Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

A Framework For Establishing An Automated Traffic Violation Detection System In New Assiut City Using Ordinary Cctv Units, Mahmoud Owais, Ali Shehata, Abdou Shaband, Ghada S. Moussa

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Violating traffic rules in transport networks is a genuine concern for operators as it is one of the most important causes of fatal accidents. With the increasing number of residents in the new cities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the incompleteness of the transportation system in those cities, including traffic signs, light signals, and control points, the possibility of committing such violations increases. The study aims to propose the framework for establishing an intelligent monitoring system in the new city of Assiut consisting of high-resolution cameras optimally distributed on the traffic network points in the city. They will …

Feasibility Analysis For The Implementation Of An Anaerobic Digestion System In The City Of Pittsburgh, Pa, Gianna L. Kolencik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study is investigating the feasibility of an anaerobic digestion system

in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the old State Correctional Institute (SCI-Pittsburgh)

located at 1922 Westhall St. This location is immediately upstream of the Allegheny

County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) along the Ohio River. Municipal solid waste

from ALCOSAN may be used as the main form of feedstock. ALCOSAN produced

roughly 36,500 tons of dry sludge in the reporting year 2023-2024. Based on the volume

of dry sludge from ALCOSAN it is estimated that an anaerobic digestion system could

yield approximately 29,930,000 kWh of energy, which is enough to power over …

Civil Engineering Capstone Building Design And Seismic Analysis, Ander P. Mcdade

Honors Theses

The building for the University of Mississippi civil engineering senior design class was designed and analyzed. The building is in Oxford Mississippi. The current address according to the Lafayette Parcel is 825 Sisk Avenue Suite 200. The floor plan, column, and beam design were performed based on engineering judgment and industry standards. The dead, live, snow, rain, and roof live loads were calculated to be 13.3, 50, 20, 27.51, and 20 psf respectively. The building model was created in SAP2000, which was used to generate all loads and load combinations. An analysis was performed to determine the critical loads on …

Peroxi-Electrocoagulation For Pfas Mitigation: The Impact Of Water Quality And Dissolved Organic Matter On Removal Pathways, Donald R. Ryan, Claire K. Baldus, Shimaa M. Kteeba, Melvin Samuel, Yin Wang, Laodong Wang, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The recent addition of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation per- has increased the need for research on PFAS treatment technologies for water and wastewater. Electrochemical treatment processes have been widely investigated for PFAS removal. Peroxi-electrocoagulation (electrocoagulation paired with hydrogen peroxide (EC:H₂O₂)) was evaluated as a novel water treatment process for PFAS mitigation due to the multimechanistic removal pathways that can proceed during treatment, including chemical degradation via oxidation, and physical separation pathways such as sorption to flocs, flotation layer accumulation, and foam fractionation. This work investigated the impacts of …

Evaluating Environmental And Economic Sustainability Of Engineered Chitosan Particles For Water Treatment, Fatima Iqbal, Astha Upadhyay, Rouzbeh Tehrani, Stetson Rowles

Civil Engineering & Construction: Faculty Publications

The global water demands have prompted the development of sustainable treatment solutions, with adsorptive chitosan composites emerging as promising alternatives to petroleum-based materials. As a cleaner material, chitosan offers significant advantages over conventional adsorbents, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and the potential to create a circular economy in water treatment applications. This study presents a comprehensive sustainability assessment of three novel porous chitosan particles synthesized using low-toxicity solvents, focusing solely on the production of pure chitosan scaffolds without additional adsorptive materials for targeted removal. Integrating techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment, we evaluate the economic viability and environmental impact of methylpentane, azocarboxamide, …

Household Point-Of-Use Faucet Filters For Lead Removal: Field Performance And User Experiences, Jeannie M. Purchase, Chantaly Villalona, Adrienne Katner, Kelsey Pieper, Marc Edwards

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Lead certified point of use (POU) faucet filters were field tested in two Louisiana cities in a total of 21 occupied homes during normal use and in two unoccupied homes with very high risk of water lead (Pb) contamination. In an unoccupied home with a 28 m lead service line (LSL) with average lead of 17 μg/L in flushed water, treatment by POU filters generally produced water with < 5 μg/L Pb even when tested to 200% of rated capacity. In the unoccupied home with a disturbed LSL, the water had erratic influent particulate lead of 9-3053 μg/L, and the POUs did not consistently produce water with < 10 μg/L Pb despite very high percentage removals. When testing POUs in occupied homes known to occasionally have lead over 5 μg/L, POUs always reduced lead to < 1 μg/L. In addition, POUs were also effectively removing high levels of iron and manganese present in the water of one city, but this also caused clogging before reaching half of their rated capacity. Laboratory experiments confirmed POU susceptibility to iron clogging.

How Extreme Rainfall And Failing Dams Unleashed The Derna Flood Disaster, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Ahad Hasan Tanim, Audrika Nahian, Sadik Khan, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

On September 11, 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed, triggering one of the most devastating floods in modern history, striking Derna, a coastal city in Libya. This study reconstructs the disaster using an integrated modeling approach that combines satellite imagery, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geotechnical simulations, machine learning, eyewitness accounts, and digital elevation data to assess the impact of cascading dam failures. Our findings reveal that the region’s dams, even if structurally sound, would have provided minimal protection against the extreme runoff. However, their failure unleashed a destructive surge wave, amplifying the disaster’s magnitude and devastation. …

How Extreme Rainfall And Failing Dams Unleashed The Derna Flood Disaster, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Ahad Hasan Tanim, Audrika Nahian, Sadik Khan, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

On September 11, 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed, triggering one of the most devastating floods in modern history, striking Derna, a coastal city in Libya. This study reconstructs the disaster using an integrated modeling approach that combines satellite imagery, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geotechnical simulations, machine learning, eyewitness accounts, and digital elevation data to assess the impact of cascading dam failures. Our findings reveal that the region’s dams, even if structurally sound, would have provided minimal protection against the extreme runoff. However, their failure unleashed a destructive surge wave, amplifying the disaster’s magnitude and devastation. …

Numerical Study Of A Locally Resonant Frictional Metamaterial For Seismic Vibration Control Of Liquid Storage Tanks, Shayan Khosravi, Mohsen Amjadian

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Liquid storage tanks (LSTs) are critical infrastructure components, storing essential fluids in facilities such as oil refineries and nuclear power plants. However, their vulnerability to seismic damage, including tank wall buckling and anchor uplift due to fluid-structure interaction and sloshing dynamics, necessitates advanced protective measures. This study introduces the Locally Resonant Frictional Metamaterial (LRFM) system as an innovative seismic base-isolation (SBI) technology to mitigate earthquake-induced effects on LSTs. The LRFM system consists of a periodic lattice framework with friction-based resonators designed to attenuate seismic waves by generating low-frequency bandgaps (0–20 Hz), which is a critical range for mitigating impulsive seismic …

Frequency Up-Conversion Electromagnetic Energy Harvester For Generating Electrical Power From Vibration Of Beams Under Moving Load, Md Ismail Monsury, Adamaris Sanchez, Mohsen Amjadian, Constantine Tarawneh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper studies a single-resonator electromagnetic energy harvester that employs an impact-driven frequency up-conversion mechanism to convert low-frequency vibrations of a multi-span beam, subjected to successive moving loads, into electrical power. The harvester consists of a cantilever beam made of plastic, serving as the resonator, with a thick square copper coil attached to its free end. This coil moves relative to two stationary cubic neodymium permanent magnets, each positioned on one side of the coil. To expand the harvester’s operational bandwidth, a stopper is positioned beneath the resonator, inducing controlled mechanical impacts as the cantilever beam vibrates. These impacts effectively …

Calculating The Radius Of The Earth Using Sunset Method: Comparison With Al-BīRūNi Method, Jana Kamal, Tayeb Brahimi

Effat Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper attempts to compare the earth's radius calculation based on the sunset or sunrise (moonset or moonrise) with the Method developed by the scientist Al-Bīrūni. The sunset sunrise method is used to calculate the earth radius by standing in front of a flat horizontal plane. In addition, the authors have use Al-Bīrūni's rule to calculate the radius. Furthermore, the error percent of both Al-Bīrūni and the sunset sunrise method were calculated as well. The results showed that the earth actual radius is 6371 km. Eratosthenes radius which is 6366 km is the closest to the actual earth radius, then …

Spatial Distribution Of The Bankfull Discharge Recurrence Interval Across Tennessee, Usa, Brayden P. Flanagan

Honors Theses

Stream restoration and water resources engineers use a wide variety of hydrological tools and refer to multiple databases to determine accurate watershed and stream characteristics required for site assessment and restoration projects. Regional curves provide significant watershed and stream data that stream restoration engineers use in various restoration projects. However, developing these curves is time-consuming, costly, and complex, as data collection and validation require extensive field studies at multiple sites within the restoration areas. This study evaluates whether pertinent information on regional curves and streamflow frequency could be combined to provide practical guidance on determining design peak flow discharges for …

Utilizing Uae Date Palm Leaf Ash In Removing Ammoniated Compounds From Reject Brine After The Solvay Process, Hend Mohammed Alsheryani

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This study addresses the critical challenge of managing ammonia-laden reject brine from desalination plants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where desalination is the primary freshwater source. The environmental impact of brine disposal, particularly ammonia contamination, necessitates the development of sustainable treatment solutions. This research explores the potential of date palm leaf ash (DPLA), an agricultural byproduct, as a low-cost and eco-friendly adsorbent for ammonia removal, aligning with the UAE’s sustainability and circular economy goals. The study evaluates the ammonia adsorption capacity of DPLA and optimizes its performance through thermal ashing at 750°C and chemical activation using calcium oxide (CaO), …

Toxicity And Biodegradability Of Novel Boronium Vs Conventional Ammonium Based Anti Microbial Compounds In Wastewater Treatment Systems, Noor Shalan

Poster Presentations

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are highly effective as disinfectants, herbicides, and pesticides; thus, overuse causes elevated levels of residual toxicity in domestic and industrial wastewater. QACs can be toxic to essential bacteria breaking down pollutants in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and can remain untreated in effluent, harming the environment, and contributing to antibiotic resistance, posing risks to human health. Novel boronium-based antimicrobial compounds have demonstrated efficacy in eliminating bacteria, fungi, and viruses. If the boronium compounds exhibit lower residual toxicity, they could offer a promising alternative to QACs. Because these compounds are still in development, their potential toxicity to the …

Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Quadrata) As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish

Poster Presentations

Coastal erosion is heavily impacting coastal ecosystems across the Gulf. For instance, the state of Louisiana loses a football field worth of land every 100 minutes (Couvillion, 2017). The drastic loss of coastline highlights the dire need for restoration in the Northern Gulf Coast. An unexpected solution to this sediment loss may solve two major environmental issues at once by diverting millions of tons of glass waste from entering America’s landfills each year. By crushing glass to create sand and gravel for coastal restoration, we may generate a consistent and sustainable source of substrate. Our goal is to determine the …

Effect Of Beam Bracing On The Seismic Performance Of Laterally Skewed Reduced Beam Section Moment Connections With Composite Concrete Slabs, Pratik Ghimire

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Existing experimental reduced beam section (RBS) moment frame investigations, particularly those used for prequalification in AISC-358, consider orthogonally oriented beam-to-column connections. While the design commentary provided in AISC-358 references recent skewed SMF numerical studies and potential performance effects when a lateral beam skew is introduced, limited experimental studies have been performed to verify the numerical findings. This study presents an experimental investigation into the cyclic behavior of RBS special moment frames that have lateral skew at the beam-to-column connection and composite concrete slabs. In this study, a skewed composite double-sided RBS connection is tested, having beam bracing outside the RBS …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructural Characteristics Of Hydrated Bcsa Cement At Extreme Temperatures, Behzad Farivar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement is an alternative binder known for its rapid setting and high early strength, making it ideal for applications such as fast-track construction and repair. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the behavior of BCSA cement under a wide range of curing temperatures, with emphasis on early-age strength development, admixture effects, and the use of the maturity method for strength prediction.

The research evaluates BCSA cement performance in both hot and cold environments, ranging from approximately -28.9 °C (-20°F) to 49 °C (120°F). In warm climates, citric acid was used as a set retarder to …

Beyond The Hard Hat: Examining Barriers Of Women In Construction, Allison Pham

2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The construction industry is falling behind in female representation, with women only making up 11.2% of the industry. The existing labor shortage is further exacerbated by the limited interest among women to pursue a career in construction. The purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that contribute to the lack of women in the construction industry and explore how HR strategies can attract and retain women in construction careers. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports from three different industries were used to analyze the percentage of men and women employees. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine whether …

Laboratory Performance Evaluation Of Hot Mix Asphalt Mixtures With Incorporations Of Different Recycled Plastic Additives Using The Dry Method, Alvaro A. Cerdas Murillo

All Theses

Asphalt pavements are susceptible to distresses such as cracking, rutting, and moisture damage, which reduce service life and increase maintenance costs. This study evaluated the use of recycled materials from HDPE and LDPE plastics (shredded and pelletized) and PET fibers of two lengths as asphalt mixture additives to provide a sustainable approach to improve performance. The materials were incorporated into two control mixtures designed with the Balanced Mix Design (BMD) method. Laboratory testing assessed cracking and rutting resistance, moisture susceptibility, abrasion resistance, and dynamic modulus across a range of conditions.

Results showed that PET fibers improved cracking resistance due to …

Bayesian Model Updating Of Structural Parameters Using Temperature Variation Data., Ujjwal Adhikari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physical digital twins have now emerged as a technology in structural health monitoring and other domains of structural modeling. A Finite Element Model can be a tool for digital twin technology in conjunction with measured physical data. Developing an accurate digital model requires the integration of various parameters to replicate the real structure; however, temperature is dynamically changing, resulting in difficulty in the identification of structural parameters. Typically, temperature is considered noise or filtered out. Limited research has addressed the physics-based model using temperature variation related to structural modal properties. Finite Element Model Updating (FEMU) is a typical inverse problem-solving …

Development Of Soil Water Characteristic Curves Through Control Of Relative Humidity, Lauren E. Johnson, Julia I. Loshelder, Richard A. Coffman

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The relationship between soil suction and soil water content in unsaturated soil mechanics is important but can be difficult to measure. The objective of the research described herein was to develop soil water characteristic curves (SWCC) from relative humidity values by incorporating the use of glycerin-water mixtures. Glycerin-water mixtures can be used to achieve different relative humidity levels by varying the concentration of glycerin within the mixture. The relative humidity created by each mixture was measured with a relative humidity sensor, and the relative humidity values and Kelvin’s equation were used to compute the total suction.

Soil water characteristic curves …

Relating Strength, Time, And Temperature For Bcsa Cement Concrete Using The Maturity Method, Daniel M. Passarelli

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belite calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement is an extension of CSA cement technology designed to provide early setting times and rates of strength gain with reduced environmental impact compared with portland cement. However, its application in the field of structural concrete is widely unexplored. To that end, this paper details research conducted at the University of Arkansas Civil Engineering Research and Education Center (CEREC) exploring the rates of strength gain in concrete samples created using BCSA cement relative to various temperatures and ages. Following the practices outlined in ASTM C1074, the maturity method, compression strength tests were conducted on the aforementioned …

Community Wastewater Treatment Resilience Assessment, Tristan Veal

All Theses

With the rising threat of climate change and cascading impacts from infrastructure failure there is a growing need to strengthen community resilience. Theoretical and practical resilience frameworks are available, but they vary in aim and scope; there is no standard tool to assess resilience. This research expands on the resilience matrix (RM) application methods of previous research completed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Clemson University. That work focused on drinking water treatment systems and developed a few dozen specific indicators, or metrics, to quantify resilience. This research adds wastewater infrastructure with the aim of identifying …

Hickory Street Square Revitalization, Spencer Knight, Grace Dungan, Tim Kula, Evan Lauritsen, Lindsey Mennenga

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Hickory Street Square Revitalization Project seeks to transform a central public space in Sidney, Nebraska into a dynamic, community-oriented area that supports local events, economic activity, and cultural heritage. The project addresses six core objectives: 1) convertible street design, 2) parking lot reconfiguration, 3) public amenities, 4) event flexibility, 5) lighting and signage, and 6) old electric plant renovation. A conceptual design was developed by the design team (S.T.E.E.L. Sentinel Solutions) by synthesizing the most effective features of three preliminary alternatives, shaped further through community feedback and evolving project constraints. The final project design minimizes disruption to existing activity …

Stop Design: Rethinking The Approach To Public Transit's Architecture, Elizabeth M. Nielsen

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Public spaces are the foundation of our social health and wellbeing, but are often designed without considering the needs of the public, creating spaces that people do not feel encouraged to use. Just as public space design as a whole often falls short of serving the public, the same can be said for a subset of public space design, public transit stops. While they are public spaces created for the purpose of waiting, their design rarely reflects this.

Well-designed public transit stops are capable of both maintaining existing ridership and drawing in new riders. Most commonly, this design occurs at …

Experimental Study Of Novel Bcsa Scc Repair Materials And Implications On Corrosion In Bcsa Concrete Structures, Elizabeth S.M. Poblete

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Some current building codes for structural concrete allow the use of alternative cement concrete if their structural, durability, and fire performance can be shown to be comparable to portland cement (PC) concrete. One such alternative cement, belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement, is a promising standalone replacement for portland cement given its lower global warming potential (GWP), fast setting time, and high early age compressive strength. These properties also make it an ideal repair material. But repair materials often need to be highly flowable and easy to consolidate and their performance when used to repair PC concrete structures must be understood. …

Groundwater Storage Dynamics In Abu Dhabi Emirate Using In-Situ And Grace Data, Tala Jalal Maksoud

Theses

Water scarcity presents a significant challenge to the sustainable development; especially in arid regions like Abu Dhabi Emirate. Addressing concerns over nonrenewable aquifer depletion, caused by agricultural expansion and lifestyle advancements, has, therefore, become crucial in such regions. This thesis investigates Groundwater Storage (GWS) dynamics in Abu Dhabi Emirate by integrating satellite data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) with in-situ data from 257 wells over two decades (2002-2022), employing GIS and RS technologies. The main aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive approach to evaluate GWS dynamics considering multiple perspectives including: dealing with missing datasets, …

Performance Evaluation Of Highly Modified Asphalt-Based Binders In High Friction Surface Treatment: Comparative Study With Epoxy-Based System, Alireza Roshan, Magdy Abdelrahman, Mohyeldin Ragab

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High Friction Surface Treatments (HFSTs) are frequently used to increase skid resistance and reduce collisions, particularly in crash-prone zones, including horizontal curves and intersections. Epoxy-based binders traditionally have been the sole option for HFSTs, but their drawbacks, such as high costs and compatibility challenges, have led to the search for substitute binders, including asphalt-based options. This study investigates the comparative performance of highly modified asphalt-based binders, including polymer-modified, mastic, and highly modified emulsions, in HFST applications using two aggregate types, Calcined Bauxite (CB) and Rhyolite with different gradations, with an emphasis on their frictional properties, durability, and resistance to polishing. …

Impacts Of Cognitive Workload On Veteran Driver Reaction Time: Predictive Modeling Using Bayesian And Machine Learning Methods, Kenneth Ofosu-Kwabe

All Theses

In high-demand environments, the ability to manage cognitive workload can mean the difference between optimal or safe performance and critical failure or accidents. Veterans face an elevated risk of fatal motor vehicle accidents due to post-deployment stress, combat-related injuries, and challenges readjusting to civilian driving. This study explores how cognitive workload affects reaction time performance using a driving simulator by collecting and analyzing subjective workload ratings (using the NASA-TLX survey), physiological signals from eye-tracking and performance data from a sample of 28 Veterans.

We examined how task difficulty, cognitive indicators and personal attributes influence reaction times across an interactive driving …

Bim-Based Automated System For Carbon Emissions And Construction Costs Estimation (Bas-Cc) In Modular Design And Production, Roshan Bandiwadekar

All Theses

Modular construction adopts a manufacturing-like construction process, enhancing the management of embodied carbon emissions in production and construction phases. However, estimating these emissions presents challenges due to the involvement of diverse stakeholders across various lifecycle stages. Additionally, cost considerations often influence design choices and material selections in modular constructions, neglecting the impact of embodied carbon emissions. To address these challenges, we present a proof-of-concept for an automated Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based system to estimate both carbon emissions and construction costs. This system automates the calculation of embodied carbon and cost implications of different modular designs and materials, enabling informed decision-making. …