Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Broad Street Apartments, Carla Alejandra Simental, Viviana C. Sanchez

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Experimental Building Demonstration Model With Viscous Fluid Dampers, Blake Thomas Reeve, Brianna Jean Kufa, Aden Malek Stepanians, Sophie Carmion Ratkovich

Architectural Engineering

The Architectural Engineering major places a heavy emphasis on structural dynamics and the role of wind and seismic loading in building analysis and design. Buildings of high importance that are critical to community function, such as hospitals, often utilize supplemental damping devices like supplemental viscous fluid dampers or base isolators to reduce the overall demands on the structural system. The design and analysis of these dampers are typically not taught at the undergraduate level, and is frequently performed by mechanical engineers, in lieu of structural engineers.

To better understand and research building behavior with supplemental damping devices, our multi-disciplinary team …

Effect Of The Inherent Eccentricity In Single-Lap Direct-Shear Tests Of Pbo Frcm-Concrete Joints, Tommaso D'Antino, Lesley Sneed, Christian Carloni, Carlo Pellegrino

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Investigation of the bond between fiber reinforced composites and the substrates onto which they are applied is of critical importance to understand their failure mechanisms. The bond behavior can be studied using different experimental test set-ups; the most commonly used are the single-lap and double-lap direct-shear tests. Although single-lap shear tests are simpler to carry out than double-lap shear tests, the presence of an eccentricity between the pulling and restraining forces leads to a mixed mode fracture process at the interface, which may influence the results. This study investigates the eccentricity effect on the bond behavior of fiber reinforced cementitious …

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Model For Coupled Large Strain Consolidation And Solute Transport In Layered Soils, Hefu Pu, Patrick J. Fox

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A numerical model, called CST3 (Consolidation and Solute Transport 3), is presented for coupled one-dimensional large strain consolidation and solute transport in layered soils. The consolidation algorithm accounts for vertical strain, soil self-weight, general constitutive relationships, relative velocity of fluid and solid phases, changing compressibility and hydraulic conductivity during consolidation, unload/reload, time-dependent loading and boundary conditions, external hydraulic gradient, variable preconsolidation stress profiles, and multiple soil layers with different material properties. The solute transport algorithm accounts for advection, diffusion, mechanical dispersion, linear and nonlinear sorption, equilibrium and nonequilibrium sorption, porosity-dependent effective diffusion coefficient, and first-order decay reactions. CST3 is based …

Dynamic Green Split Optimization In Intersection Signal Design For Urban Street Network, Peng Jiao

Open Access Theses

In the past few decades, auto travel demand in the United States has significantly increased, but roadway capacity unfortunately has not expanded as quickly, which has led to severe levels of highway traffic congestion in many areas. In theory, the problem of congestion addressed through demand management and roadway expansion. However, system expansion in urban areas is difficult due to the extremely high cost of land; therefore, maximizing the existing capacity therefore often is considered the most realistic option. In urban areas, most of the traffic congestion and delays typically occur at signalized intersections. This thesis aims to prove the …

Sustainable Architecture Design: Environmental And Economic Benefits, Michael Babcock

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the movement of environmentalism, and its impact on architecture and construction. During an interview with a professional architect, a basis for research of sustainable design was devised, when he explained that “good” architecture attempts to holistically integrate the external and built environment. Presently, the main measurement for sustainability is energy efficiency. Therefore, architects constantly implement new technology in an attempt to unify both the external and built environment in an energy efficient manner. Furthermore, this thesis provides an environmental and financial cost analysis of implementing sustainable design and build. Research shows that the life cycle and up-front …

Post-Repair Seismic Assessment Of Rc Bridges Damaged With Fractured Column Bars - A Numerical Approach, Ruili He, Yang Yang, Lesley H. Sneed

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Seismic repair of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns has been studied extensively during the past several decades; however, few studies have been conducted on the influence of the column repair (member level) on the post-repair performance of bridge structures (system level). In a previous experimental study by the authors, a method was developed to rapidly repair severely damaged RC bridge columns to enable the quick reopening of the bridge to emergency traffic. Thus, a lower limit state was used for the repair design, so that the lateral strength and drift capacity of a repaired RC column with fractured longitudinal bars …

Strain-Controlled Cyclic Simple Shear Tests On Sand With Radial Strain Measurements, Xin Kang, Louis Ge, Kuang Tsung Chang, Annie On Lei Kwok

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Strain-controlled cyclic simple-shear tests were performed on silica sand with radial strain measurements. The specimens were tested under a constant K0 condition and subjected to cyclic loading and post cyclic monotonic loading. Threshold cyclic shear strain, volumetric strain, secant shear modulus, and damping ratio are investigated. Generally, the volumetric strain behavior in this study agreed well with literature findings that were investigated using the conventional cyclic direct simple shear test (without radial constraints). Radial strain during monotonic simple shear (post cyclic loading) was found to be a good parameter in monitoring the onset of flow slide in cohesionless soil. The …

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 40, Number 01

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Carbonation Resistance Of Paint Coated Concrete For Buildings, Tommy Y. Lo, Wenyu Liao, C. K. Wong, Waiching Tang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

When evaluating the carbonation resistance of paint coated concrete, the effects of both the strength grade and the curing conditions (standard curing and accelerated curing) of concrete substrate on carbonation resistance of paint coated concrete were investigated. The concept of the carbonation suppression ratio of paint was presented for evaluation of the anti-carbonation performance of the two types of paints (exterior and interior paints) when applied to a reference concrete substrate. The test results showed a good linear relationship between the carbonation depths of the paint coated concrete and the square root of exposure times. Concrete with higher strength grade …

Thermal Mass Behaviour Of Concrete Panels Incorporating Phase Change Materials, Dervilla Niall, Roger West, Sarah Mccormack, Oliver Kinnane

Conference papers

Phase Change Materials (PCM) have been incorporated into a range of building envelope materials with varied success. This study investigates two different methods of combining concrete and phase change materials to form PCM/concrete composite panels. The first method involves adding microencapsulated paraffin to fresh concrete during the mixing process. The second method involves vacuum impregnating butyl stearate into lightweight aggregate which is then included in the concrete mix design. The primary aim of the study is to determine which method is the most effective way to improve the thermal mass characteristics of a concrete panel in the context of a …

Automated Vehicles: A Guide For Planners And Policymakers, Charlie Coles

Master's Theses

Automated vehicles are those which are capable of sensing their environments in order to perform at least some aspects of the safety-critical control (like steering, throttling, or braking) without direct human input. As a guide for planners and policymakers, the objective of this thesis is to develop a strong foundation for anticipating the potential impacts resulting from advancements in vehicle automation. To establish the foundation, this thesis uses a robust qualitative methodology, coupling a review of literature on the potential advantages and disadvantages of vehicle automation and lessons from past innovations in transportation, with recent trends of the Millennial Generation, …

Bs News March/April

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Exploring Transit Ridership Using Census, Routing & Scheduling, And Stop Characteristic Data, Douglas Harvey Moody

Master's Theses

This study develops, analyzes, and a­­­­­pplies transit-system-specific regression tree models that identify and prioritize transit system improvements through analysis and application of ridership, Census, routing and scheduling, and transit stop characteristic data. Regression trees identify and rank independent variables that split dependent variable datasets into meaningful subsets according to significant relationships with independent variable datasets, and regression tree models can be used to identify and prioritize transit system improvements. In this study, ridership datatypes are the dependent variables (i.e., boardings and alightings) and Census, routing and scheduling, and transit stop characteristic datatypes are the independent variables. Data associated with the …

Construction Industry Professionals Perception Of Project Management Certification In The Houston Texas Region, Lana K. Coble, Margaret D. Watson

The Professional Constructor

Individual construction design professionals are evaluated on their abilities by state licensing boards in all 50 states of North America. The construction industry has relied upon construction company licenses in 42% of the United States to ensure that buildings are constructed to local area codes. Current practices have created a credibility gap when comparing construction managers to design professionals. Only since the 1970s, have third party agencies led an effort to provide construction management professionals with a certification to establish baseline competencies. To date, research on construction manager certification has been minimal; therefore, this research attempts to contribute to needed …

Measuring Organizational Learning Success In Commercial Construction During Economic Recession, Evan Danforth, Justin Weidman, Clifton Farnsworth

The Professional Constructor

The method through which organizations collect and internalize knowledge, termed organizational learning, has been theorized to significantly influence company performance. Specifically, the speed and accuracy of knowledge transfer boasted by organizational learning proponents is thought to assist companies in dealing with, and even benefiting from, environmental changes such as economic volatility. This research studied the organizational learning of fifteen commercial construction companies in the southwestern United States during the 2008-2009 U.S. recession through semi-structured interviews. It was found that the companies that exhibited dramatically higher or lower levels of organizational learning generally experienced correspondingly higher or lower performance. The contribution …

Strategies For Reducing The Environmental Impacts Of Construction “Improving Erosion And Sedimentation Control Practices On Construction Projects”, Richard Pate Jr

The Professional Constructor

There are numerous potential impacts associated with constructing our built environment; one in particular is fresh on contractor’s minds around the country and that is the erosion and sedimentation of our waterways. In this essay, I explain why this issue has become such a pivotal discussion within construction and green building efforts, what strategies have recently become available for addressing these issues, and how their implementation will affect a project’s overall budget and schedule. The strategies I have chosen to discuss are silt fence tieback systems, polyacrylamide (PAM) flocculants, and unmanned aerial vehicle inspections.

Strategies For Reducing The Environmental Impacts Of Construction, Alex Stewar

The Professional Constructor

In order to carry out a successful and sustainable construction project, quality project planning isessential. In this paper, I will discuss how design and preconstruction are the most important parts of a sustainableconstruction project. The three main points will be about the importance of selling sustainability to the owner, choosingthe proper project delivery method to integrate team members, and planning for the future when designing the project.Finally, I will touch on how my own education through the Construction Science and Management program at ClemsonUniversity has prepared me for this new era of construction.

Structural Damage Detection By Comparison Of Experimental And Theoretical Mode Shapes, William George Rosenblatt

Master's Theses

Existing methods of evaluating the structural system of a building after a seismic event consist of removing architectural elements such as drywall, cladding, insulation, and fireproofing. This method is destructive and costly in terms of downtime and repairs. This research focuses on removing the guesswork by using forced vibration testing (FVT) to experimentally determine the health of a building. The experimental structure is a one-story, steel, bridge-like structure with removable braces. An engaged brace represents a nominal and undamaged condition; a dis-engaged brace represents a brace that has ruptured thus changing the stiffness of the building. By testing a variety …

Spring 2016 - Volume 40, Number 1, Full Issue

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Reducing The Environmental Impacts Of Construction, Jordan Moran

The Professional Constructor

Sustainable building is a complex goal to reach even for the most seasoned project managers. If theyfocus on the ideas to reduce, reuse, and recycle that goal becomes much more obtainable. The project manager mustset his expectations and priorities from the moment the contract is signed to navigate which routes are most possible toachieve given the project scope and delivery method. The key to success is to relay the long term benefits of sustainablebuilding on to the owner, and make them realize that up-front cost should take a back seat to life cycle. This will save theenvironment and the owner’s …

General Interest Articles, The Professional Constructor

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Contractor Feasibility In Providing Cost Segregation Studies From Detailed Estimates: A Case Study, Ben F. Bigelow, Jeremy Robinson, John Killingsworth

The Professional Constructor

Profit margins are tight for general contractors, averaging under 3% (Construction Financial Management Association). Further, competition for projects can be very fierce, so any opportunity for increased profit or a competitive advantage in bidding bears consideration by general contractors. Cost segregation studies represent such an opportunity but the feasibility of a general contractor providing them has not been studied. A cost segregation study allows a property owner to accelerate the depreciation of certain portions of a building thus reducing tax liability and increasing cash flow. Because the information needed for a cost segregation study can be found in a detailed …

A Framework For Analyzing Intraorganizational Congruence Of Safety Practices On Safety Performance – A Pilot Study Of Construction, Benjamin Hill, Mohammed S. Hashem M. Mehany, Richard J. Gebken

The Professional Constructor

Previous research has determined that improving employee congruence on organizational methods and goals leads to improved organizational performance. This research establishes a comprehensive framework of common and recommended safety practices that can be used for intraorganizational congruence data collection regarding safety practices. The research is also developing a method for congruence calculation and examine the congruence effect on the subcontractor’s safety performance metrics through a pilot study. The established framework identified and organized 170 practices under seven conceptual, safety-practice categories. The congruence analysis and the pilot study revealed several areas of high and low congruency along with significant correlations between …

Factors Of Employee Loyalty Among Construction Management Field Personnel, Estimators & Bim/Design Specialists: Insights For General Contractors, Colby Humphrey, Ben F. Bigelow

The Professional Constructor

Since 2008 construction employment has dropped considerably and has remained below 2007 levels, with construction management positions still about 14% down (U.S. Department of Labor 2015). Despite the boom currently occurring in the construction industry, general contractors (GCs) are finding it difficult to fill project management positions (AGC 2014), and construction firms expect these challenges to continue (Mutikani 2014). With greater demand for managers, retaining quality people is a paramount concern. Everyone knows the adage that “money talks”, but what can a GC do to engender loyalty besides just paying more? To explore that question and attempt to better understand …

Engineering Behavior And Characteristics Of Water-Soluble Polymers: Implication On Soil Remediation And Enhanced Oil Recovery, Shuang Cindy Cao, Bate Bate, Jong Wan Hu, Jongwon Jung

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Biopolymers have shown a great effect in enhanced oil recovery because of the improvement of water-flood performance by mobility control, as well as having been considered for oil contaminated-soil remediation thanks to their mobility control and water-flood performance. This study focused on the wettability analysis of biopolymers such as chitosan (85% deacetylated power), PEO (polyethylene oxide), Xanthan (xanthan gum), SA (Alginic Acid Sodium Salt), and PAA (polyacrylic acid), including the measurements of contact angles, interfacial tension, and viscosity. Furthermore, a micromodel study was conducted to explore pore-scale displacement phenomena during biopolymer injection into the pores. The contact angles of biopolymer …

The Bridge Newsletter Spring 2016, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

The Bridge Newsletter

-Steel Bridge Team qualifies for nationals
-Concrete, reimagined
-Going with the flow
-Remembering Vernon T. Jones

Calpoly 2015 Transportation Survey Report, William Riggs

City and Regional Planning Studios and Projects

In the spring of 2015, City & Regional Planning faculty conducted a campus-wide transportation survey as part of work on the campus Climate Action Plan. The survey represented spring 2014 commutes and was issued to a sample of full and part-time CalPoly faculty, staff, students and auxiliaries with assistance from Facilities Services and the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

The total number of responses was 3,961, roughly 17% of the entire campus population of roughly 23,000. Unsurprisingly, the majority of respondents were students, totaling 68.6%, while the rest were made up of faculty, staff, and visitors. Results are significant …

Case Study Of Quantifying Energy Loss Through Ceiling-Attic Recessed Lighting Fixtures Through 3d Numerical Simulation, Ri Na, Shengmao Lin, Zhigang Shen, Linxia Gu

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Air leakage through improperly installed recessed lighting fixtures has been identified as a common issue causing extra energy consumption of residential buildings. However, little quantitative study was found in this area. In this paper, a preliminary evaluation of the magnitude of such energy loss was conducted by numerical simulations using 3 dimensional transient computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. A typical layout of recessed lighting fixtures was used in this case study with boundary conditions in four different seasons, which were obtained from past measured roof/attic temperature data sets. The results of the numerical simulations indicate that leakage of recessed lighting …