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The Bridge Newsletter Spring 2014, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

The Bridge Newsletter

-Reusing scrap tires
-Renaissance man
-Energy research published
-Follow your passion

2014 Scholarly Productivity Report, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Scholarly Productivity Reports

No abstract provided.

Compressibility Characteristics Of Low-Plasticity Silt Before And After Liquefaction, Shuying Wang, Ronaldo Luna

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Low-plasticity silt is known to have a potential to liquefy during earthquakes. The compressibility characteristics could change before and after a dynamic event that produces liquefaction. This research investigates the liquefaction resistance and post liquefaction reconsolidation characteristics of Mississippi River Valley (MRV) silt using laboratory cyclic triaxial compression testing. The MRV silt experienced initial liquefaction under cyclic loading, and the results are presented as cyclic stress ratio versus loading cycle curve. After cyclic loading, the liquefied specimens were reconsolidated. Permeability did not change significantly as a result of liquefaction. The reconsolidation curves are more parallel to the compression line than …

Characterization Of Shear Wave Velocity And Its Anisotropy In Uniform Granular Materials, Xin Kang, Bate Bate, Louis Ge

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Small strain stiffness of granular materials is important to many engineering applications, such as earthquake engineering, pavement, machine foundation, embankment subjected to tidal impacts, and foundations for structures under wind loads. Shear wave velocity, which is an indicator of stiffness, was measured with a newly developed bender element testing system. Test data supported that this testing system is effective in evaluating the shear wave velocity and its anisotropy of uniform spherical granular materials, including glass beads, uniform medium, and fine sands. Influencing factors on the Vs such as grain size and applied stress were studied. Two components of the soil …

Effects Of Mix Design Parameters And Rheological Properties On Dynamic Stability Of Self-Consolidating Concrete, B. Esmaeilkhanian, Kamal Khayat, A. Yahia, D. Feys

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Stability is a crucial property for successful placement and performance of self-consolidating concrete (SCC). Dynamic stability refers to the segregation resistance of concrete during flow and is not thoroughly described in literature to date. In this research, a newly developed dynamic stability test, the Tilting-box test, was employed to evaluate the effect of different mix design parameters on the dynamic segregation of SCC. Paste volume, water-to-binder ratio (w/b), maximum size of aggregate (MSA), aggregate density, and aggregate grain-size distribution were shown to affect the dynamic stability of SCC, while the coarse aggregate shape did not have a significant influence. The …

Cyber-Physical Codesign Of Distributed Structural Health Monitoring With Wireless Sensor Networks, Gregory Hackmann, Weijun Guo, Guirong Yan, Zhuoxiong Sun, Chenyang Lu, Shirley Dyke

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Our Deteriorating Civil Infrastructure Faces the Critical Challenge of Long-Term Structural Health Monitoring for Damage Detection and Localization. in Contrast to Existing Research that Often Separates the Designs of Wireless Sensor Networks and Structural Engineering Algorithms, This Paper Proposes a Cyber-Physical Codesign Approach to Structural Health Monitoring based on Wireless Sensor Networks. Our Approach Closely Integrates 1) Flexibility-Based Damage Localization Methods that Allow a Tradeoff between the Number of Sensors and the Resolution of Damage Localization, and 2) an Energy-Efficient, Multilevel Computing Architecture Specifically Designed to Leverage the Multiresolution Feature of the Flexibility-Based Approach. the Proposed Approach Has Been Implemented …

Linking Solid Particle Packing Of Eco-Scc To Material Performance, Florian V. Mueller, Olafur H. Wallevik, Kamal Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The concept of Eco-SCC aims to achieve self-compacting concrete (SCC) design for intermediate compressive strength mixtures that are commonly used in the ready-mix concrete industry. Contrary to many other approaches, in which the reactive cement clinker is replaced by a less reactive component, Eco-SCC involves the reduction of the total powder content. In the approach presented in this paper, the lubricant volume is increased by using a non-reactive filler. An improved particle packing with an enhanced lattice effect can minimize the lubricant demand and enhance the stability of the concrete. The effect of particle-size distribution on stability and performance of …

Impact Of Organic Coatings On Frictional Strength Of Organically Modified Clay, B. Bate, Q. Zhao, S. E. Burns

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Organic matter is frequently encountered in both naturally occurring and engineered particulate media. Charged functional groups in the organic matter can lead to cation exchange within the clay interlayer, which results in the formation of an organic coating on the clay surfaces and alters the interfacial frictional regime in the soil mass. This study investigated the triaxial shear frictional behavior of montmorillonite particles coated with a controlled organic phase composed of quaternary ammonium cations. Through cation exchange, organic cations were loaded onto the clay's interlayer exchange sites, with control on the density of organic coverage and structure of the organic …

Effects Of Chemical Stabilizers On An Expansive Clay, Honghua Zhao, Louis Ge, Thomas M. Petry, Yi Zhen Sun

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Expansive clays exhibit a high potential for the volume change behavior when the soil moisture changes. The estimated annual cost of the damage to the facilities built on expansive clay in the United States exceeds 9 billion dollars. Because of the physicochemical nature of the expansive clay, the use of chemical agents to improve their engineering properties is common. This research investigated the effects of chemical agents on an expansive soil from Texas through a laboratory injection method. The agents used in this study included lime, potassium-based agents, and a group of ionic agents. Swelling tests, chemical tests, and soil …

A Simple Turbulence Model For Stably Stratified Wall-Bounded Flows, F. Karimpour, S. K. Venayagamoorthy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study, we present a simple zero-equation (algebraic) turbulence closure scheme as well as the standard k-Ïμ model for stably stratified wall-bounded flows. We do this by proposing a parameterization for the turbulent Prandtl number (Prt) for stably stratified flows under the influence of a smooth solid wall. The turbulent Prandtl number is the linking bridge between the turbulent momentum and scalar fluxes in the context of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations. Therefore, it is important to use appropriate parameterizations for Prt in order to define the right level of momentum and scalar mixing in stably stratified flows. To date, …

Shear Strength Of Chemically Based Self-Consolidating Concrete Beams: Fracture Mechanics Approach Versus Modified Compression Field Theory, Mahdi Arezoumandi, Jeffery S. Volz

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the shear strength of full-scale beams constructed with both chemically based self-consolidating concrete (SCC) and conventional concrete (CC). This experimental program consisted of 12 beams without stirrups with three different longitudinal reinforcement ratios. The beams were tested under a simply supported four-point loading condition. The experimental shear strengths of the beams were compared with the shear provisions of both U.S. and international design codes. Furthermore, the shear strengths of the beams were evaluated based on fracture mechanics approaches, modified compression field theory (MCFT), and a shear database of CC specimens. Results of this …

Safety Effect Of Missouri's Strategic Highway Safety Plan: Missouri's Blueprint For Safer Roadways, Mojtaba A. Mohammadi, V. A. Samaranayake, Ghulam H. Bham

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study systematically evaluated the changes in motor vehicle crashes that occurred on the Missouri Interstate highway system following the implementation of the Missouri Strategic Highway Safety Plan (MSHSP) between 2004 and 2007. The MSHSP implemented crash injury reduction strategies in enforcement, education, engineering, and public policy. Empirical Bayesian methods were commonly used to evaluate the effects of any change in safety as a result of countermeasures. This paper presents a simple new approach to evaluating the effects of Missouri's safety plans on roadway crashes. For crash data associated with traffic and roadway characteristics, negative binomial regression models were developed …

Full-Scale Field Testing Of Micropiles In Stiff Clay Subjected To Combined Axial And Lateral Loads, Kyle A. Kershaw, Ronaldo Luna

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A series of full-scale micro piles was installed at a site in mid-Missouri for a load-test program to study the effect of combined loading. The micro piles were installed with a 178-mm (7-in.) outer diameter steel casing to a depth of 4.6 m (15 ft) and a bond zone length of 3.0 m (10 ft). The surficial soils at the site consisted of stiff-to-hard clay underlain by weathered silty/sandy shale where the bond zone of the micro piles was located. The load-test program included axial, lateral, and combined-load tests. The ultimate axial and lateral capacity of the piles was initially …

Thermophysical And Mechanical Properties Of Hardened Cement Paste With Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials For Energy Storage, Hongzhi Cui, Wenyu Liao, Shazim Ali Memon, Biqin Dong, Waiching Tang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this research, structural-functional integrated cement-based materials were prepared by employing cement paste and a microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) manufactured using urea-formaldehyde resin as the shell and paraffin as the core material. The encapsulation ratio of the MPCM could reach up to 91.21 wt%. Thermal energy storage cement pastes (TESCPs) incorporated with different MPCM contents (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% by weight of cement) were developed, and their thermal and mechanical properties were studied. The results showed that the total energy storage capacity of the hardened cement specimens with MPCM increased by up to 3.9-times compared with that …

Role Of Solids Retention Time On Complete Nitrification: Mechanistic Understanding And Modeling, Guoqiang Liu, Jianmin Wang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Effects of solids retention time (SRT) on both steps of the nitrification process (e.g., ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation) and the nitrifier community in a complete-mix activated sludge process were studied. At a SRT less than or equal to 20 days, the effluent ammonia concentration was lower than the effluent nitrite concentration. At the 40-day SRT, however, the effluent nitrite concentration became equal to or less than the effluent ammonia concentration. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (QPCR) assays indicated that increasing SRT significantly increased nitrite-oxidizing bacteria/ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (NOB/AOB) ratio. Further investigation indicated that Nitrosomonas europaea/eutropha were the dominant AOB for ammonia …

Form Pressure Generated By Fresh Concrete: A Review About Practice In Formwork Design, Tilo Proske, Kamal Khayat, Ahmed Omran, Olaf Leitzbach

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, several current industrial practices in formwork design are presented focusing on the normative calculation of the form pressure. Most of the current Standards are devoting for the design of the formwork for the normal vibrated concrete. Currently, the Standards are being updated to include provisions for the newly adapted concrete, such as the flowable concrete and self-consolidating concrete. However, the experience with these methods is still limited. The available methods for calculating the formwork pressure for the flowable concrete and SCC are based on measuring the shear strength of concrete using different concepts, such as the setting …

Use Of Innovative Techniques To Enhance The Hydraulic Disinfection Efficiency Of Drinking Water Contact Tanks, J. J. Kattnig, S. K. Venayagamoorthy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The focus of this study was to understand the complex nature of flow dynamics within water disinfection contact tanks and to use this understanding in the development of beneficial tank modifications. Methods involved in this process included the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and physical conservative tracer studies. Attempted tank alterations included the installation of baffles, inlet modification, and the use of industrial packing material. Tested modifications aimed at altering existing velocity fields to increase the hydraulic disinfection efficiency of a given system. Hydraulic efficiency was measured through the use of residence time distribution (RTD) curves and the well-known …

Behavior Of Hybrid Frp-Concrete-Steel Double-Skin Tubes Subjected To Cyclic Axial Compression, Omar I. Abdelkarim, Mohamed A. Elgawady

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the results of an experimental study that was conducted to investigate the effects of key parameters on the compressive behavior of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-concrete-steel double-skin tubular columns (FSDT). Hybrid FSDT columns have been introduced as a new form of hybrid columns. They consist of an outer tube made of FRP and inner tub made of steel, with sandwiched concrete between them. This paper investigated the effect of fiber angle and the ratio of steel tube diameter to its thickness (Di/ts) on the compressive behavior of FSDT columns. Six FSDT cylinders with different (Di/ts), in addition to two …

Choice Of Thixotropic Index To Evaluate Formwork Pressure Characteristics Of Self-Consolidating Concrete, Ahmed F. Omran, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Formwork lateral pressure exerted by concrete is affected by mixture composition, placement conditions, and formwork characteristics. The mixture composition includes binder type and content, supplementary cementitious materials, fillers, water-to-cementitious ratio, content and characteristics of coarse aggregate, paste volume, chemical admixtures, concrete unit weight, concrete consistency, and temperature. Thixotropy of concrete expressed here in terms of structural build-up at rest is employed to collectively reflect the effect of combined mix design factors on formwork pressure. This research demonstrates relationships between 12 indices that can be used to evaluate the structural build-up at rest of concrete, determined using portable vane, inclined plane, …

Improving Enrollment In The Construction Management Graduate Program Through Students’ Perspectives, Mouloud Messaoudi

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

Low enrollment and the decrease in graduation and retention rates are challenges facing the growth of the Master’s in Technology Management – Construction Management (MTM-CM) program at BGSU. In addition, the competition between the universities to enroll and retain more in-state, out-of-state, and international students is aggressive. There is a need for a revaluation for the MTM-CM program in order to attract more students in the future. This study is a necessary step to know what the MTM-CM students think about the product delivered to them at BGSU. There was no prior study investigating the satisfaction level of the construction …

Development Of A Tribometer To Characterize Lubrication Layer Properties Of Self-Consolidating Concrete, Dimitri Feys, Kamal Khayat, Aurelien Perez-Schell, Rami Khatib

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Last Decade, Significant Advances Have Been Made in Investigating, Understanding and Predicting the Flow Characteristics during Pumping of Concrete. Kaplan Developed Theoretical Equations based on the Rheological and Tribological Properties of Concrete to Predict Pumping Pressures. Several Tribometers Were Developed to Characterize the Flow Properties of Concrete Along a Smooth Wall, But None of Them Allows the Use of Highly Workable Concretes. the Main Reason is that for the Calculation of the Yield Stress and Viscous Constant of the Lubrication Layer, the Concrete is Not Allowed to Be Sheared. in This Paper, a New Design for the Concrete Tribometer …

Bs News January/February

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Behavior Of I-Section Gfrp Beam Including Retrofitting For Damage Effects, Mamadou Konate, Zia Razzaq

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents the outcome of a study of an I-section Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) beam including retrofitting for damage effects. A total of three beam tests were conducted in the following sequence: GFRP beam with no retrofitting and a single mid-span web brace; the partially damaged (cracked) beam with GFRP plates used for retrofitting; and the retrofitted beam re-tested with the lateral brace at the top flange level. Both cracking and lateral-torsional buckling behavior is studied and experimental load-deflection relationships recorded. Using the mechanical properties of GFRP based on the experimental data, theoretical predictions are made for the …

Effect Of Fly Ash Replacement Level On The Fracture Behavior Of Concrete, Mahdi Arezoumandi, Jeffery S. Volz

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The production of portland cement-the key ingredient in concrete-generates a significant amount of carbon dioxide. However, due to its incredible versatility, availability, and relatively low cost, concrete is the most consumed manmade material on the planet. One method of reducing concrete's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is the use of fly ash to replace a significant amount of the cement. This study presents the results of an experimental investigation that evaluates effect of fly ash replacement level on the fracture energy of concrete. This study includes four mixes with 0%, 30%, 50%, and 70%fly ash as a cement replacement. This …

A Case Study Of Zero Energy Home Built For Solar Decathlon Competition 2013, Sanjib Mulepati

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Energy consumption in residential homes has been a subject of research related to sustainability. Reduction in the consumption of energy is a goal of sustainable construction. The Department of Energy (DOE) started a Solar Decathlon competition in 2002 in which the students from different universities around the globe build an energy efficient and affordable home suitable for their climate and location. The main goal of this competition is to select the best home that is designed and built in a sustainable way. In this study, the home designed and constructed for participation in the competition by the students at University …

A Simple Method For Estimation Of Queue Length, S. P. Anusha, Lelitha Devi Vanajakshi, Anuj Sharma

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Urban arterials are characterized by frequent intersections. Queue length and delay are the two primary measures of performance of intersection. These measures play a primary role in determining the arterial performance. This article presents a methodology to determine the number of vehicles in queue at a signalized intersection for under saturated traffic conditions. The results obtained were validated using actual values that are manually extracted. The root-mean-square error is of the range 1.3 vehicles for estimation of number of vehicles in queue. The various aspects that have to be considered in accurate estimation of performance measures are also discussed.

Effect Of Fly Ash Replacement Level On The Shear Strength Of High-Volume Fly Ash Concrete Beams, Mahdi Arezoumandi, Jeffery S. Volz

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The production of Portland cement - the key ingredient in concrete - generates a significant amount of carbon dioxide. However, due to its incredible versatility, availability, and relatively low cost, concrete is the most consumed manmade material on the planet. One method of reducing concrete's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is the use of fly ash to replace a significant amount of the cement. An experimental investigation was conducted to study the shear strength of full-scale beams constructed with high-volume fly ash concrete (HVFAC) - concrete with at least 50% of the cement replaced with fly ash - and conventional …

2013 Scholarly Productivity Report, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Scholarly Productivity Reports

No abstract provided.

The Cost Of Green Infrastructure: Worth The Investment?, Martha Sheils

Green Infrastructure

Is GI worth the investment?

• LID techniques often lead to cost savings when we look at WHOLE PROJECT COSTS

• Natural Infrastructure investments for flood control, drinking water protection and wildlife habitat can yield SIGNIFICANT AVOIDED COSTS and additional co-benefits to communitites

Postcyclic Behavior Of Low-Plasticity Silt With Limited Excess Pore Pressures, Shuying Wang, Ronaldo Luna, Junsheng Yang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper investigates the post cyclic behavior of low-plasticity silt with excess pore pressure ratio (Ru) less than 1. The testing specimens were prepared from Mississippi River Valley (MRV) silt. Full and no reconsolidation were allowed after specimens were subjected to various excess pore pressure ratios due to cyclic loading in a cyclic triaxial cell, and then monotonic shear tests were conducted. The effect of the Ru on shear strength and stiffness at small and large deformation was investigated. It was found that a Ru greater than 0.70 is a prerequisite of large increase in volumetric strain and undrained shear …