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Articles 541 - 570 of 699

Full-Text Articles in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Computational Benchmarks In Simulation Of Cyclic Performance Of Steel Connections Using Three Dimensional Nonlinear Finite Element Method, Ali Abolmaali, Mohammad Razavi, Roozbeh Kiamanesh Jan 2012

Computational Benchmarks In Simulation Of Cyclic Performance Of Steel Connections Using Three Dimensional Nonlinear Finite Element Method, Ali Abolmaali, Mohammad Razavi, Roozbeh Kiamanesh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications - Archive

The presented manuscript is intended to introduce accurate computational benchmarks to predict the hysteresis behavior of beam-column steel connections by means of a 3D non-linear finite element analysis. In this study, element type, inelastic material behavior, bolts pre-tensioning, and contact properties between different components of connections are discussed. Incremental nonlinear analysis takes into account all three types of nonlinearities including material, geometry, and contact properties in predicting moment-rotation hysteresis loops. A series of full-scale structural tests are performed to validate the results obtained from the finite element analyses. This study shows that cost efficient numerical analysis simulation is capable of …


Effective Construction Schedule Management: Construction Project Monitoring With Project Performance Indicators & The Project Status Report, Christopher Michael Totin Jan 2012

Effective Construction Schedule Management: Construction Project Monitoring With Project Performance Indicators & The Project Status Report, Christopher Michael Totin

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

A thorough review of construction and engineering literature was conducted to discover and organize current best practices and standards for the purpose of monitoring a construction project. The status of a construction project is a measurement of its progress and performance in terms of time, cost, and scope. Awareness of a construction project's status improves decision-making on the part of owners, engineers, contractors, and other project stakeholders. Project Performance Indicators (PPI) are metrics generated by construction project schedules that define a project's status. Project personnel must monitor critical schedule and cost data, or PPI, in order to maintain control of …


Investigation Of Co-Pyrolysis Between Sargassum Macroalgae And Polystyrene, Ketwalee Kositkanawuth Jan 2012

Investigation Of Co-Pyrolysis Between Sargassum Macroalgae And Polystyrene, Ketwalee Kositkanawuth

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Biomass is one source of renewable energy which helps minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, specifically carbon dioxide (CO2), since biomass utilizes CO2 via photosynthesis. Various conversion processes are applied to utilize energy from biomass, including pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is a thermal route of decomposing biomass at high temperature without the presence of oxygen. The process generates three main products including bio-oil, residue, and non-condensable gases; however, the most promising product is the biomass oil, which is in liquid form and convenient for handle and transport. Numerous studies on pyrolysis of terrestrial biomass reveal that the crude bio-oil cannot be directly used …


Modeling Leachate Bod And Cod Using Lab-Scale Reactor Landfills And Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, Said Altouqi Jan 2012

Modeling Leachate Bod And Cod Using Lab-Scale Reactor Landfills And Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, Said Altouqi

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The increasing production of municipal solid waste is a direct consequence of the continuous growth of the world's population and economy. This fact makes protecting the environment against contamination by different kinds of waste a challenging job for engineers and decision makers. Conventional landfilling practices have sometimes failed to protect fresh water resources against leachate contamination as well as the atmosphere against greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Many developed countries have already taken serious steps toward moving to properly engineered, environmental friendly landfills.Landfill leachate contains organic and inorganic pollutants that have been extensively studied in the last …


Engineering Characteristics Of Recyled Plastic Pin, Lumber And Bamboo For Soil Slope Stabilization, Faisal Shakib Ahmed Jan 2012

Engineering Characteristics Of Recyled Plastic Pin, Lumber And Bamboo For Soil Slope Stabilization, Faisal Shakib Ahmed

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Shallow slope failures are predominant in North Texas and pose a significant maintenance problem. The traditional slope repair and stabilization techniques become expensive in some instances with direct costs associated in maintenance and repair of landslides. A new approach for slope stabilization has been developed using Recycled Plastic Pins ( RPP) to reinforce slope movements. The engineering properties of RPP in compression and bending strength along with environmental considerations dictate the design and repair of slopes using RPP. Two other materials have also been considered as an alternative: (1) Wood lumber and (2) Bamboo. Wood has many advantages as an …


Development Of A Flexible Pavement Design Procedure Based On The Mechanistic - Empirical Pavement Design Guide: A Case Study, Ali Qays Abdullah Jan 2012

Development Of A Flexible Pavement Design Procedure Based On The Mechanistic - Empirical Pavement Design Guide: A Case Study, Ali Qays Abdullah

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This research developed design tables of new flexible pavement structures for New York State Department of Transportation based on the Mechanistic Empirical Design Guide (MEPDG). The design tables were developed using the MEPDG software for Regions 1, 3, and 7 for Upstate part of New York State and for Regions 8, 10, and 11 for the Downstate part of New York State. The MEPDG software was used to run design cases for combinations of: climate conditions, traffic volume, subgrade soil stiffness (Mr) and pavement structures. The conditions that the MEPDG was used to run were: the road structures classified as …


Geohazard Potential Of Rainfall Induced Slope Failure On Expansive Clay, Jubair Hossain Jan 2012

Geohazard Potential Of Rainfall Induced Slope Failure On Expansive Clay, Jubair Hossain

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Each year, rain induced slope failures cause significant damages in highway infrastructures and environments, as well as tragic losses of human lives around the world. Rainfall-induced slope failure is a common problem in areas with slope constructed on high plasticity clays. These post failure costs can be significantly reduced if precautions are taken ahead of time. Development of an early hazard warning system based on weather forecast data can help identify potential slopes susceptible to failure due to rainfall. But development of such system will require a better understanding of the in situ behavior of soil due to rainwater infiltration …


An Evaluation Of Large Diameter Steel Water Pipelines, Tushar Joshi Jan 2012

An Evaluation Of Large Diameter Steel Water Pipelines, Tushar Joshi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Steel water pipelines, as a part of America's underground infrastructure, play a key role in maintaining the quality of life and well-being of communities. Thousands of miles of steel water pipelines make up a huge and complex water transmission system. This complexity generates the necessity for research on underground infrastructure in general and steel pipelines in particular. The objective of this research is to evaluate performance of large diameter (24 in. and larger) steel water pipelines. This research objective was achieved by use of a survey of various North American water utilities to provide details about their inventory. This data …


Degradation Of Triclosan By Sulfate Radicals Generated By Metal-Mediated Activation Of Oxidants, Prince Albert Nfodzo Jan 2012

Degradation Of Triclosan By Sulfate Radicals Generated By Metal-Mediated Activation Of Oxidants, Prince Albert Nfodzo

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The presence of persistent and toxic compounds, especially pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in water resources has generated considerable scientific, regulatory, and public interests, requiring the development of cost-effective technologies for the management of PPCPs-contaminated water resources. In particular, triclosan (TCS, 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol), an important antimicrobial agent widely used in many PPCPs, has attracted significant attention due to its potential endocrine disrupting capabilities. In order to address these concerns, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), resulting in the generation of stronger oxidizing species, typically hydroxyl radicals (HRs) and sulfate radicals (SRs), have been studied and proposed to be effective to degrade a …


An Improved Model For Predicting Methane Emissions From Landfills Based On Rainfall, Ambient Temperature And Waste Composition, Richa Vijay Karanjekar Jan 2012

An Improved Model For Predicting Methane Emissions From Landfills Based On Rainfall, Ambient Temperature And Waste Composition, Richa Vijay Karanjekar

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Accurately estimating the emissions of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in a landfill is important for quantifying its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and power generation potential. Previous studies have shown that variation in waste composition, rainfall and ambient temperature of a landfill significantly influences its methane generation potential. Current methane generation models, namely U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Landfill Gas Generation Model (LandGEM) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) methane generation model, are overly simplified and do not account for the variations in waste composition, rainfall and ambient temperature. The goal of this research was to improve our …


Development Of A New Device To Evaluate Stabilization Durability Of Expansive Soils By Addressing Wetting/Drying And Leachate Issues, Priya Pravin Lad Jan 2012

Development Of A New Device To Evaluate Stabilization Durability Of Expansive Soils By Addressing Wetting/Drying And Leachate Issues, Priya Pravin Lad

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Expansive soils have been known to cause deterioration among all aspects of civil infrastructure for many years primarily due to the presence of clay minerals like Montmorillonite. Replacing these problematic soils is not a viable solution in that it is costly and time consuming.Although many stabilization techniques are available, chemical stabilization has proven to be an important tool in arresting the swell/shrink behavior of expansive soil, which is a major source of distress problems for most infrastructures built on this type of soils. Of the chemical stabilizers available in the market, lime and cement stabilizers are the two most widely …


Anaerobic Processes For Waste Treatment And Energy Generation, Melanie L. Sattler Aug 2011

Anaerobic Processes For Waste Treatment And Energy Generation, Melanie L. Sattler

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications - Archive

No abstract provided.


Evaporation From Soils Under Thermal Boundary Conditions: Experimental And Modeling Investigation To Compare Equilibrium- And Nonequilibrium-Based Approaches, Kathleen M. Smits, Abdullah Cihan, Toshihiro Sakaki, Tissa H. Illangasekare May 2011

Evaporation From Soils Under Thermal Boundary Conditions: Experimental And Modeling Investigation To Compare Equilibrium- And Nonequilibrium-Based Approaches, Kathleen M. Smits, Abdullah Cihan, Toshihiro Sakaki, Tissa H. Illangasekare

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications - Archive

In the shallow subsurface immediately below the land-atmosphere interface, it is widely recognized that the movement of water vapor is closely coupled to thermal processes. However, their mutual interactions are rarely considered in most soil water modeling efforts or in practical applications where it becomes necessary to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture. The validation of numerical models that are designed to capture these processes is difficult due to the scarcity of field or laboratory data with accurately known hydraulic and thermal parameters of soils, limiting the testing and refinement of heat and water transfer theories. The …


Evaluating Beat Structure And Truck Allocation For The Tarrant County Courtesy Patrol, Farzad Daneshgar Jan 2011

Evaluating Beat Structure And Truck Allocation For The Tarrant County Courtesy Patrol, Farzad Daneshgar

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Non-recurring congestion poses a significant concern to urban freeway drivers. Effective incident management relies on many tools to lessen the overall impact of crashes, road debris, and stalled/disabled vehicles. While many of the tools are based in a region's traffic management center, many urban areas have adopted freeway service patrol (FSP) programs that patrol the freeway network searching for incidents, providing aid to motorists, and assisting with incident management and clearance. While FSP operations can be assessed in terms of response and clearance times, FSP management must consider the beat structure and fleet allocation. This investigation considers response time and …


Characterization And Evaluation Of Gas Generation Potential Of Municipal Solid Waste From A Closed Section Of A Landfill, Sonia Samir Jan 2011

Characterization And Evaluation Of Gas Generation Potential Of Municipal Solid Waste From A Closed Section Of A Landfill, Sonia Samir

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

At present, there are more than 40 closed municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills around DFW and North Texas. A closed landfill might have potential benefits for gas recovery and utilization due to the presence of organic components in the MSW. The decomposition of organic components of MSW produces gas. The decomposition process after landfill closure may continue for 20 to 100 years depending on the operational practice of the landfill. However, to evaluate the methane potential of a closed landfill it is important to have the understanding of the characteristics of the existing or decomposed landfill wastes. The current study …


The Last Planner System For Realiable Project Delivery, Alok Patel Jan 2011

The Last Planner System For Realiable Project Delivery, Alok Patel

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The Last Planner System is a production planning system designed to produce predictable work flow and rapid learning in programming, design, construction and commissioning of projects. The Last Planner System (LPS) is developed by Glenn Ballard and Greg Howell as a production planning and control system to assist in smoothing variations in construction work flow, developing planning foresight, and reducing uncertainty in construction operations. The LPS challenges the old practices of developing schedules and pushing them from top management down to frontline people to execute. It advocates collaborative planning, performing collaborative constraint analysis, and learning from planning failures. The LPS …


Determination Of Geotechnical Properties Of Clayey Soil From Resistivity Imaging (Ri), Golam Kibria Jan 2011

Determination Of Geotechnical Properties Of Clayey Soil From Resistivity Imaging (Ri), Golam Kibria

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The use of resistivity imaging (RI) in the subsurface investigation has increased in recent years. RI is a non destructive method and provides a continuous image of the subsurface. Based on the electrical conduction phenomenon of soil, spatial and temporal moisture variation and he-terogeneity of subsurface can be evaluated from RI. However, only qualitative evaluation of sub-surface can be obtained from RI. The correlation between RI results and geotechnical engineering properties of soils has become an important issue for rigorous use of this method in site in-vestigation. The current study attempts to develop the relationship and correlations between geo-technical parameters …


Comparison Of Dust Generation From Open Cut And Trenchless Technology Methods For Utility Construction, Sahajanand Madhusudan Kamat Jan 2011

Comparison Of Dust Generation From Open Cut And Trenchless Technology Methods For Utility Construction, Sahajanand Madhusudan Kamat

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Construction industry has changed many aspects of human life and is still evolving at a rapid pace. New and better technologies which are environmentally friendly and safe are being introduced in this industry. But with the passage of time, this industry has got riddled with loss of human life and quality due to various scenarios. One of the major contributors to such conditions is dust generated on a construction site. The amount of dust a worker inhales during his whole career is very dangerous. This research has found out that using trenchless technology, this exposure to dust can be reduced …


The Effect Of Fiber Corrosion On Shear Capacity Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams And An Initial Investigation On Alkali-Silica Reaction In Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete, Regina Nyambura Waweru Jan 2011

The Effect Of Fiber Corrosion On Shear Capacity Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams And An Initial Investigation On Alkali-Silica Reaction In Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete, Regina Nyambura Waweru

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The first part of this research aims to investigate the effect of fiber corrosion on the shear capacity of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete beams. It will also strive to determine at what reduction in minimum diameter of the fiber does the effect of corrosion become most severe on the shear capacity of the beam. Four simply-supported beams with a shear span to depth ratio of 3.3 were subjected to a monotonically increasing load. The targeted concrete compressive strength for all beams was 6000 psi. This however differed from the measured strength due to a number of factors as will be …


Development Of A True-Cost Concept For Renewal Of Municipal Underground Pipeline Systems, Dennis Abraham Jan 2011

Development Of A True-Cost Concept For Renewal Of Municipal Underground Pipeline Systems, Dennis Abraham

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Asset management principles for underground pipeline infrastructure (UPI) are used by municipalities for efficient delivery of water, wastewater, and storm sewers. Due to budget constraints and limited resources, municipalities need to improve their operations, utilizing an optimum cost to provide their asset management services. Life cycle costs (LCC) include the total cost of facility ownership taking into account all capital costs, operation and maintenance costs, and renewing or disposing costs. Asset management costs include the maintenance and renewal portion of LCC. The main objective of this research is to develop asset management strategies with consideration of all the cost factors …


Local Calibration Of Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide For North Eastern United States, Shariq A. Momin Jan 2011

Local Calibration Of Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide For North Eastern United States, Shariq A. Momin

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) developed under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 1-37A project is based on mechanistic-empirical analysis of the pavement structure to predict the performance of the pavement under different sets of conditions (traffic, structure and environment). MEPDG takes into account the advanced modeling concepts and pavement performance models in performing the analysis and design of pavement. The mechanistic part of the design concept relies on the application of engineering mechanics to calculate stresses, strains and deformations in the pavement structure induced by the vehicle loads. The empirical part of the concept is based on …


Fluorinated And Fluorocarbon Coating Of Tio₂ By Pulsed Plasma Processing: Improved Photocatalytic Oxidation Of Gaseous M-Xylene And Mercury, Sulak Sumitsawan Jan 2011

Fluorinated And Fluorocarbon Coating Of Tio₂ By Pulsed Plasma Processing: Improved Photocatalytic Oxidation Of Gaseous M-Xylene And Mercury, Sulak Sumitsawan

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a preferred catalyst for photocatalytic oxidation of many air pollutants. In an effort to enhance its photocatalytic activity, TiO₂ was modified by pulsed plasma treatment. In this work, TiO₂ nanoparticles, coated on a glass plate, were treated with a plasma discharge of hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) gas. By appropriate adjustment of discharge conditions, it was discovered that the TiO₂ particles can be either directly fluorinated (Ti-F) or coated with thin perfluorocarbon films (C-F). Specifically, under relatively high power input, the plasma deposition process favored direct surface fluorination. The extent of Ti-F formation increased with increasing power input. …


Effectiveness Of Public Private Partnership For Infrastructure Projects, Pius Francis Kwaku Agyemang Jan 2011

Effectiveness Of Public Private Partnership For Infrastructure Projects, Pius Francis Kwaku Agyemang

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Public Private Partnership (PPP) has over the years proven to be a good procurement method for Infrastructure projects. The partnership combines the efficiency, expertise, and innovation etc. of the private sector as well as appropriate risk allocation between both public and private sectors. The method also provides an alternate avenue for capital needed for engineering projects. The financing options provided through PPP makes the method increasingly popular due to the current global financial crisis. The method is employed in both developed and developing countries. The United States of America has been using the method since the 1980's. Most governments currently …


Unsaturated Soil Behavior Under Large Deformations Using A Fully Servo/Suction-Controlled Ring Shear Apparatus, Claudia Liliana Velosa Gamboa Jan 2011

Unsaturated Soil Behavior Under Large Deformations Using A Fully Servo/Suction-Controlled Ring Shear Apparatus, Claudia Liliana Velosa Gamboa

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

In recent years, the key hypotheses of most elasto-plastic constitutive frameworks postulated for unsaturated soils have been validated via suction-controlled oedometer, triaxial, and direct shear testing. These techniques, however, allow for the application of loads along limited modes and levels of soil deformation. Today, it is well known that most geotechnical infrastructure resting on unsaturated ground involves a wide range of deformations. Calculation of foundation settlement, for instance, requires a good estimation of soil stiffness at relatively small strains. Analysis of slopes, embankments, and soil bearing capacity, on the other hand, requires an adequate estimation of shear strength, from peak …


Evaluation Of Structural Monitoring Methods For Large Diameter Water Transmission Pipelines, Moksha Kizhakke Covilakam Jan 2011

Evaluation Of Structural Monitoring Methods For Large Diameter Water Transmission Pipelines, Moksha Kizhakke Covilakam

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The water transmission lines span thousands of miles and form a significant part of the underground infrastructure of United States. The condition of water pipelines deteriorates with time and becomes more vulnerable to catastrophic failures and often results in costly replacement measures. With the advancement of technology, several new techniques have been developed for the condition assessment of water pipelines. However, no unified standards are followed for the selection of these technologies. Moreover, the current decision making methodology followed by water pipeline operators is usually based on individual experience and project requirements and resources. This research presents a comprehensive overview …


Shear Behavior Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Prestressed Concrete Beams Without Shear Reinforcement, Jae-Sung Cho Jan 2011

Shear Behavior Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Prestressed Concrete Beams Without Shear Reinforcement, Jae-Sung Cho

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The ACI 318-08 building code allows to use the steel fiber reinforcement as alternative shear reinforcement with satisfying certain criteria when a beam is required minimum shear reinforcement. However, this provision applies to a nonprestressed and prestressed concrete beam such that it could be conservative since the shear strength of prestressed concrete beam is generally enhanced due to the prestressing force. This is due partially to the fact that the provision has been accepted based on researches, mostly conducted in nonprestressed concrete beam. Most of experiments conducted for prestressed concrete beam in small scale tests, with a height of specimens …


Evaluation Of Resistivity Imaging (Ri) Method For Determining Unknown Deep Foundation Depth, Mohammad Sadik Khan Jan 2011

Evaluation Of Resistivity Imaging (Ri) Method For Determining Unknown Deep Foundation Depth, Mohammad Sadik Khan

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

There are approximately 580,000 highway bridges in the National Bridge inventory and 104,000 of these bridges are estimated to have unknown foundations type and/or depth. Determining unknown foundation length and type of bridge foundation is becoming an important issue for State DOTs to ensure the safety of the bridge. There are several methods available to determine unknown foundation depth based on specific site conditions and type of foundation to be tested. Resistivity Imaging (RI) is a non destructive method to investigate the subsurface condition. The objective of current study was to determine unknown bridge foundation depth of three bridges at …


Carbon Footprint Analysis Of A Large Diameter Water Transmission Pipeline Installation, Lalit Chilana Jan 2011

Carbon Footprint Analysis Of A Large Diameter Water Transmission Pipeline Installation, Lalit Chilana

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The term pipeline refers to a long line of connected segments of pipe, with pumps, valves, control devices, and other equipment or facilities needed for operating the system. Water transmission pipelines are generally large diameter (more than 12 in.) pipes which transport the water from one place to another. Installation of these pipes is a complex process due to variability of ground conditions over long distance installations. Sometimes, it is difficult to relate pipelines to the environment because of the out of sight nature. But it follows a close relationship with our environment due to various energy consuming activities involved …


Experimental Investigation Of The Behavior Of The Steel Reinforced High Density Polyethylene And Corrugated Metal Pipe, Safa Sadat Masajedian Jan 2011

Experimental Investigation Of The Behavior Of The Steel Reinforced High Density Polyethylene And Corrugated Metal Pipe, Safa Sadat Masajedian

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Steel reinforced high density polyethylene pipes are gaining popularity these days because of their good performance and advantages of them in comparison to the other pipe materials. By inverting the steel ribs vertically in to the HDPE materials, strength of steel and flexibility and light weight of HDPE materials have been combined. However due the limited study in this area, the failure modes and design parameters are not classified.This study investigates the behavior and failure modes of SR-HDPE pipes under the simulated soil load and compares the results with the data obtained from the test on corrugated metal pipe under …


Evaluation Of Building Information Modeling Applications For Small Construction Companies, Agustin Villafana Jan 2011

Evaluation Of Building Information Modeling Applications For Small Construction Companies, Agustin Villafana

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This thesis concerns developing recommendations to help small construction company's transition from traditional two dimensional plans to a Building Information Modeling (BIM) management process. Due to the cost of implementing BIM, the primary focus of the thesis is onthe transitioning state of these two management areas in an effort to facilitate full integration of smaller contractors into BIM technologies at a future time.Three case studies are used to assess and evaluate the effects of building information modeling on the schedule, material procurement, and information modeling aspects of a project. The intent of the case studies is to demonstrate a net …