Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

The Use Of Alkaline Co2 Solvent For The Co2 Curing Of Blast-Furnace Slag Mortar, Seong Ho Han, Yubin Jun, Jae Hong Kim

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Moving toward carbon neutrality in the construction industry involves utilizing CO₂ to produce construction materials. CO₂ curing of cement-based materials induces carbonation at an early age, which enhances strength and performance. A new process for the CO₂ curing is proposed using CO₂-dissolved curing water, which needs no massive CO₂-gas chamber encasing cement-based materials in mild pressure. Gaseous CO₂ was dissolved in 1 M aqueous KOH solution beforehand, and mortar samples made with ground-granulated blast furnace slag were submerged and cured. The CO₂-water curing for 3 days carbonated the samples but …

Effect Of Varying Amounts Of Sandstone On The Performance Of Asphalt Mixtures In Arkansas, David Murphy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are many different species and subspecies of aggregate used across the state of Arkansas, and the rest the country. However, it cannot be presumed that the amount and type of these aggregates will be compatible with the commonly used asphalt binder of an area; this can lead to performance issues and premature pavement damage. It has been suspected in Arkansas that an excessive amount of sandstone in asphalt mixtures may be a culprit of some of these premature pavement damage issues, especially regarding the moisture susceptibility of a pavement. This study aimed to analyze the performance effects of using …

Development Of Deep Shear Wave Velocity Profiles And An Approach To Generate Site Signature Consistent Pseudo Shear Wave Velocity Profiles In The Mississippi Embayment, Ashraf Kamal Himel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation details the development of a surface wave method (SWM) technique to generate deep shear wave velocity profiles (VS profiles), applying this technique at 24 sites across the Mississippi embayment and developing an approach to generate pseudo site signature consistent VS profiles from velocity functions and fundamental frequency. In the presented SWM technique, active and passive source surface wave measurements are inverted along with fundamental frequency to develop a site signature consistent VS profile. Multiple transformation methods, including MSPAC, HRFK and FK are used to resolve experimental dispersion data from surface wave measurements. SWM VS profile at the Central …

Investigations Into Flange Surface Friction Effects On Shear Stud Load Transfer In Composite Bridge Girders, Callie Clark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Composite bridge behavior is commonly achieved through headed shear studs welded tothe steel girder flange and embedded in the concrete deck. Current AASHTO provisions for estimating demands on shear studs during service-level loading consider only bearing load transfer, neglecting adhesion bonding and friction load transfer between the concrete deck and girder flange. Quantifying alternative load transfer mechanisms across the steel-concrete interface may result in improved steel bridge economy by reducing the number of studs required in a composite girder design. This study investigates the effects of flange surface friction (considering various coatings) on resulting stud demands using both experimental testing …

Initial Exploration Of Reduced Gyrations For Arkansas Asphalt Mix Designs, Jocie L. Baker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The most common distresses in asphalt pavement are cracking and rutting. These distresses plague almost every asphalt roadway in the world. Finding ways to mitigate these distresses will improve the performance of asphalt pavements. One way to combat the premature cracking of asphalt in the field is to ensure there is enough asphalt binder within the mix. This will help the flexibility of the asphalt undergoing large loads and deformation. However, it is widely accepted that mix designs across the country lack the appropriate amount of asphalt binder in their mixes, causing dry mix designs that are subject to cracking …

Temporal Lidar Scanning In Quantifying Cumulative Rockfall Volume And Hazard Assessment: A Case Study At Southwestern Saudi Arabia, Abdullah A. Alotaibi, Norbert H. Maerz, Kenneth J. Boyko, Ahmed M. Youssef, Biswajeet Pradhan

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Rockfalls and unstable slopes pose a serious threat to people and property along roads/highways in the southwestern mountainous regions of Saudi Arabia. In this study, the application of terrestrial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology was applied aiming to propose a strategy to analyze and accurately depict the detection of rockfall changes, calculation of rockfall volume, and evaluate rockfall hazards along the Habs Road, Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia. A series of temporal LiDAR scans were acquired at three selected sites. Our results show that these three sites have different degrees of hazard due to their geological differences. The mean volume …

Multisorb: A Low-Cost Approach To Remove Multiple Metals And Organics From Leachate And Wastewater, Mithila Chakraborty

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Landfill leachates are considered now as a reusable source of water. Even irrigation projects are now considering use of non-traditional water sources, including treated wastewater, to augment supplies. Treated wastewater or leachate, however, may still contain many inorganic and organic pollutants of emerging concern, because traditional wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove all of them. Adsorbents have been demonstrated to effectively remove heavy metals and recalcitrant organics from leachate/wastewater more effectively, at lower cost, and using less chemicals and energy than many competing techniques. A single adsorbent with one pre-treatment, however, is not effective for simultaneously removing different …

Design Of Crack Attenuating Mix Using Waste Plastic, Shruti Singh

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Plastic has many good properties such as inexpensiveness, light weightedness and durability, but it comes with one major catch i.e., its ‘indestructibility’. Plastic waste is now omnipresent and highlights that all plastic ever produced still exists in some shape or form either as macro, micro or nano plastics, making it one of the greatest challenges our planet is facing today. At the same time many existing pavements are experiencing structural and functional deficiencies due to rapid growth in traffic volume. This has led to an ever-increasing rise in construction and rehabilitation cost. So, an alternative has been explored through this …

Identifying The Optimal Combination Of Critical Roadside Slope Segments Susceptible To Rainfall-Induced Failures For Minimizing Vulnerability Of Highway Networks, Anil Baral

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The stability of roadside slopes is vital for the smooth operation of the highway transportation system. The failure of slopes adjacent to the highway corridors adversely impacts the network users and network operators. The network users are subjected to delays through speed restrictions, stoppage, and diversions due to the blockage of a motorway. The network operators face the burden of implementation and finance of emergency slope repairs. Proactive rehabilitation of slopes helps to reduce roadside slope failures and minimize the disruption of transportation networks resulting from rainfall-induced slope failures. However, all the slope segments susceptible to rainfall-induced failures cannot be …

Experimental Study Of Flow Characteristics And Geometry Of Scour Hole Around Cylindrical Piers Subject To Wave And Current, Qazi Ashique E Mowla

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This thesis concerns the unique flow structure around bridge piers under the wave and current conditions. The flow characteristics around piers may change depending on the flow conditions and geometry of the pier. These flow structures imprint themselves on the streambed as scour holes. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the changes that occur in the flow pattern and in the geometric pattern of scour holes around piers in waterbodies subject to waves and currents. Physical models of two piers with different diameters (19 mm and 50 mm) were built and installed in a sediment bed. A total of 19 …

Integrating Environmental Contamination Perceptions Of Artisanal And Small-Scale Mining Into Environmental Responses Across Spatial Scales, Michelle Schwartz

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is of significant interest to the international research community, government officials, and non-governmental organizations due to its large environmental footprint and its presence in over 70 countries worldwide. Despite the health and environmental concerns associated with mercury use in ASGM and the increased awareness at the international level, attempts to address environmental contamination has faced resistance as they often fail to account for the real-world conditions at sites of concern. Additionally, national and international interventions have fallen short when addressing ASGM pollution, calling for a new engineering approach towards ASGM-related projects. The purpose …

Development Of Multi Criteria Decision-Making Model To Evaluate The Adoption Effectiveness Of Electronic Ticketing (E-Ticketing) In Highway Construction Projects, Karthik Subramanya

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Highway and bridge construction projects are subject to cost and schedule overruns, as well as workforce shortages in remote locations, both of which can result in disputes over the quality of the end product. State departments of transportation (DOTs) are constructing and managing more highway projects than ever before despite limited funds and a shortage of inspectors. The construction of highway infrastructure has devoted significant resources towards e-Construction to reduce the paperwork and automate the tasks in daily operations. Electronic Ticketing (e-Ticketing) is one such component of e-Construction that aids in the digital transfer of material tickets such as asphalt …

Experimental Study Of Flow Characteristics And Geometry Of Scour Hole Around Cylindrical Piers Subject To Wave And Current, Qazi Ashique E Mowla

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This thesis concerns the unique flow structure around bridge piers under the wave and current conditions. The flow characteristics around piers may change depending on the flow conditions and geometry of the pier. These flow structures imprint themselves on the streambed as scour holes. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the changes that occur in the flow pattern and in the geometric pattern of scour holes around piers in waterbodies subject to waves and currents. Physical models of two piers with different diameters (19 mm and 50 mm) were built and installed in a sediment bed. A total of 19 …

Sustainable And Inclusive Engineering: The Use Of Mentors And Sustainable Remediation To Increase The Presence Of Underrepresented Groups In Engineering, Nathaniel L. Steadman

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in engineering, such as women, has been a priority for many decades to diversify the profession to meet the current demand for engineers. Unfortunately, barriers continue to inhibit the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in engineering, thus reducing the impact of these efforts. A potential barrier is a lack of social connection to the technical problem definition, design, and decision-making that engineers utilize, prioritizing technical knowledge over social. Previous research has theorized that the incorporation of social considerations in technical engineering design increases interest in engineering for underrepresented groups. The purpose of …

An Experimental Investigation Of Icephobicity And Hydrophobicity Of Concrete Surface Treated With Pavix, Hussein Hashemi Senejani

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

High ice adhesion is a significant problem in several industries. The majority of practical issues brought on by ice adhesion are still not fully resolved, and the ice-adhesion mechanism is still poorly understood. Ice adhesion is a complex phenomenon that becomes more intricate when salt is involved, as in many marine cases. Reducing ice adhesion by generating hydrophobic surfaces might be advantageous in many applications as a passive ice removal strategy. Lowering adhesion may reduce friction, abrasion, and damage to structures in a maritime environment, as well as any surface prone to ice development. This process may also be utilized …

Optimal Scheduling Of Connected And Autonomous Vehicles At A Reservation-Based Intersection., Muting Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reservation-based intersection control has been evaluated with better performance over traditional signal controls in terms of intersection safety, efficiency, and emission. Controlling connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) at a reservation-based intersection in terms of improving intersection efficiency is performed via two factors: trajectory (speed profile) and arrival time of CAVs at the intersection. In an early stage of the reservation-based intersection control, an intersection controller at the intersection may fail to find a feasible solution for both the trajectory and arrival time for a CAV at a certain planning horizon. Leveraging a deeper understanding of the control problem, reservation-based intersection …

Application Of A 14c-Assay To Assess Methanotrophic Biodegradation Of Tce In Low Ph Groundwater, Evan Groome

All Theses

Current biological strategies for remediating trichloroethylene (TCE) in low pH aquifers (i.e., pH14C-TCE assay was developed to determine pseudo first-order rate constants for the degradation of TCE in microcosms containing soil and groundwater from the Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (BOMARC) superfund site, where the pH ranges from 4.1 to 4.9. The ¹⁴C-TCE assay was also adapted to calculate soil-normalized rate constants for data from this site, as well as data that Szwast²¹ collected from the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). In addition to natural attenuation, biostimulation through amendments of methane and nutrients were also assessed. This treatment …

Coupled Effect Of Fiber And Granular Skeleton Characteristics On Packing Density Of Fiber-Aggregate Mixtures, Naimeh Nouri, Masoud Hosseinpoor, Ammar Yahia, Kamal Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The addition of fiber to cementitious materials enhances mechanical performance but can reduce workability of the fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) mixtures. This can be due to the negative effect of fibers on packing density (PD) of the fiber-coarse aggregate (F-A) combination. The performance of FRC, as a diphasic suspension, is dependent on the characteristics of both F-A (suspended-solid skeleton) and mortar (suspending liquid) phases. PD can reflect the voids within the F-A skeleton to be filled with mortar. An adequate optimization of the characteristics of the F-A skeleton can modify the performance of FRC in fresh and hardened states. The F-A …

Thermal Properties Of Water Repellent Sands: Experimental And Theoretical Evaluation, Gang Lei

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Unsaturated hydrophobic soils, induced by the decomposition of plant roots or chemical or oil contamination et al., may have potentially negative effects on soil thermal behaviors and further influence the performance of shallowly buried energy systems, including ground heat exchangers, borehole energy geo-storage systems, and buried power cable systems, etc. This research focused on the fundamental understanding of soil thermal behaviors in relation to surface wettability. Surface wettability alteration was conducted in the laboratory by applying dimethyldichlorosilane (DMDCS) on dry sands, which generated a thin hydrophobic layer on the sand particle surface. Several surface characterizations using scanning electron microscopy …

A Sustainable And Equitable Transportation System Design Under Connected Vehicle And Big Data Driven Environment, Farzana Rahman Chowdhury

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

As the population increases day by day, several cities are having trouble dealing with the increasing demand for a sustainable and equitable transportation system. At the same time, application of newer technology is also increasing . By definition, a sustainable transportation system indicates a method that includes the needs of each individual road user and mode of transportation. A sustainable transportation system also supports the compatibility of the system with the change in demand, regional development, and available resources. In a sustainable and equitable transportation system, integrating the virtual world and the physical world is crucial since it makes the …

Model Development For User Behavior While Adopting Autonomous Vehicles As Their On-Demand Transportation Mode, Ronik Ketankumar Patel

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) are a new technology that allows passengers to skip hailing a cab using a smartphone app to summon an autonomous shuttle that does not require a human operator. SAVs are anticipated to improve the efficiency, mobility, safety, and affordability of transportation systems. However, consumers will determine the success of SAV technology. Researchers have studied the associations between individuals' attitudes, preferences, and adoption of self-driving services focusing mainly on potential riders with no actual ridership experience. However, the literature lacks empirical assessments of riders' adoption and acceptance of SAVs. Therefore, this study aims to develop two models …

Data Fusion For Non-Motorized Volume Estimation: A Machine Learning Approach, Md. Mintu Miah

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Despite increased awareness at the state and federal levels of the design and policy concerns associated with nonmotorized infrastructure, communities typically develop strategies to estimate network-wide nonmotorized traffic. However, past research fails to provide the same level of estimation sophistication as motor vehicles due to a lack of investment, which limits increased understanding and capability among communities in network-wide nonmotorized traffic volume estimation. Although previous studies introduce machine learning, Neural Networks, and feature engineering to motorized traffic volume estimation, nonmotorized traffic estimation experiences limited attempts to use these advanced techniques. This dissertation addresses this deficiency in bicycle volume estimation …

Physical And Mental Health Challenges Of Construction Workforce Active In Extreme Weather Conditions, Sanjgna Karthick

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Construction sites continue to operate despite inclement weather, exposing workers to unpleasant working circumstances that can lead to various physical and mental health challenges. A thorough literature review yielded 21 challenges for hot weather conditions such as heat stroke, kidney disease, heat cramps, anxiety, depression and 20 challenges for cold weather conditions like asthma, frostbite, Musculo-Skeletal disorders, hallucination. Workers vulnerable to hot and cold weather based on demographic characteristics were identified. The study also provides 27 strategies to address the challenges experienced in hot and cold weather conditions. Some of these include ensuring that workers stay hydrated, scheduling sufficient rest …

Performance Evaluation And Retrofitting Options Of A Precast Prestressed Concrete Bridge With Deck Panel Failure, Ahmed Abdullah Alateeq

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Bridges play a crucial role in the worldwide transportation infrastructure. According to the 2021 America’s Infrastructure Report Card, there are more than 617,000 bridges across the Nation, of which, 42% are at least 50 years old, and 7.5% are rated as structurally deficient. Repetitive loading from heavy trucks is one of the reasons that could compromise the structural integrity of bridges. The heavy trucks have a negative impact on the bridge deck as a bridge’s first line of defense is to resist the applied load. The Las Lomas Bridge [Eastbound (EB) and Westbound (WB)] carrying IH-20 over Las Lomas Pkwy, …

Disposable Puff Bar Electronic Cigarettes: Chemical Composition And Toxicity Of E-Liquids And A Synthetic Coolant, Esther E. Omaiye, Wentai Luo, Kevin J. Mcwhirter, James F. Pankow, Prue Talbot

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The popularity of disposable fourth-generation electronic cigarettes (ECs) among young adults and adolescents has been increasing since the ban on flavored cartridge EC products such as JUUL. Although the constituents and toxicity of some cartridge-based fourth-generation ECs, such as JUUL, have been studied, limited data exist for other disposable ECs such as Puff. The purpose of this study was to determine flavor chemicals, synthetic coolants, and nicotine concentrations in 16 disposable Puff devices, evaluate the cytotoxicity of the different flavors from the Puff brand using in vitro assays, and investigate the health risks of synthetic coolants in EC products. Gas …

Measurement Of Enantiomer Percentages For Five Monoterpenes From Six Conifer Species By Cartridge-Tube-Based Passive Sampling Adsorption–Thermal Desorption (Ps-Atd), Ying Wang, Wentai Luo, Todd Rosenstiel, James F. Pankow

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many monoterpenes have at least two different stereochemical forms, and many biosynthetic pathways are known to favor one product over the other(s). A rapid method was developed and used in the determination of the (-/+" role="presentation" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-radius: 0px; display: inline; line-height: normal; word-spacing: normal; overflow-wrap: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; position: relative;">)-enantiomeric distributions for α-pinene, β-pinene, camphene, limonene, and β-phellandrene as emitted by plant material from six conifer species. The six species included the two pine species Pseudotsuga …

Combining Passive And Active Ultrasonic Stress Wave Monitoring Techniques: Opportunities For Condition Evaluation Of Concrete Structures, Thomas Schumacher, Ernst Niederleithinger

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Concrete structures are invaluable assets to a society and managing them efficiently and effectively can be supported by information gathered through structural health monitoring (SHM). In this paper, a combined approach based on passive, i.e., acoustic emission (AE), and active, i.e., ultrasonic stress wave (USW) monitoring techniques for application to concrete structures is proposed and evaluated. While AE and USW are based on the same underlying physics, i.e., wave motion in solids, they differ fundamentally with respect to the nature of the source. For the former, external stimuli such as mechanical loads or temperature cause the rapid release of energy …

A Heuristic For The Two-Echelon Multi-Period Multi-Product Location–Inventory Problem With Partial Facility Closing And Reopening, Puntipa Punyim, Ampol Karoonsoontawong, Avinash Unnikrishnan, Vatanavongs Ratanavaraha

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, the two-echelon multi-period multi-product location–inventory problem with partial facility closing and reopening is studied. For each product and period, plants serve warehouses, which serve consolidation hubs, which service customers with independent, normally distributed demands. The schedule of construction, temporary partial closing, and reopening of modular capacities of facilities, the continuous-review inventory control policies at warehouses, the allocation of customer demands to hubs, and the allocation of hubs to warehouses are determined. The service levels for stockout at warehouses during lead time and the violation of warehouse and hub capacities are explicitly considered. The proposed mixed-integer non-linear program …

Cuo Nanoparticles Solubility As Influenced By Soil Pore Water, Native Microorganisms, And Wheat Rhizosphere Chemistry In A Sand Matrix, Dakota Sparks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nanoparticles (NPs) are particles less than 100 nm (~4 millionths of an inch) in a direction. NPs, due to their small size, are used in a variety of products, such as silver (Ag) NPs as an antimicrobial in clothes. Copper Oxide (CuO) NPs are used in electronics as semiconductors and other fields as antimicrobials and purposefully or accidentally end up in the environment. Copper (Cu) is a necessary nutrient for plants, but at higher amounts is toxic to plants and beneficial soil microbes.

In order to understand how the CuO NPs interacts with plants, wheat seedlings were grown in sand …

Pedestrian Behavior At Signalized Intersections Throughout Utah, Sadie Boyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pedestrians and vehicles interact with each other all over the world. Pedestrian-vehicle interactions are most likely to occur at intersections. One way to streamline these interactions and reduce the number of potential conflicts is by using traffic signals. Signalized intersections were developed to increase the overall safety and efficiency of movements involving motorists and, later, pedestrians (Clark, 2022). The number of signalized intersections is increasing across the country as vehicle volumes increase. This means that pedestrian-vehicle conflicts are also increasing. Pedestrian-vehicle conflicts can have serious, even fatal, consequences if not appropriately managed.

This study was a sponsored project by the …