Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Results Of Improvement Of The Technological Process Of Sorting Of Draged Seeds, R.K. Djamolov, E.T. Maksudov, K. Djamolov

Irrigation and Melioration

The article presents the results of experiments conducted to justify the parameters of the seed selection unit to improve the process of sorting seeds. The experiments were carried out by changing the angle of inclination of the seed tray to the horizontal plane from α = 390 to α = 540 and the radius of the lower part of the tray in the aisle R = 140-180 mm. The experimental results show that the bottom of the tray, made in the form of a semicircle, allows the seeds to move up the pipe when the seeds fall from the tray …

Porous Magnetic Nila-Ldos/Fe3o4 For Improved Phosphate Absorbtion And Antibacterial Activity In Secondary Effluent, Chi Thanh Vu

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Enhanced Fluoride Removal In Biosand Filters Using Aluminum Oxide Coated Media And Modified Filter Design, Madison Leigh Rice

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2010, the UN formally stated that access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a human right. Yet, one in three people globally do not have access to safe drinking water. Contaminated drinking water can negatively impact the health of consumers. This is a challenge that disproportionally affects developing regions, where limited access to resources exacerbates the problem. One drinking water contaminant of concern is fluoride. Fluoride is often added in low concentrations to drinking water to enhance consumers’ dental health. However, when water with high concentrations of fluoride is consumed frequently, it can have negative health effects, such …

Numerical Study Of Bolted Moment Connections In Cold-Formed Steel Frames, Mohamed El Aghoury, Essam Amoush, Mohamed Soliman

Future Engineering Journal

Bolted moment connections for cold-formed steel frames are considered very important and complicated items which need in depth studies. This paper studies the behaviour and strength of eave connections for members that consist of back to back cold-formed double channels in portal (right angle) steel frames. Relatively new configuration is suggested to facilitate the construction and reduce the cost of this type of connections. The connection is comprised of two stubs (welded built-up I shape) connected with two head plates, each stub is welded to its head plate, keeping in mind that the rafter stub is tapered I-shape. The web …

Compressive Strength Of Axially Loaded Built-Up Sigma Cold Formed Sections Columns, Mohamed El Aghoury, Maged Tawfic, Essam Amoush

Future Engineering Journal

The use of cold formed steel sections in building constructions has lately seen rapid growth due to their light weight and easier erection. Generally, lipped channel sections are used more frequently .Sigma sections while requiring more effort in fabrication, they exhibit high strength to weight ratios compared with the lipped channel sections. This work presents experimental as well as numerical study of the strength of pinned-pinned axially loaded columns utilizing sigma sections. The column section consists of two back to back sigma cold formed sections. The two sections are connected through their webs with connecting fasteners. Eight specimens with variable …

Enhanced Nitrogen, Organic Matter And Color Removal From Landfill Leachate By Biological Treatment Processes With Biochar And Zeolite, Bisheng Gao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leachate percolating through landfills must be collected and properly treated. However, high concentrations of ammonia (NH4+), refractory organic matter [measured as chemical oxygen demand (COD)], water color and heavy metals in leachate interfere biological processes in conventional wastewater treatment plants. Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been used in the past to treat leachate, but their design and performance has not been properly optimized. In particular, low cost adsorbent materials, such as zeolite and biochar, have the potential to adsorb ammonia and organic compounds, respectively. This increases their retention in the wetland and reduces their toxicity to microorganisms and plants in the …

Implementation Of Large-Scale Anaerobic Digestion Of Food Waste At The University Of South Florida, Karamjit Panesar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food waste represents a major sustainability issue in the United States. Food waste represents 18% of landfill space and is the largest contributor of landfill methane emissions. US EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy recommends alternatives to landfilling food waste, including source reduction, food donation and anaerobic digestion.

The Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF) Food Recovery Project aims to follow suggestions outlined by the US EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy to encourage the University of South Florida (USF) to become a zero-waste campus. A multi-disciplinary approach aims to source reduce wasted food, look for opportunities for source reduction and anaerobically digest any remaining …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Nanoclay Modified Asphalt Binders, M M Tariq Morshed

Student Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of this study is to assess the feasibility of the use of nanoclay as an alternative to commonly used polymers such as styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), which are used to modify the performance grade (PG) of asphalt binders. Three types of nanoclay and two types of neat binders were selected for laboratory investigation. Different amounts (1, 2, and 3%) of nanoclays were used. A blending protocol was developed to mix the nanoclay with the asphalt binder. Penetration, Rotational Viscosity (RV), Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery (MSCR), Frequency Sweep (FS), Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS), Optical Contact …

Analysis Of Technical And Cost Barriers For Implementation Of Green Infrastructure, Liya Abera

Graduate Student Council Research Grants

Overview: My name is Liya E. Abera, a second year Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil Engineering. I am applying for the GSC grant to obtain a hydrological modeling software, HydroCAD, to use in my research for stormwater rainfall-runoff analyses.

Intellectual Merit: Stormwater runoff occurs when rainwater flows over the ground. Increase in impervious landcover due to urbanization and land development causes excess stormwater runoff that causes flooding events. Floods can be hazardous to communities by damaging properties and exposing them to contaminated water. Installation of Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) is one sustainable way of reducing flooding events and …

Evidence Of Arithmetical Uncertainty In Estimation Of Light And Water Use Efficiency, Meetpal S. Kukal, Suat Irmak Dr.

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

It was demonstrated that conventional resource use efficiency (RUE) estimation methodology is largely subject to arithmetic weakness. Extensive field research data on aboveground biomass (AGB), absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR), and crop evapotranspiration (ETc) in maize, soybean, sorghum, and winter wheat confirmed this methodological bias for light use efficiency (LUE) and water use efficiency (WUE) estimation. LUE and WUE were derived using cumulated (data aggregates across samplings) and independent (data increments across samplings) approaches. Use of cumulated data yielded strong-but-false correlation between AGB and APAR or Etc, being a statistical artefact. RUE values from an independent (data increments across samplings) …

Model Development To Assess Groundwater Flooding And Levee Underseepage In New Orleans, Louisiana, Shuo Yang

LSU Master's Theses

Flooding is a major threat to New Orleans due to its geographic location and geologic condition. However, potential groundwater flooding is seldom studied and poorly understood even though groundwater level is expected high in the city. High groundwater level might result in groundwater flooding in low-lying areas. High uplift pore water pressures may cause strong underseepage and risk levee safety. The objective of this study is to assess the impacts of hydrogeology on groundwater flooding and evaluate potential underseepage-induced hazards along levees in New Orleans. In this study, a groundwater flow model development which involves stratigraphy modeling, groundwater flow model …

Non-Contact Air-Coupled Sensing For Rapid Evaluation Of Bridge Decks, Jinying Zhu

INSPIRE Archived Webinars

Elastic wave-based non-destructive testing (NDT) methods are commonly used for evaluation of civil engineering infrastructure, including bridges, dams and buildings. However, most of these methods require coupling (direct contact) between sensors and the test surface, which significantly restricts the testing speed and consistency, especially for large scale concrete structures in civil engineering. The air-coupled sensing technology was developed by Dr. Jinying Zhu as a solution for rapid scanning of concrete infrastructure. In this webinar, Dr. Zhu will review the development of air-coupled sensing technique for civil engineering applications, including fundamental theory and field application of air-coupled sensing on concrete structures. …

Three-Phase Hydrodynamic Simulation And Experimental Validation Of An Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor, Camila D' Bastiani, Jéferson Luis Alba, Gabriel Tomazzoni Mazzarotto, Severino Rodrigues De Farias Neto, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy, Lademir Luiz Beal

Articles

This research focuses on performing multiphase solid/liquid/gas CFD simulations of a UASB reactor in order to obtain a validated model that provides a clearer understanding of the hydrodynamic behaviour of the three phases in UASB reactors. Eulerian–Eulerian, laminar, three-dimensional, multiphase simulations are carried out using Fluent 16.2. The liquid phase velocity and flow profile are validated through PIV experiments. A liquid mean velocity difference of 8.45% is found between the experimental and numerical results, thus validating the CFD model. Shadowgraphy is applied successfully to validate the biogas phase velocity and bubble size. Based on the hydrodynamic analysis results, the reactor …

Predicting Escherichia Coli Loads In Cascading Dams With Machine Learning: An Integration Of Hydrometeorology, Animal Density And Grazing Pattern, Olufemi P. Abimbola, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Tiffany Messer, Elaine D. Berry, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Samuel Hansen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Accurate prediction of Escherichia coli contamination in surface waters is challenging due to considerable uncertainty in the physical, chemical and biological variables that control E. coli occurrence and sources in surface waters. This study proposes a novel approach by integrating hydro-climatic variables as well as animal density and grazing pattern in the feature selection modeling phase to increase E. coli prediction accuracy for two cascading dams at the USMeat Animal Research Center (USMARC), Nebraska. Predictive models were developed using regression techniques and an artificial neural network (ANN). Two adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) structures including subtractive clustering and fuzzy c-means …

Design And Construction Of Drilled Shafts For Landslides, Malek Smadi

Purdue Road School

In general, weathered shale underlain by shale interbedded with limestone is the main forma-tion that underlies many of the slopes adjacent to the Ohio River in southern Indiana. During wet periods the weathered shale exhibits a sig-nificant decrease in strength, which has led to a number of landslides. In this session several case histories will be presented where drilled shafts have been used to repair and improve the safety of homes and roadways.

Plant Growth Layer: Recurring Special Provision 629-R-630, Kurt Pelz, Shawn Slaymon

Purdue Road School

This presentation encapsulates everything from what plant growth layer is and how it was developed to when it should be added to projects, its proper verification, and estimating PGL quantities. This presentation will also include project-specific examples of the limitations and expectations of PGL during the design and construction phase.

Superpave5: What Is It?, Matt Beeson, Gerry Huber

Purdue Road School

INDOT revised the asphalt specification in 2019 based on the concept of Superpave 5—that higher in-place density yields improved performance disability. This session will provide insight into the science of how Superpave 5 works while giving designers an understanding of how it affects design and construction specifications.

Railway Bridges Up-To-Date, Stephen Dick

Purdue Road School

Railroad bridges are not foremost on people’s minds, but they are still a critical item in our nation’s infrastructure. The railroads have a major investment in their bridges, and with many beyond 100 years old, maintenance and replacement of them is still a major cost item. This presentation describes the current state of railroad bridges, discusses older and new bridges, and addresses the current regulatory environment.

Travel Time Data Using Google, Xinbo Mi

Purdue Road School

When we need travel time information between an origin and destination, we used to drive the corridor and record the travel time data. Now we have a much easier way to obtain travel time data along a corridor: Google API (application programming interfaces). This is a very easy tool to use. All you need is a browser, a text editor, and perhaps my presentation, which is not highly technical. Everyone is welcome!

Nurturing Diversity In The Workplace, Julian Hayes, Sarah Baty

Purdue Road School

A workplace with people of varying genders, ages, religions, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds leads to greater innovation, reduced employee turnover, and other competitive advantages. Learn more about the benefits of workplace diversity and tips for nurturing diversity and inclusion where you work. In addition to sharing the latest research and best practices, this session will also include the speakers’ personal experiences with building positive change at HNTB Indiana.

Highway Safety 2020 - Catch The Vision: Saving Lives (And Preventing Serious Injuries), Rick Drumm

Purdue Road School

This session presents a view of highway safety up to this point in the 21st century, across the country and in Indiana. We will look back at notable initiatives that have shaped today’s highway safety landscape and assess where we stand now. Then, as we look into the future, learn how you can help make Indiana’s roads and highways safer.

The Future State Of Mobility, Jerome Quandt

Purdue Road School

Formed in 2018, the Illinois Autonomous Vehicles Association (ILAVA) is a privately funded non-for-profit organization focused on establishing thought leadership in the state of Illinois, by identifying and addressing the current and emerging opportunities related to the inevitable growth of CAV technologies throughout the transportation network. Through the deployment of scalable and sustainable business solutions, facilitating industry education and establishing thought leadership, ILAVA is creating an ecosystem that defines Illinois as #TheFutureStateofMobility.

All You Need To Know About Cybersecurity Ever! In 45 Minutes, Joe Beckman

Purdue Road School

This session will cover the information every local government official needs to know to keep their data safe from hackers.

Waterproofing Membrane For Concrete Boxes And Culverts, Keith Alan Lytton P.E., Jeremy Hunter P.E.

Purdue Road School

In 2019 a new INDOT Specification went into effect for waterproofing on concrete pipes and three- and four-sided boxes. The new specification decreased the leakage at these structures joints from 95% to less than 5%. This presentation will provide the background on why the change was needed and the solution, complete with construction examples and results.

Airport Infrastructure Planning, Robert Page

Purdue Road School

All across the country, airports are now facing many challenges related to resiliency and the possible disruption of airport traffic. This presentation will focus on the factors impacting the ability of airports to respond to those factors, including climate change, localized flooding, heat waves, and snow events. As these weather events can impact passengers and workers, the need for airports to be able to respond to extreme events is greater than ever.

I-69 Orx: A Bistate Megaproject = Project Management2, Jim Poturalski, Mindy Peterson, Steven Nicaise, Kevin Jasinski

Purdue Road School

Managing a large project is full of challenges. Needs grow exponentially when you’re managing a bistate megaproject with two clients and twice the number of agencies, elected leaders, community groups, media outlets, and other stakeholders. The I-69 Ohio River Crossing team will share strategies to improve internal and external communications, streamline processes, build consensus, increase collaboration, and maximize stakeholder engagement—all while maintaining an accelerated schedule

Faa Airmen Database Geospatial Distribution Patterns, Joseph P. Hupy, Sam Scroggs, Jaspar Saadi-Klein

Purdue Road School

There are currently more than 572,000 registered pilots in the United States, ranging from commercial UAS pilots to commercial manned aircraft. Although pilots are registered in each of the 50 states, where they live and reside can be seen through various forms of geospatial statistical analysis in a geographic information system. This talk explores spatial patterns of the FAA U.S. Airmen database through hotspot and cluster-based analysis of the database.

Improving Public Works Construction Inspection Skills, Benjamin J. Jordan

Purdue Road School

Indiana LTAP will be offering several courses related to improving public works projects and operations. The first course offered in 2020 will be with the assistance of UW–Madison Engineering Professional Development. The course, Improving Public Works Construction Inspection Skills, is a comprehensive overview of inspection fundamentals, practical methods, and techniques for the most common types of public works construction and will increase your confidence in dealing with contractors and the public.

Indot Maintenance - Next Level, Michael E. Brinkerhoff

Purdue Road School

INDOT, similar to many municipalities, has developed structured methods to not only inspect assets, but to identify deficiencies in an extremely efficient manner. This has led to multiple metrics for tracking customer service resolutions, bridge and large culvert hit rates, and other similar type performance standards. While technology for data collection and analysis are heavily weighed to meet agency goals, the need for out of the box solutions has grown immensely. Going beyond the metrics, many field personnel are tasked with keeping INDOT assets functioning for the safety and mobility of the public. This has pushed INDOT to the NEXT …

Monon Boulevard: A Linear Park That Integrates Vehicles With Pedestrians, Jeremy Cashman, Carl Kincaid, Trent Newport

Purdue Road School

Midtown is the connector between the vibrant Arts and Design District and the Carmel City Center and is bisected by the Monon Greenway. Once completed in early 2020, the award-winning Monon Boulevard project will be a long-term investment in the economic and social well-being of the community by offering points of interest through a series of destinations that will provide reasons to walk and bike along a safe, interesting, and engaging corridor.