Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Regrowth Of Chlorella Sorokiniana On Recycled Media With Replenished Nutrients, William H. Spence

Master's Theses

Growth media recycling during algae cultivation is necessary to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of biofuel production from algae feedstocks. Without recycling media, the cost of algae based biofuel production would be prohibitively high and large scale algae based biofuel production would not be economically viable. The ratio of media recycled to media wasted assumed for algae farms is generally calculated to maintain salt concentrations below growth inhibitory levels, ignoring the influence of secondary metabolites which might decrease productivity. Secondary metabolites, which include allelopathic or auto-inhibitory biological contaminants, might lead to the accumulation of growth-inhibiting compounds in recycled …

Ncma Groundwater Model Using Usgs Modflow-2005/Pest, Brian Matthew Wallace

Master's Theses

A numerical model for the NCMA aquifer complex is presented. The objective of the study is to develop a numerical groundwater model for the NCMA aquifer system to enhance the understanding of subsurface groundwater flow. Infiltration, streamflow, pumping, and return flows are implemented to characterize the aquifer complex over time. The numerical model is calibrated to municipal and monitoring well data, average monthly water balances, and hydraulic contours. Transient aquifer inflows and outflows are assessed in the results of the study and are compared to balance terms from previous studies. The 2007 Todd Engineers Study subsurface inflows and outflows generate …

Google Flu Trends Spatial Variability Validated Against Emergency Department Influenza-Related Visits, Joseph Jeffrey Klembczyk, Mehdi Jalalpour, Scott Levin, Raynard E. Washington, Jesse M. Pines, Richard E. Rothman, Andrea Freyer Dugas

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Influenza is a deadly and costly public health problem. Variations in its seasonal patterns cause dangerous surges in emergency department (ED) patient volume. Google Flu Trends (GFT) can provide faster influenza surveillance information than traditional CDC methods, potentially leading to improved public health preparedness. GFT has been found to correlate well with reported influenza and to improve influenza prediction models. However, previous validation studies have focused on isolated clinical locations.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to measure GFT surveillance effectiveness by correlating GFT with influenza-related ED visits in 19 US cities across seven influenza seasons, and to …

Structural Calculations For Nepal Vocational Learning Center, Nicholas Petrarca

Architectural Engineering

This project goal is to build a Leadership Vocational School for youth, women, differently abled, and local leaders of rural and Kathmandu Nepal. The client for this project is an organization called Sakcham Rural Nepal and they partnered with a humanitarian organization called Journeyman International to find Architecture and Architectural Engineering students to design a safe, attractive and functional building to fit their needs.

Cost Benefit Analysis: Applications And Future Opportunities, Bryan Gibson, Candice Y. Wallace

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA or Benefit Cost Analysis — BCA) is an evaluation tool that state transportation agencies can use to compare infrastructure project options across transportation modes and gauge if the discounted value of benefits exceed the costs. CBA lets policymakers compare alternative project proposals to a baseline scenario, or status quo case, under which no investments are made. CBA is used to select which proposal is the most sensible investment—ideally, the project that maximizes benefits while minimizing costs should be chosen. As the use of CBA to evaluate projects and grant applications (e.g., TIGER Discretionary Grants) continues to …

Evaluation Of The Use Of Painted And Unpainted Weathering Steel On Bridges, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Sudhir Palle, Bobby W. Meade, Rick Younce

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KTC researchers studied the use of unpainted weathering steel on bridges, using findings of inspections performed on Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) bridges constructed with both painted and unpainted weathering steel as well as laboratory testing. Laboratory tests were conducted on test panels of conventional and weathering grades of steel to determine the performance of barrier and zinc-based coatings over abrasive-blasted substrates of those steel types in both the new and corroded conditions. The report provides the following recommendations for the use of painted and unpainted weathering steel on Kentucky bridges based upon both the field and laboratory findings:

• KYTC should …

Evaluation Of Alternatives To Provide Wet-Nighttime Delineation, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to compare the performance of various types of materials, devices, and procedures that can potentially delineate roadways during wet, nighttime conditions. Snowplowable markers provide the most effective wet-nighttime delineation. Durability issues associated with the steel casting marker make the recessed marker preferable over the life of the pavement. Wet reflective tape placed in a groove provided both dry and wet-nighttime delineation and remained durable. The performance of thermoplastic material installed on the pavement surface supports its future use but will not provide wet-nighttime delineation. Inconsistent performance of inlaid tape argues against its expanded use. …

Water And Energy Use Of Antimicrobial Interventions In A Mid-Size Beef Packing Plant, Rami M. M. Ziara, Shaobin Li, Bruce I. Dvorak, Jeyamkondan Subbiah

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

Data regarding the water and energy usage of current antimicrobial interventions in beef packing plants is scarce. The objective of this study was to collect representative water and energy usage data in a beef packing plant, with emphasis on antimicrobial interventions, to provide baseline data for comparison of new intervention technologies developed by researchers. Permanent and portable water flow meters were installed on the plant’s plumbing system to collect water flow data from March 2014 to March 2015. A local utility company was hired to meter electricity at the different subsystems using portable data loggers. The natural gas used in …

Beyond The Scs-Cn Method: A Theoretical Framework For Spatially Lumped Rainfall-Runoff Response, Mark Bartlett, Anthony J. Parolari, Jeffrey Mcdonnell, Amilcare Porporato

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Since its introduction in 1954, the Soil Conservation Service curve number (SCS-CN) method has become the standard tool, in practice, for estimating an event-based rainfall-runoff response. However, because of its empirical origins, the SCS-CN method is restricted to certain geographic regions and land use types. Moreover, it does not describe the spatial variability of runoff. To move beyond these limitations, we present a new theoretical framework for spatially lumped, event-based rainfall-runoff modeling. In this framework, we describe the spatially lumped runoff model as a point description of runoff that is upscaled to a watershed area based on probability distributions that …

Comparison Of Safety And Operational Performances For Three Engineering Countermeasures, Ali Hamzah Hussein Alzuhairi

Masters Theses

While there have been many studies on engineering treatments for reducing traffic crashes or for improving intersection efficiency, few studies have been simultaneously taking both impacts into consideration. This thesis analyzed impacts of engineering countermeasures and determines when these countermeasures are cost effective with respect to the amount of traffic and the number of crashes. Both crash reduction and operational costs were compared for analysis. This study specifically investigated three countermeasures: changing from permitted to protected for a left-turn on minor approaches, leading pedestrian interval (LPI), and exclusive pedestrian phase (Barnes Dance). The general Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) from the …

Performance Assessment Of Deteriorated And Retrofitted Steel Hp Piles, Joshua Steelman, Steven Stauffer

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Broad Street Apartments, Carla Alejandra Simental, Viviana C. Sanchez

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Retrofitting Adobe Buildings, Ashley V. Gaur, Jessica E. Ellis

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Experimental Building Demonstration Model With Viscous Fluid Dampers, Blake Thomas Reeve, Brianna Jean Kufa, Aden Malek Stepanians, Sophie Carmion Ratkovich

Architectural Engineering

The Architectural Engineering major places a heavy emphasis on structural dynamics and the role of wind and seismic loading in building analysis and design. Buildings of high importance that are critical to community function, such as hospitals, often utilize supplemental damping devices like supplemental viscous fluid dampers or base isolators to reduce the overall demands on the structural system. The design and analysis of these dampers are typically not taught at the undergraduate level, and is frequently performed by mechanical engineers, in lieu of structural engineers.

To better understand and research building behavior with supplemental damping devices, our multi-disciplinary team …

Removal Of Trace Metal Contaminants From Potable Water By Electrocoagulation, Joe Heffron, Matt Marhefke, Brooke K. Mayer

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This study investigated the effects of four operational and environmental variables on the removal of trace metal contaminants from drinking water by electrocoagulation (EC). Removal efficiencies for five metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and nickel) were compared under varying combinations of electrode material, post-treatment, water composition and pH. Iron electrodes out-performed aluminum electrodes in removing chromium and arsenic. At pH 6.5, aluminum electrodes were slightly more effective at removing nickel and cadmium, while at pH 8.5, iron electrodes were more effective for these metals. Regardless of electrode, cadmium and nickel removal efficiencies were higher at pH 8.5 than at pH …

An Investigation Of The Impact A Rov Competition Curriculum Has On Student Interest In Stem, Specifically Technology And Engineering, Daniel Gordon Bates

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the impact a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) program has on student interest in, and perception of, technology and engineering (sTEm). ROV programs embed areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) into their curriculum; however, emphasis for this study is placed on interest and perception of the "T" and "E" of STEM. Although there are many articles detailing the benefits of ROV programs, there is little empirical data documenting the impact on student interest and perception of sTEm. This study outlines the background of a few major ROV programs in the U.S.; specifically Utah Underwater Robotics (UUR), …

Optimum Pick Point Locations For Straight, Singly Symmetric Steel Plate Girders, J. Andrew Pratt

Theses and Dissertations

Optimal pick point location is discovered in order to have the full buckling capacity of a suspended, non-prismatic, singly symmetric plate girders. The results show that a significant increase in stability occurs at the pick point location of 0.25L, where L is the span length. This recommendation can be utilized in the field to save construction cost and time because of how simplistic it is to use. A finite element software, ABAQUS 6.14, is used to determine the buckling capacities at different pick point locations and of different cross sections. The dimension of the cross sections and span lengths for …

Typical And Darkened Portland Cement Concrete Pavement: Temperature, Moisture, And Roughness Analyses, Tenli Waters

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to 1) investigate the effects of lower concrete albedo on the thermal behavior of concrete pavement by directly comparing temperatures and moisture contents of typical and darkened concrete pavements and 2) investigate changes in roughness of both typical and darkened concrete pavements as a result of changes in temperature and moisture gradients. The scope of the research included instrumentation, testing, and analysis of typical and darkened concrete pavements constructed in northern Utah.Procedures related to field testing included infrared thermography, thermocouple readings, sensor data collection, and roughness surveys. Elevation surveys and albedo measurements were also …

Evaluating The Cost Efficiency Of Modular Construction, Deborah R. Rampoldi

Construction Management

The use of modular construction techniques, also referred to as prefabricated or off-site construction, has been suggested as a practical method for reducing construction costs. However, quantifying these potential cost reductions and identifying the cost items most affected by modular delivery remain significant challenges. This study evaluates the financial effectiveness of 3D volumetric modular construction in which fully fitted modules are manufactured in a factory and assembled onsite. The study aims to identify the primary cost savings and cost increases associated with off-site construction and to support more informed contractor decision-making during project planning and preconstruction. Data was collected through …

Comparison Of Energy Analysis Platforms For Title 24compliance, Holli L. Tripp

Construction Management

The 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Low-Rise Residential Buildings allow users to demonstrate compliance via two methods: performance or prescriptive. Prescriptive documentation requires analysis to be conducted by-hand while performance compliance utilizes computer modeling software to analyze trade-offs, and demonstrate compliance through alternative building design parameters. Typically computer demonstrated compliance via the performance method is the most popular choice because it allows for complex buildings to be analyzed using their actual metrics which results in a more accurate report of proposed energy consumption (Ross, 2016). This method however requires additional software outside of the tools that architects and designers …

Integrating Bim To The Construction Industry: The Hardships, Benefits, And An Unyielding Educational Gap Between Technology And Field Application, Torrie Peth

Construction Management

In recent years, Building Information Modeling has taken the construction industry by storm and revolutionized the construction process entirely. It allows for trades to coordinate more efficiently and effectively, while providing a hands-on, 3D overview of a structure being built. Certain characteristics are more easily adoptable by existing companies than others, but there are vast "fallacies of hype" in the concept. This study will examine the effects as BIM, positive and negative, and its current usage in industry. In addition it will identify the gap developing between students exiting the university setting that has a strong emphasis on technological integration, …

Pervious Pavement Systems For High Traffic Roadways, Kevin M. Smith

Construction Management

This report highlights the benefits and detriments of pervious pavement systems through research of existing knowledge and multifaceted experiments to determine the feasibility of implementing a pervious pavement system on high traffic roadways. With over 40,000 miles of highway in the United States alone and severe water crises in states like California and growing environmental and safety concerns, the need for pervious pavements is abundantly clear. The research conducted utilizes existing knowledge on pervious pavements and applies it to the application of high traffic roadways. The experiment tests four different pervious concrete mix designs to determine compressive strength and water …

Efficiency Of Chlorophyll In Gross Primary Productivity: A Proof Of Concept And Application In Crops, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Yi Peng, Andrés Viña, Timothy J. Arkebauer, James S. Schepers

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

One of the main factors affecting vegetation productivity is absorbed light, which is largely governed by chlorophyll. In this paper, we introduce the concept of chlorophyll efficiency, representing the amount of gross primary production per unit of canopy chlorophyll content (Chl) and incident PAR. We analyzed chlorophyll efficiency in two contrasting crops (soybean and maize). Given that they have different photosynthetic pathways (C3 vs. C4), leaf structures (dicot vs. monocot) and canopy architectures (a heliotrophic leaf angle distribution vs. a spherical leaf angle distribution), they cover a large spectrum of biophysical conditions. Our results show that chlorophyll efficiency in primary …

Carbon Nanotubes Affect The Toxicity Of Cuo Nanoparticles To Denitrification In Marine Sediments By Altering Cellular Internalization Of Nanoparticle, Xiong Zheng, Yinglong Su, Yinguang Chen, Rui Wan, Mu Li, Haining Huang, Xu Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Denitrification is an important pathway for nitrate transformation in marine sediments, and this process has been observed to be negatively affected by engineered nanomaterials. However, previous studies only focused on the potential effect of a certain type of nanomaterial on microbial denitrification. Here we show that the toxicity of CuO nanoparticles (NPs) to denitrification in marine sediments is highly affected by the presence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It was found that the removal efficiency of total NO_X⁻-N (NO₃⁻-N and NO₂⁻-N) in the presence of CuO NPs was only 62.3%, but it …

Investigation Of Structural Capacity Of Geogrid-Reinforced Aggregate Base Materials In Flexible Pavements, Eric J. Sweat

Theses and Dissertations

The installation of geogrid as a means of extending the service life of a roadway or reducing the required base course thickness of a pavement structure has become increasingly popular. The realization of these benefits depends largely on the degree to which the geogrid reinforcement leads to an increase in the stiffness of the aggregate base course layer. The objective of this research was to investigate the structural capacity of geogrid-reinforced aggregate base materials in flexible pavements through full-scale testing. The scope involved field testing at two sites in northern Utah that each included five different geogrid-reinforced sections and five …

Quantifying Computer Vision Model Quality Using Various Processing Techniques, Samantha Anna Ruggles

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has increased in popularity across several industries. Most notable, however, is the impact that this technology has had in research at academic institutions worldwide. As the technology for UAVs has improved, with that comes easier to operate, more accessible equipment. UAVs have been used in various types of applications and are quickly becoming a preferred method of studying and analyzing a site. Currently, the most common use of a UAV is to monitor a location of interest to a researcher that is difficult to gain access to otherwise. The UAV can be …

Exploring Travel Time Reliability Using Bluetooth Data Collection: A Case Study In San Luis Obispo, California, Krista Purser

Master's Theses

Bluetooth technology applications have improved travel time data collection efforts and allowed for collection of large data sets at a low cost per data unit. Mean travel times between pairs of points are available, but the primary value of this technique is the availability of the entire distribution of travel times throughout multiple days and time periods, allowing for a greater understanding of travel time variations and reliability. The use of these data for transportation planning, engineering and operations continues to expand. Previous applications of similar data sources have included travel demand and simulation model validation, work zone traffic patterns, …

Exploring Data Driven Models Of Transit Travel Time And Delay, Bobjot Singh Sidhu

Master's Theses

Transit travel time and operating speed influence service attractiveness, operating cost, system efficiency and sustainability. The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) provides public transportation service in the tri-county Portland metropolitan area. TriMet was one of the first transit agencies to implement a Bus Dispatch System (BDS) as a part of its overall service control and management system. TriMet has had the foresight to fully archive the BDS automatic vehicle location and automatic passenger count data for all bus trips at the stop level since 1997. More recently, the BDS system was upgraded to provide stop-level data plus 5-second …

A Comparison Of Risk Assessment Models For Pipe Replacement And Rehabilitation In A Water Distribution System, Lyle John Nemeth

Master's Theses

A water distribution system is composed of thousands of pipes of varying materials, sizes, and ages. These pipes experience physical, environmental, and operational factors that cause deterioration and ultimately lead to their failure. Pipe deterioration results in increased break rates, decreased hydraulic capacity, and adverse effects on water quality. Pipe failures result in economic losses to the governing municipality due to loss of service, cost of pipe repair/replacement, damage incurred due to flooding, and disruptions to normal business operations. Inspecting the entire water distribution system for deterioration is difficult and economically unfeasible; therefore, it benefits municipalities to utilize a risk …

Benefits Of Advanced Traffic Management Solutions: Before And After Crash Analysis For Deployment Of A Variable Advisory Speed Limit System, Alexander Lindsay Chambers

Master's Theses

Variable speed limit (VSL) systems are important active traffic management tools that are being deployed across the U.S. and indeed around the world for relieving congestion and improving safety. Oregon’s first variable advisory speed limit signs were activated along Oregon Highway 217 in the summer of 2014. The variable advisory speed system is responsive to both congestion and weather conditions. This seven-mile corridor stretches around Western Portland and has suffered from high crash rates and peak period congestion in the past. VSL systems are often deployed to address safety, mobility and sustainability related performance. This research seeks to determine whether …