Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Review And Experimental Demonstration Of The Concrete Maturity Method For Early Opening Of Arkansas Pavements, Chase Dykema

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many Department of Transportation (DOT) specifications across the United States require a minimum time to gain strength for concrete pavements before they can be opened to construction equipment or traffic. This period is anywhere from three to seven days. However, concrete pavements can often be opened earlier as long as a minimum required strength is attained. With the development of modern pavement mixes, this strength can often be achieved well before the required curing period has passed. Allowing contractors to open pavements earlier increases construction efficiency. One nondestructive method of proving a pavement has achieved the required strength is the …

Analysis Of Potential Alkali Reactivity Of Aggregates In Arkansas, Brigita Dowling

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) is a deleterious chemical reaction in concrete that leads to the deterioration of concrete structures. This reaction occurs between minerals present in aggregates and alkalis in the cement, and produces a gel-like substance called alkali silicate gel. Gradually, these gels absorb water from the environment and expand, leading to internal stresses in the concrete. This damage results in expansion, cracking, and deformation, reducing the strength and durability of the concrete significantly. While this damage appears minor initially, eventually they can lead to the need for costly repairs or replacement of the concrete. ASR has been observed …

Chloronitramide Anion Yields During Monochloramine Formation: Impact Of Reagent Addition Order, Ph, And Mixing, Barrett E. Johnson, Julian L. Fairey, Jason A. Thornhill

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chloronitramide anion was recently identified as a decomposition product of inorganic chloramines. Tap‑water concentrations > 300 μg/L reported in a recent study prompted this investigation of chloronitramide anion during monochloramine formation under conditions relevant to drinking water treatment plants. As monochloramine is formed by mixing free chlorine with free ammonia, the impacts of pH, reagent mixing intensity, and reagent addition order were assessed on monochloramine and chloronitramide anion yields. Jar tests were conducted in distilled deionized water at target pH levels of 7 and 9 under rapid, slow, and no‑mixing conditions, with alternating reagent order addition and a target monochloramine dose …

Uav Blast Load Characterization For Structural Design, Jalee Grace Spain

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the use of drones, or UAVs, increases, so does the risk of collision with infrastructure. When drones collide with a building, an impact or blast load is applied. Using current literature and structural analysis, a load case can be defined for a blast load induced by a drone.

An Investigation Of The Restrained Expansion Behavior Of Bcsa And Sbcsa Concretes And Their Chemical Prestress Potential, Adhish Paudel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement, an alternative cement, is increasingly used in the United States for its fast-setting and rapid strength gain characteristics, particularly for rapid pavement construction and repair. In addition, BCSA exhibits some early age expansion when moist cured due to the formation of ettringite. Under restrained conditions, expansive cements can be used to generate chemical prestress in reinforced concrete or to offset prestress losses in prestressed concrete. This study investigates the restrained expansion of concrete made from traditional BCSA and a new BCSA cement formulation intended to provide increased initial expansion behavior. Concrete samples were tested using …

Assessing Diffusive Gradients In Thin Films Passive Samplers For Pfas Quantitation In Aqueous Systems, Brianna Harris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) passive samplers are an alternative to grab sampling for quantifying time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous systems. DGTs may enable long-term PFAS site characterization in a more time and cost-effective manner compared to grab sampling, but critical information is lacking in PFAS diffusion coefficient (DGel) uncertainty, PFAS quantitation limits, and environmental impacts on DGT performance. This work provides a thorough evaluation of DGT performance for a suite of 32 PFAS through (i) determining gel-layer PFAS diffusion coefficients and their associated error (i.e., 95 % confidence intervals (CIs)), (ii) assessing …

Mitigating Inertial Measurement Unit Drift In Quadcopter Trajectory Tracking Using Kalman Filter Sensor Fusion With Global Positioning Measurements, Juan Sandro Caballero Aguilar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like quadcopters are widely used in civilian and military applications such as farming, photography, search and rescue missions, and autonomous navigation and motion. The performance and stability of these systems depend on accurate state estimation, which provides real-time information about the vehicle’s position, velocity, and orientation. However, achieving reliable state estimation is challenging due to sensor noise, measurement uncertainty, and inaccurate modeling. Common navigation sensors such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) exhibit complementary characteristics. GPS provides absolute position measurements but suffers from noise, multipath effects, and low update rates, while …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Of Counter-Current Flow In Channels Separated By A Membrane, Akram Mashhour Riziq Abdullah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Counter current flow in channels separated by membrane were studied in several published studies. The present study aims to numerically and analytically simulate and physically describe the distribution of pressure, volume flow rate and velocity in counter current flow module. Numerical simulation Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was performed by solving Navier-Stokes (N–S) equations in the channels and membrane pores (vertical channels) to determine pressure and velocity fields. An analytical solution one-dimensional (1-D) model was developed to simulate the flow in the channels and membrane pores by solving the continuity and Darcy’s Law to obtain pressure and volume flow rate. Accordingly, …

Investigating Calcium Oxychloride Deterioration In Concrete: Analyzing Variation In Laboratory Testing Procedures, Standardized Testing Protocols, And Industry Implementation., Joey Roy Parker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Access to sustainable infrastructure is critical for society. In the U.S., over $350 billion is spent annually to maintain roadways providing access to education, medical care, and citizen consumer needs. Maintaining service of these systems during severe winter weather events is a significant challenge for maintenance personnel across the country. The use of deicing/anti-icing materials to lower the freezing temperature is a popular mitigation technique used to provide reasonable driving conditions during these times. The combination of these materials, freeze/thaw cycles, and precipitation produce perpetual deterioration and corrosion within reinforced concrete pavements and bridges. In the U.S., over 60% …

A Review Of Ufgs And Ufc Specifications For The Mixture Design Process Of Military Airfield Concrete Pavements, Emaduddin Ahmad

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Military airfield concrete pavements require exceptional durability and performance, guided by the stringent criteria of the Department of Defense (DoD) Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 3-25-04 and Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS) 32 13 14.13. Currently, the mixture design approval contains severe pre-construction bottlenecks, primarily due to comprehensive requirements of testing all aggregate sources within six months of project commencement. This rigid approach forces redundant and time-consuming laboratory tests, such as the ASTM C666 freeze-thaw durability test, to be conducted even when utilizing consistent aggregate sources. This thesis reviews the current UFGS mixture design process to identify critical bottlenecks in the …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Bike-Share Use In A Small City: A Case Study Of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Brianna L. Buenger

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many small and mid-sized cities in the United States face ongoing transportation challenges due to limited public transit options. This can prevent residents from being able to reach essential destinations. While bikeshare systems have been widely studied in large metropolitan areas, there is limited understanding of how usage patterns vary across space, time, and trip characteristics in small-city contexts. This study addresses this gap by examining spatial and temporal patterns of bikeshare use in a small U.S. city through a case study of the Fort Smith, Arkansas, SMILIES bikeshare program. Using approximately 10,000 trips over three years, the analysis examines …

Design And Performance Overview Of The Inaugural University Of Arkansas Beng Fountain Wars Team, Autumn Jones

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis describes the engineering design process for the first ASABE Fountain Wars submission by a student team at the University of Arkansas in over a decade. Fountain Wars has a technical and aesthetic task, and the focus of this thesis is the design of the technical task. In 2025, this task was the “shoot out.” The objective was to get objects from a small pool into two 5-gallon buckets 10-15 feet away. The power for initiating the launch had to be provided by the pump. The objects were required to start at the surface of the water.

The …

Dried Water Treatment Residuals Might Be An Option To Reduce Soluble Reactive Phosphorus Release From Soils, Katie B. Mckay

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nonpoint source pollution from agricultural landscapes contributes to freshwater eutrophication, with legacy phosphorus (P) in soils potentially driving soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) losses to surface waters. The objectives of this study were to evaluate SRP adsorption by dried water treatment residuals (WTRs) produced by Beaver Water District, quantify reductions in soil SRP release across increasing WTR application rates, and compare dried WTR performance to prior WTR studies.

Dried WTRs (~98% solids) were assessed using batch sorption experiments and soil core incubations. Phosphorus sorption was measured by mixing WTRs with CaCl₂ solutions containing increasing SRP concentrations and fitting results to …

Monitoring Streambank Morphology Using Iphone Lidar Technology, Lily C. Stitt

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Monitoring stream morphology is crucial for maintaining the health and safety of fluvial environments, particularly as these naturally dynamic systems are shifted out of equilibrium due to climate and land-use change. Quantifying changes in stream geometry are useful for infrastructure design, water quality assessment, water resource management, and stream restoration, among other applications. Traditional stream surveying methods contain numerous cost limitations that inhibit affordable and accessible stream surveying needed for evaluating stream geometry with high accuracy and larger spatial scales (>100s of ). In recent years, several advancements have been made in the use of Light Detection and Ranging …

Perception Of Transportation Challenges And Their Influence On Mode Choice In A Small Us City: A Generalized Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Anindya Kishore Debnath, Suman Kumar Mitra

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study profiles individuals encountering transportation challenges by analyzing factors influencing their perceptions and how they affect mode choice decisions in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Using primary travel survey data, we estimated a multinomial logit (MNL) within a Generalized Structural Equation Model (GSEM) that controls for residential self-selection and car ownership endogeneity. We find that individuals from low-income households are more likely to perceive transportation challenges, particularly due to a lack of a car and inadequate public transport. Higher household car ownership generally diminishes perceived challenges, except regarding limited bike lanes. Weekend or late-shift workers are more likely to own cars …

Evaluating High-Strength Steel Welded Connections For Future Aws Welding Standards, Parker Minter

2026 Research Poster Competition

Welding plays a critical role in many civil engineering applications as it is a common method used to connect structural steel components. Because of how widespread the practice is, the American Welding Society (AWS) has developed a set of standardized welding guidelines to ensure consistent quality in structural welds. These standards allow common weld types to be fabricated using pre-approved procedures (e.g. welding materials, temperatures, and positions). Recently, high-strength structural steels have begun to be available domestically. Current AWS standards do not allow for high strength steels (yield strength greater than 80ksi) and need to be evaluated for the inclusion …

Steel-Concrete Composite Girder Experiments To Isolate Interface Load Transfer Effects On Stud Fatigue Life, Marc Crespi Hromcova

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal fatigue resulting from repeated loading is a primary limit state that affects the quantity of headed shear studs required in the composite design of steel bridge girders. While concrete-deck-to-steel-superstructure load transfer is only considered through stud bearing in the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design standards, friction and interface interlocking effects may also contribute. This study aims to experimentally quantify the effect of interface conditions on the fatigue life of headed studs within composite girders. In this study, two full-scale composite girder specimens having the same geometry and material properties are tested with two interface conditions. …

Optimizing Indigenous Timber Short-Gap Crossing Designs By Minimizing Wood Moisture Content, Robert Greenwood

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reducing moisture content increases wood strength and reduces the weight of timber members. An accurate and efficient method for measuring moisture content is important for the design and construction of indigenous timber short-gap crossings. This study evaluates different methods for measuring moisture content in timber, describes a methodology for developing a representative moisture content value for a timber log, and approaches for quickly drying large timber logs. The results of this thesis will support activities in developing a representative moisture content of a log for structural design purposes and reducing weight for constructability purposes. The approaches discussed were developed considering …

Toward A Better Understanding Of Friction, Adhesion, And Stud Bearing Shear Transfer At The Steel-Concrete Interface Of Composite Bridge Girders, Callie Grace James

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Following curing of the concrete deck, load transfer between the concrete and steel components in a composite bridge girder is possible through three mechanisms: 1) mechanical contact (bearing) between the embedded shear connectors and surrounding cured concrete, 2) adhesion between the cured concrete and steel-section top flange, and 3) friction between the contacting materials Understanding the mechanisms of bearing, adhesion, and friction shear transfer at the steel-concrete interface of composite bridge girders is necessary for efficient proportioning of headed shear connectors (or studs) in design. To better understand the roles that stud bearing, adhesion, and friction play in composite girder …

Rapid Construction Of Short Gap Crossings Using Indigenous Timber, Jack Everett Hamburger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines multiple design options for constructing short span crossings for the military using indigenous timbers. Using indigenous timbers allows for a significant reduction in resources that must be brought into a site for construction. Construction time is minimized by optimizing the steps to convert indigenous timber into structural members for use as timbers in a short gap crossing. A major objective during this thesis study was to examine approaches for maximizing timber strength for design purposes and reduce timber weight for handling purposes. Wood strength and wood weight are highly dependent on moisture content. Decreasing moisture content addresses …

Impact Of Equipment Type On Measured Particle Size Of Civil Engineering Materials, Tanner Turben, Tasnimul R. Ferdous, Andrew Braham, Wen Zhang

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Particle size analysis (PSA) captures the size distribution of finely graded materials with particles generally smaller than 1000 microns. Many civil engineering materials do not leverage PSA for material specifications or acceptance despite the insight into material performance and quality gained through understanding the particle size. The objectives of this study are to compare PSA measurement principles by testing 13 civil engineering materials by laser diffraction, Coulter counter, and microscopy. Asphalt emulsions, cementitious materials, sands, clays, and biological samples were selected to represent a wide set of interests and shapes. It was found that between laser diffraction and Coulter counter …

Intrinsic Disinfection Byproducts In Free Chlorine And Chloramine Systems: Formation Of Chlorite, Chlorate, Perchlorate, And Chloronitramide Anion, Julian L. Fairey, Ashley D. Pifer, David G. Wahman

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Intrinsic disinfection byproducts are formed by reactions between disinfectant species and/or their decomposition products. In this review, we focus on a subset that accumulates in free chlorine and chloramine drinking water systems. First, we review the sequential formation of chlorite, chlorate, and perchlorate in hypochlorite feedstocks. Model simulations indicate chlorate and perchlorate can accumulate under realistic dosing conditions and can be managed with less concentrated feedstocks and climate-controlled storage. Second, we review the formation pathways of dichloramine and chloronitramide anion. Chloronitramide anion accumulation may be mitigated by increasing monochloramine stability and quenching reactive nitrogen species in its formation pathway.

Cytotoxicity And Genotoxicity Of Glyphosate And Roundup Quickpro On Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells, Tasnimul Ferdous, Qingfang He, Wen Zhang

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Glyphosate and Roundup products have become the most used herbicide worldwide. However, previous bans in Europe and recent reversal have caused confusion over their safety. This study aims to investigate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Roundup QuickPro and its main ingredient glyphosate using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Cytotoxicity was calculated by measuring CHO cell viability with 72 h of exposure to each toxicant. Roundup QuickPro exhibited higher cytotoxicity with LC50 of 511.2 mu g/mL than glyphosate's LC50 of 3389 mu g/mL. The recommended application concentration (11,233.7 mu g/mL) of Roundup QuickPro is much higher than the measured LC50, …

The Fate Of Intra- And Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes Through Advanced Wastewater Treatment Process, Celestene Adrianne Sebag

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

More areas across the globe are becoming affected by water stress or water scarcity. The decrease in available freshwater due to overconsumption reveals the direct need to consider other sources for necessities such as drinking water or food production. Agricultural irrigation uses 70% of the world’s freshwater, making the focus on safe and reliable reclaimed water for agricultural reuse imperative. However, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as antibiotics and their resulting antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), can spread and affect human health if reclaimed water is not treated to the proper level. Antibiotics are widely used in human medicine and …

Case Article—Optimizing Transportation And Equity In A District Zoning Problem For Orville Public Schools, Kelly M. Sullivan, Ashlea Bennett Milburn

Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

“Optimizing transportation and equity in a district zoning problem for ORville public schools” is a case developed to expose students to an optimization decision problem with ethical considerations incorporated. Specifically, students are asked to solve a school district zoning problem in which all residential addresses in a school district must be assigned to middle schools having capacity limits on the numbers of students that they can accommodate.

Comparative Study On The Long-Term Performance Of Bmd Mixtures Prepared Using Different Sample Preparation Techniques And Superpave Mixtures Under Varying Pavement Structures, Amarjeet Tiwari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Asphalt mix design has advanced significantly since the 1930s, with Balanced Mix Design (BMD) emerging to address durability concerns found in the Superpave method by optimizing binder content based on performance criteria. The performance of bituminous mixtures can be assessed through laboratory testing. These tests require proper sample preparation, and various techniques are employed for this purpose. Understanding the differences between these techniques is essential for the successful application of bituminous mixtures in the field. The objective of this study is to assess the differences in the predicted long-term performance of two sample preparation techniques, Lab Mix Lab Compacted (LMLC) …

Navigating Transportation Barriers: Older Adults’ Familiarity With New Mobility Options And Perceptions Toward Autonomous Vehicles In Arkansas, Arna Nishita Nithila, Suman Kumar Mitra, Michelle Gray, Alishia Juanelle Ferguson, Jennifer D. Webb

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objective of this study is to analyze older adults’ familiarity with new transportation options (ride-hailing services, bike-share services, and shared e-scooter services) and their perception towards autonomous vehicles (fully autonomous cars), as well as how transportation barriers influence their familiarity and perceptions, in Arkansas, a predominantly rural state. Data from 775 older adults aged 60 years or older were collected between October 2021 and October 2022. To fulfill the study objective, the study used Latent Class Cluster Analysis to segment older adults into classes based on their familiarity with new transportation options and their perceptions of autonomous vehicles. The …

Engineering Properties And Stress-Strain Behavior Of Bcsa Concrete: Flexural Design Parameters, Strain Measurement Methods, And Models, Gabriel R. Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement concrete has gained popularity due to advantages over portland cement (PC), including, its fast-setting, high early strength gain, high durability, and reduced global warming potential. Though primarily used for pavement repair, it has good potential for structural applications. Building codes like ACI 318:19 permit alternative cement materials like BCSA cement if they can be shown to have adequate and predictable structural, durability, and fire performance comparable to PC concrete. This study evaluates the structural and mechanical behavior of BCSA cement concrete, measuring standard engineering properties and comparing results to PC concrete and code prediction equations. …

Highway-Transportation-Asset Criticality Estimation Leveraging Stakeholder Input Through An Analytical Hierarchy Process (Ahp), Kwadwo Amankwah, Sarah Hernandez, Suman Kumar Mitra

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Transportation agencies face increasing challenges in identifying and prioritizing which infrastructure assets are most critical to maintain and protect, particularly amid aging networks, limited budgets, and growing threats from climate change and extreme events. However, existing prioritization approaches often lack consistency and fail to adequately incorporate diverse stakeholder perspectives. This study develops a systematic, stakeholder-informed method for ranking transportation assets based on their criticality to the overall transportation system. As a novel approach, we use the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and present a case study of the applied approach. Six criteria were identified for ranking assets: annual average daily traffic …

Effect Of Beam Bracing On The Seismic Performance Of Laterally Skewed Reduced Beam Section Moment Connections With Composite Concrete Slabs, Pratik Ghimire

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Existing experimental reduced beam section (RBS) moment frame investigations, particularly those used for prequalification in AISC-358, consider orthogonally oriented beam-to-column connections. While the design commentary provided in AISC-358 references recent skewed SMF numerical studies and potential performance effects when a lateral beam skew is introduced, limited experimental studies have been performed to verify the numerical findings. This study presents an experimental investigation into the cyclic behavior of RBS special moment frames that have lateral skew at the beam-to-column connection and composite concrete slabs. In this study, a skewed composite double-sided RBS connection is tested, having beam bracing outside the RBS …