Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Field Flow Measurements For Pipe Installations With Non-Ideal Conditions, Jake Douglas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Accurate flow measurement data is necessary to effectively manage water resources. The purpose of this research is to investigate options to improve field flow measurement by investigating alternatives for calibrating flow meters installed in non-ideal piping. Typically, to accurately measure a flow rate using most types of flow meters, it is recommended that a straight section of pipe be installed immediately upstream and downstream of the flow meter to avoid flow fluctuations at the meter location. However, in many cases, flow disturbances upstream of the meter are unavoidable.

The performance of field flow measurements in non-ideal piping scenarios were studied …

Examining The Relationship Between Manning's Roughness Coefficient And Stage, Henry Holtkamp

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper uses LOESS regression to predict Manning's roughness coefficient to calculate flows in natural stream channels. Manning's roughness coefficient can introduce variability into Manning's equation, potentially destabilizing results. Utilizing LOESS to find n based on backcalculated n from collected discharge vs. stage information is the best way to acquire accurate Manning's roughness coefficient values at a variety of flows. Book values tend to drastically overestimate which can have wide-ranging implications for water allocation, flood management, maintaining environmental flows, and maintaining water quality.

Examining The Impact Of Customer Rfp Characteristics On Award Compliance, Laasya Ravipati

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the context of intermodal transportation, understanding the dynamics of award compliance holds significant importance for operational efficiency and strategic decision-making. Award compliance refers to the percentage of awarded freight volume that is realized, indicating the extent to which contractual agreements are fulfilled. This analysis delves into the intricate relationship between customer characteristics and award compliance, aiming to provide valuable insights into the variability and predictability of compliance rates. By analyzing Request for Pricing (RFP) data and primary awarded freight volumes, the study seeks to address the need for more accurate volume estimations, crucial for sales planning, revenue projections, and …

Modeling Pedestrian And Bicyclist Crash Exposure With Location-Based Service Data, Yunwoo Nam, Jason Hawkins, Don Butler, Nicholas Aldridge, Mohammad Elayan, Kwant Il (Jason) Yoo

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The rising popularity of non-motorized transportation has brought about safety risks. The inclusion of accurate traffic volume information is one of the key elements to produce robust outcomes when researching safety. The project investigates and enhances transportation safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, emphasizing the integration of Location-Based Services (LBS) data, particularly StreetLight data, to analyze traffic volume and associated risks. The calibration process demonstrates the significance of traffic volume as a key variable influencing prediction accuracy across pedestrian, bicyclist, and vehicle models. The crash analysis reveals a strong correlation between crash counts and traffic activity, with noteworthy findings emerging at …

The Effect Of Methylene Blue On Stearic Acid-Aged Quartz/Co2/Brine Wettability: Implications For Co2 Geo-Storage, Fatemah Alhammad, Mujahid Ali, Nurudeen P. Yekeen, Muhammad Ali, Hussein Hoteit, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Carbon dioxide sequestration in geological formations has been proposed as a promising solution to reach net zero carbon emissions but the success of underground CO2 storage in sandstone formations depends on the brine/CO2 wettability of sandstone. Research evidence showed that natural geological formation is hydrophobic even in the presence of minute concentration of inherent organic acids. This study investigates the effect of methylene blue (MB) on CO2 wettability of organic-acid contaminated quartz through the tilted plate contact angle measurement method. Pure quartz substrates were aged in a stearic acid/n-decane solution for one week and subsequently modified with different concentrations of …

Enhanced Hoek-Brown (H-B) Criterion For Rocks Exposed To Chemical Corrosion, Hao Li, Leo Pel, Zhenjiang You, David Smeulders

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Underground constructions often encounter water environments, where water–rock interaction can increase porosity, thereby weakening engineering rocks. Correspondingly, the failure criterion for chemically corroded rocks becomes essential in the stability analysis and design of such structures. This study enhances the applicability of the Hoek-Brown (H-B) criterion for engineering structures operating in chemically corrosive conditions by introducing a kinetic porosity-dependent instantaneous mi (KPIM). A multiscale experimental investigation, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pH and ion chromatography analysis, and triaxial compression tests, is employed to quantify pore structural changes and their linkage with the strength responses …

Enhanced Phosphogypsum Thermal Reduction By Carbon In Presence Of Sodium Chloride At High Temperature, Li Chao, An Xuebin, Jing Hu, Yixiao Wang, Shizhao Wang, Yunshan Wang, Gang Yang, Yong Sun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper reports an enhanced approach of thermal reduction of phosphogypsum (PG) in the presence of sodium chloride (NaCl) in its molten phase. The thermodynamic together with in-situ thermogravimetric-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) result indicates the yield of CaS (solid) at the investigated temperature range (800–850 °C). Addition of NaCl not only appreciably reduces the activation energy of this reaction (800–850 °C) on average from 315 to 175 (kJ·mol−1) materially, but also significantly improve the conversion from CaSO4 to CaS. Additionally, the NaCl based waste salt (NaCl-WS) containing organic compounds (0.21 wt%) was found to produce similar results when compared …

Smart Manufacturing Of Cement: From Lab-Scale Simulation And Testing To Industry-Scale Deployment., Juan David Tabares Tamayo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cement kilns are controlled by experienced process operators who follow experience-based industry guidelines using data collected and fundamental knowledge. The manufacturing process, which is equipped with sensors and equipment, transfers data/information to the operators to aid standardized decision-making operations. In contrast, companies have used such data to develop and implement digital solutions for predictive control systems; in effect, FLSmidth and Rockwell Automation. However, despite the availability of automated control systems and investigation in automation for process monitoring and optimization, opportunities to radically optimize cement manufacturing are still abundant and in need of implementation. Therefore, this research developed simulation models and …

Fly Ash Based Geopolymer: Water, Curing Temperature And, Cao Content Effects On Microstructure And Compressive Strength., Lujain Salem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Geopolymer, an emerging alternative to Portland cement-based concrete, relies on alumina and silica-rich precursors like fly ash for its formation. Geopolymerization is a chemical process that creates a three-dimensional polymer network by reacting with an alkaline activator. While fly ash's calcium oxide (CaO) content is crucial in its classification, it behaves differently in geopolymerization, where it competes with hydration. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of CaO content in fly ash on geopolymerization is needed to effectively utilize fly ash. This study investigates the effects of CaO content, water, and curing temperature on geopolymerization. Using fly ash from a …

Building Services Engineering May/June 2024

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Physical And Stochiometric Controls On Nutrient Uptake And Ecosystem Respiration In Contrasting Sites, Jancoba K. Dorley

Civil Engineering ETDs

Meteorological, hydrological, and biogeochemical processes naturally control stream ecosystems. These processes define the frequency and distribution of precipitation and the supply and demand of solutes and particles to support aquatic food chains through space and time. Studies have also found that stream ecosystems are also controlled by anthropogenic activities, which occur on a much shorter timescale. These anthropogenic activities affect stream ecosystems' structure and function from local to planetary changes to the environment. It is essential for scientists and engineers to understand the relationships between naturally occurring processes and those created by human activities for a better interpretation of stream …

Sulfonated Polyethersulfone Membranes For Electrodialysis Desalination And The Influence Of Solvent Evaporation On Current Efficiency, Salinity Reduction, And Permselectivity, Li Chen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The high cost of ion exchange membranes significantly limits the public application of electrodialysis. The research of novel, inexpensive ion exchange membranes is essential to developing and applying electrodialysis desalination technology. This research focuses on fabricating cation exchange membranes with polyethersulfone (PES) and sulfonated PES (sPES) for water treatment. N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) was used as an organic solvent to dissolve PES. After different solvent evaporation times were optimized from 0 hr to 24 hr, those membranes were formed through the phase inversion technique. The performance results show that the PES membranes performed the best when the solvent evaporated at 3 hr, …

Using Genetic Algorithm And Geographic Information System For Equity-Driven Transportation Planning And Analysis, Emiliano Del Rio Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Efforts to address equitable access in public transit planning have gained momentum, spurred by incentives for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and State Departments of Transportation (DOTs). However, traditional strategies often fall short of meeting the needs of disadvantaged communities, particularly in underserved areas. This study presents a pioneering methodology leveraging Genetic Algorithms (GA) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to optimize bus stop placement, aiming to enhance equitable access in public transit systems. Focusing on Route 16 of Sun Metro in El Paso, Texasâ??a critical feeder route linking the Westside Transit Center to Upper Valley neighborhoodsâ??the research commences with a comprehensive …

Reducing Carbon Emissions With Returned Concrete, John M. Maxwell Jr.

Construction Management

The concrete industry is one of the most energy-intensive sectors of construction. Specifically, the cement production aspect is the most energy intensive, and produces the most carbon emissions. Concrete, a material ubiquitous with nearly every facet of construction; certain types of structures are composed of nearly all concrete. Production of cement is one of the biggest contributors to emissions within the industry. There have been initiatives to reduce or offset emissions from this process, through things like carbon capture, and the purchase of carbon or emissions credits. The objective of this paper was to investigate a new method of carbon …

Little Free Library Project, Baylor Rembrandt

Construction Management

Little Free Library is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting reading and literacy through community involvement by providing free book exchanges all over the world. The project was comprised of three phases, including design, construction, and installation. I began by identifying potential homeowners interested in hosting a library so that together we could come up with acceptable designs. This required close collaboration with the homeowners and resulted in unique, personalized designs for each library. Next came the construction phase, during which each library presented with its own challenges: the first library tested me with fundamental construction techniques; the second on …

Atascadero Little League - Snack Shack Window Renovation, Anthony J. Catania

Construction Management

Atascadero Little League is an essential part of the local community. It brings families together and provides youth with a place to develop their social skills, sportsmanship, and discipline all while getting outside and exercising. Little leagues are non-profit organizations, managed and operated by volunteers, who sacrifice personal time to give back to their local community. Paloma Creek Park is where Atascadero Little League hosts most of their games. The snack shack’s service window does not face the baseball field, forcing volunteers to rely on a small window in the side of the structure to view their child’s game. The …

Development Of A More Sustainable High And Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, Enrique Chirino Andalco

Theses and Dissertations

The urgent need to address climate change and environmental damage presents humanity with significant challenges that must be tackled quickly, not acting promptly will result in irreversible consequences, such as extreme weather events, public health risks, and water shortages, among other impacts.

Due to its enormous size and variety of uses, the construction industry is a key factor in addressing the climate challenge. Specifically, concrete as the most used construction material in the world is a good target for developing innovative and Sustainable improvements to reduce environmental impacts.

Using by-products from other industries in concrete manufacturing is a common and …

Machine Learning Predictive Models For Load Identification Of Railroad Bridges Subjected To Train-Induced Vibration, Md Masnun Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. rail network is among the world's largest, safest, and most efficient. However, many its railway bridges, which play an essential role in its connectivity, are over 100 years old, showing signs of structural deterioration exceeding their practical service life. The increased weight and speed of modern trains also pose a risk to these bridges. Traditional load identification and monitoring technologies like Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) systems are rarely used on railway bridges due to their cost and practical limits. This thesis explores a cost-effective approach to utilize vibration sensors on railway bridges to identify and predict train load features (speed …

Numerical Study Of New Tuned Mass Friction Damper For Seismic Protection Of Civil Structures, Syed Muhammad Bilal Haider

Theses and Dissertations

Tuned Mass Friction Dampers (TMFDs) are passive control systems designed to mitigate vibrations in civil structures subjected to extreme lateral forces such as windstorms and earthquakes. The objective of this thesis is to propose a new TMFDs with enhanced energy dissipation capability for seismic protection of multi-story frame buildings. This new TMFD is termed as “Tuned Mass Multi-Sliding Friction Damper” (TMMSFD) consisting of multiple masses connected to the primary structure through linear springs and while sliding relative to each other at multiple sliding surfaces. TMMSFD offers an improved damping mechanism with reduced stick-slip motion effects compared to standard TMFDs which …

A Dedicated Lane Analysis For Supply Chain Resilience In The U.S.-Mexico Border: Cost-Comparison And Simulation Models, Carlo A. Zorola Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Supply chains have been actively developing and implementing strategies to enhance resilience in response to various disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, geopolitical tensions, and climate change. These strategies aim to address demand and supply imbalances, logistical challenges, and policy restrictions encountered in transborder commerce. One area significantly impacted by such disruptions is cross-border trade between the US and Mexico. Understanding these strategies is crucial for achieving supply chain resilience, defined as the ability of a supply chain to quickly adapt to sudden disruptions without affecting the flow of goods. In both the US-Mexico and US-Canada borders …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Remediation Alternatives For Groundwater At The Lane Street Superfund Site, Alyssa Costello

All Theses

At the Lane Street Groundwater Contamination Superfund site in Elkhart, Indiana, which includes industrial, commercial, and residential properties, a plume of contaminated groundwater was identified that requires remediation. The plume is chiefly composed of trichloroethylene (TCE) and has impacted residents’ drinking water. A microcosm study was performed to evaluate the potential of various treatment methods to remediate the Lane Street Superfund Site groundwater. The objectives of this microcosm study are to evaluate the potential for biostimulation, bioaugmentation, and abiotic degradation for implementation at this Site and to evaluate toxicity factors that have precluded natural degradation of the site contaminants. The …

Evaluating Company Culture Of Roofing Contracting Companies To Attract And Retain Women In The Industry, Gopika Viswanathan

All Theses

The US construction industry, similar to many other industries, has a low representation of women. This difference is even more pronounced in construction trades, such as the roofing industry. The admission of more women into the industry is important to address workforce shortage issues that the industry is facing. Company culture has been cited as one of the primary reasons why women choose not to enter the industry or face barriers during their careers. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the company culture of roofing companies through factors identified by literature and by women and companies in …

Bay Water Level Influences On Inundation And Morphological Changes Of A Semi-Connected Barrier Island During A Hurricane, Sydney D. Goodman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This research aims to identify flooding and erosion changes along a semi-connected barrier island system due to varying bay water levels during storm conditions. The numerical model XBeach is used to simulate Hurricane Michael conditions and the resulting inundation and morphological change near Tyndall Air Force Base (Tyndall AFB). The installation is located 12 miles southeast of Panama City Beach along the panhandle of Florida and is vulnerable to flooding due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Saint Andrew Sound and Saint Andrew Bay. A land bridge connects the barrier island to the mainland of Tyndall AFB …

Toxicokinetics And Toxicodynamics Of Radium-226 In An Estuarine Sentinel Species Geukensia Demissa, Sarah Donaher

All Dissertations

The historical use of radioluminescent objects, most notably those containing radium-226 (²²⁶Ra)-based paint, has contributed to contemporary environmental contamination of radioactive material, often near naval installations or other military-associated coastal sites. The risk to both human and environmental health from this small-scale, discrete radioactive material is challenging to predict due to large uncertainties in the source terms, bioavailability, and toxicity of these objects. The objective of this study was to provide information on the accumulation and toxicity of acute ²²⁶Ra exposure in a sentinel species to improve risk assessments for small-scale, coastal radiological contamination. The sentinel species …

Evacuation Of Students With Intellectual Disability In Building Fires: A Three-Part Methodology, Haley Hostetter

All Dissertations

People with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable groups in building fires. Despite this, they have traditionally been overlooked by fire evacuation researchers. This is perhaps the most alarming for the group with Intellectual Disability when given their present statistics for fire involvement, injuries, and death. Annually, people with mental disabilities are involved in 1700 home fires, resulting in 39 fatalities and 122 injuries per 1000 fires. Additionally, 40% of these fires were started intentionally by people with mental disabilities. When combined with their high fire risk, the lack of evacuation research focused on people with Intellectual Disability shows …

Pedestrian Crossing Environmental Impact Statement, Alyssa Gaither

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Logan, Utah is divided by US Highway 89/91, which bisects much of the city. This makes it difficult to pass to the other side without a vehicle. A pedestrian crossing has been proposed to connect the eastern and western sides of Logan without impacting traffic flow. The Environmental Impact Statement aims to look at reasonable alternatives and identify many resources that will be affected by its implementation. Four main alternatives were considered: an underpass, an overpass with an elevator, an overpass with a ramp, and the no-change alternative to be used as a baseline alternative. The underpass is the preferred …

Investigation Into The Effect Of Mixture Composition On Setting Time Of Magnesium Phosphate Cement, Autumn Broglen

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) is a cementitious material that is formed through an acid-base reaction between magnesia and phosphate. This reaction occurs rapidly, making MPC an appealing choice for rapid repair applications. The purpose of this project is to investigate the impact of different proportions of class F fly ash, set retarder consisting of a mixture of boric acid and dextrose, magnesium to phosphate ratio, and water/cement ratio on the initial setting time of MPC paste. Different mixtures of MPC paste were developed to vary the proportions of each constituent, and setting time of each mixture was determined using the …

Removal Of Permethrin And Bifenthrin Insecticides From Runoff Water By Activated Carbon Adsorption, Ernesto Hernandez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Among the hundreds of pesticides and insecticides, pyrethroids-particularly permethrin and bifenthrin, have become very popular due to their high toxicity to insects and low toxicity to humans, leading to extensive use in both agriculture and urban areas. Pyrethroids have no discharge limits because of this, leading to a negative impact on surrounding ecosystems due to their high toxicity to fish and aquatic life. Due to their low solubility and long half-lives, they are prominent in the environment long after application with a high potential for getting transported in runoff water to nearby water bodies. In this study, DSR-C reactivated carbon …

Final Design Of Legion Hall Revitalization In Potter, Nebraska, Madison Brennfoerder

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This project was conducted to renovate and revitalize the Legion Hall community center in the Village of Potter located in western Nebraska north of the Interstate. The work completed for this project can be separated into five disciplines: Hydrologic & Hydraulic Design, Geotechnical Analysis, Structural Analysis, Environmental Analysis, and Transportation Design. Legion Hall is a historical building within The Village of Potter which was built in 1917. The Village of Potter has recently acquired the rights to the hall and is seeking to revitalize the historical community center to increase tourism in the village.

Detection Of Deficiencies And Data Analysis Of Bridge Members With Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, Bennett Jackson

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

Concrete cracks and structural steel corrosion are two of the most common defects in bridges. Quantifying and classifying these defects provide bridge inspectors and engineers with valuable data for assessing deterioration levels. However, the bridge inspection process is typically a subjective, time intensive, and tedious task, as defects can be overlooked or in locations not easily accessible. Previous studies have investigated deep learning-based inspection methods, implementing popular models such as Mask R-CNN and U-Net. The architectures of these models offer certain advantages depending on the required task. This thesis aims to evaluate and compare Mask R-CNN and U-Net regarding their …