Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Development Of Vegetation-Pervious Concrete In Grid Beam System For Soil Slope Protection, Xiaohua Bao, Wenyu Liao, Zhijun Dong, Shanyong Wang, Waiching Tang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the most efficient and environmentally friendly methods for preventing a landslide on a slope is to vegetate it. Vegetation-pervious concretes have a promising potential for soil protection. In this study, the vegetation-pervious concrete with low alkalinity was developed and studied. Combined with a grid beam structure system, the stability and strength between the vegetation-pervious concrete and base soil are believed to be enhanced effectively. For improving plant adaptability, the alkalinity of concrete can be decreased innovatively by adding a self-designed admixture into the cement paste. The effects of the admixture content on alkalinity and compressive strength of the …

Assessment Of Individual Photovoltaic Module Performance After 26 Years Of Field Exposure At The Telonicher Marine Lab In Trinidad, California, Jake Rada

Projects

In 1990, 192 ARCO M75 photovoltaic (PV) modules were installed as a part of the Schatz Solar Hydrogen Project at the Humboldt State University (HSU) Telonicher Marine Lab in Trinidad, California, within 150 m of the Pacific Ocean. This 9.2 kW-rated PV array was used to power the marine laboratory air compressor and an electrolyzer. Individual current-voltage (IV) curve tests were performed on each of the PV modules prior to the array’s construction in 1990 and again in 2001, 2010, and, most recently, in 2016, following decommissioning of the array. After 25.5 years of use, 188 of the original 192 …

Automatic Power Management For Instructional Computers At Humboldt State University: A Calculation Of Potential Energy Savings And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions, Nicholas F. Flenghi

Projects

Computers consume an estimated 5,610 GWh per year in California alone. Much of that energy is consumed by computers that are not being used. In this project, detailed user login data are used to estimate the energy consumption of instructional computers at Humboldt State University (HSU) over the course of one semester. The data are also used to estimate the potential energy savings from automating the shutdown process. Potential cost savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions resulting from implementing an automatic-shutdown power management plan are also calculated.

There are approximately 1,000 computers used for teaching and learning purposes at …

Inspire Newsletter Summer 2017, Missouri University Of Science And Technology. Inspire - University Transportation Center

INSPIRE Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Inspire Newsletter Winter 2017, Missouri University Of Science And Technology. Inspire - University Transportation Center

INSPIRE Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Seismic Evaluation Of 196kv Transformer Bushings, Joanne R. Shields

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

Transformer bushings have shown to have an unsatisfactory performance during earthquakes and have therefore been chosen for further testing. How the bushings fail, and how this failure can be prevented has been analyzed. Two used 196 kV bushings made by General Electric were chosen for seismic testing at the iSTAR laboratory located at Portland State University in Portland, OR. The multiple objectives that brought about these tests were: to determine how the bushings failed due to gasket extrusion at the porcelain-flange connection and to verify that the failure was due to pure tipping and not sliding, to determine the damping …

Gams Handout 2, Ethan Yang

All ECSTATIC Materials

No abstract provided.

Gams Handout 3, Ethan Yang

All ECSTATIC Materials

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Fiber Parameters Coupled With Chemical Treatment: Promethee Approach, Arif Ali Baig Moghal, Ateekh Ur Rehman, Bhaskar Chittoori

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In order to combat issues related to expansive soils, chemical stabilization augmented with use of synthetic fibers is gaining focus in recent times. However, in most of these applications, the practicing field engineers face difficulty in selecting the right mix of fiber size, fiber dosage and stabilizer content. The decision becomes more typical, as the target is to achieve or enhance multiple geotechnical properties which differ with fiber dosage and stabilizer content based on governing mechanisms. Addressing these issues, in this study an attempt is made to present an approach for selecting fibre dosage and lime mix for a typical …

High Performance Techniques Applied In Partial Differential Equations Library, Shilei Lin

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

This thesis explores various Trilinos packages to determine a method for updating the deal.ii library, which specializes in solving partial differential equations by finite element methods. It begins with introducing related concepts and general goals, followed by exploring computational and mathematical methods which are analytical solutions of one-dimensional Boussinesq equations and developing newer prototypes for solvers in deal.ii based on Trilinos packages. After demonstrating the methods, it indicates the reducing solving time in newer prototypes. Based on results from the prototype, similar methods are applied to update the deal.ii library. In the end, a testing program is exploited to demonstrate …

Role Of Ground Glass Fiber As A Pozzolan In Portland Cement Concrete, Hassan Rashidian-Dezfouli, Prasad Rao Rangaraju

Publications

Millions of tons of fiberglass are produced annually for a variety of applications. Because of stringent quality requirements and operational characteristics of the manufacturing plants, a significant quantity of fiberglass that does not meet required specifications of the industry ends up as waste in landfills. This study investigated the use of ground glass fiber (GGF) that had been discarded by plants because it did not meet prescribed standards, as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) for portland cement. Three replacement levels (10%, 20%, and 30% by mass) for portland cement in paste, mortar, and concrete mixtures were studied. Mechanical and durability …

Concrete Pavement Service Condition Assessment Using Infrared Thermography, Yang Lu, Aidin J. Golrokh, M.D. Aminul Islam

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Infrared thermography (IRT), an effective nondestructive testing method, is used to obtain an initial evaluation of the concrete pavement surface and near surface in a time effective manner. In this paper, the effect of the depth of delamination inside concrete pavement on infrared thermography technique is studied for bridge decks inspection. To be able to mimic the delamination in subsurface, two Styrofoam cubes have been inserted in different depth near the surface of the concrete cylinder. After heating up the specimen, thermal images were taken from the surface using an infrared thermal camera to evaluate the effect of subsurface defects …

Freeze-Thaw Durability Of Concrete Columns Wrapped With Frp And Subject To Corrosion-Like Expansion, Ronald S. Harichandran, M.I. Baiyasi, G. Nossoni

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Experiments were conducted to assess the effects of using fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps, with fibers oriented in the hoop direction, for rehabilitating corrosion-damaged columns. This paper reports findings related to the freeze-thaw durability of concrete specimens with round and square cross sections, wrapped with glass and carbon FRP, after they are subjected to an internal expansive force similar to that generated by corroding steel. The results of the experiment indicate that freeze-thaw cycles have no statistically significant effect on the compressive strength of glass- and carbon-wrapped specimens. Freeze-thaw conditioning generally reduced the longitudinal failure strain of wrapped specimens. The square …

Seismic Retrofit Case Study Of Reinforced Concrete Bridges With Buckling Restrained Braces, Michael K. Miotke

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

Many highway bridges in Oregon have been designed with minimal considerations for seismic hazard and are in need of retrofit. Although buckling restrained braces (BRBs) are not necessarily a new concept, using them to seismically retrofit bridges is. This case study investigates the BRB retrofit concept as compared to traditional retrofit measures for a sample of typical vulnerable bridges in Oregon. The objectives of evaluating these cases were to determine the feasibility of the concept both in terms of performance as well as construction costs. This study builds on the ongoing research at Portland State University into the development of …

Feasibility Determination Guide For The Road Diet Plus: A Five/Four-Lane To Two-Lane Road Diet, Michael Williams

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

Road diets are a popular tool for corridor improvement. Road diets are normally defined as the conversion of a four-lane undivided road to a three-lane undivided road made up of two through lanes separated by a center two-way-left-turn-lane (known as a TWLTL). This new configuration has similar vehicular capacity, greater safety and frees up right-of-way for other uses.

This work examines the possibility of going one step, or one lane, further. What is the possibility of reducing five- or four-lane roads to two-lanes? If this is possible, what are the corridor characteristics within which this process would be feasible?

The …

Improving Walkability Through Control Strategies At Signalized Intersections, Sirisha Murthy Kothuri, Andrew Kading, Edward J. Smaglik, Christopher Sobie

TREC Final Reports

As cities and communities nationwide seek to develop Complete Streets that foster livability and accommodate all modes, signal timing control strategies that include pedestrians in the operational decision process are gaining importance. This research tested several efficiency-focused pedestrian treatments – coordination, actuated-coordination, free operation, short cycle lengths – and safety-focused treatment including leading pedestrian intervals and Barnes Dance. Using a software-in-the-loop simulation, the operational impacts of these treatments on all users (vehicles, heavy vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians) at an intersection were evaluated. Results showed that among the efficiency-based treatments, free operation was most beneficial for reducing minor-street pedestrian delays. Both …

Exercise - Choose A Manager To Learn Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis - University Of Colorado Boulder, Joseph Kasprzyk

All ECSTATIC Materials

A prompt for an in-class exercise, so that students can learn basic principles of multi-criteria decision analysis. The ideal place for this exercise is to have it before the formal lecture of multi-criteria decision analysis. The students will start to gain an intuitive understanding of how to transform preferences to scores, how to weight the metrics, and how to make a final decision.

Water Resource Systems And Management (Spring 2017) - University Of Colorado Boulder, Joseph Kasprzyk

All ECSTATIC Materials

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Reservoir Analysis - University Of Colorado Boulder, Joseph Kasprzyk

All ECSTATIC Materials

Introduction to reservoirs, lecture from Water Resource Systems and Management (Spring 2017), University of Colorado Boulder. By Joseph Kasprzyk. Learning goals include (i) introducing what a reservoir is, (ii) apply control volume and conservation of mass principles to analyze storage in natural lakes and reservoirs (iii) calculate required storage size for reservoirs using basic techniques (iv) define reservoir terms including safe yield and critical period (v) discuss dam building trends in the US and globally.

Introduction To Water Resources Systems - University Of Colorado Boulder, Joseph Kasprzyk

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This is the introductory lecture to a Water Resource Systems and Management class from Spring 2017 at the University of Colorado Boulder, by Joseph Kasprzyk. Learning goals include (i) defining integrated water resources management, (ii) identifying Colorado water management issues (ii) identifying how RiverWare simulation and optimization can be used to develop water plans (iii) use the HyMod model to perform rainfall-runoff modeling (iv) generating random parameter samples and understanding how parameter uncertainty affects model results.

Stochastic Hydrology, Meghna Babbar-Sebens

All ECSTATIC Materials

Syllabus for graduate class in Stochastic Hydrology

Case Study For Guided Project In Stochastic Hydrology, Meghna Babbar-Sebens

All ECSTATIC Materials

Attached are two guided project activities for hydrology and climate data of Eagle Creek Watershed, Indiana, USA. The zip files have flow and precipitation datasets at daily, monthly, and annual time scales.

Optimization In Water Resources Engineering, Meghna Babbar-Sebens

All ECSTATIC Materials

No abstract provided.

Groundwater Modeling For Assessing The Impacts Of Natural Hazards In East-Central Florida, Han Xiao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In coastal east-central Florida (ECF) , the low-lying coastal alluvial plains and barrier islands have a high risk of being inundated by seawater due to climate change effects such as sea-level rise, changing rainfall patterns, and intensified storm surge from hurricanes., This will produce saltwater intrusion into the coastal aquifer from infiltration of overtopping saltwater. In the inland ECF region, sinkhole occurrence is recognized as the primary geologic hazard causing massive financial losses to society in the past several decades. The objectives of this dissertation are to: (1) evaluate the impacts of sea-level rise and intensified storm surge on the …

Fire Performance Of Reinforced Concrete Frames Using Sectional Analysis, Salah El-Din F. El-Fitiany, Maged Youssef

Civil and Environmental Engineering Publications

Global behavior of RC structures during fire events can be predicted using complex nonlinear thermal-structural numerical simulations. However, such simulations are computationally expensive, which limit their use by design engineers. A practical approach to track the performance of RC frames during fire exposure is proposed and validated in this paper. A previously developed simple heat transfer technique is used to calculate an average 1D temperature distribution for heated RC sections. Consequently, the flexural and axial stiffnesses as well as the unrestrained thermal deformations are evaluated using sectional analysis. Based on rational assumptions, simplified expressions are also driven to evaluate those …

Analysis Of Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened Using Concrete Jackets, M. Monir A. Alhadid, Maged Youssef

Civil and Environmental Engineering Publications

Analysis of jacketed Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams considering the interfacial slip effect is a complicated problem. In the current practice, slip is neglected in the analysis and monolithic behavior is assumed in the jacketed section resulting in higher estimates of stiffness and/or capacity. Engineers need simplified yet robust tools to predict the actual behavior of jacketed RC beams. This paper provides a simplified method to analyze jacketed RC beams taking into account the interfacial slip distribution and the actual nonlinear behavior of both concrete and steel. An iterative calculation algorithm is developed to determine the moment-curvature and load-deflection curves of …

Shape Memory Alloy Reinforced Concrete Frames Vulnerable To Strong Vertical Excitations, M A. Elfeki, Maged A. Youssef

Civil and Environmental Engineering Publications

Reinforced concrete (RC) framed buildings dissipate the seismic energy through yielding of the reinforcing bars. This yielding jeopardizes the serviceability of these buildings as it results in residual lateral deformations. Superelastic shape memory alloys (SMAs) can recover inelastic strains by stress removal. This paper extends previous research by the authors that optimized the use of SMA bars in RC frames considering the horizontal seismic excitation by addressing the effect of the vertical seismic excitation. A steel RC six-storey building designed according to current seismic standards is considered as case study. Five different earthquake records with strong vertical components are …

Ductile Corrosion-Free Gfrp-Stainless Steel Reinforced Concrete Elements, Maged A. Youssef, Mohamed E. Meshaly, Ahmed Elansary

Civil and Environmental Engineering Publications

Corrosion of steel rebars is known to cause deterioration of concrete structures that can lead to catastrophic failures. To mitigate this problem, steel rebars can be replaced with Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) rebars. However, the lack of ductility of GFRP-reinforced elements has prevented their use in many structural applications, especially in seismic areas. Stainless Steel (SS) rebars are corrosion resistant and have adequate energy absorption and ductility. However, they are much more expensive than steel rebars. This paper proposes the combined use of SS and GFRP rebars to achieve ductile and corrosion-free elements. The first challenge for such a proposal …

Forecasting Harmful Algal Blooms For Western Lake Erie Using Data Driven Machine Learning Techniques, Nicholas L. Reinoso

ETD Archive

Harmful algal blooms (HAB) have been documented for more than a century occurring all over the world. The western Lake Erie has suffered from Cyanobacteria blooms for many decades. There are currently two widely available HAB forecasting models for Lake Erie. The first forecasting model gives yearly peak bloom forecast while the second provides weekly short-term forecasting and offers size as well as location. This study focuses on bridging the gap of these two models and improve HAB forecast accuracy in western Lake Erie by letting historical observations tell the behavior of HABs. This study tests two machine learning techniques, …

Modeling The Effect Of Green Infrastructure On Direct Runoff Reduction In Residential Areas, Seema Bardhipur

ETD Archive

Urbanization causes a serious impact on storm water systems by expansion of impervious surfaces. Low Impact Development (LID) is a technique growing in popularity to solve the issue of storm water management. However, to evaluate the benefits of LIDs is a difficult task due to realistic parametrization of LIDs and subcatchments for modeling. The goals of this study are: a) to provide a practical guideline to parameterize and simulate LIDs (bio-retention and rain barrels) in residential areas; and b) to evaluate the resulting effect on the current drainage system under various design storms. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Storm Water Management …