Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

A Conceptual Framework For Phase-Dependent, Composite Flood Risk Index (Fri) Curves Based On The Relationship Between Temporal Probability Of Flood Occurring (Ph) And Flood Vulnerability Index (Fvi) Along With Maps Of Fvi Within The Amite River Basin Based On The August 2016 Flood., Austin S. Guerin Mr.

LSU Master's Theses

Efforts directed at determining community vulnerability to flooding are limited and only include economic (dollar damages) and public safety impacts and do not consider the phase dependency of the system, i.e., pre-, during- and post-storm, both critical shortcomings for more broadly assessing community risk and developing comprehensive plans and mitigation strategies. This thesis first develops a framework based on a Flood-Vulnerability Index (FVI) approach and then demonstrates its usefulness, at the census tract level of detail, for three parishes in the Greater Baton Rouge, LA area, based on the August 2016 flood. FVI’s indicators are multidimensional and phase dependent: “Pre-Flood” …

Finite Element Numerical Modeling And Parametric Study Of Geosynthetic Reinforced Pile-Supported Embankments, Abdallah Ikbarieh

LSU Master's Theses

This study directed at investigating the performance of the pile-supported embankment system utilizing a geosynthetic reinforced load transfer platform (GRLTP) using Finite Element numerical modeling. A 2D Finite Element Modeling (FEM) methodology was first developed using PLAXIS 2D 2021 computer software and verified by well-documented case studies in the literature of this system. Second, a performance prediction was made for a field case study of the Amite River Project near French Settlement, which is located along Route LA 16 Livingston Parish in Louisiana State. A comprehensive FEM parametric study was then carried out to evaluate the performance of the system …

Assessment Of Long-Term Performance Of Pavements Containing Warm Mix Asphalt Technologies In Louisiana, Kwadwo Ampadu Boateng

LSU Master's Theses

This study focused on the assessment of long-term performance of asphalt pavements containing warm mix asphalt technologies in Louisiana. A total of five rehabilitation projects were studied in the state of Louisiana. The study consisted of engineering desk analyses of field performance indicators, indices and the initial laboratory performance indicators measured for five rehabilitation projects.

The engineering desk study consisted of a review of literature from previous WMA technology projects done in Louisiana. Additionally, data was acquired and validated from the Louisiana Pavement Management System (PMS). Pavement performance indicators (i.e., cracking (transverse, longitudinal, and fatigue cracking), roughness, rutting, and pavement …

Evaluating Hazus-Mh Flood Model Consequence Assessments Of Urban And Rural Coastal Landscapes Using Adcirc Generated Flood Data From Hurricanes Isaac And Laura, Katherine Faye Jones

LSU Master's Theses

Emergency managers rely on a variety on models and outputs, such as Hazards United States Multi- Hazard (Hazus-MH) and the Coastal Emergency Risk Assessment (CERA) visualization tool, to make decisions in the days leading up to and following hurricane events. This study focuses on using Hurricane Isaac (2012) and Hurricane Laura (2020).ASGS-CERA geoTIFFs, created from generated ADCIRC Prediction System data, in the Hazus-MH Flood Model to test using these two tools together in urban and rural areas. These ASGS-CERA integrated Hazus-MH studies were compared with Hazus-MH studies using the standard Hazus-MH surge methodology. They were tested for accuracy in both …

Local Calibration Of Pavement Me And Performance Evaluation Of Pavement Rehabilitation And Preservation Asphalt Overlays In Louisiana, Farzana Moon

LSU Master's Theses

Asphalt overlays can be categorized as pavement rehabilitation structural overlays or pavement preservation overlays in terms of the thickness and timing of maintenance activities. Pavement rehabilitation overlay contributes to the structural enhancement of pavements and pavement preservation overlays generally provide functional improvement to an existing pavement. In recent times, the pavement design approach employed by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) has been transitioning from the 1993 AASHTO design procedure to a locally calibrated Pavement ME method. The AASHTOWare Pavement ME (Mechanistic-Empirical) design procedure is considered the modern approach to pavement design. Significant updates have been introduced in …

Quantifying Discharge On The Lower Mississippi River Physical Model, Taylor S. Cagle

LSU Master's Theses

The Lower Mississippi River Physical Model (LMRPM) is a distorted, movable-bed physical model that replicates the hydraulics and bedload (sand) transport of the lower 195 miles of the Mississippi River. One year of flow and sediment transport on the prototype can be modeled in approximately one hour. With the ability to simulate long periods of time on the Lower Mississippi River in such a short time frame, the model can provide unique insight into subjects such as the potential effects from relative sea level rise on the lower river’s hydraulics and sediment transport. Quantifying discharge on the LMRPM is an …

Assessment Of Endogenous Biomass Decay As A Source Of Precursors For Microbially-Mediated Toluene And P-Cresol Production, Samuel J. Reynolds

LSU Master's Theses

The research reported in this thesis was conducted to investigate whether protein hydrolysis associated with endogenous decay of biomass produced following the addition of a readily fermentable substrate is a potential source of precursors that can ultimately be transformed to toluene and p-cresol in environments undergoing enhanced bioremediation.

A packed column intended to represent a laboratory-scale section of an aquifer was seeded with groundwater and then supplied with molasses-amended groundwater for a two-day interval. The injected molasses concentration and surface loading rate were selected to be representative of conditions in the vicinity of injection wells at a Superfund Site …

Variability In The Hamburg Wheel-Tracking Device (Hwtd) Data And Results, Ilerioluwa S. Giwa

LSU Master's Theses

Over the years, the Hamburg Wheel-Tracking Test (HWTT) has become one of the most popular devices used for characterizing asphalt mixtures for rutting potential and moisture susceptibility. However, although the HWTT is a reliable standard test for evaluating asphalt mixtures, it is not exempt from variability in the test data and result. Variability in the HWTT test data and results have been majorly attributed to imprecision in the test practice and due to some limitations in the HWT device setup.

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the variability in the HWTT data and result by investigating a …

Bio-Mediated Ground Improvement For Fine-Grained Soil, Guantao Cheng

LSU Master's Theses

The research explored the use of microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) to improve the mechanical properties of fine-grained soil and rapidly repair soil cracks on embankment slopes. Slope failures are often induced by surface cracks on the embankment slopes. To date, most rapid repair methods for slope failures (e.g., geosynthetics, soil nails, plastic pins, and lime treatment, etc.) involve large earthwork, special installation equipment, and unique construction processes, which may require extended construction time, disturb traffic, or increase the total construction cost. This research explored the feasibility of using bio-cement (MICP) to improve soil mechanical properties, seal the soil cracks, …

Effects Of Historical Land-Use Change On Surface Runoff And Flooding In The Amite River Basin, Louisiana, Usa Using Coupled 1d/2d Hec-Ras–Hec-Hms Hydrological Modeling, Alexandre G. H. Cowles

LSU Master's Theses

The Amite River Basin is a largely rural watershed spanning parts of four counties in southern Mississippi and seven parishes in southeast Louisiana, with basinwide imperviousness increasing from 0.82% in 1938 to 3.85% in 2016. The Basin has been the subject of significant research interest since catastrophic flooding in 2016 caused 13 deaths and widespread damages. Rapid development in recent decades has led to an expansion of impervious surfaces in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, encroaching on floodplains and wetlands. At the basin scale, differences in flooding due to impervious cover changes were found to be somewhat limited, particularly along …

Stream Power Analysis Of The Mid-Barataria Conveyance Channel Model, Jack Graham

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana’s coast is disappearing at an alarming rate. Erosion, subsidence, sea level rise, and the devastating impacts from hurricanes have contributed to the loss of thousands of square miles of land that was once a thriving ecosystem. The Louisiana government is taking action to help protect and restore these coastal habitats, which are a home to some two million people and numerous species of animals, birds, and fish. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is a new type of project to help create land in Barataria Basin. Conceptually, the diversion is designed to use the available sediment and stream power provided by …

Operation Procedures Of Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Model To Reproduce Hydraulics And Sediment Transport, Chase Holston

LSU Master's Theses

The Lower Mississippi River Physical Model (LMRPM) is a distorted, movable bed model that simulates the hydraulics and sediment transport in the lower 195 miles of the Mississippi River. Carved into the model are both existing hydraulic structures, such as the Bonnet Carré Spillway, and proposed structures, such as the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (MBSD). The MBSD will be the first sediment diversion built as part of Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan, so incorporating the diversion in the LMRPM will be a useful tool to understanding how the diversion can impact the river hydraulics and bedload transport. The objective of this thesis …

Changes In Wetland Soil Processes And Ecosystem Functions Six Years After Marsh Creation In Barataria Bay, Louisiana, Erol R. Knaus

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana contains about 40% of the conterminous United States coastal and estuarine wetlands but also has the highest rates of wetland loss at around 80% of the total. Approximately 4,900 km² of coastal land in Louisiana has been lost since 1930. Our study location, Barataria Bay, has one of the highest coastal wetland erosion rates in the nation, at ∼41 km² per year; and therefore, is a high priority for wetland restoration activities. In 2014, sandy sediment dredged from the bed of the Mississippi River was placed in Barataria Bay as part of a restoration effort. Samples were …

Quality Assessment Of Flexible Pavement Automated Cracking Data In Louisiana, Mostafiz Emtiaz

LSU Master's Theses

Pavement distress survey is the most critical and integral part of pavement management system. Transportation agencies all over the world depends on the accurate pavement distress survey to take major decisions like pavement rehabilitation or reconstruction. Pavement management at the network level requires accurate pavement distress survey to decide the allocation of budget for pavement maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction. This study started collected network-level cracking distress data through manual measurements on high-resolution pavement images and the results were used as the ground truth measurements to evaluate the corresponding automated distress data from the Pavement Management System database. Results showed that …

Effectiveness Of Mechanical Test In Ascertaining Moisture Damage Of Asphalt Mixtures., Sanchit Sachdeva

LSU Master's Theses

Infiltrated moisture combined with repeated action of traffic and environmental loading generates distresses which adversely affect the durability of asphalt pavements. Almost 94% of states' highway agencies use either the Loaded Wheel Tracking (LWT) test or the Modified Lottman test to capture asphalt mixtures' moisture susceptibility. However, the current LWT and the modified Lottman test practice lack accuracy in relating laboratory performance to observed field performance.

The study's primary objective was to evaluate the capability of different laboratory mechanical test methods to predict moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixtures. Asphalt binder and mixture experiments were conducted to achieve the objective of …

Modeling Distributed Source Control Infrastructure At Neighborhood Scale For Mitigating Flood Risk In Amite River Watershed, Ahmad Amin Shefai

LSU Master's Theses

Flooding has always been a major threat to mankind. This is particularly true in urban areas due to urbanization-induced increasing impervious areas and subsequent increasing urban surface runoff, causing an increasing flooding risk to urban areas in spite of the fact that extensive flood control infrastructure has been constructed. The overall goal of this thesis is to present a distributed source control infrastructure-based approach for mitigating the flood risk. The new flood mitigation approach is demonstrated through the model implementation of a series of distributed source control infrastructure systems in the city of Denham Springs at a neighborhood scale. The …

An Approach To Counting Vehicles From Pre-Recorded Video Using Computer Algorithms, Mishuk Majumder

LSU Master's Theses

One of the fundamental sources of data for traffic analysis is vehicle counts, which can be conducted either by the traditional manual method or by automated means. Different agencies have guidelines for manual counting, but they are typically prepared for particular conditions. In the case of automated counting, different methods have been applied, but You Only Look Once (YOLO), a recently developed object detection model, presents new potential in automated vehicle counting. The first objective of this study was to formulate general guidelines for manual counting based on experience gained in the field. Another goal of this study was to …

Engineering Characteristics Of Nest Building Geomaterials Used By Mud Dauber Species, Noura Saleh

LSU Master's Theses

Mud dauber wasps construct their nests using soil from adjacent areas. Mud dauber nests have been studied from an entomological perspective. However; the properties of the nest material remain unexplored from a soil engineering perspective. This study investigated the physical and mechanical properties of the nest soil for use in future bio-inspired design to improve soil behavior as a construction material. To achieve this goal, nests from three mud dauber species (black and yellow, organ pipe, and steel blue) were collected from locations near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The shape, weight, moisture content, organic content, and specific gravity of the nests …

P-Cresol Biogenesis During Bioremediation Aimed At Stimulating Chlorinated Solvent Dehalogenation, Alexis Gathings

LSU Master's Theses

The broad goal of the research described in this thesis was to better understand the potential for biologically mediated production of p-cresol in groundwater at a Superfund site located in south Louisiana. Previous literature reports that microorganisms known to carry out the transformation from L-tyrosine to p-cresol occur in diverse environments.

In the research described in this thesis, studies were conducted utilizing groundwater from the Superfund site during the course of enhanced in situ bioremediation practices aimed at stimulating reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated solvent contamination. Microbial communities established with groundwater sampled from the Superfund site were observed to …

A Modelling Study For Smart Pigging Technique For Pipeline Leak Detection, Caitlyn Judith Thiberville

LSU Master's Theses

Although leak incidents continue, a pipeline remains the most reliable mode of transportation within the oil and gas industry. It becomes even more important today because the projection for new pipelines is expected to increase by 1 billion BOE through 2035. In addition, increasing number and length of subsea tiebacks face new challenges in term of data acquisition, monitoring, analysis, and remedial actions. Passive leak-detection methods commonly used in the industry have been successful with some limitations in that they often cannot detect small leaks and seeps. In addition to a thorough review of related topics, this study investigates how …

Historical Changes In Planform Geometry Of The Amite And Comite Rivers And Implications On Flood Routing, Kathleen E. Harris

LSU Master's Theses

The Amite River Basin is a 2,220 square-mile basin spanning from southwest Mississippi through southeast Louisiana, encompassing Baton Rouge and its suburbs. In response to historic flooding in August 2016 and other major flood events in the past several decades, the basin has been the subject of a number of studies to quantify the impacts of changes in land-use and reduction in river length and sinuosity. However, there have yet to be relationships defined between the changes in the historical river planform and the resulting flow, stages, and subsequent flood depths. River lengths and sinuosity were measured from the 1930s …

Isolation And Characterization Of Bacteria In A Toluene-Producing Enrichment Culture Derived From Contaminated Groundwater At A Louisiana Superfund Site, Madison Mikes

LSU Master's Theses

In an effort to better understand the role that various microbes may play in toluene production, bacteria from a toluene-producing enrichment culture derived from contaminated groundwater at a Superfund site were cultivated and isolated on low nutrient solid media. A total of 14 solid medium formulations containing varying pH ranges, carbon sources, solidifying agents, and incubation gas headspaces were used to obtain 278 isolates in pure culture. Isolated bacteria, identified using partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, were most closely related with the genera Anoxybacillus, Azospira, Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium, Cellulosimicrobium, Micrococcus, and Propionicimonas.

Further attempts …

Hydraulic Effects Of The Lower Mississippi River Batture, David P. May

LSU Master's Theses

The Lower Mississippi River (LMR), since the creation of the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) project, has been extensively modified to support navigation and flood risk reduction. The components of the MR&T system, implemented to support the above missions, have performed successfully for many decades, but not without contention. Rising stages in recent years have led to the questioning of the hydraulic impact of navigation dikes and river training methodologies. Multiple studies have been performed (Biedenharn, 2000, May 2017, Mayne, 2018, and Simon, 2019) that indicate these river training structures have minimal impact to stage during flood conditions. It has …

Laboratory And Short-Term Field Performance Of Crumb Rubber Modified Asphalt Emulsion In Chip Seal Applications, Md Nafiur Rahman

LSU Master's Theses

Chip sealing is a commonly used pavement maintenance treatment that aims to delay pavement deterioration by reducing water infiltration and restoring skid resistance. Loss of aggregate and bleeding are considered the major failure mechanisms in chip seal, and therefore, are the main design criteria for this treatment method. The objective of this study was to evaluate the laboratory and short-term field performance of chip seals prepared with different types of asphalt emulsions, application rates, and aggregate blends. A newly introduced crumb-rubber modified asphalt emulsion was evaluated that allows chip seal installation at the same temperature of a standard emulsion. Types …

Reliability Analysis Of Concrete Gravity Dams Under Earthquake Loads, Anu Abraham

LSU Master's Theses

Dams are infrastructure assets of extreme importance; the failure of which can have catastrophic consequences on adjacent communities. Therefore, it is prudent for authorities to evaluate the safety of existing dams in seismically active regions. This thesis focuses on carrying out a reliability analysis of concrete gravity dams under earthquake loads using an enhanced finite element model. For many years, reliability studies on concrete gravity dams were performed using a finite element model that considered a massless foundation and assumed that water is incompressible. Moreover, the design ground motion was applied without any modification either at the bottom fixed boundary …

Study Of The Effect Of Heating - Cooling Cycles On The Clay - Concrete Pile Interface Characteristics, Abedalqader Ahmad Idries

LSU Master's Theses

This study aimed at investigating the effect of heating-cooling cycles on the interface strength parameters of clay soil-concrete for potential applications to improve the side capacity of piles driven in clayey soil by the heating process, and also to assess the behavior of geothermal piles regarding interface shear strength parameters. A modified large-size direct shear test device with the dimensions 12” x 12” x 8”, was used in this study. A concrete block (12” x 12” x 4”) of similar texture and smoothness to the concrete piles was used to simulate the pile interface. The tested clays are low plasticity …

Evaluation Of Undrained Shear Strength Of Soil, Ultimate Pile Capacity And Pile Set-Up Parameter From Cone Penetration Test (Cpt) Using Artificial Neural Network (Ann), Md Ariful Hassan Mojumder

LSU Master's Theses

Over the years, numerous design methods were developed to evaluate the undrained shear strength, S_u, ultimate pile capacity and pile set-up parameter, A. In recent decades, the emphasis was given to the in-situ cone and piezocone penetration tests (CPT, PCPT) to estimate these parameters since CPT/PCPT has been proven to be fast, reliable and cost-effective soil investigation method. However, because of the paucity of a vivid comprehension of the physical problem, some of the developed methods incorporate correlation assumptions which might compromise the consistent accuracy. In this study, the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was exerted using CPT data …

The Siltcatcher: A Sediment-Capture System For Wetland Creation And Coastal Protection In Western Lake Pontchartrain, Andrew M. Wright

LSU Master's Theses

The West Lake Pontchartrain region faces a number of long-term environmental challenges due to anthropogenic climate disturbance and landscape modification, including sea level rise, increased storm surge risk, shoreline erosion, and wetland degradation. In response, this thesis applies recent research in the fields of landscape architecture and civil engineering to propose a dynamic, natural-systems solution for wetland creation and shoreline protection. The project envisions a series of breakwater-like structures in western Lake Pontchartrain positioned to slow water released from the nearby Bonnet Carré Spillway, causing suspended sediment to settle and create self-building and self-sustaining wetlands capable of keeping pace with …

Investigation Of Tracer-Surfactant-Foam Processes In Shallow Subsurface Environmental Remediation: History-Matching And Performance Prediction, Hazem Fleifel

LSU Master's Theses

In-situ subsurface remediation has been widely used as an efficient means of cleaning up non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) from contaminated soils and aquifer. The use of tracer, surfactant, and foam are often considered to keep track of the propagation of injected fluids in the medium, dissolve and mobilize contaminants trapped by capillary forces, and overcome the level of heterogeneity and improve displacement and sweep efficiencies.

This study shows an actual remediation process to reduce NAPL within a military base in South Korea, by injecting tracer and surfactant solutions together for a duration of 10 days. The site consists of 5 …

Model Development To Assess Groundwater Flooding And Levee Underseepage In New Orleans, Louisiana, Shuo Yang

LSU Master's Theses

Flooding is a major threat to New Orleans due to its geographic location and geologic condition. However, potential groundwater flooding is seldom studied and poorly understood even though groundwater level is expected high in the city. High groundwater level might result in groundwater flooding in low-lying areas. High uplift pore water pressures may cause strong underseepage and risk levee safety. The objective of this study is to assess the impacts of hydrogeology on groundwater flooding and evaluate potential underseepage-induced hazards along levees in New Orleans. In this study, a groundwater flow model development which involves stratigraphy modeling, groundwater flow model …