Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Molecular Insight Into The Fluidity Of Cement Pastes: Nano-Boundary Lubrication Of Cementitious Materials, Muhan Wang, Kaixuan Zhang, Xiang Ji, Pan Wang, Hongyan Ma, Jun Zhang, Dongshuai Hou

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The workability mechanism of fresh concrete at the molecular level remains essentially unexplored. To understand the molecular origin for cement fluidity, molecular dynamics and Density Function Theory (DFT) were utilized to construct a shear model of Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate (C-S-H) layers. The structure, dynamics, and reactivity of ultra-confined pore solution between C-S-H gels are systematically investigated. Under shear loading, periodic oscillation of friction force is observed as the typically Couette flow and the interfacial friction force is reduced from 35.2 Kcal/mol·Å to 3.3 Kcal/mol·Å with water content increasing. All of the systems contain breakage of noncovalent bonds of water-Ca and water-water in …

Paper Mill Sludge Biochar To Enhance Energy Recovery From Pyrolysis: A Comprehensive Evaluation And Comparison, Zhongzhe Liu, Matthew Hughes, Yiran Tong, William Kreutter, Hugo Cortes Lopez, Simcha L. Singer, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Bio-oil and pyrolysis gas (py-gas) are two pyrolysis products available for potential energy recovery. Crude bio-oil, however, is typically corrosive and unstable, requiring special combustion equipment or catalytic upgrading to produce drop-in-grade fuel. In contrast, py-gas is readily useable in standard equipment for energy recovery. Previous research revealed that Ca-impregnated biochar catalyst improved bio-oil to py-gas conversion. Biochar produced from paper mill sludge (p-sludge) has very high Ca content. In this study, the catalytic ability of p-sludge biochar was systematically evaluated for the first time in pyrolysis. P-sludge biochar resulted in higher py-gas yield (40 wt% of total pyrolysis products) …

Maize Response To Coupled Irrigation And Nitrogen Fertilization Under Center Pivot, Subsurface Drip And Surface (Furrow) Irrigation: Growth, Development And Productivity, Suat Irmak, Ali T. Mohammed, Meetpal S. Kukal

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Water availability and water quality problems negatively impact agricultural productivity due to improper nitrogen (N) and irrigation management, which can also negatively affect environmental services. Coupled irrigation and N management practices must be developed and practiced for alleviating these challenges. Investigating crop growth and development and yield response to coupled irrigation and N management under different irrigation methods can aid in developing optimum agronomic management practices to enhance crop production efficiency. Field experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 growing seasons to measure and compare maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield, leaf area index (LAI), plant height (and their …

Chromium-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Alleviates Chromium Toxicity By Developing Synergistic Relationships With Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles In Wheat, Shoaib Ahmad, Manar Fawzi Bani Mfarrej, Mohamed A. El-Esawi, Muhammad Waseem, Aishah Alatawi, Muhammad Nafees, Muhammad Hamzah Saleem, Muhammad Rizwan, Tahira Yasmeen, Alia Anayat, Shafaqat Ali

All Works

Chromium (Cr) is a toxic heavy metal that contaminates soil and water resources after its discharge from different industries. It can act as carcinogen and mutagen for biological systems. Microbe-assisted phytoremediation is one of the most emergent and environment friendly technique used for detoxification of Cr from Cr-contaminated soils. In this study, wheat as a test crop was grown under varying stress levels (0, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) of Cr in a pot experiment under a complete randomized design. Alleviative role of Staphylococcus aureus strain K1 was assessed by applying as a treatment in different combinations of zinc oxide …

Review On Applications Of Lignin In Pavement Engineering: A Recent Survey, Hui Yao, Yiran Wang, Junfu Liu, Mei Xu, Pengrui Ma, Jie Ji, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Lignin is the second-largest plant polymer on Earth after cellulose. About 98% of lignin produced in the papermaking and pulping industry is used for combustion heating or power generation. Less than 2% of lignin is used in more valuable fields, mainly in the formulation of dispersants, adhesives, and surfactants. Asphalt is one of the most important materials in pavement engineering. It is a dark brown complex mixture composed of hydrocarbons with different molecular weights and their non-metallic derivatives. Because the chemical structure of lignin is similar to that of asphalt, it is a carbon-based hydrocarbon material. More researchers studied the …

Applications Of Stretching Technique And Time Window Effects On Ultrasonic Velocity Monitoring In Concrete, Bibo Zhong, Jinying Zhu

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Coda wave interferometry (CWI) has been used to measure the relative wave-velocity change (dV/V) caused by small changes in materials. This study uses the stretching processing technique which has been used for CWI analysis to investigate velocity changes of direct longitudinal (P) wave, direct shear (S) wave, and coda wave in concrete by choosing different time windows of ultrasonic signals. It is found that the obtained wave-velocity change depends on the time window position, because the relative contribution of P wave and S wave is different in each signal window. This paper presents three experimental scenarios of velocity …

Quality Management System Model For Design Consultants, Hisham Mohmmad Abu-Ghazala

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ems Response Time Analyses For A Rural County Using Geographically Weighted Regression With Different Kernel Weighting Functions, Sneha R. Vanga, Phillip M. Ligrani, Mehrnaz Doustmohammadi, Michael Anderson

PRC-Affiliated Research

A Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) is considered to compare results provided using two different kernel weighting functions: adaptive bi-square kernel and adaptive Gaussian kernel. To provide a baseline reference comparison, resulting data are also considered relative to Global Regression Analysis (GRA) calculations, which are obtained without the inclusion of geographical variability location data. For the analysis, data associated with a total of 214 crash cases for the dates between January 2016 and December 2019 are studied for a rural county in Alabama. Associated crash records are extracted from the Critical Analysis Reporting Environment (CARE) database. Six independent variables, including travel …

Instructional Design Framework For Construction Materials Training, Hazem Jadallah, Carol J. Friedland, Isabelina Nahmens, Charles Pecquet, Charles Berryman, Yimin Zhu

Faculty Publications

The construction industry is suffering, in part, from a lack of training programs offered to the construction workforce. Unfortunately, most construction training and education research focuses on university student education. Integrating education science theory into construction workforce training has the potential to improve industry training but there is a dearth of studies that present details of this integration process. To address this gap, a training framework was developed to educate material stakeholders on material properties, selection, and installation. This framework is based on andragogical and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. An assessment method evaluates training agendas to improve upon …

A Comparison Of National Water Model Retrospective Analysis Snow Outputs At Snow Telemetry Sites Across The Western United States, Irene Garousi-Nejad, David G. Tarboton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This study compares the US National Water Model (NWM) reanalysis snow outputs to observed snow water equivalent (SWE) and snow-covered area fraction (SCAF) at snow telemetry (SNOTEL) sites across the Western United States. SWE was obtained from SNOTEL sites, while SCAF was obtained from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations at a nominal 500 m grid scale. Retrospective NWM results were at a 1000 m grid scale. We compared results for SNOTEL sites to gridded NWM and MODIS outputs for the grid cells encompassing each SNOTEL site. Differences between modelled and observed SWE were attributed to both model errors, as …

Mechanical Properties Of Concrete With 100 Percent Coarse Recycled Concrete Aggregate (Rca), Mohsen H. Motlagh

Theses and Dissertations

Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is a crushed concrete with the original aggregates' features and old mortar adhered to the original aggregate which makes it necessary to know the mechanical properties of the RCA. The objectives of this thesis are (a) to characterize RCA from different sources and of different proportions, (b) to measure the mechanical properties of concrete made with 100% RCA as coarse aggregates, and (c) to evaluate how the RCA properties affect the properties of new concrete. The study uses RCA with three types of original aggregates (limestone, dolomite, and granite) in two water-to-cement ratios 0.48 and 0.38 …

Applications Of Nano-Zeolite In Wastewater Treatment: An Overview, Rehab O, Abdel Rahman, Ahmed M. El-Kamash, Yung-Tse Hung

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Nano-zeolite is an innovative class of materials that received recognition for its potential use in water and tertiary wastewater treatment. These applications include ion-exchange/sorption, photo-degradation, and membrane separation. The aim of this work is to summarize and analyze the current knowledge about the utilization of nano-zeolite in these applications, identify the gaps in this field, and highlight the challenges that face the wide scale applications of these materials. Within this context, an introduction to water quality, water and wastewater treatment, utilization of zeolite in contaminant removal from water was addressed and linked to its structure and the advances in zeolite …

Effect Of Type And Content Of Expansive Agent On Performance Of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete With Adapted Rheology, Ahmed Abdelrazik, Kamal Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A performance-based mixture design approach was utilized to optimize the binder content and composition for fiber-reinforced super workable concrete (FR-SWC) and fiber-reinforced self-consolidating concrete (FR-SCC). The test parameters included the replacement ratio of the cement by a Class C fly ash (FA), type and content of expansive agent (EA), and total binder content. Hooked-end steel fibers measuring 30 mm in length were used at 0.5% by volume. The investigated concrete was tested for slump flow, modified J-ring, sieve stability, bleeding, visual stability index, air content, unit weight, as well as compressive and splitting tensile strengths. The elastic modulus, autogenous, drying …

Durability Properties Of Concrete With 100 Percent Coarse Recycled Concrete Aggregates, Tasnia Tarannum Khan

Theses and Dissertations

The supplies of concrete aggregates from natural sources are rapidly reducing. Recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) are produced by crushing the concrete obtained from demolished concrete structures. The purpose of this study is to determine the durability properties of concrete with 100% recycled concrete coarse aggregates and relate the durability of such concrete to the physical, mechanical, and durability properties of RCA and the RCA parent concrete. The correlations of several properties are determined by developing model equations to predict RCA properties. The parent concrete is crushed and graded at two nominal maximum sizes, 1" and 0.75", to determine the RCA …

Steel Diaphragm Innovation Initiative, Year 5, Final Report *Addendum*, American Iron And Steel Institute

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

Preface

The Steel Diaphragm Innovation Initiative (SDII) is a multi-year industry-academic-government partnership to advance the seismic performance of steel floor and roof diaphragms utilized in steel buildings. This addendum to the final report covers work conducted on Task 5.6 which was completed during a no-cost extension conducted in 2021. Please refer to AISI RP21-04, the Steel Diaphragm Innovation Initiative, Year 5, Final Report for all other details.

A Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory For Nebraska: Livestock And Coal Loom Large, Eric R. Holley, Adam Liska

Adam Liska Papers

Mitigation of climate change requires the systematic identification and cataloging of emissions sources at city, state, and national levels. In this study, an inventory of annual greenhouse gas emissions from the state of Nebraska was created based on industry data, and emissions inventories were completed each year from 1990 to 2016. Nebraska’s net emissions were found to increase from 56.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMtCO₂e) in 1990 to 87.4 MMtCO₂e in 2016. Agriculture was found to be the sector with the most emissions (36 MMtCO₂e) followed by electricity generation (21 MMtCO …

Module 01: Introduction To Architectural Cad, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Module 05: Plumbing Plans, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Module 03a: Floor Plan Intro, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Module 07: Wall Sections, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Module 03b: Detail Floor Plan Layout, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Module 04: Electrical Plans, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Module 08: Roof Plans, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Module 09: Site Plan, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Module 02: Residential Design, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Module 03c: Dimensioning, Keith Johnson, Mohammad Moin Uddin

ENTC 2160: Architectural CAD

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Phosphorus Removal And Recovery Methods And Proposed Design Of High Rate Algal Pond For Swine Wastewater, Taylor Fauth

Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Students Plan B Capstone Projects

High phosphorus concentrations in wastewater effluent can have harmful effects to aquatic environments and water quality. An excess of nutrients such as phosphorus in water bodies will cause eutrophication, which depletes the available oxygen within the water and is detrimental to aquatic life. Additionally, phosphorus leaching from wastewater discharge has negative impacts to groundwater quality. The depletion of phosphorus as a natural resource is also of concern as phosphorus is an essential product for agricultural and industrial production. Phosphorus is a non-renewable resource, and natural sources are becoming more difficult and expensive to access. Therefore, the removal and recycle of …

Gadolinium Enrichment In Association With The Magnetic Fraction Of 1 Fly Ash: Real Or An Illusion?, James C. Hower, John G. Groppo, Dali Qian, Nicolas J. Briot, Tonya D. Morgan, Shelley D. Hopps, Elizabeth Cantando

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Gadolinium, and possibly praseodymium, are relatively enriched in the magnetic 24 fractions of Class F fly ashes from Central Appalachian coal sources. Although the enrichment is 25 evident in the inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) 26 determinations of the rare earth content, transmission electron microscopy–energy dispersive x-27 ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDS) examination of the fly ash fails to show the sites of the Gd or Pr. 28 This apparent lack of correlation could be due to the inability of the EDS to detect low 29 concentrations of the rare earth elements definitively; interferences in the analytics, leading to 30 false …

Fish And Invertebrate Use Of Restored Vs. Natural Oyster Reefs In A Shallow Temperate Latitude Estuary, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Christopher J. Baillie, Adam Baukus, Rachael Carlyle, F. Joel Fodrie, Rachel K. Gittman, A. Randall Hughes, David L. Kimbro, Juhyung Lee, Hunter S. Lenihan, Sean P. Powers, Kevin Sullivan

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Coastal marine habitats continue to be degraded, thereby compelling largescale restoration in many parts of the world. Whether restored habitats function similarly to natural habitats and fully recover lost ecosystem services is unclear. In estuaries, oyster reefs have been degraded by multiple anthropogenic activities including destructive fishing practices and reduced water quality, motivating restoration to maintain oyster fisheries and other ecosystem services, often at relatively high cost. We compared fish and invertebrate communities on recently restored (0–1 year post-restoration), older restored (3–4 years post-restoration), and natural oyster reefs to determine if and when restored reefs support functionally similar faunal communities. …

Ferrihydrite Enrichment In The Rhizosphere Of Unsaturated Soil Improves Nutrient Retention While Limiting Arsenic And Uranium Plant Uptake, Arindam Malakar, Daniel D. Snow, Michael Kaiser, Jordan Shields, Bijesh Maharjan, Harkamal Walia, Daran Rudnick, Chittaranjan Ray

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Improvement of nutrient use efficiency and limiting trace elements such as arsenic and uranium bioavailability is critical for sustainable agriculture and food safety. Arsenic and uranium possess different properties and mobility in soils, which complicates the effort to reduce their uptake by plants. Here, we postulate that unsaturated soil amended with ferrihydrite nanominerals leads to improved nutrient retention and helps reduce uptake of these geogenic contaminants. Unsaturated soil is primarily oxic and can provide a stable environment for ferrihydrite nanominerals. To demonstrate the utility of ferrihydrite soil amendment, maize was grown in an unsaturated agricultural soil that is known to …