Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Design And Construction Process Of Cross‑Beam Supports For Main Tower Of Changtai Changjiang River Bridge, Zeng Jian, Hu Pei, Wang Chao

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

The construction of the lower cross-beam structure of the main tower of Changtai Changjiang River Bridge has the characteristics of high construction height，large amount of concrete earth volume，and difficult control of down-warping deformation.In order to implement the pouring of the lower cross-beam of the main tower，floor-type steel pipe supports were set at the lower cross-beam，which were used to support the lower cross-beam formwork and bear the load during the concrete pouring.Through the finite element software analysis and calculation，it was found that the asymmetric deformation of the main structure of the lower cross-beam could be effectively controlled，and the overall force of …

Determination Of Manufacturing Parameters Of Large Section Of Continuous Steel Box Beam With Variable Section In Shenzhen‑Zhongshan Passage, Dong Chuangwen, Chen Long, Li Chuanxi

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Accurate calculation of manufacturing parameters is the key to the efficient，high-precision，and rapid installation of large sections of continuous steel box beam bridges.Taking the steel box beam with the variable section in Shenzhen-Zhongshan Passage as the background，this paper first established a finite element model of the beam element in the whole construction process to obtain the pre-camper.Secondly，the average neutral axis position was calculated based on the height of the neutral axis of each beam section.Then，according to the deformation characteristic that the beam length remained unchanged at the mean neutral axis，the pre-camber was superimposed at the mean neutral axis to get the …

Key Technology For Construction Of New Single‑Wall Steel Suspended Box Cofferdam With High Pile Tied Beams In Deep Water, Yang Jinlong, Zhao Lin, Jiang Qunlong

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to ensure the safe，efficient，and economical completion of the construction of the high pile tied beam of Muping Xiangjiang River Bridge in deep water，a new type of single-wall steel suspended box cofferdam was designed to act as the water retaining and enclosure structure during high pile tied beam construction according to the characteristics of deep water level and shallow stratum cover layer at the high pile tied beam location.Through the innovative design of steel casing on the bottom of the steel suspended box cofferdam，the design height of the wall panel and the amount of steel input were reduced.On the …

Influence Factors Of Carbonization Of Tunnel Segment Structure And Life Prediction Analysis, Li Dongbiao, Miao Miao, Shen Caihua, Chen Wei

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

There are many factors that affect the carbonization life of concrete segments in underwater tunnels，and the prediction methods are not uniform.In this paper，combined with actual engineering，the influencing factors and laws of carbonization of concrete segments in underwater tunnels were analyzed，and three methods for predicting the life of concrete segments were established with the crack limit as the control target.The prediction results of the three methods were compared.The results show that the influence of the temperature and CO2 concentration in the tunnel predicted by the three methods on the life of the tunnel lining structure is basically consistent with the existing …

Key Technology For Incremental Launching Construction Of Double Guide Beam Of Steel Box Girder, Sun Xiaoqiang, Yue Xinxing

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

By taking the incremental launching construction of the steel box girder at the 6th hole of the approach bridge of Baoji Taigu Bridge as the engineering background，the original plan adopted single-guide beam multi-point walking incremental launching technology for assembly and incremental launching on the prestressed reinforced concrete beam of the adjacent hole.Since the middle span of the concrete beam cannot withstand the concentrated force at the incremental launching points，the multi-guide beam multi-point walking incremental launching technology was finally used to arrange the incremental launching points at the transverse diaphragm plate of the end of the concrete beam.By increasing the incremental …

Emergency Vehicle Dispatching Model Considering Demand Urgency And Delivery Fairness, Long Kejun, Liu Jia, Gao Zhibo, Chen Suqian, Zhang Zhonggen

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In emergency vehicle dispatching after unexpected events，it is crucial to prioritize critical nodes with high demand urgency while minimizing excessive delivery delays at other nodes to prevent secondary impacts.On this basis，this study developed an emergency vehicle dispatching model that considered demand urgency and delivery delay fairness.Firstly，the entropy weight-TOPSIS method was used to calculate the demand urgency for each node，and a delivery delay balance index was introduced to minimize disparities in delivery delays between nodes.Secondly，a multi-objective optimization model was established with total delivery time，overall cost，and delivery delay balance as objectives，while considering constraints such as inventory levels at distribution centers and route …

Working Properties Of Steel Tube Batter Piles With Concrete Infill Based On Abaqus, Yang Meiliang, Li Liemin, Sun Kunjiang, Han Rui, Zhong Yang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to explore the respons e characteristics of steel tube batter piles with concrete infill under vertical load，the steel tube batter pile with concrete infill used in Saribas Bridge in Malaysia was taken as the research object.Based on the numerical simulation method，the frictional resistance of the inner and outer walls of the steel tube，the frictional resistance around the pile at the section，and the bending moment bearing ratio between the steel tube and the concrete core of this type of batter pile under vertical load were studied.The results show that the passive-side frictional resistance of the 0–15 m pile section …

Construction Site Planning And Logistical Operations: Site-Focused Management For Builders, Second Edition, Randy R. Rapp, Bradley L. Benhart

Purdue Handbooks in Building Construction

Organizing and administering a construction site so that the right resources get to the right place in a timely fashion demands strong leadership and a well-defined, disciplined process. Good logistical operations enable profitability, and this book is the essential, muddy boots guide to such management. Written by experienced educator–practitioners, Construction Site Planning and Logistical Operations is a popular guide to the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by project superintendents, especially, but useful to all constructors. This second edition is updated to include new technologies, resources, and details of operational planning. Leadership imperatives and management techniques remain integrated throughout. The book …

The State Of The City's Bridges, Leo G. Miranda

Capstones

An analysis by NYCity News Service of 2024 federal bridge inspection found that 118 segments of city bridges are in poor condition, around 8% of all bridges citywide. Among these are segments of major highways and bridges like the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, FDR Drive, Harlem River Drive, Grand Central Parkway and even a part of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. On a single stretch of highway, where the Grand Central Parkway and the Whitestone Expressway meet in Queens, there are seven parts of highway or ramps in poor condition.

Bridge segments can be any raised roadway that passes over another parkway, …

Identifying Opportunities For Nature-Based Solutions With Geospatialized Life Cycle Assessments And Fine-Scale Socioecological Data, Gabriela Shirkey, Annick Anctil, Ranjeet John, Venkatesh Kolluru, Leah Mungai, Herve Kashongwe, Lauren T. Cooper, Ilke Celik, Joshua B. Fisher, Jiquan Chen

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

As we increasingly understand the impact that land management intensification has on local and global climate, the call for nature-based solutions (NbS) in agroecosystems has expanded. Moreover, the pressing need to determine when and where NbS should be used raises challenges to socioecological data integration as we overcome spatiotemporal resolutions. Natural and working lands is an effort promoting NbS, particularly emissions reduction and carbon stock maintenance in forests. To overcome the spatiotemporal limitation, we integrated life cycle assessments (LCA), an ecological carbon stock model, and a land cover land use change model to synthesize rates of global warming potential (GWP) …

How Will Ai Impact Knowledge Sharing Within Construction Clustering? Bringing Back The Conversation On Social Contagion Within Construction Clusters, Oluwasegun O. Seriki, Mark Mulville, Ruairi Hayden

Conference Papers

Construction clusters and innovation systems play a crucial role in enhancing competitiveness and fostering sustainable development in the construction sector. These clusters facilitate knowledge sharing, interactive learning, and collaborative innovation among firms, institutions, and other stakeholders. The success of construction clusters depends on numerous factors, including firm size, economic climate, and attitudes towards innovation. While some clusters transform into innovation systems by becoming tacit-knowledge intensive, there is not much data or investigation into how they may adapt to changing demands spurred by advances in artificial intelligence (AI). There is some preliminary research highlighting the lack of dispersed innovation networks within …

Lignin Cationization For The Removal Of Phosphates And Nitrates From Effluents Of Wastewater Treatment Plants, Fannyuy V. Kewir

LSU Master's Theses

The removal of phosphates and nitrates from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents is important for preventing pollution of receiving waters. In this study, we chemically modified alkaline lignin (aLN) with quaternary ammonium groups to obtain biodegradable cationic lignin (cLN). We characterized the cLN and tested its efficacy for removing phosphates and nitrates in a lab setting and on field-collected WWTP samples. Adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies were performed in aqueous media, and the effects of several variables (contact time, pH, initial concentration, and adsorbent dose) were investigated. The Langmuir isotherm described phosphate and nitrate adsorption well, with R2 values of …

Assessing Plate Load Testing And Modulus Of Subgrade Reaction Determination For Pavements, Jami Lynn Rushing

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to: 1) determine the effect of plate size on the modulus of subgrade reaction (k), 2) investigate the differences between the ASTM D1196-21 and CRD-C 655-95 plate load test methods, and 3) develop new effective k curves. 150 plate load tests were executed on three subgrade materials under varying base course thicknesses. Plate load testing was designed to evaluate various plate sizes and testing standards (e.g., the military standard – CRD-C 655-96 and the ASTM standard – ASTM D1196-21). By performing plate load tests on varying base course thicknesses, newly developed effective k curves were developed from …

The Plastics Crisis: Responsible Recycling In Civil Engineering And Infrastructure, Jason Howell Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

A global plastics crisis exists with around 400 million metric tons (MMT) of plastics production and 350 MMT of plastics waste generated annually around the globe. Plastics are durable and essentially non-biodegradable, so they accumulate in both terrestrial and marine environments as pollution and within landfills without breaking down over time. Plastics are ubiquitous in 21st-century society and culture, comprising essential elements in most industries including packaging, transportation, electrical/electronics, and building/construction. The role of civil engineering and infrastructure in addressing the plastics crisis was specifically explored. Responsible plastics recycling yields products with improved engineering properties, performance characteristics, marketability, and/or manufacturing …

A Case Against Exclusive Reliance On Volumetric Mixture Characterization For Future Asphalt Pavements And The Advancement Of A Viable Alternative, Jonathan Randy Easterling

Theses and Dissertations

Volumetric properties have been the cornerstone of asphalt mixture design and control dating back to the early 20th century. However, social and economic drivers have caused the asphalt industry to make changes in materials and processes used to produce mixtures that have stretched the limits of volumetric centric methodologies. The primary objectives of this dissertation were to present an extensive case on how volumetrics is limited in their ability to characterize asphalt mixtures and to advance the body of knowledge of a viable alternative. State agency specifications were examined and found that Departments of Transportation (DOTs) were using asphalt volumetric …

Physics-Based And Data-Driven Constitutive Modeling Of Unsaturated Soils Under Multi-Physics Loading Conditions, Mohsen Ajdari

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the behavior of unsaturated soils under multi-physics loading is crucial for addressing several challenges related to emerging geo-energy technologies, climate change, and geohazard mitigation. The main objective of this research is to enhance the state of the art for modeling unsaturated soils under multi-physics loading conditions through physics-based and data-driven approaches. Toward this objective, this dissertation is divided into two distinct yet interrelated parts. In the first part (Chapters 2, 3, and 4), thermodynamic principles are employed to develop new constitutive functions to describe soil suction and stress-dilatancy of unsaturated soils under temperature-dependent conditions. Building upon the insights gained …

Jovial Family Farm Facilitates Intergenerational Learning Opportunities Through Urban Farming, Maera Williams

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Maera Williams is a sophomore in Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University. She joined the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Urban Farming team as a freshman and now serves as project manager of ten undergraduate students collaborating with Jovial Family Farm to design and develop three indoor hydroponics systems for a laboratory space on their property in Broad Ripple, IN. Jovial Family Farm is a nonprofit organization founded by Drs. Bobbie and Brian Jellison with the mission to provide senior citizens, their families, and their communities with meaningful engagement opportunities on an intergenerational scale through urban agricultural activities. …

Leveraging Machine Learning For Defect Detection In Irrigation Concrete Canal Lining In Egypt: Advancing Construction Quality And Efficiency, Mohamed Nabawy

Civil Engineering

Abstract:

Defects during the construction phase of projects pose significant challenges, particularly in terms of

safety, cost overruns, delays, and labor inefficiencies. In irrigation concrete canal lining construction

with mega investments, early detection of defects is critical to ensuring quality and project success.

This study explores the application of machine learning (ML) for onsite defect detection, focusing

on the development and deployment of an object detection mobile application specifically tailored

for identifying visible defects in concrete canal lining construction. Leveraging the machine learning

capabilities of Microsoft Azure, a custom object detection model was trained and validated to

recognize defects such …

Enhanced Wind Velocity Imputation Near Building Structures Using Advanced Machine Learning Techniques, Istiak Ahammed, Sujeen Song, Gang Hu, Jinwoo An, Bubryur Kim

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The evaluation of instantaneous wind flow patterns nearest to building architecture is crucial to ensuring structural stability, architectural integrity, and pedestrian safety. Particle image velocimetry (PIV), a technique for studying fluid flow by tracing particles, provides accurate predictions of instantaneous wind velocities (IWV). However, PIV encounters challenges in specific regions due to laser light-based experimentation, leading to missing data. Consequently, investigating the wind circulation pattern around buildings becomes more challenging. Numerous ML techniques have been employed to impute missing wind velocities at random building locations with minimal structural impact. This paper focuses on addressing this concern by utilizing a machine …

Comparing Recovery Volumes Of Steady And Unsteady Injections Into An Aquifer Storage And Recovery Well, Saeid Masoudiashtiani, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) can involve injecting available surface water into an unconfined aquifer and then extracting it to provide secondary water for irrigation. This study demonstrates a method for evaluating the appropriateness of steady injection versus unsteady injection for an assumed situation. In design, it can be important to affect the transient: the proportion of the injected water that would be subsequently extracted (versus that remaining in the aquifer) and the proportion within the extracted water that would be an injectate (versus ambient groundwater). These proportions can be predicted from the predicted value of an ASR well's Recovery …

Enhancing Civil Infrastructure Performance Through Lidar-Based Dynamic Monitoring And Phased-Construction Bridges, Khalid Hossam Alkady

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation aims to enhance the performance and structural integrity of civil infrastructure systems through two primary goals. The first goal is to develop and rigorously validate end-to-end frameworks for full-field monitoring of the dynamic response of civil structures via Ground-based Lidar (GBL) scanners. GBL can be employed to sample point clouds at a high sampling rate for dynamic data collection, which addresses the limitations of using contact-based sensors in structural health monitoring (SHM) applications used for early-detection of structural damage.

The second goal of this dissertation concerns the challenges associated with constructing bridges in phases, so they can remain …

Durability Of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars In Moist Geopolymer Concrete, Mouaz Chkhachirou

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The rapid growth of infrastructure projects in the Gulf region has significantly increased the demand for construction in the urban coastal areas of the Arabian Gulf. This harsh coastal environment accelerates the corrosion of steel reinforcement in structural concrete, which leads to severe safety hazards as well as considerable financial losses. The utilization of non-corrodible materials as reinforcement bars in concrete structures would extend their service life and reduce the operation and maintenance expenditure. Basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars have great potential to replace traditional steel reinforcement and eliminate corrosion-related problems. At the same time, the construction industry is responsible …

Sustainability Assessment Of Photovoltaic Cells In Cross-Functional Applications, Achyuth Ravilla

Dissertations and Theses

Achieving the G7 countries' net-zero emissions target by 2050 requires integrating photovoltaic (PV) systems into diverse cross-functional applications that support sustainable energy transitions across multiple sectors. This dissertation explores the economic and environmental sustainability of three such applications: agrivoltaics, lower-dimensional materials in perovskite solar cells, and PV-electrochemical water-splitting technologies for hydrogen production. Employing life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA), we address the knowledge gap in comprehensive evaluations of PV-integrated solutions.

The first chapter assesses agrivoltaic systems (AVS), which combine PV systems with agriculture to mitigate land-use conflicts while enhancing food and energy production. Findings indicate that AVS designs, …

Deciphering Mechanochemical Influences Of Emergent Actomyosin Crosstalk Using Qcm‑D, Emily M. Kerivan, Victoria N. Amari, William B. Weeks, Leigh H. Hardin, Lyle Tobin, Omayma Y. Al Azzam, Dana N. Reinemann

Faculty and Student Publications

Purpose: Cytoskeletal protein ensembles exhibit emergent mechanics where behavior in teams is not necessarily the sum of the components’ single molecule properties. In addition, filaments may act as force sensors that distribute feedback and influence motor protein behavior. To understand the design principles of such emergent mechanics, we developed an approach utilizing QCM-D to measure how actomyosin bundles respond mechanically to environmental variables that alter constituent myosin II motor behavior.

Methods: QCM-D is used for the first time to probe alterations in actin-myosin bundle viscoelasticity due to changes in skeletal myosin II concentration and motor nucleotide state. Actomyosin bundles were …

Substantial Gas Enrichment In Shales Influenced By Volcanism During The Ordovician–Silurian Transition, Yujie Yuan, Songtao Wu, Emad A. Al-Khdheeawi, Jingqiang Tan, Zhuo Feng, Zhenjiang You, Reza Rezaee, Han Jiang, Jun Wang, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The substantial gas enrichment in shales of the Ordovician–Silurian transition is associated with the development of the organic matter (OM)-rich source rock. While organic matter enrichment has been linked to intensive volcanism, it remains a challenge to precisely evaluate the impact of the volcanism on substantial gas enrichment containing the largest gas storage capacity. This study focused on consecutive borehole shale samples from the Wufeng–Longmaxi formations during the Ordovician–Silurian transition in southern China. We conducted a comprehensive analysis, integrating the major geological volcanism with high-resolution analysis, including QEMSCAN, argon-ion SEM, thin-section examination, XRD mineralogy, TOC, Hg concentration, petrophysical properties and …

Breaking The Yoke: A Systematic Unmasking Of Challenges To Sustainable Rural Development In South Sudan, Gai Chol Paul

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

South Sudan, a young nation grappling with the legacy of protracted conflict, faces significant challenges in fostering sustainable rural development. While the immense potential of its vast agricultural lands remains largely untapped, the persistent triple threat of insecurity, deficient infrastructure, and the absence of robust government policy actively hinders progress. The ongoing armed conflict, characterized by inter-communal violence and sporadic attacks, casts a long shadow over rural areas in South Sudan. Thus, I developed this mixed-method multiple-case study, grounded in the sustainable livelihoods framework, to explore challenges that hinder sustainable rural development in South Sudan. I collected data through document …

Increasing Drift Capacity Of Non-Ductile Concrete Shear Walls Through Confinement With Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Application, Andrew Duong, Sophia Maglabe, Sheyna Rongong

Architectural Engineering: Graduate Reports

The seismic response and laboratory testing of pre-1980s reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls commonly exhibit undesirable concrete crushing and rebar buckling in the wall end-zones leading to a flexural compressive failure. The lack of ductility of these walls is attributed to low reinforcement ratios and absence of special boundary elements (SBE) as required by modern design code. Thus, the authors are proposing a fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) retrofit method to provide confinement to the end-zones of pre-1980s walls equivalent to that of an SBE. Current industry applications of FRP have largely been for shear strengthening of RC beams, columns, and …

Assessing The Effect Of Material Properties On Full Depth Reclamation (Fdr) Mixtures Via Compressive Strength Characterization, Toluwanimi Ogundipe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enormous amounts of money to replace all poorly maintained roads with brand new construction or with rehabilitation options like the mill and overlay which neglects the address of underlying pavement issues. To reduce the cost intensity of new construction of dilapidated pavements, state departments of transportation are seeking cost-effective techniques to rehabilitate roads. One of the techniques that have been explored and implemented by state DOTs is full-depth reclamation. Full depth reclamation (FDR) as a pavement rehabilitation technique is the reclaiming and recycling of an existing pavement with a predetermined amount of existing base layer. The combination of the reclaimed …

Controlling Expansion Behavior Through Curing And Mix Design For An Expansive, Rapid-Setting Bcsa Cement, Amanda Parolini Dutra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cracking in concrete has been a concern for engineers because it reduces its durability and strength. Some of this cracking behavior is due to shrinkage, which occurs when the water in the concrete evaporates and causes a reduction in volume. Expansive cements were invented to counteract this shrinkage behavior. This research studies a new formulation of a standalone, fast-setting, fast-strength gain expansive BCSA cement. Since it is a new cement, a limited amount of literature is available about mixture design, strength properties, and how to obtain the desired level of expansion. This study then aims to fill some of these …

Determination Of The Internal Erosion Potential Of Bcsa Soil-Cement Using A Modified Hole Erosion Test System, Edgar Enrique Ortega De La Cruz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Levees play a fundamental role in preserving human lives and resources and are the key infrastructure protecting against flood events. In the United States, the levee system is extensive, but unfortunately many of the levees were either not engineered or have well exceeded their intended design life. This was evident after the Midwest floods of 2019, which resulted in the failure of multiple levees leading to costly losses and repairs. In addition, flood levels remained high for days at a time, making it imperative to find fast and effective repair methods. This thesis presents a study conducted at the University …