Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Air Traffic–Collegiate Training Initiative Program Feasibility In Kentucky, Gayle Marks, Bryan Gibson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Each day, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control specialists (ATCSs) handle over 44,000 flights and oversee 29 million square miles of the United States National Airspace System. However, staffing shortages have grown more acute over the past 10 years, which has led to delayed and cancelled flights, a higher number of close misses over a short period of time, and frustrating air travel experiences. While the FAA has redoubled its efforts to recruit more ATCSs, it has limited training capacity. To expand training options available to prospective ATCSs, the FAA is working with postsecondary educational institutions to expand its …

Unhsc Performance Curve Calculator, Daniel Macadam

UNH Stormwater Center

No abstract provided.

Behind The Prompt: The Environmental Impact Of Llm Inference, Lucy Hegenderfer, Isaac Huang

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

As the size and demand for large language models (LLMs) increase, the environmental impact of computational inference often exceeds training; yet industry lacks a standardized method of calculating this expanding environmental footprint. Complexity arises with task-specific computational demands, infrastructure overhead, and various GPU architectures, making cross-model assessments burdensome. Combining environmental engineering and computer science principles by validating Jegham et al.’s meta-model, we predict the carbon emissions and water consumption during inference, providing metrics to raise user awareness of AI’s growing environmental footprint. Additional work supports integration into a multi-agent conversational system that encourages responsible scheduling and prompting, guiding the user …

Stretchable Mechanoluminescent Devices For Energy Harvesting And Real-Time Force Sensing, Lucas Taliaferro, Phoebe Ong

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Our group has been developing a novel manufacturing technique to fabricate flexible sensing devices using electrostatic force. Previously, we focused on utilizing nanomaterials as the sensing materials to measure strains. Building on our experience with the manufacturing technique, we will move forward to incorporate other smart materials in the flexible device to achieve self-powered sensors. Besides, to better understand the fabricated material properties, we are interested in characterizing the microstructural behavior of the material networks via microscopic imaging and finite element simulations. The students will have the opportunity to closely work with Dr. Wang’s interdisciplinary research group.

Seismic Resilience Of Timber Structures, Mia Wootton, Allison Nocon, Mikayla Caruthers, Ava Fineza, Rebecca Slutsky, Min Thit Kant

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Wood houses dominate the construction landscape in the United States (U.S.), with over 94% of new homes constructed in 2022 being wood framed. New Zealand shares a similar construction landscape, with building practices for wood houses like those in California. Nevertheless, the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence damaged nearly three quarters of the housing stock in the region. A total of 150,000 homes were damaged, with about one fifth exceeding NZ$100,000 in damage. To assess the likelihood of economic losses of California’s timber houses, a shake table testing campaign is underway at the California Polytechnic State University Advanced Technology Laboratory in …

Refurbishing And Deploying Oceanographic Equipment, Matthew Moore

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

In this SURP project, a student will help catalog, refurbish, test, and then deploy oceanographic equipment into Morro Bay and nearby coastal regions. In 2024, the Talke lab inherited approximately $300-400k of oceanographic equipment (sticker price) that was originally bought between 2000-2020. Instruments include multiple pressure gauges, velocity instruments, salinity-temperature-turbidity gauges, particle sizers, and a sonar for making bathymetric measurements. Help is needed to check (“talk to”) these instruments, determine which still work, and then field deploy them into the central coast., For some instruments, additional hardware (batteries, cables) and communication adapters may be needed. Because instrument software is often …

Sustainability Literacy In Ceng, The Knowledge-Attitude Disconnect In Sustainability Education: Evidence From Ceng Students, Myron Chen, Rohit Kota

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Higher education institutions are increasingly incorporating the concept of sustainability into the curricula, but the evaluation of students' level of sustainability knowledge is underdeveloped. The proposed research focuses on Cal Poly's efforts to integrate sustainability principles within the engineering curricula and the impact on students' knowledge. By analyzing existing data collected on the sustainability literacy of Cal Poly’s engineering students, this project aims to enhance teaching strategies and align them with the sustainability goals of both the College and the University. This initiative builds on work initiated last summer and seeks to better prepare engineering students to become future contributors …

Sustainable Development Of Sensing Materials For Structural Health Monitoring, Nat Conti, Matthew Robinson

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Sensing technologies play significant roles in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems for monitoring and assessing structural conditions in real-time, which can enhance the safety and reliability of various structures. While engineered nanomaterial (ENM)-based sensors have remarkable potential to transform conventional sensing devices, large volume of ENMs released into the environment can significantly jeopardize the environment and public health. Thus, there is a pressing need to develop next-generation sensing materials in a more eco-friendly and sustainable manner. The goal of this interdisciplinary proposal is to sustainably develop sensing nanocomposites for monitoring structural damage by re-using waste materials as nano-/micro-scale functional material …

Wearable Sensing Systems And Data Analytics For Pressure Sensing Prosthetics, Aiden Freeland

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This interdisciplinary research, in collaboration with Sony, aims to improve the fit and comfort of socket prosthetics for amputees by utilizing sensing technology and data analytical techniques. Many amputees face issues with prosthetic fit, which can lead to discomfort, pain, and even tissue damage. Our goal is to address these problems by developing a low-cost, universal, and wearable sensing system that can continuously monitor the pressures at the residual limb and prosthetic socket interface. This product will provide feedback to the user, allowing for real-time adjustments, ensuring a comfortable fit, and avoiding injury. Our research group has extensive experience in …

Validation And Trend Analysis Of Satellite-Derived Surface Water Temperature Observations Over Adirondack Lakes, Marzi Azarderakhsh, Carolien Mossel, Abdou Rachid Bah, Aisha Malik, Fahmeda Khanom, Jonathan Borrelli, Pete Mcintyre, Hamidreza Norouzi, Kevin Rose

Publications and Research

This study aims to validate and evaluate satellite remote sensing observations from the Landsat series over 135 lakes in the Adirondack State Park, located in upstate New York, and to examine their surface temperature trends over the past 40 years. It utilizes data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), along with Landsat 5 and 7. Park-scale results were derived by extracting MODIS surface temperatures within the park boundary, while lake-scale results were estimated using Landsat 5 (1984-2012) and Landsat 7 (1999-2023) observations. In addition, field observations were utilized to perform a comprehensive validation and evaluation of satellite-based surface temperature …

0894: G. W. “Jerry” Sutphin River Transportation Collection, 1832-2024, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

Gerald W. “Jerry” Sutphin was a nationally recognized river historian from Huntington. He graduated from Mullens High School and Marshall University and became an army officer. Sutphin worked for and retired from the United States Army Corps of Engineers before spending twenty years operating his own business, Visual Information Ltd. The author of Sternwheelers on the Great Kanawha River, he also wrote a number of articles and contributed to numerous publications with words and/or photographs. Sutphin provided historical presentations on the Delta Queen and other large sternwheel excursion boats and served as a consultant for several documentaries and exhibits. Sutphin …

Influence Of Channel Geometry And Inflow Hydrograph On Hydraulics And Air Volume Around Shafts Of A Stormwater Main, Lylie Vindie Wilkie

Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater management in urban areas is complex, in part because of difficulties related to modeling water flowing in closed conduits, as well as to controlling odor, noise, and pipe corrosion. This thesis summarizes the main findings of a study on how changes in inflow discharge and the geometry of a stormwater main may affect water flow, and how changes in water depth impact air volume and pressure around an air shaft. The study is conducted using CHAN, a one-dimensional model that simulates both flow hydraulics in mains and associated changes in air volume and pressure around air shafts. Main difference …

Building Services Engineering September/October 2025

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Dissociation Of Subjective And Objective Measures Of Trust In Vehicle Automation: A Driving Simulator Study, Samuel Petkac, Tetsuya Sato, Kun Xie, Yusuke Yamani

Psychology Faculty Publications

Trust is a crucial factor that influences human-automation interaction in surface transportation. Previous research indicates that participants tend to display higher levels of subjective trust toward lower-level automated systems compared to high-level automated systems. However, administering subjective trust measures via questionnaires can interfere with primary task performance, limiting researchers' ability to measure trust continuously in a real-world manner. In the current driving simulator study, 25 drivers using an advanced driving system (ADS) were randomly assigned to either an active (L2) or passive (L3) automated driving condition. Participants experienced eight near-miss driving scenarios with or without obstructions in a distributed driving …

Erosion Of Bermuda Grass Covered Soils, Oru-Ntui Johnwatters Nkiri

Theses and Dissertations

Earthen embankments are the most common type of embankment due to the relatively low cost, simplicity, and material availability. However, they are also the most prone to erosion related failure, typically due to overtopping and piping. Research has been conducted to identify ways to control soil erosion and protect earthen embankments with different approaches such as addition of chemicals and biopolymer to the soil, installation of protective layering (geotextiles, concrete), increased soil compaction, and use of vegetation. This thesis considers the use of Bermuda Grass to increase resistance to erosion and protect embankments from failure during overtopping. Grass coverage and …

Recent Advancement In Conformal Cooling Channels: A Review On Design, Simulation And Future Trends, Soroush Masoudi, Barun K. Das, Muhammad Aamir, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The cooling phase of a moulded part plays a crucial role in the injection moulding (IM) process, accounting for 50 to 80 % of total cycle time, and significantly impacting the quality of moulded parts. During the last decade, the advancement of different additive manufacturing (AM) processes, especially metal 3D printing, has facilitated the production of mould parts, such as cores and cavities, with complex-shaped internal conformal cooling channels (CCCs). These innovative cooling systems exhibit significant potential to replace traditional straight-drilled cooling design, as they offer more efficient and uniform cooling performance by facilitating more effective heat transfer, considerably enhancing …

Production Of Durable Mortar For Aggressive Environments Using Waste Glass Aggregates And Metakaolin-Based Blended Cement, T. F. Awolusi, A. O. Sojobi, D. O. Oguntayo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The depletion of river sand and its environmental consequences, combined with the vulnerability of concrete structures to harsh environments, pose a significant global concern. To mitigate maintenance costs, it’s essential to prioritize sustainable infrastructure production that balances durability and environmental sustainability, particularly in aggressive environments. This study explores the possibility of production of durable mortar for aggressive environments using waste glass aggregates and metakaolin-based blended cement. The waste glass cullets were used as sand replacement at 0%, 50%, and 100% and blended with metakaolin and gypsum to produce binary and ternary mortars. The blend of metakaolin and gypsum was explored …

Reengineering Resilience: Bio-Resilience Bonds For Financing Microbial Infrastructure And Climate Equity, Reece Buckley

COP30

This policy proposal introduces Bio-Resilience Bonds (BRBs), a performance-based financial instrument designed to monetise microbial ecosystem services as measurable climate infrastructure. Microbial ecosystems are crucial for climate resilience, yet they are often overlooked in mainstream adaptation f inance frameworks. Their ability to regulate carbon and nitrogen cycles, reduce methane emissions and enhance soil and water stability (Delgado-Baquerizo et al., 2016) makes them essential assets for climate mitigation and adaptation. With global adaptation needs exceeding £2.7 trillion (UNEP, 2024), this oversight indicates a systemic failure to recognise biology as a form of infrastructure. BRBs transform microbial outputs into localised key performance …

Carbonated High-Al Steel Slag As Supplementary Cementitious Material: Synergy Of Carbonation At Elevated Temperature And Addition Of Gypsum, Nannan Zhang, Gao Deng, Wenyu Liao, Chuanlin Hu, Lingyu Chi, Hongyan Ma

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-Al steel slags, such as ladle metallurgy furnace (LMF) slag, substantially retard the early hydration of cement when incorporated into cement pastes, primarily due to the high mayenite content. In this study, carbonation of slag at elevated temperatures of 60°C and 80°C, combined with gypsum addition, was proposed to synergistically mitigate the retardation effect and enhance the early-age strength of cement pastes. The physical and chemical properties of slags carbonated at various temperatures were analyzed to elucidate their impact on cement performance as a supplementary cementitious material. The results indicate that higher temperatures enhance carbonation reactivity, accelerating the carbonation of …

Magnesium Sulfate Attack Of Alite Paste And Mitigation By Surface Carbonation: Monitoring And Comparison Using Novel Portable Fiber-Optic Raman Probe, Bohong Zhang, Gao Deng, Hongyan Ma, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sulfate attack on cement matrix is still a "confused world" especially when magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) is the sulfate source. Accurate assessment of sulfate attack is essential for evaluating the structural integrity and durability of concrete in relevant environments. This study presents a portable fiber-optic Raman probe approach with 125 μm spatial resolution, designed for depth-resolved sulfate ingress monitoring in tricalcium silicate (C₃S, Alite) pastes. The probe is also used to evaluate the effectiveness of surface carbonation in mitigating sulfate attack. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between sulfate penetration depth and Raman spectral intensity ratios of sulfate-related vibrational …

Microstructure Densification In Cement Pastes Enabled By Novel Graphene Types, Sahil Surehali, Taihao Han, Ranjith Divigalpitiya, Aditya Kumar, Narayanan Neithalath

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The primary barriers hindering graphene's widespread adoption as a performance-enhancing additive in cement-based systems have traditionally been its prohibitive cost and the sustainability concerns associated with conventional manufacturing processes. However, these impediments have recently been mitigated by advancements in detonation synthesis techniques, enabling scalable, cost-effective, and environmentally favorable production of novel graphene types—specifically fractal graphene (FG) and reactive graphene (RG). This paper explores the influence of ultra-low dosages of FG and RG (≤ 0.04 % by mass of cement, which results in ∼20 % increase in compressive strengths) on the pore-structure features of cement pastes. Compared to the control paste, …

Common Ground Newsletter Fall 2025, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

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Using Drone And Ai To Map Leaf Water Potential And Stem Water Potential For Water Stress Management In Commercial Vineyards, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Seismic Fragility Analysis Of Above-Ground Liquid Storage Tanks, Pooyan Khajeh Shahzanian

Dissertations and Theses

Liquid storage tanks are critical infrastructure, serving as key storage facilities for various products. As the contents in these tanks are usually highly toxic and flammable, damage to these structures under earthquakes can cause severe consequences, including energy shortage, fire and explosion, and spilling and long-term environmental damages.

Although new liquid storage tanks are designed according to the updated seismic design codes, large numbers of existing storage tanks were built before modern seismic design codes and did not undergo necessary seismic retrofitting. Observations and reports from past earthquakes demonstrate that these older tanks can be highly vulnerable to seismic excitation. …

Nonlinear Analytical Models Of The Seismically Isolated ``Frame-Boiler'' System With Cantilever-Type Hysteresis Dampers, Aleksandr Mikhailovich Anushchenko, Dmitrii Evgenievich Bondarev, Aleksandr Yurievich Schukin

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This study shows results of development of the ``frame-boiler'' system with hysteresis dampers analytical model. Hysteresis dampers are used as boiler antiseismic bracing. It is noted that simplified analytical models are necessary at the stage of preliminary iterative calculations, when a CAE-modeling is impractical due to significant time costs. The authors have proposed 2 options of analytical models: 2-mass model and 3-mass model. The differential equations of motion for each model are written below. The results of the calculation for seismic impacts are compared with the finite element model. It is shown that 3-mass model gives good match of results …

Advancing Sustainable Structural Solutions: Hemp Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (Hfrp) Reinforcement Bars For Concrete Applications Through Material Selection, Simulation, And Pathways For Future Development, Thomas Cadenazzi, Busra Keles

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This paper investigates innovative Hemp Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (HFRP) rebars as a sustainable alternative to conventional Carbon Steel (CS) and Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) rebars used as reinforcement in concrete structures. The feasibility of HFRP rebars is assessed, focusing on mechanical properties and sustainability advantages. A virtual tensile test on a modeled M19 HFRP rebar, conducted using Autodesk's Fusion 360, demonstrates tensile strength comparable to CS 235 and greater environmental sustainability than GFRP, despite a slight reduction in stiffness. The study also considers the potential of graphene fiber integration to enhance mechanical properties, underscoring HFRP's adaptability. Findings suggest that HFRP rebars, …

Investigation Of Micronized Rubber Powder As An Alternative To Polymer Modifiers In Asphalt Pavement, Md Torikul Islam

Student Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have increasingly focused on polymer additives to enhance asphalt pavement performance. Crumb rubber (CR), derived from waste vehicle tires, has emerged as a potential modifier. This study investigates Micronized Rubber Powder (MRP), smaller than 75 μm, as an alternative to polymer modifiers. A PG 64-22 binder was modified with 5%, 10%, and 15% MRP (by weight), and the properties were compared with those of an SBS-modified PG 70-22 binder. Physical, mechanical, and chemical properties were assessed. The results indicated that MRP significantly increased viscosity and required higher processing temperatures. MRP-modified binders demonstrated improved rutting resistance, creep recovery, high-temperature performance, …

Designing A Hybrid Renewable Energy System For The College Of Engineering And Computer Science At Arkansas State University, Partho Das Neer

Student Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this thesis is to design and analyze the performance of a hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) for the college of engineering and computer science at Arkansas State University. By implementing the framework as a micro-grid to supply the required power to the Lab Science West building of the college. The proposed model ensures energy reliability and cost reduction. The model consists of photovoltaic (PV) panels, wind turbines (WT), and batteries, whereas MATLAB software was used to design the system and the Electrical Transient Analyzer Program (ETAP) Software is utilized to analyze the effectiveness of the operation …

An Improved Method To Calculate Stripping Inflection Point (Sip) And Its Application In Evaluating Moisture Susceptibility Of Asphalt Mixtures, Ping Jiang, Bo Lin, Yizhuang David Wang, Jenny Liu, Seyed Alireza Ghanoon

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accurately assessing asphalt mixtures' moisture susceptibility is critical because moisture damage can significantly reduce pavement durability, leading to premature failure and structural integrity of the pavement. The stripping inflection point (SIP), a moisture susceptibility index derived from the Hamburg Wheel Track (HWT) test, has practical merits in evaluating moisture susceptibility. However, current methods for determining the SIP showed low accuracy and high variability due to poor regression quality. Hence, this study aims to propose an improved method for calculating the SIP by modifying existing approaches to better capture the characteristics of rutting curves. Typical asphalt mixtures were used to conduct …

Comparative Analysis Of Life Cycle Assessment Of Traditional And Contemporary Timber Buildings, Sadık Akşar, Gökçe Tuna

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Wood has long been used as a primary building material, but with the Industrial Revolution and the spread of multi-story structures, its structural limitations became evident. In the 21st century, engineered timber products have reintroduced wood as a sustainable alternative, offering advantages such as lightness, rapid assembly, and recyclability. At the same time, buildings are responsible for significant environmental impacts, making assessment methods essential. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the most widely used tools for evaluating these impacts across all stages of a building’s life cycle. This study applies LCA to timber construction systems, focusing on both traditional …