvements At City Farms Slo, Benjamin Marc Kocher, Jacob Anthony Booker

Construction Management

This senior project focused on planning, designing, and constructing drainage and pedestrian access improvements at City Farms SLO, a nonprofit in San Luis Obispo that promotes sustainable agriculture and youth education. Prior to construction, the site experienced significant stormwater pooling and erosion in a central area of the farm, making daily operations and visitor access difficult during wet weather. The team excavated an 80-foot trench drain with appropriate slopes, installed a 15-foot corrugated HDPE culvert with proper bedding and backfill, built a seven-foot pedestrian bridge over the trench, and created a 17-foot gravel pathway connecting the bridge to an existing …

Residential Boundary Fence Installation In Oceano, Ca, Ulysses Beas

Construction Management

This Senior Project focuses on the planning and execution of a residential boundary wooden fence for an elderly homeowner located in Oceano, California, alongside a partial front yard renovation that was an appreciation gift from her grandson. Prior to construction, the front yard was divided by a small ornamental iron fence, which provided very little privacy. This fence installation was designed to improve privacy, security and overall safety while working alongside hired concrete laborers. Not only was the goal to improve safety but also the aesthetics of the home. This Project includes a project scope statement, site measurements, fence layout, …

Family Christian Center Storage Shed, Jacob Nehemiah Zuniga

Construction Management

This project focused on the planning and construction of a storage shed for my church to address growing space limitations. As classrooms and other functional areas were being used for storage, the goal was to create a dedicated storage solution that would free up interior space for ministry use. After receiving approval from church leadership, I developed a full project plan including a scope of work, cost estimate, quantity takeoff, schedule using Microsoft Project, site logistics plan, safety plan, and construction drawings. I also coordinated with the City of Patterson Planning Department to ensure compliance with local requirements. The project …

Factors Impacting Wildland-Urban Interface (Wui) Fires: A Systematic Literature Review, Albert Jimenez

Construction Management

Fires in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) pose a significant danger to communities. The WUI refers to the space where development meets vegetation. Significant research has been conducted into wildfire and WUI vulnerability across the world to help combat vulnerability. These include the identification of factors of vulnerability to create indices that quantify vulnerability, and address scope gaps and inconsistencies within literature. However, existing research seems to be fragmented in finding the WUI vulnerability factors and often it focuses on wildfires and not WUI fires. The objective of this systematic literature review is to synthesize wildfire vulnerability factors identified in the …

Skip The Grid 25-26: A Safety-Driven Solar Installation Project In The Navajo And Hopi Nations, James R. Wall

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary service-learning project that provides sustainable energy solutions to families with school-aged children living in the Navajo and Hopi Nations. In March 2026, a team of 23 students from five academic disciplines at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) partnered with Heart of America, SOLV Energy, and NextPower to complete the fifth year of the program. The project's purpose was to improve quality of life and support educational success by providing reliable access to electricity, lighting, and refrigeration in underserved communities. Participants were organized into five installation teams consisting of Cal Poly students, faculty, industry …

The Impact Of Bilingual Superintendents On A Multilingual Job Site, Cesar Barajas

Construction Management

Language barriers are frequently encountered on construction job sites. Construction crews can often be limited in their proficiency when speaking English and in states like California, construction superintendents oversee a lot of Spanish-speaking crews. This study aims to identify if bilingual superintendents lead to better performing projects. Communication impacts major metrics of project performance including schedule, rework costs, safety performance, and coordination across trades. This qualitative study includes superintendents, project managers, and field crew semi structured interviews backed by survey answers. Interview participants discuss specific examples of how communication can affect jobsite performance both negatively and positively. Subjects are asked …

Evaluating The Feasibility Of Recycled Asphalt Pavement And Warm Mix Asphalt In California Highway Construction, Ryan A. Milanesa

Construction Management

California’s highway infrastructure faces increasing material costs, limited aggregate availability, and aggressive greenhouse gas reduction mandates. Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) offers a practical solution to reduce virgin binder demand and improve sustainability. However, Caltrans maintains conservative RAP limits due to concerns regarding stiffness related cracking and long term durability. This research evaluates the feasibility of increasing RAP content to approximately 40% when combined with Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) technologies under California performance standards. A performance based framework was developed by reviewing federal guidance, peer-reviewed fatigue studies, life cycle cost analysis, and environmental assessment literature. Findings indicate that high RAP mixtures …

Life Cycle Assessment And Cost Analysis Of Exterior, Electrical, And Appliance Systems In A Prefabricated Mass Timber Residential Unit, Ella Rohrbough

Construction Management

This study presents a detailed process-based life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis of selected building systems within a prefabricated mass timber residential unit constructed through an interdisciplinary design build project at California Polytechnic State University. The research focuses specifically on exterior envelope systems electrical infrastructure and major appliances. Material quantities were derived from a comprehensive construction material takeoff and modeled in OpenLCA using the ecoinvent database. A cradle to site system boundary including modules A1 through A5 was applied to quantify embodied environmental impacts such as global warming potential acidification fossil fuel depletion and human toxicity. Results indicate …

The Future Of Commercialized Bamboo Construction, Katie Hunt

Construction Management

Bamboo construction is a niche area of research and development in the sustainable construction realm. The material has impressive structural properties and minimal carbon emissions relative to the world’s most common building materials (concrete, steel, and timber). It has long been used to build homes in tropical regions around the world. Outside of these regions, bamboo is rarely used for construction despite its abundant benefits as a sustainable building material. This report took an interview-based approach to address why bamboo is not more popular in the American commercial construction market and where it has potential for growth in the global …

Cmbuilder Introduction Tutorial, Hannah G. Benner

Construction Management

This paper details the process and deliverables for a introductory-level tutorial for the program, cmBuilder. Recognizing the software’s growing relevance in the construction industry and its ease of-use, this student tutorial project aims to provide early exposure to the program for first- and second-year Cal Poly Construction Management students. There is currently no existing course or module at Cal Poly that covers an introduction to the basics of cmBuilder, so the goal of this course module is to bridge that gap. The deliverable is a course module for the Fundamentals of Virtual Design and Construction class, containing two tutorial videos …

Immigration-Related Workforce Instability And Its Impact On Residential Construction Operations In California, Ana Castro

Construction Management

Labor availability has become a major challenge for California’s residential construction industry, especially as immigration policies change and its workforce becomes more unstable. Most past research looks at overall labor statistics and industry trends, but not at how these issues affect construction projects day to day. This qualitative case study looks at how immigration policy and labor conditions affect the daily operations of a residential construction company in California. The research is based on six semi-structured interviews conducted with five superintendents and one executive leader. The results show that immigration-related labor challenges differ by location within California. Participants commonly described …

Efficient Active Training For Deep Lidar Odometry, Beibei Zhou, Zhiyuan Zhang, Zhenbo Song, Jianhui Guo, Hui Kong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Robust and efficient deep LiDAR odometry models are crucial for accurate localization and 3D reconstruction, but typically require extensive and diverse training data to adapt to diverse environments, leading to inefficiencies. To tackle this, we introduce an active training framework designed to selectively extract training data from diverse environments, thereby reducing the training load and enhancing model generalization. Our framework is based on two key strategies: Initial Training Set Selection (ITSS) and Active Incremental Selection (AIS). ITSS begins by breaking down motion sequences from general weather into nodes and edges for detailed trajectory analysis, prioritizing diverse sequences to form a …

Failure Of Infrastructure Systems: A Multilevel Network Analysis Of Decision-Making And Influential Behavioral Constructs, Tamima Elbashbishy, Radwa Eissa, Islam H. El-Adaway, Jeffrey S. Russell

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-profile failures of infrastructure systems are often attributed to design flaws. However, these incidents can also stem from a broader set of interconnected decisions made by stakeholders involved in the planning, management, and operation of these systems. While ethical guidelines and professional codes are designed to prevent such failures, cognitive biases may undermine adherence. Previous research efforts, primarily focused on ethical violations using case studies, have overlooked how behavioral ethics constructs and professional conduct could drive these breaches. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by (1) conducting an analysis of three system failure cases at the micro, meso, and macro …

Methodology For Surface Defect Assessment In 3d Concrete Printing Using Computer-Vision And Ultrasonic Testing Considering Structural Build-Up, Seongho Han, Eunjong Ahn, Myoungsu Shin, John S. Popovics, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study quantifies how interlayer time gaps and mixture rheology jointly influence interfacial integrity and mechanical performance in 3D concrete printing (3DCP). Two mixtures incorporating identical binders, but differing limestone fineness (4 and 50 μm) were printed with interlayer delays of 0, 2, and 5 min, corresponding to stacking rates of approximately 9, 0.5, and 0.2 m/h. The finer limestone mixture exhibited higher plastic viscosity (13.2 vs. 11.5 Pa s) and faster structural buildup (58 vs. 38 Pa/min), resulting in accelerated early stiffening. Deposition yield stress derived from buildup measurements remained low for 0–2 min (1400–1500 Pa for the higher-thixotropy …

Data-Driven Non-Precipitation Echo Removal Of Nexrad Radars Based On A Random Forest Classifier Using Polarimetric Observations And Goes-16 Data, Munsung Keem, Bong Chul Seo, Witold F. Krajewski, Sangdan Kim

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Highlights: What are the main findings? A Random Forest-based model using dual-polarimetric radar features achieves >99% accuracy in classifying precipitation and non-precipitation echoes. Multi-scale spatial variability features enhance discrimination between genuine precipitation and spurious echoes. Fusion of GOES-16 infrared satellite data with NEXRAD radar effectively removes non-precipitation echoes with precipitation-like signatures, including wind turbine clutter. A CAPPI scan strategy improves near-radar precipitation detection by recovering valid echoes misclassified at the lowest elevation due to side-lobe interference and limited sampling volume. What are the implications of the main findings? The model's robustness to noise and overfitting, combined with minimal hyperparameter tuning, …

Dvr Service Evaluation And Fee Sufficiency Study, Mallory Brown, Andrew Martin, Jeeyen Koo, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Department of Vehicle Regulation (DVR) administers numerous fees and taxes. Many administered by the two divisions in DVR — Motor Vehicle Licensing (DMVL) and Motor Carriers (DMC) — have remained unchanged for many years despite salary increases, the adoption of more complex and expensive technologies, and inflation raising administrative costs. This report provides in-depth assessments of 10 fees and taxes (selected by division administrators). Six are administered by DMVL — certificate of title, duplicate title, vehicle title history report, additional registration fee, reflectorized license plate fund, and trailer registrations — and four are managed by …

The Effect Of Reduction Of Input-Parameters On Data-Driven Prediction Of Critical Heat Flux In Rod Bundles Using Extended Parameters For Reactor Thermal–Hydraulic Safety, Rehan Zubair Khalid, Atif Khan, Farooq Ahmad, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan, Atta Ullah

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accurate prediction of the critical heat flux (CHF) is a key pillar for ensuring both the safety and economic performance of nuclear reactors. While machine learning (ML)-based methodologies have demonstrated considerable success in predicting CHF, most existing studies have been confined to simplified geometries, such as single tubes. Conversely, limited attention has been devoted to CHF prediction in realistic reactor environments, particularly within rod bundle configurations, where complex multiphase flow and heat transfer phenomena prevail. In this work we develop different AI models based on large dataset operating conditions as well as the complex geometric features of rod bundles. The …

Ƒ(Cell): Software For Reproducible Analysis Of Optoretinograms, Robert F. Cooper, Mina Gaffney, Brea D. Brennan, Niko Rios

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: There has been a marked increase in use of a noninvasive functional imaging technique called optoretinography (ORG). As more groups use ORGs, it is crucial to have a consistent methodology, and understand what analysis parameters influence repeatability. In this work, we present an open-source software library called ƒ(Cell) designed to facilitate reproducible and repeatable analyses of ORG data.

Methods: We designed ƒ(Cell) as a Python software library that can co-register and analyze ORG datasets, while also enabling process auditing. To validate the software, we used our previously obtained normative optoretinography datasets as well as datasets from six …

Design And Tissue Engineering Applications Of Microporous Annealed Particle (Map) Scaffolds, Nic D. Leipzig, Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare

University Research

Microporous annealed particle (MAP) scaffolds are emerging as a facile, yet sophisticated biomaterial platform with tremendous potential for tissue regenerative applications. These scaffolds are fabricated in situ through interparticle crosslinking of microgels using a variety of covalent or non-covalent techniques and possess excellent tunability and biocompatibility. The microporous structure of MAP scaffolds allows cellular infiltration and vascularization independent of degradation rate, making them more advantageous than traditional nanoporous bulk hydrogels. Moreover, the incorporation of in situ crosslinking allows MAP scaffolds to retain the key advantages of traditional microgel-based scaffolds—such as injectability and modularity—while providing the added benefit of a fixed …

A Knowledge Transfer-Based Membrane Evolutionary Algorithm For Solving Large-Scale Sorted Waste Collection Problem With Timeliness, Wenxue Zhang, Boquan Gao, Aldy Gunawan, Yunyun Niu, Jianhua Xiao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The sorted collection of municipal solid waste has emerged as an effective waste management strategy due to varying timeliness requirements across different waste types, giving rise to the critical research challenge of timeliness-based waste collection. While existing algorithms primarily focus on small-scale versions of this problem, solving large-scale timeliness-based waste collection problems remains particularly challenging. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes a knowledge transfer-based membrane evolutionary algorithm. Specifically, the original problem and simplified problem are constructed in different membranes respectively, and the knowledge transfer learning mechanism is incorporated into the membrane evolutionary algorithm, enabling effective information exchange between the …

Cancerseg-Xa: Medical Histopathology Segmentation System Based On Xception Backbone And Attention Mechanisms, Alaa Youssef, Wessam H. El-Behaidy, Aliaa Youssif

Computer Science

Accurate segmentation of histopathological images is essential to support early diagnosis and effective treatment planning in cancer care. This study presents CancerSeg-XA, a deep learning-based histopathology segmentation system designed to deliver robust performance across diverse tissue types and imaging sources. Built upon the DeepLabV3+ framework, CancerSeg-XA incorporates architectural enhancements to strengthen feature representation and improve model stability. The system was evaluated on three widely recognized datasets—BCSS, PanNuke, and PUMA—each presenting distinct structural and clinical challenges. Across all datasets, CancerSeg-XA consistently outperformed the baseline DeepLabV3+ in terms of segmentation accuracy, recall, and F1-score. Specifically, it achieved accuracy improvements of 4.78%, 4.31%, …

Addressing System Strength And Reliability Concerns In Renewable Energy-Based Weak Grids Using Synchronous Condensers Determined By Hybrid Gru-Classical Optimization Method, Md Ohirul Qays, Iftekhar Ahmad, Daryoush Habibi, Mohammad A.S. Masoum, Thair Mahmoud

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Owing to the higher-integration of renewable energy generators (REGs), conventional coal-based synchronous generators are being decommissioned from generation fleets, resulting in system strength and reliability concerns. Along with the increasing load demand, deficiency of system strength can be a huge risk to system stability and can eventually lead to blackouts by disconnecting REGs from grid systems. In the literature, researchers and power engineers have proposed to deploy synchronous condensers (SynCons) as a mitigation strategy to address the system strength and reliability challenges. SynCons are, however, expensive and require investigation for higher reliability results before installation. To address the concerns, SynCons’ …

Orthogonal Time Frequency Space Modulation For Underwater Acoustic Communication Systems: A Review, Bevek Subba, Quoc Viet Phung, Stefan Lachowicz, Walid K. Hasan, Muhammad Haziq, Daryoush Habibi, Iftekhar Ahmad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Underwater Acoustic Communication (UAC) has garnered significant attention due to its applications in marine science, defence, and exploration. With the vast majority of the Earth's surface covered by water, there is a growing demand for reliable and effective communication techniques in underwater environments. However, the underwater acoustic channel is the most challenging channel due to its harsh characteristics, which significantly hinder the reliability and performance of UAC systems. Orthogonal Time Frequency Space (OTFS) modulation has emerged as a promising solution for next-generation UAC systems to address high Doppler and high mobility scenarios. It has demonstrated tolerance to fast time-varying channel …

Emerging Design Paradigms And Microstructural Innovations In Refractory High-Entropy Alloys: A Critical Review, Deyu A. Jiang, Lai Chang Zhang, Kuaishe Wang, Mahmoud Ebrahimi, Wen Wang, Liqiang Wang, Weijie Lu, Di Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) are being developed to meet mechanical, thermal and chemical requirements that exceed what current super-alloys can withstand. This review explains how composition design, processing routes and the resulting microstructures now combine to realize that potential. We first link phase selection in BCC-, FCC- and dual-phase RHEAs to atomic-size mismatch, mixing enthalpy and valence-electron concentration, and compare manufacturing paths ranging from arc melting to powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing and vapor deposition, showing how each reshapes grain structure and defect chemistry to improve high-temperature strength, corrosion resistance and irradiation tolerance. Computation-led tools—density-functional theory, calculation of phase diagrams and …

Numerical Investigation On Enhancing The Performance Of A Parabolic Trough Collector Using A Threaded Absorber Tube, Shayan Pourhemmati, Abdellah M. Shafieian, Hussein A. Mohammed, Barun Kumar Das, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The growing global demand for energy and heightened environmental concerns have elevated the importance of solar energy harvesting in recent years. Parabolic trough collectors (PTCs) are widely utilized for capturing direct solar radiation; however, conventional PTC efficiency is limited by low convection heat transfer rate in the absorber section, which is then delivered to heat transfer fluid (HTF). This study numerically investigates the use of a threaded tube as a fluid flow disruption technique to enhance heat transfer rate within the absorber, with Reynolds numbers ranging from 4000 to 10,000. Three key geometric parameters of the thread: pitch (300, 150 …

Design, Testing, And Safety Performance Of Movable Guardrail Systems: A Prisma-Based Systematic Review, Navid Hashemi Taba, Ahdieh Sadat Khatavakhotan, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Movable guardrail systems are increasingly used in work zones, reversible lanes, and temporary traffic operations; however, evidence on their crashworthiness, material performance, and operational reliability remains dispersed across multiple design typologies and regulatory frameworks. This PRISMA-compliant systematic review synthesizes 78 studies involving full-scale crash tests, validated finite-element simulations, field performance evaluations, and compliance evaluations under MASH, EN 1317, NCHRP 350, and AS/NZS 3845.1. The findings indicate that modular rigid barriers reliably achieve TL-3/TL-4 performance when joint alignment and foundation conditions are properly controlled; semi-rigid steel systems provide a practical balance between containment capacity and redeployability, but remain sensitive to post …

Informing Consumer Product Sound Quality Analysis Using Generative Adversarial Networks, Daniel Jeffery Lesko, Vinh Nguyen

Michigan Tech Publications

Sound quality attributes have been proven important predictors of customer satisfaction with consumer goods and appliances. The results of several studies indicate that level-based, tonal, and temporal aspects of sound influence the perceived quality of consumer products. The current state-of-the-art of inferring consumer satisfaction with sound attributes is based on the jury test methodology. However, product engineers often find the models generated from these studies incomplete, resulting in products that fail to meet consumer expectations. Therefore, this study aims to utilize generative data-driven approaches to create a range of acceptable sound quality attributes given consumer satisfaction requirements. A baseline sound …

Physiological And Neurological Impact Of Biophilic Design In Architectural Design Studios: A Case Study Of King Salman International University, Islam Ashraf Mohamed, Alaa El-Eishy, Marwa A. Soliman

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Biophilic design integrates nature into architecture to enrich sensory and cognitive experiences, enhance psychological well-being, and improve performance. This study explores its physiological and neural effects in design studios at King Salman International University through an experimental methodology combining theoretical review and lab-based investigation. Tools included electrocardiography (ECG) for heart rate variability (HRV), eye-tracking for visual attention, and the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) for emotional evaluation. Nine participants viewed five digital architectural scenes with varying biophilic integration. Direct nature connections elicited greater visual attention, pleasure, and perceived control, indicating higher engagement and relaxation.  A scene lacking biophilic elements led to reduced …

Optimized Deep Learning Framework With H2o For Lung Cancer Prediction, Walaa Hassan Ibrahim, Mohamed S. Saraya, Sally M. Elghamrawy, Ali I. Eldesouky

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The automatic diagnosis of lung cancer using chest X-ray (CXR) images has significantly advanced with progress in computing, machine learning, and deep learning. However, detecting lesions and nodules remains challenging due to CXR limitations. Early lung cancer detection is critical for successful treatment, but current AI algorithms often rely on large annotated datasets, which are not always available. To address this, a novel multi-classification deep learning framework is proposed that combines CXR and CT images. This approach leverages the detailed feature detection capabilities of CT scans alongside the complementary views from CXRs, improving early-stage lung cancer detection and classification precision. …

Single-Valued, Double-Valued, Triple-Valued, Quadruple-Valued, And Quintuple-Valued Neutrosophic Graph, Takaaki Fujita, Arif Mehmood, Arkan A. Ghaib

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Concepts such as fuzzy sets, neutrosophic sets, rough sets, and plithogenic sets have been extensively studied as formal tools for modeling uncertainty, and they have found broad applications across many disciplines. A Double-Valued Neutrosophic Set (DVNS) extends the classical neutrosophic framework by splitting indeterminacy into two distinct components: one leaning toward truth and the other leaning toward falsity. In recent years, further refinements—namely Triple-Valued, Quadruple-Valued, and Quintuple-Valued Neutrosophic Sets—have also been introduced and investigated. These uncertainty models have naturally been lifted to graph-theoretic settings, where vertices and edges represent entities and relationships under ambiguity. Although fuzzy graphs and neutrosophic graphs …