Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

The Influence Of Pore Fluids On Shear Strength And Stress-Strain Behavior Of Granular Soils, Prasanna Ratnaweera

Dissertations

When a dry granular soil is subjected to an external load, the stresses are transferred through mineral to mineral contacts. The shear strength of such a soil is governed by its contact properties. Presence of a thin layer of fluid between mineral to mineral contacts in a saturated soil will alter its contact properties. Therefore any change in the physical properties of pore fluid can logically be reasoned to influence the deformation characteristics of granular soils.

To investigate the influence of pore fluid viscosity on shear strength and stress-strain behavior of a soil, a series of consolidated drained triaxial tests …

Planning Of Optimal Transit System Design, Yongning Liu

Theses

This study presents a methodological approach for finding an optimal design of bus transit service in an urban transportation corridor with elastic demand and under various objective functions. Service design decision variables to be optimized include the route length, route density, headway, number of stops and stop spacing pattern. The objective functions that optimize the transit system design include: minimizing operator cost, maximizing profit, minimizing sum of operator and user costs and maximizing the users' net benefits.

The analysis uses an elastic demand function wherein the number of trips are sensitive to the quality of service provided and price charged …

The Collapse Of The Cypress Viaduct During The Loma Prieta Earthquake Of October 17, 1989, Mohamed M. Eid

Theses

The Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989 in California was one of the most disastrous earthquakes in U.S history. It caused damage to commercial, residential, and industrial structures, transportation and utilities.

This study includes investigations about the Cypress Viaduct collapse re?ported by:

1. California Governor's Board of Inquiry [4].
2. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NEL) W.
3. 3The Author.

Investigators in the first report concluded that the collapse was due to horizontal ground motion. In the second one, it was due to the vertical ground motion.

In the author's investigation, a detailed static and dynamic analyses are performed to determine …

Three-Dimensional Beam-Columns, Mohammad Hassan Shams

Theses

This thesis explores several special cases of three-dimensional beam-columns and suggests that the method of finite differences can be used when a solution of general case is required. The thesis begins with a review of the three-dimensional beam-column equations and then shows how these equations can be used to generate the member stiffness matrix for the nonlinear analysis of three-dimensional frames. Examples are included which discuss the differences between the analytical and numerical solutions.

Catalytic Ozone/Ultraviolet Light Oxidation Of Organics In Water : Integrated Charcoal/Ozonation/Uv Radiation, Dawei Wang

Theses

A novel heterogeneous catalytic-oxidation technology where activated carbon is used as a catalyst-adsorbent, ozone serves as the oxidant and UV light as activation agent, is developed in a lab scale study. We demonstrate this process for destruction of recalcitrant organics in water i.e: combined oxidation by ozone, UV light plus activated carbon. The investigation includes evalution of various operating conditions: ozone levels, activated carbon levels; time for complete destruction of the individual target pollutants, plus evalution of activity of the continuously recativated carbon surface in-situ. All experiments were performed at room temperature in a semi-batch reactor. Seven representative chemicals was …

The Durability Of Hot Mix Asphalt With Petroleum Contaminated Soils, Bonnie H. Dubose

Theses

Petroleum contaminated soils are considered solid waste They must be taken to solid waste facilities such as landfills or some other method must be found to deal with them. Landfills are becoming limited and is looked upon by the government as the least attractive option. One method that looks promising is to use petroleum contaminated soils in Hot Mix Asphalt Concrete.

In the research program the following are examined: 1) Investigation of material properties of the petroleum contaminated soil and aggregates 2) The proper procedure to produce a design blend of asphalt concrete. 3) Establishing the test procedure protocol to …

A Modified Approach To Flood Prediction In Urban Watersheds, Joseph Ofungwu

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a better method for dealing with the problems of flood prediction in Urban Watersheds. It has long been realized that urbanization activity such as increased imperviousness, drainage improvements, etc. increases runoff volumes. Therefore, traditional flood prediction methods using the Log Pearson III distribution underestimate flood frequencies when applied to urban watersheds without modification.

In attempt to compensate for the effects of urbanization on streamflow, previous workers usually employed regional analysis techniques involving a number of different watersheds at various degrees of urbanization. Results obtained by this approach leave room for improvement primarily …

The Study Of Activated Sludge Settleability Using The Solids-Flux Analysis, Churng-Cherng Lin

Theses

The activated sludge was cultivated in two pilot-scale activated sludge systems under three ratios of BOD to N, equal to 20:1, 70:1 and 300:1 in the influent wastewater. The aeration tank of the activated sludge system was constructed in two different configurations: one without compartments in the tank, the other consisting of six compartments. The activated sludge withdrawn from the last compartment of each system was tested in a one-liter graduate cylinder to measure its zone settling velocity. The solids-flux method was employed to analyze the sludge settling characteristic as a function of solids concentration. The results show that the …

Evaluation Of Homogeneity For Hazardous Waste Solidification By Video Imaging Technique, Yi-Min Gao

Theses

The field of chemical solidification has just begun to mature into an accepted environmental technology for hazardous waste disposal. From the engineering point of view, some key issues still dominate the feasibility and effectiveness of hazardous waste solidification process. "Mixing" is essentially regarded as the most critical element but unfortunately, no evidence has been proposed to prove the homogeneity of the large monolith produced by solidification in order that the effectiveness of the solidification process can be evaluated in satisfactorily short time. The Homogeneity Evaluation by Video Imaging System (HEVIS) proposed in this study is to solve this problem with …

Kinetic Measuremenmt Of Decomposition Of Aniline, 2,4-Dichlorophenol And 1,2,4-Trichlorophenol Using A Calorimetric Method, Ming-Chin Chang

Theses

Biological treatment techniques for detoxification of toxic organic compounds have been studied and applied for many years. There are many research and commercial applications proving that the biological method is more economic and efficient than the other treatment methods.

The traditional biomass measurements are time-consuming tasks. Researchers have intended to develop a simpler, faster, and also accurate method for determining the bioactivity. This study has tried to use the microcalorimetric method to monitor the energy productions from the degradation of aniline, 2,4-Dichlorophenol and 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene. Thereafter, by utilizing the data obtained from the present study, it was possible to compute kinetic …

Disinfection Of Wastewater Using Ultraviolet Radiation, David L. Klemm

Theses

The disadvantages associated with the use of chlorine for disinfection, in conjunction with improvements in ultraviolet radiation disinfection technologies have led to the recent increased use of ultraviolet radiation to provide disinfection of effluents from wastewater treatment plants. The theory of ultraviolet radiation and the engineering design of the ultraviolet disinfection system are discussed in depth.

The operational history and records of two wastewater treatment plants that use ultraviolet radiation for disinfection were analyzed in an attempt to develop correlations on the factors that affect ultraviolet radiation disinfection efficiency and to investigate as to whether disinfection with ultraviolet radiation is …

Mathematic Models On Leaching Behavior Of Chemical Solidification And Stabilization Process For Heavy Metal Sludges, Sz-Hung Chen

Theses

Chemical Solidification and Stabilization of toxic metal-containing sludges is one of the most important problems for environmental protection. Although Chemical Solidification and Stabilization of hazardous wastes prior to disposal is increasing in importance, very little work has been done concerning the leaching mechanisms and kinetic models.

In this study, we apply Freundlich & Langmuir isotherms on Chemical Solidification and Stabilization process, and the theoretical results match with experimental data very well. In the same time, we develop a simple methematical kinetic model which relates leaching concentration of heavy metal to curing time. In this study kinetic model, what you need …

Behavior Of Square And L-Shaped Slender Reinforced Concrete Columns Under Combined Biaxial Bending And Axial Compression, Wen Hu Tsao

Dissertations

A numerical analysis was developed to evaluate the complete load-deflection and moment-curvature relationships for square and L-shaped slender reinforced concrete columns subjected to biaxial bending and axial load. This computer model can be used for any cross section geometry and material properties of normal concrete. The analysis was based on a deformation control and both the ascending and descending branches of curves can be studied. The finite difference method was introduced to calculate the deflections which satisfy the compatibility equations. Six square slender columns and eight L-shaped slender columns were tested to compare their experimental load-deformation results with the analytical …

Influence Of Heavy Metal Concentration On Rotating Biological Contrator Performance, Huei-Sheng Cheng

Theses

Seven heavy metals ( Fe⁺², Mn⁺², Zn⁺², Ag⁺, Pb⁺², Cu⁺², Cd⁺² ) at various concentrations were investigated in a Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) system. The experimental data indicated that the degree of heavy metal toxicity in the biological system mainly depended on the ratio of inflow heavy metal concentration to organic loading. The optimal ratio of heavy metal to organic loading was determined on the basis of the maximum removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) under different operating conditions. In addition, the effect of heavy metal on …

Bridge Deterioration Models, Christopher R.H. Howard

Theses

The deteriorated condition of America's bridges raises the need for a proper and optimal method of bridge management, from the conceptual stage through the construction stage, and throughout the useful life of our bridges. State agencies need to expand their data collection process so as to include additional information pertinent to the formulation of a credible system. This is critical in order to accommodate increased research efforts to investigate the behavioral pattern/s of the nations bridges and to eventually optimize bridge management systems. This thesis looks at the bridge deterioration model as a vital tool in realizing more effective bridge …

Response Characteristics Of Inelastic Single Degree Of Freedom Systems Subjected To Intraplate Earthquakes, Linda C. Jones

Theses

Within recorded, although not recent, history, there have been several large magnitude earthquakes in the Eastern and Central United States and the need to provide measures to protect from potential damage is recognized by the engineering community. Since there are inherent differences between earthquakes that occur along tectonic plate boundaries, interplate, and those that occur within the plate boundaries, intraplate, it is important to understand how these differences impact structural design. A parametric study of single degree of freedom systems subjected to various recorded and artificial ground motions was performed to identify the variations in response characteristics.

It was found …

A Study Of The Potential Funding Mechanism For Surface Transportation In The New York Metropolitan Region, Krishnaveni Venkataswami

Theses

The present network of highways, soaring bridges, airports, seaports, and transit systems that serve the New York Metropolitan region are part of this region's inheritance from the generation of Americans who built them before us. These massive and sometimes daring achievements supported the economic growth of the region. Now that inheritance is in danger. The quality of the region's transportation infrastructure is barely adequate to fulfill current requirements, and insufficient to meet the demands of future economic growth and development. We are spending our inheritance.

A major problem is financial. Overall investment in transportation has slowed down in the last …

Biodegradation Of Tnt (2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene), Jin Lou

Theses

This study summaries the results of various methods treating 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Review of available literatures revealed that the most commonly used techniques in full-scale plant for TNT removal are chemical oxidation and carbon adsorption.

From economic point of view, the biological treatment system will be much more cost-effective. Various methods for improving the efficiency of biological system treating TNT wastewater were developed in the laboratory. Current laboratory results show that by isolating appropriate microorganisms under adequate conditions, TNT wastes can be degraded successfully.

At the some time, some pretreatment technologies are recommended in this study for improving the performance of …

Frictional Resistance Of Geotextiles, Md. Khairul Alam

Theses

The pullout resistance of geotextiles was examined using pullout tests. A suitable wooden box with large (2 ft x 2 ft x 4 ft) dimensions was used to avoid the effect of boundary and to simulate field conditions. Two types of failure patterns were observed. For shallow embedment (<3 ft), geotextile produced a movement of the surrounding mass of sand in the shape of an inverted cone due to interlocking friction between geotextile and sand particles. The cone angle decreases with increase in depth of embedment. For embedment equal to or greater than 3 ft., no sand cone developed and the failure occurred along the interface of geotextile and sand. For 1 ft. surcharge, the increase in the pullout resistance due to combined horizontal and vertical embedment was about 30 %.

Stability And Durability Of Large Aggregate Asphalt Concrete, Rais A. Khan

Theses

There are many factors which affect the properties of asphalt concrete and one of these is a maximum aggregate size used in the mix. In this study of the effect of maximum aggregate size on Marshall stability, flow and durability of asphalt aggregate mixtures is investigated.

Two different mixes having gradations with maximum aggregate sizes of 3/4 and 1-1/2 inches were considered. The optimum asphalt content for mix having 3/4 inch maximum aggregate size, was determined by the standard Marshall procedure. The optimum asphalt content for the mix having 1-1/2 inch maximum aggregate size, was estimated based on thickness of …

Strength And Fragility Of Concrete, Kang-Qun Shao

Theses

It is known that both strength and fragility are two of the most important properties in concrete. In this research, theories of Chemistry, Physical Chemistry of Surfaces, Thermodynamics and Fracture Mechanics are used to study the relationships between the macromechanical behavior of concrete and the microstructure in concrete. The objectives of this research are therefore to find some effective ways to explain theoretically why the concrete is so brittle (fragile) and how to increase its strength or to decrease its fragility. Based on the present studies, an equation is formulated to calculate the coefficient of the fragility (or brittleness) of …

The Strength Of Cement Bentonite In Containment Structures, Liong Tin So

Theses

In recent years the use of cutoff or slurry walls has increased in the containment of hazardous waste. Several materials have been utilized for backfill in slurry walls. Two important properties of the material are shear strength and permeability. Previously, sodium bentonite had been used. However, it was discovered that variable pH would cause an increase in permeability. Studies have shown calcium bentonite have a constant permeability with varied pH (Oweis and Khera, 1990). This study was undertaken to determine strength of calcium bentonite as affected by cement and slag.

Triaxial shear tests and unconfined compression tests were done on …

Disc Size Scale-Up In Rotating Biological Contactor System, Chi-Sheng Chang

Theses

Disc size scale-up of prototype and small-scale RBC plants are successfully developed by applying the 114 data sets obtained from 12 RBC plants to the evaluation of percent sBOD remaining. These data analyses are performed by the least square method, therefore, the scale-up factors of the prototype and the small-scale are determined at different hydraulic loading. Furthermore, the relationship between scale-up factor and the disc diameter are established under the given flow rate, the number of stages, and the number of discs. A group of Curves are obtained and can be utilized for the full-scale RBC plant preliminary design. The …

Stability Of Hot Mix Asphalt With Petroleum Contaminated Soils, De-Rong Lobo Huang

Theses

One of the most effective ways of reducing petroleum contaminated soil is to use it in the production of hot mix asphalt. Both asphalt cement and petroleum contaminates have similar chemical properties. Therefore, The contaminates will be locked within the asphalt matrix without potential leaching.

The six different petroleum contaminate soil samples from New Jersey were used in this research. Since those samples have different physical properties (such as moisture content, specific gravity, plastic limit, liquid limit, grain size distribution) and chemical properties( such as concentration of the contaminate, and type of contaminates) the maximum amount of petroleum contaminated soil …

Load-Deformation Behavior Of Reinforced Fibrous Concrete Beams, Rujun He

Theses

This study deals with the load-deformation behavior of steel fiber reinforced concrete beams.

Theoretical development of moment-curvature and load-deformation relationships is presented in this paper. It is based on the assumption that the failure at a section occurs either when the force equilibrium equation is violated or when the concrete elements start to get crushed in the member. The complete stress-strain relationship of plain fibrous concrete in reference [2] was used in this study.

A special computer program is presented herein to carry out the theoretical studies of load-deformation behavior of simply supported beam under two-point loading. The validity of …

Automated Determination Of Air Content In Hardened Concrete, Anita R. Navalurkar

Theses

An automated system was developed for the microscopic determination of air content and the related parameters in hardened concrete using the principles of Image Analysis and Computer Technology. Slices taken from the concrete specimen were viewed through a microscope with 40X magnification. The magnified image of the concrete slice is digitized by an Image Analyzing Software. Methodologies were developed for analysis of the digitized image and determination of air content and the required parameters. The automated system included a motorized positioner which translated microscope stage in a frame by frame sequence so that the whole image is digitized. Several tests …

Evaluation Of Cracking Mechanism In Fiber Reinforced Concrete Subjected To Impulsive Loading, Rajendra K. Navalurkar

Theses

This thesis presents an experimental evaluation of J-Integral for plain and fiber reinforced concrete subjected to impact loading. A computer assisted instrumented Charpy test system was employed in applying the impact loads. Twenty two three point bend specimens with two different notch lengths were tested under impact velocity of 43.29 in/sec. Development and testing of a new fiber optic sensor, for the determination of internal Crack Tip Opening Displacements (CTOD) in concrete is described.

Evaluation of J_IC values from experimental results of this study indicate that J_IC can be characterized as a material constant. The Dynamic value of …

Water Treatment Plant Sludge As Sanitary Landfill Liner, Sinnadurai Sockanathan

Theses

This study was performed to explore the possibility of using the sludge waste from the water treatment plant at Boonton New Jersey as a containment material for the sanitary landfills or as a fill material. At present natural clay is being used as a containment liner for the landfills and by using this sludge, recycling of a waste product will be achieved in an economical manner.

As a first part of this studies, efforts were made to utilize the liquid sludge having a solid content of about 3%. Attempts to dewater the liquid sludge to a workable mix by adding …

Determination Of Water-Cement Ratio In Cement Paste By Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Jiong Zhao

Theses

As one of the important characteristics of concrete, water-cement ratio controls porosity and thus strength and corrosion resistance of hardened concrete.

This paper presents a laboratory observation for determination of water-cement ratio of fresh concrete for quality control and quality assurance. The atomic absorption spectrophotometer and the flouresence spectrophtometer were used to determine the calcium concentration in cement solution of various water-cement ratio. The level of water-cement ratio investigated ranged from 0.4 to 0.55 which covers the most range of water-cement ratios in present practice. The result of lab experiments shows an immediate relation between the water-cement ratio and the …

Influence Of Fly Ash Characteristics On Compressive Strength Of Mortar, Poorna Rajeswari Ratnaweera

Theses

Fly ash-cement mortar, constituting of fly ash, cement and sand, vary in strength characteristics from conventional cement sand mortar. Out of many parameters effecting the compressive strength characteristics of fly ash-cement mortar, four were investigated in this study. They are particle size and its distribution, weathering of fly ash, moisture content & water/cementitious ratio and mix proportioning.

Class F fly ashes from three different sources were used in this study. The particle size distribution and moisture content of fly ashes were investigated by standard ASTM methods. The unconfined compressive strength of mortar was obtained by testing 2"x2"x2" test cubes conforming …