Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Repair Of Impact-Damaged Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girder Using Glass Frp Rebar, Maria Angeles De La Flor Montero

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Overpass girders are risked by the impact of the traffic, over height vehicle, travelling under the structure, creating a hazard for the drivers over and under the bridge.When a bridge girder is damaged the repair solution adopted has to meet the following criteria:- Safety. The repaired structure has to provide a minimum level of service to guarantee the safety of the traffic during the life of the structure. - Repair time. To minimize the risk and the inconvenience for the traffic the repair time has to be minimum.- Economy. The adopted solution has not only to fulfill the previous requirements, …

Enhanced Viscoelastic Modeling Of Hot Mix Asphalt, Tito P. Nyamuhokya

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The primary objective of this research is to investigate the relationships between Compressive (CDM) and Tensile Dynamic Moduli (TDM) of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) and develop a material model that predicts tensile dynamic modulus from known compressive dynamic modulus. Moreover, the research develops an enhanced visco-hyper-elastic Finite element model that incorporates both CDM and computed TDM to predict the structural response of a perpetual pavement structure subjected to wheel loading. In the laboratory, the Compressive and Tensile Dynamic Modulus parallel to the direction of compaction and Tensile dynamic modulus perpendicular to the direction of compaction were determined at different temperature …

Determining Travel Behaviour In Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Ahmed M. Mohammed, Hussain Dhafir Hussain, Ali Dawod Salman, Riza Rahmat, Nazri Burhan

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Petaling Jaya is a Malaysian city in the Petaling district of Selangor, over the past few years it has witnessed a dramatic growth in terms of population size and geographical importance. This has led to constant congestions throughout the city. A significant reduction in the annual cost of road accidents, congestion, energy consumption and pollution in the city can be obtained by implementing a modal shift from private vehicles to public transport. Urban transportation problems are highlighted in this study as well the factors that influence the use of private and public transportation. A survey was carried out on users …

3d Numerical Modelling Of Micropiles Interaction With Soil & Rock, Audai Kamal Theinat

Masters Theses

"A 5-span bridge along the Foothills Parkway of the Great Smoky Mountains, TN, was recently completed. Two out of the four piers were instrumented to measure the load transfer in the foundations. The foundations consisted of twenty 10-inch micropiles under the pile cap for each pier. Strain gages were installed and monitored at the different stages of construction. The objective of this research is to examine the interaction between the ground and micropiles using the field data performance and numerical modelling. The 3D computer model consists of the micropile foundation within the steep rock bedding planes and overburden soils. The …

Lighting Design In Europe: Aligning The Demands For Lower Energy Usage With Better Quality., Kevin Kelly, James Duff

Articles

Lighting design is one of the fastest changing areas in building engineering. It has evolved significantly in recent years due to changing technology and demands for improved quality, better control, reduced energy and sustainability. This paper is an overview of what is happening in Europe and elsewhere and examines the literature to find that latest recommendations in the Code for Lighting issued by the SLL (Society of Light and Lighting) in the UK change previous demands for equal illuminance across a working plane to more specific and demanding criteria. There are recommendations for qualitative metrics and better distribution of light …

Effect Of Termite Gut Microbe Tav5 On Methane Production From Municipal Solid Waste Degradation, Hoda Rahimi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Methane from anaerobic processes is being increasingly utilized as an alternative energy source in developed countries, via large projects that extract methane from landfills or wastewater treatment plants. Anaerobic degradation of organic material (biomass) involves decomposition by bacteria under humid conditions without any oxygen. Organic carbon deposited in landfills is converted by microbes to carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). If the methane is not captured, it contributes to climate change (25 times more effectively than CO2 on a per-mass basis). If the methane is captured, it can be used as a renewable energy resource. Lignocellulose comprises a significant portion …

A New Technique For The Estimation Of The Elastic Moduli Of Pavement Layers From Light Weight Deflectometer Data, Nickey Akbariyeh

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This study developed a method to estimate the elastic moduli of a flexible pavement system from Light Weight Deflectometer deflection data. The forward method (simple equations) can be easily programmed into the data acquisition device of the Light Weight Deflectometers. The equations can be of a primary assistance in the evaluation of the flexible pavement structures. The method is simple and it eliminates the need for the backcalculation procedure after the LWD test. The pavement systems considered in this study are composed of 2 to 4 inches of the asphalt concrete wearing layer and 4 to 8 inches of compacted …

Potential Applicability Of Stress Wave Velocity Method On Pavement Base Materials As A Non-Destructive Testing Technique, Masrur Mahedi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Aggregates derived from natural sources have been used traditionally as the pavement base materials. But in recent times, the extraction of these natural aggregates has be-come more labor intensive and costly due to resource depletion and environmental concerns. Thus, the uses of recycled aggregates as the supplementary of natural aggregates are increasing considerably in pavement construction. Use of recycled aggregates such as recycled crushed concrete (RCA) and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) reduces the rate of natural resource depletion, construction debris and cost. Although recycled aggregates could be used as a viable alternative of conventional base materials, strength characteristics and product …

Fatigue Life Assessment Of A Critical Field Welded Connection On A Temporary Railway Bridge Span, Curtis Heinsen

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

There is a need in the railway industry for a flexible solution to the problem of service interruptions due to impacts on railway bridges from highway and other vehicle traffic. One such solution is the placement of a temporary span that can be used on multiple substructure types and configurations and can be quickly assembled from a kit of available parts. In order to minimize the erection time and maximize the span flexibility such a span could utilize welded connections in place of bolted connections throughout the structure. These connections would be vulnerable to fatigue failure which has been shown …

Factors Influencing The Microbial Calcium Carbonate Precipitation Performance In Sands, Naga Venkata Prasanna Kumar Velpuri

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation is relatively a new ground improvement technique for geotechnical engineers. This technique uses non-pathogenic organisms that are found naturally in soil environment to cement sand particles together at their contacts. This thesis describes the influence of various factors on cementation of MICP-treated soil catalyzed by bacteria and urease from an experimental study. Some of these factors include number of nutrient cycles, concentration of calcium chloride solutions, number of injections and particle size. Finally the objective of my research is to have a better understanding about the effects of various parameters on the biological cementation. Ottawa …

Testing, Analysis And Classification Of No-Dig Manhole Rehabilitation Materials, Alimohammad Entezarmahdi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Gravity flow wastewater collection systems are comprised of sewer pipes and manholes. Failure of a manhole may have catastrophic consequences such as developing a sinkhole in the street and roadway, and at a minimum, wastewater flow will be blocked and stream of the manhole will backup causing a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO). Improving structural conditions of a manhole is critical to minimize these types of failures. This thesis considers the impact of several lining materials including cement mortar, epoxy, polyurethane, cured-in-place composites, and a multi- layer structure material on increasing the structural capabilities of deteriorated manholes. The tasks included in …

Development Of The Duplicate Shear Test For Asphalt Mixtures, Mohammadreza Khajeh Hosseini

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Permanent shear deformation is the main cause of rutting in asphalt concrete layers. Therefore, the determination of the shear properties of asphalt mixtures is helpful for predicting the rutting in asphalt pavement structures and for the identification of poor performing asphalt mixtures. The objective of this study was to develop a new test device to replicate similar loading conditions and constraints of the Superpave Shear Tester (SST). The new device, named the Double Shear Tester (DST), determines the mechanical average of the shear properties and responses of two specimens instead of that of a single specimen as in the SST …

A New Methodology For Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Bus Rapid Transit Strategies, Ahmad Alomari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the last few years, public transportation has become more desirable as capacity of existing roadways failed to keep up with rapidly increasing traffic demand. Buses are one of the most common modes of public transportation with low impact on network capacity, especially in small and congested urban areas. However, the use of regularly scheduled buses as the main public transport mode can become useless with the presence of traffic congestion and dense construction areas. In cases like these, innovative solutions, such as bus rapid transit (BRT), can provide an increased level of service without having to resort to other, …

Integrated Sustainability Assessment Framework For The U.S. Transportation, Nuri Onat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to investigate the sustainability impacts of alternative vehicle technologies and develop comprehensive sustainability assessment frameworks to analyze potential impacts of these vehicles in the U.S. In order to assess sustainability impact of vehicle alternatives, life-cycle based models has been extensively used in the literature. Although life cycle-based models are often used for environmental impacts of alternative vehicles, analysis of social and economic impacts of these vehicles has gained a tremendous interest. In this regard, there is a growing interest among the international platform and academia to use the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment framework to have more informed …

Traffic Conflict Analysis Under Fog Conditions Using Computer Simulation, Binya Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The weather condition is a crucial influence factor on road safety issues. Fog is one of the most noticeable weather conditions, which has a significant impact on traffic safety. Such condition reduces the road's visibility and consequently can affect drivers' vision, perception, and judgments. The statistical data shows that many crashes are directly or indirectly caused by the low-visibility weather condition. Hence, it is necessary for road traffic engineers to study the relationship of road traffic accidents and their influence factors. Among these factors, the traffic volume and the speed limits in poor visibility areas are the primary reasons that …

Response Of Streamflow And Sediment Loading In The Apalachicola River, Florida To Climate And Land Use Land Cover Change, Paige Hovenga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Located in Florida's panhandle, the Apalachicola River is the southernmost reach of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River basin. Streamflow and sediment drains to Apalachicola Bay in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, directly influencing the ecology of the region, in particular seagrass and oyster production. The objective of this study is to evaluate the response of runoff and sediment loading in the Apalachicola River under projected climate change scenarios and land use / land cover (LULC) change. A hydrologic model using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was developed for the Apalachicola region to simulate daily discharge and sediment load under present …

Development Of Regional Optimization And Market Penetration Models For Electric Vehicles In The United States, Mehdi Noori

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the transportation sector still relies mostly on fossil fuels, the emissions and overall environmental impacts of the transportation sector are particularly relevant to the mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change. Sustainable transportation therefore plays a vital role in the ongoing discussion on how to promote energy insecurity and address future energy requirements. One of the most promising ways to increase energy security and reduce emissions from the transportation sector is to support alternative fuel technologies, including electric vehicles (EVs). As vehicles become electrified, the transportation fleet will rely on the electric grid as well as traditional transportation …

Drinking Water Infrastructure Assessment With Teleconnection Signals, Satellite Data Fusion And Mining, Sanaz Imen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adjustment of the drinking water treatment process as a simultaneous response to climate variations and water quality impact has been a grand challenge in water resource management in recent years. This desired and preferred capability depends on timely and quantitative knowledge to monitor the quality and availability of water. This issue is of great importance for the largest reservoir in the United States, Lake Mead, which is located in the proximity of a big metropolitan region - Las Vegas, Nevada. The water quality in Lake Mead is impaired by forest fires, soil erosion, and land use changes in nearby watersheds …

Trihalomethane Removal And Re-Formation In Spray Aeration Processes Treating Disinfected Groundwater, Cassandra Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, chlorination has been widely utilized as a primary and secondary disinfectant in municipal water supplies. Although chlorine disinfection is effective in inactivating pathogenic microbes, the use of chlorine creates the unintentional formation of regulated chemicals. On January 4, 2006, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated the Stage 2 Disinfectants/Disinfection by-product rule (DBPR) that focuses on public health protection by limiting exposure to four trihalomethanes (THM) and five haloacetic acids (HAA5), formed when chlorine is used for microbial pathogen control. This thesis examines post-aeration TTHM formation when employing spray-aeration processes to remove semi-volatile TTHMs from chlorinated potable water …

Analytical Study Of Computer Vision-Based Pavement Crack Quantification Using Machine Learning Techniques, Soroush Mokhtari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Image-based techniques are a promising non-destructive approach for road pavement condition evaluation. The main objective of this study is to extract, quantify and evaluate important surface defects, such as cracks, using an automated computer vision-based system to provide a better understanding of the pavement deterioration process. To achieve this objective, an automated crack-recognition software was developed, employing a series of image processing algorithms of crack extraction, crack grouping, and crack detection. Bottom-hat morphological technique was used to remove the random background of pavement images and extract cracks, selectively based on their shapes, sizes, and intensities using a relatively small number …

Functional Characterization Of Green Sorption Media And Scaling Of Pilot Studies For Copper Removal In Stormwater Runoff, Cameron Houmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Green adsorption media with the inclusion of renewable and recycled materials can be applied as a stormwater best management practice for copper removal. A green adsorption media mixture composed of recycled tire chunk, expanded clay aggregate, and coconut coir was physicochemically evaluated for its potential use in an upflow media filter. The results found that the use of the green adsorption media mixture in isolation or the coconut coir with an expanded clay filtration chamber could be an effective and reliable stormwater best management practice for copper removal. A suite of tests were conducted on the media mixture and the …

Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (Frp) Composites In Retrofitting Of Concrete Structures: Polyurethane Systems Versus Epoxy Systems, Elie El Zghayar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been of interest to the structural engineering society since the earliest days of FRP composites industry. The use of such systems has been implemented in both new construction and for repair and rehabilitation of existing structures. Since the 1980s, researchers have developed a significant body of knowledge to use FRP composites in infrastructure applications; however, most of this established knowledge was concentrated on the use of traditional epoxy (EP) systems (epoxy matrix FRPs and epoxy adhesives). FRP composites with polyurethane (PU) matrices and adhesives have recently attracted the attention of a few researchers due …

Tidal Hydrodynamic Response To Sea Level Rise And Coastal Geomorphology In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Davina Passeri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sea level rise (SLR) has the potential to affect coastal environments in a multitude of ways, including submergence, increased flooding, and increased shoreline erosion. Low-lying coastal environments such as the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) are particularly vulnerable to the effects of SLR, which may have serious consequences for coastal communities as well as ecologically and economically significant estuaries. Evaluating potential changes in tidal hydrodynamics under SLR is essential for understanding impacts to navigation, ecological habitats, infrastructure and the morphologic evolution of the coastline. The intent of this research is to evaluate the dynamic effects of SLR and coastal geomorphology …

Evaluating Travelers Experience With Highway Advisory Radio (Har) And Citizens Band Radio Advisory System (Cbras) On Florida's Turnpike Enterprise Toll Roadways And Florida Interstate Highways, Nabil Muhaisen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to evaluate travelers' experience with Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) and Citizens' Band Radio Advisory System (CBRAS) technologies on both Florida Interstate Highway system (FIH) and the Florida Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) toll roads. To achieve this goal, two different survey tools were used. The first tool is a random digit dialing phone survey known as CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing). The second tool is a field survey that intercepts travelers at the Florida Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) service plazas and the Florida Interstate Highway (FIH) rest areas. HAR and CBRAS are traditional components of the Advanced Traveler …

Bs News January/February

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Accurate And Efficient Reliability Analysis Of Complex Structural Engineering Problems, Kapil Dilip Patki

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ACCURATE AND EFFIFICIENT RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING PROBLEMS

by

KAPIL DILIP PATKI

December 2015

Advisor: Dr. Christopher Douglas Eamon

Major: Civil Engineering

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Accurate probabilistic analysis of complex engineering problems with reasonable computational effort is a popular area of research in structural reliability analysis. For probabilistically complex problems such as those involving nonlinear FE analysis; traditional simulation methods often require unfeasibly great computational effort, while low-cost reliability index approaches may lack sufficient accuracy. This dissertation report addresses this issue by developing a simulation-based method referred to as Advanced Failure Sampling (FS).

In this research, …

Flow, Spray Pattern, And Droplet Spectra Characteristics Of An Electronically Actuated Variable-Orifice Nozzle, Joe D. Luck, Santosh Pitla, M. P. Sama, S. A. Shearer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the flow rate, spray pattern, and droplet spectra characteristics of an actively controlled variable-orifice nozzle at constant carrier pressures. A commercially available variable- orifice nozzle (VariTarget) was modified to allow for direct electromechanical control of the metering stem. The modified system was tested at five carrier pressures ranging from 138 to 414 kPa and five metering stem (and thus orifice) positions. The metering stem position range was chosen because it provided a linear response in flow rate at each carrier pressure. Flow rate testing indicated a turndown ratio of 2.4:1 …

A Microsimulation Of Novel Intersection Designs, Aman Kinfemichael Woldetinsae

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

The focus of this project is to see how a turbo roundabout and a protected intersection designs behave when they are applied on two study sites in Portland, OR. PTV VISSM is used to model, analyze and compare the performances of these designs with the existing intersection. In addition, the best features of the protected intersection and the turbo roundabout were combined to create a new intersection design that is safer for the bicyclists and also performs better than the existing intersection.

The analysis is conducted for five different volume scenarios for both the study sites. The results of the …

Strengthening Black Cotton Soil With Fly Ash And Moorum: An Investigation Of The Role Of Subgrade And Subbase Layers, Gourav Saxena, Nikhlesh Chaurasia

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

One of the most effective and economical methods to strengthen clayey soils is addition of stabilizing agents such as fly ash to the soil. In this study, highly plastic clay was stabilized using fly ash. Geotechnical properties such as Atterberg limits, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and the California bearing ratio (CBR) value of virgin black cotton soil and soil treated with fly ash were evaluated. Soil was stabilized with various proportions of fly ash, i.e., at 0%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 30%. The UCS of black cotton soil–fly ash mixes is found to be at its maximum at 20% fly …

Using Coal Fly Ash In Agriculture: Combination Of Fly Ash And Poultry Litter As Soil Amendments For Bioenergy Feedstock Production, E. Kudjo Dzantor, Ekundayo Adeleke, Vanaha Kankarla, Oluwatosin Ogunmayowa, Dafeng Hui

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Increasing fiscal, human, and environmental costs of coal fly ash (FA) management are leading to advocacy for greater beneficial uses of the by-products as soil amendments in agriculture. Greenhouse experiments were conducted in Armour silt loam (ASL) soil that was amended with FA (10%, wt/wt) with and without poultry litter (PL 5 75 mg N/kg). Biomass productivity of eastern gamagrass (GG), a warm-season perennial grass, was measured to serve as complementary biofuel feedstock to switchgrass (SG). FA was obtained from a site at the 2008 ash spill in Kingston, TN. GG and SG were grown individually in 15-cm-wide 3 41-cm-high …