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2017

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Articles 91 - 120 of 1330

Full-Text Articles in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Aermod Modeling Of Air Pollutant Emissions From Backup Generator Use In Lagos, Nigeria, Temitope Abayomi Dec 2017

Aermod Modeling Of Air Pollutant Emissions From Backup Generator Use In Lagos, Nigeria, Temitope Abayomi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Generator emissions contribute to increase in air pollution. In developing countries with inadequate electricity supply, many people rely on back-up generators for long-term electricity supply. Nigeria is the second biggest importer of generators in Africa. As of 2009, it was estimated that 60 million people in Nigeria owned and operated small to medium size generators to provide electricity for their daily use. The sheer number of generators in use suggests that generator emissions are a significant source of air pollution in the country, particularly in urban cities. In this work, the concentrations of pollutants emitted from 50 generators in a …

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Seismic Performance Of Double-Channel And Double-Hss Sections, Special Truss Moment Frame With Buckling Restrained Braces, And Long Span Special Truss Moment Frame, Chatchai Jiansinlapadamrong Dec 2017

Seismic Performance Of Double-Channel And Double-Hss Sections, Special Truss Moment Frame With Buckling Restrained Braces, And Long Span Special Truss Moment Frame, Chatchai Jiansinlapadamrong

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Until recently, all special truss moment frame (STMF) experimental research was done on only double angle STMFs. In order to satisfy the code seismic drift limitation, especially for mid-rise and tall multistory buildings, a large column section is needed, when double angle sections are used. However, heavy chord members can be used in this instance. Due to configuration of STMFs, the chord members in the special segment of an STMF experience higher rotational demand than the story drift. As a result, there is a need to verify large rotational capacity of other heavy steel shapes. Recent analytical investigation and experimental …

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Effectiveness Of Chain Link Turtle Fence And Culverts In Reducing Turtle Mortality And Providing Connectivity Along U.S. Hwy 83, Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska, Usa, Marcel P. Huijser, Kari E. Gunson, Elizabeth R. Fairbank Dec 2017

Effectiveness Of Chain Link Turtle Fence And Culverts In Reducing Turtle Mortality And Providing Connectivity Along U.S. Hwy 83, Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska, Usa, Marcel P. Huijser, Kari E. Gunson, Elizabeth R. Fairbank

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

We evaluated the effectiveness of existing turtle fences through collecting and analyzing turtle mortality data along U.S. Hwy 83, in and around Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska, USA. We also investigated the level of connectivity for turtles provided through the culverts that were originally designed to pass water through a capture-mark-recapture experiment. While fenced valley sections had 33.1% fewer turtle observations than unfenced valley sections, the difference was not significant. However, we think that the effectiveness of the fence can be improved through fence repairs, other modifications of the fences, vegetation maintenance, and extending the length of the fences. Four …

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The Role Of Soil Stiffness In Reverse Fault Rupture Propagation, Moises I. Buelna Dec 2017

The Role Of Soil Stiffness In Reverse Fault Rupture Propagation, Moises I. Buelna

Master's Theses

A nonlinear Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model with a strain dependent yield surface and non-associated flow was employed to study the plastic soil properties which affect the rate of surface fault rupture propagation in reverse events. These numerical simulations show a trend for soils with higher stiffness to have a higher rate of rupture propagation. Additionally the study shows the effects of strain softening and hardening on the rate of rupture propagation. Soils which strain harden exhibiting ductile behavior typically require more basal offset to rupture to the surface than soils which strain soften exhibiting brittle behavior. These results agree with our …

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Viscoelastic Behavior Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Incorporating Nanomaterials, Amy R. Garner Dec 2017

Viscoelastic Behavior Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Incorporating Nanomaterials, Amy R. Garner

Civil Engineering ETDs

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are increasingly being used in a variety of industries such as aerospace and infrastructure. This investigation experimentally examines the effect of incorporating alumina nanoparticles (ANPs), non-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NF-MWCNTs), and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs) on the off-axis stiffness and stress-relaxation of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. Epoxy- nanocomposites incorporating 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt.% ANPs; 0.0 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt. % NF-MWCNTs; 0.0 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt. % F-MWCNTs of the total weight of epoxy are examined. Off-axis tension stiffness and stress-relaxation tests were performed on CFRP coupons …

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Testing And Modeling Of The Thixotropic Behavior Of Cementitious Materials., Bashir Hasanzadeh Dec 2017

Testing And Modeling Of The Thixotropic Behavior Of Cementitious Materials., Bashir Hasanzadeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During construction, concrete goes under various operations. It is normally transported to the job site, be placed and consolidated in the formwork, etc. The easiness and quality of these operations are very much related to the intrinsic rheological properties of concrete. Therefore, a good understanding of rheological behavior of concrete under various conditions are needed. Thixotropy is an important part of rheology. The thixotropic behaviors of concrete can be good representatives of its flow behaviors on the job site. For example, the breakdown aspect of thixotropy can help to explain how its flow behavior can impact concrete pumping and its …

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Lean Construction Teaching Module: Push/Pull Planning, James M. Iroz Dec 2017

Lean Construction Teaching Module: Push/Pull Planning, James M. Iroz

Construction Management

The Construction Management Department at California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo has taken interests into the topics of Lean Construction to be a part of its curriculum. Lean Construction is a methodology in the built environment that tries to establish a leaner and more efficient work place in the industry. Within this broad spectrum of methodology, scheduling and more specifically, “push pull scheduling” is one of its many trademark applications. As the demand for more efficient projects rise, it is increasingly important for the next generation of construction students to be aware and educated with efficient skills. This experimental …

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Introduction Of Industry-Based Technical Electives Within Cal Poly Slo's Cm Curriculum, Michael Hicks Dec 2017

Introduction Of Industry-Based Technical Electives Within Cal Poly Slo's Cm Curriculum, Michael Hicks

Construction Management

The California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo requires that all Construction Management majors complete 8 units of technical elective credit as part of the degree requirement. Tech electives are various courses that offer additional information on particular constructionrelated subjects. This paper will explore the option of adding additional tech elective courses that focus on the various industry sectors within the construction line of work, particularly: residential, commercial, and specialty trades such as MEP. With these areas of construction being the primary job market targets for recent graduates, there is an interest to gain a higher understanding of these industries. …

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Preconstruction Services For The Simpson Strong-Tie Lab Crane, Peter James Schoemann Dec 2017

Preconstruction Services For The Simpson Strong-Tie Lab Crane, Peter James Schoemann

Construction Management

For several years the Construction Management Department faculty have discussed implementing a better system of lifting heavy items in the Simpson Strong-Tie Lab. Currently, student assistants and faculty use a forklift to perform heavy lifting, there are definitely more safe and efficient alternatives available. An under running single girder crane system is in the process of being built in the Simpson Strong Tie lab. A full structural analysis has been calculated assuring the crane can lift up to two tons. This crane will help students and faculty use the lab to build the tiny house as well as other projects …

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Devcon's In-House Design Department Benefiting Their Construction Process: A Case Study, Neeka M. Nazhand Dec 2017

Devcon's In-House Design Department Benefiting Their Construction Process: A Case Study, Neeka M. Nazhand

Construction Management

Devcon Construction Inc. is a general contracting company that implements a design department in-house to aid them with their design-build projects. Since their doors opened in 1976, Devcon has imbedded an in-house design department that now delegates about twenty-five percent of their design-build projects, and acts as a resource center for their other construction projects. Having this unique design department benefits both the design and construction side of projects, because working for the same company motivates the teams to work together and solve problems faster. The design department is not for direct profit and only works with Devcon’s contractors, mainly …

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Construction Of A House In Tijuana, Mexico, Adam Scianna Dec 2017

Construction Of A House In Tijuana, Mexico, Adam Scianna

Construction Management

No abstract provided.

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Best Practices For Preparing For The Reno Commercial Problem, Cole Range Dec 2017

Best Practices For Preparing For The Reno Commercial Problem, Cole Range

Construction Management

The ASC Region 7 Commercial competition is one of the largest and most popular student competition in the country. Students from some of the most prestigious construction management and construction engineering schools compete in a rigorous eighteen hour competition. These teams have around 6 months to prepare for the competition. Their preparation methods have a significant impact on how they place in the competition. The amount of time spent with the teams industry sponsor, number of practice problems completed, hours spent practicing, number of team bonding events, and many other factors contribute to the team’s success. Many of the schools …

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Best Practices And Applications Of 3d Printing In The Construction Industry, Jake Kidwell Dec 2017

Best Practices And Applications Of 3d Printing In The Construction Industry, Jake Kidwell

Construction Management

The construction industry is constantly looking for new ways to improve project efficiency and profitability. Many new technologies such as Business Information Modeling (BIM) programs, and project management software have been introduced to aid in preconstruction and on site coordination. However, traditional building methods have remained relatively unchanged for decades. 3D printing (3DP) is a promising new technology that has the potential to not only be an effective means of increasing project efficiency and profitability in the field, but also have positive environmental impacts. However, as it exists today, this technology is highly limited by size, material, skilled labor, and …

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Evaluating The California Contractors Licensing Exam And Its Relevance To The Construction Industry, Austin O'Mara Dec 2017

Evaluating The California Contractors Licensing Exam And Its Relevance To The Construction Industry, Austin O'Mara

Construction Management

The California contractors licensing exam tests aspiring contractors on their knowledge of the construction industry on other legal and trade topics. This paper is a case study that evaluates the contractors licensing exam and its ability to evaluate contractors. It concludes that the test itself is not responsible for increasing quality due to it being a simple process of memorization, but that California’s strict licensing requirements correlate to lower percentages of negative reviews. Various contractors from California were interviewed to understand their opinions of the licensing exam and how the knowledge from the exam related to their time in the …

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A Case Study On The Compliance Of The Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicle Regulation, Kyle Potts Dec 2017

A Case Study On The Compliance Of The Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicle Regulation, Kyle Potts

Construction Management

In December of 2008 the California Air Resource Board approved the On Road Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicle Regulation. The purpose of this new law is to reduce the emissions from existing on-road diesel vehicles operating throughout California. However, this new regulation is drastically affecting trucking companies throughout the state of California. Trucking companies across state lines are left with a few costly options to comply with the On Road Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicle Regulation. This case study focuses on two similar trucking companies and how they went about complying with the new regulation and which options have been most effective …

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Certifications In The Construction Industry: A Look Into Industry Standards, Shawn T. Pacaoan Dec 2017

Certifications In The Construction Industry: A Look Into Industry Standards, Shawn T. Pacaoan

Construction Management

Becoming certified in various areas of construction is a task that requires completing rigorous courses to become more knowledgeable and give those the tools to succeed in a certain path within construction. Having a multitude of certifications diversifies your portfolio, and strengthens your resume but acquiring multiple certifications can be a very expensive and time-consuming task. Is the time commitment and expenses worth it? By the end of this paper students will finally know the answer to a question they have always been asking, “Do construction certifications actually better your chances to get a job?” Since there are numerous certifications …

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Value Of Utilizing Tubular Daylighting Devices In Csu, Channel Islands' Gateway Hall, Blake T. Walsh Dec 2017

Value Of Utilizing Tubular Daylighting Devices In Csu, Channel Islands' Gateway Hall, Blake T. Walsh

Construction Management

Daylighting is becoming an increasingly more important aspect of building design as our planet’s natural resources deplete and the cost savings for daylighting systems grow. California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI) values the use of daylighting and aims to incorporate it into its upcoming project, Gateway Hall. One option of daylighting that the campus is considering for this project is tubular daylighting devices (TDD). This paper will study the use of tubular daylighting devices and the potential cost savings that they could have on Gateway Hall. The company leading the way in TDD technology is Solatube, whose products are among …

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Case Study: Diesel Excavators Compared To Hybrid Excavators, Corey Mcgrillen Dec 2017

Case Study: Diesel Excavators Compared To Hybrid Excavators, Corey Mcgrillen

Construction Management

The construction industry is constantly evolving and developing equipment that is more efficient, materials that promote sustainability and practices that emphasize lean construction principles to enhance productivity on projects. Modern day construction projects have become highly reliant on these ideals due to the highly competitive nature of the industry. In regards to heavy civil construction, specifically the underground utilities market, equipment costs count for a large percentage of overall project costs. Reducing these costs allows a contractor to be more competitive. As the focus on infrastructure construction continues to grow and expand, many heavy civil contractors are turning to alternative …

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Metallica Worldwired Tour: Case Study, Phillip Matthews Dec 2017

Metallica Worldwired Tour: Case Study, Phillip Matthews

Construction Management

The concert touring industry is financially performing at its highest level in history. A shifting trend from selling records to selling live entertainment experiences has caused a boom in the event production field. This project examines one of the most successful global tours of 2017, Metallica’s WorldWired Tour. This tour was able to achieve success with an unconventional stage design. The goal was to enhance the audience experience and interaction with the band. To achieve this, Metallica toured with a roofless stage. This unique stage design proposed challenges for all areas of concert production, including lighting, audio, video, and atmosphere. …

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Earned Value Analysis Lesson Plan And Activity, Nick A. Halle Dec 2017

Earned Value Analysis Lesson Plan And Activity, Nick A. Halle

Construction Management

At California Polytechnic State University, in the Construction Management Department there is a need for a lesson plan which teaches students the concepts of earned value analysis as it applies to construction projects. As many construction management students from Cal Poly go into industry and take part in complex projects, it will be beneficial to understand project management tools such as earned value. Earned value analysis focuses on two critical components, time and money and how they relate to each other and compare to the original estimate throughout the duration of a project. Comparing the estimated values to actual values …

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Bridging The Gap Between Technology Usage In The Construction Industry And In The Classroom, Marco Maffioli Dec 2017

Bridging The Gap Between Technology Usage In The Construction Industry And In The Classroom, Marco Maffioli

Construction Management

As construction begins to advance more and more every day, technology is one of the most volatile aspects due to its ever changing nature. Technology, and all the software’s that encompass it, is the future of this industry and if we want to keep improving and growing as an industry we need to better align our future new hires with the most prevalent technology and that starts in the classroom. Specifically, the Construction Management Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, one of the most advanced in Nation, still struggles to align with the expectations and reality of the CM …

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Forney Residence Accessory Dwelling Unit, Nicholas J. Zygutis Dec 2017

Forney Residence Accessory Dwelling Unit, Nicholas J. Zygutis

Construction Management

This project involves the project management of a proposed 1,000 square foot accessory dwelling unit that is to be constructed in Alamo, California. The objective is to provide the necessary and efficient means of construction in order to properly establish this unit from conception to permitting. This has been done by obtaining all necessary paperwork, forms, and stamp approvals needed to allow for groundbreaking. The design of the project includes the basic pre-construction activities required to obtain an issued building permit such as collecting bids from architects, working with the client, obtaining plans, developing an adequate schedule and cost estimate, …

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Case Study On Student Competence In Construction Surveying And Layout, Dejah Hilliard Dec 2017

Case Study On Student Competence In Construction Surveying And Layout, Dejah Hilliard

Construction Management

The Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Construction Management (CM) curriculum requires its students to enroll in BRAE 239, a course that educates students on field surveying using equipment such as a total station and an automatic optical level (builder’s level). The class focuses on how to use the specified equipment to calculate distances, heights, and angles over fixed benchmarks to create labeled contour maps and land plot diagrams. The information and methods of calculation are taught in a classroom, and the physical surveying with the provided equipment is done in the agricultural field on campus. The course does touch on …

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Integrating Radiant Flooring With Insulation, Zachary J. Faber Dec 2017

Integrating Radiant Flooring With Insulation, Zachary J. Faber

Construction Management

Radiant flooring has gained traction in recent years becoming very common in residential construction, especially in custom homes. There are different types of radiant flooring that has been deployed into the construction of residential homes, but not all of them have been effective. Currently, radiant flooring must be installed either during construction of a new home, or requires the removal of existing flooring in order to place radiant components below and then reinstall the flooring. Not only does it require the removal of flooring, it is also quite expensive to purchase and install. This paper looks into whether or not …

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Mobile Applications To Aid Office To Field Communication, William Hunter Bryson Dec 2017

Mobile Applications To Aid Office To Field Communication, William Hunter Bryson

Construction Management

The advancements in new age communication technology are changing and shaping the construction industry more than ever, and this technology can be utilized to solve the many issues faced in the realm of office to field communication. Currently, many companies in the construction industry struggle to effectively manage office to field communication. In an industry where details surrounding RFI’s, change orders, and submittals are constantly changing, it is imperative that information is communicated effectively and in a timely manner to the necessary people. If communication is not flowing in an accurate and succinct manner, very costly mistakes can be made …

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Solutions And Findings Of The San Diego Homeless Paradox, Devon A. Nicklas Dec 2017

Solutions And Findings Of The San Diego Homeless Paradox, Devon A. Nicklas

Construction Management

There is no question that San Diego is facing a chronic problem of their increasing homeless population. According to HUD, the homeless count as of January 2016 reached a high of 9,116 homeless people in San Diego County. Oddly enough, the city of San Diego reports that the city has seen an increase in new construction by 3.2% over the past several years and expects to see an increase of new construction as high as 12.9% by 2017. This draws the question of why there is still an increasing amount of homeless when so much new construction is underway, and …

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Moblie Applications To Aid Office To Field Communcation, Will H. Bryson Dec 2017

Moblie Applications To Aid Office To Field Communcation, Will H. Bryson

Construction Management

The advancements in new age communication technology are changing and shaping the construction industry more than ever, and this technology can be utilized to solve the many issues faced in the realm of office to field communication. Currently, many companies in the construction industry struggle to effectively manage office to field communication. In an industry where details surrounding RFI’s, change orders, and submittals are constantly changing, it is imperative that information is communicated effectively and in a timely manner to the necessary people. If communication is not flowing in an accurate and succinct manner, very costly mistakes can be made …

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Case Study: Mitigating Schedule Impacts From Oshpd Regulations On Medical Equipment, Peter K. Lee Dec 2017

Case Study: Mitigating Schedule Impacts From Oshpd Regulations On Medical Equipment, Peter K. Lee

Construction Management

The vast majority of healthcare construction projects in the state of California work with OSHPD—Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development—to meet California’s Hospital Seismic Safety Law. While meeting the state’s Hospital Seismic Safety Law is important and even critical, working with OSHPD’s stringent regulations does imply additional concerns to be addressed by the project team. One concern regards the approval of bigger medical equipment and its impact on the overall construction schedule. This paper examines the factors that contribute to delays in the construction schedule, responsible parties for the delay, and responsibilities of each involved party. Based on an …

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Setback Distance Requirements For Removal Of Swine Slurry Constituents In Runoff, John E. Gilley, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Kent M. Eskridge, Xu Li, Amy M. Schmidt, Daniel D. Snow Dec 2017

Setback Distance Requirements For Removal Of Swine Slurry Constituents In Runoff, John E. Gilley, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Kent M. Eskridge, Xu Li, Amy M. Schmidt, Daniel D. Snow

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The use of setback distances for manure application on cropland areas adjacent to surface water bodies could serve a function similar to vegetative filter strips. However, little information currently exists to identify the setback distances necessary to effectively reduce the transport of contaminants in runoff. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of setback distance and runoff rate on concentrations of selected constituents in runoff following land application of swine slurry to a no-till cropland area in southeast Nebraska. The study site had a residue cover of 7.73 Mg ha-1 and a slope gradient of 4.9%. The …

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Combining Non-Destructive Tests To Improve The Reliability Of Evaluating Concrete Quality, Afra Al Asri Mohammed Obaid Al Dhaheri Dec 2017

Combining Non-Destructive Tests To Improve The Reliability Of Evaluating Concrete Quality, Afra Al Asri Mohammed Obaid Al Dhaheri

Civil and Environmental Theses

Non-destructive tests (NDT) are commonly used in construction to evaluate concrete quality for both existing structures and during construction. The reliability of these tests have been questioned. This thesis is concerned with evaluating concrete strength and durability using different non-destructive tests (NDT). Also, it focuses on applying different combination of NDT to predict the concrete strength and durability using regression models. The main objective of the study was to investigate how to improve the reliability of nondestructive tests NDT to evaluate the concrete quality by combining more than one NDT test for concrete mixtures commonly used in Al Ain city, …

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