Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Simulation-Based Assessment Of Operational And Retrofit Solutions For Effluent Compliance Of A Capacity-Limited Oxidation Ditch Wwtp, Ahmed Sameh Harash

Theses and Dissertations

Oxidation-ditch wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across Egypt's Nile Delta are increasingly carrying hydraulic and organic loads beyond what they were designed for. This work can be considered pioneering as this work compared operational and structural retrofit alternatives for such a plant within a single verified simulation framework. The present study fills that gap by building a digital twin of the Qaha WWTP, a dual-train Carrousel oxidation ditch in Qalyubia Governorate, calibrated to a baseline flow of 7,420 m³/day in the SUMO24 platform (a third-generation, open-source wastewater treatment process simulation software) using the SUMO2c biokinetic model (a simplified variant of Activated …

Dynamic Baseline Schedule Updates Using Digital Twinning: A Case Study On Aluminum Formwork Construction, Ahmed Hamdi Sweilam

Theses and Dissertations

Repetitive high-rise construction using aluminum formwork couples consecutive floor cycles through a reused panel set and a floor-level inspection and pour barrier, so productivity loss compounds upward rather than being absorbed locally. The baseline schedule is nevertheless fixed before execution and is not revised as evidence of realized productivity accumulates. This thesis develops a simulation-based digital twin that updates the baseline from observed as-built durations and acts on its own forecast. A discrete-event simulation of a ten-story residential tower is built in AnyLogic® and verified analytically at 180.00 hours per floor. After each completed floor the twin infers activity productivity …

Sustainable – Low-Cost - Upgrade Of Activated Sludge Process For Nitrogen And Phosphorus (N&P) Removal From Wastewater, Abanoub N. Basta

Theses and Dissertations

Many municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in developing countries were designed primarily for organic matter and suspended solids removal and therefore face increasing difficulty in meeting modern nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) discharge requirements. Conventional biological nutrient removal upgrades commonly require additional reactor volume, recirculation systems, aeration energy, and capital investment. Accordingly, sustainable retrofit strategies that improve nutrient removal within existing treatment footprints are increasingly needed, particularly in water-scarce and land-constrained regions.

This study investigated the integration of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) into the aeration stage of an activated sludge process as a hybrid nature-based enhancement for nitrogen and phosphorus …

A Comparative Study: Force Majeure And The Theory Of Unforeseen Circumstances Across Different Jurisdictions In The Middle East, Omar Hamed Sawan

Theses and Dissertations

The motivation behind this study stems from recent global disruption events that impact construction projects worldwide. These events vary across a wide spectrum, whether they are political events such as the Russo-Ukraine war or the war in the Middle East, economic events such as inflation or currency devaluations; or environmental events such as climate change and the emergence of public health crises like the Covid-19 pandemic. These series of events underscore the growing importance of understanding how the different legal frameworks address unforeseeable events in the construction industry. In this context, force majeure and the theory of unforeseen circumstances (also …

A Consolidated Mössbauer Spectrum For Undisturbed Soils From Gusev Crater, Mars, Paulo De Souza

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mossbauer analyses from MIMOS II data collected on Mars provided breakthrough insights into iron mineralogy of the planet’s surface. Resulting from limited measurement time, science operations were divided among multiple instruments, restricting the detection of minor Fe-bearing mineral phases (below 5% WSA). MIMOS II records Mössbauer spectra at 10 K intervals, and to enhance signal to noise ratios, spectra from different intervals were combined, when applicable. For instance, temperature variations between 190 K and 270 K in basaltic samples do not significantly impact the spectra, allowing data from all intervals to be integrated. By combining MIMOS II data from various …

Scalable Quality Assessment Of Ground Motion Records Via Interpretable Deep Learning Architectures, Ali Montazeri Namin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Earthquake engineers rely on accurate recordings of ground shaking to design safe and resilient buildings. However, sorting through thousands of these recordings to find the reliable ones and throwing out those ruined by sensor errors or background noise is traditionally done by hand. Because modern seismic networks collect massive amounts of earthquake data every day, this manual checking process is much too slow. To fix this, researchers are turning to artificial intelligence to automatically check the quality of these recordings.

While artificial intelligence offers a fast solution, there are limitations. These computer models can become massive and expensive to run, …

Enhancing Agricultural Sustainability Under Climate Change: A Multi-Scale Framework Integrating Climate Extremes, Resource Efficiency, And Data-Driven Modeling, Shahryar Fazli

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Agricultural systems are increasingly challenged by climate variability, where shifting temperature regimes, hydrological variability, and the rising frequency of compound and cascading extremes threaten global food security and resource sustainability. Addressing these challenges requires integrated frameworks that bridge biophysical monitoring, predictive modeling, and adaptive decision-making. This dissertation develops a data-driven, multi-scale framework to quantify and enhance agricultural resilience by integrating remote sensing, climate analytics, and machine learning across the United States, with a focus on California and the Western U.S.

First, hyperspectral and thermal remote sensing data from EMIT and OpenET are integrated to characterize crop nitrogen–water interactions and assess …

Thermophysical Characteristics Evaluation Of Carbon And Metal Oxide-Based Hybrid Phase Change Materials For Thermal Energy Storage Applications, Utpol K. Paul, Md Shahriar Mohtasim, Md Golam Kibria, Barun K. Das

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Phase change materials (PCM) have limited practical applications due to their low heat conductivity. The main goal of this work is to improve the thermophysical properties of PCM by adding different compositions of hybrid carbon and metal oxide-based nanoparticles for incorporation into hybrid photovoltaic/thermal solar systems to accommodate the built environment and thermal energy storage as a building envelope for thermal comfort. Three types of nanoparticles have been selected including Graphene, Al2O3, and ZnO and synthesized samples with the combinations of 0.5 wt% Al2O3 + 2 wt% ZnO, 0.75 wt% Al2O3 + 2 wt% ZnO, 1 wt% Al2O3 + 2 …

Reimagining Sustainable Sulfur Concrete: A Systematic Review Of Sulfur, Waste Integration, And Durability, Vasilia Al Khaldi, Abdel Hamid I. Mourad, Maisa Elgamal

All Works

Sulfur concrete (SC) - a thermoplastic, waterless composite in which molten sulfur-based binder replaces Portland cement - is attracting growing research attention as a sustainable construction alternative capable of superior performance in chemically aggressive environments. This systematic literature review synthesises evidence from 127 sources (2000–2025), examining three interlinked dimensions: (i) the role of waste and industrial by-product materials as aggregate and filler substitutes; (ii) the influence of aggregate type, morphology, and grading on mechanical and microstructural performance; and (iii) durability under acid, saline, and freeze-thaw exposures. A transparent, PRISMA-aligned screening and classification protocol - here used as a structured review …

Nanofluid-Assisted Enhanced Sealing Containment Of Caprocks For Efficient Geological Co2 Storage, Muhammad Ali, Nurudeen Yekeen, Mujahid Ali, Nilanjan Pal, Mohammed Al Kobaisi, Alireza Keshavarz, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Millions of tons of CO2 are stored annually in geological formations in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, relying on caprock as a seal to prevent CO2 leakage. The wettability of caprock is crucial for its effectiveness, and can be altered by organic acids present in the storage media. The present study investigates the impact of stearic acid on the CO2 wettability of shale, along with the potential of alumina nanofluids to reverse this effect. Using contact angle measurements, X-ray diffraction, and other analytical methods, the study reveals that stearic acid increases the CO2 wettability of shale, making it more …

International Best Practice In Digital Construction Adoption - 2026 Upate (Version 2), Ted Mckenna, Davitt Lamon

Reports

In order to inform the Digital Leadership and Cultural Change pillar of the Build Digital, a study of international best practice in digital adoption within the built environment sector globally was undertaken and is presented here-in. In order to identify key learnings for Ireland in the context of digital transformation, eight countries were included in this study, namely, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. These countries were selected for various reasons, including the level of digital maturity, the scale of the built environment sector and geographic spread. Key data for each country is included …

A Macroergonomic Analysis Of Autonomous Robotic Construction For Affordable Housing, Ricardo Leon Jimenez

Sustainability Conference

As communities seek to increase housing supply, the construction sector continues to grapple with rising costs, skilled labor shortages, and growing pressure to improve environmental sustainability. Meeting these demands will require new approaches that increase productivity while lowering environmental impact throughout the building lifecycle. Recent advances in autonomous systems developed for space exploration offer alternative ways to design, assemble, and maintain residential buildings. This study examines the potential application of NASA's Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) technology from space construction to terrestrial affordable housing construction.

While most construction automation research focuses on technical performance, this study considers …

Integrating Tacit And Explicit Knowledge Across Construction Projects: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis Of Knowledge Transfer, Lessons Learned, And Organizational Learning, Felix M. Delmonte

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Abstract

Construction projects rely on knowledge distributed among temporary, multidisciplinary teams, firms, and lifecycle stages. Practical judgment often remains with experienced participants, while written accounts may omit the conditions and reasoning needed for later use. This research examines how construction scholarship explains the movement of project knowledge from capture through sharing and retrieval to reuse on another project. It treats these activities as distinct, and considers tacit expertise alongside explicit records, with attention to who contributes knowledge, who needs it, and where it must travel. The planned approach is a qualitative synthesis of published, peer-reviewed research from 2022–2026. The available …

Source Page Evaluation Of Local Rag Retrieval For Engineering Safety: Implications For Mechanical And Civil Engineering, Sherif Sorour, Areej El Mufti, Mohamed Nabawy, Anwar Sahbel

Civil Engineering

Industrial safety question answering requires access to the exact source material that supports an answer, not merely a related document. This study evaluates the retrieval stage of a local retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system at the source page level. Eighteen documents on lockout/tagout, machine guarding, and personal protective equipment were prepared in raw, cleaned, and metadata-enriched forms. Best Matching 25 (BM25), latent semantic analysis (LSA), and reciprocal rank fusion (RRF) hybrid retrieval were tested on 54 questions: 36 answerable, 12 safety-related but unsupported, and 6 outside the covered topics. Raw BM25 achieved the highest mean reciprocal rank (0.492) and Hit@5 (0.722), …

Building Services Engineering September/October 2026

Building Services Engineering

This issue of Building Services Engineering explores Ireland's net-zero transition, highlighting AI data centre liquid-cooling innovations, critical energy infrastructure updates, ASHRAE and CIBSE safety insights, commercial heat pump selections, decarbonising elevators, and examples of engineering innovation and leadership across the building services sector.

Estimation Of Unmeasurable External Disturbances Of A Dynamic Object Based On A Robust Adaptive Kalman Filter, Bunyod Mamurjon Ugli Buronov

Technical science and innovation

This article considers the problem of directly estimating unmeasurable external disturbances acting on a dynamic object under the condition that the state vector of the object is available for measurement. In the considered case, the problem is reduced to the estimation of an unknown input of a dynamic system. It is shown that when the system state is measurable, both a direct inversion scheme based on the object’s dynamic equation and filtering methods that eliminate the need for coarse numerical differentiation can be applied. For slowly varying disturbances, a random walk model with a small process noise covariance is proposed, …

Analysis And Study Of The Content Of Chloride Salts In Oil, Natalia Evgenievna Sheina, Muborak Akramovna Mirshomilova

Technical science and innovation

The article addresses the critical issue of crude oil quality control, specifically focusing on the determination of chloride salts (sodium, calcium, and magnesium), which exert a destructive impact on processing equipment. The paper provides a detailed analysis of the adverse effects of salts, which lead to severe equipment corrosion, scaling, and a reduced yield of valuable oil fractions. The chemical principles and specific applications of two standardized methods for analyzing aqueous extracts according to GOST 21534-2021 and ASTM D3230 are described: indicator (argentometric and mercurimetric) and potentiometric titration. The experimental section presents the results of a comparative analysis of crude …

Engineering-Geological And Seismic Conditions Of Arid Territories, Mirabbas Mirsaatovich Zakirov, Golibjon Ernazar Ugli Ochilov, Dilshod Kalandarovich Begimkulov, Inobat Abduvakhidovna Agzamova, Temur Makhmarajabovich Khudoyberdiyev, Ayzada Qaunis Jetpisbaeva

Technical science and innovation

This article presents the results of an assessment of seismic intensity increments depending on the engineering and geological conditions of arid areas in the Muynak district, located in the current Aral Sea crisis zone. Natural and man-made factors shaping the geological environment are examined, including geological structure, lithological and stratigraphic composition, soil physical and mechanical properties, and hydrogeological conditions. Based on the analysis of engineering-geological data, normative classifications of soils according to seismic properties and field research materials, seismic microzoning of the territory was carried out, identifying areas with initial seismicity (“0”) and zones with an increase in seismic intensity …

Satellite-Based Detection And Preliminary Flux Estimation Of The 2024 Boysun Methane Blowout Event In Uzbekistan, Shomurod Bakhtiyor Ugli Turaev, Dilbar Shamurodovna Fazilova, Aziz Nigmanovich Kazakov

Technical science and innovation

Estimating accidental methane emissions from gas fields remains a difficult task, especially in remote mountainous areas where continuous ground-based observations are not available. This study examines the uncontrolled gas blowout that occurred in 2024 at the “Mustaqillikning 25-yilligi” gas-condensate field in Boysun district, Uzbekistan. Changes in methane content were analyzed using Sentinel-5P TROPOMI data for August–November 2024, processed in Google Earth Engine (GEE). The location of the accident site was refined using Sentinel-2 optical imagery, while ERA5 wind speed and direction data were applied for the preliminary calculation of methane flux. Based on the XCH₄ time series, four stages of …

Analysis And Optimization Of Intelligent Control Of The Drying Process Under Uncertainty, Azizbek Nodirbekovich Yusupbekov, Marufjon Kobuljonovich Shodiev, Khusniddin Mamarasul Ugli Esonov

Technical science and innovation

This section proposes a multi-criteria Pareto-optimization algorithm, integrated with Herbert Simon's four-stage decision-making scheme (Intelligence–Design–Choice–Implementation) and an ANFIS-based adaptive controller, for simultaneously optimizing the mutually conflicting quality, energy, and time criteria of the wheat-drying process. The algorithm for constructing the set of Pareto-optimal solutions and selecting the compromise solution closest to the ideal point is presented step by step. The implementation of the ANFIS controller in the MATLAB/Simulink environment is comprehensively verified through a simulation block diagram, the Rule Viewer, the Surface Viewer, the training error-function graph, the RMSE convergence graph, and a learning-curve analysis. Training was carried out on …

Evaluation Of The Metrological Characteristics Of An Ultrasonic Flowmeter For Water Resources, Makhsud Idrisovich Makhmudov, Uktam Farkhodovich Mamirov, Siroj Sobirovich Nurov

Technical science and innovation

This paper presents the results of evaluating the metrological characteristics of a developed ultrasonic flowmeter intended for measuring water flow in open channels. The study analyzes the main sources of measurement errors and classifies them into methodological, instrumental, additional, systematic, and random components. Experimental investigations were carried out to estimate the random and systematic errors under steady-state flow conditions. Using the least-squares method, the systematic error was separated into additive and multiplicative components, providing a basis for calibration and correction of the measurement results. The reliability of the developed measuring instrument was evaluated using the failure rate method based on …

Development Of An Experimental Stand For The Study Of The Directions Of Movement And Velocity Of Air Flows In The Pneumatic Channel Of The Final Aspiration Of The Muz-16 Air Sieve Separator, Hanna Borisovna Torgan, Zulfiya Kakhramonovna Ergasheva

Technical science and innovation

The article presents the results of experimental studies on the rheological properties of pasta dough obtained from various types of wheat flour (bakery highest grade, as well as durum varieties of Belarusian selection). The regularities of changes in the yield shear stress, plastic viscosity, and shear rate of the semi-finished product were studied depending on the key technological factors of extrusion: moisture content (0.28–0.335 kg/kg), temperature (25–55 °C), and discharge pressure (up to 88 · 10^-5 Pa). The operating principle and design features of the modernized pressing unit and die using special converging-diverging (confuser-diffuser) inserts (according to the patents …

Research On The Effectiveness Of Various Methods For Primary Processing Of Silkworm Cocoons, Doston Ishmukhammat Ugli Samandarov

Technical science and innovation

This article presents the results of experimental studies of the primary processing (killing) of silkworm pupae using existing technological methods, as well as three different combinations of infrared (IR) and ultrasound (US). A series of pilot studies was conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Service Technology at Tashkent State Technical University on nine cocoon samples using existing technological equipment and an experimental setup developed under project AL-8724053050 and based on the combined effects of infrared radiation and ultrasound. A comparative evaluation of the studied processing methods was conducted based on the degree of pupal killing, moth hatching, process …

Evaluation Of Level Measurement Uncertainty For Three Types Of Laser Level Meters Using The Gum Methodology: Calculated Uncertainty Budgets, Uncertainty Profile, And Hardware Component Requirements, Lazizbek Furkatjanovich Saidoripov, Barat Makhmudovich Akhmedov

Technical science and innovation

A methodology is presented for evaluating the uncertainty of liquid petroleum product level measurements using laser level meters based on different measurands’ informative parameters: propagation time, phase difference, and image coordinates. Based on analytical expressions for error components and a traceability chain to the national length standard, calculated uncertainty budgets are developed in accordance with JCGM 100 for time-of-flight, phase-based, and laser–television level meters. Under the assumed input conditions, the expanded uncertainties (k = 2) are 1.66, 0.73, and 1.02 mm, respectively. For the laser–television level meter budget, the Gaussian approximation is verified using the Monte Carlo method (JCGM 101): …

A Tool For Assessing The Effectiveness Of Speed Humps As Traffic Calming Measure, Abdulrazak Mzamiru Kachwamba, Enock W. Nshama

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Urban population growth and increasing motor vehicle usage continue to raise concerns regarding road safety in rapidly developing cities. Although previous studies have assessed traffic-calming effectiveness using multiple criteria, they have analysed the criteria separately and have not developed a composite tool for classifying overall effectiveness. This study develops a quantitative assessment tool designed to compute a weighted composite score for evaluating the effectiveness of speed humps as a traffic calming measure. Stakeholder questionnaire responses, complemented by descriptive analysis and exploratory factor analysis, were used to identify key indicators of effectiveness and the variables influencing them. Findings indicate that speed …

Voltage-Related Power Quality Issues And Impacts On Distribution Networks With Sensitive Loads - A Review, Godwin Elinazi Mnkeni, Jackson Justo, Aviti Thadei Mushi, Bakari M. M. Mwinyiwiwa

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Voltage disturbances are the most important power quality (PQ) complications that customers and power utilities face in this smart era. The growing adoption of sophisticated electronic equipment and integration of renewable energy sources (RES) into power grids has increased the susceptibility of power distribution networks (PDNs) to voltage sags, swells, interruptions, flicker, and voltage imbalance. These disturbances, mainly caused by upstream faults, switching operations, and RES integration, compromise voltage PQ and system reliability. Consequently, they accelerate equipment degradation, increase electronic waste (e-waste), raise reactive power demand and maintenance costs, increase power losses, and impose substantial economic losses on customers and …

Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle Deterioration: Impact Of Vehicle Age And Emission Control Technology On Nox Emissions - Preprint, Amber L. Gurecki Allen, Andrew R. Colman, Max D. Sommer, William D. Waddoups, Darrell B. Sonntag

FEAT Publications

Pre-print manuscript.

Abstract

This study examines the effect of aging and deterioration on NO_x emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks (HDDTs) with different emission control technologies, including Engine Control only, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and selective catalytic reduction (SCR). In-use tailpipe emissions were measured from 12,023 HDDTs from 13 roadside measurement campaigns conducted in California and Utah between 2008 and 2024. Vehicle registration records and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) engine certification database were used to identify engine NO_x control technology. At younger ages, SCR-equipped HDDTs generally emitted significantly less NO_x than non-SCR-equipped HDDTs. However, after several years …

Cross-Dataset Stability Assessment Of A Fixed-Configuration Catboost Model Across Heterogeneous Civil Engineering Material Datasets, Arslan Qayyum Khan, Ali Raza, Amorn Pimanmas

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Machine learning (ML) has increasingly been applied in civil and structural engineering for predicting material and structural performance. However, most existing studies either benchmark several algorithms within a single dataset or review such findings, leaving the cross-dataset stability of one fixed model configuration largely unquantified. This study proposes a generalized ML evaluation framework to investigate the robustness and stability of a fixed-configuration model across multiple civil engineering material datasets. Ten datasets representing diverse structural and material problems were compiled, including 3D printed concrete (3DPC), conventional and advanced concrete including normal and high strength concrete (NHSC), recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), ultra-high-performance …

Treatment Of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ash Using Cement For Integrated Recovery Of Hydrogen And Production Of Supplementary Cementitious Material, Muhammad Haris Javed, Wenyu Liao, Fathma Zuhra, David Vollero, David Schmidenberg, Hongyan Ma

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash (MBA) represents both a disposal challenge and a potential resource for sustainable construction materials, including use as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). However, the conventional use of MBA in cement-based materials is hindered by its high metallic aluminum content, which reacts in alkaline environments to release hydrogen gas and causes volumetric instability (e.g., expansion and cracking). This study investigates a cement-based alkali pretreatment method using diluted cement suspension to stabilize metallic aluminum and improve the compatibility of MBA as an SCM. Compared to conventional alkali solutions, the proposed approach avoids the direct use …

Experimental Study On The Behavior Of High-Strength Reinforced Concrete Beams With A Longitudinal Void, With And Without Micro Steel Fibers, At Different Shear Spans, Farah M. Hussein, Saif Altai, Shatha Alasadi, Ayoob A. Ibrahim, Arshad Nadhom Shubber

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This study examines the impact of creating a longitudinal void in high-strength reinforced concrete (RC) beams to decrease concrete volume. Testing involved three groups: solid beams (SB), beams with a 75 mm void (VB), and beams with a void incorporating 1.2% micro-steel fibers (VBSF), across various shear spans (a/d) of 1.8, 2.7, and 3.6. Results indicated that increased a/d led to a 54.2% reduction in peak loads and a 119.2% increase in deflection for solid beams. The void negatively affected load-bearing at a/d = 1.8 with a 25% peak load reduction and brittle failure. At a/d = 2.7, effects were …