Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Optimization And Longevity Of Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Enabled Membranes For Water Treatment, Madeleine Michael Isabella White

Master's Theses

Water scarcity is a growing concern at the global scale. Large scale water reuse is growing both in necessity and popularity. Before water reuse can be performed efficiently on a large scale or be used for potable supply, even indirectly, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) will need to be treated at the full scale. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are a form of advanced water treatment capable of treating a wide range of CECs. This study contributes to the growing field of AOPs and more specifically AOPs using ozone combined with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Ozonation of MWCNTs has been …

Investigation Of New Forward Osmosis Draw Agents And Prioritization Of Recent Developments Of Draw Agents Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, Jodie Wei Yu

Master's Theses

Forward osmosis (FO) is an emerging technology for water treatment due to their ability to draw freshwater using an osmotic pressure gradient across a semi-permeable membrane. However, the lack of draw agents that could both produce reasonable flux and be separated from the draw solution at a low cost stand in the way of widespread implementation. This study had two objectives: evaluate the performance of three materials — peptone, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) — as potential draw agents, and to use multi-criteria decision matrices to systematically prioritize known draw agents from literature for …

Preconstruction Plan For A Pedestrian Pathway Rehabilitation Project, Sean R. Stratton

Construction Management

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed to enforce improvements of public commodities to fill the gaps in our nation's civil rights inequalities for people with disabilities. Public pedestrian pathways are required by federal and state law to comply with ADA guidelines to allow ease of access to individuals with disabilities. Many existing sidewalks and pedestrian pathways have been renovated and modernized to comply with these ADA guidelines. This paper outlines the preconstruction plan for a rehabilitation project of a problematic pedestrian pathway on the campus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and highlights the need for …

San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Children’S Garden Shed, Javier Santiago

Construction Management

The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden (SLOBG) is located on the California’s Central Coast. The garden consists of a total of 150 acres within El Chorro Regional National Park. This project arose because of a shortage of storage within the Botanical Garden grounds. This project specifically aimed to improve the children’s garden section’s storage space. Before the project took place, there was no storage space located within the children’s garden. Preconstruction coordination started in the Fall of 2019. Shortly after, design of the storage space began. Before construction of the storage shed could start, the project site was graded to …

Rodeo Arena Observation Deck, Ryan B. Fiorio

Construction Management

This report details the process that brought about a large deck that was built at the Cal Poly Rodeo Arena by two students, Timothy Smith and Ryan Fiorio. The project itself was over a year in the making, starting from an idea of Ben Londo, the Cal Poly rodeo coach, to a lengthy approval process and lots of time to fundraise the required money. The project was completed in June of 2020. This project used TimberTech composite decking per the request of Ben Londo. It was also built extremely rigid with the use of pony walls instead of posts to …

Potential Of Existing And Proposed Bicycle Facilities To Link Multiple Origin And Destination Needs For Non-Motorized Travel In San Luis Obispo, Sheridan Nansen

City and Regional Planning

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of linking multiple origins and destinations for efficient non-motorized travel in San Luis Obispo, California. The city currently has seventy-five miles of bicycle infrastructure with the intention to add thirty-five more miles to create a more functional bicycle network and foster an increase in bicycle trips taken.

Many cities in the United States are following their European counterparts in the push towards more sustainable forms of transportation by promoting bicycling, walking, and the use of public transit. Recently, we have seen an increase in both local and national legislative efforts …

Bike And Pedestrian Safety Planning: Excelsior/Outer Mission District, Alexandra Lee-Gardner

City and Regional Planning

San Francisco’s Outer Mission and Excelsior districts host a vibrant community of small business owners and residents from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. The neighborhood is known for its diversity and sense of community. However, lack of adequate infrastructure and high-speed roadways has created great safety concerns within the community. In the last five years, the Excelsior/Outer Mission area had 828 collisions, nine of which were fatal (Transbase, n.d.). San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has identified nearly 14 miles of streets in the project area that are on the City’s high injury network, meaning collisions there are highly …

Heavy Civil Estimating Module For Cm 314, Everett A. Roberts

Construction Management

In the past, through engagement with students that have gone through the Heavy Civil class, it has been found that student understanding of typical heavy civil operations is subpar. Through an updated course module that focuses on estimating the four major operations, Earthwork, Underground, Asphalt, and Concrete, students will gain a deeper understanding of the heavy civil field of construction. The module consists of four assignments that pertain to the previously mentioned operations. Each contain a lecture detailing typical crew compositions and cycle times, reference material and resources the student can use when completing the assignments. This new module will …

Parklets San Luis, Owen Kenny, Preston Jag Stebel, Leonidas Goodman, Lukas Braun

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Downtown San Luis Obispo has been a popular destination for tourists, students, families, and roadtrippers. However, according to Ryan Betz, Interim Assistant to the City Manager, foot traffic and retail business revenue has been decreasing. Downtown SLO does not have enough free public spaces. Recent projects such as sidewalk bump outs and lighted crosswalks have aimed at making SLO more pedestrian accessible, but they have not actually made downtown more pleasurable. These projects have not seemed to drive any more business or traffic downtown. There are a myriad of ways to rectify this; studies show that having a free place …

Predicting The Prevalence Of Autonomous Heavy Equipment In The Construction Industry, Mitchell T. Bongi

Construction Management

Autonomy is a topic that is gaining speed throughout the world as labor shortages rise, wages increase the desire for greater safety in dangerous fields accelerates. One industry that has had a slower start but looks to join the autonomous bandwagon is construction. Different experts in different fields from engineers to construction managers give different timelines as to when this autonomous technology will be normally present in certain construction industries, however an accurate timeline has yet to be determined. The objective of this paper is to provide a more accurate timeline as to when autonomous heavy equipment will be prevalent …

A Case Study On The Financial Implications Of The Zero Net Energy (Zne) Goal In California, Shane A. Willingham

Construction Management

This paper is a case study that identifies potential financial implications from the updated Title 24, Part 6 code requirements established in 2019 by the California Energy Commission (CEC). The CEC works closely with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), who’s long term goal is to make all residential structures Zero Net Energy (ZNE) throughout the state. The CEC’s updated code requirements include mandatory measures for detached residential homes to meet Zero Net Electricity on an Energy Design Rating (EDR) basis, a step towards Zero Net Energy. The purpose of this study is to understand the additional construction costs associated …

Increasing Health And Safety Through The Utilization Of 4d Modeling, Rogan J. Wells

Construction Management

Health and safety is one of the most important aspects of the construction industry. Every year there are thousands of work-related injuries in the construction industry. Avoiding these injuries is of the utmost importance on a jobsite. This paper will analyze how building information modeling, specifically the use of 4D building information modeling, can be utilized to increase the overall health and safety of construction jobsite. An exploratory survey was conducted amongst architecture, engineering, and construction industry professionals who hold a wide range of experience. The aim of this survey was to analyze their knowledge and experiences using building information …

Neca Ghana Project, Michael T. Klee

Construction Management

Cal Poly’s motto is, “Learn by Doing" and for Cal Poly’s NECA Chapter, this isn’t simply a motto, but a directive for proactive change. For my senior project I will be leading the Cal Poly NECA chapter in the design, pre- fabrication and construction of a 5-7kw solar array, community center, ice production room and technology room in the remote fishing village of Agbokpa, Ghana. The solar array will power multiple industrial DC freezers, high efficiency LED lighting and charging stations while additionally powering water filtration and irrigation systems. Like many other fishing villages around the world, Agbokpa has no …

Integration Of Bim Management Into Custom Residential Construction, Cruz Calderhead

Construction Management

The custom residential sector of construction currently lacks the usage of BIM management tools. This paper looks to research the current usage, advantages, and disadvantages of using BIM management software’s within custom residential construction. There will be a comparative case study held between two custom residential contractors, one with minor BIM usage and one who has fully integrated BIM software into their management procedure. The goal is to find out if BIM management is cost-effective and scalable to the custom residential industry. This information will be beneficial to the custom residential industry because it will provide custom residential general contractors …

Housing And Community Development Project In Siem Reap, Cambodia, Gerald F. Charette Iii

Construction Management

Habitat for Humanity Global Village is an international organization that gathers materials and volunteers to build homes for less fortunate villages in more than 70 different countries. The team I applied for was chosen to build a house for a family of four in a village near Siem Reap, Cambodia. I chose this as my senior project because it combines my interests in construction and humanitarian work, as well as giving me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of a different country’s construction means and methods. I felt that that the best way to showcase the material that I have …

Integration Of Plangrid Into Cal Poly's Construction Management Curriculum: Learn By Doing, Dane M. Clemensen

Construction Management

PlanGrid is a mobile construction management, document control software that gives builders real-time access to blueprints, punch lists, daily reports, submittals, RFIs and more. It is used throughout the industry by many different construction companies. The purpose of this project is to give Cal Poly construction management students early exposure to PlanGrid in an introduction lab in the jobsite construction class, CM 413. Before the lab was taught, a brief survey was sent out to construction companies asking their thoughts on how much exposure CM students should receive in PlanGrid. After receiving the survey results, the PlanGrid introduction lab was …

Hydronic Service Valve Product Development, Mark Hunsaker

Construction Management

Since the inception of modern mechanical and HVAC systems, maintenance and repairs have been prevalent in both contracting and facility operations. The average life of HVAC equipment is fractional compared to the life of buildings as construction technologies improve. Traditionally, the serviceability of heating and cooling equipment has entailed the significant amounts of labor and materials to disruptively drain or freeze hydronic systems in order to cut in means of bypassing the main system, swapping out equipment, or repair. The intent of this project is to explore alternative methods to forgo the aforementioned negative impacts of service and to improve …

Cal Poly Associated General Contractors Service- Learning Project In San Ignacio, Belize, Will A. Myers

Construction Management

In the winter of 2020, the Cal Poly Associated general Contractors chapter of San Luis Obispo built over 200 linear feet of soccer seating for the community of Selena, just outside of San Ignacio, Belize. Our team fundraised over $18,000 and designed a soccer stadium that would leave a lasting impact on the community. Throughout all phases of the project, we were challenged with many obstacles that tested our ability to overcome and handle difficult situations.

Belize Service Learning: A Case Study In Construction Technology Abroad, Parker H. Doshier

Construction Management

In Winter of 2019, members of the Associated General Contractors, Student Chapter at Cal Poly traveled to Selena, Belize to complete soccer bleachers at the local soccer field. This trip offered an excellent case study into feasibility and benefits of new construction technology on all project sizes and in different countries. SketchUp was used in multiple phases of this project including design, estimating and the creation of as-builts. Procore offers an array of useful features including the scheduling, daily logs and meetings that were used on this project. The scheduling feature was useful in tracking travel deadlines and for monitoring …

Analyzing More Sustainable Alternatives Than Using Ordinary Portland Cement In Commerical Construction, Brandon A. Sturla Bs

Construction Management

The purpose of this paper is to look at more sustainable alternative options for concrete use for California Commercial Contractors. This paper will analyze the more sustainable options for concrete and come to conclusions on how effective the alternative options are for protecting the environment, encouraging sustainability, maintaining cost effectiveness, and maintaining efficiency in building. This paper provides data on the negative impact concrete use has had on the environment and potential ways to alleviate this. This paper will also analyze how cost-effective the alternative options are to see if the alternative options are realistic and affordable to use in …

Prefabrication And The Labor Shortage On The Central Coast, Brenden Ryan Napier

Construction Management

The labor shortage has affected every aspect of construction all over California, however the central coast has been hit especially hard. The central coast’s location between the two major developmental hubs presents challenges such as relocating employees and finding skilled craftsman. One potential method that has been shown to increase productivity and cut costs is to prefabricate. Prefabrication can improve working conditions and increase worker safety while streamlining schedule and reducing environmental impact. While these benefits are certainly possible in larger cities that have the manufacturing grunt, this paper aims to understand if prefabrication is a viable way to alleviate …

Construction Curriculum Developed For Continuation Schools, Orlando I. Yepez

Construction Management

This paper will discuss a curriculum, an introduction to construction fundamentals, that was built for continuation schools. A continuation school is a school for at-risk youth in which it provides programs of empowering, inspiration and outlet. Five modules were created that focus on different sections of the construction industry. These modules consist of Site Safety, Untroduction to Basic Math, Introduction to Power Tools, Introduction to Construction Drawings, and Basic Employable Skills. Each module will consist of a ten-question quiz and presentation. Two homework assignments were also created. One homework assignment for site safety which requires students to identify if the …

Residual Strength Of Franciscan-Derived Clay, Yingyi Xu

Master's Theses

In February of 2017 after a period of heavy rainfall, a slope destabilized behind Fremont Hall on the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The geology of this slope stability failure is the Franciscan Complex. The Franciscan Complex, when weathered in place, results in clay soil that makes up the typical soil mantle on the hills throughout the region. Peak strength is the typical parameter tested to assess the strength of the soil. For the Franciscan-derived clay, the residual strength is the focus of this study to understand slope failure since the clay is the weakest portion of the …

Methods To Increase Algae Biomass Productivity In Raceway Pond Monocultures, Ryan S. Anderson

Master's Theses

The economics of algae biofuels and bioproducts would be improved by increased biomass productivity. Two studies on this potential are described in this thesis – one on a locally isolated filamentous yellow-green alga and the other on a planktonic strain genetically improved via selective enrichment.

Polycultures have been viewed as productive, stable, and, in some cases, harvestable by natural bioflocculation. Local native strains might have higher productivity than culture collection strains because they are already adapted to local outdoor conditions. In this study, the filamentous yellow-green alga Tribonema minus was isolated from a local volunteer polyculture. Its productivity as a …

Evaluation Of Seismic Force Provisions For Ancillary Systems In Piers And Wharves Considering Effects Of Nonlinearity, Rakesh K. Goel

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Much of the prior research on understanding seismic response of secondary systems and development of code provisions was conducted either for nuclear power plant facilities or buildings. Most marine structures differ from nuclear power plant facilities or buildings in that the marine structures can be idealized as one-story building type systems. Furthermore, most previous studies have been limited to linear elastic behavior of both primary and secondary systems.

The objectives of this study are to (1) understand effects of nonlinearity, both in primary and secondary systems, on seismic forces in secondary systems, and (2) evaluate seismic force provisions proposed in …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Productivity In Project Management: A Case Study, Emily Lynne Gonzalez

Construction Management

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of the construction industry and one of the main aspects that has been affected is productivity. Monitoring productivity on a job is important because it allows us to identify areas that take up the most time and thus gives us the opportunity to allocate resources effectively. Due to safety regulations and new protocols being put in place, the productivity levels on every job has changed. Whether its out in the field or in the office, workplace productivity has certainly been affected by COVID-19. This case study focuses on how the pandemic has affected …

A Comparison Of The Army Corps Of Engineers Hydrologic Modeling System And Autodesk Storm And Sanitary Analysis For Hydraulic And Hydrologic Analysis And Design, Foster Josef Heifetz Campbell

Master's Theses

Hydrological and hydraulic effects of urban development is one of the key issues of study for improved water management. The addition of impervious surfaces to once pervious land and re-routing open channels and flow paths can cause flooding or declining water levels within a watershed. Many studies of these issues have found that there can be multiple factors causing hydrological and hydraulic impacts, and it can be hard to analyze and develop effective solutions without appropriate drainage software packages. However, there are multiple software packages available for use, and determining the correct one to use for a specific challenge can …

Model Block Press Design, Ben Todd Van Hamersveld, Chester Wong, Alexander Wing-Jon Giannousis

Mechanical Engineering

This project’s goal is to redesign the Center for Vocational Building Technology (CVBT) BP9 earth block press, which makes 1/3 scale compressed earth blocks to build demonstration model homes in Thailand. The full-scale block press, the BP6, provides a sustainable and affordable technique for constructing habitable homes in Thailand. The BP9 serves as a tool to inform the public of the advantages of human-powered earth block presses through demonstration. The BP9 press design has multiple problems: it is too expensive to manufacture, there is too much friction when used, it has several weak points due to users unintentionally applying excessive …

The Impact Of Education On Career Growth In The Construction Industry, Luis F. Rodrigues

Construction Management

A construction management degree and an apprenticeship are the two educational routes for a career in the construction industry. There are divisions within the workforce that reflect these educational pathways. Ideally, an alternative education would allow individuals without access to a university education to develop their career from an entry level position. However, if education has a long-term career impact, then limiting factors on education are consequently limiting on career growth. In examining if there is a ceiling on career growth relative to educational backgrounds, both education and experience were identified as key variables. In the case study presented, the …

Interdisciplinary Studio Pavilion [Isp] 2019, Alex Beaubien

Construction Management

The Interdisciplinary Studio Pavilion 2019 was designed for students within architecture, architectural engineering, and construction management to be placed into eight interdisciplinary teams and design a pavilion that reflected the narrative for the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo (the “WHP). Its curricula emphasized aesthetics; fabrication methods and techniques; ease of assembly, reassembly and transportability; and function. Deliverables for each team's structure focused on these curricula that required numerous design refinements and construction feasibility studies. This required each team member to contribute their respective knowledge about architecture, structural engineering, and construction to create a pavilion that fulfilled WHP’s goals. …