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LSU Master's Theses

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Articles 271 - 300 of 406

Full-Text Articles in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Thermal Conductivity And Its Effects On The Performance Of Pcc Pavements In Mepdg, Upender Kodide Jan 2010

Thermal Conductivity And Its Effects On The Performance Of Pcc Pavements In Mepdg, Upender Kodide

LSU Master's Theses

This study developed a standard thermal conductivity test procedure to test concrete specimens and studied factors influencing those specimens. The thermal conductivity of concrete is significantly affected by moisture content, type, and percentage of coarse aggregate; this finding was confirmed statistically by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The study also developed a model for predicting the thermal conductivity of concrete that varies with moisture content and the coarse aggregate percentage. To understand the effect of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), this study also measured thermal conductivity of control and ternary mixtures. An increase in thermal conductivity percentage due to increase in moisture …

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Estimated Impact Of Left Lane Truck Restriction On Louisiana Highway Pavement Using Mepdg, Mini Radhakrishnan Jan 2010

Estimated Impact Of Left Lane Truck Restriction On Louisiana Highway Pavement Using Mepdg, Mini Radhakrishnan

LSU Master's Theses

Truck lane restriction strategies (TLRS) are strategies used to manage truck traffic on highways by prohibiting trucks from using certain lanes in order to minimize interaction between trucks and other vehicles and currently it is under consideration for implementation in Louisiana’s multi-lane highways. One of the serious impacts of a truck lane restriction on highways is accelerated pavement damage on unrestricted lanes due to the increased truck traffic on them. The purpose of this study is to estimate the increased pavement damage on the right lane in terms of various distress caused by imposing left lane truck restriction on trucks …

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Laboratory Characterization Of Geogrid-Reinforced Unbound Granular Material For Use In Flexible Pavement Structures, Gael Souci Jan 2009

Laboratory Characterization Of Geogrid-Reinforced Unbound Granular Material For Use In Flexible Pavement Structures, Gael Souci

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis documents and summarizes research and background information carried on geogrid reinforced base course in pavement design. Research was experimental carried through Repeated Load Triaxial (RLT) tests at the Louisiana Transportation Research Center. The experimental tests were performed to observe the benefit of the geogrid as well as to differentiate between geogrid location, geometry and tensile modulus of the various geogrid. Experiments were also carried to further describe the Shakedown Theory and its use for characterization of base course materials. The experimental results showed that there was a benefit in placing the geogrid within the aggregate specimen. There were …

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Thermomechanical Modeling And Optimization Of Friction Stir Welding, Manthan Malde Jan 2009

Thermomechanical Modeling And Optimization Of Friction Stir Welding, Manthan Malde

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis research implemented an existing thermomechanical model of friction stir welding process, and studied the surrogate model-based optimization approach to obtain optimal process parameters for the modeled friction stir welding process. As an initial step, the thermomechanical model developed by Zhu and Chao for friction stir welding of 304L stainless steel was replicated using ANSYS. The developed model was then used to conduct parametric studies to understand the effect of various input parameters like total rate of heat input, welding speed and clamping location on temperature distribution and residual stress in the workpiece. With the data from the simulated …

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Gas Transfer In Air-Lifts Used To Recirculate Aquaculture Systems, Ryan Anthony Hearn Jan 2009

Gas Transfer In Air-Lifts Used To Recirculate Aquaculture Systems, Ryan Anthony Hearn

LSU Master's Theses

The following studies were conducted to determine hydraulic, aeration, and degasification characteristics associated with various air-lift pumps. The first study presented data on a 20.3 cm air-lift used to support adult Yellowtail broodstock (Seriola lalandi) in an oligotrophic warmwater marine RAS (recirculating aquaculture system). Empirical relationships were used to estimate actual oxygen and carbon dioxide mass transfer rates (AOTR & ACTR) as the inlet oxygen or carbon dioxide concentrations were perturbed under lift heights of 30.5, 38.1, and 45.7 cm. Transfer rates, kg of constituent per day, were found to be dependent on air injection depth and volume, aqueous gas …

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Neck Muscles Activity And Upper Body Extremity Angles In Dynamic Overhead Lifting, Mohamed Wassim Mokrani Jan 2009

Neck Muscles Activity And Upper Body Extremity Angles In Dynamic Overhead Lifting, Mohamed Wassim Mokrani

LSU Master's Theses

Injuries of the neck and shoulders are common among workers who perform overhead tasks. In order to develop an injury-free working environment with regards to occupational musculoskeletal stress, it is pivotal to understand the pathophysiology of mechanical stress on the musculoskeletal system. The objective of this research was to study the effect of overhead lifting on the sternocleidomastoid and upper Trapezius muscles. Upper body joint angles were also analyzed using APAS during the overhead lifting. This study was conducted using two devices. The set of equipment incorporates an electromyography device, and the APAS. Two electrodes were placed at the muscle …

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Prioritization Of Safety Countermeasures For The State Of Louisiana Using Fuzzy Inference Systems, Meisam Akbarzadeh Jan 2009

Prioritization Of Safety Countermeasures For The State Of Louisiana Using Fuzzy Inference Systems, Meisam Akbarzadeh

LSU Master's Theses

In this study a fuzzy inference system is proposed for prioritization of countermeasures aimed at improving safety in the state of Louisiana. Countermeasures are prioritized based on their collective performance on cost, expected crash reduction and the severity of the problem they address. These three decision parameters can have six permutations in terms of their relative importance in decision making. In order to make the prioritization procedure handier for decision makers, the inference system is capable of being run under all six possible cases. Current safety standards influence the importance attached to crash reduction performance and severity of the problem …

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Laser Assisted Friction Stir Welding: Finite Volume Method And Metaheuristic Optimization, Shivani Daftardar Jan 2009

Laser Assisted Friction Stir Welding: Finite Volume Method And Metaheuristic Optimization, Shivani Daftardar

LSU Master's Theses

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state joining process that uses a non-consumable rotating welding tool to generate frictional heat at the welding location. Large forces are required to produce friction between the welding tool and the work piece which increases the wear rate of the welding tool in welding materials with high melting temperature. Several different approaches have been developed to address this problem. This thesis focuses on a new modification of friction stir welding, called Laser Assisted Friction Stir Welding, a process developed in the last decade. This process uses laser energy to preheat the work piece …

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Hearing Assessment Of Forest Loggers, Antonio A. Fonseca Jan 2009

Hearing Assessment Of Forest Loggers, Antonio A. Fonseca

LSU Master's Theses

Forest logging is the process in which trees are cut down for forest management and/or timber harvest. According to OSHA, logging is the most dangerous occupation in the United States. It consistently represents one of the most hazardous industries, with a fatality rate more than 21 times higher than the rate for all workers in the United States. Yet, little research has been performed to determine the long term effect of noise on forest loggers. OSHA regulations state that the maximum permissible hearing in an 8 hour shift should not exceed 90 dB. Occupational noise exposure is recognized as a …

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Assessing The Accuracy Of Task Time Prediction Of An Emerging Human Performance Modeling Software - Cogtool, Oluwakemi Damilola Adio Jan 2009

Assessing The Accuracy Of Task Time Prediction Of An Emerging Human Performance Modeling Software - Cogtool, Oluwakemi Damilola Adio

LSU Master's Theses

There is a need for a human performance modeling tool which not only has the ability to accurately estimate skilled user task time for any interface design, but can be used by modelers with little or no programming knowledge and at a minimal cost. To fulfill this need, this research investigated the accuracy of task time prediction of a modeling tool – CogTool - on two versions of an interface design used extensively in the petrochemical industry – DeltaV. CogTool uses the KeyStroke Level Model (KLM) to calculate and generate time predictions based on specified operators. The data collected from …

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Phosphorus Dynamics In The Marshland Upwelling System, Dhaval Shirish Shah Jan 2009

Phosphorus Dynamics In The Marshland Upwelling System, Dhaval Shirish Shah

LSU Master's Theses

The Marshland Upwelling System (MUS) is an alternative onsite wastewater treatment technology designed to utilize the natural ecology of saltwater marshes to remove human-borne contaminants. Previous research has assessed the ability of MUS to remove both total and orthophosphate. Studies have also indicated a clear zone of phosphorus (P) saturation occurring in MUS soils. Laboratory column study was performed to accomplish the objectives of this study which were to: 1) determine the fate and fractionation of phosphorus in the soil matrix, 2) understand sorption kinetics and determine phosphorus sorption potential of wetland soils in retaining phosphorus in the MUS, 3) …

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Hydro Mechanical Behavior Of Unsaturated Soil Subjected To Drying, Dev Raj Pokhrel Jan 2009

Hydro Mechanical Behavior Of Unsaturated Soil Subjected To Drying, Dev Raj Pokhrel

LSU Master's Theses

The literature of unsaturated soils in terms of hydraulic and mechanical behavior is reviewed. The hydro- mechanical behavior of unsaturated soil was studied using experimental investigation and numerical simulation of 1D and 2D modeling in HYDRUS software. Low plasticity silty clay (CL) and sand bentonite mixed soil SB (5% and 2% bentonite) specimens were investigated. Soil water characteristics curve (SWCC) tests were carried out in CL sample along with shear wave velocity measurement test using bender element (BE). The influence of moisture variation on specimens was investigated to see its impact on suction and on stiffness of soil. Similarly, the …

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Effects Of Physical And Mental Tasks On Heart Rate Variability, Satya Anasuya Paritala Jan 2009

Effects Of Physical And Mental Tasks On Heart Rate Variability, Satya Anasuya Paritala

LSU Master's Theses

Demands at work are associated with an increased risk of cardio vascular diseases, but little is known about its underlying connection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of physical and mental tasks that induced stress, on Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Another aim was to observe the trends in subjective workload ratings in conjunction with the physiological response of the heart and also to assess the comfort level of the participants while wearing the heart rate monitor and performing tasks. Heart rate was recorded while at rest and while performing the tasks. Subjective workload ratings were obtained …

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Passenger Car Equivalents Of Trucks Under Lane Restriction And Differential Speed Limit Policies On Four Lane Freeways, John Stanley Jan 2009

Passenger Car Equivalents Of Trucks Under Lane Restriction And Differential Speed Limit Policies On Four Lane Freeways, John Stanley

LSU Master's Theses

Lane restriction for trucks and differential speed limits for trucks and cars are becoming more common and feasible policies to improve the efficiency and safety of a freeway. It is believed that passenger car equivalents for trucks are impacted by these non typical freeway operating conditions, which are not explicitly addressed by the latest edition of the Highway Capacity Manual. Using simulated and real world data an elevated 18- mile four lane freeway was modeled under the restriction policies. The section which was used as a test bed was simulated under various control variables. Some of the control variables used …

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Numerical Modeling For Long Term Performance Of Soil-Bentonite Cut-Off Walls In Unsaturated Soil Zone, Sukanta Chakraborty Jan 2009

Numerical Modeling For Long Term Performance Of Soil-Bentonite Cut-Off Walls In Unsaturated Soil Zone, Sukanta Chakraborty

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT The construction practices of containment walls are extremely important in this competitive economic market, but development is limited. Unsaturated zone is an integral part of the geotechnical problems, as it affects on any kind of soils structures. The unsaturated zone plays significant role in many aspects of water flow and contaminant transport, including containment system such as: cut-off walls, infiltration, soil moisture storage, evaporation, plant water uptake, ground water recharge, erosion, and runoff. This research focuses on the hydraulic sustainability and performance of soil-bentonite cutoff walls (Britton et al, 2004) models showing hydraulic behavior of barrier walls. The cutoff …

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Dynamic Behavior Of Unsaturated Soils, Prathima Alla Jan 2009

Dynamic Behavior Of Unsaturated Soils, Prathima Alla

LSU Master's Theses

The behavior of unsaturated soils is different from the behavior of saturated soil deposits. Unsaturated soils have more than two phases; the pore water pressure in unsaturated soils is negative. The behavior of unsaturated soil when a dynamic loading such as an earthquake loading is imposed on them, the susceptibility of lab tested soils to liquefaction is investigated in this study. As the phenomenon of liquefaction occurs only in the case of saturated soil deposits, the behavior of unsaturated soil under these conditions is investigated. Sand and silty sand are used in this study, wetting and drying soil water characteristic …

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Fundamental Characterization Of Unbound Base Course Materials Under Cyclic Loading, Aaron Matthew Austin Jan 2009

Fundamental Characterization Of Unbound Base Course Materials Under Cyclic Loading, Aaron Matthew Austin

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Pavements are a layered system each layer distinguished by different materials as required by traffic and subgrade conditions. A base course is an intermediate layer constructed of high quality stone aggregates: quality based on physical properties such as gradation, hardness, and texture. Although indicative of performance, physical properties do not directly measure performance. This thesis presents the results of a comprehensive experimental testing program that was conducted to examine the behavior of unbound granular base materials under cyclic loading and to evaluate the effect of the stress level and moisture content on strain behavior. Three base materials, namely granite, …

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A Decision Making Framework For Hurricane Evacuation And Sheltering, Jason Fennell Jan 2009

A Decision Making Framework For Hurricane Evacuation And Sheltering, Jason Fennell

LSU Master's Theses

There are few tools currently available to emergency managers to assist in making decisions about whether to evacuate, shelter locally, or shelter-in-place, and none of these tools explicitly consider risk to life safety. A methodology was developed to provide risk-based guidance for evacuation versus sheltering decision making. The hurricane hazards considered in the developed methodology are high winds, storm surge flooding and waves, and rainfall flooding. Vulnerability of buildings to these hazards and the associated risks to life safety are then determined. These results are compared to the hazards and risks associated with evacuation, particularly for medical special needs populations …

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Impact Of Watershed Delineation Detail On Hydrologic Process Modeling In Low Slope Areas, Jason Alexander Braud Jan 2009

Impact Of Watershed Delineation Detail On Hydrologic Process Modeling In Low Slope Areas, Jason Alexander Braud

LSU Master's Theses

Ascension Parish, located along the Mississippi River in southern Louisiana, is a low-lying, low slope landscape that primarily drains into the tidally-influenced Lake Maurepas. The predominant method of drainage within the parish is gravity drainage. Ascension Parish is currently one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. New developments have changed the area’s hydrology along with its landscape. Proper watershed delineation within the parish is critical for the management of and future improvements to the parish’s drainage infrastructure. Most of the recent drainage modeling in the parish has been performed using a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) digital …

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Freeway Crash And Lane Compliance Under Truck Lane Restriction And Differential Speed Limit, Murat Korkut Jan 2009

Freeway Crash And Lane Compliance Under Truck Lane Restriction And Differential Speed Limit, Murat Korkut

LSU Master's Theses

In the last decade, several fatal truck related crashes occurred on the elevated freeway over the Atchafalaya Basin. In an attempt to reduce the crash rates, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development implemented two policies to regulate the truck traffic on this rural divided freeway that has two lanes in each direction of flow. These policies restricted truck traffic to the right lane and reduced the maximum truck speed limit to 55-mph. On the other hand, maximum car speed limit was kept at 60-mph. The changes took place in 2003. While the policies were in effect, crash and traffic …

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Factors Affecting Young Driver Safety In The State Of Louisiana, Cherian Cherian-Korah Jan 2008

Factors Affecting Young Driver Safety In The State Of Louisiana, Cherian Cherian-Korah

LSU Master's Theses

Though teenage drivers constitute only 6.4 percent of the total drivers in United States, they are responsible for 14 percent of the fatal crashes and are involved in 18 percent of all police-reported crashes in the country. One of the main causes of teenage crashes was found to be the presence of passengers in the vehicle. This study is focused on the effect of passengers on young drivers in the state of Louisiana. There have been efforts from traffic safety departments to contain crashes involving this age group of drivers and, particularly the Graduated Driver's License Law, which imposes restrictions …

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Characterization Of Hma Mixtures Containing High Recycled Asphalt Pavement Content With Crumb Rubber Additives, Samuel B. Cooper, Jr. Jan 2008

Characterization Of Hma Mixtures Containing High Recycled Asphalt Pavement Content With Crumb Rubber Additives, Samuel B. Cooper, Jr.

LSU Master's Theses

As the price of petroleum and material costs escalate and pressures of maintaining the sustainability of our environment, owners must continually find methods to decrease material costs and maximize their benefits. One such method is to increase and/or begin using readily available recycled materials like reclaimed asphalt pavements (RAP) and crumb rubber (CR). The objective of this study was to fundamentally characterize the laboratory performance of conventional HMA mixtures and mixtures containing high RAP content and waste tire crumb rubber/additives through their fundamental engineering properties. A Superpave l9-mm nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) Level 2 HMA mixture meeting LADOTD specification …

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The Effectiveness Of The Introduction And Amendment Of Traffic Laws On Louisiana Road Crashes, Vamshi Krishna Mudumba Jan 2008

The Effectiveness Of The Introduction And Amendment Of Traffic Laws On Louisiana Road Crashes, Vamshi Krishna Mudumba

LSU Master's Theses

Evaluating the safety benefit of a treatment provides information to the future safety projects of our transportation system. Various transportation laws have been amended in the state of Louisiana, aiming to reduce the roadway crash rates. The major traffic laws introduced or amended in the state in the past decade were the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Program in 1998, repealing the mandatory motorcycle helmet law in 1999 and reenacting it in 2004, introducing the open alcohol container laws in 2000, and lowering the per se Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) from 0.10 to 0.08 percent in 2003. A before-and-after analysis was …

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Physical Modeling Of Flow And Sediment Transport Using Distorted Scale Modeling, Ryan L. Waldron Jan 2008

Physical Modeling Of Flow And Sediment Transport Using Distorted Scale Modeling, Ryan L. Waldron

LSU Master's Theses

As coastal Louisiana's land loss problem continues to grow unabated, many different solutions have been proposed. One such solution is the concept of diverting fresh water and sediment from the river into the coastal wetlands. Louisiana State University has a Small Scale Physical Model (SSPM) for the study of the potential of such diversions; it is deisgned to study the bulk movement of sediment in the river and diversions. The model is a distorted scale model with a horizontal scale of 1:12,000 and a vertical scale of 1:500; this extreme distortion has brought into question the applicability of the model. …

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Airlift Assisted Wastewater Treatment, Brian Sidney Johnson Jan 2008

Airlift Assisted Wastewater Treatment, Brian Sidney Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

Static low density media (SLDM) filtration has been received with great admiration in the aquaculture industry and consequently spawned into the domestic wastewater setting on the pilot scale. This method of granular filtration uses plastic beads to facilitate the roles of both clarification and biofiltration into one compact unit. The fundamental operating principles utilized in this form of treatment can be greatly enhanced when they are coupled with self contained recirculation from airlift pumps. Recirculation of this type in a SLDM unit has the ability to provide multiple passes of the substrate in the wastewater through the bead bed to …

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Pilot-Scale Study On Anaerobic Digestion Applied To A Saline Industrial Waste Activated Sludge, Changjiang Shen Jan 2008

Pilot-Scale Study On Anaerobic Digestion Applied To A Saline Industrial Waste Activated Sludge, Changjiang Shen

LSU Master's Theses

In the field of municipal wastewater treatment, anaerobic digestion is a well-established, effective process for stabilization of organic sludge with the attractive features of low operating costs and production of methane as a useful by-product. Application of anaerobic digestion for the treatment of saline industrial wastewater sludge, however, has not been well established. The studies described in this thesis were conducted with the overall goal of assessing the feasibility of mesophilic anaerobic digestion processes for treatment of waste activated sludge (WAS) containing moderate salinity (approximately 3% m/v). Experiments employed two 30-gallon conical-bottom HDPE reactors. In the first phase of testing, …

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Three-Echelon Supply Chain Delivery Policy With Trade Credit Consideration, Farhana Rahman Jan 2008

Three-Echelon Supply Chain Delivery Policy With Trade Credit Consideration, Farhana Rahman

LSU Master's Theses

In recent years, collaboration in supply chain approach widely discussed in the literature; but most have dealt with the two-echelon systems. This study focuses on the just-in-time delivery policy of three-echelon supply chain by collaborative approach, where any of the information from the supply chain is available to all the subsystems involved; manufacturer, distribution center and retailer. In the first part of the study a simple model has been developed for a three-echelon supply system that consists of a single manufacturer, a single distribution center and a single retailer. The other part of the study extends this model by considering …

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In-Situ And Nondestructive Test Methods Applied To The Design And Construction Of Pile Foundation Projects In Coastal Louisiana, Jesse Gerard Rauser Jan 2008

In-Situ And Nondestructive Test Methods Applied To The Design And Construction Of Pile Foundation Projects In Coastal Louisiana, Jesse Gerard Rauser

LSU Master's Theses

Construction projects in coastal Louisiana often require pile foundations as a result of the soft soils present, which complicate cast‐in‐place foundation construction and provide minimal support to shallow foundations. During a driven pile project, the engineering phase will require soil characterization and pile capacity determination, while construction will require quality assurance. These three elements, soil characterization, capacity determination, and quality assurance, are commonly accomplished using in‐situ and nondestructive testing. In this thesis, the application of some of these in‐situ and nondestructive methodologies to a project in Coastal Louisiana are examined. The Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) has released computer software …

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Impact Damage Between The Collision Of A Vessel And Protective Fender Systems, Paul Joseph Kocke Jan 2008

Impact Damage Between The Collision Of A Vessel And Protective Fender Systems, Paul Joseph Kocke

LSU Master's Theses

Vessel collision with bridge pilings can cause a catastrophic event and are occurring at an alarming rate. Such events can lead to the collapse of a bridge, causing deaths, shutting down a primary route of transportation and costing millions of dollars in repairs. Today, the AASHTO Bridge Code gives designers a methodology toward designing bridge pilings to withstand the impact of an errant vessel. However, bridges designed before this code was written require a protective system that is capable of redirecting a colliding vessel without causing severe damage to the pilings or the vessel. This research will look into three …

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Modeling The Relationship Among Occupational Stress, Psychological/Physical Symptoms And Injuries In The Construction Industry, Omosefe Osarieme Abbe Jan 2008

Modeling The Relationship Among Occupational Stress, Psychological/Physical Symptoms And Injuries In The Construction Industry, Omosefe Osarieme Abbe

LSU Master's Theses

The construction industry has one of the highest incidents of fatal and non-fatal accidents/injuries every year. As a high risk industry, there is a need to investigate factors that affect the occurrence of these accidents to be able to protect workers. Traditional approaches to workers’ safety in the construction industry have focused on the physical and biomechanical aspects of work by improving tools, equipment and task completion methods. However, the impact of psychosocial factors, specifically stress as experienced by construction workers is an area of growing research. Research in the area of occupational stress in the Construction Industry is yielding …

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