Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

A Humidity-Controlled Fast Integrated Mobility Spectrometer (Hfims) For Rapid Measurements Of Particle Hygroscopic Growth, Tamara Pinterich, Steven R. Spielman, Yang Wang, Susanne V. Hering, Jian Wang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present a humidity-controlled fast integrated mobility spectrometer (HFIMS) for rapid particle hygroscopicity measurements. The HFIMS consists of a differential mobility analyzer (DMA), a relative humidity (RH) control unit and a water-based FIMS (WFIMS) coupled in series. The WFIMS (Pinterich et al., 2017) combines the fast integrated mobility spectrometer (Kulkarni and Wang, 2006a, b) with laminar flow water condensation methodologies (Hering and Stolzenburg, 2005; Spielman et al., 2017). Inside the WFIMS, particles of different electrical mobilities are spatially separated in an electric field, condensationally enlarged and imaged to provide 1 Hz measurements of size distribution spanning a factor of ∼3 …

Shear Behavior Of Synthetic Fiber Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts, Mahnaz Mostafazadeh

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This research pursues a comprehensive experimental study on the shear capacity of zero-slump, dry-cast Synthetic Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (SYN-FRC) with the aim of reducing or even eliminating stirrups in box culverts. Since using stirrups in structures such as box culverts need labor work and cause reinforcement congestion, eliminating or reducing stirrups in design, prevent poor-quality concrete, help better concrete compaction and could save manufacturer time and money over the years. This study first determined the shear capacity of synthetic fiber concrete matrix by varying fiber volume fraction. Then, FEA and full experimental tests have been conducted to evaluate the effect of …

Improvements To The Duplicate Shear Tester, Yazeed Suleiman Jweihan

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Rutting in the asphalt concrete layer is a major distress in flexible pavements caused by the permanent shear deformation in asphalt mixes. The shear deformation is induced by heavy truck axis during hot summer days. Rutting affects directly the safety and users comfort. Therefore, developing of an appropriate test device for measuring the fundamental shear properties of asphalt mixes is important in order to improve the rutting resistance of asphalt mixes and pavement performance. The desired device should be simple, inexpensive, and accurate to be able to be incorporated for a quality control or quality assurance process, as well as …

Evaluation Of Plant Root On The Performance Of Evapotranspiration (Et) Cover System, Md Jobair Bin Alam

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The performance of an evapotranspiration (ET) cover for a landfill exceeds that of a conventional landfill final cover. Its low percolation and high evapotranspiration rely on the properties of unsaturated soils, the energy demands of plants, and the atmosphere. Plant roots pull water out of the cover soil and release it into the environment, thus managing water in a much more natural way than the conventional cover, where water is controlled by creating a physical barrier. Therefore, plant roots are a significant component in the optimization of ET cover performance. In recent years, a great deal of effort has been …

Quantitative Non-Destructive Evaluation (Nde) Of Frp Laminate-Concrete Bond Strength, Mina Riad

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Repair and rehabilitation methods for civil infrastructure have become a topic of great interest to engineers. Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) is considered as one of the most popular and practical solutions for strengthening and retrofitting of civil infrastructure. Several past studies indicated that significant increase in strength and stiffness can be achieved by using this technology. The FRP-concrete interface bond is critical in transferring stresses from the concrete surface to the FRP. However, the evaluation of the bond strength is still a challenging issue. To evaluate the bond strength using non-destructive techniques, 32 concrete beams strengthened with FRP using different …

Non-Linear Analysis Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Hollow Columns Under Uniaxial Bending, Mohammed Huzaifa Ghori

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This study investigates the performance of Steel Fiber Reinforced concrete hollow columns under axial compressive load and uniaxial bending with varying amounts of steel fiber using Finite Element Method of Analysis. The columns are of two groups, one with a 10% void and the other group has 20% void at the center. Each group’s specimens’ fiber content is varied in 0.5% increments from 0 to 1.5%. Also, the collapse load of the columns was obtained. Numerical results were compared with the available experiments. Two parametric studies were conducted by varying the amount of void percentages and steel fiber contents. In …

Comparing Methods Of Targeting Obesity Interventions In Populations: An Agent-Based Simulation, Rahmatollah Beheshti, Mehdi Jalalpour, Thomas A. Glass

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Social networks as well as neighborhood environments have been shown to effect obesity-related behaviors including energy intake and physical activity. Accordingly, harnessing social networks to improve targeting of obesity interventions may be promising to the extent this leads to social multiplier effects and wider diffusion of intervention impact on populations. However, the literature evaluating network-based interventions has been inconsistent. Computational methods like agent-based models (ABM) provide researchers with tools to experiment in a simulated environment. We develop an ABM to compare conventional targeting methods (random selection, based on individual obesity risk, and vulnerable areas) with network-based targeting methods. We adapt …

Systematic Review For Water Network Failure Models And Cases, Yufei Gao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As estimated in the American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 report, in the United States, there are approximately 240,000 water main pipe breaks each year. To help estimate pipe breaks and maintenance frequency, a number of physically-based and statistically-based water main failure prediction models have been developed in the last 30 years. Precious review papers focused more on the evolution of failure models rather than modeling results. However, the modeling results of different models applied in case studies are worth reviewing as well.

In this review, we focus on research papers after Year 2008 and collect latest cases without repetition. …

Three-Dimensional Vapor Intrusion Modeling Approach That Combines Wind And Stack Effects On Indoor, Atmospheric, And Subsurface Domains, Elham Shirazi, Kelly G. Pennell

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Vapor intrusion (IV) exposure risks are difficult to characterize due to the role of atmospheric, building and subsurface processes. This study presents a three-dimensional VI model that extends the common subsurface fate and transport equations to incorporate wind and stack effects on indoor air pressure, building air exchange rate (AER) and indoor contaminant concentration to improve VI exposure risk estimates. The model incorporates three modeling programs: (1) COMSOL Multiphysics to model subsurface fate and transport processes, (2) CFD0 to model atmospheric air flow around the building, and (3) CONTAM to model indoor air quality. The combined VI model predicts AER …

Evaluation Of Opportunities And Challenges Of Using Inrix Data For Real-Time Performance Monitoring And Historical Trend Assessment, Anuj Sharma, Vesal Ahsani, Sandeep Rawat

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

In recent years there has been a growing desire for the use of probe vehicle technology for congestion detection and general infrastructure performance assessment. Unlike costly traditional data collection by loop detectors, wide-area detection using probe-sourced traffic data is significantly different in terms of measurement technique, pricing, coverage, etc. This affects how the new technology is applied and used to solve current traffic problems such as traffic incident management and roadway performance assessment. This report summarizes the experiences and lessons learned while using probe data for traffic operations and safety management in the state of Nebraska and makes recommendations for …

Experimental Study On Resilient Behavior Of Geocell-Reinforced Recycled Asphalt Pavement Base Layer: Model Development, Manikanta Saladhi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Recycled Asphalt Material (RAP) is defined as removed and reprocessed pavement materials containing asphalt and aggregates. These materials are obtained when asphalt pavements are removed for the rehabilitation and maintenance of distressed pavements. The use of RAP as a base/subbase aggregate in pavement construction is technically and environmentally a sustainable solution, and conserve use of natural resources by requiring less virgin aggregate in pavement construction. Past studies showed that the use of 100% RAP as base course lacks shear strength and can undergo large deformations. Geocells are a system of three-dimensional, interconnected, honeycombed cellular structures that resist the lateral expansion …

A Thermal Inertia Approach To Precision Irrigation Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Coupled With High-Resolution Multispectral Imagery, Kevin James Wienhold

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Soil moisture is a critical variable in the optimization of irrigation scheduling in water resources management. Despite using tens to hundreds of thousands of gallons of water each day, many golf courses rely on a sparse network of point measurements to estimate irrigation requirements for turfgrass management. This study describes a novel system known as Precision Irrigation Soil Moisture Mapper (PrISMM) in which an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with multispectral sensors is used to estimate volumetric water content (VWC) at a golf course using a thermal inertia approach. PrISMM consists of three central components, including (1) high-resolution thermal and optical …

Performance Of Light-Frame Wooden Structure (Lfws) Subjected To Combined Wind And Flood Hazards, Ajay Baniya

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Light Frame Wooden Structures (LFWS), which are more prone to wind damage by virtue of their light weight, sustain severe damage when they are subjected to simultaneous flood and wind. A difficulty in Multi-hazard design for wind and flood is that the load and resistance factor make use of different design philosophies developed by different sub-disciplines. After Multi-hazard events, in most cases, it is complicated to determine the sole damage done by flood or wind alone. The load path of Wooden structure is already ambiguous, the addition of flood characteristics makes the analysis and design process more complicated. It has …

A Standard Tensile Testing Procedure For Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (Frc) And Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (Uhp-Frc) Based On Double Punch Test (Dpt), Shuveksha Tuladhar

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Current test methods such as ASTM 1609, ASTM 1550 and direct tensile test are used for evaluating the mechanical properties of Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) and to determine the quality of mixture in design and construction practice. These test methods show high variability in the results, requires large specimen and complicated test setup. An ideal material test method for FRC should give consistent results in determining mechanical properties such as peak strength and residual strengths. Moreover, current test methods are expensive and time-consuming as more specimens are needed to acquire reliable test results. Double Punch Test (DPT) is a simple, …

Using Historic Pavement Performance Data To Identify And Select Sites For Asphalt Mixture Design Studies, Allyson Richey

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since 1997 Arkansas asphalt mixtures have been designed using a procedure commonly known as ‘Superpave’. In a traditional Superpave mix design, the design considers only traditional volumetric parameters; however, recent advances in mix design technology emphasize mixture’s ability to perform in its environment. There are numerous factors which affect the performance characteristics of an asphalt mix. Certainly, the asphalt binder’s performance is a critical variable in this system. Asphalt binders are sensitive to temperature, so much so that their primary parameter on which they are recommended is a function of both temperature and the geographic latitude in which the pavement …

Geophysical Delineation Of Megaporosity And Fluid Migration Pathways For Geohazard Characterization Within The Delaware Basin, Culberson County, Texas, Jonathan David Woodard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Differential dissolution of gypsum karst within the Delaware Basin poses a significant threat to infrastructure that society depends on. The study area is located in Culberson County, Texas and traverses a distance of approximately 54 kilometers along RM 652 within the Gypsum Plain which is situated on the northern margin of the Chihuahua Desert and includes outcrops of Castile and Rustler strata that host karst geohazards. Regions of karst geohazard potential have been physically surveyed proximal to the study area in evaporites throughout the Castile Formation outcrop; minimal hazards, in comparison to the Castile Formation, have been documented in …

Investigating Fate Of Silver Nanoparticles In Wastewater Biofilms, Connie Marie Walden

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As industrial advances make everyday life easier for human kind, the processes by which we need to maintain sanitary conditions for both water and wastewater treatment will become increasingly complex. Innovations in food packaging and textile design incorporate engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) to increase antimicrobial properties of clothing, maintain product color, and keep food in packaging from spoilage. For most products, ENPs released will enter the sanitary sewer system, and ultimately wastewater treatment plants. Biofilms grow universally on surfaces where a protective layer of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) shields attached cells from stressors. In wastewater treatment, complex biofilms are utilized as …

Effects Of Climatic Loading In Flexible Pavement Subgrades In Texas, Asif Ahmed

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Expansive soils, which have been reported as a worldwide problem, cover 25% of the United States. Due to the swelling and shrinkage behavior induced by moisture variations, expansive soil contributes to volumetric deformation, which in turn affects the stability and performance of structures. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) allocates 25% of its budget to pavement maintenance and repairs, much of which is triggered by expansive soil. In order to decrease the burden of this expense on maintenance authorities, it is necessary to have an accurate understanding of expansive subgrade behavior. Applying this knowledge to the pavement design and construction …

Non-Destructive Evaluation Of Soil Moisture In Evapotranspiration Cover System, Md Ishtiaque Hossain

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

A conventional landfill cover system is designed as a barrier layer system, with low hydraulic conductivity, to minimize the percolation of water from the cover to the waste. Evapotranspiration (ET) covers are currently becoming a popular alternative that are acceptable to landfill authorities, due to their cost effectiveness and nature-friendly performance. The principle function of the ET cover is to store the infiltrated water, using the water balance technique, until it is transpired by plants into the atmosphere, thus minimizing percolation. The performance of the final cover system is assessed by monitoring the soil moisture in the ET cover and …

Wireless Power Transfer Roadway Integration, Trevor Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Electric vehicles represent a major accomplishment in the energy and transportation industry. Unfortunately, they are restricted to a small travel range because of limited battery life. Successful integration of wireless power transfer (WPT) systems into the infrastructure would remove the range restrictions of EVs. To successfully integrate this technology, several requirements must be met. First, the embedment process cannot interfere with the electrical performance of the inductive power transfer (IPT) system. Second, the presence of the IPT system in the pavement structure cannot negatively affect the roadway’s lifespan.

Several systems were directly embedded in roadway materials. The electrical properties of …

Longitudinal Thermal And Solute Dynamics In Regulated Rivers, Muhammad Rezaul Haider

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dam releases increase river stage and can reverse groundwater movement into and out of the river. As the flood, thermal, and solute waves travel downstream in a regulated river, the size of the waves is anticipated to be affected both by river processes and exchanges with near river groundwater. This study established a modeling framework to quantify the influences of the groundwater exchanges on the temperatures and solute concentration dynamics along regulated rivers. The wave properties, volume of exchanges, conservative solute mass exchanges, and heat energy exchanges were calculated as a function of time and distance downstream. Results show that …

Enhancing Ductility Of One-Way Concrete Slabs Reinforced With Welded Wire Reinforcement, Mohamed K. Shwani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of research studies have recently identified an issue called strain localization in welded wire reinforced (WWR) members. This phenomenon reportedly concentrates strains at welded cross wire locations and severely limit ductility. Those that identified the phenomenon used it to imply that WWR is unsafe because it does not warn of failure. This dissertation is investigating details to mitigate the strain localization effect and demonstrate the WWR can be used safely. A moment curvature analysis is developed using Response2000 program and calibrated using experimental data. Parametric study was developed to present a recommendation of details and minimum reinforcement required …

Dynamic Mechanical Properties And Microstructure Of Graphene Oxide Nanosheets Reinforced Cement Composites, Wujian Long, Jingjie Wei, Hongyan Ma, Feng Xing

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the effect of uniformly dispersed graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets on dynamic mechanical properties of cement based composites prepared with recycled fine aggregate (RFA). Three different amounts of GO, 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.20% in mass of cement, were used in the experiments. The visual inspections of GO nanosheets were also carried out after ultrasonication by transmission electron microscope (TEM) atomic force microscope (AFM), and Raman to characterize the dispersion effect of graphite oxide. Dynamic mechanical analyzer test showed that the maximum increased amount of loss factor and storage modulus, energy absorption was 125%, 53%, …

Rheological Properties Considering The Effect Of Aggregates On Concrete Slump Flow, Tae Yong Shin, Jae Hong Kim, Seong Ho Han

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Rheology of concrete allows us to understand the flow behavior of concrete and further extend the quantitative evaluation of its construction performance. The use of a concrete rheometer is promising for the purpose but sometimes limited high associated cost and procedure complexity. This study proposes a simulation-based model that correlates the slump flow test results to a concrete's rheological properties, allowing quantitative evaluation through this simple method. The proposed model is based on single-fluid simulation using the volume-of-fluid method, with an extension to accommodate the partial segregation of coarse aggregates. Either the channel flow or the L-shaped panel filling of …

Visualizing The Constructability Of A Steel Structure Using Building Information Modeling And Game Simulation, Mohammed Al Dafaay

Masters Theses

This research aims to visualize a steel structural design to: (1) analyze its constructability, and (2) support collaboration between project participants at the planning stage. The visualization uses Building Information Modeling (BIM) and game engine simulation to develop a realistic interactive simulation for constructability analysis. A case study experiment was conducted on visualizing the erection process of a steel structure to facilitate the understanding of needed construction operation. The simulation incorporated construction domain knowledge through various entity components and predefined interaction rules. Results showed that through such a visualization method, field operation can be observed in real-time at the planning …

Fiscal Year 2017 Fhwa-536 Report For The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Steven Douglas Kreis, Candice Y. Wallace, Bryan Gibson, Sarah M. Mccormack

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires state transportation agencies to submit a biennial report on local highway finances. The purpose of these reports is to provide FHWA with the data it needs to capture the financing of highway activities at the local level. Based on this information, it can identify trends in revenue, expenditures, investments, and program development, and in turn make decisions about future investments. The report, FHWA-536, asks agencies to report on four areas of local highway finance: 1) disposition of highway-user revenues; 2) revenues used for roads and streets identified by source and funding type; 3) road …

Applicability Of Zipper Merge Versus Early Merge In Kentucky Work Zones, Erin Lammers-Staats, Jerry G. Pigman, Brian K. Howell, Adam J. Kirk

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In an effort to improve work zone safety and streamline traffic flows, a number of state transportation agencies (STAs) have experimented with the zipper merge. The zipper merge differs from a conventional, or early, merge in that vehicles do not merge into the lane that remains open immediately after being notified of a lane closure. Rather, vehicles continue to occupy all lanes until they reach the taper, at which point — and directed by signage — vehicles take turns merging into the open lane, creating a zipper pattern. At the request of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), Kentucky Transportation Center …

Development Of Pre-Stressed Retrofit Strategies For Mitigating Fatigue Cracking In Steel Waterway Lock Gate Components, Christine Michelle Lozano

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lock gates are an important part of the transportation infrastructure within the United States (US), having many economic, safety, and environmental benefits over rail and highway transportation systems. Unfortunately, many existing lock gates throughout the US have reached or exceeded their initial design life and require frequent repairs to remain in service. Unscheduled repairs often increase as gates age, having a local economic impact on freight transport which can create economic ripples throughout the nation. Fatigue and corrosion are key causes of unscheduled service interruptions, degrading lock gate components over time. Additionally, because lock gates are submerged during operation, crack …

Enhancing Intersection Safety For The Blind And Visually Impaired (Bvi) Pedestrian Using Device-To-Infrastructure Communication, Mohammad Sayyah Al-Akash

Masters Theses

Visually impaired pedestrians have limited mobility options, where they rely heavily on walking and transit for their transportation needs. One of the major issues facing these pedestrians is intersection crossing. Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS), as a means of helping their intersection crossings, were introduced in the United States as early as 1920 but were not included in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Device (MUTCD) until 2000. The most recent type of APS is the beaconing APS which has shown improvements in road crossing abilities of blind pedestrians though it has many downsides to it. This study developed a cane …

Fatigue Impacts On Hdpe Pipe Material Properties, Marjan Shahrokh Esfahani

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

During a pipe’s life cycle, failures occur due to numerous factors such as age, loading conditions, environmental conditions, installation quality, manufacturing procedures, operation and maintenance strategies and so on. Frequent pressure surges or fluctuations in a piping system may cause a fatigue failure as fatigue is one of the most important issues in water pipes due to water hammer impacts. Application of buried High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) water pipelines has significantly increased in recent years, and PE4710 is a new member of HDPE family. So, there is not yet enough information about PE4710 long-term performance. Due to lack of enough …