Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Sustainable Recharge Of Flint Lake, Melene Agakanian, Cathy Cantoni

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

At the retreat center in San Juan Bautista, run by the Franciscan brothers, there is a dry pond that at one time was full of water. Over time, however, the pond has lost water due to the effects of the California drought. In order to bring back the aesthetics of the St. Francis Retreat Center and restore the habitat, this project allows for the design of a pump and piping system that will bring water from a well and recharge the pond, working in tandem with another senior design group for the water purification of the well. The proposed solution …

Cwr 4812 Water Resources Design, Sarina Ergas

Service-Learning Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Numerical Simulations Of Intrusive Gravity Currents Interacting With A Bottom-Mounted Obstacle In A Continuously Stratified Ambient, Jian Zhou, Subhas K. Venayagamoorthy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study, the flow dynamics of intrusive gravity currents past a bottom-mounted obstacle were investigated using highly resolved numerical simulations. The propagation dynamics of a classic intrusive gravity current was first simulated in order to validate the numerical model with previous laboratory experiments. A bottom-mounted obstacle with a varying non-dimensional height of D~ = D/ H, where D is the obstacle height and H is the total flow depth, was then added to the problem in order to study the downstream flow pattern of the intrusive gravity current. For short obstacles, the intrusion re-established itself downstream without much distortion. …

Dynamic Evaluation Of Transportation Structures With Ipod-Based Data Acquisition, Charles Riley

TREC Final Reports

This grant supported coursework and laboratory development and expanded research capacity, promoting (a) innovative learning activities that expose students to cutting-edge methods of bridge structural health and behavior monitoring and (b) research by our growing group of graduate students using developing technologies (specifically, shake tables and iPods with on-board accelerometers). As transportation infrastructure reaches and exceeds its design life, engineering efforts are turning to evaluation, rehabilitation and repair. Accurately assessing structures to determine their future performance and remaining life is becoming a primary job function for many civil engineers.

As part of this project, graduate students worked with the PI …

Numerical And Experimental Studies On Coastal Marsh Erosion Under Hurricane Induced Wave And Current, Minhaz M. Shahriar

Doctoral Dissertations

Considering the past history and future risks of hurricanes in the USA, well understood storm protection plans are needed to shelter the important areas of the population and economy, especially within southeastern Louisiana. It is extensively assumed that marshes offer protection from hurricane though the degree of this protection is not well measured or understood due to the complex physics involved in this overall system. Moreover, marshes experience significant erosion while serving as a barrier for important areas. Consequently, a particular method to quantify the effects on marshes during a coastal hurricane period is necessary to mitigate major marsh loss. …

In-Service Evaluation Of High Tension Cable Barrier Systems, Brian K. Howell, Kenneth R. Agent, Jeff Jasper, William Nicholas Staats

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has installed hundreds of miles of high-tension cable median barrier (CMB) as a safety innovation. The usage of CMB aids in the prevention of crossover crashes, where a vehicle departs the roadway on the left shoulder, crosses the median, and enters the opposing lane(s) of traffic. KYTC officials have questioned whether all three barrier products perform similarly. Some installed cable barrier systems have lost tension across the entire cable length after a single vehicle impact. If a second vehicle were to strike the cable barrier system in a location other than the damaged area of the …

In-Vehicle Evaluation Of Rumble Strips In Pre-And Post-Chip Sealed Maintenance Periods, Ernest Tufuor, Laurence Rilett

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

Chip sealing will reduce the depth of rumble strips (RS) by approximately 1/8".  Will this depth reduction affect RS functional characteristics (audible and tactile warnings)?

There is no detailed study on the effectiveness of RS that have been chip sealed. USEFULNESS The results will be useful to the Nebraska Department of Roads to determine:

Operations: Whether RS will need to be re-milled after chip sealing. Cost & safety implications.

Design: New RS guidelines for highways expected to be chip sealed in the future.

It can be shown that a 1/8" reduction in the current milled RS design depth, as …

Implementing Online Updating To Complex Hysteresis Models In Real- Time Hybrid Simulation Using Constrained Unscented Kalman Filter, Bilal Ahmed Mohammed

Masters Theses

Although conventional experimental methods, such as quasi-static testing, shake table testing, etc., perform well to evaluate structural seismic performance necessary for modern seismic design, the quasi-static loading and/or reduced scale specimen used in shake table testing may not provide true dynamic responses of structural systems. To overcome these limitations, real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) was developed, which is a combination of physical testing of the experimental substructure and analytical simulation of the numerical substructure. With the advancement of hybrid simulation, it is now possible to economically test large to full-scale specimens in laboratories at the real earthquake rate. Online model updating …

How Student Written Communication Skills Benefit During Participation In An Industry-Sponsored Civil Engineering Capstone Course, Ryan N. Fries, Bradford Cross, Jianpeng Zhou, Chad Verbais

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Because many engineering programs use capstone design courses and value strong communication abilities, authors sought to identify how student written communication skills changed because of industry-sponsored capstone design projects. A student exit survey was collected at the end of the capstone design course during faculty-led projects and projects led by practicing engineers in industry. These results led the researchers to subsequently evaluate two semesters of before-andafter writing samples using a rubric. Student surveys suggested a statistically significant increase in learning about professional issues, problem solving, and written/oral communication. Evaluation of student writing samples suggests that the students significantly improved their …

Inclusion Of An Introduction To Infrastructure Course In A Civil And Environmental Engineering Curriculum, Esmaeili Behzad, Philip J. Parker, Steven D. Hart, Brooke K. Mayer, Led Klosky, Michael R. Penn

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Civil infrastructure refers to the built environment (sometimes referred to as public works) and consists of roads, bridges, buildings, dams, levees, drinking water treatment facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, power generation and transmission facilities, communications, solid waste facilities, hazardous waste facilities, and other sectors. Although there is a need to train engineers who have a holistic view of infrastructure, there is evidence that civil and environmental engineering (CEE) programs have not fully addressed this increasingly recognized need. One effective approach to address this educational gap is to incorporate a course related to infrastructure into the curriculum for first-year or second-year …

A Mechanistic-Empirical Impact Analysis Of Different Truck Configurations On A Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement (Jpcp), Lubinda F. Walubita, Tito P. Nyamuhokya, Stefan A. Romanoschi, Xiaodi Hu, Mena I. Souliman

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Until the last decade, the 1993 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design guide has been traditionally used for the design of flexible and rigid pavements in the USA and some parts of the world. However, because of its inability to meet the new traffic and material challenges, a Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) was introduced based on an NCHRP 1-37 A study conducted in 2004. This study used the MEPDG software and associated models to determine, through comparative truck damage analysis, the effects of nine different truck configurations on a 12 inch-jointed plain concrete pavement …

Emerging Pollutants In The Columbia River: A Simple Assessment Of Nonpoint Source Zones, Chulgi Kim

Civil and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water quality modeling in the Columbia River Basin was conducted at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, river mile 101. The study area for this research consists of Sauvie Island, OR, and the surrounding areas of Vancouver, WA. Analysis of the region’s watershed and simple hydrologic calculations allowed for estimates of potential sources contributing to PBDEs in the Columbia River along river mile 101. This research included assessment of rainfall patterns and peak discharge rates in the areas along the rivers. A simple model of overland flow for the watershed was applied to estimate the area’s contribution to …

Evaluation Of Tack Coating Practices For Asphalt Overlays In Nebraska, Soroosh Amelian, Yong-Rak Kim

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The strength of the bond between asphalt layers affects the lifespan of pavement structures. It is also a key factor in preventing major pavement distresses, such as slippage cracking and delamination. This research project evaluates and compares the effectiveness and performance of different tack coating approaches to ensure the proper bond strength is achieved in asphalt concrete (AC) interlayers through an experimental study. Various tack coat materials, including different types of emulsified asphalt and asphalt binders, at multiple application rates and dilution ratios were investigated. In the first part of this study, laboratory-prepared samples were used to evaluate the sensitivity …

Evaluation Of Protection Of Frp Wrap On Bridge Piers From Corrosive Effects Of Snow And Ice Chemicals, Lizzie Miller

Honors Theses

Highway bridge components, such as decks and piers, are structures that are often exposed to chlorine-heavy chemicals. Corrosion of rebar, one of the main contributors to structural deficiencies in highway bridges, is largely caused by chloride contamination from exposure to deicing salts and chemicals. Current forms of external protection to highway bridge piers include paint coatings, shells, and wraps. This thesis will focus on the protective capabilities that Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) wraps could provide to bridge piers. ASTM C666 was utilized to recreate environmental conditions, during which concrete samples were exposed to calcium chloride. ASTM C1760-12 was utilized to …

A Plastic Design Method For Rc Moment Frame Buildings Against Progressive Collapse, Hadi Faghihmaleki

Makara Journal of Technology

In this study, progressive collapse potential of generic 3-, 8- and 12-storey RC moment frame buildings designed based on IBC-2006 code was investigated by performing non-linear static and dynamic analyses. It was observed that the model structures had high potential for progressive collapse when the second floor column was suddenly removed. Then, the size of beams required to satisfy the failure criteria for progressive collapse was obtained by using the virtual work method; i.e., using the equilibrium of the external work done by gravity load due to loss of a column and the internal work done by plastic rotation of …

In Vitro Toxicity Evaluation Of Caffeine Imprinted Polymer (Caf-Mip) For Decaffeination Method On Normal Chang Liver Cells, Fatimah Hashim, Faizatul Shimal Mehamod, Naizatul Akmal Nawi

Makara Journal of Technology

Over consuming of caffeine is one of the factors to a few health problems such as insomnia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This preliminary study was conducted to evaluate the Caffeine-Imprinted Polymer (CAF-MIP) toxicity that was synthesized for a new alternative method for decaffeination. It is crucial to evaluate the toxicity of CAF-MIPas this product is potential to be used as complimentary with any drinks containing caffeine. In this study, the CAF-MIP toxicity potential was confirmed on Normal Chang Liver cell (NCLC) based on its IC50 value andacridine orange and propidium iodide (AO/PI) staining for mode of cell death observation.Proliferation assay …

Sorption And Ion Exchange Behaviour Of Natural Zeolite Packing, Chandra Wahyu Purnomo, Bernice Lenora, Wiratni Budhijanto, Hirofumi Hinode

Makara Journal of Technology

It is well known that zeolite is an efficient metal ions adsorbent. The excess charge of the zeolite building blocks i.e. (AlO4)-5 and (SiO4)-4 creating a negative surface charge that attract metal cations. Beside the surface charge, zeolite also has three dimensional pore structure and reasonably large surface area which also can be used as adsorption sites. Ease of cation uptake make it suitable for many process with adsorption and desorption application. This study was conducted to observe the sorption and ion exchange behaviour of zeolite-betonite rings toward iron and cobalt cations. The results shows that the adsorption patterns follow …

Semicoupled Modeling Of Interaction Between Deformable Tires And Pavements, Jaime Hernandez, Imad L. Al-Qadi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The interaction between deformable tires and pavements was studied using finite-element modeling and a semicoupled approach. Three finite-element models were used: (1) a hyperelastic tire rolling on an infinitely rigid surface; (2) a three-dimensional pavement model; and (3) a hyperelastic tire rolling on a deformable viscoelastic body. The tire and pavement models have been successfully compared with experimental measurements. Tire interaction with a rigid surface provided contact stresses to excite the pavement model, and results of the pavement model defined the boundary conditions of the tire rolling on the deformable body. After that, the pavement loaded with the contact stresses …

Energy–Water Reduction And Wastewater Reclamation In A Fluid Milk Processing Facility, Carly Rain Adams, Yulie E. Meneses, Bing Wang, Curtis L. Weller

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The energy-water nexus is the inseparable connection linking water and energy. We are faced with a unique opportunity to co-manage these resources, as conservation of one is directly linked to the conservation of its counterpart. Therefore, immediately facing this critical challenge, will lead to tangible impacts on the water and energy crisis our food system is faced with. Determining the role of water and energy in the food industry has proved to be the starting point for reducing the distance between process productivity and resource efficiency. Therefore, this research focuses on determining opportunities for water-energy optimization and wastewater reduction and …

Evaluating The Bond Behavior Between Frp And Grooved Concrete Specimens Using Single Shear Pull Out Test, John Omboko

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Surface preparation affects the bond behavior between Fiber Reinforcing Polymer (FRP) composite material and concrete. In this research, a special type of surface preparation known as grooving, which involves cutting transverse grooves, is conducted on concrete blocks (specimens) that are categorized as either Unfilled (U) or Filled (F). This idea is to ascertain how the grooves affect the strength of FRP-bonded-concrete specimen. These two categories are then benchmarked to control (C) specimens which do not have grooves on them. Category U specimens only have the epoxy applied on the concrete surface while category F specimens have epoxy applied on both …

Biosolids-Derived Biochar For Micropollutant Removal From Wastewater, Lee Kimbell

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Trace organic compounds including antibiotics, hormones, pharmaceuticals and personal care products are discharged to the environment with liquid and solid effluent streams from water resource recovery facilities. These compounds are referred to as micropollutants, and can have negative impacts in receiving waters. Current wastewater treatment processes are not specifically designed to remove micropollutants, and many of these compounds are recalcitrant to conventional treatment technologies. Triclosan (TCS) was selected as a representative micropollutant in this study due to frequent detection in liquid effluents, residual biosolids, and surface waters. Pyrolysis - the thermochemical decomposition of organic matter at elevated temperatures in the …

Full-Scale Pavement Testing Of Aggregate Base Material Stabilized With Triaxial Geogrid, Shaun Todd Hilton

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to investigate the structural capacity of aggregate base materials stabilized with triaxial geogrid placed in a full-scale pavement involving control, or unstabilized, sections. Field testing was performed on a roadway in northeastern Utah that was 16 km (10 miles) long and included 10 test sections, seven stabilized sections and three control sections, each having five test locations. The pavement structure was comprised of a hot mix asphalt layer overlying an untreated aggregate base layer of varying thickness, depending on the test section. Except for the control sections, one or two layers of geogrid were …

Strut-And-Tie Modeling Of Multistory, Partially-Grouted, Concrete Masonry Shear Walls With Openings, Jeffrey Ryan Buxton

Theses and Dissertations

Construction practices are constantly evolving in order to adapt to physical locations and economic conditions. These adaptations may result in more cost-effective designs, but may also come at a cost of strength. In masonry shear walls, it is becoming more common to reduce the amount of grouting from every cell to only those with reinforcement, a practice known as partial-grouting. Partially-grouted masonry responds differently and in a more complex matter to lateral loads as compared to fully-grouted masonry. The response is made even more complex by wall discontinuities in the form of openings. The main objective of this study is …

The Effect Of Transit-Oriented Development Siteson Residential Home Pricing, Bradley S. Randall

Theses and Dissertations

For a number of years residential and commercial development has grown surrounding railways stations in many cities across the United States. One of the trends that has occurred in a number of cities relates to positive property value correlations between real estate values near transit stations and transit-oriented development (TOD) sites as compared to their counterparts not located near a railway station or freeway access. Many cities have noted that homeowners are willing to pay more to be near a TOD site and being near a site can represent a statistically significant factor in determining where to purchase a property. …

Structural Lightweight Grout Mixture Design, Hannah Jean Polanco

Theses and Dissertations

This research focused on designing a grout mixture using lightweight aggregate that achieves the minimum 28-day compressive strength required for normal-weight grout, 2000 psi. This research specifically studied the effects of aggregate proportion, slump, and aggregate soaking on the compressive strength of the mixture. The variable ranges investigated were 3-4.75 parts aggregate to cement volumetrically, 8-11 in. slump, and 0 and 2 cycles of soaking. The statistical model developed to analyze the significance of variable effects included a three-way interaction between the explanatory variables. All three explanatory variables had a statistically significant effect on the grout compressive strength, but the …

Seismic Analysis Of And Provisions For Dry-Stack Concrete Masonry Wall Systems With Surface Bond In Low-Rise Buildings, Joseph G. Eixenberger

Theses and Dissertations

Masonry is one of the oldest forms of construction materials that is still in use today. However, construction practices in the modern age demand faster and more economical practices. Dry-stack masonry, or masonry that doesn't use mortar to bind the blocks together, is a unique system to make masonry more economical. Though several systems of dry-stack masonry have been suggested little to no data exists as most of these systems are patented. This research used dry-stacked normal weight concrete masonry units with an eccentrically placed reinforcement. The wall system is connected through a surface bond and lacks any geometric connection. …

Remote Measurements Of Tides And River Slope Using An Airborne Lidar Instrument, Austin S. Hudson, Stefan A. Talke, Ruth Branch, Chris Chickadel, Gordon Farquharson, Andrew Jessup

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tides and river slope are fundamental characteristics of estuaries, but they are usually undersampled due to deficiencies in the spatial coverage of water level measurements. This study aims to address this issue by investigating the use of airborne lidar measurements to study tidal statistics and river slope in the Columbia River estuary. Eight plane transects over a 12-h period yield at least eight independent measurements of water level at 2.5-km increments over a 65-km stretch of the estuary. These data are fit to a sinusoidal curve and the results are compared to seven in situ gauges. In situ– and lidar-based …

Modelling Methane Production Kinetics Of Complex Poultry Slaughterhouse Wastes Using Sigmoidal Growth Functions, Niamh Power, Aidan Ware

Publications

The kinetic evaluation of the methane potential from poultry slaughterhouse waste streams was performed using modified sigmoidal bacterial growth curve equations (Richards, logistic, Gompertz) in order to investigate their suitability to describe the degradation patterns associated with complex substrates, primarily composed of fats. The methane potential and degradation patterns under mesophilic conditions were assessed using Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) assays. A nonlinear least-square regression analysis was performed to fit the sigmoidal functions to the cumulative methane production curves with respect to time generated from the BMP assays. In the cases modelled the Gompertz and logistic, three parameter models, sufficiently …

Correlating Strength And Stiffness Data Of The Pencel Pressuremeter And Triaxial Compression Tests In Florida Sands, Jacob William Jansen

Theses and Dissertations

The poorly graded sands found throughout Florida provide geotechnical engineers with a difficult challenge when performing testing samples in laboratory tests. These challenges have caused lab tests such as the triaxial compression test to be overlooked. Since geotechnical engineers estimate strength and stiffness parameters from basic field tests, they often produce overly conservative designs. Understanding how the automated in-situ PENCEL Pressuremeter (PPMT) test correlates with the triaxial compression test can reduce the time and costs associated with laboratory triaxial testing. Results from triaxial tests yield a Young’s Elastic Modulus, shear strength, and internal friction angle. Results from a PPMT test …

Encapsulation Process Of Propolis Extract By Casein Micelle Improves Sunscreen Activity, Muhamad Sahlan, Dara Dienayati, Darul Hamdi, Soraya Zahra, Heri Hermansyah, Malyn Chulasiri

Makara Journal of Technology

Propolis, a wax bee glue, have antioxidant activity and effective as broad spectrum UVB and UVA photoprotection sunscreens agent. To improve photoprotection activity in sunscreen cream, the propolis was encapsulated by casein micelle. The Indonesian propolis was extracted by ethanol and separated the wax by freeze precipitation. The extract was encapsulated by casein and reduced their size by ball mill homogenizer with the encapsulation efficiency about 80% and size of particles about 80 nm. The particles was applied in sunscreen cream, evaluate their stabillity and photoprotection activity Sun Protection Factor (SPF) spectrophotometer (Optometric 290s). The results shows that the selected …