Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Development Of Hydrodynamic Channel Routing Model Of The Lower Rio Grande River To Assist In Flood And Stormwater Management, Andrew W. Leeper

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Flooding and stormwater management of the Lower Rio Grande River (LRG) has become a major issue throughout the years with local entities along the river. The purpose of this study is to develop a hydrodynamic channel routing model to predict water surface elevation changes due to flooding. The study area consists of the LRG from Los Ebanos to Brownsville, Texas. This hydrodynamic model displays the hydraulics of the water flow through the LRG and determines where potential flood hazards exist. To verify the accuracy of the model a series of calculated output hydrographs were established at the Progreso Bridge and …

Risk Assessment Model For Pipe Rehabilitation And Replacement In A Water Distribution System, Jan C. Devera

Master's Theses

The efficient delivery of potable water for a community through its distribution system has historically been the backbone of nearly all metropolitan developments. Much of these systems are comprised of pipe networks made of various materials including concrete, iron, PVC, and even steel. As these communities expand and urbanize, water demand and population density simultaneously increase. This develops higher strains and stresses in the community‟s water distribution network causing pipes to corrode, crack, or rupture prematurely while in service. As a result, the deterioration of water distribution systems in growing cities is increasingly becoming a major concern for our nation. …

Implementation Of Integrated Project Delivery On Department Of Navy Military Construction Projects, Christopher S. Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The concept of the project delivery system refers to the overall processes by which a project is designed, constructed, and/or maintained. There are many different types of project delivery systems to fit particular situations involving the owner and his intended project. The project delivery system is what establishes the framework that enables a construction project to be developed and ultimately executed.

The construction industry has observed that projects (both private and public) frequently suffer from factors such as adversarial relationships, low roductivity, high inefficiency and rework, frequent contractual disputes concerning who was at fault, and lack of innovation. Not only …

Diffusivity And Sorptivity Of Berea Sandstone Determined Using Neutron Radiography, M. Kang, Chu-Lin Cheng, H. Z. Bilheux, Michael J. Gragg, D. M. Wright, J. M. Lamanna, J. Horita, J. M. Warren

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Neutron radiography is increasingly being used to study the dynamics of water movement in variably saturated porous media. It has been applied to visualize water imbibition in both natural and engineered materials, including soil, rock, brick, concrete, and glass. The sorptivity, S, and unsaturated diffusivity, D(θ), are important parameters for describing water movement under partially saturated conditions. Estimates of S and D(θ) have been obtained using a variety of techniques, including neutron imaging. However, we could find no previous reports of such measurements for the Berea sandstone, regardless of the method employed. Berea sandstone is a widespread, …

Forward Prediction Of Height-Averaged Capillary Pressure–Saturation Parameters Using The Bc-Vg Upscaler, Chu-Lin Cheng, Edmund Perfect, R. T. Mills

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

There is ongoing interest in approaches for upscaling point (e.g., pixel or voxel scale) measurements of soil hydraulic properties to predict column-scale behavior in the laboratory, or even field-scale processes. We have developed the BC-vG Upscaler for estimating the height-averaged capillary pressure–saturation relationship, , for a given porous medium based on equations used in the TrueCell program. Whereas TrueCell inversely estimates point Brooks and Corey (BC) equation parameters from  data, the BC-vG Upscaler uses point BC parameters as inputs for the forward prediction of height-averaged van Genuchten (vG) parameters. The BC-vG Upscaler was verified using previously published, independent point and …

A New Framework For Flooding Control In Regulated River Systems, Elizabeth Akemi Kanashiro

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a case study on the application of a dynamic framework for the intelligent control of flooding in the Boise River system in Idaho. This framework couples a robust and numerically efficient hydraulic routing approach with the popular multi-objective, non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II). The novelty of this framework is that it allows for controlled flooding when the conveyance capacity of the river system is exceeded or is about to exceed. Controlled flooding is based on weight factors assigned to each reach of the system depending on the amount of damage that would occur should a flood …

Reliability Analysis Of Shallow Foundations Bearing Capacity On Sand, Ali Alhajami

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Bearing capacity of shallow foundation is one of the most challenging problems for engineers. The difficulty comes from multiple sources of variability and uncertainty. There is an uncertainty in live load. Soil properties including: unit weight, cohesion, and angle of friction represent sources of variability in the determining bearing capacity. The current theories used in practice only estimate bearing capacity and does not give an exact value for it because of these sources of variability. Currently, there are Terzaghi, Meyerhof, Vesic, and Hansen theories for dealing with this problem. Based on previous research Terzaghi theory was found to be the …

Improving Vehicle Trip Generation Estimations For Urban Contexts: A Method Using Household Travel Surveys To Adjust Ite Trip Generation Rates, Kristina Marie Currans

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research is to develop and test a widely available, ready-to-use method for adjusting the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for urban context using regional household travel survey data. The ITE Handbook has become the predominant method for estimating vehicle trips generated by different land uses or establishment, providing a method for data collection and vehicle trip estimation based on the size of the development (e.g. gross square footage, number of employees, number of dwelling units). These estimates are used in traffic impact analysis to assess the amount of impact …

Agenda: Changing Regulatory Frameworks For Shale Development And "Social License To Operate", University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment

Changing Regulatory Frameworks for Shale Development and "Social License to Operate" (July 24)

Rapid development of unconventional shale resources in recent years has raised a series of regulatory issues both here and abroad. Because of the "distributed" nature of shale development and the significant increase in wells in key basins, local land-use conflicts have also erupted in certain areas of the country, leading to restrictions and moratoria on drilling by state, county, and municipal governments and raising questions about the industry's continued social license to operate in key jurisdictions. This moderated panel discussion will assess the current regulatory framework governing shale gas development and the changing dynamics among federal, state, and local regulation …

Exploring Data Quality Of Weigh-In-Motion Systems, Chengxin Dai

Dissertations and Theses

This research focuses on the data quality control methods for evaluating the performance of Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems on Oregon highways. This research identifies and develops a new methodology and algorithm to explore the accuracy of each station's weight and spacing data at a corridor level, and further implements the Statistical Process Control (SPC) method, finite mixture model, axle spacing error rating method, and data flag method in published research to examine the soundness of WIM systems. This research employs the historical WIM data to analyze sensor health and compares the evaluation results of the methods. The results suggest the new …

Relevance Of The Thorpe Length Scale In Stably Stratified Turbulence, Benjamin D. Mater, Simon M. Schaad, Subhas Karan Venayagamoorthy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Direct numerical simulations of stably stratified turbulence are used to compare the Thorpe overturn length scale, LT, with other length scales of the flow that can be constructed from large-scale quantities fundamental to shear-free, stratified turbulence. Quantities considered are the turbulent kinetic energy, k, its dissipation rate, ε, and the buoyancy frequency, N. Fundamental length scales are then the Ozmidov length scale, LO, the isotropic large scale, Lkε, and a kinetic energy length scale, LkN. Behavior of all three fundamental scales, relative to LT, is shown to be a function of the buoyancy strength parameter NTL, where TL = k/ε …

A Comparison Of Bicyclists’ Performance Characteristics At Urban, Suburban, And Dedicated Path Intersections In Oregon, Kirk Paulsen, Christopher M. Monsere, Sam R. Thompson, Miguel A. Figliozzi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation provides an overview of the following research objectives

• To develop operational guidelines for timing and phasing of bicycle-specific traffic signals or modifications that can be made to existing signals to better accommodate bicycles.
• To develop engineering guidelines for the design of bicycle-specific traffic signals.

Internal Curing Of Concrete Bridge Decks In Utah: Mountain View Corridor Project, Joseph Michael Yaede

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to 1) monitor in-situ moisture and diffusivity for both conventional concrete and concrete containing pre-wetted lightweight fine aggregate (LWFA), 2) compare deck performance in terms of early-age cracking, compressive strength, and chloride ingress, and 3) compare concrete properties in terms of compressive strength, chloride permeability, elastic modulus, and water content in the laboratory using cylinders cast in the field at the time of deck construction. The research involved field and laboratory evaluations of four newly constructed bridge decks located in northern Utah, two constructed using conventional concrete and two constructed using pre-wetted LWFA to …

Civil Engineering And Construction News, Georgia Southern University

Civil Engineering & Construction: News & Publications (2011-2022)

• Dr. Mike Jackson to Chair New Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management (CECM)

A Comparative Analysis Of Energy Modelingmethods For Commercial Buildings, Spencer Mark Salmon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis researched the accuracy of measured energy data in comparison to estimated hand calculation data and estimated building energy performance simulation data. In the facility management industry, there is minimal evidence that building energy performance software is being used as a benchmark against measured energy usage within a building. Research was conducted to find examples of measured energy data compared to simulated data. The study examined the accuracy of a simulation software and hand calculations to measured energy data. Data suggests that comparisons may be made between building energy performance simulated data and measured data, though comparisons are solely …

Modeling And Optimization Of Space Use And Transportation For A 3d Walkable City, Bradley R. Mecham

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an investigation of a new three-dimensional urban form where walking distances are less than a half-mile and congestion is minimal. The car-free urban form investigated herein is a city composed of skyscrapers massively interconnected with skybridges at multiple levels. The investigation consists of optimizing space use arrangement, skybridge presence or absence, and elevator number to simultaneously minimize total travel time, skybridge light blockage, and elevator energy usage in the city. These objectives are evaluated using three objective functions, the most significant of which involves a three-dimensional, pedestrian-only, three-step version of the traditional four-step planning model. Optimal and …

Large-Scale Testing Of Passive Force Behavior For Skewed Abutments With High Width-Height Ratios, Katie Noel Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of seismic forces and thermal expansion on bridge performance necessitate an accurate understanding of the relationship between passive force and backwall deflection. In past case studies, skewed bridges exhibited significantly more damage than non-skewed bridges. These findings prompted studies involving numerical modeling, lab-scale tests, and large-scale tests that each showed a dramatic reduction in passive force with increased skew. Using these results, a correlation was developed between peak passive force and backwall skew angle. The majority of these tests had length to height ratios of 2.0; however, for several abutments in the field, the length to height ratio …

An Analysis Of The Provo River Decree And Its Current Application To Provo Area Water Rights, Karsten Eugene Busby

Theses and Dissertations

Water scarcity in the west has created a long history of conflict. When Utah was settled, laws were instituted (both officially and otherwise) that allowed water users to use streams and springs in efficient ways without causing harm to other users. The Provo River Decree is a physical example of local water law that has been in place for almost a hundred years. While many changes have arisen in its area of jurisdiction, it is still drawn upon to determine water rights. Ambiguity, rigidity, and overall changes to use patterns have limited the application of the decree to present situations. …

Modified Time Of Setting Test For Fly Ash Paste And Fly Ash-Soil Mixtures, Xin Kang, Gi Chun Kang, Louis Ge

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A survey of current literature has revealed that the testing protocol for determining the time of setting of fly ash-soil mixtures is not available. Although the current ASTM standard recommends using the Vicat needle method with a water-to-fly ash weight ratio of 0.35, it was originally proposed for testing the time of setting of cement. The current study showed that the Vicat needle method yielded poor test results for some common fly ashes. Moreover, the water-to-fly ash weight ratio of 0.35 may not be appropriate for some fly ashes because the chemical components are varied in different fly ashes. Therefore, …

Centrifuge Modeling And Mitigation Of Manhole Uplift Due To Liquefaction, Gi Chun Kang, Tetsuo Tobita, Susumu Iai, Louis Ge

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Because low-compacted trench backfill around a manhole is normally liquefiable, the manhole could suffer uplift damage associated with soil liquefaction during a strong earthquake. In this study, 22 dynamic centrifuge models were tested to investigate the response of a buried manhole subjected to a dynamic load. The models were tested under 20g, and a substitute pore fluid was used to avoid the scaling law conflict between the dynamic and diffusion processes. It was found that excess pore water pressure is one of the contributing factors to the magnitude of the manhole uplift. Using this result, new mitigation methods against the …

Portable Pressure Device To Evaluate Lateral Formwork Pressure Exerted By Fresh Concrete, Ahmed F. Omran, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Use of a reliable and accurate measuring system to determine lateral pressure exerted on formwork by self-consolidating concrete can lead to economic and safe formwork systems. In this paper, a portable and field-compatible pressure device is developed to enable factors affecting lateral pressure of fresh concrete on formwork system to be explored prior to conducting onsite full-scale tests. The pressure device requires a sample of 16 L of fresh concrete to determine lateral pressure envelope that can be exerted by a concrete column of up to 13 m in height. The pressure device enables the simulation of such concrete head …

Energy Dissipation Of Thin-Walled Cold-Formed Steel Members, David A. Padilla-Llano, Christopher D. Moen, Matthew Eatherton

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

No abstract provided.

บทบรรณาธิการ, ประมวล สุธีจารุวัฒน

Journal of Transportation and Logistics (TRANSLOG)

No abstract provided.

การวิเคราะห์เชิงลึกอุตสาหกรรมอู่ต่อเรือซ่อมเรือที่เกี่ยวข้องกับอุตสาหกรรมเรือประมงไทย

Journal of Transportation and Logistics (TRANSLOG)

No abstract provided.

โครงการพัฒนาฐานข้อมูลเชิงลึกอุตสาหกรรมต่อเรือ, ประมวล สุธีจารุวัฒน, วันชัย มีชาติ, พิษณุ คนองชัยยศ, สุภารัตน์ ตันทนงศักดิ์กุล, วิษารัช สัญญาลักษณ์ฤาชัย

Journal of Transportation and Logistics (TRANSLOG)

No abstract provided.

โครงการพัฒนาฐานข้อมูลอุตสาหกรรมเชิงเปรียบเทียบเพื่อเพิ่มขีดความสามารถในการแข่งขันของอุตสาหกรรมไทยสาขาอุตสาหกรรมต่อเรือและซ่อมเรือ, ประมวล สุธีจารุวัฒน, สุมาลี สุขดานนท์, สุนันทา เจริญปัญญายิ่ง, สมศักดิ์ สุคนธมาน

Journal of Transportation and Logistics (TRANSLOG)

No abstract provided.

ภาวะอุสาหกรรมการต่อเรือไทย : ทิศทาง แนวโน้มและข้อเสนอเชิงนโยบาย

Journal of Transportation and Logistics (TRANSLOG)

No abstract provided.

โครงการพัฒนาศูนย์วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลเชิงลึกอุตสาหกรรมอู่ต่อเรือ, ประมวล สุธีจารุวัฒน, วันชัย มีชาติ, พิษณุ คนองชัยยศ, สุภารัตน์ ตันทนงศักดิ์กุล, วิษารัช สัญญาลักษณ์ฤาชัย

Journal of Transportation and Logistics (TRANSLOG)

No abstract provided.

โครงการผลักดันการพัฒนาอุตสาหกรรมต่อเรือและซ่อมเรือแบบครบวงจร, วันชัย มีชาติ, สุมาลี สุขตานนท์, สุภัตรา โล่วัชระกุล, สมพงษ์ ศิริโสภณศิลป์, ประมวญ บุณยะปาน, เชิดพันธ์ วิทูราภรณ์, ศักดา ธนิตกุล, เอก ตั้งทรัพย์วัฒนา, สุนันทา เจริญปัญญายิ่ง

Journal of Transportation and Logistics (TRANSLOG)

No abstract provided.

Wind-Induced Torsion Vibration Of The Super High-Rise Building Of Shenzhen Energy Center, Feng Ruo-Qiang, Ye Jihong, Guirong Yan, Li Qing-Xiang, Yao Bin

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Synchronous Multipoint Scanning System Technique in Wind Tunnel Tests and Random Vibration Theory Method Were Used to Analyze the Wind-Induced Torsion Vibration of Some Irregularly Shaped Super High-Rise Buildings in Downtowns. the Torsion Vibration Modes and the Spectra of Torsion Wind Load Were Studied, and the Proportions of Mean Wind Torsion, Inertia Torsion and the Mass Eccentricity Torsion Caused by Horizontal Inertia Forces Are Discussed. the Following Conclusions Can Be Drawn. First, the Third and Fourth Modes Have Torsion Vibration Shapes, and their Frequencies Are in the High-Energy Area of the Spectra of the Torsion Wind Load; the Third …