Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Comprehensive Understanding Of Factors Impacting Competitive Construction Bidding, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway, Aubrie Caldwell

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Construction competitive bidding has been studied by many researchers; however, their focus was mainly on certain bidding aspects. Thus, despite their value, existing bidding models have limited applicability for various reasons including the non-inclusion of some real-life factors that impact bidding-related decisions. As such, there is a need for identifying a comprehensive list of bidding factors that impact construction bidding-related decisions, studying their associations, and identifying understudied factors to direct future research efforts. This paper fills this knowledge gap. First, the authors conducted a systematic selection of 124 construction bidding-related articles published within the past 40 years. Second, the authors …

Bioaerosol Size As A Potential Determinant Of Airborne E. Coli Viability Under Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation And Ozone Disinfection, Weixing Hao, Yue-Wern Huang, Yang Wang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) and ozone disinfection are crucial methods for mitigating the airborne transmission of pathogenic microorganisms in high-risk settings, particularly with the emergence of respiratory viral pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and avian influenza viruses. This study quantitatively investigates the influence of UVGI and ozone on the viability of E. coli in bioaerosols, with a particular focus on how E. coli viability depends on the size of the bioaerosols, a critical factor that determines deposition patterns within the human respiratory system and the evolution of bioaerosols in indoor environments. This study used a controlled small-scale laboratory chamber where E. …

Development Of Bamboo Connections With Iteso Universisdad In Guadalajara, Mexico, Turner Uyeda

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

In years prior, faculty and students at ITESO Universidad in Guadalajara, Mexico, have worked with local low-income communities in the development of bamboo structural end-to-end connections. To advance and expand on this bamboo structural research, faculty from ITESO reached out to Santa Clara University’s Frugal Innovation Hub to get a new perspective on the problem. With the given constraints of cost and strength, the engineer was otherwise free to explore solutions independently. In order to address the needs of the low-income community that ITESO faculty sought to help, a series of bamboo connections making use of bamboo culm end modifications …

Effects Of Rest Time And Curing Regime On Short- And Long-Term Strength Of Class C Fly Ash-Based Alkali-Activated Mortars, Cedric Kashosi, Ahmed Gheni, Eslam Gomaa, Mohamed Elgawady

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigated how different rest times affect the strength development of fly-ash-based alkali-activated mortar (aam) over a period of 90 days. Two types of fly ash with varying calcium oxide contents of 37 and 21% were used. The rest times ranged from 2 to 36 h, and three curing methods (ambient, oven, and steam) were tested. The results showed that the rest time significantly influenced the compressive strength of the aam. The optimal rest time was found to be between 12 and 30 h depending on the curing method and fly ash type. Beyond this range, there were only …

Calculaser S.A. - Colombian Medical Clinic, Aaron Bumagat, Cody Ferguson, Daniela Valencia-London, Joell Macias

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

This report presents a comprehensive ground up design for the Calculaser S.A. medical clinic, located in Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia. The clinic contributes to providing affordable and comprehensive preventative healthcare services, bridging regional disparities and catering to individuals who may face limitations in accessing certain medical facilities. Calculaser aligns with the goal of fostering a more inclusive and accessible healthcare environment, striving to enhance the well-being of the surrounding population.

The design provided in this report will include three (3) main scopes: transportation & municipal, structural, and construction management. The transportation scope covers a configuration of the proposed parking garage, an …

Solar Panel Canopies Over Central Valley Canals, Danial Garcia, Sam Loeffler, Luke Shoenberger, Thomas Vithanage

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

California's agricultural presence is undeniably as impressive as it is important, but there is an ongoing significant challenge that the irrigation systems have grappled with: evaporation loss. Annually, a tremendous 63 billion gallons of water is lost due to evaporation along 4,000 miles of canals within California (source). In response to this issue, a new initiative emerged which is the implementation of solar panel over a section of the irrigation canals near Kettleman City. The team's structure is constructed using a steel cable truss along a 164 foot span. This structure both decreases evaporation and contributes to California's mission to …

Sustainable Design And Construction With Cob, Alessandro Moya, Bailey Mclaughlin, Maddie Ly, Quinn Boardman

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

Conventional building materials contribute to over 16% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually, therefore, more sustainable materials must be explored. The most readily available material is earth, cob being one of them. Cob is a monolithic earthen material made up of sand, clay, and straw, integrated using water. While this material has been used for thousands of years across the world, it is lacking research, and thus, limiting its implementation into official codes. This project tested six (6) 2’x 2’ cob walls, three (3) six (6) inch thick walls and three (3) twelve (12) inch thick walls using the ASTM …

Standardized Sustainable Rapid Housing Design, Octavio Diaz, Ernesto Escalante, Lily Sieber

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

DignityMoves is an organization committed to providing interim supportive housing to the unhoused population. DignityMoves partners with philanthropic organizations, owners, and cities to borrow unused and empty lands for anywhere from five (5) to twenty (20) years and organize the development of sites using prefabricated modular tiny homes. These homes meet housing department codes and standards while also allowing DignityMoves to capitalize on city emergency housing codes.

The goal of this project is to address the structural, geotechnical, greywater, building envelope, and construction management scopes of building interim supportive housing sites to create standardized solutions that:

(a) Lower the cost …

Utilizing Ensemble Learning In The Classifications Of Ductile And Brittle Failure Modes Of Uhpc Strengthened Rc Members, Woubishet Zewdu Taffese, Yanping Zhu, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study aims to achieve the swift and precise classification of ductile and brittle failure modes in flexural reinforced concrete (RC) members, specifically those with tension sides strengthened by ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC). Employing six ensemble learning techniques—Bagging, Random Forest, AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting, XGBoost, and LightGBM—the authors utilize a comprehensive dataset comprising 14 features, which include manually labeled failure modes obtain from load–deflection curves. The model training spans four scenarios, varying in the inclusion or exclusion of features describing the cross-sectional area of RC members and moment resistance. XGBoost emerges as the most effective classifier, achieving an impressive 84% accuracy …

Modeling Injury Severity Of Truck-Involved Crashes Under Covid-19 Regulatory Changes, William Mckenzie

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

At the start of the pandemic the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued declaration No. 2020-002 which included a long list of goods given temporary emergency relief (deregulation) from national statutes 49 CFR Parts 390-399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations that oversee trucking. In particular, this granted emergency relief from Title 49 CFR § 395.3: maximum driving time for motor carriers or their drivers, regarded as hours-of-service (HOS), and subsequently further expanded to include short-haul trips, adverse driving conditions, break requirements, and sleeper berths. Regulations which play a crucial role in establishing the safe operation and management of …

Multifunctional Models In Digital And Physical Twinning Of The Built Environment—A University Campus Case Study, Genda Chen, Ibrahim Alomari, Woubishet Zewdu Taffese, Zhenhua Shi, Mohammad Hossein Afsharmovahed, Tarutal Ghosh Mondal, Son Nguyen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Digital Twin (DT) Concept Has Been Developed for a Single Function in Previous Studies. This Study Aims to Empower DTs with a Layered Integration of Multifunctional Models in the Built Environment. It Develops a Framework of DT Modules in Three Hierarchical Tiers: Region, Asset, and System; Defines a New Concept of the Degree of Digital Twinning (DODT) to the Real World by the Number of Models Enabled by a Common DT Platform; and Enables Spatiotemporal Analysis in Multiple Scales to Couple Nonstructural with Structural Building Components and Connect the Built Environment to Planning Constructions. While the Asset and System …

10 Meters To Disaster: The Challenges Of Premature Application Of Circular Economy Strategies In Jakarta’S Waste Management Structure, Almira Bowo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Jakarta's complex issue of waste management encompasses a multitude of challenges that include inefficiencies in infrastructure, a lack of public awareness of the consequences of an inadequate waste system, socioeconomic disparities, and a deficiency in intersectoral collaboration. The urgency for holistic and sustainable solutions that prioritize proactive waste collection is underscored by the complexities of these dynamics. This field study paper argues that the attention that is being drawn towards trending waste management innovations, which are reactive strategies, could bring the waste crisis in Jakarta to an even more critical state. The sections will critically examine current waste management efforts …

Accommodating Spatio-Temporal Dependency In Airline Demand Modeling, Sudipta Dey Tirtha, Tanmoy Bhowmik, Naveen Eluru

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objective of the current study is to examine monthly air passenger departures at the airport level considering spatial interactions between airports. In this study, we develop a novel spatial grouped generalized ordered probit (SGGOP) model system of monthly air passenger departures at the airport level. Specifically, we estimate two variants of spatial models including spatial lag model and spatial error model. In the presence of repeated demand measures for the airports, we also consider temporal variations of spatial correlation effects among proximally located airports by employing space and time-based weight matrix. The proposed model is estimated using monthly air …

Risk–Reward Share Allocation Under Different Integrated Project Delivery Relational Structures: A Monte-Carlo Simulation And Cooperative Game Theoretic Solutions Approach, Radwa Eissa, Mohamad Abdul Nabi, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sharing of risks and rewards is considered to be one of the key benefits and principles of integrated project delivery (IPD). Despite its importance, risk–reward strategies are not implemented widely in IPD construction projects due to the lack of a well-defined basis for establishing adequate allocation plans. This paper fills this knowledge gap. This research followed a multistep methodology. First, the authors calculated the risk control valuations of all potential combinations of coalitions for IPD stakeholders. This was performed using interrelated steps of risk identification and quantification, risk assignment based on associated contractual analysis, establishment of a coordination network, and …

Toward Improved Shared Micromobility Implementation: A Data-Driven Approach To Overcome Challenges And Explore Next-Generation Acceptance, Myriam Zakhem

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Rapid transportation advancements over the last several years have resulted in new personal mobility modes, such as shared micromobility (e.g., e-scooters, bikes, and e-bikes). These short-term rental vehicles expand transportation mobility by offering affordable, convenient, and efficient options that are easy to access. The rapid expansion of dockless micromobility systems presents major opportunities and challenges for cities, leading some to ban these services within their jurisdiction. To enhance the effectiveness of dockless shared micromobility services, address challenges created by these services, and achieve better implementation performance, cities need efficacious strategies to tackle major challenges. This dissertation contributes to the body …

Transport Of Multi-Phase Multi-Component Fluids In The Shallow Subsurface Influenced By Soil And Surface Boundary Conditions: Experimental And Numerical Study With Application To Natural Gas Leakage, Navodi Jayarathne

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

With the increased use of Natural Gas (NG) as a source of fuel, underground leak-related events are increasingly reported, and some are fatal. Subsurface migration and development up to flammable limits are highly dependent on leak characteristics, soil, atmospheric variables, and other surface and subsurface structural complexities. Although few studies have characterized the transient behavior of leaked NG in the shallow subsurface, the underlying mechanisms and their interactions are not well understood, which prevents prediction of the impact of environmental and operating conditions on gas migration. The study conducted a series of field scale-controlled release experiments and numerical simulations to …

Guidebook For Project Management, Jill Asher, Keith Caudill, Travis Thompson, Jeff Jasper, Chris Van Dyke, Samantha Wright, Bryan Gibson, Pam Clay-Young, Candice Wallace

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

For the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Department of Highways, project development encompasses all the work activities needed to move a transportation project from concept and project initiation to construction letting. Developing projects efficiently requires the adoption of sound project management practices. Although KYTC has a long track record of executing complex projects, doing so is increasingly challenging due to staff attrition and the attendant loss of institutional knowledge. Today’s entry- and mid-level project managers have more responsibilities than ever but lack a trusted source of guidance to help them manage projects from development through completion. The objective of this study …

Reducing Vehicle Licensing And Titling Fraud, Mallory Brown, Andrew Martin, Jeeyen Koo, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study reviews Kentucky’s vehicle licensing and registration program, evaluates methods of motor vehicle title fraud, examines current anti-fraud mechanisms in Kentucky, reports on vehicle titling and anti-fraud efforts in other states, assesses Ohio’s vehicle inspection program, and develops a proposal for a new Kentucky rebuilt title inspection program. Researchers developed the proposal based on historical Kentucky vehicle registration and titling data, a survey of other states, and other information provided by Kentucky’s Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing and other agency partners. Kentucky historical data revealed consistently high numbers of salvage title applications as well as spatial concentration in rebuilt …

Mechanistic Empirical Design Of Flexible Pavements For Biopolymer Treated Soils, Vishweshwaran M

Theses and Dissertations

Cognizing the contamination effects of chemical soil modifiers on soil and groundwater, the assessment of the ability of biopolymers to improve the engineering properties of soils has gained attention in the last decade. As a soil additive, biopolymers have the potential to solve the trilemma of sustainability, price and soil suitability. Two polysaccharides and two protein biopolymers have been adopted in this study to enhance the geotechnical properties of fine-grained soils.

Design thickness catalogues were developed for a three-layered flexible pavement using 3D finite element analysis (FEA) and layered elastic analysis. The catalogue aims to provide structurally reliable thickness values …

The Game Of Traffic Lights (Tgotl), Faith Chapman

Posters - 2024

“Computer Science can be applied to nearly ANY field.” In college, and high school especially, the phrase is just that—early comp. sci (CS) students don’t have realworld examples of how/where else they can use CS knowledge outside of CS focused jobs. For high school students, this a missed opportunity to plan for a career outside the obvious. One such career is in traffic lights.

U.S. traffic can be better. Engineering has a subfield dedicated to improving traffic, and part of that entails studying ways to improve traffic lights’ efficacy. Someone with CS knowledge can program a traffic simulator for data …

Antibiotic Resistance In Urban Stormwater Runoff And Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Kassidy N. O'Malley

Dissertations (1934 -)

Antibiotic resistance in the environment poses significant risks to human health, especially through the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) via pathways like food and water. Urban stormwater runoff has been identified as a significant contributor to the release and transport of ARGs in the environment but has remained under-researched. This dissertation aimed to address this gap by investigating the fate of ARGs in urban stormwater runoff to guide future stormwater management decisions. Two phases were completed; the first sought to investigate extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) in stormwater runoff, and the second focused on quantifying …

Enhanced Carbohydrate-Based Plastic Performance By Incorporating Cerium-Based Metal-Organic Framework For Food Packaging Application, Shima Jafarzadeh, Mitra Golgoli, Maryam Azizi-Lalabadi, Javad Farahbakhsh, Mehrdad Forough, Navid Rabiee, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The development of biodegradable active packaging films with hydrophobic characteristics is vital for extending the shelf life of food and reducing the reliance on petroleum-based plastics. In this study, novel hydrophobic cerium-based metal-organic framework (Ce-MOF) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. The Ce-MOF nanoparticles were then incorporated into the cassava starch matrix at varying concentrations (0.5 %, 1.5 %, 3 %, and 4 % w/w of total solid) to fabricate cassava-based active packaging films via the solution casting technique. The influence of Ce-MOF on the morphology, thermal attributes, and physicochemical properties of the cassava film was subsequently determined through further analyses. Biomedical …

Adsorbents From Rice Husk And Shrimp Shell For Effective Removal Of Heavy Metals And Reactive Dyes In Water, Md Ibrahim H. Mondal, Shovra C. Chakraborty, Md Saifur Rahman, Shaik M. H. Marjuban, Firoz Ahmed, John L. Zhou, Mohammad B. Ahmed, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Widespread contamination by heavy metals (HMs) and dyes poses a major health risk to people and ecosystems requiring effective treatment. In this work, rice husk (RH) and shrimp shells were extracted to obtain amorphous silica and chitosan, respectively, which were utilized to produce nano-chitosan-coated silica (NCCS). To ensure the stability of the nanoparticles, silica was freeze-dried after being coated with nano-chitosan. Functional groups (–NH2, –OH, P]O) from chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) were introduced to the surface of silica during this process. Dyes such as brilliant green (BG), methylene blue (MB) and reactive brown (RB) as well as HMs (Cr6+, Pb2+, Cd2+, …

Testing Of Recycled Polypropylene As A Viable Structural Material (Quarter 2), Isabella Jimenez-Melendrez, Katherine Timbes, Jocelyn Embleton, Tauni Dela Cruz, Zyra Kingston, Emily Byrd, Jacob Stinger

Architectural Engineering

5.25 trillion plastic particles have been found in the oceans each year, 3 million water bottles are consumed each hour, and one million plastic bags are used each minute in the United States of America (Williams). The vast majority of conventional plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and more, are non-biodegradable (Tokiwa). To make matters worse, 70% of this non-biodegradable plastic is discarded into landfills and inevitably makes its way into the environment (Williams,). Plastic products have become vital to the United States economy due to their many uses in the construction, packaging, transportation, and health care industries. However, this …

2024 Annual Hackathon: Redesigning Safety Head Protection, Olivia Pisani

Construction Management

The Hackathon is an annual event hosted by construction management students at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The event aims to redesign a piece of safety equipment to make it more user-friendly, safe, and enjoyable, and provide equitable safety for all genders. The subject of the hackathon held in April, 2024, was head protection for construction workers, primarily hard hats and helmets. Head protection is a critical PPE item that impacts every worker on a job site - which is why it was chosen for a redesign. The 2024 hackathon event was centered around inviting industry members …

Cal Poly's Old Powerhouse Analysis Assessing Stakeholder Preferences, Marissa D. Burns

Construction Management

This research paper delves into the historical and cultural relevance of Cal Poly’s Old Powerhouse, the college’s oldest architectural landmark, which has remained in a state of disuse since the 1990s. Employing meticulous survey methodology; perspectives from faculty, staff, alumni, students, and community members are gathered to illustrate the significance of the Old Powerhouse within the various stakeholders. The study refrains from imposing interpretation but rather seeks to capture the sentiments expressed by stakeholders, providing valuable insights into the building’s perceived value. By centering on the community opinions, the research will underscore the building’s potential and expand on the collected …

Skip The Grid: Delivering Solar Energy In The Navajo Nation, Lance Brack

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary service-learning project to install solar energy systems on dwellings in the Navajo Nation. This project is a large collaboration between students from 7 different majors at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), SOLV Energy, the educational equity non-profit, Heart of America (HOA), and many industry and community sponsors. Through HOA, Skip the Grid targets homes of school age children that have limited or no access to electricity. On March 24, 2024, a group of 20 Cal Poly students traveled to Farmington, New Mexico to begin collaboration with the Consolidated School District. Over the following …

The Impact Of Disc In Construction Dialogue, Michelle W. Li

Construction Management

Personality tests look to categorize individuals based on their values, identity, psychological traits, and/or perspectives. The DISC (dominance, influential, steady, complaint) assessment is one of the major personality tests. Multiple industries like healthcare and sales have utilized DISC to foster better overall communication from work relations and positive success. Construction management (CM) is a similar industry with heavy emphasis on influence and focus. Utilizing DISC in the construction industry can achieve similar effects to the healthcare and sales industry. To analyze the potential effectiveness of DISC in the construction industry, a survey was distributed to one class of CM majors …

Safety Evaluation Of Hawaii Dot Modified Type A-1 Flared Buried In Backslope Guardrail End Terminal, Sina Changizian

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) desired to evaluate the crashworthiness of a guardrail end terminal design in which the upstream guardrail anchorage was connected to a block partially buried in a cut slope, known as a “Buried in Backslope” or BIB design. The HDOT BIB system used an upper W-beam with 8-in. deep blockouts attached to W6x9 steel posts and a lower W-beam rubrail located 3 in. below the upper rail. The system used two horizontal flares: 7.4:1 near the upstream anchor block and a 13:1 flare through the ditch.

Critical impact points (CIPs) were identified and recommended for …

Thermo-Elasto-Plastic Stability Of Biaxially Loaded Hollow Rectangular Section Steel Beam-Columns With Applied Torsion, George Adomako Kumi

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Presented herein is an experimental and theoretical study of biaxially loaded hollow rectangular section steel beam-columns with applied torsion at elevated temperatures. The theoretical analysis is based on a system of simultaneous materially nonlinear differential equations of equilibrium for which an iterative semi-analytic solution approach is formulated. Although the primary goal of this research is to study the influence of elevated temperatures on the steel member with the complex loading, rigorous analysis is also conducted of the member at ambient temperature for comparison. The experimental part of the study involves conducting tests on the members at both ambient and high …