Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Quantifying Effectiveness Of Streambank Stabilization Practices On Cedar River, Nebraska, Naisargi Dave, Aaron R. Mittelstet

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Excessive sediment is a major pollutant to surface waters worldwide. In some watersheds, streambanks are a significant source of this sediment, leading to the expenditure of billions of dollars in stabilization projects. Although costly streambank stabilization projects have been implemented worldwide, long-term monitoring to quantify their success is lacking. There is a critical need to document the long-term success of streambank restoration projects. The objectives of this research were to (1) quantify streambank retreat before and after the stabilization of 18 streambanks on the Cedar River in North Central Nebraska, USA; (2) assess the impact of a large flood event; …

Bond Of Steel Reinforcement With Microwave Cured Concrete Repair Mortars, P. S. Mangat, Shahriar Abubakri, Konstantinos Grigoriadis

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

This paper investigates the effect of microwave curing on the bond strength of steel reinforcement in concrete repair. Pull-out tests on plain mild steel reinforcement bars embedded in four repair materials in 100 mm cube specimens were performed to determine the interfacial bond strength. The porosity and pore structure of the matrix at the steel interface, which influence the bond strength, were also determined. Test results show that microwave curing significantly reduces the bond strength of plain steel reinforcement. The reduction relative to normally cured (20 °C, 60% RH) specimens is between 21 and 40% with low density repair materials …

How We Compute N Matters To Estimates Of Mixing In Stratified Flows, Robert S. Arthur, Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy, Jeffrey R. Koseff, Oliver B. Fringer

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Most commonly used models for turbulent mixing in the ocean rely on a background stratification against which turbulence must work to stir the fluid. While this background stratification is typically well defined in idealized numerical models, it is more difficult to capture in observations. Here, a potential discrepancy in ocean mixing estimates due to the chosen calculation of the background stratification is explored using direct numerical simulation data of breaking internal waves on slopes. Two different methods for computing the buoyancy frequency, one based on a three-dimensionally sorted density field (often used in numerical models) and the other based on …

On The Propagation Of Gravity Currents Over And Through A Submerged Array Of Circular Cylinders, Jian Zhou, Claudia Cenedese, Tim Williams, Megan Ball, Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy, Roger I. Nokes

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The propagation of full-depth lock-exchange bottom gravity currents past a submerged array of circular cylinders is investigated using laboratory experiments and large eddy simulations. Firstly, to investigate the front velocity of gravity currents across the whole range of array density (i.e. the volume fraction of solids), the array is densified from a flatbed towards a solid slab under a particular submergence ratio, where is the flow depth and is the array height. The time-averaged front velocity in the slumping phase of the gravity current is found to first decrease and then increase with increasing. Next, a new geometrical framework consisting …

Stewardship Of International Bim Programmes: Lessons For Ireland, Barry Mcauley, Alan Hore, Roger West, Shiyao Kuang

Conference papers

The support by central government of national Building Information Modelling (BIM) programmes is common throughout the developed world today. To further understand how the different international governments have supported their BIM programmes the BIM Innovation Capability Programme (BICP) research team in Ireland recently completed a comprehensive Global BIM Study to help inform the National BIM Council (NBC) of Ireland in developing a Roadmap to Digital Transition for Ireland’s Construction Sector. This paper details the findings of a more concentrated investigation on a selection of jurisdictions on how particular international BIM programmes are orgainsed, managed and the level of governmental support …

Level 1 Before Level 2 – The Irish Bim Mandate, Robert Moore

Conference papers

Government Contracts Committee for Construction (GCCC) has prepared a position paper titled ‘A Public Sector BIM Adoption Strategy’, which outlines the context and rationale for the adoption of BIM and puts forward a proposed timeline for adoption, the purpose of this position paper is to invite a response from industry [1]. This paper analyses the position paper on the subject of the implementation of the proposed mandate. The author defines what is implied by UK BIM Levels 0, 1, 2 and 3, and collates the responses from industry to the position paper regarding the implementation plan. This position paper is …

Ireland’S Bim Macro Adoption Study: Establishing Ireland’S Bim Maturity, Barry Mcauley, Alan Hore, Roger West, Mohamad Kassem, Shiyao Kuang

Conference papers

Since 2016 the BIM Innovation Capability Programme (BICP) has captured the capability of the Irish Construction Industry’s and the Higher Education Institutes’ (HEIs) response to the increased requirement for BIM on Irish construction and engineering projects. One of the primary responsibilities of the BICP research team is to collate data to assist the National BIM Council of Ireland in the formulation of a National BIM Roadmap. To assist the Council with this task the BICP research team applied five macro BIM maturity conceptual models to assess Ireland’s BIM maturity. The results from the models were further utilised to develop a …

Analysis Of The Acid-Base Balance Of Mainstream Tobacco Smoke And Its Effect On The Gas/Particle Partitioning Of Nicotine, Amy Kathleen Devita-Mcbride

Dissertations and Theses

Tobacco smoke particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of condensed organic compounds, with about 5 to 10% water. Its general properties are similar in some respects to that of atmospheric organic aerosol PM and thus provides a useful surrogate when studying atmospheric PM. Due to its ability to undergo acid-base chemistry, nicotine is of particular interest in the tobacco smoke system. The gas/particle partitioning of nicotine depends on the protonation state of nicotine in the particles, so the distribution of nicotine between these phases provides a means of understanding the acid-base balance in the tobacco smoke system. The goal …

Understanding The Linkages Between Urban Transportation Design And Population Exposure To Traffic-Related Air Pollution: Application Of An Integrated Transportation And Air Pollution Modeling Framework To Tampa, Fl, Sashikanth Gurram

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid and unplanned urbanization has ushered in a variety of public health challenges, including exposure to traffic pollution and greater dependence on automobiles. Moreover, vulnerable population groups often bear the brunt of negative outcomes and are subject to disproportionate exposure and health effects. This makes it imperative for urban transportation engineers, land use planners, and public health professionals to work synergistically to understand both the relationship between urban design and population exposure to traffic pollution, and its social distribution. Researchers have started to pay close attention to this connection, mainly by conducting observational studies on the relationship between transportation, urban …

Dns And Les Of Scalar Transfer Across An Air-Water Interface During Inception And Growth Of Langmuir Circulation, Amine Hafsi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of an initially quiescent coupled air-water interface driven by an air flow with free stream speed of 5 m/s have been conducted. The DNS solves a scalar advection-diffusion equation for dissolved gas (or scalar) concentration in order to determine the impact of the water-side turbulence on scalar (mass) transfer from the air side to the water side and subsequent vertical transport in the water column. Two simulations are compared: one with a freely deforming interface and a second one with a flat interface. In the first simulation, the deforming interface evolves in the form of gravity-capillary …

Applying Modern Technology In The Preservation Of Historic Concrete Picnic Tables, Michele M. Anderson

Civil Engineering ETDs

Preserving historical concrete structures recognizes the work and skills of past generations and allows the communities surrounding these pieces of history the opportunity to enjoy the character and purpose of their construction. Restoration of concrete picnic tables, constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, required researching materials and methods of construction during the original construction period. Eight decades of environmental and weather cycles did not decay the historic structures. Acts of vandalism destroyed the purpose of the tables and benches. Restoration of the historic picnic tables required extensive literature review for the materials and methods used during the …

Hydrogeochemical Investigation Of Recharge Pathways To Intermediate And Regional Groundwater In Cañon De Valle And Technical Area 16, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Brendan W. Brady

Civil Engineering ETDs

In aquifers consisting of fractured or porous igneous rocks, as well as conglomerate and sandstone products of volcanic formations, silicate minerals actively dissolve and precipitate (Eby, 2004; Eriksson, 1985; Drever, 1982). Dissolution of hydrated volcanic glass is also known to influence the character of groundwater to which it is exposed (White et al., 1980). Hydrochemical evolution, within saturated zones of volcanic formations, is modeled here as a means to resolve the sources feeding a perched groundwater zone. By observation of solute mass balances in groundwater, together with rock chemistry, this study characterizes the chemical weathering processes active along recharge pathways …

State-Based Peridynamic Particle Method, Siavash Nikravesh Kazeroni

Civil Engineering ETDs

In this study, a novel discrete Peridynamics framework called the “State-Based Peridynamic Particle Model (SPPM)” is introduced. In this approach, a solid body is simulated by neither solving differential equations nor integral equations; instead, the simulation is accomplished by directly solving discrete systems of equations using finite summations. SPPM is formulated for a random distribution of particles, hence, it can be considered as a meshfree method. The assumptions of continuity and homogeneity are not necessary for this approach. The SPPM is a generalization of the “State-Based Peridynamic Lattice Model (SPLM)”. In the SPLM formulation, for sake of simplicity and computational …

Pollution Prevention In The Great Lakes Basin: Working With Pulp & Paper Manufacturers, Eugene Park

Journal of Environmental Sustainability

In response to growing concerns over persistent toxic substances in the Great Lakes, new initiatives are in place to address and mitigate pollutant loadings to these large natural waterbodies. With support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) worked with pulp & paper companies in the Great Lakes Basin in an effort to find solutions to reduce environmental impacts from this industry sector. Based on currently available EPA toolkits, NYSP2I developed and utilized an assessment tool called Lean, Energy, and Environment (LE2). Five different paper manufacturers …

Sustained Flow Index: A Stochastic Measure Of Freeway Performance, Siavash Shojaat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The capacity of a road addresses its quantitative traffic carrying ability. The estimation of capacity as a parameter to assess traffic flow performance on freeway facilities has received considerable attention in the literature. Research into the traffic operation at high volumes reveals that the capacity of freeways is not a fixed number, but rather a random variable. Thus, in a stochastic approach to freeway capacity of estimation, the capacity is treated as a random variable generated from a population of flow observations, stemmed from a certain distribution function. Since the type of capacity distribution function is generally not known with …

Field Investigation And Performance Evaluation Of Interface Bonding Between Pavement Layers, Ramendra N. Das

LSU Master's Theses

Proper bonding between pavement layers is essential to provide a monolithic pavement structure that allows distribution of loading over a larger area. Inadequate interface bonding may cause debonding or shear failure at the interface due to the accumulation of concentrated tensile stresses at the bottom of the overlay. Tack coat, a light application of asphaltic cement emulsion is applied on the existing surface to create a strong adhesive bond between pavement layers. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effects of various factors affecting bond strength between hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlay and underlying pavement layers in the field. …

Ncer Assistance Agreement Annual Progress Report For Grant #83582401 - Assessment Of Stormwater Harvesting Via Manage Aquifer Recharge (Mar) To Develop New Water Supplies In The Arid West: The Salt Lake Valley Example, Ryan Dupont, Joan E. Mclean, Richard C. Peralta, Sarah E. Null, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The aims of the original proposed project remain the same, that is, to test the hypothesis that Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) for stormwater harvesting is a technically feasible, socially and environmentally acceptable, economically viable, and legally feasible option for developing new water supplies for arid Western urban ecosystems experiencing increasing population, and climate change pressures on existing water resources. The project is being carried out via three distinct but integrated components that include: 1) Monitoring of existing distributed MAR harvesting schemes involving a growing number of demonstration Green Infrastructure (GI) test sites; 2) Integrated stormwater/vadose zone/groundwater/ ecosystem services modeling; and …

Development Of Artificial Intelligence Approach To Nowcasting And Forecasting Oyster Norovirus Outbreaks Along The U.S. Gulf Coast, Shima Shamkhali Chenar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Oyster norovirus outbreaks pose increasing risks to human health and seafood industry worldwide. This study presents an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based approach to identifying the primary cause of oyster norovirus outbreaks, nowcasting and forecasting the growing risk of oyster norovirus outbreaks in coastal waters. AI models were developed using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and Genetic Programming (GP) methods and time series of epidemiological and environmental data. Input variable selection techniques, including Random Forests (RF) and Forwards Binary Logistic Regression (FBLR), were used to identify the significant model input variables among six independent environmental predictors including water temperature, solar radiation, gage height, …

Gpumap: A Transparently Gpu-Accelerated Python Map Function, Ivan Pachev, Chris Lupo

Civil and Environmental Engineering

No abstract provided.

How Are We Being Informed About Climate Change?, Elisa Perpignan, Oluwasegun O. Seriki, Rollis Jiofack, Derrick Agyapong

Conference papers

Scientific poster ‘How is Europe being informed about Climate Change?’ This poster was presented as part of the research results that have been delivered on behalf of the Women Partnership for the 'Climate change, migration & me Challenge' which was organised part of the Young Water Professional program of the Amsterdam International Water Week.

The poster won the second prize with the team comprising Elisa Perpignan, Derrick Agyapong, Rollis Jiofack, Oluwasegun Seriki (participating online out of respectively Ghana, Burkina Faso and Ireland), from the case: European Pact for Water. The team was selected to attend the Planetary Security Conference – …

Preparation And Properties Of Asphalt Binders Modified By Thfs Extracted From Direct Coal Liquefaction Residue, Jie Ji, Hui Yao, Wenhua Zheng, Zhi Suo, Yuefeng Shi, Ying Xu, Hao Wu, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

This paper aims to study the preparation and viscoelastic properties of asphalt binder modified by tetrahydrofuran soluble fraction (THFS) extracted from direct coal liquefaction residue. The modified asphalt binders, which blended with SK-90 (control asphalt binder) and 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% THFS (by weight of SK-90), were fabricated. The preparation process for asphalt binder was optimized in terms of the orthogonal array test strategy and gray correlation analysis results. The properties of asphalt binder were measured by applying Penetration performance grade and Superpave performance grade specifications. In addition, the temperature step and frequency sweep test in Dynamic Shear Rheometer …

Development Of A Mode And Destination Type Joint Choice Model For Hurricane Evacuation, Ruijie Bian

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Since Hurricane Katrina, transit evacuation service has been seen to serve critical needs in affected cities and an increasing number of hurricanes have struck the east coast where more people rely on public transportation to evacuate. Thus, it is important to model mode choice in evacuation for a better estimation of evacuation transit demand. In this study, a joint mode and destination type choice model was estimated based on multiple post-storm behavioral surveys from the northeastern seaboard to the Gulf coast. A Nested Logit model specification was used to estimate this joint choice model. The estimated model showed significant linkage …

An Enhanced Bridge Weigh-In-Motion Methodology And A Bayesian Framework For Predicting Extreme Traffic Load Effects Of Bridges, Yang Yu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the past few decades, the rapid growth of traffic volume and weight, and the aging of transportation infrastructures have raised serious concerns over transportation safety. Under these circumstances, vehicle overweight enforcement and bridge condition assessment through structural health monitoring (SHM) have become critical to the protection of the safety of the public and transportation infrastructures. The main objectives of this dissertation are to: (1) develop an enhanced bridge weigh-in-motion (BWIM) methodology that can be integrated into the SHM system for overweight enforcement and monitoring traffic loading; (2) present a Bayesian framework to predict the extreme traffic load effects (LEs) …

An Experimental Comparison Between Fine Aggregate And Quarry Fines Based On Mortar Block Strength, Karthik Boregowda

Theses and Dissertations

The strength properties of mortar mainly depend on the materials used for casting. Each material has its own importance for cement mortar strength. In this research, quarry fines, a waste by-product, replaced a portion of fine aggregate in mortar. This research focuses on compressive strength of cement mortar using American Society for Testing and Materials standards. The specimens were cast in standard 2”x 2” inch molds. The compressive strength of blocks with replacement of fine aggregate by quarry fines at 15%, 25%, 30%, and 50% was tested at 7, 14 and 28 days of curing. The results were compared with …

The Control Of Water Contaminants Assisted By Natural Materials, Wen Zhao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural materials can be used to remove water contaminants by applying proper physical, chemical, and biological water treatment processes. This study involves using natural materials, as they are considered to be more environmentally benign and cost-effective than synthetic materials. This dissertation concentrates on monitoring five major water quality parameters—ammonia, fluoride, turbidity, pH, and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) —in two major applications where clean water is needed. The focus is on meeting the water quality requirements for each contaminant. The overall objective of this study is to control the levels of ammonia in aquaculture wastewater, and adjust fluoride, turbidity, pH, and …

Numerical Evaluation Of The Lateral Behavior Of Vertical And Battered Pile Group Foundations Using 3-D Finite Element Modeling, Ahmad Souri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The design of pile foundations to resist lateral loads is essential in offshore structures and bridge foundations. The lateral behavior of piles has been studied in the past by experimental investigations coupled with analytical and numerical methods. The problem is complex due to the nonlinearities from soil behavior, gap formation, and pile-soil-pile interaction in pile groups (or the group effect). In this work, the finite element (FE) modeling was used to study the lateral behavior of pile groups. The FE method is robust and allows incorporating the necessary aspects for studying the behavior of pile groups. The nonlinear material behavior …

Comprehensive Evaluation Of Rutting Performance Of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures, Ivan Syed

Civil Engineering ETDs

Rutting is the permanent deformation along the wheel paths of an asphalt pavement caused by repeated traffic loading. It is considered as one of the primary distresses of asphalt pavements. Recently, Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device (HWTD) has shown to measure the rutting performance of an asphalt mixture in the laboratory. In this study, this device has been used to measure rutting of asphalt concrete (AC) and relate them with the mixture’s dynamic modulus. To this end, the rut deformation of AC mixtures were modeled in this study using a semi-empirical |E*|-based rut predictive model based on the HWTD …

Selecting Technological Alternatives For Regulatory Compliance Towards Emissions Reduction From Shipping : An Integrated Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Under Vague Environment, Khanh Quang Bui

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Countywide Bluetooth System: Use Cases & Performance Measures, Shaun Quayle

PSU Transportation Seminars

Washington County has 124 permanent roadside Bluetooth readers, which passively and in an anonymous fashion collect travel time, speed, and origin-destination information across the major arterials in the urban County. This presentation gives an overview of the program purpose, history, some interesting use cases, and the formation of comparative performance metrics to gauge the magnitude and duration of congestion across the County. These metrics and information will help planners improve travel demand models, consultants improve traffic analyses, operations staff prioritize timing, detection, and maintenance functions, agencies inform traveler information data, and leaders better communicate the story of traffic demand, delay, …

Tidal Variability Related To Sea Level Variability In The Pacific Ocean, Adam Thomas Devlin, David A. Jay, Edward Zaron, Stefan A. Talke, Jiayi Pan, Hui Lin

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ocean tides are changing worldwide for reasons unrelated to astronomical forcing. Changes in tidal properties coupled with altered mean sea level (MSL) may yield higher peak water levels and increased occurrence of short-term exceedance events, such as storm surge and nuisance flooding. Here we investigate the hypothesis that changes in relative sea level are correlated with alterations in tidal amplitudes. Our approach focuses on the correlation between short-term (monthly to interannual) fluctuations in sea level with changes in tidal properties of major ocean tides (M₂, and K₁; S₂ and O₁) at 152 gauges. …