Engineering Commons^™

Taylor Place- Fire Life Safety Report, Christopher Thomas

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This document is a Fire and Life Safety Report on the Taylor Place Dormitory located in Phoenix, Arizona as part of the Arizona State University (ASU) downtown campus. The building was evaluated on a prescriptive basis based on the current City of Phoenix building codes and further evaluated on using performance based methods from the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Handbook and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101 Life Safety Code®.

These building features and systems were evaluated using prescriptive methods:

General construction, fire resistive construction and fire resistive separations Occupancy, Life safety features and building egress Smoke management …

Micro-Mechanics: Fire And Life Safety Evaluation, Michael Beam

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

The purpose of this report is to perform a fire and life safety evaluation of an existing building, Micro-Mechanics. The current codes and standards are used to evaluate the following prescriptive fire protection systems including: Occupancy and Hazard Classification, Structural Fire Protection, Egress Analysis, Fire Detection, Alarm and Communication Systems, and Fire Suppression Systems. An evaluation of possible special hazards is discussed to determine if any extra precautions need to be taken to prevent uncontrollable fire or explosions. A performance based analysis is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the prescriptive building systems. Using a combination of computer models including …

Enhancing A Flight Dispatcher Display For Safer Flight Operations, Jeongjoon Boo

Open Access Theses

This study assesses capability of flight dispatchers to adopt enhancements on their display that enables detection of flights in abnormal activities and investigation of the causes. Three approaches were used. First, the expected function for enhancements was designed by collecting information from different places about what technologies are available for consideration. Second, hierarchical task analysis was conducted based on data collected by interviewing a former flight dispatcher in order to assess operational capability to handle the enhancement. Third, based on the results of first two approaches, a display prototype that includes the enhancement was developed and evaluated for usability and …

Modernizing The Current Afghan Engineering Education System: Challenges And Opportunities, Khalilullah Mayar

Open Access Theses

Having an effective engineering education system in place can play a crucial role in the development and reconstruction process of a war-ravaged country, such as Afghanistan, where tens of billions of dollars of international aid has been spent in the past 14 years for that process, including higher education. Unfortunately, at this point, the Afghan engineering education system is not yet financially self-sufficient nor can it address the education requirements of today’s job market. This thesis aimed to identify the major challenges still faced by Afghanistan and to provide a comprehensive list of recommendations and priorities that can make the …

Learning The Language Of Academic Engineering: Sociocognitive Writing In Graduate Students, Catherine G. P. Berdanier

Open Access Dissertations

Although engineering graduate programs rarely require academic writing courses, the indicators of merit in academic engineering, such as journal publications, successful grants, and doctoral milestones (e.g. theses, dissertations) are based in effective written argumentation and disciplinary discourse. Further, graduate student attrition averages 57% across all disciplines, with some studies classifying up to 50% of these students as “ABD” (All But Dissertation.) In engineering disciplines specifically, graduate attrition rates across the U.S. average 36% (both Master’s and PhD students), according to the Council of Graduate Schools. The lack of socialization is generally noted as a main reason for graduate attrition, one …

Hydrologic And Water Quality Impacts From Perennial Crop Production On Marginal Lands, Qingyu Feng

Open Access Dissertations

Marginal lands are proposed as a viable option for producing biofeedstocks as these lands are not heavily engaged in agricultural production or may not be suitable for intensive row-crop food/feed production. However, meeting biofeedstock production goals will require large amount of marginal lands and the unintended consequences of producing biofeedstocks on marginal lands are not fully clear. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the productivity of biofeedstocks on marginal lands and the potential impacts on hydrologic and water quality processes from the land use conversion.

This study was conducted in the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB). First, …

Analytical Investigation Of Fretting Wear With Special Emphasis On Stress Based Models, Arnab Jyoti Ghosh

Open Access Dissertations

Fretting refers to the minute oscillatory motion between two surfaces in contact under an applied normal load. It can cause either surface or subsurface initiated failure resulting in either fatigue or wear or both. Two distinct regimes – partial slip and gross slip are typically observed in fretting contacts. Due to the nature of contact, various factors such as wear debris, oxidation, surface roughness, humidity etc. effect failures caused due to fretting. A number of different techniques have been developed to quantify fretting damage and several numerical models are proposed to predict damage due to fretting. Fretting wear also depends …

Bond–Slip Behavior Of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer/Concrete Interface In Single Shear Pull-Out And Beam Tests, Tayyebeh Mohammadi, Baolin Wan, Kent A. Harries

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

It has been assumed that the fiber-reinforced polymer/concrete interface is subjected to in-plane shear condition when intermediate crack debonding failure occurs. Therefore, the single shear pull-out test results are often used to predict the intermediate crack debonding failure in beams. In this study, the behavior of fiber-reinforced polymer-strengthened concrete beams and single shear pull-out specimens were studied experimentally and numerically. The bond–slip behavior of the fiber-reinforced polymer/concrete interface was obtained by single shear pull-out and beam tests. In all beam specimens, a concrete wedge located at the edge of the notch detached with the fiber-reinforced polymer debonding failure. This phenomenon …

Dynamic Control Of Radiative Surface Properties With Origami-Inspired Design, Rydge B. Mulford, Matthew R. Jones, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

Thermal management systems for space equipment commonly use static solutions that do not adapt to environmental changes. Dynamic control of radiative surface properties is one way to respond to environmental changes and to increase the capabilities of spacecraft thermal management systems. This paper documents an investigation of the extent to which origami-inspired surfaces may be used to control the apparent absorptivity of a reflective material. Models relating the apparent absorptivity of a radiation shield to time-dependent surface temperatures are presented. Results show that the apparent absorptivity increases with increasing fold density and indicate that origami-inspired designs may be used to …

Identifying The Presence Of Amd-Derived Soil Co₂ In Field Investigations Using Isotope Ratios, Kwame Awuah-Offei, Moagabo Mathiba, Fred J. Baldassare

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recent incidents of hazardous accumulations of CO₂ in homes on or adjacent to reclaimed mine land have been shown to be linked to neutralization reactions between acidic mine drainage and carbonate material. An efficient and economic method is necessary to identify the presence of acid mine drainage- (AMD-) derived CO₂ on reclaimed mine land, prior to construction. One approach to identify the presence of AMD-derived CO₂ is to characterize stable carbon isotope ratios of soil CO₂. To do so, a viable method is necessary to acquire soil gas samples for isotope ratio analysis. This paper …

Scale Effect Of Premixed Methane-Air Combustion In Confined Space Using Les Model, Liang Wang, Sisi Que, Jerry C. Tien, Nassib Aouad

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Gas explosion is the most hazardous incident occurring in underground airways. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques are sophisticated in simulating explosions in confined spaces; specifically, when testing large-scale gaseous explosions, such as methane explosions in underground mines. The dimensions of a confined space where explosions could occur vary significantly. Thus, the scale effect on explosion parameters is worth investigating. In this paper, the impact of scaling on explosion overpressures is investigated by employing two scaling factors: The Gas-fill Length Scaling Factor (FLSF) and the Hydraulic Diameter Scaling Factor (HDSF). The combinations of eight FLSFs and five HDSFs will cover a …

Predicting Construction Labor Productivity With Bayesian Belief Networks, Ayoub Hazrati

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Construction labor productivity plays an important role in labor intensive projects. Therefore, increasing construction labor productivity is a vital task to decrease a project’s cost (time). The primary goal of this research is to investigate the feasibility of developing a comprehensive causal model that can predict construction labor productivity for various project’s situations, such as existence of “Adverse Weather,” “Changes,” “Working Overtime,” etc., while considering uncertainty. It is found that Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) is the best approach that can model causal relationships among different factors while considering uncertainty, simultaneously.

Developing a BBNs model requires to extract its structure and, …

Pharmaceuticals, Endocrine Disruptors, Personal Care Products, Nanomaterials And Perfluorinated Pollutants: A Review, Jimoh O. Tijani, Ojo O. Fatoba, Omotola O. Babajide, Leslie F. Petrik

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The presence of emerging micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, personal care products, nanomaterials and perfluorinated substances in the environment remains a great threat to the health and safety of humans and aquatic species. These micropollutants enter the environment via anthropogenic activities and have been detected in surface water, groundwater and even drinking water at nanogram per liter to microgram per liter concentration. To date, limited information exists on the fate, behaviors, and pathways of these micropollutants in the environment. The potential ecotoxicological effects on the receptors due to exposure to individual or mixture of these chemicals still remain unknown. …

Development Of High-Order PN Models For Radiative Heat Transfer In Special Geometries And Boundary Conditions, Wenjun Ge, Michael F. Modest, Somesh Roy

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The high-order spherical harmonics () method for 2-D Cartesian domains is extracted from the 3-D formulation. The number of equations and intensity coefficients reduces to (N+1)2/4 in the 2-D Cartesian formulation compared with N(N+1)/2 for the general 3-D formulation. The Marshak boundary conditions are extended to solve problems with nonblack and mixed diffuse-specular surfaces. Additional boundary conditions for specified radiative wall flux, for symmetry/specular reflection boundaries have also been developed. The mathematical details of the formulations and their implementation in the OpenFOAM finite volume based CFD software platform are presented. The accuracy and computational cost of the 2-D Cartesian are …

Strain Monitoring Of Bismaleimide Composites Using Embedded Microcavity Sensor, Amardeep Kaur, Sudharshan Anandan, Lei Yuan, Steve Eugene Watkins, K. Chandrashekhara, Hai Xiao, Nam Phan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A type of extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) fiber optic sensor, i.e., the microcavity strain sensor, is demonstrated for embedded, high-temperature applications. The sensor is fabricated using a femtosecond (fs) laser. The fs-laser-based fabrication makes the sensor thermally stable to sustain operating temperatures as high as 800 °C. The sensor has low sensitivity toward the temperature as compared to its response toward the applied strain. The performance of the EFPI sensor is tested in an embedded application. The host material is carbon fiber/bismaleimide (BMI) composite laminate that offer thermally stable characteristics at high ambient temperatures. The sensor exhibits highly linear response …

Neutral Parametric Database, Server, Logic Layers, And Clients To Facilitate Multi-Engineersynchronous Heterogeneous Cad, Kelly Eric Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

Engineering companies are sociotechnical systems in which engineers, designers, analysts, etc. use an array of software tools to follow prescribed product-development processes. The purpose of these amalgamated systems is to develop new products as quickly as possible while maintaining quality and meeting customer and market demands. Researchers at Brigham Young University have shortened engineering design cycle times through the development and use of multiengineer synchronous (MES) CAD tools. Other research teams have shortened design cycle-times by extending seamless interoperability across heterogeneous design tools and domains. Seamless multi-engineer synchronous heterogeneous (MESH) CAD environments is the focus of this dissertation. An architecture …

In Vitro Molecular Modification Of Human Cultured And Primary Cells Using Lance Array Nanoinjection, John W. Sessions

Theses and Dissertations

Fundamentally altering cellular function at a genetic level is a major area of interest in the biologic sciences and the medical community. By engineering transfectable constructs that can be inserted to dysfunctional cellular systems, scientists can mitigate aberrant genetic behavior to produce proper molecular function. While viral vectors have been a mainstay in the past, there are many limitations, particularly related to safety, that have changed the focus of genome editing to incorporate alternative methods for gene delivery. Lance Array Nanoinjection (LAN), a second-generation microfabricated transfection biotechnology, is one of these alternative technologies. LAN works by utilizing both simultaneous electrostatic …

Lateral Resistance Of Pipe Piles Behind A 20-Foot-Tall Mse Wall With Welded-Wire Reinforcements, Ryan Thomas Budd

Theses and Dissertations

Pile foundations for bridges must often resist lateral loads produced by earthquakes and thermal expansion and contraction of the superstructure. Right-of-way constraints near bridge abutments are leading to an increased use of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls below the abutment. Previous research has shown that lateral pile resistance can be greatly reduced when piles are placed close to MSE walls but design codes do not address this issue. A full-scale MSE wall was constructed and 24 lateral load tests were conducted on pipe, square and H piles spaced at distances of about 2 to 5 pile diameters from the back …

Extracellular Matrix From Whole Porcine Heart Decellularization For Cardiac Tissue Engineering, Nima Momtahan

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Every year in the United States, more than 800,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure and more than 375,000 people die from heart disease. Current therapies such as heart transplants and bioartificial hearts are helpful, but not optimal. Decellularization of porcine whole hearts followed by recellularization with patient-specific human cells may provide the ultimate solution for patients with heart failure. Great progress has been made in the development of efficient processes for decellularization, and the design of automated bioreactors. In this study, the decellularization of porcine …

An Automated Method For Optimizing Compressor Blade Tuning, Kurt Berlin Hinkle

Theses and Dissertations

Because blades in jet engine compressors are subject to dynamic loads based on the engine's speed, it is essential that the blades are properly "tuned" to avoid resonance at those frequencies to ensure safe operation of the engine. The tuning process can be time consuming for designers because there are many parameters controlling the geometry of the blade and, therefore, its resonance frequencies. Humans cannot easily optimize design spaces consisting of multiple variables, but optimization algorithms can effectively optimize a design space with any number of design variables. Automated blade tuning can reduce design time while increasing the fidelity and …

Maximizing Virtual Mucax Engineering Design Team Performance, Brett Randall Stone

Theses and Dissertations

Teams of design engineers are increasingly working as members of virtual teams, or teams whose members are distributed geographically and communicate mostly through electronic means. In addition, emerging multi-user (MU) applications engage complementary teams in synchronous design activities. These new MU tools are changing the way engineers work together. Together, these factors have created a new and interesting environment in which engineering design teams must function. The work presented here lays out two major themes that teams and their managers can effectively apply to organizing and managing MU teams: 1) teams can maximize their potential productivity by determining the optimal …

Understanding And Addressing Collaboration Challenges For The Effective Use Of Multi-User Cad, David James French

Theses and Dissertations

Multi-user computer-aided design (CAD) is an emerging technology that promises to facilitate collaboration, enhance product quality, and reduce product development lead times by allowing multiple engineers to work on the same design at the same time. The BYU site of the NSF Center for e-Design has developed advanced multi-user CAD prototypes that have demonstrated the feasibility and value of this technology. Despite the possibilities that this software opens up for enhanced collaboration, there are now a new variety of challenges and opportunities to understand and address. For multi-user CAD to be used effectively in a modern engineering environment, it is …

The Influence Of Pile Shape And Pile Sleeves On Lateral Load Resistance, Dalin Newell Russell

Theses and Dissertations

The lateral resistance of pile foundations is typically based on the performance of round piles even though other pile types are used. Due to lack of data there is a certain level of uncertainty when designing pile foundations other than round piles for lateral loading. Theoretical analyses have suggested that square sections will have more lateral resistance due to the increased side shear resistance, no test results have been available to substantiate the contention. Full-scale lateral load tests involving pile shapes such as circular, circular wrapped with high density polyethylene sheeting, square, H, and circular with a corrugated metal sleeve …

Decomposition Of Manufacturing Processes For Multi-User Tool Path Planning, Andrew Scherbel Priddis

Theses and Dissertations

Engineering activities by nature are collaborative endeavors. Single-user applications like CAD, CAE, and CAM force a strictly serial design process, which ultimately lengthens time to market. New multi-user applications such as NXConnect address the issue during the design stage of the product development process by enabling users to work in parallel. Multi-user collaborative tool path planning software addresses the same serial limitations in tool path planning, thereby decreasing cost and increasing the quality of manufacturing processes. As part complexity increases, lead times are magnified by serial workflows. Multi-user tool path planning can shorten the process planning time. But, to be …

A Comparison Of Instructional Strategies For Teaching Entry-Level Welding At The High School Level, Jared Paul Massic

Theses and Dissertations

The traditional method of teaching welding has remained unchanged for decades. In this model, an instructor gives demonstrations to a class of students and then helps them individually as they practice the techniques of welding. This traditional instructional method has been effective but is time consuming. Due to a significant increase in the demand for skilled welders within the United States, efforts have been made to develop more efficient methods of providing welding instruction. Various electronic welding guidance systems and virtual welding systems have recently been developed. In this study, the researcher addressed two questions 1) Does the use of …

Simple Models For Estimating The Rotational Stiffness Of Steel Column-To-Footing Connections, Joshua Edwin Tryon

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the crucial role they play in transferring loads from the superstructure to the foundation, steel column-to-footing connections have received little attention in research. Though shallow embedded connections are typically characterized as pinned, studies have shown that they exhibit significant rotational stiffness. The objective of this thesis is to quantify the rotational stiffness of such connections. A method named the continuum model is developed by which the rotational stiffness of embedded connections may be calculated. Outputs from this model are compared with experimental data on steel connections embedded in concrete. The continuum model is shown to be capable of reasonably …

Evaluation Of Passive Force On Skewed Bridge Abutments With Controlled Low-Strength Material Backfill, Kevin Bjorn Wagstaff

Theses and Dissertations

Although its use has become more widespread, controlled low-strength material, or CLSM, has fallen through the crack between geotechnical engineering and materials engineering research. The National Ready Mix Association states that CLSM is not a low strength concrete, and geotechnical engineers do not consider it as a conventional aggregate backfill. The use of CLSM as a bridge abutment backfill material brings up the need to understand the passive force versus backwall displacement relationship for this application. To safely account for forces generated due to seismic activity and thermal expansion in bridge design, it is important to understand the passive force …

Evaluation Of Lightweight Pieces In Aggregates, Mark Lindemann, Doug Macke, Jim Wilken, John Ebito, Mark Hassler, Lieska Halsey, Bob Seger

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) Material and Research (M&R) Division started an evaluation to determined injurious deleterious lightweight pieces of aggregate from a dry pit location, as a result of field observations from a project stock pile. This brief summary presents the field observation and laboratory testing evaluations to determine the percent of lightweight pieces in aggregate.

Evaluation Of Lightweight Pieces In Aggregates, Mark Lindemann, Doug Macke, Jim Wilken, John Ebito, Mark Hassler, Lieska Halsey, Bob Seger

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Active Traffic Management Case Study: Phase 1, Anuj Sharma, Shuo Wang, Aemal Khattak

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

This study developed a systematic approach for using data from multiple sources to provide active traffic management solutions. The feasibility of two active traffic management solutions is analyzed in this report: ramp-metering and real-time crash risk estimation and prediction. Using a combined dataset containing traffic, weather, and crash data, this study assessed crash likelihood on urban freeways and evaluated the economic feasibility of providing a ramp metering solution. A case study of freeway segments in Omaha, Nebraska, was conducted. The impact of rain, snow, congestion, and other factors on crash risk was analyzed using a binary probit model, and one …