Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Post-Project Assessment Of Pit Latrines In Rural Panama, Jacob B. Midkiff

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

In Panama, one of the Environmental Health (EH) Sector’s primary goals is to improve the health of rural Panamanians by helping them to adopt behaviors and practices that improve access to and use of sanitation systems. In complying with this goal, the EH sector has used participatory development models to improve hygiene and increase access to latrines through volunteer managed latrine construction projects. Unfortunately, there is little understanding of the long term sustainability of these interventions after the volunteers have completed their service. With the Peace Corps adapting their Monitoring, Reporting, and Evaluation procedures, it is appropriate to evaluate the …

A Hydro-Climatic Modeling Framework For Adaptive Water Resources Management In The Great Lakes Basin, Rabi Gyawali

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This dissertation addresses water resources decision making in the Great Lakes Basin by developing a multi-model framework for climate change impact assessment, including integrated climate and hydrologic modeling. Physically based watershed models, using soil moisture accounting and temperature index (degree-day) snowmelt algorithms, are developed, calibrated and validated to simulate baseflow, snowmelt, and surface runoff under historic conditions. Comparison with an existing model of the Great Lakes basin, the NOAA Large Basin Runoff Model (LBRM), showed improvements resulting from the increased spatial resolution and use of a more process-based snow algorithm in the Hydrologic Engineering Center's Hydrologic Modeling System (HECHMS). As …

Assessment Of Seismic Damage Of Buildings And Related Environmental Impacts, Carley A. Feese

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Sustainable development has only recently started examining the existing infrastructure, and a key aspect of this is hazard mitigation. To examine buildings under a sustainable perspective requires an understanding of a building's life-cycle environmental costs, including the consideration of associated environmental impacts induced by earthquake damage. Damage repair costs lead to additional material and energy consumption, leading to harmful environmental impacts. Merging results obtained from a seismic evaluation and life-cycle analysis for buildings will give a novel outlook on sustainable design decisions. To evaluate the environmental impacts caused by buildings, long-term impacts accrued throughout a building's lifetime and impacts associated …

A Study Of The Impacts Of Freeze-Thaw On Cliff Recession At The Calvert Cliffs In Calvert County, Maryland, Bonnie Elizabeth Zwissler

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The Calvert Cliffs, which form much of the western coastline of the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County, Maryland, are actively eroding and destabilizing, resulting in a critical situation for many homes in close proximity to the slope's crest. Past studies have identified that where waves directly interact with the toe of the slope, wave action controls cliff recession; however, where waves do not regularly interact with the slope toe, the past work identified that freeze-thaw controls recession. This study investigated the validity of this second claim by analyzing the recession rate and freeze-thaw behavior of six study sites along the …

An Investigation Of Waste Glass-Based Geopolymers Supplemented With Alumina, Mary U. Christiansen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

An increased consideration of sustainability throughout society has resulted in a surge of research investigating sustainable alternatives to existing construction materials. A new binder system, called a geopolymer, is being investigated to supplement ordinary portland cement (OPC) concrete, which has come under scrutiny because of the CO2 emissions inherent in its production.

Geopolymers are produced from the alkali activation of a powdered aluminosilicate source by an alkaline solution, which results in a dense three-dimensional matrix of tetrahedrally linked aluminosilicates. Geopolymers have shown great potential as a building construction material, offering similar mechanical and durability properties to OPC. Additionally, geopolymers have …

The Laboratory Evaluation Of Bio Oil Derived From Waste Resources As Extender For Asphalt Binder, Xu Yang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

A shortage of petroleum asphalt is creating opportunities for engineers to utilize alternative pavement materials. Three types of bio oils, original bio oil (OB), dewatered bio oil (DWB) and polymer-modified bio oil (PMB) were used to modify and partially replace petroleum asphalt in this research. The research investigated the procedure of producing bio oil, the rheological properties of asphalt binders modified and partially replaced by bio oil, and the mechanical performances of asphalt mixtures modified by bio oil. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) is conducted on the test results for the significance analysis. The main finding of the study includes: …

Stilling Basin Scour Remediation Using Air Injection And Flat Plate Extension, Rachael Barlock

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is responsible for managing over 2500 miles of waterways and hundreds of water control structures. Many of these control structures are experiencing erosion, known as scour, of the sediment downstream of the structure. Laboratory experiments were conducted in order to investigate the effectiveness of two-dimensional air diffusers and plate extensions (without air injection) on a 1/30 scale model of one of SFWMD gated spillway structures, the S65E gated spillway. A literature review examining the results of similar studies was conducted. The experimental design for this research was based off of previous work done …

Structural Control Of A Small-Scale Test-Bed Shaker Structure Using A Sponge-Type Magneto-Rheological Fluid Damper, Benjamin D. Winter

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Semi-active damping devices have been shown to be effective in mitigating unwanted vibrations in civil structures. These devices impart force indirectly through real-time alterations to structural properties. Simulating the complex behavior of these devices for laboratory-scale experiments is a major challenge. Commercial devices for seismic applications typically operate in the 2-10 kN range; this force is too high for small-scale testing applications where requirements typically range from 0-10 N. Several challenges must be overcome to produce damping forces at this level. In this study, a small-scale magneto-rheological (MR) damper utilizing a fluid absorbent metal foam matrix is developed and tested …

Evaluation Of Intelligent Compaction Control In The M-189 Reconstruction Project At Iron River, Michigan, Junhong Li

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This research evaluated an Intelligent Compaction (IC) unit on the M-189 highway reconstruction project at Iron River, Michigan. The results from the IC unit were compared to several traditional compaction measurement devices including Nuclear Density Gauge (NDG), Geogauge, Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD), Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP), and Modified Clegg Hammer (MCH). The research collected point measurements data on a test section in which 30 test locations on the final Class II sand base layer and the 22A gravel layer. These point measurements were compared with the IC measurements (ICMVs) on a point-to-point basis through a linear regression analysis. Poor correlations …

Determing The Effect Of Thermal Treatment Timing On Ultra-High Performance Concrete Beams, Christopher H. Mullen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The loss of prestressing force over time influences the long-term deflection of the prestressed concrete element. Prestress losses are inherently complex due to the interaction of concrete creep, concrete shrinkage, and steel relaxation. Implementing advanced materials such as ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) further complicates the estimation of prestress losses because of the changes in material models dependent on curing regime.

Past research shows compressive creep is "locked in" when UHPC cylinders are subjected to thermal treatment before being loaded in compression. However, the current precasting manufacturing process would typically load the element (through prestressing strand release from the prestressing bed) …

Preliminary Investigation Of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Behavior At High Strain Rates Using The Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar, Jacob Clark

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) displays several enhanced material properties compared to normal strength concrete (NSC). In past research, Split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests have been used for normal strength concrete to determine material behavior at high strain rates. The behavior of advanced concrete materials, such as UHPC, under high strain rates has not been thoroughly investigated. While it is generally accepted that concrete materials experience increases in compressive strength under increasing strain rates, a preliminary investigation was conducted to gain insight into the compressive behavior of UHPC under high strain rate SHPB testing.

In this research, 50 specimens were tested …

Terpene And Terpenoid Emissions And Secondary Organic Aerosol Production, Rosa M. Flores

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Approximately 90% of fine aerosol in the Midwestern United States has a regional component with a sizable fraction attributed to secondary production of organic aerosol (SOA). The Ozark Forest is an important source of biogenic SOA precursors like isoprene (> 150 mg m^-2 d^-1), monoterpenes (10-40 mg m^-2 d^-1), and sesquiterpenes (10-40 mg m^-2d^-1). Anthropogenic sources include secondary sulfate and nitrate and biomass burning (51-60%), vehicle emissions (17-26%), and industrial emissions (16-18%). Vehicle emissions are an important source of volatile and vapor-phase, semivolatile aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons that are important …

A Novel Approach To Carbon Dioxide Capture And Storage, Brett P. Spigarelli

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The novel approach to carbon capture and storage (CCS) described in this dissertation is a significant departure from the conventional approach to CCS. The novel approach uses a sodium carbonate solution to first capture CO₂ from post combustion flue gas streams. The captured CO₂ is then reacted with an alkaline industrial waste material, at ambient conditions, to regenerate the carbonate solution and permanently store the CO₂ in the form of an added value carbonate mineral. Conventional CCS makes use of a hazardous amine solution for CO₂ capture, a costly thermal regeneration stage, and the underground storage …

Characterization Of A Coal Fly Ash-Cement Slurry By The Absolute Foam Index, Melanie Kueber Watkins

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation established a standard foam index: the absolute foam index test. This test characterized a wide range of coal fly ash by the absolute volume of air-entraining admixture (AEA) necessary to produce a 15-second metastable foam in a coal fly ashcement slurry in a specified time. The absolute foam index test was used to characterize fly ash samples having loss on ignition (LOI) values that ranged from 0.17 to 23.3 %wt. The absolute foam index characterized the fly ash samples by absolute volume of AEA, defined as the amount of undiluted AEA solution added to obtain a 15-minute endpoint …

World Energy Balance Outlook And Opec Production Capacity: Implications For Global Oil Security, Ali Mirchi, Saeed Hadian, Kaveh Madani, Omid M. Rouhani, Azadeh M. Rouhani

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The imbalance between energy resource availability, demand, and production capacity, coupled with inherent economic and environmental uncertainties make strategic energy resources planning, management, and decision-making a challenging process. In this paper, a descriptive approach has been taken to synthesize the world’s energy portfolio and the global energy balance outlook in order to provide insights into the role of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in maintaining “stability” and “balance” of the world’s energy market. This synthesis illustrates that in the absence of stringent policies, i.e., if historical trends of the global energy production and consumption hold into the future, it …

Micrometeorological Measurement Of Hexachlorobenzene And Polychlorinated Biphenyl Compound Air-Water Gas Exchange In Lake Superior And Comparison To Model Predictions, M. D. Rowe, J A Perlinger

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Air-water exchange fluxes of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substances are frequently estimated using the Whitman two-film (W2F) method, but micrometeorological flux measurements of these compounds over water are rarely attempted. We measured air-water exchange fluxes of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on 14 July 2006 in Lake Superior using the modified Bowen ratio (MBR) method. Measured fluxes were compared to estimates using the W2F method, and to estimates from an Internal Boundary Layer Transport and Exchange (IBLTE) model that implements the NOAA COARE bulk flux algorithm and gas transfer model. We reveal an inaccuracy in the estimate of …

Impacts Of Changes In Land Use And Land Cover On Atmospheric Chemistry And Air Quality Over The 21st Century, S. Wu, L. J. Mickley, J. O. Kaplan, D. J. Jacob

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The effects of future land use and land cover change on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and air quality are largely unknown. To investigate the potential effects associated with future changes in vegetation driven by atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, climate, and anthropogenic land use over the 21st century, we performed a series of model experiments combining a general circulation model with a dynamic global vegetation model and an atmospheric chemical-transport model. Our results indicate that climate-and CO 2-induced changes in vegetation composition and density between 2100 and 2000 could lead to decreases in summer afternoon surface ozone of up …

The Influence Of Boreal Biomass Burning Emissions On The Distribution Of Tropospheric Ozone Over North America And The North Atlantic During 2010, M. Parrington, P. I. Palmer, D. K. Henze, D. W. Tarasick, E. J. Hyer, R. C. Owen, D. Helmig, C. Clerbaux, K. W. Bowman, M. N. Deeter, E. M. Barratt, P. F. Coheur, D. Hurtmans, Z. Jiang, M. George, J. R. Worden

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

We have analysed the sensitivity of the tropospheric ozone distribution over North America and the North Atlantic to boreal biomass burning emissions during the summer of 2010 using the GEOS-Chem 3-D global tropospheric chemical transport model and observations from in situ and satellite instruments. We show that the model ozone distribution is consistent with observations from the Pico Mountain Observatory in the Azores, ozonesondes across Canada, and the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Instrument (IASI) satellite instruments. Mean biases between the model and observed ozone mixing ratio in the free troposphere were less than 10 ppbv. We …

Development And Improvement Of Warm-Mix Asphalt Technology, Shu Wei Goh

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Traditionally, asphalt mixtures were produced at high temperatures (between 150°C to 180°C) and therefore often referred to as Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA). Recently, a new technology named Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) was developed in Europe that allows HMA to be produced at a lower temperature. Over years of research efforts, a few WMA technologies were introduced including the foaming method using Aspha-min® and Advera® WMA; organic additives such as Sasobit® and Asphaltan B®; and chemical packages such as Evotherm® and Cecabase RT®. Benefits were found when lower temperatures were used to produce asphalt mixtures, especially when it comes to environmental …

Model To Describe The Mode I Fracture Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Ultra-High Performance Concrete, Eric L. Kreiger

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) has arisen from the implementation of a variety of concrete engineering and materials science concepts developed over the last century. This material offers superior strength, serviceability, and durability over its conventional counterparts. One of the most important differences for UHPFRC over other concrete materials is its ability to resist fracture through the use of randomly dispersed discontinuous fibers and improvements to the fiber-matrix bond. Of particular interest is the materials ability to achieve higher loads after first crack, as well as its high fracture toughness. In this research, a study of the fracture behavior …

Evaluation Of Flood Risk In Response To Climate Variability, Casey E. Fritsch

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Standard procedures for forecasting flood risk (Bulletin 17B) assume annual maximum flood (AMF) series are stationary, meaning the distribution of flood flows is not significantly affected by climatic trends/cycles, or anthropogenic activities within the watershed. Historical flood events are therefore considered representative of future flood occurrences, and the risk associated with a given flood magnitude is modeled as constant over time. However, in light of increasing evidence to the contrary, this assumption should be reconsidered, especially as the existence of nonstationarity in AMF series can have significant impacts on planning and management of water resources and relevant infrastructure. …

Integration Of Computational Models And Experimental Characterization To Study Internal Frost Damage In Cementitious Materials , Kenny Ng

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The objective of this doctoral research is to investigate the internal frost damage due to crystallization pore pressure in porous cement-based materials by developing computational and experimental characterization tools. As an essential component of the U.S. infrastructure system, the durability of concrete has significant impact on maintenance costs. In cold climates, freeze-thaw damage is a major issue affecting the durability of concrete. The deleterious effects of the freeze-thaw cycle depend on the microscale characteristics of concrete such as the pore sizes and the pore distribution, as well as the environmental conditions. Recent theories attribute internal frost damage of concrete is …

Sampling Bias In Evaluating The Probability Of Seismically Induced Soil Liquefaction With Spt & Cpt Case Histories, Abhishek Jain

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Several deterministic and probabilistic methods are used to evaluate the probability of seismically induced liquefaction of a soil. The probabilistic models usually possess some uncertainty in that model and uncertainties in the parameters used to develop that model. These model uncertainties vary from one statistical model to another. Most of the model uncertainties are epistemic, and can be addressed through appropriate knowledge of the statistical model. One such epistemic model uncertainty in evaluating liquefaction potential using a probabilistic model such as logistic regression is sampling bias. Sampling bias is the difference between the class distribution in the sample used for …

Design Of A Lab Scale Direct-Filtration System And Its Application In Process Lab , Shichang Ma

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The Environmental Process and Simulation Center (EPSC) at Michigan Technological University started accommodating laboratories for an Environmental Engineering senior level class CEE 4509 Environmental Process and Simulation Laboratory since 2004. Even though the five units that exist in EPSC provide the students opportunities to have hands-on experiences with a wide range of water/wastewater treatment technologies, a key module was still missing for the student to experience a full cycle of treatment. This project fabricated a direct-filtration pilot system in EPSC and generated a laboratory manual for education purpose. Engineering applications such as clean bed head loss calculation, backwash flowrate determination, …

Impact Of 2000-2050 Climate Change On Global Atmospheric Transport And Deposition Of Mercury, Wenchao Chen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Since it is very toxic and accumulates in organisms, particularly in fish, mercury is a very important pollutant and one of the most studies. And this concern over the toxicity and human health risks of mercury has prompted efforts to regulate anthropogenic emissions. As mercury pollution problem is getting increasingly serious, we are curious about how serious this problem will be in the future. What is more, how the climate change in the future will affect the mercury concentration in the atmosphere. So we investigate the impact of climate change on mercury concentration in the atmosphere. We focus on the …

Optimization Of Redundancy In Branched Water Distribution Systems , Megan L. Abbott

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

In developing countries many water distribution systems are branched networks with little redundancy. If any component in the distribution system fails, many users are left relying on secondary water sources. These sources oftentimes do not provide potable water and prolonged use leads to increased cases of water borne illnesses. Increasing redundancy in branched networks increases the reliability of the networks, but is oftentimes viewed as unaffordable. This paper presents a procedure for water system managers to use to determine which loops when added to a branch network provide the most benefit for users. Two methods are presented, one ranking the …

Evaluation Of Surface Defect Detection In Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks Using Terrestrial Lidar , Ryan C. Hoensheid

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Routine bridge inspections require labor intensive and highly subjective visual interpretation to determine bridge deck surface condition. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) a relatively new class of survey instrument has become a popular and increasingly used technology for providing as-built and inventory data in civil applications. While an increasing number of private and governmental agencies possess terrestrial and mobile LiDAR systems, an understanding of the technology’s capabilities and potential applications continues to evolve. LiDAR is a line-of-sight instrument and as such, care must be taken when establishing scan locations and resolution to allow the capture of data at an adequate …

Great Lakes Tributary Phosphorus Bioavailability, Renn Sterling Lambert

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Information on phosphorus bioavailability can provide water quality managers with the support required to target point source and watershed loads contributing most significantly to water quality conditions. This study presents results from a limited sampling program focusing on the five largest sources of total phosphorus to the U.S. waters of the Great Lakes. The work provides validation of the utility of a bioavailability-based approach, confirming that the method is robust and repeatable. Chemical surrogates for bioavailability were shown to hold promise, however further research is needed to address site-to-site and seasonal variability before a universal relationship can be accepted. Recent …

Analysis Of Spring Break-Up And Its Effects On A Biomass Feedstock Supply Chain In Northern Michigan , Huihui Lin

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Demand for bio-fuels is expected to increase, due to rising prices of fossil fuels and concerns over greenhouse gas emissions and energy security. The overall cost of biomass energy generation is primarily related to biomass harvesting activity, transportation, and storage. With a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol processing facility in Kinross Township of Chippewa County, Michigan about to be built, models including a simulation model and an optimization model have been developed to provide decision support for the facility. Both models track cost, emissions and energy consumption. While the optimization model provides guidance for a long-term strategic plan, the simulation model aims …

Application Of Ultra High Performance Concrete (Uhpc) As A Thin-Bonded Overlay For Concrete Bridge Decks, Sarah V. Shann

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

As transportation infrastructure across the globe approaches the end of its service life, new innovative materials and applications are needed to sustainably repair and prevent damage to these structures. Bridge structures in the United States in particular are at risk as a large percentage will be reaching their design service lives in the coming decades. Superstructure deterioration occurs due to a variety of factors, but a major contributor comes in the form of deteriorating concrete bridge decks. Within a concrete bridge deck system, deterioration mechanisms can include spalling, delaminations, scaling from unsuitable material selection, freeze-thaw damage, and corrosion of reinforcing …