Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Electrochemically Reactive Membranes For Efficient Biomass Recovery, Pollutant Degradation And Commercialization, Likun Hua

Dissertations

Micropollution in natural waters such as rivers and groundwater aquifers is a widespread problem that prevents these potentially potable sources from being used as drinking water. In the United States, approximately two-thirds of the over 1,200 most serious hazardous waste sites in the nation are contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), a potentially carcinogenic compound. Other emerging and environmentally persistent organic micropollutants include polyromantic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organophosphate flame retardants, endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Membrane filtration is one of the most efficient separation processes widely used for water treatment and pollutant removal. However, traditional membrane …

Minimizing Vehicular Traffic Via Optimized Land Use Development For A Sustainable And Equitable Future, Babu Veeregowda

Dissertations

Mixed-use developments and transit-oriented developments are becoming very common in urban areas in an effort to reduce sprawl. Numerous studies have shown that such programs would not be successful unless the mix of land uses and sizes is well-balanced and integrated with the surrounding neighborhood. Developers often ignore this aspect in favor of immediate financial gain and do not realize that there are sustainable financial benefits in land use optimization. In addition, professionals often work with limited logistics, resources, and technical knowledge and therefore struggle in setting goals and suggesting land uses that have less auto dependency based on travel …

Fouling And Aging In Membrane Filtration : Hybrid Afm-Based Characterization, Modelling And Reactive Membrane Design, Wanyi Fu

Dissertations

Membrane filtration has been extensively used in water and wastewater treatment, desalination, dairy making, and biomass/water separation. However, membrane fouling, aging and insufficient removal efficiency for dissolved organic matters remain major challenges for wider industrial applications. In order to tackle these challenges, this doctoral dissertation investigates mechanisms of membrane fouling and development of antifouling membrane filtration technologies. Specifically, four major research areas are explored: (i) nanoscale physicochemical characterization of the chemically modified polymeric membranes; (ii) quantitative modelling between membrane properties and membrane fouling and defouling kinetics; (iii) development of quantitative structure-activity relationships for membranes that undergo thermal and chemical aging …

Ce 200a-041: Surveying Lab, Allison Lapatka

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ce 431-106: Construction Materials Laboratory, Steve George

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ce 443-141: Foundation Design, Ivan Guzman

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Methods To Improve The Remediation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) In Aerobic And Anaerobic Environments, Brian Wartell

Dissertations

Oil spills occur regularly in terrestrial environments and crude oil can contain many compounds that are highly resistant to degradation. Among these compounds are high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are not only toxic but can also be carcinogenic and/or mutagenic. The first chapter of this dissertation includes an extensive review chapter on the variables affecting the anaerobic degradation of hydrocarbons, with a particular focus on PAHs. Electron acceptors, electron donors, temperature, salinity, pH all play key roles in determining the possibility effective of effective degradation occurring. Thus, by addressing solutions, such as biostimulation, improving environmental variables for …

Experimental And Numerical Characterization Of Multiphase Subsurface Oil Release, Feng Gao

Dissertations

Subsurface oil release is commonly encountered in the natural environment and engineering applications and has received the substantial attention of researchers after the disastrous Deepwater Horizon Blowout oil spill in 2009. The main focus on the present research is to systematically study the hydrodynamics of underwater oil jet under a variety of conditions, including the effect of dispersant and different gas to oil ratios (GOR) by using experimental measurement as well as a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach, from which the measured turbulent characteristics (e.g., velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulence dissipation rate, etc.) of underwater oil jet are thoroughly examined …

Ce 350-101: Transportation Engineering, Joyoung Lee

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Mech 320-101: Statics And Mechanics Of Materials, Joseph Baladi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ce 333-001-003: Reinforced Concrete Design, M Ala Saadeghvaziri

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Mech 234-001-003: Engineering Mechanics: Statics, G Milano

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ce 332-001: Structural Analysis, Eduardo Castro

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ce 200a - Surveying Lab, Allison Lapatka

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ce 360-001: Sustainable Civil Engineering Materials, Matthew Adams

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Sustaining Dockless Bike-Sharing Based On Business Principles, Neil Horowitz

Theses

Currently in urban areas, the value of money and fuel is increasing because of urban traffic congestion. As an environmentally sustainable and short-distance travel mode, dockless bike-sharing not only assists in resolving the issue of urban traffic congestion, but additionally assists in minimizing pollution, satisfying the demand of the last mile problem, and improving societal health. Despite the positives that this new transportation mode provides, currently there are few effective measures in place to make the development of dockless bike-sharing providers more sustainable.

This study endeavors in establishing a foundation for resolving this problem through developing business models of dockless …

Decontamination Of The Passaic River Sediments Using Ultrasound With Ozone Nano-Bubbles, Janitha Hewa Batagoda

Dissertations

The Passaic River is 129km long and flows through the northern New Jersey. During the mid-twentieth century, the U.S. census indicated that there were approximately 2,900 industries along the river bank. The amount of industries established next to the river indicated the inevitable river pollution, which was compounded by lenient environmental protection laws. One of the major contributors of the river pollution was Diamond Alkali Co., which started production of chemicals around 1951 at the 4km marker in the Passaic River.

In 1970, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) identified the Passaic River as the second most polluted …

Development And Evaluation Of Cooperative Intersection Management Algorithm Under Connected Vehicles Environment, Slobodan Gutesa

Dissertations

Recent technological advancements in the automotive and transportation industry established a firm foundation for development and implementation of various automated and connected vehicle (C/AV) solutions around the globe. Wireless communication technologies such as the dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) protocol are enabling instantaneous information exchange between vehicles and infrastructure. Such information exchange produces tremendous benefits with the possibility to automate conventional traffic streams and enhance existing signal control strategies. While many promising studies in the area of signal control under connected vehicle (CV) environment have been introduced, they mainly offer solutions designed to operate a single isolated intersection or they require …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Managed Lane Strategies For The Rapid Deployment Of Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Technology, Zijia Zhong

Dissertations

Connected and Automated Vehicle (C/AV) technologies are fast expanding in the transportation and automotive markets. One of the highly researched examples of C/AV technologies is the Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) system, which exploits various vehicular sensors and vehicle-to-vehicle communication to automate vehicular longitudinal control. The operational strategies and network-level impacts of CACC have not been thoroughly discussed, especially in near-term deployment scenarios where Market Penetration Rate (MPR) is relatively low. Therefore, this study aims to assess CACC's impacts with a combination of managed lane strategies to provide insights for CACC deployment. The proposed simulation framework incorporates 1) the Enhanced …

Intense Ultrasonic Waves In Fluids: Nonlinear Behaviour, Jitendra Kewalramani

Theses

High-intensity ultrasonic wave has several engineering, biological, medical and chemical applications. High intensity acoustic waves can lead to a desired change in a medium by initiating one or more diverse mechanisms such as acoustic cavitation, heating, radiation pressure, or chemical reactions. Nonlinear nature of intense acoustic waves opens an entire new spectrum of applications. Hence there is need to understand and model the mechanism of nonlinear wave motion for practical applications of intense acoustic waves.

In this research, one-dimensional motion of shock waves in an ideal fluid is studied to include nonlinearity. In nonlinear acoustics, the propagation velocity of different …

A Methodological Framework For Quantifying Impacts Of Truck Traffic On Regional Network With Implications To Transport Policy, Chaitanya Narendra Pathak

Dissertations

Increased global trade has promoted the importance of shipping industry and the introduction of mega-ships has created an opportunity to be more cost-effective. Because of this, the expected change in freight transportation influences the operating regimes and schedules at the port terminals. Trucks being the predominant mode of transportation used to carry the freight transport, there is a growing concern about the impact of trucks in the region. The problems are further expected to grow as the improvements to resolve them are hindered by funding shortfalls. Public agencies are therefore involved in developing comprehensive state freight plans that outline immediate …

Mech 237-101-103: Strength Of Materials, Elizabeth Castro

Civil and Environmental Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

An Artificial Neural Network Model For Predicting Freeway Work Zone Delays With Big Data, Bo Du

Dissertations

Lane closures due to road reconstruction and maintenance have resulted in a major source of non-recurring congestion on freeways. It is extremely important to accurately quantify the associated mobility impact so that a cost-effective work zone schedule and an efficient traffic management plan can be developed. Therefore, the development of a sound model for predicting delays or road users is desirable.

A comprehensive literature review on existing work zone delay prediction models (i.e., deterministic queuing model and shock wave model) is conducted in this study, which explores the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of different modeling approaches. The performance of those …

Erosion Behavior And Scour Risk Of Extremely Coarse Streambeds, Abolfazl Bayat

Dissertations

Bridge scour, which is the erosion of soil and rock around bridge abutments and piers, is the principal cause of bridge failure in the United States and around the world. Previous investigations of scour have focused mostly on fine sediments such as sand, silt, and small gravel, because such alluvium underlies a majority of bridges. The erosion resistance of coarser sediments has received limited attention to date, even though they dominate many small to medium-size rivers in the northern tiers of the United States, Europe, and Asia. This study focuses on the scour behavior of extremely coarse particles (ECP), namely …

Estimating Vehicles Emissions At Signalized Intersections In The Highway Capacity Manual, Yuanyuan Fan

Dissertations

Over the past decades, motor vehicle volumes have continued to increase at a high rate. As a result, engineers in the transportation field not only need more robust knowledge of traffic operation control and transportation planning, but more attention is also needed to understand and estimate the influences that this increasing volume of vehicles has on the environment, especially the influence on air quality. The EPA has stated that reducing carbon monoxide (CO) from vehicle emissions is the most significant way to control air pollution from the transportation sector.

The Highway Capacity Manual is a national and international resource that …

Seepage Monitoring And Diagnosis Of Distresses In An Earth Embankment Dam Using Probability Methods, Seyed Mohammad Reza Mousavian

Dissertations

Failure of embankment dams may result in catastrophic consequences. Considering seepage and internal erosion are accounted as one of the major causes of failure in earth embankment dams, it is essential to detect any concentrated seepage and sources of distress at early stages. A number of investigation and monitoring methods exist for the detection of seepage, with varying degrees of technological and implementation complexity. This research, focuses on the Electrical Resistivity Monitoring Method (ERM), and develops a condition assessment process that allows 1) the identification of potential seepage areas and progress through visual observation and flow measurement, and 2) the …

Long-Term Management And Condition Assessment Of Concrete Culvert, Zhenting Zou

Dissertations

Infrastructure is the backbone of national security, economic growth, public safety and other aspects of the society. Nationwide, the condition of America’s infrastructure was graded as “D+” by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2013.

Owners and responsible agencies have employed various cost-effective maintenance and repair methods as well as analytical tools to repair and extend the service life of the infrastructure. However, without a long-term plan, maintenance work can be delayed by lack of funds. Maintenance delay may cause significant reduction in condition state leading to premature failure of the infrastructure. Consequently, a long-term rehabilitation plan is …

Rca: Use And Future Possibilities, Bushra Marium Islam

Theses

Reuse and recycling of concrete is essential for construction purposes. There has been progressive development in construction projects but at the same time it has an inverse effect on the environment. Concrete structures are built and demolished continuously all over the world, generating tons of waste materials which are actually reusable in concrete production itself. This paper emphasis on recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and many characteristics of RCA. This paper studies RCA’s different properties. RCA’s replacement in the place of natural aggregate is discussed. The proper amount and researches done on RCA improvement have also been discussed for further in …

Biologically Active Filters: An Advanced Treatment Process For Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products, Shuangyi Zhang

Dissertations

With the increasing concern of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in source water, this study examines the hypothesis that existing filters and adsorbents in water treatment plants can be converted to biologically active filters (BAFs) to treat these compounds. Removals through bench-scale BAFs are evaluated as a function of media, granular activated carbon (GAC) and dual-media, empty bed contact time (EBCT), and pre-ozonation. For GAC BAFs, greater oxygen consumption, increased pH drop, and greater DOC removal normalized to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) are observed indicating a different microbial community compared to dual-media BAFs. ATP concentrations in the upper portion of …

Optimization Of Headway, Stops, And Time Points Considering Stochastic Bus Arrivals, Liuhui Zhao

Dissertations

With the capability to transport a large number of passengers, public transit acts as an important role in congestion reduction and energy conservation. However, the quality of transit service, in terms of accessibility and reliability, significantly affects model choices of transit users. Unreliable service will cause extra wait time to passengers because of headway irregularity at stops, as well as extra recovery time built into schedule and additional cost to operators because of ineffective utilization of allocated resources.

This study aims to optimize service planning and improve reliability for a fixed bus route, yielding maximum operator’s profit. Three models are …