Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Education For Sustainable Development- The Irish Construction Sector And The Need For A Sustainable Approach, Conor Mcmanus

Masters

This study explores the path to be taken towards achieving Sustainable Development. It examines the impact the construction industry has on the environment as a result of a knowledge and skills gap and considers how our present way of thinking facilitates this. It then goes on to show how a change in construction education can bring about change in the industry and facilitate the implementation of sustainable development. The study examines how the singular emphasis on technology, the introduction of the ‘expert’ into the domestic building process and the narrow focus on operational energy conservation raises questions about Ireland's present …

Impact Of Image Resolution On Pavement Distress Detection Using Picucha Methodology, Reus Salini, Bugao Xu, Mena I. Souliman

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

An accurate and regular survey of the road surface distresses is a key factor for pavement rehabilitation design and management, allowing public managers to maximize the value of the continuously limited budgets for road improvements and maintenance. Manual pavement distress surveys are labor-intensive, expensive and unsafe for highly-trafficked highways. Over the years, automated surveys using various hardware devices have been developed and improved for pavement field data collection to solve the problems associated with manual surveys. However, the reliable distress detection software and the data analysis remain challenging. This study focused on the analysis of a newly-developed pavement distress classification …

Preliminary Design Guidelines For Poraver-Based Lightweight Concrete, Marlow Stanton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research project investigated lightweight Portland cement concrete batching procedures and developed guidelines for designing Poraver-based mixes. Lightweight concrete has a variety of applications, from structural fills to structural members. The study was completed in two stages: Stage 1 was a pilot study serving to confirm whether the ACI211.2-98 Volumetric Method was appropriate for Poraver-based lightweight concrete. Additionally, Stage 1 examined the range of outcomes possible with a large combination of test mixes and explored handling techniques for presoaked aggregate. Stage 2 focused on confirming the linear relationship of cement content and compressive strength through a large quantity of test …

Performance Implications Of Bicycle Specific Treatments At Signalized Intersections, Andrew Kading

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

A rise in cycling nationwide has brought an increased awareness of bicycle specific safety concerns, particularly right-hook crashes at signalized intersections. There are several common and emerging signal timing strategies that are can be used to improve the safety and efficiency of traffic signals for people on bicycles, including the Leading Bicycle Intervals (LBI), Split LBI, and Exclusive Bicycle Phasing (EBP). The leading and split bicycle intervals provide a head start for bicycles in advance of concurrent and conflicting motor vehicle movements, typically about 3-5 seconds. The EBP provides an interval only when bicycles are moving. To examine the performance …

Analysis Of Pedestrian And Bicycle Crashes In Michigan, Ahmed Abbas Ghubin Al-Zubaidi

Masters Theses

Vulnerable road users such as pedestrian and bicyclists are more likely to sustain a severe injury when they are involved in a crash with motor vehicles. Identifying the causes of crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists is essential to reducing the number and the severity of such crashes. This study identified the causes and risk behaviors associated with pedestrian and bicycle crashes in Michigan by reviewing selected individual crash report (i.e., UD-10). Crash reports for all pedestrian and bicycle fatal crashes (K) and a sample of incapacitating injury crashes (A) from 2010 to 2014 were reviewed and typed individually using the …

Phosphorus Adsorption Through Engineered Biochars Produced From Local Waste Products, Peter Ogonek

Honors Theses

Phosphorus contained in agricultural runoff is a major anthropogenic contributor to harmful algal blooms (HABs). Biochars are carbon-based materials produced from the pyrolysis of waste biomass that have the potential to amend soils and remediate inorganic and organic contaminants from water. Engineered biochars tailored to adsorb phosphorus from water could reduce the availability of the nutrient in agricultural runoff, reducing the size and frequency of HABs. This study observed the phosphorus adsorption properties of engineered biochars produced from two source materials, oak sawdust and cornstalk residue, and being unmodified, acid-rinsed, or loaded with magnesium prior to pyrolysis, creating acid-rinsed, unmodified, …

Exploring Large-Scale Parameterization Of Irrigation In The Northern High Plains, Mitch Maguire, Daniel Rico, Katherine Smith, Francisco Munoz-Arriola

UCARE: Research Products

Research Question – Objective - Hypothesis

How does irrigation respond to the demands of Crop Irrigation Requirements under extreme hydrometeorological events?

Implement a parameterization of irrigation into the land surface hydrology model VIC.

Changes in evapotranspiration (ET) will be more conspicuous during dry years, highlighting the limiting role of soil moisture in the model.

Sustainable Architecture Design: Environmental And Economic Benefits, Michael Babcock

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the movement of environmentalism, and its impact on architecture and construction. During an interview with a professional architect, a basis for research of sustainable design was devised, when he explained that “good” architecture attempts to holistically integrate the external and built environment. Presently, the main measurement for sustainability is energy efficiency. Therefore, architects constantly implement new technology in an attempt to unify both the external and built environment in an energy efficient manner. Furthermore, this thesis provides an environmental and financial cost analysis of implementing sustainable design and build. Research shows that the life cycle and up-front …

Texture Analysis Using The Neutron Diffraction Method On The Non Standardized Austenitic Steel Process By Machining,Annealing, And Rolling, Tri Hardi Priyanto, Parikin Parikin, Meijuan Li

Makara Journal of Technology

Austenitic steel is one type of stainless steel which is widely used in the industry. Many studies on austenitic stainless steel have been performed to determine the physical properties using various types of equipment and methods. In this study, the neutron diffraction method is used to characterize the materials which have been made from minerals extracted from the mines in Indonesia. The materials consist of a granular ferro-scrap, nickel, ferro-chrome, ferro-manganese, and ferro-silicon added with a little titanium. Characterization of the materials was carried out in three processes, namely: machining, annealing, and rolling. Experimental results obtained from the machining process …

Post-Repair Seismic Assessment Of Rc Bridges Damaged With Fractured Column Bars - A Numerical Approach, Ruili He, Yang Yang, Lesley H. Sneed

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Seismic repair of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns has been studied extensively during the past several decades; however, few studies have been conducted on the influence of the column repair (member level) on the post-repair performance of bridge structures (system level). In a previous experimental study by the authors, a method was developed to rapidly repair severely damaged RC bridge columns to enable the quick reopening of the bridge to emergency traffic. Thus, a lower limit state was used for the repair design, so that the lateral strength and drift capacity of a repaired RC column with fractured longitudinal bars …

Strain-Controlled Cyclic Simple Shear Tests On Sand With Radial Strain Measurements, Xin Kang, Louis Ge, Kuang Tsung Chang, Annie On Lei Kwok

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Strain-controlled cyclic simple-shear tests were performed on silica sand with radial strain measurements. The specimens were tested under a constant K0 condition and subjected to cyclic loading and post cyclic monotonic loading. Threshold cyclic shear strain, volumetric strain, secant shear modulus, and damping ratio are investigated. Generally, the volumetric strain behavior in this study agreed well with literature findings that were investigated using the conventional cyclic direct simple shear test (without radial constraints). Radial strain during monotonic simple shear (post cyclic loading) was found to be a good parameter in monitoring the onset of flow slide in cohesionless soil. The …

The Role Of Household Antimicrobials In The Proliferation Of Antibiotic Resistance During Anaerobic Digestion, Daniel Elliott Carey

Dissertations (1934 -)

Antimicrobial chemicals in consumer personal care products have been found to increase antibiotic resistance in pure culture studies. Although many studies focus on antibiotic resistance development pertinent to medical scenarios, resistance developed in natural and engineered environments might be significant and has become an emerging concern for human health. This dissertation focuses on the antimicrobial chemicals triclosan and triclocarban. These compounds are distinctly different from antibiotics and are used in products like soaps that are labelled as “antibacterial”. Municipal wastewater treatment plants receive triclocarban and triclosan loads higher than most contaminants of emerging concern because they are frequently used in …

Cyclic Behavior Of A Hybrid Light Gauge And Hss Mezzanine Structural System, Michael John Kren

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Cold-formed steel is emerging as an alternative material in the building industry to hot-rolled steel for smaller buildings and indoor structures also called mezzanines. Cyclic testing of a full-scale mezzanine structures composed of cold-formed structural channel beams connected to hollow structural steel (HSS) columns cap plates using wedge expansion anchors at the base plate to generate rotation restraint, is performed in this research. The characteristics of the structure will be explained by displaying full experimental results of structural testing. Unfortunately, limited experimental data outlining the behavior of these structures is available and design criteria is very limited. Thus, there is …

2016 Directory Of Indiana State, County, City And Town Officials Responsible For Road And Street Work, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Directory

Contact information for local agency officials and employees responsible for Indiana’s local road infrastructure.

Estimating River Discharge Using Multiple-Tide Gauges Distributed Along A Channel, Hamed R. Moftakhari, David A. Jay, Stefan Talke

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reliable estimation of freshwater inflow to the ocean from large tidal rivers is vital for water resources management and climate analyses. Discharge gauging stations are typically located beyond the tidal intrusion reach, such that inputs and losses occurring closer to the ocean are not included. Here, we develop a method of estimating river discharge using multiple gauges and time-dependent tidal statistics determined via wavelet analysis. The Multiple-gauge Tidal Discharge Estimate (MTDE) method is developed using data from the Columbia River and Fraser River estuaries and calibrated against river discharge. Next, we evaluate the general applicability of MTDE by testing an …

Thermal Properties, Crystallinity, And Oxygen Permeability Of Na-Montmorillonite Reinforced Plasticized Poly(Lactic Acid) Film, Kurniawan Yuniarto, Yohanes Aris Purwanto, Setyo Purwanto, Bruce A. Welt, Hadi Karia Purwadaria, Titi Candra Sunarti

Makara Journal of Technology

Introducing unmodified organically clay/Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT) was applied into plasticized poly(lactic acid) PLA to produce film composites by direct casting. Film composite structure, the crystallinity degree and form, and thermal properties were carried out using X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. The effect of Na- MMT to the tortuous path and the crystallinity degree in the plasticized film composites were calculated in oxygen barrier properties. Chromatogram film composites resulted in an intercalated structure that showed peak diffraction angle shift at about 0.2o. Then, a peak diffraction pattern was indicated in α-form crystal structure. Plasticized PLA has a crystallinity degree at 34%, …

Residual Strength Analysisof Asymmetrically Damaged Ship Hull Girderusing Beam Finite Element Method, Muhammad Zubair Muis Alie

Makara Journal of Technology

The objective of the present study is to analyze the residual strength of asymmetrically damaged ship hull girder under longitudinal bending. Beam Finite Element Method is used for the assessment of the residual strength of two single hull bulk carriers (Ship B1 and Ship B4) and a three-cargo-hold model of a single-side Panamax Bulk Carrier in hogging and sagging conditions. The Smith’s method is adopted and implemented into Beam Finite Element Method. An efficient solution procedure is applied; i.e. by assuming the cross section remains plane, the vertical bending moment is applied to the cross section and three-cargo-hold model. As …

Maneuverability Of Ships With Small Draught In Steady Wind, Daeng Paroka, Andi Haris Muhammad, Syamsul Asri

Makara Journal of Technology

Wind force and moment may force a ship to drastically decrease its speed and use a large drift angle as well as a large rudder angle in order to maintain its course. Ships with a small draught might have more risk in maneuvering to its point of view compared with a ship with a larger draught. This paper discusses maneuverability of a ship with a small draught in steady wind. The effect of wind on ship speed, drift angle, and rudder angle are investigated in a steady state condition. Five different ratios of wind velocity to ship speed from 1.0 …

Discrete Power Control In Heterogenous Networks, Yuanyuan Wang, Wibowo Hardjawana, Branka Vucetic

Makara Journal of Technology

In heterogeneous networks (HetNets) where femtocell base stations (FBSs) are deployed within the radio coverage of macrocell base stations (MBSs) to increase network capacity, co-channel interference limits overall system performance with universal frequency reuse. This paper investigates new distributed downlink discrete power control scheme for FBSs in HetNets with FBSs cooperation. The objective of the proposed power control scheme is to maximize the number of simultaneous FBSs transmissions in a single transmission wireless channel where each FBS is allowed to transmit only if the signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR) requirements for both FBSs and MBS users are satisfied. We apply a stochastic …

Multi-Project Scheduling Cost Optimization In A Machine Manufacturer Engineer-To-Order, Farizal Farizal, Amar Rachman, Tifani Tandean, Sumarsono Sudarto, Katsuhiko Takahashi

Makara Journal of Technology

This paper discusses the utilization of mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model to optimize cost for multiproject scheduling in a machine maker company. The objective is to minimize total project’s penalty cost and labor cost. The model formulated shows how to achieve the objective i.e. whether to use outsourcing or overtime to finish all projects. The model of multi-project scheduling was solved by Branch & Bound algorithm coded in Lingo 14.0 software. The case study shows that if a company wants to minimize lateness, it should use overtime instead of outsourcing, which minimize total lateness of projects by 144 days …

Analysis Of Arm Movement Prediction By Using The Electroencephalography Signal, Reza Darmakusuma, Ary Setijadi Prihatmanto, Adi Indrayanto, Tati Latifah Mengko, Lidwina Ayu Andarini, Achmad Furqon Idrus

Makara Journal of Technology

Various technological approaches have been developed in order to help those people who are unfortunate enough to be afflicted with different types of paralysis which limit them in performing their daily life activities independently. One of the proposed technologies is the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). The BCI system uses electroencephalography (EEG) which is generated by the subject’s mental activity as input, and converts it into commands. Some previous experiments have shown the capability of the BCI system to predict the movement intention before the actual movement is onset. Thus research has predicted the movement by discriminating between data in the “rest” …

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue, Volume 40, Number 01

The Professional Constructor

No abstract provided.

Automatic Surface Crack Detection In Concrete Structures Using Otsu Thresholding And Morphological Operations, Sattar Dorafshan, Marc Maguire, Xiaojun Qi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Concrete cracking is a ubiquitous phenomenon, present in all types of concrete structures. Identifying and tracking the amount and severity of cracking is paramount to evaluating the current condition and predicting the future service life of a concrete asset. Concrete cracks can indicate reinforcement corrosion, the development of spalls or changing support conditions. Therefore, monitoring cracks during the life span of concrete structures has been an effective technique to evaluate the level of safety and preparing plans for future appropriate rehabilitation.

One growing technique are unmanned inspections using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). UAVs are drones equipped with cameras, sensors, GPS, …

Impacts Of Operating Parameters On Extracellular Polymeric Substances Production In A High Rate Activated Sludge System With Low Solids Retention Times, Matthew S. Elliot

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The Adsorption/Bio-oxidation (A/B) process accomplishes carbon capture via bio-flocculation in the adsorption stage (A-stage) to maximize energy recovery while simultaneously providing an optimal carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio for denitrification in the Bio-oxidation stage (B-Stage). The present study evaluated the influence of the solids retention time (SRT), dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, and production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on bio-flocculation and subsequent carbon capture using a pilot-scale A-stage process. A mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS)-based control strategy was implemented to manage carbon capture by maintaining a constant MLSS concentration of 3,000 mg/L in response to diurnal variations in organic loading. …

Investigating The Relationship Between Latent Driving Patterns And Traffic Safety Using Smartphone-Based Mobile Sensor Data, Kenneth Wynne

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Crash frequency modelling has been used in the past as an attempt to quantify the expected number of crashes occurring on a certain segment of roadway given a set of variables and factors describing the roadway segment and the traffic along that segment. These models are referred to as the Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM). In past studies, these SPFs have focused primarily on roadway geometric information along with limited traffic exposure data such as traffic volume. Alternate data sources for probe vehicle data are increasingly available and this research sought to exploit this new …

Disseminating The Sustainable City Year Program (Scyp) Education Model, Nico Larco, Marc Schlossberg

TREC Final Reports

The University of Oregon has developed a catalytic learning model that simultaneously meets the needs of both the next generation’s transportation workforce and cities looking for innovative and catalytic ways to advance a new era of transportation goals. Named the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP), the model links local community priorities (as expressed through local plans and city council goals) with courses from a range of disciplines at a nearby university. The UO program engages 500+ multidisciplinary students annually in providing 60,000+ hours of work to city-identified projects using the existing administrative systems of both universities and local communities.

This …

Ethanol Based Foamed Asphalt As Potential Alternative For Low Emission Asphalt Technology, Mohd Rosli Mohd Hasan, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Foamed asphalt typically relies on water as a foaming agent because water becomes gaseous at elevated temperatures, generating numerous tiny bubbles in the asphalt and causing spontaneous foaming. In this study, ethanol was used as a potential alternative to water as a foaming agent. Ethanol is expected to be a physical blowing agent in the same manner as water, except it requires less energy to foam due to its 78 °C boiling point. This study compares the performance of water and ethanol as foaming agents through the measurements of rotational viscosity, the reduction in temperature during foaming, and volatile loss. …

A Hybrid Strategy In Selecting Diverse Combinations Of Innovative Sustainable Materials For Asphalt Pavements, Baron Colbert, Mohd Rosli Mohd Hasan, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

This project integrates recent innovations of recycled materials used in designing and building sustainable pavements. An increasing environmental awareness and the demand for improving economic and construction efficiencies, through measures such as construction warrantees and goals to reduce air pollution under the Kyoto Protocol, have increased the efforts to implement sustainable materials in roadways. The objective of this research is to develop a systematic approach toward selecting optimum combinations of sustainable materials for the construction of asphalt pavements. The selected materials, warm mix asphalt (WMA), recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) were incorporated in this study. The …

Ensemble Forecasts: Probabilistic Seasonal Forecasts Based On A Model Ensemble, Hannah Aizenman, Michael D. Grossberg, Nir Y. Krakauer, Irina Gladkova

Publications and Research

Ensembles of general circulation model (GCM) integrations yield predictions for meteorological conditions in future months. Such predictions have implicit uncertainty resulting from model structure, parameter uncertainty, and fundamental randomness in the physical system. In this work, we build probabilistic models for long-term forecasts that include the GCM ensemble values as inputs but incorporate statistical correction of GCM biases and different treatments of uncertainty. Specifically, we present, and evaluate against observations, several versions of a probabilistic forecast for gridded air temperature 1 month ahead based on ensemble members of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System Version 2 …

Highway Expenditures And Associated Customer Satisfaction: A Case Study, Alexander Paz-Cruz, H De La Fuente-Mella, A Singh, R Conover, H Monteiro

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

This study analyzes the satisfaction of the Nevadans with respect to their highway transportation system and the corresponding expenditures of Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). A survey questionnaire was designed to capture the opinions of the Nevadans (customers) about a number of characteristics of their transportation system. Data from the financial data warehouse of the NDOT was used to evaluate expenditures. Multinomial probit models were estimated to study the correlations between customers' opinion and the government expenditures in transportation. The results indicate the customer satisfaction is decreasing with respect to traffic safety throughout Northwestern and Southern Nevada highways. In addition, …