Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Impact Of Optimally Minimizing Delay Times On Safety At Signalized Intersections In Urban Areas, Case Study: The City Of Virginia Beach, Eugene Vida Maina, Albert Forde, R. Michael Robinson

VMASC Publications

Optimally minimizing delay times at signalized intersections can significantly improve both traffic flow and safety. However, most traffic flow optimizing tools do not measure the effect on safety. This study uses nonlinear programming (NLP) algorithms to optimally minimize delay times and employs both Safety performance functions (SPFs) and empirical Bayes (EB) before-after methodology to measure the impact on safety presented as a Crash Modification Factor (CMF). A crash modification factor (CMF) is a multiplicative factor used by transportation practitioners to compute the expected number of crashes at specific study site(s) after a countermeasure has been proposed or is implemented. Using …

Characterization Of Biochars Produced From Peanut Hulls And Pine Wood With Different Pyrolysis Conditions, James W. Lee, Bob Hawkins, Michelle K. Kidder, Barbara R. Evans, A. C. Buchanan, Danny Day

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Background

Application of modern biomass pyrolysis methods for production of biofuels and biochar is potentially a significant approach to enable global carbon capture and sequestration. To realize this potential, it is essential to develop methods that produce biochar with the characteristics needed for effective soil amendment.

Methods

Biochar materials were produced from peanut hulls and pine wood with different pyrolysis conditions, then characterized by cation exchange (CEC) capacity assays, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm measurements, micro/nanostructural imaging, infrared spectra and elemental analyses.

Results

Under a standard assay condition of pH 8.5, the CEC values of the peanut hull-derived biochar materials, ranging from …

Efficient Generalized Inverse For Solving Simultaneous Linear Equations, S. Kadiam Bose, D. T. Nguyen

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Solving large scale system of Simultaneous Linear Equations (SLE) has been (and continue to be) a major challenging problem for many real-world engineering and science applications. Solving SLE with singular coefficient matrices arises from various engineering and sciences applications [1]-[6]. In this paper, efficient numerical procedures for finding the generalized (or pseudo) inverse of a general (square/rectangle, symmetrical/unsymmetrical, non-singular/singular) matrix and solving systems of Simultaneous Linear Equations (SLE) are formulated and explained. The developed procedures and its associated computer software (under MATLAB [7] computer environment) have been based on "special Cholesky factorization schemes" (for a singular matrix). Test matrices from …

Lateral-Torsional Buckling Of Frp I-Section Beams, Mojtaba B. Sirjani, Zia Razzaq

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents the outcome of an experimental and theoretical investigation into the load-carrying capacity of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) I-section beams subjected to four-point loading. The overall lateral-torsional buckling, web and flange local buckling as well as material rupture load estimates are also made using the American Society of Civil Engineers Load and Resistance Factor Design (ASCE-LRFD) Pre-Standard for FRP Structures. Lateral-torsional buckling failure mode is found to govern for each of the beams studied. The study also revealed that the height of applied loads relative to the shear center has a very significant influence on lateral-torsional buckling load …

Elasto-Plastic Transient Dynamic Response Of Tubular Section Steel Cantilever Beam Under Impact Loading, Alial Aloosi, Zia Razzaq

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents the outcome of an experimental and theoretical investigation into the loadcarrying capacity of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) I-section beams subjected to four-point loading. The overall lateral-torsional buckling, web and flange local buckling as well as material rupture load estimates are also made using the American Society of Civil Engineers#x2019; Load and Resistance Factor Design (ASCELRFD) Pre-Standard for FRP Structures. Lateral-torsional buckling failure mode is found to govern for each of the beams studied. The study also revealed that the height of applied loads relative to the shear center has a very significant influence on lateral-torsional buckling load …

Panic That Spreads Sociobehavioral Contagion In Pedestrian Evacuations, Terra Elzie, Erika Frydenlund, Andrew J. Collins, R. Michael Robinson

VMASC Publications

Crowds are a part of everyday public life, from stadiums and arenas to school hallways. Occasionally, pushing within the crowd spontaneously escalates to crushing behavior, resulting in injuries and even death. The rarity and unpredictability of these incidents provides few options to collect data for research on the prediction and prevention of hazardous emergent behaviors in crowds. This study takes a close look at the way states of agitation, such as panic, can spread through crowds. Group composition—mainly family groups composed of members with differing mobility levels—plays an important role in the spread of agitation through the crowd, ultimately affecting …

Assessing Public Health Burden Associated With Exposure To Ambient Black Carbon In The United States, Ying Li, Daven K. Henze, Darby Jack, Barron H. Henderson, Patrick L. Kinney

ETSU Faculty Works

Black carbon (BC) is a significant component of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) air pollution, which has been linked to a series of adverse health effects, in particular premature mortality. Recent scientific research indicates that BC also plays an important role in climate change. Therefore, controlling black carbon emissions provides an opportunity for a double dividend. This study quantifies the national burden of mortality and morbidity attributable to exposure to ambient BC in the United States (US). We use GEOS–Chem, a global 3-D model of atmospheric composition to estimate the 2010 annual average BC levels at 0.5 x 0.667° …

Rubber Roads For The Rubber City: Testing The Suitability Of Rubberized Asphalt For Roads In Northeast Ohio, Jessica M. Fraser

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research paper explores the benefits of using rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC) versus normal asphalt concrete (NAC) and why it is environmentally important. New road construction and repair of roadways due to potholes are always occurring in Northeast Ohio. Recently, the city of Akron’s transportation budget has increased, which includes projects such as reconstructing asphalt and resurfacing pavements throughout the city of Akron. Using rubberized asphalt may improve the quality of our roads and reduce roadway degradation which will likely save cities money.

Using rubberized asphalt recycles old tires, which do not decompose, and creates a positive use for them …

Application Of Secondary Analyses On Industrial Data Sets, Luis G. Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Secondary analysis on quantitative data sets is the in-depth analysis of relationships, trends, patterns or behaviors that are not obvious from a superficial examination of data but that can be very germane in the application of that data. The present work presents a framework for investigators to use in applying secondary analysis on big data that correlates to the research topic. The framework can facilitate the illumination of possible data behaviors or patterns that could be useful in arriving at an answer to a question. Behavior of monitored equipment (analyzers, meters, etc.) can easily be depicted and can be used …

Evaluation Of Point Of Use Reverse Osmosis Systems For Drinking Water In Colonias, Oscar Daniel Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Clean drinking water is often considered a right and not a privilege, especially in first world countries. However, thousands of residents of colonias (settlements in the U.S. that lack access to basic infrastructure) struggle to obtain clean drinking water, including some in the Paso del Norte Region. Residents of colonias located in Doña Ana County, NM, and El Paso County, TX typically rely on domestic wells and hauled water, respectively, but these sources may be of inadequate quality, potentially posing a health risk due to microbiological contamination, presence of arsenic, or elevated concentration of total dissolved solids. This project brings …

Removal Of Iron, Zinc, And Copper From Waters Impacted By Acid Mine Drainage Using Natural Zeolite, Mackayla Janae Thyfault

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this research, the adsorption behavior of zeolites with respect to iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) has been studied in order to assess its application to heavy metal removal in polluted settings caused by acid mine drainage (AMD). The St. Cloud zeolitic deposit used in this project was characterized using a sieve analysis; the effective diameter and coefficient of uniformity were calculated. Batch studies were performed, and the samples were analyzed using ICP-OES. Batch studies used metal concentrations ranging from 50 mg/L to 650 mg/L. Freundlich, Linear, Langmuir, and BET adsorption isotherms were applied and evaluated to the …

Using Zeolite For Soil Moisture Retention And Salinity Control, Mark Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There is a great need in the desert southwest United States for exploring ways to save water in agriculture as it accounts for up to 90 percent of water consumption in many western states (USDA 2016). As surface water reaches critical lows the dependence on ground water has increased leading to the need for deeper wells with higher salt concentrations. The studies conducted for this research included using zeolites from the St Cloud Mining Company in Winston, New Mexico to determine the feasibility of using these zeolites to help and retain moisture in zeolite treated soils. The Volumetric Water Content …

A Multi-Objective Sustainable Model For Transportation Asset Management Practices, Marketa Vavrova

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Transportation Asset Management (TAM) practices have gained popularity in the United States and worldwide with the aim to provide the required level of service for the transportation infrastructure network in the most cost-effective manner. However, TAM is a complex decision-making process because many objectives and different perspectives, often producing conflicting goals, must be considered.

This Dissertation presents a Multi-Objective Sustainable (MOS) model to integrate economic, social, and environmental sustainable objectives into TAM decision-making. The objective is to develop a holistic multi-objective asset management approach integrating environmental and social sustainability related performance measures with traditional indicators, such as asset condition and …

Environmenal Impact Assessment And Removal Of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds In Municipal Wastewater Treatment, Juan C. Bezares-Cruz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The presence of compounds of emerging concern (CECs) such as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and herbicides in municipal wastewater present environmental challenges because conventional treatment systems were not designed to remove such compounds. The removal of Bisphenol-A (BPA), 17?-Estradiol (E2), 17β-Ethinylestradiol (EE2), nonylphenols (NP), and select herbicides and pesticides were investigated in two municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in El Paso, TX. In addition, the environmental impact of the two municipal wastewater treatment plants was investigated, including the theoretical addition of UV/H2O2. The use of UV/H 2O2 was studied in a UV bench scale pilot unit, and its performance was …

Estimating Air Pollution Concentrations Using Moves-Generated Site-Specific Traffic Emissions, Mayra Consuelo Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The research presented here attempts to estimate air pollution concentrations using MOVES and site-specific traffic emissions particularly those emissions surrounding three different air-monitoring stations. The objectives of this research include using MOVES capability to conduct project-level analyses, choosing impact zones to create emissions inventories. Emissions inventories provided by the MOVES model for impact zones within the El Paso county area were used to identify a relationship between air monitoring stations' measured results and emission estimates from a project-level analysis. The research hopes to identify an optimum zone radius that can be used to compare MOVES estimates with air monitoring stations …

Numerical Simulation Of The Overlay Tester, Andrea Gutierrez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Overlay Tester (OT) is a relatively new testing procedure that characterizes the cracking resistance of hot mix asphalt (HMA) by evaluating the number of cycles to failure of an HMA specimen. The lack of repeatability and high variability of the results have been a concern to transportation agencies. A careful experimental review of the OT test protocol reveals the complex stress and strain distributions that should be understood in order to improve the certainty associated with the test.

The objective of this Thesis is to present the numerical modeling of the OT test through finite element analysis (FEA). When …

Transportation Network Resilience: Evaluation Of Performance Measures, Jessica L. Miramontes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The resilience of an urban transportation network is its ability to adapt, absorb, anticipate, and rapidly recover from a disruptive event causing link closures, node closures, and reduced capacity, while providing an acceptable level of service. Several researchers, have performed studies of Transportation Network Resilience (TNR). However, there has not been a clear definition of how to measure or quantify TNR. The objective of this research is to define, quantify and compare the consistency of different measures of TNR and make recommendations to engineers and decision makers. In this research seven proposed parameters have been defined as candidate measures of …

Analysis Of Nitrogen Speciation And Removal In Direct Potable Reuse In El Paso, Texas, Oluwaseye Michael Owoseni

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Population growth and increasing demand for potable water is causing a need for additional sources to water portfolios in areas with water scarcity. Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) is gaining recognition in these regions and ensuring appropriate measures for the removal of nitrogen and other contaminants cannot be overemphasized. Two nitrogen species, nitrate and nitrite are known to cause harmful effects on young infants below the age of six months. El Paso Water Utilities conducted a pilot test for DPR to ascertain the viability of DPR as an additional source to the current water portfolio.

Non-chlorinated secondary clarifier effluent from a …

National Evaluation For Development And Exploration Potential Of Mineral Commodities In Produced Waters, Stephanie Ray

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The U.S. Geological Survey recently updated a geochemical database consisting of data for approximately 160,000 produced waters samples, primarily from petroleum and geothermal reservoirs. Using major and trace elements from conventional and unconventional well types from the database, this Thesis provides a comprehensive, national evaluation for mineral commodity potential in produced waters. Produced waters contain virtually every naturally occurring element and can range in salinity to several times that of seawater. Despite the typical outlook to view produced waters as a waste, they have potential for natural resource development.

This Thesis provides, for each mineral commodity found in the produced …

Ontology-Driven Integration Of Data For Freight Performance Measures, Eduardo J. Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Transportation performance measures are defined as quantitative and qualitative indicators that rely on data or information to explain mobility, congestion, safety, environmental and other factors. Though performance measures have been used for freeways and other highways, not many have been specified and applied to the freight transportation system. Recently, freight performance measures have been recommended by Federal Highway Administration to quantify the operating efficiency of the freight transportation system on existing infrastructures. This research seeks to expand this concept and to develop a comprehensive freight performance measurement framework. The expanded framework recommended in this Thesis consists of four criteria: safety, …

A Discretionary Lane Changing Decision Model Based On Fuzzy Inference System, Esmaeil Balal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A lane changing event involves up to five vehicles: the subject vehicle, preceding and following vehicles in the original lane, and the preceding and following vehicles in the target lane. Understanding the behavior of the subject vehicle with respect to the surrounding vehicles is fundamental to the study of the safety of a lane change maneuver and for the modeling of lane changing behavior. First, the statistical properties of 10 lane changing parameters were defined and studied using the Next Generation SIMulation (NGSIM) vehicle trajectory data collected at the I-80 Freeway in Emeryville, California, and then tested with data collected …

Case Studies In Implementing Intelligent Compaction In Construction Of Earthwork, Jorge Alberto Beltran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The nuclear density gauge (NDG) is the current tool for field compaction quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) for soil and base layers in the state of Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) uses this nondestructive testing (NDT) device to determine the compacted density and moisture content of earthwork and unbound aggregates. However, to provide the missing link between design and quality management parameters, an alternative stiffness-based approach would be more desirable. Intelligent Compaction (IC) is defined as continuous assessment of mechanistic soil properties (stiffness, modulus) through roller parameters (frequency, amplitude and speed) integrated with global positioning system …

Influence Of The Stress Path, Moisture, And Fine Content On Permanent Deformation Of Geomaterials, Uriel Brian Arteaga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Permanent deformation within the unbound granular is a predominant feature that results in the degradation and loss of serviceability to the pavement structure as the passage of traffic wheel loads accumulate. Proper characterization of the multi-layer structures is necessary to improve the rutting performance by mechanistically identifying the factors that contribute to the progression of plastic deformations. A consequence of ignoring these features results in the underestimation of the rutting potential, which amounts to premature failure. Current rutting models fail to incorporate factors such as moisture state, gradation, and stress-paths which are paramount to proper characterization of base and sub-base …

A Decision Making Approach For Selection Of Sustainable Pavements In Texas By Integrating Life Cycle Cost Analysis (Lcca), Life Cycle Assessment (Lca) Of Environmental And Social Impacts, Sundeep Inti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A sustainable pavement can be defined as the one that minimally impacts future economic opportunities, social conditions, human health, and the environment and still fulfills the engineering objectives. Although a pavement as outlined above is not yet entirely feasible, continual effort from every stakeholder with a vision of achieving sustainable development is essential for the future of society. In this study, one such effort was initiated by proposing a framework for selection of pavement design based on sustainable development.

The concept of sustainability is widely believed to be founded on three criteria: economic, environmental, and social standards. Since the purpose …

Integrating Cobots In Engineering Technology Education, Ana M. Djuric, Vukica Jovanovic, Tatiana V. Goris, Otilia Popescu

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Collaborative robots or CoBots, unlike traditional robots, are safe and flexible enough to work harmoniously with humans. Exploiting the efficiency of automated operations and the flexibility of manual operations in one process can improve productivity and worker job satisfaction. CoBots technology has been experiencing strong growth in different areas such as ground transportation, food-processing industry, car manufacturing, and naval or aeronautical engineering. Current CoBots education and training opportunities are rare or non-existent in university environments. In response to this need, we developed several CoBots modules which will be integrated in the current robotics and mechatronics courses. In this paper we …

Human Health Risks From Tap Water Chlorine Disinfection Byproducts: An Ohio Study, Leann L. Brown

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The use of chlorine in the disinfection process for drinking water has resulted in the creation of disinfection byproducts in the potable water. These carcinogenic disinfection byproducts (DBP’s) pose a risk to consumers. Traveling through the water distribution system, stagnation of water in plumbing pipes, and the heating of the water in a hot water tank are all responsible for increasing the concentration of DBP’s. In this report, the existing concentrations of trihalomethanes (THM’s) and haloacetic acids (HAA’s) were gathered from the consumer confidence reports (CCR’s) of eight water treatment plants in five Ohio cities. These values were given assumed …

Heterogeneous Thermal Effects On Structural-Grade Steel, Eric Wickersham

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The AISC Steel Construction Manual covers structural steel design while at atmospheric and elevated temperatures. The manual does not, though, cover what happens to the steel after it has cooled from elevated temperatures. To fill in this knowledge gap, A36 steel was studied with respect to three main criteria: time, temperature, and cooling. Time was sub-divided into a standard burn (17-20min) and a prolonged burn (90min). Temperature was sub-divided into an average burn (600-800⁰F) and an extreme burn (>1200⁰F). To reach such temperatures, a forge was constructed and used during the burning process. Cooling was sub-divided into standard (air …

Deep Excavations In Urban Environments: A Review Of Recent Developments, Micah D. Nine

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Failure of excavations can be incredibly costly. Lives can be lost, projects delayed for months, and adjacent structures damaged by ground surface settlement related to both basal-heave and serviceability failures. This report summarizes developments in recent years that pertain to deep excavations in urban environments and mathematical methods to best avoid failures. The ultimate limit state (basal-heave and piping failure), and serviceability limit state (ground surface settlement and lateral wall defection) are the basis for geotechnical design in excavations. Structurally, the strength limit state (structural strength of the wall), serviceability limit state (deformation of the retaining wall), and stability (such …

Impacts Of Water Sources On The Effectiveness Of Point-Of-Use Water Treatment, Robert Brophy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Disinfection of drinking water provides a safe, reliable, and clean water supply and has been protecting public health successfully throughout the 20th century. However, factors such as deteriorating infrastructure, introduction of microbial pathogens, or disinfection byproducts create problems and reduce the effectiveness of a drinking water treatment plant. Every day the public is drinking known carcinogens that are regulated by the EPA and tested for quarterly by treatment plants. To combat rising costs involved with upgrading source water treatment, point-of-use treatment is a popular option that treats water as it leaves the distribution system instead of being treated before discharge. …

The Effect Of Green Structures On Hydrology In Urban Areas Of Akron, Ohio, Brooke Hayes, Brian Long

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Stormwater runoff is a major environmental concern in dense urban areas. Runoff in these areas contributes to flooding as well as water quality problems in the streams, lakes, and reservoirs downstream. The Cuyahoga River is the receiving waterbody for the City of Akron’s stormwater runoff. Currently, combined sewer overflow (CSO) from the city's outdated sewer system is the overriding reason for poor water quality in the Cuyahoga River.

Implementation of green infrastructure is one way to mitigate problems associated with stormwater runoff from urban areas. In this study, hydrologic modeling of the Little Cuyahoga watershed was conducted to determine how …