Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Trisiloxane Surfactant Adjuvants In Pollen, Autumn Slade

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chemicals are often added to agricultural pesticide mixes to help increase the efficiency of the field spray solution, and one of the main groups of chemicals used for this purpose are trisiloxane surfactants (TSSs). Normally TSSs are considered non-toxic, but recent studies have shown TSSs to have negative impacts on organisms like honey bees. Though TSSs have recently been found in environmental sources like water, pollen, and beeswax, little is known about how TSSs behave in the environment or affects active ingredients, like pesticides.

To help determine the environmental prevalence and fate of TSSs, several studies were performed. Pollen was …

Submerged And Floating Woody Debris-Blocking Sensitivity Of Labyrinth Weirs, Taylor Vaughn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Accumulation of floating and submerged woody debris at flow control structures can result in reduced discharge efficiency (higher upstream head for a given weir discharge). Labyrinth weirs are more prone to debris blockage than less efficient control structures due to their ability to pass large amounts of flow with relatively small heads. Labyrinth weirs also have geometric properties that are more likely to prevent debris from passing over the weir than linear weirs.

A laboratory study was performed to evaluate the interaction between labyrinth weirs and debris sizes. The individual debris tests indicated that debris blockage probability is influenced by …

Study Of Levee Underseepage Through Abandoned Channels And Point Bars On Curved Levee Sections Using The Response Surface-Monte Carlo Method, Tomsen Reed

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current procedures for calculated the probability of failure of levees (earthen structures designed to prevent flooding of important locations) all have their own unique limitations. Some methods are very simplistic, and either ignore or do not allow for inclusion of complex geometries. Other methods allow for complex geometry, but do not lend themselves to large quantities of analysis because of the amount of time it takes to create or modify a model. For these reasons, previous research performed by Lourdes Polanco and Dr. John Rice developed the preliminary stages of a new method called the Response Surface-Monte Carlo method. …

Eco-Driving Systems For Connected Automated Vehicles: Multi-Objective Trajectory Optimization, Ke Huang, Xianfeng Yang

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study aims to leverage advances in connected automated vehicle (CAV) technology to design an eco-driving and platooning system that can improve the fuel and operational efficiency of vehicles during freeway driving. Following a two-stage control logic, the proposed algorithm optimizes CAVs’ trajectories with three objectives: travel time minimization, fuel consumption minimization, and traffic safety improvement. The first stage, designed for CAV trajectory planning, is carried out with two optimization models. The second stage, for real-time control purposes, is developed to ensure the operational safety of CAVs. Based on extensive numerical simulations, the results have confirmed the effectiveness of the …

Performance Testing Of Hot Mix Asphalt Containing Biochar, Shadi Saadeh, Yazan Al-Zubi, Basel Zaatarah

Mineta Transportation Institute

In recent years, researchers have been able to identify asphalt binder additives, such as polymers and bio-binder, that can enhance the rheological and mechanical properties of asphalt binders. Earlier studies show that utilizing bio-binder as a partial replacement for asphalt binder has shown promising results in both mechanical and sustainability aspects. Biochar additions improved binder viscosity and low-temperature characteristics. Biochar, which is a byproduct of producing bio-binder, has shown enhanced rheological and mechanical properties when used as an additive to the asphalt binder. In this study, the mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures containing Biochar were investigated. In addition, its color …

Investigation Of Strength And Fatigue Life Of Rubber Asphalt Mixture, Jiang Yuan, Songtao Lv, Xinghai Peng, Lingyun You, Milkos Borges Cabrera

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Strength and fatigue life are essential parameters of pavement structure design. To accurately determine the pavement structure resistance of rubber asphalt mixture, the strength tests at various temperatures, loading rate, and fatigue tests at different stress levels were conducted in this research. Based on the proposed experiments, the change law of rubber asphalt mixture strength with different temperatures and loading rates was revealed. The phenomenological fatigue equation of rubber asphalt mixture was established. The genetic algorithm optimized backpropagation neural network (GA-BPNN) is highly reliable for optimizing production processes in civil engineering, and it has a remarkable application effect. A GA-BPNN …

Relating Asphalt Concrete’S Pore Structure To Its Durability, Mohiuddin Ahmad

Civil Engineering ETDs

Most of the pavements in the USA are constructed using asphalt concrete (AC). AC changes its property over time due to moisture intrusion and aging. These two factors deteriorate AC significantly, and they are considered as the most important durability measures of AC. Moisture enters a pavement in both liquid and vapor form through the permeable pores that are interconnected. Similarly, oxygen, which is required for the aging process, access an asphalt concrete pavement through the connected pore. However, none of the previous studies correlated AC’s pore structure to the flow of moisture, moisture damage, and aging. In this study, …

Cross-Border Development: A Long-Term Role For Universities, Robert Brian Smith, Nucharee Nuchkoom Smith

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

Low-income economies are experiencing potential serious threats in terms of long-term sustainability and social development. At the same time, most developing economies are grappling with possible disruptions from the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the current COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences. However, every economy has the same goal of elevating its status to that of a developed country. This research uses the narrative/case study approach to examine cross-border development and the role that universities can play as important actors in the development of society. Moreover, this research combines observations and literature analysis. Universities are clearly best placed to play an …

Pesticide Occurrence And Persistence Entering Recreational Lakes Residing In Watersheds Of Various Land Uses, Jessica Satiroff

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Other Student Research

Common Use Pesticides (CUPs) are important for agricultural producers to sustain food production. As a result, regions with high rates of agricultural production, such as the Midwest, often have ubiquitous occurrences of pesticides in surface and groundwater ¹. Once pesticides are introduced into an ecosystem, pesticides have the potential for creating unwanted effects on non-target species and downstream environments ^2,3. However, pesticides do not come strictly from agricultural practices. Therefore, the research presented in this thesis focuses on the neonicotinoid and fungicide concentrations detected in recreational lakes as well as their persistence in these aquatic environments during the …

Biofiltration Of Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted At Ethanol Plants, Mitham Al-Faliti

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Ethanol is a major biofuel source of energy in the U.S. Ethanol production produces several harmful emissions from both fermentation tanks and dryers. CO₂ scrubbers control the emissions from the fermentation tanks, while the emissions from the dryers are controller by regenerative thermal oxidizers. These methods are expensive to operate. A potential alternative is bio-trickling filters. Bio-trickling filters are an inexpensive and environmentally friendly alternative. For this study, two parallel bio-trickling filters were operated one at 25°C called the mesophilic bio-trickling filter and one at 60°C called the thermophilic bio-trickling filter. The mesophilic bio-trickling filter simulates emissions from fermentation …

Magnetic Water Treamtment For Scale Prevention On Water Heater Elements, Fatma Al-Sharji

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Other Student Research

Calcium carbonates is one of the main components of scale that is commonly found in industrial equipment such as hot water systems. Scale formation on heater elements may lead to reduce heat efficiency and shorten the heat service life. Ion exchange softened water are used to reduce the scale formation, but excess salt during regeneration discharged to the wastewater stream, limits the reuse of wastewater for industrial purposes. As a result, non-salt alternative devices would provide consumers with the ability to reduce the impacts of ion exchange softened water without creating negative salinity impacts on wastewater stream. Magnetic water treatment …

Statistical Modeling Of Historical Daily Water Temperatures In The Lower Columbia River, Malia Hanae Scott

Dissertations and Theses

Water temperature affects numerous aspects of aquatic life, and its stability is critical to cold water fish such as salmonids. With rising anthropogenic influence in natural environments, the future existence of these organisms is becoming less certain. In this study, I examined the evolution of historical water temperatures in the lower Columbia River by creating a statistical model to estimate daily historical water temperatures between the 1850s and 2010s. Daily air temperature and river flow measurements were used as inputs to the model, which estimated daily water temperatures at Bonneville Dam. The model used time lags between air temperature and …

Investigation Of Morphological Composition And Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Municipal Solid Waste Recycling Methods In Uzbekistan, F.N. Rakhmatullayev, S.M. Turabjanov, T.V. Ponamaryova, L.S. Rakhimova, U.S. Abdullaev

Technical science and innovation

This article deals with the problem of Municipal solid waste (MSW) in the Republic of Uzbekistan. In the process of research, the methods for the disposal of MSW that are still used in the country, such as incineration and disposal at landfills, were examined. For the necessity to implement innovations in the work of handling MSW, the basic morphological composition of MSW in the winter, spring, summer and autumn seasonal periods was researched. Based on the results obtained, an innovative direction is proposed for the processing of MSW into secondary raw materials in order to solve the problems of resource …

Black Lives Matter In Engineering, Too! An Environmental Justice Approach Towards Equitable Decision-Making For Stormwater Management In African American Communities, Maya Elizabeth Carrasquillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States and the world have recently been challenged with the disparate effects of COVID-19 and the continual killings of unarmed Black men and women across the nation. A history of anti-black racism has led to systemic structures of inequity that thread throughout institutions and communities across the nation. This environmental engineering research comes at a time when understanding how to effectively engage in, and with Black communities is at the forefront of discourse in academia, utilities and private sector.

In 2018 the Brookings Institute published a report on workforce in the water sector demonstrating the lack of diversity …

Collaborative Research: Network Hub: Enabling, Supporting, And Communicating Critical Zone Research, Jeffery S. Horsburgh

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Corner Shape On Hydraulic Performance Of One-Cycle Rectangular Labyrinth Weirs, Omed S.Q. Yousif, Moses Karakouzian

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The hydraulic performance of rectangular labyrinth weirs has been investigated by many researchers, however, the effects of the corner shape on the hydraulic performance of rectangular labyrinth weirs have not been addressed in the current literature. Accordingly, this experimental study aims to explore the effect of the corner shape of on discharge efficiency of rectangular labyrinth weirs. Five flat-crested rectangular labyrinth weirs, with five different corner shapes, were made of High-Density Polyethylene Plastic (HDPE) and tested in a rectangular flume. Under different overflow discharges, the discharge coefficients for the rectangular labyrinth weirs were determined. The results showed that the shape …

Using A Systems Thinking Approach And Health Risk Assessment To Analyze The Food-Energy-Water System Nexus Of Seaweed Farming In Belize, Estenia J. Ortiz Carabantes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Certain macroalgae, commonly referred to as seaweed, have traditionally been used as a food source for many coastal communities around the world. In Belize, residents of the Placencia Peninsula cultivate two seaweed types, Eucheuma isiforme and Gracilaria spp. at Little Water Caye located 19 miles offshore. The dried seaweed is sold at the Placencia Producers Cooperative Society Limited (PPCSL) where community members process it into a variety of value-added products such as soaps, cosmetics, hair products, and food additives.

The overall goal of this research was to understand the existing food-energy-water system (FEWS) infrastructure landscape for seaweed production in Placencia, …

Spatial Analysis Of Bias Corrected Rainfall Data Sets Within Albuquerque, New Mexico Metropolitan Area, Cassy Scarlott- Mcclintock

Civil Engineering ETDs

The Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) was implemented as one of the first network-wide operational radar- estimated precipitation products in the United States in 1988. The algorithms within this system bring drastic advancements to operational flood forecasting when compared to prior radars and even rain gage systems. The objectives were; (1) to determine how radar plays a role in estimating precipitation by comparing rainfall accuracy to other sources such as calibrated radar data and gage data within Albuquerque, New Mexico and (2) to determine if distance from the radar affects estimation of rainfall. The sets of data compared were from: (1) …

Post-Wildfire Geomorphic Stream Response In Six New Mexican Watersheds, Aljaz Praznik

Civil Engineering ETDs

Wildfire causes severe physical changes to watersheds, which then leads to geomorphic changes in the burned watersheds. In New Mexico and the southwestern U.S., flooding is a common response after a wildfire, due to higher water runoff from the hillslopes and sediment erosion rates. These flood events change the erosion and deposition characteristics of a stream, which can result in the deposition of a large amount of sediment near the communities living downstream. The objective of this research was to analyze and compare post-fire geomorphic stream response caused by six different wildfires in New Mexico with the goal to create …

Biogeochemical Processes Affecting Arsenic (As) Release And Bioavailability Near Abandoned Mine Wastes, Cherie L. Devore

Civil Engineering ETDs

The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the biogeochemical processes affecting the mobilization and bioavailability of arsenic (As) from mining-impacted sediments to surface water sources and plants. The Cheyenne River Watershed has been affected by mining legacy for several decades. The biogeochemical cycling of As on tribal land is not well understood, which justified the following research objectives: 1) Investigate the effect of competing anions on the release of As from sediments exposed to oxidizing conditions; 2) Evaluate chemical and microbiological processes affecting the release of soluble As, Fe, and Mn from contaminated sediments under laboratory controlled aerobic and …

Sustainable Nutrient Management Through Technology-Level Evaluation And System-Level Optimization, Xiaofan Xu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The need for wastewater and stormwater quality control, especially the control of nutrients, has been recognized due to the widespread problem of water eutrophication. Sustainable nutrient management is essential to reduce nutrient-related impacts and supply the growing nutrient demands.

This research focused on the nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in the urban water environment with nitrogen as the nutrient of interest since nitrogen is the primary nutrient responsible for eutrophication in the coastal areas. It aimed to enhance the sustainability of urban nutrient management through technology-level evaluation and system-level optimization of technology implementation with consideration of life cycle environmental impacts and …

Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (Mswi) Ashes As Construction Materials—A Review, Byoung Hooi Cho, Boo Hyun Nam, Jinwoo An, Heejung Youn

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Over the past decades, extensive studies on municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ashes have been performed to develop more effective recycling and waste management programs. Despite the large amount of research activities and the resulting improvements to MSWI ashes, the recycling programs for MSWI ashes are limited. For instance, although the U.S. generates more MSWI ashes than any other country in the world, its reuse/recycle programs are limited; bottom ash and fly ash are combined and disposed of in landfills. Reuse of MSWI ashes in the construction sectors (i.e., geomaterials, asphalt paving, and concrete products) as replacements for raw materials …

Hydraulic Effects Of The Lower Mississippi River Batture, David P. May

LSU Master's Theses

The Lower Mississippi River (LMR), since the creation of the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) project, has been extensively modified to support navigation and flood risk reduction. The components of the MR&T system, implemented to support the above missions, have performed successfully for many decades, but not without contention. Rising stages in recent years have led to the questioning of the hydraulic impact of navigation dikes and river training methodologies. Multiple studies have been performed (Biedenharn, 2000, May 2017, Mayne, 2018, and Simon, 2019) that indicate these river training structures have minimal impact to stage during flood conditions. It has …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Free-Stand Graphene/Silver Nanowire/Graphene Nano Composite As Transparent Conductive Film With Enhanced Stiffness, Chuanrui Guo, Yanxiao Li, Yanping Zhu, Chenglin Wu, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As-grown graphene via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has potential defects, cracks, and disordered grain boundaries induced by the synthesis and transfer process. Graphene/silver nanowire/graphene (Gr/AgNW/Gr) sandwich composite has been proposed to overcome these drawbacks significantly as the AgNW network can provide extra connections on graphene layers to enhance the stiffness and electrical conductivity. However, the existing substrate (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glass, silicon, and so on) for composite production limits its application and mechanics behavior study. In this work, a vacuum annealing method is proposed and validated to synthesize the free-stand Gr/AgNW/Gr nanocomposite film on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids. AgNW …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Free-Stand Graphene/Silver Nanowire/Graphene Nano Composite As Transparent Conductive Film With Enhanced Stiffness, Chuanrui Guo, Yanxiao Li, Yanping Zhu, Chenglin Wu, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As-grown graphene via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has potential defects, cracks, and disordered grain boundaries induced by the synthesis and transfer process. Graphene/silver nanowire/graphene (Gr/AgNW/Gr) sandwich composite has been proposed to overcome these drawbacks significantly as the AgNW network can provide extra connections on graphene layers to enhance the stiffness and electrical conductivity. However, the existing substrate (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glass, silicon, and so on) for composite production limits its application and mechanics behavior study. In this work, a vacuum annealing method is proposed and validated to synthesize the free-stand Gr/AgNW/Gr nanocomposite film on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids. AgNW …

Geospatial Virtual Reality For Cyberlearning In The Field Of Topographic Surveying: Moving Towards A Cost-Effective Mobile Solution, Eugene Levin, Roman Shults, Zhongming An, William Roland

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

In spite of the tremendous success in artificial intelligence technology and a high level of automation in geospatial data obtaining processes, there is still a need for topographical field data collection by professional surveyors. Understanding terrain topology and topography is a cognitive skill set that has to be demonstrated by geospatial Subject Matter Experts (SME) for the productive work in the topographic surveying field. For training of the mentioned above skillset, one has to be exposed to the theory and must also practice with surveying instruments in field conditions. The challenge of any surveying/geospatial engineering workforce training is to expose …

Multiple Salinity Equilibria And Resilience Of Persian/Arabian Gulf Basin Salinity To Brine Discharge, Hamed D. Ibrahim, Pengfei Xue, Elfatih A.B. Eltahir

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Persian/Arabian Gulf is the most important region for seawater desalination. Surrounding countries produce about 50% of global desalinated seawater. If Gulf salinity significantly rises because of desalination effluent (brine), marine ecosystems and the water supply for many population centers will be threatened. In order to quantify current and future impacts of seawater desalination on Gulf salinity and avoid costly environmental problems, it is vital to first examine the present Gulf salinity state and its response to salinity perturbation (i.e., determine its stability). Here, using a coupled Gulf-Atmosphere numerical climate model, we test the hypothesis that the Gulf has a …

Laboratory And Short-Term Field Performance Of Crumb Rubber Modified Asphalt Emulsion In Chip Seal Applications, Md Nafiur Rahman

LSU Master's Theses

Chip sealing is a commonly used pavement maintenance treatment that aims to delay pavement deterioration by reducing water infiltration and restoring skid resistance. Loss of aggregate and bleeding are considered the major failure mechanisms in chip seal, and therefore, are the main design criteria for this treatment method. The objective of this study was to evaluate the laboratory and short-term field performance of chip seals prepared with different types of asphalt emulsions, application rates, and aggregate blends. A newly introduced crumb-rubber modified asphalt emulsion was evaluated that allows chip seal installation at the same temperature of a standard emulsion. Types …

Combining High-Frequency Sensor Data And Nutrient Addition Experiments To Identify Uptake Dynamics In Streams, Justin Rae Nichols

Civil Engineering ETDs

Nutrient enrichment has led to impaired waterways across the globe with an estimated 90% of waterways in the U.S. being negatively impacted from anthropogenic sources. In the past 30 years, there has been significant focus on studying nutrient uptake within fluvial systems. However, there are still critical knowledge gaps about the controls of nutrient dynamics and how these processes scale. This study combined the results from traditional instantaneous nutrient addition experiments and sensor data averaged over ±5 days from the time of addition to determine mechanisms that affect nutrient dynamics in two contrasting streams within the same watershed, over almost …

A Data‐Driven Framework To Characterize State‐Level Water Use In The U.S., E Wongso, Roshanak Nateghi, Benjamin Zaitchik, Steven Quiring, Rohini Kumar

School of Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Access to credible estimates of water-use are critical for making optimal operational de-15 cisions and investment plans to ensure reliable and affordable provisioning of water. Fur-16 thermore, identifying the key predictors of water use is important for regulators to pro-17 mote sustainable development policies to reduce water use. In this paper, we propose18 a data-driven framework, grounded in statistical learning theory, to develop a rigorously19 evaluated predictive model of state-level, per capita water use in the US as a function20 of various geographic, climatic and socioeconomic variables. Specifically, we compare the21 accuracy of various statistical methods in predicting the state-level, …