Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Analyses Of Streamflow Change Patterns And Correlation Of These Changes With Sea-Surface Temperature Fluctuations, Kazi Ali Tamaddun

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis presents a comprehensive statistical analysis that determines the direction, rate, and interval of significant streamflow change patterns in the continental U.S. and correlates these changes with sea-surface temperature fluctuations. First, by using two non-parametric tests, namely, the Mann-Kendall trend test and the Pettitt’s test, the presence of long-term trends and abrupt shifts were determined at 10% significance level over continuously adjustable periods that stretched from 1903 to 2012. Modified versions of the tests were applied to account for the presence of persistence (autocorrelation) in data. Theil-Sen slope was determined to evaluate the rate of change across multiple temporal …

Evaluating The Suitability Of Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation Technique For Stabilizing Expansive Soils, Sikha Neupane

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Expansive soils, also known as swell-shrink soils have been a problem for civil infrastructures including roads and foundations from ancient times. The use of chemical additives such as cement and lime to stabilize expansive soils is a common practice among geotechnical engineers especially for lightly loaded structures. However, several occurrences of subgrade failures were observed after stabilizing with chemical additives hence engineers are in search of sustainable stabilization alternatives. Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is gaining attention as an environmental friendly soil improvement technique. Several researchers have successfully tested its feasibility in mitigating liquefaction induced problems in sandy soils. This …

Hydrocarbon Pool Fire Performance Of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (Frp) Strengthened And Thermally Insulated Bridge Girders, Eyosias Solomon Beneberu

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Highway bridges encounter various extreme load hazards, such as earthquake, flood, blast, collision, wind and fire during their design lives. The effect of accidental, natural or man-made fire on bridges is one of the least investigated which may be due to the assumption that bridge fire has a low probability of occurrence. However, a bridge failure survey showed that fire had caused more bridge collapse in the USA than earthquakes. The main objective of the current research is to study concrete bridges in general, and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthened bridge girders in particular against fire hazard. The research is …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Traditional Air Pollutants, Water Depletion, And Cumulative Energy Demand From 2-Mw Wind Turbines In Texas, Ali Alsaleh

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

¶One renewable energy source that has witnessed a significant growth in the recent years is wind energy, with the installation of new wind farms around the globe as well as the innovations in wind power technology, which have increased the efficiency of this source. Wind power generates electrical energy from the wind’s kinetic energy without causing emissions or pollution from power production; however, environmental effects are caused by the wind turbine manufacturing, transport, and other phases. Therefore, the overall goal of this study was to analyze the environmental effects associated with wind energy technology by taking into consideration the entire …

Chlorpyrifos Removal For Wastewater Reuse, Indran Kamalanathan

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Approximately 1.2 billion people around the world live in areas of physical water scarcity. This could increase to half of the world’s population by 2030 and could displace 24 to 700 million people unless steps are taken to ensure adequate water supply.¹ Water scarcity is an escalating issue within the United States, specifically in Western inland states with arid climates. This scarcity is encouraging communities to investigate tertiary level municipal wastewater treatment, allowing for reuse of wastewater. Unfortunately, wastewater contains numerous contaminants that are not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). …

M049 Effects Of Compaction And Soil Moisture On American Burying Beetles, W. Wyatt Hoback

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Silphid beetles in the genus Nicrophorus bury themselves during periods of inactivity, however, the influence of soil characteristics on burial behavior remains unclear. We examined soil preferences of the federally endangered Nicrophorus americanus, as well as of N. carolinus, N. marginatus, N. obscurus, and N. orbicollis, in a series of experiments. Differences in burial depth by sex were found for N. carolinus, N. marginatus, and N. obscurus, which are diurnal species. Both sexes of N. americanus bury to a mean depth of 18 cm. Soil preferences tested included sand versus sandy loam versus sandy loess, degrees of soil moisture, and …

Evaluation Of Dowel Bar Inserter Practices In Pcc Pavements With Magnetic Tomography Technology, Farshad Fallah, Yong-Rak Kim

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Dowel Bar Inserters (DBI) are automated mechanical equipment that position dowel bars in Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) after concrete is placed. Compared to the alternative approach, which is using dowel baskets, DBIs offer advantages in cost and speed of construction. However, as dowel bars are not anchored to the subgrade similar to dowel baskets, there is a concern about the quality of dowel placement using this equipment. Improper placement of dowel bars can lead to reduced load transfer between slabs, which results in pavement distresses such as faulting and spalling at joints. To determine the accuracy of dowel placement by …

Measuring Access To Employment To Guide And Evaluate Public Transit Service Planning In New Orleans, Kevin Harrison

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

New software and technology is making it easier than ever before for public transportation planners to evaluate how quickly residents can reach jobs and other destinations. Because in the past it was difficult to measure access to opportunities, these concepts remained primarily in the theoretical and academic realms of research. This thesis reviews methods that could be used to evaluate routine bus service improvements and performs a comparative analysis of different methods in the context of New Orleans. There are many different variables in how the analysis could be performed, but this thesis focuses on the role that time of …

Contact Phenomenon Of Free-Rolling Wide-Base Tires: Effect Of Speed And Temperature, Jaime Hernandez, Imad L. Al-Qadi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The finite-element method was used to quantify the effect of temperature and speed on contact area, deflection, and three-dimensional contact stresses of a free-rolling wide-base tire. The tire model comprised material properties identified in the laboratory and/or provided by the tire manufacturer (hyperviscoelastic rubber and linear elastic reinforcement) and accurate geometry. The model was validated using measured deflection and contact area. The analysis matrix consisted of 81 cases resulting from a combination of three loads, tire-inflation pressures, speeds, and temperatures. Four criteria were used to compare contact stresses: range, average, root-mean-square error, and coefficient of determination. Speed and temperature influence …

Development Of A Performance-Based Procedure For Assessment Of Liquefaction-Induced Free-Field Settlements, Brian David Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Liquefaction-induced settlement can cause significant damage to structures and infrastructure in the wake of a seismic event. Predicting settlement is an essential component of a comprehensive seismic design. The inherent uncertainty associated with seismic events makes the accurate prediction of settlement difficult. While several methods of assessing seismic hazards exist, perhaps the most promising is performance-based earthquake engineering, a framework presented by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center. The PEER framework incorporates probability theory to generate a comprehensive seismic hazard analysis. Two settlement estimation methods are incorporated into the PEER framework to create a fully probabilistic settlement estimation procedure. …

Submerged Jump Remediation At Low-Head Dams: The Multiple Staggered Deflector Design, Ronald Francis Mcghin

Theses and Dissertations

Low-head dams are capable of creating dangerous counter-currents just downstream from the structure. These dangerous counter-currents are known as submerged hydraulic jumps and are responsible for hundreds of fatalities at numerous low-head dams across the United States. The counter-current creates high upstream-directed surface velocities across the width of the channel, making it nearly impossible for an individual to escape. This submerged jump can occur during a range of upstream and downstream conditions. Effective, safe and low-cost remediation options must be explored in order to prevent further fatalities at these structures. This document explores such a remediation option: the Multiple Staggered …

Indiana Local Road And Bridge Conditions, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Publications

In response to an appilcation requirement for the Community Matching Grant Fund Program, 354 asset management plans for roads and bridges were submitted in 2016 which contain the current conditions of local agency roads and bridges. This report describes these conditions and suggests the funding levels necessary to improve and maintain these assets at defined condition levels over a ten-year period. A ten-year horizon was used so as to correspond to previous LTAP studies performed in 2003 and 2009. The ten-year time period is also comparable to other Indiana studies.

Electromagnetically Induced Alteration Of Hydraulic Conductivity Of Coarse-Grained Soils For Geotechnical Applications, Rakesh Acharya

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Electromagnetic (EM) waves of various power levels and frequencies can be used to alter the hydraulic conductivity of soil with minimal heat generation. The result can lead to a number of potential applications such as contamination remediation and liquefaction mitigation. In this research, the possibility of radio-frequency (RF) waves’ effect on the excess pore-water pressure (EPWP) generation and hydraulic conductivity of coarse-grained soils has been investigated.

Impact tests were performed on glass beads to examine the effect on the generation of EPWP due to RF waves. These tests were performed on a rigid box made of Plexiglas. The impacts were …

Evaluating The Effects Of Major Assumptions In Layered Elastic Theory On Railroad Track Response Prediction Through The Development Of An Improved Track Analysis Software, Sadichchha Sharma

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Railway transportation has been recently gaining popularity due to its efficiency and environmental-friendly technology which has led to its increased usage for both passenger and freight transport. For railway transport to be a sustainable component of the transportation infrastructure in the United States, adequate structural and functional design of track components is essential. This is primarily dependent on thorough understanding of track mechanics and track structural response under loading, and can be accomplished through mechanistic analysis of railway track structure response under loading. Considering the need for a mechanistic track analysis program that can serve as a link between the …

Coupled Numerical Analysis Of Variations In The Capacity Of An Energy Pile In Clay Soil, Daniel Patrick Zimmerman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Energy piles are an emerging alternative for the reduction of energy consumption to heat and cool buildings. The majority of the research to date focuses on thermodynamic properties or axial strain of piles. This paper concerns the effects of temperature fluctuation on the capacity of driven energy piles in clayey soils. Consolidation of clay (due to the dissipation of excess pore-water pressure in clay) surrounding piles affects the capacity of the pile (pile setup in clay). Reciprocally, it is reasonable to assume that heating and cooling periods will create or relax the excess pore-water pressure (EPWP) in clayey soils (due …

Alkali-Activated Natural Pozzolan/Slag Binder For Sustainable Concrete, Meysam Najimi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study aimed to fully replace Portland cement (PC) with environmentally friendly binders capable of improving longevity of concrete. The new binders consisted of different proportions of natural Pozzolan and slag which were alkaline-activated with various combinations of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. A step-by-step research program was designed to (1) develop alkali-activated natural Pozzolan/slag pastes with adequate fresh and strength properties, (2) produce alkali-activated natural Pozzolan/slag mortars to assess the effects of dominant variables on their plastic and hardened properties, and (3) finally produce and assess fresh, mechanical, dimensional, transport and durability properties of alkali-activated natural Pozzolan/slag concretes. The …

Bs News November/December

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Modeling Streambank Erosion On Composite Streambanks On A Watershed Scale, A. R. Mittelstet, D. E. Storm, G. A. Fox, P. M. Allen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Streambanks can be a significant source of sediment and phosphorus to aquatic ecosystems. Although the streambank-erosion routine in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has improved in recent versions, the recently developed routine in SWAT 2012 has undergone limited testing, and the lack of site or watershed specific streambank data increases the uncertainty in the streambank-erosion predictions. There were two primary objectives of this research: (1) modify and test the 2012 SWAT streambank-erosion routine on composite streambanks, and (2) compare SWAT default and field-measured channel parameters and assess their influence on predicted streambank erosion. Three modifications were made to …

Photovoltaic Installation In Ecuador And The Amazon, David Mulder

Construction Management

The Photovoltaic Installation in Ecuador and The Amazon is part of a collaborative effort between two major construction clubs at Cal Poly: NECA and MCAA. Four students, two from each club, traveled with two faculty to install photovoltaics for two different communities. The first project was a solar installation to provide fresh water for the community of Santa Rosa. Project number two, was a sixteen-panel installation in Shell, Ecuador for the non-profit Reach Beyond. The main goals of each project were to provide fresh water, and achieve net zero electrical consumption.

Kihefo Vocational Center: Kabale, Uganda, Jason Matthew Angerer

Construction Management

Journeyman International (JI) is a non-profit organization which acts as a platform for bringing together volunteer Architects, Designers, Engineers, and Construction Managers with humanitarian projects around the world. Kigezi Healthcare Foundation (KIHEFO) a non-profit NGO located in Kabale, Uganda is a client seeking to build a vocational center to educate the workforce of Uganda. The center will include multi-purpose class rooms, a dining hall, rabbit farm, carpentry shop, and living complex. The Architect on the project was Courtney Wedel from Cal Poly. As the Construction Manager on the project my responsibilities include; Design Assist, Feasibility Analysis, Scheduling, Estimating, and Managing …

Technology Adoption By California Central Coast Contractors, Nicholas A. English

Construction Management

Technology is trending in Construction, but it is unclear if smaller contractors have kept up with these trends like larger national companies have. This survey of San Luis Obispo County specialty and general contractors queried technology adoption, specific software use, estimator age, and opinions of various estimating attributes. It found that the majority of contractors use traditional estimating and quantity takeoff methods, the majority of contractors are 31 years old or older, and that local estimators value experience and knowledge as opposed to computer expertise. Local contractors recognize the value technology can provide, but have not adopted it in a …

Safety Effectiveness Of Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements, Christopher M. Monsere, Miguel Figliozzi, Sirisha Kothuri, Ali Razmpa, Daniel R. Hazel

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over the last decade, the Oregon DOT and other agencies have systematically implemented many pedestrian crossing enhancements (PCEs) across the state. This study explored the safety performance of these enhanced crossing in Oregon. Detailed data were collected on 191 crossings. Supplemental data items included crossing location information, route characteristics, surrounding land use and crossing enhancement descriptions. Pedestrian volume at the crossing locations was a highly desirable but unavailable data element. To characterize pedestrian activity, a method was developed to estimate ranges for pedestrian crosswalk activity levels based on the land use classification at the census block level and the presence …

Analysis Of Transit Accessibility For People With Disabilities, Rostam Khalid Mohammed Ameen Qatra

Masters Theses

The inconvenience of public transit systems and unavailability of bus stops in the United States has resulted in a heavy reliance on the private automobile. One of the main issues in transit services is accessibility, particularly for people with disabilities. This research is intended to compare estimated job accessibility measures by transit in Kalamazoo county for workers with reduced physical mobility and without. Using OpenTripPlanner (OTP) software, General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS), Open Street Map (OSM) and Longitudinal Employer-Housing Dynamics (LODES) data were analyzed to estimate job accessibility for people with mobility constraints. By using the shortest tree path method, …

Application Of Wavelet Transform In Structural Health Monitoring, Yashodhya Swarna Sri Dhanapala Liyana Kankanamge

Masters Theses

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a process of implementing a damage detection strategy in structures to evaluate the condition of existing structures to ensure the safety of users in the future. The changes in the material, geometric and/or structural properties affect structural responses, which can be captured and analyzed for condition assessment. Various vibration-based damage detection algorithms have been developed in the past decades. Among them, the Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) gained popularity as an efficient method of signal processing to build a framework to identify model properties and detect damage in structures. In this study, the application of wavelet …

Safety Benefit Analysis Of Alternative Delineation Practices In Michigan, Brenda C. Burdick

Masters Theses

Among the many aspects of roadway design, one important system is roadway delineation. The main purposes of roadway delineation include regulating, warning, and guiding drivers in a safe manner. Delineation systems have the potential to reduce crashes. This research sought to perform safety benefit analysis of roadway delineation practices in Michigan. Through literature review, several delineation practices, selection criteria, and previously developed crash modification factors were researched. Even though several pavement marking materials have been implemented in Michigan, a safety benefit analysis of various materials had not been performed. Sites were selected, and pavement marking material inventory data were combined …

Mix Design And Mechanical Characterization Of Stabilized Compressed Earth Blocks And Assemblies For The Jemez Pueblo In New Mexico, Nicole B. Trujillo

Civil Engineering ETDs

Earthen structures have a long architectural and cultural heritage in New Mexico. Similar structures are evident around the world. With the current depletion of natural resources and high cost of materials, compressed earth block construction offers a sustainable building material alternative. Stabilized compressed earth blocks (SCEB) are compressed earth blocks with additives such as, hydrated lime or Portland cement to protect the earth block from absorbing water. SCEBs are being produced using native soils for residential construction on the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico.

The primary goal of this research is to enable production of SCEBs with native soils from …

Maintenance And Improvement Of The Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model, Nicholas Wayne Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model (FPHLM) predicts insurance losses due to hurricane events. This thesis describes maintenance tasks of the vulnerability component of the FPHLM. First, it explores the applicability of recent experimental research to the FPHLM opening protection, water intrusion, and roof pressure modeling features of the Personal Residential (PR) and Commercial Residential Low-Rise (CR-LR.) models. These changes were not implemented because either more experimental data is needed or they had no impact on the losses. Next, it discusses an additional update to the CR-LR model that changed the soffit area calculations, sampling bounds within the rain model, …

Building Exposure Study In The State Of Florida And Application To The Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model, Joshua Michalski

Theses and Dissertations

Modeling hurricane events with models such as the Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model (FPHLM) is essential for insurance and reinsurance companies to estimate projected losses. Additionally, the models can be used by public officials to estimate and mitigate damages while also developing public safety policies to reduce the amount of damage and loss of life during a catastrophic event. The FPHLM combines hurricane event simulation and building vulnerability models to predict insurance portfolios losses. Before vulnerability functions are applied to insurance portfolios to determine total losses, these functions are weighted based upon building characteristics statistics representative of a given building …

Life-Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Safety Related Improvements On Roadways, Jordan Browne Frustaci

Theses and Dissertations

The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) lists four different methods for determining the change in crash frequency in order of reliability. Currently, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) uses the fourth reliable method. The goal of this research was to develop a tool that the most reliable method mentioned in the HSM could be used to perform life-cycle benefit-cost analyses. A spreadsheet program was built that performs the HSM's Part C Predictive Method for 11 different roadway segment types mentioned in HSM using Excel macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming. Intersections were not included in this spreadsheet program as …

A Business Intelligence Framework For Network-Level Traffic Safety Analyses, Naveen Kumar Veeramisti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Currently, there are both methodological and practical barriers that together preclude a substantial use of theoretically sound approaches, such as the ones recommended by the Highway Safety Manual (HSM), for traffic safety management. Although the state-of-the-art provides theoretically sound approaches such as the Empirical Bayes method, there are still various important capabilities missing. Methodological barriers include among others (i) lack of a theoretically sound approach for corridor-level network screening, (ii) lack of a comprehensive approach for estimation of Safety Performance Functions based on a simultaneous consideration of both crash patterns and associated explanatory variables, and (iii) lack of theoretically sound …