Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Improving The Complementary Methods To Estimate Evapotranspiration Under Diverse Climatic And Physical Conditions, Fathi Anayah, Jagath J. Kaluarachchi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Reliable estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) is important for the purpose of water resources planning and management. Complementary methods, including complementary relationship areal evapotranspiration (CRAE), advection aridity (AA) and Granger and Gray (GG), have been used to estimate ET because these methods are simple and practical in estimating regional ET using meteorological data only. However, prior studies have found limitations in these methods especially in contrasting climates. This study aims to develop a calibration-free universal method using the complementary relationships to compute regional ET in contrasting climatic and physical conditions with meteorological data only. The proposed methodology consists of a systematic …

Toward A Reliable Prediction Of Seasonal Forecast Uncertainty: Addressing Model And Initial Condition Uncertainty With Ensemble Data Assimilation And Sequential Bayesian Combination, Caleb Matthew Dechant, Hamid Moradkhani

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Uncertainties are an unfortunate yet inevitable part of any forecasting system. Within the context of seasonal hydrologic predictions, these uncertainties can be attributed to three causes: imperfect characterization of initial conditions, an incomplete knowledge of future climate and errors within computational models. This study proposes a method to account for all threes sources of uncertainty, providing a framework to reduce uncertainty and accurately convey persistent predictive uncertainty. In currently available forecast products, only a partial accounting of uncertainty is performed, with the focus primarily on meteorological forcing. For example, the Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (ESP) technique uses meteorological climatology to estimate …

Ccfss Special Edition Technical Bulletin Summer 2014, Wei-Wen Yu Center For Cold-Formed Steel Structures

CCFSS Technical Bulletins (1993 - 2020)

No abstract provided.

Full-Scale Experimental Modal Analysis Of An Arch Dam: The First Experience In Iran, Reza Tarinejad, Mohammad Taghi Ahmadi, Ronald S. Harichandran

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Forced vibration field tests and finite-element studies were conducted on the Shahid Rajaee concrete arch dam in Northern Iran to determine the dynamic properties of the dam–reservoir–foundation system. The first forced vibration tests on the dam were performed with two different types of exciter units, with a limited maximum force, bolted on the dam crest for alternative in-phase and out-of-phase sequencing. Because of an insufficient number of recording sensors, two arrangements of sensors were used to cover sufficient points on the dam crest and one gallery during tests. Two kinds of vibration tests, on–off and frequency sweeping, were carried out …

Cold-Formed Steel Design - Vol. 2, American Iron And Steel Institute (Aisi)

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

No abstract provided.

Strength And Stiffness Characterization Of Controlled Low-Strength Material Using Native High-Plasticity Clay, Bhaskar Chittoori, Anand J. Puppala, Anil Raavi

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A research attempt was made to design a controlled low-strength material (CLSM) mix that can be used as bedding and haunch material for a pipeline by using the native soil as fine aggregate. Several CLSM mix designs were attempted using native high-plasticity clay as fine aggregate material. Comprehensive material characterization studies including flowability to strength tests were performed. These results were analyzed to address the applicability of each mix to serve as pipe bedding/backfilling zones in a pipeline construction. Both flowability and density test results are first evaluated, and as a result, several mixes are formulated. These mixes were further …

Splice Performance Evaluation Of Enamel-Coated Rebar For Structural Safety, Genda Chen, Chenglin Wu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This report summarizes the findings and results from an experimental study of vitreous enamel coating effects on the bond strength between deformed rebar and normal strength concrete. A total of 24 beam splice specimens were tested under four-point loading with four parameters investigated: bar size, lap splice length, coating, and confinement conditions. As the splice length increases, the ratio of bond strength between coated rebar and black rebar first increases from 1.0 to a maximum value of 1.44, and then decreases to 1.0. The maximum bond strength ratio corresponds to the near initial yielding of coated rebar. On the average, …

Geographic Information System-Based Tools In Environmental Management, Zeinab Bedri, Michael Bruen

Articles

The authors reviewed existing modelling platforms as part of a large study of water and pollution pathways through catchments in Ireland (Irish EPA Pathways project). Worldwide, work on producing catchment management tools (CMTs) has been underway for some time and some of the tools identified here date from as early as 1989. Some of the management problems and model conceptualisations have not changed very much but now there is a stronger emphasis on water quality and more concern about a wider range of contaminants. What has changed substantially is the use of Geographical Information System and Graphical Windows interfaces as …

Electrochemical-Mechanistic Model For Concrete Cover Cracking Due To Corrosion Initiated By Chloride Diffusion, Goli Nossoni, Ronald S. Harichandran

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

A holistic electrochemical-mechanistic model of the corrosion of steel reinforcing bars inside concrete that accounts for the diffusion of oxygen and moisture into the concrete and rust layers, the densification of rust due to confinement, the flow of rust into the concrete pores, the development of internal pressure due to rust buildup, and cracking of the concrete cover is presented. The relationship between the corrosion current and the pressure buildup due to the corrosion products for different concrete cover thicknesses and concrete quality was calibrated through experiments using an accelerated corrosion test with an applied current. Results from finite-element analysis …

Development Of Bridge Girder Movement Criteria For Accelerated Bridge Construction, Genda Chen, Yi Bao

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

End diaphragms connect multiple girders to form a bridge superstructure system for effective resistance to earthquake loads. Concrete girder bridges that include end diaphragms consistently proved to perform well during previous earthquake events. However, whether concrete bridges without end diaphragms are definitively inadequate in seismic performance is yet to be answered. The 2010 Chile Earthquake indicated that properly designed bridge girders and their lateral movement stoppers (shear keys) may perform equally well with those with end diaphragms. In this report, a feasibility study on the design of girder bridges without end diaphragms is presented. This study is particularly significant in …

Unbonded Portland Cement Concrete Overlay/Pavement Monitoring With Integrated Grating And Scattering Optical Fiber Sensors, Genda Chen, Ying Huang, Yi Bao

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This report summarizes the findings and results from a laboratory and field study on the strain distribution and crack development in 3" thick concrete panels cast on top of existing concrete pavements as a rapid rehabilitation strategy for roadways. Both fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) and Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometry/Analysis (BOTDR/A) were applied and tested for their feasibility and effectiveness in distributed strain measurement and crack detection. For laboratory tests, six 6'×6" panels were cast similar to their corresponding field construction. Each was tested under both truck loads and under threepoint loads. The performance of distributed BOTDR/A strain measurements was …

Water And Nutrient Recycling In High Rate Algae Ponds Fed In Primary Treated Municipal Wastewater, Michael Field Chang

Master's Theses

Algal biofuels present a promising future alternative to petroleum based fuels. Water nutrient recycling is a key step to increase the sustainability of algae biofuel production facilities. This thesis discusses the process of nutrient and water recycling in high rate algae raceway ponds (HRAP) fed primary treated municipal wastewater. Research was conducted primarily at the San Luis Obispo Water Resource Reclamation Facility (SLOWRRF). Nine 30 m², 0.3 m deep HRAP’s were operated continuously from June 1, 2013 to April 17, 2014. The ponds were arranged in three sets of triplicate ponds, with two pond sets run on 3-day …

Real-Time Hybrid Simulation With Online Model Updating, Adam Mueller

Masters Theses

Hybrid simulations have shown great potential for economic and reliable assessment of structural seismic performance through a combination of physically tested components, called the experimental substructure, and numerically simulated components, called the numerical substructure. Current hybrid simulation practices often use a fixed numerical model without considering the possible availability of a more accurate model obtained during hybrid simulation through an online model updating technique. To address this limitation and improve the reliability of numerical models in hybrid simulations, this study describes the implementation of an online model updating method in real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS). The Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) was …

Coordinating The Use And Location Of Weigh-In-Motion Technology For Kentucky, Andrew Martin, Valerie J. Keathley, Jerry Kissick, Jennifer R. Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Several agencies in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet make use of data collected by weigh-in-motion (WIM) scales throughout the state. These scales are used to collect traffic counts, weigh vehicles, weigh individual axles, determine vehicle length, classify vehicles, and determine speed. The data is primarily used for planning, law enforcement related to commercial vehicles, and pavement design. This study details the applications of WIM data, and reviews existing literature on how WIM data is used and shared. The study provides survey feedback from other states, specifically about how they use WIM data. It details competing WIM technologies currently on the market, …

Nondestructive Evaluation Of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls With Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave (Fm-Cw) Radar, Mohammad Tayeb Ahmad Ghasr, Yi Bao, Kuang Ying, K. M. Combs, R. Zoughi, Genda Chen

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Effective techniques for a nondestructive evaluation of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls during normal operation or immediately after an earthquake event are yet to be developed. MSE walls often have a rough surface finishing for the purpose of decoration and are reinforced with both horizontal and vertical steel bars. Two wide-band microwave inspection approaches were investigated for detecting and evaluating characteristics of materials behind an MSE wall section. The first approach used spot measurements with a wide-band frequency-modulated continuous wave (FM-CW) radar system. While effective to penetrate through mortar blocks in the laboratory, the radar system was found to have …

An Integral Framework For Sustainable Building Design, Bushra Asfari

Masters Theses

Selection of materials for building design is a delicate process hinged of a number of factors which can be cost or environmental related, depending on the objectives of the design. This process becomes more difficult when designers are faced with several material options for each building component. This thesis presents the design and development of a framework that enables designers understand the trade-off between cost and environmental related factors when selecting materials for building design. The framework is based on the integration of Autodesk Revit, Microsoft access, and modeling modified Harmony search multi-objective optimization tool adapted to account for material …

Development Of Safety Performance Functions For Non-Motorized Traffic Safety, Hamidreza Ahady Dolatsara

Masters Theses

This study investigates the factors which affect the safety of non-motorized transportation within the influence area of intersections to enhance development of safety performance functions (SPFs). The scope of this study is limited to the four Michigan cities of Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Flint and Grand Rapids. Due to the current lack of research regarding the appropriate size of the influence area, this study investigates the distance of crashes relative to the center of 148 intersections to identify the most probable area of influence for different crash types. For motorized and non-motorized crashes, 240 ft. and 137 ft. are proposed, …

Durability Assessment Of Recycled Concrete Aggregates For Use In New Concrete Phase Ii, Jason H. Ideker, Matthew P. Adams, Jennifer Tanner, Angela Jones

TREC Final Reports

This Phase II investigation into the durability of new concrete incorporating recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) focused on several goals: 1) Provide corroboration of results obtained in Phase I for a multi-laboratory study related to assessing alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) of RCA in accelerated laboratory tests; 2) Investigate the efficacy of mitigation methods to control ASR in concrete containing potentially reactive RCA; 3) Establish long-term data through placement of concrete blocks containing RCA in an outdoor exposure site in Laramie, WY; and 4) Survey state DOTs and other transportation agencies about their perceptions and usage of RCA ASR in concrete within their …

Green Infrastructure, Sarah M. Mccormack, Roy E. Sturgill, Brian Howell, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Doug Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The transportation industry has increasingly recognized the vital role sustainability serves in promoting and protecting the transportation infrastructure of the nation. Many state Departments of Transportation have correspondingly increased efforts to incorporate concepts of sustainability into the planning, design, and construction phases of projects and congruently adopted sustainability measures into their internal standard policies and procedures. Sustainably constructed highways foster economic development, promote stewardship of the environment, and solicit citizen involvement for an integrated, comprehensive approach to project planning. As part of an effort to understand the extent to which sustainable design and construction principles are being used, this report …

Predicting The Dynamic Fracture Of Steel Via A Non-Local Strain-Energy Density Failure Criterion, Kevin D Schrum, Dean L. Sicking, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Mash Tl-3 Transition Between Guardrail And Portable Concrete Barriers, Robert W. Bielenberg, Ronald K. Faller, Karla A. Lechtenberg, David A. Gutierrez, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Growth Parameters For Algal Regrowth Potential Experiments, Chadwick D. Boggess

Master's Theses

Water cost is one of the key deterrents in making algal biofuels a feasible alternative to traditional petroleum fuels. Research into recycling of algal media was conducted in a laboratory setting at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. A growth assay was created to allow for algal cultures, specifically Ward’s Chlorella sp., to proliferate in sealed culture vessels. Bold’s Basal Medium (BBM) was selected as the media due to its extensive use with freshwater algal strains. However, this medium can limit algal growth through nutrient limitation and it became necessary to augment the original recipe. 50mM …

The Effect Of Pretreatment Methods On Methane Yield And Nutrient Solubilization During Anaerobic Digestion Of Microalgae, Alexander Scott Hill

Master's Theses

Microalgal biomass is a candidate feedstock for biofuel production. To improve the sustainability of algae biofuel production, following biofuel recovery, the biomass nutrients should be recycled for additional algae growth. Anaerobic digestion of algae or oil-extracted algae is a means of recovering carbon and other nutrients, while offsetting algae production electricity demand. The major limiting factor in microalgae digestion is the low biodegradability of the cell walls. In the present study, various pretreatment technologies were tested at bench scale for their ability to improve raw, non-lipid-extracted algae biodegradability, which was assessed in terms of methane yield, volatile solids destruction, and …

Overtime Traffic Enforcement Evaluation: A Methodology For Selecting Agencies And Enforcement Periods, Dario Enrique Romero Santana

Masters Theses

Multiple studies have stated the advantages of police traffic enforcement on crash reduction (Zaidel, February 2002). It is very important to identify locations and time periods where police enforcement produces the greatest crash reductions. The objectives of this study were to: (1) determine the impact of overtime traffic enforcement on crash occurrence; (2) develop procedures to identify police agencies with potential to reduce targeted crashes; and (3) develop procedures to identify additional time periods in which enforcement activities should be conducted. In order to accomplish these objectives, many methodologies were explored. The study used crash and enforcement data collected by …

Analysis Of Long-Term Utah Temperature Trends Using Hilbert-Haung Transforms, Brent H. Hargis

Theses and Dissertations

We analyzed long-term temperature trends in Utah using a relatively new signal processing method called Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD). We evaluated the available weather records in Utah and selected 52 stations, which had records longer than 60 years, for analysis. We analyzed daily temperature data, both minimum and maximums, using the EMD method that decomposes non-stationary data (data with a trend) into periodic components and the underlying trend. Most decomposition algorithms require stationary data (no trend) with constant periods and temperature data do not meet these constraints. In addition to identifying the long-term trend, we also identified other periodic processes …

The Impacts Of Triclosan On Anaerobic Community Structures, Function, And Antimicrobial Resistance, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Timothy M. Lapara, Paige J. Novak

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Triclosan is a widespread antimicrobial agent that accumulates in anaerobic digesters used to treat the residual solids generated at municipal wastewater treatment plants; there is very little information, however, about how triclosan impacts microbial communities in anaerobic digesters. We investigated how triclosan impacts the community structure, function and antimicrobial resistance genes in lab-scale anaerobic digesters. Previously exposed (to triclosan) communities were amended with 5, 50, and 500 mg/kg of triclosan, corresponding to the median, 95th percentile, and 4-fold higher than maximum triclosan concentration that has been detected in U.S. biosolids. Triclosan amendment caused all of the Bacteria and Archaea communities …

Identification And Quantification Of Phthalates In Polyethylene Terephthalate (Pet) Water Bottles Produced In The Uae, Reem Mohamed Ismail Mohamed Ahmed

Theses

This thesis highlights the criticality of phthalate esters (PEs), widely used in plastic molding and possessing carcinogenetic and toxicological effects. The thesis aims to assess the presence and abundance of these compounds in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottled water produced in the UAE.

The thesis tests for 6 types of PEs (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP) and Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in widely used bottled water brands produced in the UAE. 126 bottled water samples were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction using petroleum ether, followed by analysis of the target compounds using Gas …

Lessons From The Green Lanes: Evaluating Protected Bike Lanes In The U.S., Christopher Monsere, Jennifer Dill, Nathan Mcneil, Kelly J. Clifton, Nick Foster, Tara Goddard, Mathew Berkow, Joe Gilpin, Kim Voros, Drusilla Van Hengel, Jamie Parks

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report presents finding from research evaluating U.S. protected bicycle lanes (cycle tracks) in terms of their use, perception, benefits, and impacts. This research examines protected bicycle lanes in five cities: Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C., using video, surveys of intercepted bicyclists and nearby residents, and count data. A total of 168 hours were analyzed in this report where 16,393 bicyclists and 19,724 turning and merging vehicles were observed. These data were analyzed to assess actual behavior of bicyclists and motor vehicle drivers to determine how well each user type understands the design …

Design And Implementation Of Pedestrian And Bicycle-Specific Data Collection Methods In Oregon, Miguel Figliozzi, Christopher Monsere, Krista Nordback, Pamela Johnson, Bryan Philip Blanc

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although there is a growing need to access accurate and reliable pedestrian and bicycle data, there is no statewide system to collect data or plan future data collection efforts in the state of Oregon. To address these issues this research conducted a comprehensive review of pedestrian and bicycle data collection methods and counting technologies. Oregon data sources were also compiled and AADT estimation techniques were reviewed and applied to Oregon data. A pilot study was conducted to test bicycle and pedestrian counting methods at signalized intersections with 2070 controllers. The report also provides a summary of recommendations regarding factoring methods …

Multi-Criteria Decision Modeling For Best Value Selections In Target Value Design Integrated Project Delivery, Brent Patrick Griffis

Master's Theses

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) combined with Target Value Design (TVD) is a better way to deliver value for the client than traditional guaranteed maximum price (GMP) methods. With traditional GMP delivery methods, the interests of the parties are often at odds. The goal of IPD is to align all party interests in order to achieve a win-win scenario. Due to the aligning nature of IPD and the fact that each party’s success is dependent on achieving the project objectives as a whole; a non-biased, transparent, decision-making process is necessary in order to deliver the project objectives within the constraints of …