Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Bathymetric Survey For Lakes Azuei And Enriquillo, Hispaniola, Michael Piasecki, Mahrokh Moknatian, Fred Moshary, Joseph Cleto, Yolanda Leon, Jorge Gonzalez, Daniel Comarazamy

Publications and Research

The two largest lakes on the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola, Lake Azuei in Haiti and Lake Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic, have experienced dramatic growth and surface area expansion over the past few years leading to severe flooding and loss of arable land around the lake perimeters. In order to better understand the reasons for this unprecedented rate of expansion and the resulting consequences a multi-disciplinary team comprised of researchers from Haiti, the DR, and the US have embarked on an extensive data collecting and hydrologic and climatological modeling campaign. While the sensor deployment entails stations that measure climatological data …

Development Of A Transition Between An Energy-Absorbing Concrete Barrier And A Rigid Concrete Buttress, Tyler Schmidt

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

From 2010 to 2015, MwRSF researchers developed the RESTORE barrier, which is a restorable MASH TL-4 median barrier with a steel and concrete rail supported by elastomer posts and steel skids. The research effort reported herein describes the initial development of a transition from the RESTORE barrier to a rigid TL-4 concrete buttress.

The previously-developed RESTORE barrier LS-DYNA model was validated against three full-scale vehicle crash tests. Several design concepts were generated through a series of brainstorming efforts. The primary transition concept consisted of a pin and loop connection between the RESTORE barrier and rigid concrete buttress, which was designed …

Friction Bit Joining Of Dissimilar Combinations Of Gadp 1180 Steel And Aa 7085 – T76 Aluminum, Lorne Steele Atwood

Theses and Dissertations

Friction Bit Joining (FBJ) is a method used to join lightweight metals to advanced high-strength steels (AHSS). The automotive industry is experiencing pressure to improve fuel efficiency in their vehicles. The use of AHSS and aluminum will reduce vehicle weight which will assist in reducing fuel consumption. Previous research achieved joint strengths well above that which was required in three out of the four standard joint strength tests using DP980 AHSS and 7075 aluminum. The joints were mechanically tested and passed the lap-shear tension, cross-tension, and fatigue cycling tests. The t-peel test configuration never passed the minimum requirements. The purpose …

Reservoir Sedimentation: The Economics Of Sustainability, Matthew William George

Theses and Dissertations

Despite mounting demand for a more sustainable worldwide water supply system, available reservoir capacity is relentlessly diminishing due to sedimentation. This fact, coupled with a decrease in the rate of dam construction, indicate an impending water supply dilemma. In the future, dams should be designed following a life cycle management approach rather than the typical short-sighted design life technique.Neither sustainable reservoir lifespans nor intergenerational equity is achieved through conventional cost-benefit analyses (CBA), which render all benefits and costs projected to occur more than several decades into a project as negligible. Consequently, future expenditures, including dam decommissioning or retrofitting with sediment …

Agent-Based Modeling Of Abc Methods For Decision-Making In Highway Bridge Projects Including Uncertainty And Several Stakeholders, Abdul Wahed Mohammed

Dissertations

Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) methods that were recently introduced in the U.S. to reduce the on-site construction duration furnish several benefits to the public and highway agencies. Further, the traffic growth in addition to increasing number of functionally obsolete and structurally deficient bridges necessitates the increased implementation of ABC methods. In recent years, several Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in the U.S. have developed decision-making models to compare broadly ABC to conventional bridge construction for a particular site. However, with increased implementation and advancements in ABC methods, there is a need for specifying a particular ABC method and a superstructure system …

Interfacial Velocity Estimation In Highly Aerated Stepped Spillway Flows With A Single Tip Fibre Optical Probe And Artificial Neural Networks, D. Valero, D. B. Bung

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Study And Optimization Of The Structural Design Of Locks Made Out Of Plain Concrete, A. Tahir, C. Kunz, K. Terheiden

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of The Velocity Field Over Rippled Sand Bottom, B. Stachurska, R. Staroszczyk

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Clearance Gap Losses On The Hydraulic Pressure Machine, O. Schwyzer, N. Saenger

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Coupling Process For 1d-2d Numerical Flash Flood Simulation: A Parameter Study Of Involved Variables For Gullies And Manholes, S. Schlauß, M. Grottker

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Large Eddy Simulation Of The Water Flow Around A Cylindrical Pier Mounted In A Flat And Fixed Bed, P. X. Ramos, R. Maia, L. Schindfessel, T. De Mulder, J. P. Pêgo

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Water Quality Benefits Provided By Stormwater Management Facilities/Infiltration Basin, Vinicius Rodrigues De Mattos Barreto

Theses

Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) and devices are systems frequently built under assumed design performances, but rarely verified after construction. Their effectiveness in protecting the environment against pollutants carried by stormwater runoff has been extensively questioned and investigated. This research presents a case study of an infiltration basin in Medford, NJ to verify if the 80% expected Total Suspended Solids (TSS) removal as stated in the New Jersey Stormwater BMP Manual is actually achieved. A sampling pit was installed on the site and infiltrated water samples were collected during three rain events and TSS measurements were compared with the inflow. …

Water Wave Measurements At Bellsund In The Western Spitsbergen, D. Majewski, W. Sulisz, M. Paprota, M. Szmytkiewicz

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Frequencies Of Nappe Vibration For Free-Overfall Structures, M. Lodomez, M. Pirotton, B. Dewals, P. Archambeau, S. Erpicum

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Vertical Slot Fishway: Evaluation Of Numerical Model Quality, J. Klein, M. Oertel

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Capacity Of Street Inlets With Partially Severed Grate Openings, S. Kemper, A. Schlenkhoff

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Hydraulic Jump Location In Some Types Of Prismatic Channels Using Numerical Modelling, M. A. Hafnaoui, R. F. Carvalho, M. Debabeche

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Numerical Investigation Of The Pressure On A Round Crested Weir, L. Goffin, S. Erpicum, P. Archambeau, B. J. Dewals, M. Pirotton

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Increasing Piano Key Weir Efficiency By Fractal Elements, F. L. Bremer, M. Oertel

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Full Proceedings: Ijrewhs 2016, International Association For Hydro-Environmental Engineering And Research

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of The Flow Field Inside A Drainage System: Gully - Pipe - Manhole, N. A. Beg, R. F. Carvalho, J. Leandro, P. Lopes, L. Cartaxo

International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures

No abstract provided.

Usu Cee Graduate Wins Award | Civil And Environmental Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Justin Maughan is a graduate of our department, with BS and MS in 2009. He now works at Nibley City, Utah as Public Works Director. He recently received a reward from Utah Rural Water Association.

Multi-Regression Prediction Of Metal Partition Coefficients Under Various Physical/Chemical Conditions Design Of Experiments As, Cr, Cu, Ni And Zn, Eid A. Alkhatib, Danielle Grunzke, Trey Chabot

Chemistry & Physics Faculty Publications

The behavior of metals in surface water is complex and their partition coefficients can be impacted by many factors. Organic matter (OM) content in sediments, pH and salinity, are factors that may influence speciation and partitioning of metals. The difficulty in describing the impacts and relationships are that these processes are interconnected with no dominant associations among all. In this study, the partitioning of five metals (As, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn) under different levels of salinity, pH, and OM content were investigated. A series of factorial design experiments are evaluated in which three levels of OM are tested each …

Developing The Greatest Blue Economy: Water Productivity, Fresh Water Depletion, And Virtual Water Trade In The Great Lakes Basin, A. L. Mayer, Stanley Mubako, Benjamin L. Ruddell

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Great Lakes basin hosts the world's most abundant surface fresh water reserve. Historically an industrial and natural resource powerhouse, the region has suffered economic stagnation in recent decades. Meanwhile, growing water resource scarcity around the world is creating pressure on water-intensive human activities. This situation creates the potential for the Great Lakes region to sustainably utilize its relative water wealth for economic benefit. We combine economic production and trade datasets with water consumption data and models of surface water depletion in the region. We find that, on average, the current economy does not create significant impacts on surface waters, …

Connected Vehicles And Rural Road Weather Management, Rhonda Young

PSU Transportation Seminars

Changing weather patterns and increases in extreme weather events has led to the deployment of more weather responsive traffic management strategies. As the transportation system moves towards a connected vehicle environment, questions arise as to how connected vehicle technology can support weather responsive systems. The presentation will discuss the use of connected vehicles in a rural environment as providers of mobile weather data. Two projects will be highlighted - a recently completed research project using passenger vehicle CAN-BUS data as weather surrogates, and the ongoing USDOT CV Pilot Deployment Project in Wyoming.

Cost-Effectiveness Of Rubber And Polymer Modified Asphalt Mixtures As Related To Sustainable Fatigue Performance, Mena I. Souliman, Michael Mamlouk, Annie Eifert

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Load associated fatigue cracking is one of the major distress types occurring in flexible pavements. Flexural bending beam fatigue laboratory test has been used for several decades and is considered an integral part of the Superpave advanced characterization procedure. One of the most significant solutions to sustain the fatigue life for an asphaltic mixture is to add sustainable materials such as rubber or polymers to the asphalt mixture. A laboratory testing program was performed on three gap-graded mixtures: unmodified, Asphalt Rubber (AR) and polymer-modified. Strain controlled fatigue tests were conducted according to the AASHTO T321 procedure. The results from the …

Potential For Biofuel Production From Algae Based Wastewater Treatment In California: Can Algal Biofuels Be Cost-Competitive With Traditional Petroleum Based Diesel?, Amanda Rupiper

Master's Projects and Capstones

Neither the use of algae to clean wastewater, nor the use of photosynthetic organisms to generate biodiesel, are new concepts on their own. By combining these two processes, algal-based wastewater treatment with algal biofuel production, additional benefits can be derived, among which could be a cost-savings. In California the average estimated base production cost per gallon for algal biodiesel is $5.98/gallon. Compared to the adjusted production cost of petroleum-based diesel of $1.53/gallon, biodiesel is not cost-competitive. Coupling wastewater treatment and algal cultivation reduces the net energy use of the two processes separately and, if accounted for, greatly reduces the production …

A Contingency Cost Estimation System For Road Maintenance Contracts, Kishor Shrestha, Pramen Shrestha

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Generally, a contingency cost is provided in a project to cover the change orders (CO) that may be generated in a project during the construction phase due to various reasons, such as unforeseen conditions, design errors, and scope changes. If the contingency cost could be accurately estimated during the contract's procurement phase, the CO cost could be properly managed during the construction phase. Traditionally, contingency costs are allocated around 10% to 15% of the project cost without considering any of the historical CO costs. In this study, a tool was developed to estimate the contingency cost of a road maintenance …

Energy Performance Of A Solar Home Constructed For The Solar Decathlon Competition 2013, Pramen Shrestha, S Mulepati

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Reduction of energy consumption in residential homes is a goal of sustainable construction. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) started a biennial Solar Decathlon competition in 2002, in which the students from universities around the globe built energy-efficient and affordable homes suitable for their climate and location. The main goal of this competition was to select the home best designed and built in a sustainable way. This paper describes the home designed and constructed for participation in the 2012-2013 competition by the students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The home was designed for the desert climate of southern …

Quantifying Transit Access In New York City: Formulating An Accessibility Index For Analyzing Spatial And Social Patterns Of Public Transportation, Maxwell S. Siegel

Theses and Dissertations

This paper aims to analyze accessibility within New York City’s transportation system through creating unique accessibility indices. Indices are detailed and implemented using GIS, analyzing the distribution of transit need and access. Regression analyses are performed highlighting relationships between demographics and accessibility and recommendations for transit expansion are presented.