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Full-Text Articles in Civil and Environmental Engineering

An Analysis Of Decision Boundaries For Left-Turn Treatments, Michael Louis Adamson Apr 2019

An Analysis Of Decision Boundaries For Left-Turn Treatments, Michael Louis Adamson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the safety and operational differences between three left-turn treatments: permitted, protected, and protected-permitted left-turn phasing. Permitted phasing allows vehicles to turn left after yielding to any opposing vehicles; protected phasing provides an exclusive phase for vehicles to turn left that does not allow opposing vehicles; and protected-permitted phasing combines the previous phasing alternatives, allowing vehicles to turn after yielding while also providing some green time for protected left-turns.As part of evaluating the differences between these left-turn treatments, crashes before and after the change at intersections that had experienced a permanent change from …

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Quantifying Resiliency Risk Metrics Through Facility Dispersion, Branden D. Delong Mar 2019

Quantifying Resiliency Risk Metrics Through Facility Dispersion, Branden D. Delong

Theses and Dissertations

During the last century, airbases were attacked at least 26 times in an effort to destroy the enemy at its base. Attacks on military airbases impose prohibitive losses to critical infrastructure, which in turn impacts the maintenance of air power projection. The primary enemy threat facing critical infrastructure today is the use of ballistic and land-attack cruise missiles to disrupt an airbase’s ability to launch and recover aircraft. Over the last decade, ballistic and cruise missile technology has grown to allow the world’s most powerful countries to achieve a nascent threat to forward operating bases used in theater security campaigns …

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Analysis Of Military Construction Cost Growth In Major Defense Acquisition Programs, Emily E. Angell Mar 2019

Analysis Of Military Construction Cost Growth In Major Defense Acquisition Programs, Emily E. Angell

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an exploratory analysis combining military construction (MILCON) data from the Selected Acquisition Reports (SAR) of Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAP) with the associated Automated Civil Engineer System project actual costs. The analysis uses both descriptive and inferential statistics to identify cost growth of MILCON at the programmatic level as well as to bridge the gap between SAR estimates and actual project costs within those program-level estimates. Overall, programs experience more negative growth (cost savings) in MILCON estimates on SARs, typically less than 0.2% of the total program cost implying minimal impact to program decisions. Estimates got more …

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The Evaluation Of High Molecular Weight Methacrylate As A Treatment Option For Shrinkage Cracks In Airfield Pavement, Austin R. Hayes Mar 2019

The Evaluation Of High Molecular Weight Methacrylate As A Treatment Option For Shrinkage Cracks In Airfield Pavement, Austin R. Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force policy dictates that only epoxy can be used as a treatment option for shrinkage cracks in concrete airfield pavement. However, since epoxy is not ideal for shrinkage cracks, this research focuses on the evaluation of high molecular weight methacrylate (HMWM) as a treatment option. Laboratory experiments were performed on four sealants to determine whether they could penetrate a crack 24 inches deep, bond to the concrete, and resist water intrusion. Three HMWMs (TK-2415, Kwik Bond KBP 103, and Castek Transpo T-70) and one epoxy (TK-2110) were assessed. The four sealers were applied to 32 concrete specimens with crack …

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Methodology For Including Base Infrastructure In Conceptual System Analysis, Patrick J. Kelly Iv Mar 2019

Methodology For Including Base Infrastructure In Conceptual System Analysis, Patrick J. Kelly Iv

Theses and Dissertations

The 2018 National Defense Strategy defines a transition to agile basing, where the logistics footprint of new conceptual systems can be distributed across a set of airfields, instead of one main operating base. Currently, there is no capability to assess early concepts using airfield data. This research develops a methodology and a tool that assesses system concepts using world-wide civil and military airfield infrastructure, such as runway parameters, parking, munitions, fuel and warehouse storage, and distance to areas of interest. Specifically, the focus of the thesis is on concepts for the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Strike mission. Four concepts …

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Developing A Method To Identify Horizontal Curve Segments With High Crash Occurrences Using The Haf Algorithm, Joseph Stuart Browning Mar 2019

Developing A Method To Identify Horizontal Curve Segments With High Crash Occurrences Using The Haf Algorithm, Joseph Stuart Browning

Theses and Dissertations

Crashes occur every day on Utah’s roadways. Curves can be particularly dangerous as they require driver focus due to potentially unseen hazards. Often, crashes occur on curves due to poor curve geometry, a lack of warning signs, or poor surface conditions. This can create conditions in which vehicles are more prone to leave the roadway, and possibly roll over. These types of crashes are responsible for many severe injuries and a few fatalities each year, which could be prevented if these areas are identified. This highlights a need for identification of curves with high crash occurrences, particularly on a network-wide …

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Pedestrian Walking Speeds At Signalized Intersections In Utah, Jordi Jordan Berrett Mar 2019

Pedestrian Walking Speeds At Signalized Intersections In Utah, Jordi Jordan Berrett

Theses and Dissertations

The 2009 edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) recommends a pedestrian walking speed of 3.5 feet per second for use in the timing of pedestrian clearance intervals at signalized intersections (reduced from 4.0 feet per second in the 2003 edition). Jurisdictions across the state of Utah continue to maintain pedestrian walking speeds of 4.0 feet per second for normal intersections with guidance on engineering judgement for areas where a lower pedestrian walking speed should be considered. In 2018, it was decided that the current state guidance with regard to pedestrian walking speeds be evaluated for any …

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Integrating Global And Local Forecasting Resources And Methods For Flood Warning Systems In Central America And Caribbean Region, José Fidel Pérez Dec 2018

Integrating Global And Local Forecasting Resources And Methods For Flood Warning Systems In Central America And Caribbean Region, José Fidel Pérez

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricanes and tropical storms occur very frequently in the Central American and Caribbean Region (CA&CR). These extreme weather events produce a lot of rain and consequently a lot of flooding. Damages and loses have been estimated to amount to 13.4 billion dollars in the last ten years. Flood Warning Systems (FEWS) are a key preventive strategy to reduce risk. Technological progress is improving the resources made available for FEWS to be more viable. In spite of the international support for FEWS and the fast development of ICT, there are very few countries in the CA&CR that have succeeded in developing …

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Relationship Between Compressive Strength Of Different Shape And Thickness Specimens Of Type S Mortar, Theodore James Moffett Dec 2018

Relationship Between Compressive Strength Of Different Shape And Thickness Specimens Of Type S Mortar, Theodore James Moffett

Theses and Dissertations

Mortar is the cementitious binding material placed between masonry blocks to create a composite system. The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), along with other organizations, have established the testing of prismatic mortar specimens for evaluating mechanical properties, like compressive strength. Mortar joints, however, possess vastly different characteristics compared to prismatic specimens, especially in terms of geometry and water content. These differences prevent a direct comparison of compressive strength between prismatic specimens and actual mortar joints in the assembly. The objective of this study was to analyze Type S mortar joints, with particular emphasis on specimen shape and water …

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Experimental Evaluation Of Replaceable Shear Fuse Moment Connections, Shannon Shun Oh Dec 2018

Experimental Evaluation Of Replaceable Shear Fuse Moment Connections, Shannon Shun Oh

Theses and Dissertations

Steel special moment frames (SMFs) are known to be highly ductile seismic force- resisting systems. The performance of an SMF relies on the ability of the connections to accommodate large inelastic deformations. After the brittle failure of some steel moment frame connections during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, experimental tests were used to investigate the ductility and strength of these connections. An experimental study was performed to investigate the seismic performance a new connection called the Replaceable Shear Fuse (RSF) connection. The RSF connection uses shear-yielding fuse plates to prevent beam and column yielding. A total of 7 test specimens with …

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A Flexible Service-Oriented Approach To Address Hydroinformatic Challenges In Large-Scale Hydrologic Predictions, Michael Antonio Souffront Alcantara Dec 2018

A Flexible Service-Oriented Approach To Address Hydroinformatic Challenges In Large-Scale Hydrologic Predictions, Michael Antonio Souffront Alcantara

Theses and Dissertations

Water security is defined as a combination of water for achieving our goals as a society, and an acceptable level of water-related risks. Hydrologic modeling can be used to predict streamflow and aid in the decision-making process with the goal of attaining water security. Developed countries usually have their own hydrologic models; however, developing countries often lack hydrologic models due to factors such as the maintenance, computational costs, and technical capacity needed to run models. A global streamflow prediction system (GSPS) would help decrease vulnerabilities in developing countries and fill gaps in areas where no local models exist by providing …

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Swat Online: Development Of A Web-Based Decision Support System For The Soil And Water Assessment Tool, Spencer Dean Mcdonald Dec 2018

Swat Online: Development Of A Web-Based Decision Support System For The Soil And Water Assessment Tool, Spencer Dean Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

As satellite and climate modelling technology continues to improve and as climatological disasters and issues continue to impact the global community, climate data will increase in size and relevance. With this new influx of information, it is becoming more and more important for scientists to simply and concisely communicate their findings to both decision makers in governments and disaster preparedness organizations and also to the general public. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a powerful modelling tool that allows scientists to simulate essentially all of the physical processes involved in the water cycle. The data that SWAT produces …

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Development Of A Simplified Analysis Approach For Predicting Pile Deflections Of Piers Subjected To Lateral Spread Displacements And Application To A Pier Damaged During The 2010 Maule, Chile, M8.8 Earthquake, Logan Matthew Palmer Dec 2018

Development Of A Simplified Analysis Approach For Predicting Pile Deflections Of Piers Subjected To Lateral Spread Displacements And Application To A Pier Damaged During The 2010 Maule, Chile, M8.8 Earthquake, Logan Matthew Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

The 2010, moment magnitude 8.8 earthquake that occurred near Maule, Chile caused major damages to several piers in the Port of Coronel located approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) to the South of the earthquake epicenter. One of the piers, the North Pier, experienced significant lateral spreading that was caused from liquefaction of the soils at the approach zone of the pier. Damages from lateral spreading and liquefaction effects consisted of sheet pile welding ruptures of the cross-support beams, stiffener buckling, pile displacements, pile rotations, and pier deck displacement. Researchers analyzed the North Pier after the earthquake and documented in detail …

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Evaluation Of Bond Properties Between Fiber Reinforced Concrete Overlay And Substrate Concrete, Emad Okrush Alshammari Dec 2018

Evaluation Of Bond Properties Between Fiber Reinforced Concrete Overlay And Substrate Concrete, Emad Okrush Alshammari

Theses and Dissertations

Bonded concrete overlay is the most economical and quick option in concrete rehabilitation methods to provide strength for the existing structure. Bonded concrete overlay strength rely on properties of both layers (substrate and new layers). Poor bonding in interface zone leads to two main failures of concrete overlays; debonding and cracks. There are several traditional factors affect bond strength such as water to cement (w/c) ratio, moisture condition, and surface roughness for substrate layer. However, the effect of using fiber consider a new variable affecting bond strength. Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) is one type of overlay system which has been …

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Exploratory Analysis Of Accuracy Monitoring Techniques In Vehicle Detection Systems For Intelligent Transportation Systems Applications And Maintenance, Manasi Sanjay Palod Dec 2018

Exploratory Analysis Of Accuracy Monitoring Techniques In Vehicle Detection Systems For Intelligent Transportation Systems Applications And Maintenance, Manasi Sanjay Palod

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of transportation management is to ensure the mobility of people and goods, in a reliable and efficient manner. Operation and maintenance of transportation infrastructure is key to accomplish their objectives. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications rely on massive detection networks that collectively demand significant maintenance resources. Resource constraints force transportation agencies to look for innovative ways to optimize their operational and maintenance costs while serving their users at intended performance levels. The system inputs come from vehicle detection system (VDS), acting as field data collection devices, enabling traffic monitoring and management through response to specific conditions. This research …

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Big Data And Sensor Network For Construction Material Testing, Yao Shi Nov 2018

Big Data And Sensor Network For Construction Material Testing, Yao Shi

Theses and Dissertations

Engineers and contractors need to have a precise understanding of the development progress of concrete strength in the natural environment, which helps to save project time and cost. However, current practice of concrete construction depends on published data, charts and curves from laboratory tests. The data would not show frequently changing environmental conditions in the real world, which can affect concrete quality significantly. The objective of this research is to design a reliable and accurate method to validate test data of the strength developments of concrete specimens in early stages. The approach includes the following tasks: (1) arrange sensors to …

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Numerical Modeling Of Submarine Minibasin Flow And Morphodynamics, Elena Bastianon Oct 2018

Numerical Modeling Of Submarine Minibasin Flow And Morphodynamics, Elena Bastianon

Theses and Dissertations

Intraslope basins, or minibasins, are important morphological features of the continental slope in both modern and ancient sedimentary systems. Minibasins have an elliptical or spherical shape with a steep inlet or proximal zone followed by an almost horizontal basin floor, and an overflow zone near the downstream basin lip. These basins are filled with sediment transported by successive events of turbidity currents and other types of submarine flows. The work presented here focuses on turbidity current sedimentation in intraslope minibasins, which is often described in terms of the ‘fill-and- spill’ conceptual model. The ‘fill-and-spill’ model has been used previously to …

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Characterization Of The Spatial And Temporal Changes In River Geometry And Sand Load With Field Data Analysis And 1d Numerical Modeling, Zeyad Ayoob Sulaiman Oct 2018

Characterization Of The Spatial And Temporal Changes In River Geometry And Sand Load With Field Data Analysis And 1d Numerical Modeling, Zeyad Ayoob Sulaiman

Theses and Dissertations

The quantification of the changes in channel geometry and sand load that have occurred on the Missouri River after engineering works and that characterize the Altamaha River in the fluvial-tidal transition zone is the main objective of this research. Dam construction and channelization on the Missouri River resulted in flow regulation, sediment shortage by dam reservoir trapping, channel straightening and narrowing. Quantifying the morphodynamic response of the Lower Missouri River to these engineering projects at short and long-time scales is a difficult problem that we approach with the analysis of the available field data and with the aid of a …

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The Restoration Of The Nile River And Its Delta, Egypt. Numerical Modeling, Basim Mohammed Naseef Al-Zaidi Oct 2018

The Restoration Of The Nile River And Its Delta, Egypt. Numerical Modeling, Basim Mohammed Naseef Al-Zaidi

Theses and Dissertations

The construction of the High Aswan Dam significantly reduced the flood flows and the sediment supply to the Egyptian portion of the Nile River. Consequences of this changes in river hydrology are diffuse channel bed erosion in the upstream part of the river, in- channel sedimentation in the downstream part of the system, delta recession, habitat deterioration, wetlands loss, water pollution, and environmental problems. The feasibility of a Nile River-Delta restoration project with controlled flow releases and sediment augmentations at Aswan is here investigated with the aid of site-specific one-dimensional morphodynamic models. The water source for the restoration project, based …

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Development Of A Subsurface Landfill Fire Risk-Index, Samain Sabrin Aug 2018

Development Of A Subsurface Landfill Fire Risk-Index, Samain Sabrin

Theses and Dissertations

Landfill subsurface fires create environmental hazards by emitting potentially dangerous particulates into the atmosphere and damaging liners, potentially contaminating surrounding soil and groundwater aquifers with leachate. Currently, the only means of detecting underground fires are physical tests. This paper is used to describe an index that can be employed to track fire risk across a landfill. The landfill parameters analyzed for fire risk susceptibility in Chapter 1 include residual nitrogen concentration, oxygen exceedance, methane concentration, carbon monoxide level, methane and carbon dioxide ratio and monitoring well temperature. Incorporating these factors, a landfill fire index ranging from 1 to 10 was …

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Dynamic Cone Penetration Tests For Liquefaction Evaluation Of Gravelly Soils, Michael H. Talbot Aug 2018

Dynamic Cone Penetration Tests For Liquefaction Evaluation Of Gravelly Soils, Michael H. Talbot

Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic Cone Penetration Tests for LiquefactionEvaluation of Gravelly SoilsMichael H. TalbotDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, BYUDoctor of PhilosophyIn North American practice, the Becker Penetration Test (BPT) has become the primary field test used to measure penetration resistance of gravelly soils. However, this test is expensive and uncertainties exist regarding correlations and corrections for rod friction. As an alternative, the dynamic penetration test (DPT) developed in China has recently been correlated with liquefaction resistance in gravelly soils. The DPT equipment consists of a 74 mm diameter cone tip driven by a 120 kg hammer with a free fall height of …

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Development Of A Small Diameter Rapid Pressuremeter Test For Unbound Pavement Layer Evaluations, Thaddeus Joseph Misilo Iii Jul 2018

Development Of A Small Diameter Rapid Pressuremeter Test For Unbound Pavement Layer Evaluations, Thaddeus Joseph Misilo Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Six inch and 12 inch long small diameter pressuremeter (SDPMT) probes were developed and tested extensively to determine in situ stress-strain properties of unbound pavement layers. They were deployed in the same hole as the one made during nuclear density testing. The stress strain response of conventional or incremental and continuous or rapid strain controlled tests in unbound pavement layers were evaluated at four sites in Brevard County, Florida. One test site was A-1-b base material, one was A-3 subgrade and two were compacted A-3 fill of subgrade quality. The SDPMT results were compared with nuclear density dry and wet …

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Tornado And Hurricane Hazards: Reconnaissance, Structural Analysis And Vulnerability Modeling, Fernando Simon Plaz Jul 2018

Tornado And Hurricane Hazards: Reconnaissance, Structural Analysis And Vulnerability Modeling, Fernando Simon Plaz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is composed of three main projects which are directly linked to wind engineering. Hazards such as tornadoes and hurricanes are natural disasters which causes human and economic losses. First, the study consists on a forensic analysis made to a Tornado that hit Funing and Sheyang counties, in the Jiangsu Province of China. 21 villages, mostly rural, experienced important damages to different type of structures. The work will describe field observations and structural analyses made to communication towers. Preliminary estimates of wind speeds will be given based on the observations and the analysis as well as recommendations to reduce …

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The Cost Of Jaywalking On Traffic Congestion In An Intersection In Greater Cairo: A Case Study, Hussein Gawdat Jun 2018

The Cost Of Jaywalking On Traffic Congestion In An Intersection In Greater Cairo: A Case Study, Hussein Gawdat

Theses and Dissertations

There have been many studies focusing on different types of traffic delays, pedestrians’ interaction at signalized intersections and economic losses as a result of these delays. However, there is a huge gap in the current literature, regionally and globally, in studying the traffic delays associated with jaywalking. In Egypt, jaywalking is considered a common phenomenon, however, population increased drastically over the past decades in Greater Cairo leading to more congested streets. This research provides a case study that investigates the economic effect of jaywalking on traffic flow in Mashaal, a sample location in Greater Cairo, due to traffic congestion. The …

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Crash Severity Distributions For Life-Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Safety-Related Improvements On Utah Roadways, Conor Judd Seat Jun 2018

Crash Severity Distributions For Life-Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Safety-Related Improvements On Utah Roadways, Conor Judd Seat

Theses and Dissertations

The Utah Department of Transportation developed life-cycle benefit-cost analysis spreadsheets that allow engineers and analysts to evaluate multiple safety countermeasures. The spreadsheets have included the functionality to evaluate a roadway based on the 11 facility types from the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) with the use of crash severity distributions. The HSM suggests that local agencies develop crash severity distributions based on their local crash data. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brigham Young University worked with the Statistics Department to develop crash severity distributions for the facility types from the HSM.The primary objective of this research was to …

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Intersection Safety Analysis Methodology For Utah Roadways, Joshua Daniel Gibbons May 2018

Intersection Safety Analysis Methodology For Utah Roadways, Joshua Daniel Gibbons

Theses and Dissertations

Roadway safety continues to be a priority for the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Traffic and Safety Division. UDOT has participated in and managed several research projects in recent years to determine the roadway segments of highest safety concern in the state. This research has provided UDOT with more tools to assist in safety project prioritization. Researchers in Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brigham Young University (BYU) have worked with UDOT and the Statistics Department at BYU to create two network screening statistical tools called the Utah Crash Prediction Model (UCPM) and the Utah Crash Severity Model (UCSM) …

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Simulation Based Cost-Benefit Analysis For The Inspection Of Highway Bridges Using Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, Rashmi Kadamkulangara Balagopalan May 2018

Simulation Based Cost-Benefit Analysis For The Inspection Of Highway Bridges Using Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, Rashmi Kadamkulangara Balagopalan

Theses and Dissertations

Visual inspections remain significantly important in surveying the present decay and deterioration status of bridge inspections. These inspections are critical to conduct patch-up remedies and maintenance assignments to guarantee the continued serviceability of structures. Given the high inventory of bridges nationwide (over of 600,000 bridges), increasing costs of bridge inspections are becoming a concern for departments of transportation (DOTs). The conventional inspection method is costly due to various factors. For example, the current approach often requires specialized equipment (e.g., bucket trucks) to conduct underside bridge inspections that significantly affect safety levels on the field and overall costs, and inspectors need …

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Risk Analysis Of Autonomous Vehicle And Its Safety Impact On Mixed Traffic Stream, Plaban Das Apr 2018

Risk Analysis Of Autonomous Vehicle And Its Safety Impact On Mixed Traffic Stream, Plaban Das

Theses and Dissertations

In 2016, more than 35,000 people died in traffic crashes, and human error was the reason for 94% of these deaths. Researchers and automobile companies are testing autonomous vehicles in mixed traffic streams to eliminate human error by removing the human driver behind the steering wheel. However, recent autonomous vehicle crashes while testing indicate the necessity for a more thorough risk analysis. The objectives of this study were (1) to perform a risk analysis of autonomous vehicles and (2) to evaluate the safety impact of these vehicles in a mixed traffic stream. The overall research was divided into two phases: …

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Large-Scale Strength Testing Of High-Speed Railway Bridge Embankments: Effects Of Cement Treatment And Skew Under Passive Loading, Daniel Ethan Schwicht Apr 2018

Large-Scale Strength Testing Of High-Speed Railway Bridge Embankments: Effects Of Cement Treatment And Skew Under Passive Loading, Daniel Ethan Schwicht

Theses and Dissertations

To investigate the passive force-displacement relationships provided by a transitional zoned backfill consisting of cement treated aggregate (CTA) and compacted gravel, a series of full-scale lateral abutment load tests were performed. The transitional zoned backfill was designed to minimize differential settlement adjacent to bridge abutments for the California High Speed Rail project. Tests were performed with a 2-D or plane strain backfill geometry to simulate a wide abutment. To investigate the effect of skew angle on the passive force, lateral abutment load tests were also performed with a simulated abutment with skew angles of 30º and 45º. The peak passive …

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Reinforcing Bar Splice Performance In Masonry With Self-Consolidating Grout, Aaron Brent Roper Apr 2018

Reinforcing Bar Splice Performance In Masonry With Self-Consolidating Grout, Aaron Brent Roper

Theses and Dissertations

The use of self-consolidating grout in reinforced masonry construction provides various advantages such as reduced labor, faster construction, decreased noise pollution and better structural response. This is a relatively new building material however, and little research on self-consolidating grout's structural properties has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to analyze the performance or bond capacity of steel reinforcing bar splices in masonry with self-consolidating grout. Twelve masonry panels approximately 40 in. wide and 32 in. tall consisting of Type S mortar and concrete masonry units grouted with self-consolidating grout and No. 5 steel reinforcing bars were constructed with …

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