Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

The Travel Behavior Of Minority Cohorts In Texas, Gustavo A. Jimenez Vera

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Texas is changing dramatically; the most conservative population forecast indicates that Hispanics will account for 50% of the Texas population before 2035. Not only is the number of Hispanics on the rise in Texas, but also the foreign-born share has increased dramatically over the last 15 years. The State of Texas is now a majority minority state, and minority cohorts are expected to grow and become more than 65% of the Texas population before 2035. Transportation professionals in the State of Texas are wondering how these demographic changes will affect the transportation system. To gain an understanding of this, one …

Roadway Shallow Water Flow Modeling By Velocity Distribution, Chirakarn Sirivitmaitrie

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Manning's equation is a widely used method for determining flow discharge in a channel with unconfined gravity flow. The roughness value, n-value, is a critical factor for Manning equation to obtain the accurate amount of flow. A precise estimation of Manning "n" is difficult to obtain and varies by investigator justification and experience. Flow on a roadway is a type of open channel flow normally determined by Manning's equation. To ensure reliability and highway safety, the hydraulic geometry dimensions such as spread, depth and discharge must be accurately estimated. A Texas Department of Transportation Manning n-value research project collected data …

An Investigation Of A Gis-Based Methodology For The Sustainable, Participative Management Of Walking Routes In Ireland, Helen Farrell

Doctoral

This thesis has identified and tested a methodology for the sustainable planning, development, auditing and routing of Waymarked Ways (walking routes). In testing and comparing the methodology on two routes in Ireland, a range of results have been gathered. Findings suggest that the approach is appropriate and effective in managing waling routes in the context of the study and in including community participation in the management process. Two study sites with different landscapes and infrastructures and varying levels of attractiveness for walking were used during research, and they were found to be quite different in their route management procedures. The …

Ccfss News Fall 2007, Wei-Wen Yu Center For Cold-Formed Steel Structures

CCFSS Newsletters (1999 - 2008)

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Kentucky’S “Buckle Up Kentucky: It’S The Law & It’S Enforced” 2007 Campaign, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green, Ronald E. Langley

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this report was to document the results of the “Buckle Up Kentucky: It’s the Law & It’s Enforced” 2007 campaign in Kentucky. Data were also taken to document the change in usage after enactment of the primary enforcement law. The campaign involved a combination of earned media, paid media, and enforcement. The earned media started about five weeks prior to Memorial Day 2007 and continued through the enforcement periods. The paid media campaign was for the two weeks prior to Memorial Day while the enforcement period was a two-week period including the week before and the week …

2007 Safety Belt Usage Survey In Kentucky, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to establish 2007 safety belt and child safety seat usage rates in Kentucky. The 2007 survey continues to document the results after enactment of the original “secondary enforcement” statewide mandatory safety belt law in 1994 and the change to “primary enforcement” which was enacted in 2006. Data were collected at 200 randomly selected sites spread across Kentucky. Data from the individual sites were combined into a statewide percentage considering roadway functional classification, geographic region, and vehicle miles traveled. The data show that the usage rate in 2007 (71.8 percent) increased several percentage points compared …

Health Monitoring Of Concrete Bridges Utilizing Sensor Technology, Ammar Zalt

Masters Theses

Structural health monitoring using sensor technology is a promising way to provide excellent means for protecting important structures such as bridges, dams, and nuclear reactors. These sensors provide real-time information about structural conditions, They work together as a nervous system to provide timely information for emergency and risk mitigation. The information obtained from these sensors can later be analyzed and compared to the design data so that the problem can be detected and fixed before it develops into a serious and costly hazard.

Throughout the course of this thesis the feasibility and performance of two types of sensors will be …

Simulation, Visualization And Self-Assessment Tools For Enhanced Engineering Education The Stiffness Matrix Method Module For Structural Analysis, Ahmed Ali Mohammed

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Existing macromedia FLASH software which has extensive and exciting simulation and visualization capabilities is utilized to develop the "Stiffness Matrix Method" (SMM) module, which is one of the new topics ( offered for the first time in Spring 2007 semester) covered in a Structural Analysis I course, offered at the junior level at Old Dominion University. The developed software (under the FLASH environment), including tutorial lectures to explain all necessary theoretical backgrounds, formulas, step-by-step computerized procedures and numerical examples are presented in simple, user friendly, visualized, interactive fashion to enhance the student's learning capabilities. Through numerous graphical visualization and simulation …

Streambank Stabilization Using Traditional And Bioengineering Methods:A Literature Review, David M. Admiraal

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Pricing In Dynamic Vehicle Routing Problems, Miguel Andres Figliozzi, Hani S. Mahmassani, Patrick Jaillet

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The principal focus of this paper is to study carrier pricing decisions for a type of vehicle routing problems defined in a competitive and dynamic environment. This paper introduces the vehicle routing problem in a competitive environment (VRPCE) as an extension of the traveling-salesman problem with profits (TSPP) to a dynamic competitive auction environment. In the VRPCE, the carrier must estimate the incremental cost of servicing new service requests as they arrive dynamically. The paper presents a rigorous and precise treatment of the sequential pricing and costing problem that a carrier faces in such an environment. The sequential pricing problem …

Understanding The Safety Effects Of Roadway Illumination Reductions, Christopher M. Monsere, Thareth Yin, Michael Wolfe

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In 2001, Oregon’s governor responded to a perceived future energy shortage in the Pacific Northwest by directing all state agencies to reduce power consumption by 10 percent. After review of power saving opportunities, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) elected to include selective illumination reductions on Oregon interstate highways as part of their energy saving strategy. The illumination reductions occurred at interchanges and along lineal highway sections between October 2001 and April 2002. A total of 47 interchanges and 6.03 miles of interstate highways were modified. Changes in illumination were broadly classified as either full (including high-mast) to partial designs, …

Guidelines For The Application Of Recycled Concrete Aggregate In The Egyptian Construction Industry, Ahmed Moustafa Essam Aly Kamel

Archived Theses and Dissertations

Construction industry is one of the most important fractions of economy worldwide. This industry consumes enormous amounts of raw materials and produces considerable waste. The optimization of construction material usage not only saves costs but also can significantly contribute towards sustainable development. The concept of recycling the construction and demolition rubble is being addressed in this study as a solution. The recycling of concrete, resulting from both the construction activities and the demolition activities, in order to be used as a source of aggregate is being focused upon in this study. Although the idea of using recycled concrete has been …

Buckling-Restrained Braced Frame Connection Design And Testing, Bradly B. Coy

Theses and Dissertations

As typically designed, the beam-column-brace connections of buckling-restrained braced steel frames have undesirable failure modes that compromise the integrity and performance of the frames and are costly to repair. To decrease the time and resources needed to repair the frames following an earthquake, a new connection design was developed that attempts to confine yielding to replaceable frame components. The design incorporates a gap in the beam beyond the edge of the beam-gusset weld that acts as a hinge and reduces moment forces transferred to the connection; it is bridged by splice plates that are bolted to the beam top flanges. …

Loading Rate Effects On Axial Pile Capacity In Clays, Michael Paul Garner

Theses and Dissertations

In order to design more efficient and reliable structures, axial load tests are performed on foundation piles. Traditionally, static tests with an average duration of approximately twenty-four hours have been performed on test piles to obtain their axial capacity. These static tests require multiple piles used as anchors in addition to the test pile. Static tests are both expensive and time consuming. An alternative to static testing is dynamic testing which requires sophisticated interpretation, can damage the pile and may not produce accurate results. There is a relatively new testing method called the Statnamic Testing Method which tests foundation piles …

Soft Surface Roll Mechanics Parameters For Light Vehicle Rollover Accident Reconstruction, Kevin Claude Henry

Theses and Dissertations

Light vehicle rollover accidents on soft surfaces can be modeled assuming constant drag with linear motion equations and other engineering principles. The concept of using segment average results to evaluate roll mechanics parameters throughout a roll sequence, and specifically, segment duration to evaluate vehicle trajectory between ground impacts is developed. The trajectory model is presented, explained and compared to values obtained by analyzing digital video of rollover crash tests. Detailed film analysis procedures are developed to obtain data from rollover crash tests that are not otherwise documented. Elevation of the center of gravity of vehicles is obtained where instrumentation does …

Dynamic Testing Of A Full-Scale Pile Cap With Dense Silty Sand Backfill, Todd J. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

Full-scale dynamic lateral load tests were performed on a pile cap with a dense silty sand backfill condition. Two hydraulic load actuators connected a test pile cap with a reaction cap. The load actuators incrementally loaded the test cap up to 50 mm of displacement. After each load increment, the displacement was held constant while an eccentric mass shaker induced dynamic loads under a ramping sequence from 1 Hz to 10 Hz. A baseline response was developed under a no backfill condition. Passive soil pressure was measured using pressure cells and tactile sensors. It was concluded that the presence of …

Laterally Loaded Pile Cap Connections, Tony Eugene Stenlund

Theses and Dissertations

There is presently considerable uncertainty regarding appropriate connection details between driven piles and pile caps. Prior research on the subject suggests that given a proper embedment length, a specialized reinforced connection may not be necessary. Eliminating these costly connection details could save thousands of dollars on both labor and materials. This research study focuses on the importance of the pile-to-cap connection detail with respect to the reinforcement connection and pile embedment length. Four pile caps were constructed, each with two 40 foot-long steel pipe piles, and were tested with different connection details. Two caps included a reinforced connection detail while …

A Safety Analysis Of Fatigue And Drowsy Driving In The State Of Utah, Hunter T. Young

Theses and Dissertations

Fatigue and drowsy driving in the state of Utah has been a causal factor in thousands of crashes over the years and poses a serious threat to public safety. Consequently, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of drowsy driving in the state, to identify locations where fatigue and drowsy driving may be contributing factors to current crashes, and to identify methods to help mitigate these crashes. A 3-year drowsy driving crash rate spanning the years 2002 – 2004 was used to determine which segments of Utah highway are most prone to drowsy driving crashes. Drowsy driving …

A Selective Approach To Hexahedral Refinement Of Unstructured Conformal Meshes, Michael Hubbard Parrish

Theses and Dissertations

Hexahedral refinement increases the density of an all-hexahedral mesh in a specified region, improving numerical accuracy. Previous research using solely sheet refinement theory made the implementation computationally expensive and unable to effectively handle multiply-connected transition elements and self-intersecting hexahedral sheets. The Selective Approach method is a new procedure that combines two diverse methodologies to create an efficient and robust algorithm able to handle the above stated problems. These two refinement methods are: 1) element by element refinement and 2) directional refinement. In element by element refinement, the three inherent directions of a hexahedron are refined in one step using one …

Comparing The Feasibility Of Cutting Thin-Walled Sections From Five Commonly Used Metals Utilizing Wire Electric Discharge Machining, Richard C. Stephenson

Theses and Dissertations

Wire Electric Discharge Machining (wire-EDM) is a non-traditional machining process. Controlled electric sparks are successively used to vaporize part of a workpiece along a programmed path in order to machine a desired part. Because there is no tool that comes in direct contact with the workpiece, it is possible to machine thin, delicate parts. This thesis was designed to observe and analyze the differences in cutting capabilities for a conventional wire-EDM machine when cutting thin-walled sections from five commonly used metals utilizing a variation of roughing and finishing passes. The five metals that were used in this study are: Aluminum …

Friction Stir Welding Of High-Strength Automotive Steel, Eric Michael Olsen

Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis is a study on the ability to create acceptable welds in thin-plate, ultra-high-strength steels (UHSS) by way of friction stir welding (FSW). Steels are welded together to create tailor-welded blanks (TWB) for use in the automotive industry. Dual Phase (DP) 590, 780, and 980 steel as well as Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TRIP) 590 steel with thicknesses ranging from 1.2 mm to 1.8 mm were welded using friction stir welding under a variety of processing conditions, including experiments with dissimilar thicknesses. Samples were tested under tensile loads for initial determination if an acceptable weld had been created. Acceptable welds …

North American Specification For The Design Of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members, 2007 Edition, American Iron And Steel Institute

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.

Reliability Of Concrete Masonry Unit Walls Subjected To Explosive Loads, Christopher D. Eamon

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research Publications

This study discuses the development of a procedure that can be used to assess the reliability of concrete masonry unit infill walls subjected to personnel-delivered blast loads. Consideration is given to maintain reasonable computational effort for both the structural analysis and reliability models. Blast load and wall resistance models are developed based on experimental and analytical data, and resistance is evaluated with a large strain, large displacement transient dynamic finite element analysis. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to identify significant random variables and a reliability analysis conducted with a feasible level of computational effort. Reliability indices are estimated for two …

Gen Ms 22 Hayden Anderson Papers Finding Aid, Daniel Draper

Search the General Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Description:

Hayden L. Anderson was a prominent Maine educator and Maine historian. He graduated from Gorham Normal School in 1925, and subsequently earned degrees from Boston University and Bates College, as well as doing graduate work at Harvard University. He served as principal and superintendent in schools in central and northern Maine, and as Dean of Instruction at Farmington State College. He also worked in the State Department of Education and served on the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine. He was a student of local history, editing the bicentennial history of Litchfield, Litchfield Yesteryears, and writing a …

Blowout Penstemon (Penstemon Haydenil) Endangered Species, James Stubbendieck, Kay Lynn Kottas

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Capacity Estimation Of Two-Sided Type C Weaves On Freeway, Phong Thanh Vo

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

A weaving section is a common design on major highway facilities that has been an interest to researchers for years. Weaving areas are characterized by frequent lane changes, which significantly reduce the capacity of the freeway system. The 2000 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) defined weaving capacity as "any combination of flows that causes the density to reach the LOS E/F boundary condition of 43 pcpmpl for freeways" based on configuration, number of lanes in the weaving section, free-flow speed, length of the weave, and volume ratio (VR). However, no research has been focused on the two-sided type C weaves, which …

Love Canal Tragedy, Alicia Saunte Phillips, Yung-Tse Hung, Paul A. Bosela

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this environmental failure case study paper is to provide educational materials for environmental engineering courses dealing with design and operation of landfills for hazardous waste. In 1978, it was discovered that hazardous waste had contaminated homes and schools in the Love Canal area, a former chemical landfill which became a 15 acre neighborhood of the City of Niagara Falls, New York. On August 7, 1978, the United States President Jimmy Carter declared a federal emergency at the Love Canal. The Love Canal became the first man-made disaster to receive such a designation based on a variety of …

Dynamic Chracteristics And Stability Analysis Of Muncipal Solid Waste In Bioreactor Landfills, Mohamed Adil Haque

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Bioreactor landfills are operated to enhance refuse decomposition, gas production, and waste stabilization. The major aspect of bioreactor landfill operation is the recirculation of generated leachate back through the refuse mass. Due to the accelerated decomposition and settlement of solid waste, bioreactor landfills are gaining popularity as an alternative to the conventional landfill designed under Subtitle D regulations. However, recirculation of leachate or addition of water to accelerate the waste decomposition changes the biodegradation and geotechnical characteristics of waste mass. Our understanding of changes in engineering characteristics of solid waste with accelerated decomposition is limited. There is a need to …

Our Legacy Of Neglect: The Longfellow Bridge And The Cost Of Deferred Maintenance, David Westerling, Steve Poftak

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The Longfellow Bridge, connecting Boston and Cambridge, is in bad shape, due not only to its age and the ravages of our weather, but also to a troubling and persistent lack of maintenance. Fixing the bridge, in effect paying the bill for our unwillingness to maintain it, is estimated to cost at least $180 million, with the potential for cost overruns reaching into the hundreds of millions. The neglect of the Longfellow Bridge is symptomatic of a problem that encompasses almost all the assets owned by the Commonwealth.

Experiments On Rotational Restraint Of Sheathing, Benjamin W. Schafer

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.