Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Use Of Building Information Modelling In Responding To Low Carbon Construction Innovations: An Irish Perspective, Alan V. Hore

Conference papers

At present the Irish construction industry is facing one of its most uncertain and challenging periods and will see major cuts in all areas of the economy in 2012. Despite this, Ireland pushes forward in sustainability initiatives with the Government ruling that environmentally-friendly policies are to get priority in competing for State contracts worth up to €16 billion a year. This and further initiatives are in place, so as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% by the year 2020. By the end of 2018 the public sector must own or rent only buildings with high energy-saving standards …

Simple Optimization Method To Determine Best Management Practices To Reduce Phosphorus Loading In Echo Reservoir, Utah, Omar Alminagorta, Bereket Tesfatsion, David E. Rosenberg, Bethany T. Neilson

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This study develops and applies a simple linear optimization program to identify cost effective Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce phosphorus loading to Echo Reservoir, Utah. The optimization program tests the feasibility of proposed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) allocations based on potential BMP options and provides information regarding the spatial redistribution of loads among sub-watersheds. The current version of the TMDL for Echo reservoir allocates phosphorus loads to existing non-point phosphorus sources in different sub-watersheds to meet a specified total load. Optimization results show that it is feasible to implement BMPs for non-point sources in each sub-watershed to meet …

North American Standard For Cold-Formed Steel Framing -- Nonstructural Members, 2011 Edition, American Iron And Steel Institute

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

No abstract provided.

Numerical Analysis Of Concrete-Filled Circular Steel Tubes, Yaohua Deng, Terri R. Norton, Christopher Y. Tuan

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Concrete-filled steel tubes have been widely used in building and bridge construction. In this paper, the flexural behaviour of concrete-filled steel tubes is investigated using finite-element analysis and theoretical sectional analysis. The numerical results from both analytical methods are validated against published experimental test results. It is shown that both methods are capable of predicting the elastic and the ultimate moment capacities of concrete-filled steel tubes. Due to its computational efficiency, theoretical sectional analysis is more suitable for the design of concrete-filled steel tubes than finite-element analysis.

Development And Improvement Of Warm-Mix Asphalt Technology, Shu Wei Goh

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Traditionally, asphalt mixtures were produced at high temperatures (between 150°C to 180°C) and therefore often referred to as Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA). Recently, a new technology named Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) was developed in Europe that allows HMA to be produced at a lower temperature. Over years of research efforts, a few WMA technologies were introduced including the foaming method using Aspha-min® and Advera® WMA; organic additives such as Sasobit® and Asphaltan B®; and chemical packages such as Evotherm® and Cecabase RT®. Benefits were found when lower temperatures were used to produce asphalt mixtures, especially when it comes to environmental …

Model To Describe The Mode I Fracture Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Ultra-High Performance Concrete, Eric L. Kreiger

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) has arisen from the implementation of a variety of concrete engineering and materials science concepts developed over the last century. This material offers superior strength, serviceability, and durability over its conventional counterparts. One of the most important differences for UHPFRC over other concrete materials is its ability to resist fracture through the use of randomly dispersed discontinuous fibers and improvements to the fiber-matrix bond. Of particular interest is the materials ability to achieve higher loads after first crack, as well as its high fracture toughness. In this research, a study of the fracture behavior …

Evaluation Of Flood Risk In Response To Climate Variability, Casey E. Fritsch

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Standard procedures for forecasting flood risk (Bulletin 17B) assume annual maximum flood (AMF) series are stationary, meaning the distribution of flood flows is not significantly affected by climatic trends/cycles, or anthropogenic activities within the watershed. Historical flood events are therefore considered representative of future flood occurrences, and the risk associated with a given flood magnitude is modeled as constant over time. However, in light of increasing evidence to the contrary, this assumption should be reconsidered, especially as the existence of nonstationarity in AMF series can have significant impacts on planning and management of water resources and relevant infrastructure. …

Integration Of Computational Models And Experimental Characterization To Study Internal Frost Damage In Cementitious Materials , Kenny Ng

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The objective of this doctoral research is to investigate the internal frost damage due to crystallization pore pressure in porous cement-based materials by developing computational and experimental characterization tools. As an essential component of the U.S. infrastructure system, the durability of concrete has significant impact on maintenance costs. In cold climates, freeze-thaw damage is a major issue affecting the durability of concrete. The deleterious effects of the freeze-thaw cycle depend on the microscale characteristics of concrete such as the pore sizes and the pore distribution, as well as the environmental conditions. Recent theories attribute internal frost damage of concrete is …

Sampling Bias In Evaluating The Probability Of Seismically Induced Soil Liquefaction With Spt & Cpt Case Histories, Abhishek Jain

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Several deterministic and probabilistic methods are used to evaluate the probability of seismically induced liquefaction of a soil. The probabilistic models usually possess some uncertainty in that model and uncertainties in the parameters used to develop that model. These model uncertainties vary from one statistical model to another. Most of the model uncertainties are epistemic, and can be addressed through appropriate knowledge of the statistical model. One such epistemic model uncertainty in evaluating liquefaction potential using a probabilistic model such as logistic regression is sampling bias. Sampling bias is the difference between the class distribution in the sample used for …

Design Of A Lab Scale Direct-Filtration System And Its Application In Process Lab , Shichang Ma

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The Environmental Process and Simulation Center (EPSC) at Michigan Technological University started accommodating laboratories for an Environmental Engineering senior level class CEE 4509 Environmental Process and Simulation Laboratory since 2004. Even though the five units that exist in EPSC provide the students opportunities to have hands-on experiences with a wide range of water/wastewater treatment technologies, a key module was still missing for the student to experience a full cycle of treatment. This project fabricated a direct-filtration pilot system in EPSC and generated a laboratory manual for education purpose. Engineering applications such as clean bed head loss calculation, backwash flowrate determination, …

Development Of System Reliability Models For Railway Bridges, Andrzej S. Nowak Ph.D., Anna Maria Rakoczy Ph.D.

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Performance of the railway transportation network depends on the reliability of railway bridges, which can be affected by various forms of deterioration and extreme environmental conditions. More than half of the railway bridges in US were built before 1950 and many show signs of distress. There is a need for efficient methods to evaluate the safety reserve in the railway bridges by identification of the most sensitive parts of the bridge. An accurate estimation of remaining fatigue life of a structural component is very important in prioritizing bridge rehabilitation and replacement. However, existing procedures to evaluate the fatigue behavior of …

Effects Of Geometric Design Features On Truck Crashes On Limited-Access Highways, Sundanda Dissanayake Ph.D., P.E., Niranga Amarasingha M.S.

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Freight can be transported between most points in the country quite efficiently using trucks. However, involvement of large trucks in crashes can cause much damage and serious injuries, due to their large sizes and heavy weights. Large truck crashes occurring on limited-access highways may be more severe than crashes occurring on other roadways due to high speed limits, and traffic- and geometric-related characteristics. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationships between large truck crash probability, and traffic and geometric characteristics. Crash data from 2005 to 2010 were obtained from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), which included …

Use Of High-Volume Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (Rap) For Asphalt Pavement Rehabilitation Due To Increased Highway Truck Traffic From Freight Transportation, Mustaque Hossain, Haritha Y. Musty, Nasim Sabahfer

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

A recent rise in asphalt binder prices has led state agencies and contractors to use higher quantities of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). Besides being economic, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, RAP can be replaced for a portion of aggregates in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) where quality aggregates are scarce. In this project, the effect of increasing RAP percentage and using fractionated RAP (FRAP) in HMA mixture on moisture resistance, rutting, and fatigue cracking were evaluated. Mixtures with five different RAP and FRAP contents (20%, 30%, and 40% RAP, and 30% and 40% FRAP) were studied. The Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device (HWTD) …

Led Traffic Signal Replacement Schedules: Facilitating Smooth Freight Flows, Suzanna Long Ph.D., Ruwen Qin Ph.D., Abhijit Gosavi Ph.D., C. H. Wu Ph.D, Tom Ryan P.E., Casey Noll

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

This research details a field study of LED traffic signals in Missouri and develops a replacement schedule based on key findings. Rates of degradation were statistically analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results of this research will provide a methodology for engineering managers in state departments of transportation and local communities in identifying best practices and replacement standards for LED traffic signal technology. These findings will facilitate smooth freight flows through the use of more efficient technologies

The U.S.-Canada Border Effect: Smaller Than Previously Thought And Becoming Smaller, Miwa Matsuo D.Des., Hirokazu Ishise Ph.D.

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

We revisit the effect of the U.S.-Canada national border on trade, considering to what extent the border reduces trade when observable economic factors are controlled. A reexamination of the data yields estimates of the border effect that are 50% higher than previously expected (Feenstra, 2004); however, the nonlinearity of the estimation and distance measure reduce the effect by 65%. We therefore conclude that the border effect in 1993 had a factor of 4.10. This figure is 15% lower than the effect proposed by previous research. We also calculate the border effect for subsequent years and find that this effect steadily …

Monitoring The Effects Of Knickpoint Erosion On Bridge Pier And Abutment Structural Damage Due To Scour, Thanos Papanicolaou Ph.D., David M. Admiraal, Christopher Wilson Ph.D., University Of Iowa

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The goal of this study was to conduct a field-oriented evaluation, coupled with advanced laboratory techniques, of channel degradation in a stream of the Deep Loess Region of western Iowa, namely Mud Creek. The Midwestern United States is an ideal place for such a study considering that ~$1 Billion of infrastructure and farmland has been lost recently to channel degradation. A common form of channel degradation in this region is associated with the formation of knickpoints, which naturally manifest as short waterfalls within the channel that migrate upstream. As flow plunges over a knickpoint face, scouring of the downstream bed …

Feasibility Of Using Cellular Telephone Data To Determine The Truckshed Of Intermodal Facilities, Steven D. Schrock, Thomas Mulinazzi, Ming-Heng Wang

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

In order to determine the feasibility of using cellular telephone location data in deriving the geographic extent (truckshed) from intermodal facilities, this study was conducted to determine the feasibility analysis in three aspects: technology, penetration analysis and truck tracking methodology. A preliminary test was also conducted to demonstrate the cell phone tracking and traveling characteristics identification process using Washington, D.C. metropolitan area data provided by AirSage, Inc. The preliminary feasibility analysis found that cell phone locations could be located within an average of 100 meters or less of their actual position, which is feasible to use for a long haul …

Investigation Of Factors Associated With Truck Crash Severity In Nebraska, Aemal Khattak, Zheng Luo M.S, Mia Gao

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The severity of truck crashes is a concern in the state of Nebraska. This study was undertaken to investigate factors associated with truck crash severity. A two-year dataset obtained from the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) was analyzed to determine those factors. Results indicated that the involvement of alcohol was associated with more severe injuries in truck crashes on Nebraska highways. Crashes involving farm equipment were more injurious than other truck crashes. Dawn and dusk were critical periods associated with more severe truck crashes. Further, the absence of medians contributed to truck crash severity. Crashes on adverse pavement conditions such …

Impact Of Truck Loading On Design And Analysis Of Asphaltic Pavement Structures- Phase Iii, Yong-Rak Kim, Hoki Ban, Soohyok Im

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

This study investigated the impact of the realistic constitutive material behavior of asphalt layer (both nonlinear inelastic and fracture) for the prediction of pavement performance. To this end, this study utilized a cohesive zone model to consider the fracture behavior of asphalt mixtures at an intermediate temperature condition. The semi-circular bend (SCB) fracture test was conducted to characterize the fracture properties of asphalt mixtures. Fracture properties were then used to simulate mechanical responses of pavement structures. In addition, Schapery’s nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive model was implemented into the commercial finite element software ABAQUS via a user defined subroutine (user material, or …

Impact Of Lifetime On U.S. Residential Building Lca Results, Can B. Aktas, M. M. Bilec

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Purpose: Many life cycle assessment (LCA) studies do not adequately address the actual lifetime of buildings and building products, but rather assume a typical value. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of lifetime on residential building LCA results. Including accurate lifetime data into LCA allows a better understanding of a product’s environmental impact that would ultimately enhance the accuracy of LCA results.

Methods This study focuses on refining the U.S. residential building lifetime, as well as lifetime of interior renovation products that are commonly used as interior finishes in homes, to improve LCA results. Residential building …

Structural Behavior And Design Of Barrier-Overhang Connection In Concrete Bridge Superstructures Using Aashto Lrfd Method, Byungik Chang, Kamal Mirtalaei, Seungyeol Lee, Kenneth Leitch

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The U.S. Departments of Transportation adopted the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications during the year 2007, which is mandated by AASHTO and FHWA. The application of LRFD specification initiated numerous research works in this field. This investigation addresses the LRFD and Standard design methodologies of concrete deck slab, deck overhang, barrier and combined barrier-bridge overhang. The purpose of this study is to propose a simplified manual design approach for the barrier-deck overhang in concrete bridges. For concrete deck slab overhang and barrier, application of National Cooperative Highway Research Program crash test is reviewed. The failure mechanism, design philosophy and load …

Optimization Of Post-Tensioned Box Girder Bridges With Special Reference To Use Of High-Strength Concrete Using Aashto Lrfd Method, Byungik Chang, Kamal Mirtalaei, Seungyeol Lee, Kenneth Leitch

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

With the Federal Highway Administration-mandated implementation of the LRFD specifications, many state departments of transportation (DOTs) have already started implementing LRFD specifications as developed by the AASHTO. Many aspects of the LRFD specifications are being investigated by DOTs and researchers in order for seamless implementation for design and analysis purposes. This paper presents the investigation on several design aspects of post-tensioned box girder bridges designed by LRFD Specifications using conventional or High-Strength Concrete (HSC). A computer spreadsheet application was specifically developed for this investigation. It is capable of analysis, design, and cost evaluation of the superstructure for a cast-in-place post-tensioned …

Assessment Of Student Outcomes Using Industry-Academia Assessment Teams, James Hanson Civil Engineering, M. Robinson, K. Sutterer, T. Chow, M. Reeves, A. Twarek

Faculty Publications - Civil Engineering

No abstract provided.

Development And Application Of A Hydroclimatological Stream Temperature Model Within The Soil And Water Assessment Tool, Darren L. Ficklin, Yuzhou Luo, Iris T. Stewart-Frey, Edwin P. Maurer

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

We develop a stream temperature model within the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) that reflects the combined influence of meteorological (air temperature) and hydrological conditions (streamflow, snowmelt, groundwater, surface runoff, and lateral soil flow) on water temperature within a watershed. SWAT currently uses a linear air-stream temperature relationship to determine stream temperature, without consideration of watershed hydrology. As SWAT uses stream temperature to model various in-stream biological and water quality processes, an improvement of the stream temperature model will result in improved accuracy in modeling these processes. The new stream temperature model is tested on seven coastal and mountainous …

Low-Tech Coconut Shell Activated Charcoal Production, Ami Cobb, Mikel Warms, Edwin P. Maurer, Steven Chiesa

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

Water treatment technologies in the developing world typically focus on removing two types of impurities from water sources: suspended solids and microbial pathogens. However, as industrialization and high-input agriculture has expanded into the developing world, chemical impurities such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers have found their way into drinking water supplies and have been linked to severe health-related issues. Activated carbon has the capacity to remove these problematic chemicals from water sources. A simple, inexpensive, and effective activated carbon production process using local agricultural waste byproducts was assessed for the community of Bluefields, Nicaragua. Coconut shell charcoal was produced on …

Groundwater Quality And Its Health Impact: An Assessment Of Dental Fluorosis In Rural Inhabitants Of The Main Ethiopian Rift, Tewodros Rango, Julia Kravchenko, Behailu Atlaw, Peter G. Mccornick, Marc Jeuland, Brittany Merola, Avner Vengosh

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This study aims to assess the link between fluoride content in groundwater and its impact on dental health in rural communities of the Ethiopian Rift. A total of 148 water samples were collected from two drainage basins within the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER). In the Ziway-Shala basin in particular, wells had high fluoride levels (mean: 9.4 ± 10.5 mg/L; range: 1.1 to 68 mg/L), with 48 of 50 exceeding the WHO drinking water guideline limit of 1.5 mg/L. Total average daily intake of fluoride from drinking groundwater (calculated per weight unit) was also found to be six times higher than …

Relações Entre As Doenças Respiratórias E A Poluição Atmosférica E Variáveis Climáticas Na Cidade De Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil, Paulo R.B. Guimarães, Ricardo Berger, Fernando Lucambio Perez, Paulo Dt Dl Pires

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Neste estudo, foram observados níveis de concentrações de poluentes atmosféricos da cidade de Curitiba, no período de novembro de 2003 a junho de 2008, da estação automática de monitoramento da praça Ouvidor Pardinho. O objetivo foi desenvolver uma metodologia de modelagem estatística que explique o número de notificações de doenças respiratórias registradas em idosos (acima de 60 anos) e crianças (abaixo de 5 anos). Além das concentrações de poluentes, algumas variáveis climáticas foram analisadas. Após estudo de diversas metodologias estatísticas, considerou-se mais adequado o ajuste de Modelos Aditivos Generalizados para Locação, Escala e Forma. Os modelos ajustados apresentaram resultados satisfatórios …

As Unidades De Conservação E A Floresta Ombrófila Mista No Estado Do Paraná, Paulo Dt Dl Pires, Douglas Magnus Zeni Jr, Debora Gaulke

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

O intenso processo de ocupação territorial, uso desordenado dos recursos naturais e destruição de áreas verdes iniciadas no século XIX, são os principais motivos da intensa devastação das Florestas com Araucárias. Como meio de efetivação da proteção e desenvolvimento florestal, o Brasil adotou em sua política ambiental a criação do Sistema de Unidades de Conservação nas categorias, de proteção integral e uso sustentável. Uma alternativa viável é a regulação dos estoques de madeira no Estado por meio de Unidade de Conservação de Uso Sustentável. O que se pretende a partir deste ponto é analisar a possibilidade da criação de regulamentação …

The History And Evolution Of The Epa Swmm, Wayne Huber, Larry Roesner

Fifty Years Of Watershed Modeling - Past, Present And Future

No abstract provided.

Using A Watershed Model To Inform Decision Making In Southern Wisconsin, Usa, Douglas R. Brugger, Kenneth W. Potter

Fifty Years Of Watershed Modeling - Past, Present And Future

No abstract provided.