Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Occurrence Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In New Hampshire Biosolids, Katherine A. Wieck

Honors Theses and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 4,000 compounds used in the manufacturing of products including aqueous film forming foams for firefighting, stain repellents, waterproofing agents, and nonstick cookware since their initial development in the 1940s. The long fluorinated carbon chain structure of PFAS causes chemical and thermal stability, and thus resistance to biodegradation. Biosolids produced at wastewater facilities for uses such as agricultural land-applied compost and fertilizer for lawns and athletic fields, as well as sludge disposed in landfills can cause contamination of groundwater and surface water. This poses a significant threat to human and environmental …

Time-Specific Safety Performance Functions For Different Advanced Traffic Management Strategies, Jingwan Fu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Time-specific Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) were proposed to achieve accurate and dynamic crash frequency predictions and bridge the gap between annual crash frequency prediction and real-time crash likelihood prediction. This research proposed time-specific SPFs considering the temporal variation in crashes and traffic characteristics. Firstly, the developed time-specific SPFs that include different ATM strategies (i.e., HOV, merge, diverge and reversible lanes segments) were investigated in this study. The results indicate that the traffic turbulence during specific hours would relate to crash occurrence. Further, the variables that represent the speed and occupancy differences between the HOV lanes/reversible lanes and general-purpose lanes were …

Promoting Enhanced Decision-Making And Proactive Management For Modularization In The Construction Industry Using Risk-Based Approach, Analytical Hierarchy Process, And Graph Theory, Mohamad Abdul Nabi

Doctoral Dissertations

"Modularization is an approach that can potentially mitigate many of the current construction industry’s challenges. Despite the documented advantages of modularization, the industry is still not able to capitalize on its full potential and benefits. The latter is due to the outdated decision-making models that may not reflect the multiple factors involved in modular construction, the unique source of risks associated with modular construction methods, need for continuous improvement, and complex contractual requirements and disputes. As such, the goal is to promote the use of modularization in the construction industry by enhancing decision-making and proactive risk management. The associated objectives …

Higher-Order Effects In Biaxial Flexure Of Gfrp I-Section Beams, Zia Razzaq, Faridoon Z. Razzaq

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A theoretical study of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) beams subjected to biaxial bending moments is presented with a focus on the influence of higher-order effects on maximum normal stresses. It is shown that the biaxial bending type of loading causes a dramatic increase in the maximum normal stress for a GFRP beam when induced torsional effects are included. The study demonstrates that the traditional first-order theory can grossly underestimate the maximum normal stress in a GFRP beam. Based on the numerical results presented using a higher-order theory which also accounts for induced warping normal stresses, the maximum normal stress …

Changes To Sea Surface Temperatures And Vertical Wind Shear And Their Influence On Tropical Cyclone Activity In The Caribbean And The Main Developing Region, Keneshia Hibbert, Equisha Glenn, Thomas M. Smith, Jorge E. González-Cruz

Publications and Research

Sea surface temperatures and vertical wind shear are essential to tropical cyclone formation. TCs need warm SSTs and low shear for genesis. Increasing SSTs and decreasing VWS influences storm development. This work analyzes SST and VWS trends for the Caribbean, surrounding region, and the Atlantic hurricane main developing region from 1982–2020. Storm intensity increases significantly during this period. Annual and seasonal trends show that regional SSTs in the MDR are warming annually at 0.0219 °C yr⁻¹ and, per season, 0.0280 °C yr⁻¹. Simultaneously, VWS decreases during the late rainfall season, at 0.056 m/s yr⁻¹ in the …

Assessment Of Regional Bike And Pedestrian Equity In Transportation Plans, Drew Reiter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While community involvement is legally required as a crucial part of the planning process, historically the traditional state-centric approaches to transportation planning have led to the underrepresentation of transportation-disadvantaged individuals in the process and, thus, to automobile-oriented regions. Planning practices for small urban and rural areas especially, which often lack funding and other resources, have generally overlooked accessible pedestrian, bicycling, and multimodal infrastructure and facilities, resulting in underdeveloped and poorly connected networks. I conducted a social equity evaluation of the regional planning, investment prioritization, and programming processes for pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure using the case study of Monongalia County, West …

A Computer Vision-Based Method For Tack Coat Coverage Inspection Using Drone-Collected Images, Aida Da Silva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tack coat is a thin asphalt applied between the existing surface and asphalt overlay during road rehabilitation. The uniformity of tack coat coverage plays a vital role in providing adhesive bonding between the two layers in the pavement structures. To ensure tack coat uniformity, the current practice primarily relies on manual inspection during construction by field experts. This process is time-consuming and tedious, and the results can be subjective and error-prone. Drones have emerged as a non-destructive sensing technology in the construction industry for many inspection practices. Unlike other non-destructive inspection technologies, drones offer benefits ranging from accelerating data collection …

Optimizing Sample Collection And Data Interpretation For Effective Wastewater-Based Epidemiology In Combined Sewer Systems, Christopher Allen Anderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

COVID-19 has spurred growth in the science surrounding wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) pertaining to the detection of severe acute respiratory virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in waste streams as an early warning signal for public health. However, the highly variable wastewater environment has made it difficult to standardize an approach for sampling and analysis, especially in locations using combined sewer infrastructure. This study addresses knowledge gaps of WBE via three specific aims: (1) to compare diurnal fluctuations of SARS-CoV-2 and the human fecal indicator, pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent samples collected during dry versus wet weather conditions; …

Application Of Metagenomic And Molecular Microbiology Techniques To Elucidate Sources Of Fecal Pollution And Anthropogenic Antibiotic Resistance Genes To Surface Water: A Step Towards A “One Health” Approach To Watershed Management, Mehedi Hasan Tarek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of fecal indicator bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, is a widely established regulatory and monitoring practice to detect surface water contamination associated with fecal pollution. However, the detection or quantification of fecal indicator bacteria alone does not accurately inform the sources of fecal pollution. The development of molecular and metagenomic methods that target the DNA of microorganisms has resulted in a host of new tools for monitoring fecal pollution and its sources, as well as for understanding emerging microbial threats, such as antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is a critical “One Health” challenge presenting a high risk to …

Joint Probability Analysis Of Extreme Precipitation And Water Level For Chicago, Illinois, Anna Li Holey

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A compound flooding event occurs when there is a combination of two or more extreme factors that happen simultaneously or in quick succession and can lead to flooding. In the Great Lakes region, it is common for a compound flooding event to occur with a high lake water level and heavy rainfall. With the potential of increasing water levels and an increase in precipitation under climate change, the Great Lakes coastal regions could be at risk for more frequent and severe flooding. The City of Chicago which is located on Lake Michigan has a high population and dense infrastructure and …

Study Of Eco-Driving And Charging Planning In Connected And Automated Vehicles Environment, Pradeep Bhat

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In this dissertation, the development of eco-driving and charging planning algorithms in the connected and automated vehicle environment (CAV) are presented. CAV technologies provide opportunities for potential energy savings and efficiency improvement of transportation networks, which are explored through multiple research tasks in this study.

The objective of the first study presented in Chapter 2 is to reduce vehicle dynamic losses and required tractive force while completing trip distance within a given travel time. Sequential Quadratic Programming method is employed for this nonlinearly constrained optimization problem. The validation result illustrates the benefits of optimal velocity trajectories. The objective of the …

การกำจัดสารอินทรีย์และไนโตรเจนควบคู่กับการผลิตโพลีไฮดรอกซีแอลคาโนเอตด้วยจุลินทรีย์เชื้อผสมร่วมกับการเติม Thauera Mechernichensis Tl1, นวภัทร ช่อทอง

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้ศึกษาการผลิตพลาสติกชีวภาพชนิดโพลีไฮดรอกซีแอลคาโนเอต (พีเอชเอ) ควบคู่กับการกำจัดสารอินทรีย์และไนโตรเจน ด้วยจุลินทรีย์สายพันธุ์ผสมร่วมกับการเติม Thauera mechernichensis TL1 ในอัตราส่วน 97.5 : 2.5 % g MLVSS ภายใต้สภาวะที่มีอาหารเกินพอสลับกับขาดแคลน (feast and famine conditions) ภายในถังปฏิกรณ์แบบกึ่งเท (sequencing batch reactor) จำนวน 2 ถัง โดยในถังปฏิกรณ์ที่ 1 มีการเติมอากาศตลอดเวลาทั้งช่วงที่มีอาหารเกินพอ และช่วงที่ขาดแคลนอาหาร (aerobic feast/famine) และในถังปฏิกรณ์ที่ 2 มีการเติมอากาศเฉพาะช่วงอาหารเกินพอ และปล่อยให้เกิดสภาวะแอน็อกซิกในช่วงขาดแคลนอาหาร (aerobic feast/anoxic famine) กำหนดค่าอายุสลัดจ์ (SRT) 10 วัน และรอบการเดินระบบ (cycle time) ระยะเวลา 2 วัน โดยใช้อะซิเตท 1,000 mgCOD/L เป็นแหล่งคาร์บอน โดยมีความเข้มข้นแอมโมเนียเริ่มต้น 70 mgN/L และศึกษาความสามารถในการสะสมพีเอชเอสูงสุดของตะกอนจุลินทรีย์ในระบบทีละเทแบบเติมแหล่งคาร์บอนต่อเนื่อง (fed-batch reactor) ผลการศึกษาพบว่า ถังปฎิกรณ์ที่ 1 ผลิต พีเอชเอได้สูงสุดที่ในรอบการเดินระบบที่ 28 โดยมีปริมาณ 10.04 % ของน้ำหนักเซลล์แห้ง และมีประสิทธิภาพในการกำจัดสารอินทรีย์ 88.1 ± 1.3% แต่ไม่มีประสิทธิภาพในการกำจัดไนโตรเจน ส่วนถังปฎิกรณ์ที่ 2 ผลิตพีเอชเอได้สูงสุดที่ในรอบการเดินระบบที่ 35 โดยมีปริมาณ 8.37 % ของน้ำหนักเซลล์แห้ง มีประสิทธิภาพในการกำจัดสารอินทรีย์ 87.6 ± 1.7% และมีประสิทธิภาพในการกำจัดไนโตรเจน 78.0 ± 2.0% และได้ศึกษากลุ่มประชากรจุลินทรีย์ในระบบด้วยเทคนิค 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (MiSeq) พบว่า จุลินทรีย์กลุ่ม Thauera …

Labile Carbon And Soil Texture Control Nitrogen Transformation In Deep Vadose Zone, Lidong Li, Jordan Shields, Daniel D. Snow, Michael Kaiser, Arindam Malakar

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Understanding transient nitrogen (N) storage and transformation in the deep vadose zone is critical for controlling groundwater contamination by nitrate. The occurrence of organic and inorganic forms of carbon (C) and nitrogen and their importance in the deep vadose zone is not well characterized due to difficulty in sampling and the limited number of studies. We sampled and characterized these pools beneath 27 croplands with different vadose zone thicknesses (6–45 m). We measured nitrate and ammonium in different depths for the 27 sites to evaluate inorganic N storage. We measured total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), hot-water extractable organic carbon (EOC), soil …

ปัจจัยที่ส่งผลต่อความตั้งใจเชิงพฤติกรรมในการเลือกใช้ยานยนต์รับส่งผู้โดยสารอัตโนมัติ (Autonomous Shuttle Pod) ในจุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย, ยอดพล เพชราวุธ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ยานยนต์รับส่งผู้โดยสารอัตโนมัติ (Autonomous Shuttle Pod) ได้รับการออกแบบมาเพื่อตอบสนองความต้องการขนส่งรูปแบบใหม่ พร้อมทั้งเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพและความปลอดภัยในการเดินทาง อย่างไรก็ตามความสำเร็จของเทคโนโลยีนี้ขึ้นอยู่กับการยอมรับของสาธารณชน การศึกษานี้มุ่งเน้นไปที่การตรวจสอบทัศนคติและปัจจัยที่ส่งผลต่อความตั้งใจเชิงพฤติกรรมในการเลือกใช้ยานยนต์รับส่งผู้โดยสารอัตโนมัติ โดยขยายแบบจำลองทฤษฎีรวมการยอมรับและการใช้เทคโนโลยี 2 (UTAUT2) ที่เพิ่มปัจจัยด้าน การรับรู้ด้านความเสี่ยง, การรับรู้ด้านความไว้วางใจ, ภาพลักษณ์ และการเปรียบเทียบกับรูปแบบการเดินทางอื่น โดยสร้างแบบจำลองสมการเชิงโครงสร้าง (SEM) เพื่อหาความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างปัจจัยและเจตนาเชิงพฤติกรรมภายใต้แบบจำลอง อย่างไรก็ตามการวิจัยนี้ได้วิเคราะห์องค์ประกอบเชิงสำรวจ (EFA) เพื่อค้นหาองค์ประกอบที่แท้จริงภายใต้ตัวบ่งชี้ที่พัฒนาขึ้น แบบสอบถามดำเนินกับกลุ่มตัวอย่างในพื้นที่จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัยจำนวน 409 คน ผลการศึกษาทัศนคติพบว่า คนชื่นชอบยานยนต์รับส่งผู้โดยสารอัตโนมัติในด้านของการบริการ ได้แก่ การเรียกใช้ได้ทุกที่ทุกเวลาผ่านแอพพลิเคชั่น, บริการนอกเวลาปกติ และการปรับเปลี่ยนเส้นทาง อีกทั้งยังถูกมองว่ามีศักยภาพในการเข้ามาแทนที่รถ Pop Bus และ Muvmi สำหรับการวิเคราะห์แบบจำลองสมการเชิงโครงสร้าง (SEM) พบว่าปัจจัยที่ส่งผลต่อการเลือกใช้ยานยนต์รับส่งผู้โดยสารอัตโนมัติของผู้คน ได้แก่ ความคาดหวังด้านประสิทธิภาพ, ประโยชน์ในการใช้ในชีวิตประจำวัน, การรับรู้ด้านความไว้วางใจ, สิ่งอำนวยความสะดวก, ความพอใจในบริการเหนือราคา, ความไว้วางใจด้านบริการและราคา, การรับรู้ความเสี่ยง และการรับรู้ว่าใช้งานได้ง่าย ในขณะที่ความคาดหวังด้านความพยายาม และ อิทธิพลของสังคม ส่งผลในทางอ้อม

การวิเคราะห์มลพิษทางอากาศและเสียงที่เกิดจากกิจกรรมย่อยของการก่อสร้างที่พักอาศัยโดยเครื่องมือวัดส่วนบุคคลร่วมกับบันทึกวีดีโอ, นพวิชญ์ ลีลานภากาศ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

เนื่องมาจากการก่อสร้างที่พักอาศัยที่มีอยู่ทั่วพื้นที่กรุงเทพฯ และปริมณฑลซึ่งเป็นต้นเหตุของมลพิษทางอากาศและเสียง โดยผู้ที่ได้รับผลกระทบมากที่สุดคือ แรงงานก่อสร้าง งานวิจัยนี้จึงต้องการวิเคราะห์มลพิษทางอากาศและเสียง (PM 2.5, PM 10, NO2, CO, dB(A)) ที่เกิดจากกิจกรรมย่อยของการก่อสร้างที่พักอาศัยโดยเครื่องมือวัดส่วนบุคคลร่วมกับบันทึกวีดีโอ ซึ่งนำเทคโนโลยี IoT (Internet of Things) เซนเซอร์ตรวจวัดมลพิษทางอากาศและเสียง และกล้องบันทึกวีดีโอมาประยุกต์ใช้ ทำให้ทราบค่าความเข้มข้นของมลพิษที่แรงงานได้รับจากกิจกรรมย่อยของงานก่อสร้าง การตรวจวัดมลพิษทางอากาศและเสียงโดยทั่วไปวัดจากค่าเฉลี่ยของปริมาณมลพิษที่แรงงานได้รับตลอดช่วงเวลาทำงาน อีกทั้งเครื่องมือวัดมีขนาดใหญ่ มีราคาสูง และไม่สามารถทราบถึงกิจกรรมย่อยที่ก่อให้เกิดมลพิษต่อแรงงาน ดังนั้นงานวิจัยนี้ได้ติดเครื่องมือวัดและกล้องบันทึกวีดีโอกับแรงงาน เพื่อให้ทราบถึงปริมาณมลพิษที่แรงงานได้รับจากกิจกรรมย่อยของการก่อสร้าง โดยเมื่อมีปริมาณมลพิษเกินค่ามาตรฐานจะมีการแจ้งเตือนไปยัง Line Notify เพื่อให้เจ้าหน้าที่ความปลอดภัยโครงการได้ทราบถึงปริมาณมลพิษที่เกิดขึ้นในขณะนั้น หลังจากนั้นประยุกต์ใช้เครื่องมือตรวจวัดมลพิษทางอากาศและเสียงกับโครงการก่อสร้างกรณีศึกษา 4 โครงการ ผลการทดสอบพบว่า กิจกรรมย่อยที่เกิดมลพิษมากที่สุด คือ เชื่อมโลหะโดยใช้ลวดเชื่อม มีปริมาณฝุ่นละออง PM 2.5 และ PM 10 เกินค่ามาตรฐานอยู่ในระดับส่งผลกระทบต่อสุขภาพ ปริมาณก๊าซคาร์บอนมอนอกไซด์และไนโตรเจนไดออกไซด์ เกินค่ามาตรฐานอยู่ในระดับเริ่มส่งผลกระทบต่อสุขภาพ อย่างไรก็ตามเครื่องมือยังมีข้อจำกัดในเรื่องขีดจำกัดต่ำสุดและสูงสุดของเซนเซอร์ที่สามารถตรวจวัดมลพิษได้

Modeling The Production Of Microalgal Biomass In Large Water Resource Recovery Facilities And Its Processing Into Various Commodity Bioproducts, James Pierson, Gopi Raju Makkena, Sandeep Kumar, Vinod Kumar, Vivekanand Vivekanand, Hasan Husain, Muhammad Ayser, Venkatesh Balan

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Algae are capable of sequestering nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates from wastewater in the presence of sunlight and carbon dioxide (CO₂) to build up their body mass and help combat climate change. In the current study, we carried out different case studies to estimate the volume of algal biomass that could be produced annually using the rotating algal biofilm (RAB) method in three large-scale water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) in Texas: Fort Worth, Dallas, and Houston. We calculated the total amount of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins that could be fractionated from the algal biomass while using the …

Effects Of Salix Psammophila On Groundwater Recharge In A Semiarid Area Of North China, Lizhu Hou, Jingdong Gao, Bill X. Hu, Xixi Wang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Study region: The semiarid Mu Us Sandy Land (MUSL) was selected for this study. It is in the farming-pastoral ecotone of north China and functions as an eco-environmental barrier.

Study focus: Afforestation can mitigate desertification and soil erosion by improving hydrologic condition, which is particularly true for semiarid and arid regions. However, little is known about the quantitative response of hydrologic improvement to afforestation level that can be measured by leaf area index (LAI). The objective was to setup and use a physically-based model to quantitatively assess the dynamics of water fluxes from Salix psammophila afforestation in the MUSL.

New …

A User-Centered Mapping Design For Geomorphological Hazard Thematic Map, Su-Min Shen, Yin-Hsuen Chen, Chia-Ming Lo, Mu-Ti Yu, Si-Chin Lin, Sendo Wang, Chih-Hsin Chang, Sheng-Chi Lin

University Administration Publications

Numerous studies have concentrated on developing user-centered designs for hazard zone maps but rarely for hazard-oriented geomorphological maps, named as Geomorphological Hazard Thematic Maps (GHTMs) in this study, which provide more detailed information about natural hazards. This study developed a user-centered mapping design for GHTMs for nonexperts in geomorphology. We invited civil engineers and high school educators to evaluate a sample GHTM's design in group and focus group panel interviews. The civil engineers preferred maps with more geomorphological features, whereas the educators preferred simple designs. Both groups indicated that the inclusion of essential facilities and road networks is essential. The …

Automating Intersection Marking Data Collection And Condition Assessment At Scale With An Artificial Intelligence-Powered System, Kun Xie, Huiming Sun, Xiaomeng Dong, Hong Yang, Hongkai Yu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Intersection markings play a vital role in providing road users with guidance and information. The conditions of intersection markings will be gradually degrading due to vehicular traffic, rain, and/or snowplowing. Degraded markings can confuse drivers, leading to increased risk of traffic crashes. Timely obtaining high-quality information of intersection markings lays a foundation for making informed decisions in safety management and maintenance prioritization. However, current labor-intensive and high-cost data collection practices make it very challenging to gather intersection data on a large scale. This paper develops an automated system to intelligently detect intersection markings and to assess their degradation conditions with …

Understanding And Assessing Demographic (In)Equity Resulting From Extreme Heat Exposure Due To Lack Of Tree Canopies In Norfolk, Va Using Agent-Based Modeling, Virginia Zamponi, Kevin O'Brien, Erik Jensen, Brandon Feldhaus, Russell Moore, Christopher J. Lynch, Ross Gore

VMASC Publications

Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can result in illness and death. In urban areas of dense concentrations of pavement, buildings, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat, extreme heat conditions can arise regularly and create harmful environmental exposures for residents daily during certain parts of the year. Tree canopies provide shade and help to cool the environment, making mature trees with large canopies a simple and effective way to reduce urban heat. We develop a demographically representative 1 (agent): 1 (person) agent-based model to understand the extent to which different demographics of residents in Norfolk, VA are equitably shaded …

Reduced Metal Nanocatalysts For Selective Electrochemical Hydrogenation Of Biomass-Derived 5-(Hydroxymethyl)Furfural To 2, 5-Bis(Hydroxymethyl)Furan In Ambient Conditions, Baleeswaraiah Muchharla, Moumita Dikshit, Ujjwal Pokharel, Ravindranath Garimella, Adetayo Adedeji, Kapil Kumar, Wei Cao, Hani Elsayed-Ali, Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni, Naif Abdullah Al-Dhabi, Sandeep Kumar, Bijandra Kumar

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Selective electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH) of biomass-derived unsaturated organic molecules has enormous potential for sustainable chemical production. However, an efficient catalyst is essential to perform an ECH reaction consisting of superior product selectivity and a higher conversion rate. Here, we examined the ECH performance of reduced metal nanostructures i.e., reduced Ag (rAg) and reduced copper (rCu) prepared via electrochemical or thermal oxidation and electrochemical reduction process, respectively. Surface morphological analysis suggests formation of nanocoral and entangled nanowire structure formation for rAg and rCu catalysts. rCu exhibits slight enhancement in ECH reaction performance in comparison to the pristine Cu. However, the rAg …

Active Church Auditorium Redesign And Renovation, Jonah S. Kim

Construction Management

Active Church is a life-giving and dynamic church that exists to move people from where they are to where God wants them to be. This church for most of its lifespan has been located at the Fremont Theater as they did not have a building that they owned. However, in 2022 the church closed escrow on a building that was owned by another church located at 3172 Johnson Ave, San Luis Obispo, 93401. Before moving into the building major renovations needed to be done as this was a very old building from the 1960s. The initial design of the auditorium …

The Impact Distracted Driving Has On Fatal Crashes, Adam Pohrte

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Distracted driving has been a major problem in the United States and around the globe for quite some time. It is one of the leading causes of fatal car crashes, and its impact on road safety has been the subject of much research and debate. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the driver who was distracted that ended up causing the crash. To obtain precise data and results, all the information about these crashes is from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). FARS is a nationwide census maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that …

Powering Electric Vehicles: Are We Ready?, Christian Yoder

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will investigate typical power grids and the impacts that electric vehicles have on them. Electric vehicles are rapidly growing in popularity and much of the world is promising to make the switch from combustion engines to EVs. Electric vehicles demand a large amount of electricity. With fast charging becoming available, it is worth asking if the current electrical infrastructure can handle the increase in demand. After talking to a source at FirstEnergy, it seems large electric companies are well aware of areas in need of adjustment and are moving accordingly.

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Increased Water Treatment Plant Service Goals On Reducing Water Quality Risk, Briton Polen, Kendra Sanner

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

To treat water to make it safe to drink, disinfection processes are used in water treatment plants. These disinfection processes produce disinfection byproducts (DBPs) through the reaction of organic matter and the disinfectant, such as chlorine. DBPs have been shown to pose a cancer risk to consumers. In this report, the focus is on two types of DBPs, trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). The cancer risks associated with DBPs are analyzed through ingestion and inhalation pathways. Ingestion and inhalation consist of common water uses like drinking, cooking, or bathing. In addition to this, DBPs have been shown to increase …

Data Driven Method To Assess Safety And Energy On Freeway And Intersection Performance Using Probe Vehicle, Rezwana Kabir

Wayne State University Dissertations

Traffic congestion in cities is becoming a more pressing issue as travel demand increases, leading to safety and mobility problems and wasteful use of vehicle energy. Both freeways and signalized corridors are important in creating an efficient transportation network, and congestion on these infrastructure types presents a significant mobility concern in the United States. With advances in sensing technologies for intelligent transportation systems, probe vehicles equipped with GPS-enabled devices such as cell phones and in-vehicle telematics or navigation systems are increasingly being used to gather more information about traffic conditions. While fixed point detectors can be limited by their geographical …

Experimental And Analytical Studies Of Size Effects On Compressive Ductility Response Of Ultra- High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete, Md. Habibur Rahman Sobuz, Arafat Alam, Deric John Oehlers, Phillip Visintin, Adbul Hamid Sheikh, Mohamed Ali Sadakkathulla, Michael Griffith

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) has gained a great deal of increasing interest in structural engineering applications, particularly where high ductility, strength, and high impact resistance are of prime concern. This study focuses primarily on the size effects ductility characteristics of UHPFRC with varying fiber concentrations subjected to uniaxial compressive load. It shows how to process the data from compression cylinder tests to extract the size-dependent strain at peak stress to provide a generic size-dependent stress-strain analytical model. Furthermore, a numerical flexural segmental moment-rotation approach is applied to incorporate an analytical model to quantify apparently disparate UHPFRC member strength and ductility. …

Experimental And Analytical Studies Of Size Effects On Compressive Ductility Response Of Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete, Habibur Rahman Sobuz, Arafat Alam, Deric John Oehlers, Phillip Visintin, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Mohamed Ali Sadakkathulla, Michael Griffith

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) has gained a great deal of increasing interest in structural engineering applications, particularly where high ductility, strength, and high impact resistance are of prime concern. This study focuses primarily on the size effects ductility characteristics of UHPFRC with varying fiber concentrations subjected to uniaxial compressive load. It shows how to process the data from compression cylinder tests to extract the size-dependent strain at peak stress to provide a generic size- dependent stress-strain analytical model. Furthermore, a numerical flexural segmental moment-rotation approach is applied to incorporate an analytical model to quantify apparently disparate UHPFRC member strength and …

Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, Bryce Towne, Ethan Andrews, Carter Moore, Andrew Sobel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge is a competition held by the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) that challenges students to create a hydraulically powered vehicle to compete in four different races over two days. The vehicle has to be fully powered by hydraulics, with human power (such as pedaling) being used to move the hydraulic fluid. Electronics and pneumatics can be used to control the flow of the hydraulic oil. Vehicles also must have an energy storage device to take advantage of regenerative braking. The final competition was at the Norgren facility in Colorado from April 12th to April 14th. …

Does The Ite Trip Generation Manual Overestimate The Trip Generation Of Stores In Northeast Ohio?, Shawn Monahan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will examine the use of the Trip Generation Manual to estimate the number of 'trips' per average weekday. A trip is defined as a vehicular movement from one location to another. The Trip Generation Manual will examine the estimated number of trips generated for local discount superstores in the Northeast Region of Ohio. Surveys were completed for local data, supplemented with a vehicle occupancy rate sample. This will provide a baseline that the Trip Generation Manual will be compared to.