Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Str-968: Wavelet Entropy-Based Damage Identification Technique For Hybrid Frp-Concrete Structures, Mohammad Moravvej, Mamdouh El-Badry, Parham Joulani

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Civil infrastructure, particularly bridges, is designed and built to be safe against failure and to perform satisfactorily during their service life. However, this infrastructure has been deteriorating at an alarming rate due to aging, inadequate maintenance, adverse environmental conditions, and constantly growing transportation demand. Utilization of corrosion-resistant composite materials, particularly fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP), has been an encouraging solution for the durability problems of concrete bridges. However, similar to conventional structures, the performance of hybrid FRP-concrete structures can be affected by various types of damage. Therefore, in order to ensure both safety and serviceability of these structures, it is essential to …

Str-969: Seismic Design Procedure For Steel Multi-Tiered Concentrically Braced Frames Beyond Csa S16 Limit, Ali Imanpour, Robert Tremblay

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Steel Multi-Tiered Braced Frames (MT-BFs) generally represents a more practical and cost-effective solution in tall single storey steel buildings such as airplane hangars, recreational buildings or convention centers. Special seismic design requirements including column design for in-plane and out-of-plane flexural demands have been introduced for MT-BFs in the Canadian steel design standard CSA S16. In the current CSA S16, MT-BFs are also limited to three and five tiers, respectively, for Type MD (moderately ductile) and Type LD (limited ductility) braced frame categories. In this paper, a 4-tiered Type MD braced frame, exceeding the 3-tier height limit, is designed with explicit …

Str-972: Top-Down Construction Of The New Lrt Overhead Bridge, Kitchener, Ontario, Brad R. Craig, Jeffrey Giroux

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

A new Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is being constructed in Waterloo Region. The first phase of construction is scheduled for completion in 2017 and will connect Conestoga Mall in the City of Waterloo and Fairview Park Mall in the City of Kitchener, a distance of 19 km. The LRT route crosses the existing Conestoga Parkway (Highway 7/8) in Kitchener-Waterloo, requiring the construction of a new structure under the busy freeway. In 2014-15, the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario (MTO) administered the construction of the new single span bridge using a unique top-down construction technique.

Str-973: Static Load Behaviour Of Hybrid Frp-Concrete Two-Panel Truss Girders Reinforced With Double-Headed Gfrp Bars, Parham Joulani, Mamdouh El-Badry, Mohammad Moravvej

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

The results of an experimental investigation into the behaviour of precast hybrid FRP-concrete, two-panel truss girders under static loading are presented. The investigation is part of a comprehensive research program on the development of a corrosion-free system for short and medium span bridges. The truss girders consist of pretensioned concrete chords connected by vertical and diagonal truss elements made of glass FRP tubes filled with concrete. The truss elements are reinforced and connected to the top and bottom chords by means of long double-headed steel or glass FRP bars. The top and bottom chords are also reinforced with glass FRP …

Str-975: Effect Of Shear Span To Depth Ratio On Seismic Performance Of Reinforced Masonry Shear Walls, Hany M. Seif Eldin, Khaled Galal

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Over the past few decades there has been a substantial increase in the number of multi-story buildings constructed with reinforced masonry (RM). Similar to reinforced concrete (RC) buildings, shear walls are a popular lateral load resisting system in regions of high seismic activity due to its capability to provide lateral stiffness, strength and energy dissipation. One of the parameters that affects the inelastic behaviour and ductility of RM shear walls is the shear span to depth ratio, M/Vdv. This paper experimentally investigates the effect of M/Vdv on the seismic performance of RM shear walls that are dominated by diagonal …

Str-976: Effect Of Horizontal Reinforcement Anchorage End Detail On Seismic Performance Of Reinforced Masonry Shear Walls, Hany M. Seif Eldin, Khaled Galal

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

The most recent design codes for masonry structures necessitate the use of reinforced masonry (RM) shear walls in medium and high seismic areas. There are several factors that control the contribution of the horizontal reinforcement to the in-plane shear capacity of RM shear walls. One of these factors is its anchorage end detail. The current version of the Canadian Standards Association CSA S304-14 for design of masonry structures requires that the anchorage of the horizontal reinforcing bars in the plastic hinge region shall have a 90° or more standard hook at the ends of the wall. However, a 180° standard …

Str-978: A Hysteresis Model For The Piston-Based Self-Centering Bracing System Considering Residual Deformation, A. B. M. Haque Rafiqul, Siriwut Sasibut, Feng Rong, M. Shahria Alam

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

A load deformation hysteresis model has been developed for the piston based self-centering (PBSC) bracing system. This bracing system utilizes shaft-piston mechanism for transferring load to its core energy dissipating elements, which are made of Nickel Titanium alloy (NiTinol) bars. These bars provide the brace its strength as well as the self-centering capability. Although in theory, the NiTinol based shape memory alloy bars are supposed to come back to their original shape after large nonlinear deformations, in reality, they experience residual deformation. The hysteresis models, which are currently available for capturing the behavior of self-centering systems, are known as flag …

Str-987: Analysis Of Rectangular Hollow Section Trusses With Overlapped K-Connections, Kyle Tousignant, Jeffrey A. Packer

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

A ten-metre span, simply-supported, overlap-jointed, rectangular hollow section (RHS) Warren truss was tested elastically by applying a single quasi-static point load to various chord panel points to obtain experimental axial force, bending moment, and truss deflection patterns. A total of 53 axial forces and bending moments were measured in the chord and web members during two tests, and deflections at panel points along the bottom chord were measured during a broader series of nine tests. The theoretical behaviour given by practical frame analysis models, consisting of: (i) all joints pinned and concentric; (ii) all joints rigid and concentric; (iii) pin-ended …

Str-988: Post-Fire Residual Strength Of Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (Gfrp) Bars, Hamzeh Hajiloo, Mark F. Green

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Lack of reliable and adequate information on material characteristics of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) at elevated temperatures lowers the accuracy of analytical and design models developed to predict the behaviour of GFRP reinforced concrete members. There is an essential need to assess the remaining strength of bridge and building components after exposure to fire to determine if repair or replacement is required. This paper presents experimental results of a series of tensile tests on GFRP reinforcing bars after exposure to elevated temperatures. GFRP specimens with nominal diameter of 16 mm were exposed to different temperatures in an electric furnace. …

Str-990: Sustainable Grouted Helical Piles: Materials And Performance, Mohamed A. A. Mansour, Moustafa Aboutabikh, Ahmed M. Soliman, M. Hesham El Naggar

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Cementitious materials are widely used as a construction material all over the world. However, cement industry has high environmental impact such as the release of CO2 and the consumption of natural resources for its manufacturing energy. Therefore, reducing cement consumption is vital to achieve sustainable green construction practices. In this study, the effects of using treated oil sand waste (TOSW) as a partial replacement of cement in grouted helical pile applications were investigated. Fresh and hardened properties of the green grout incorporating different percentages of TOSW were evaluated. In addition, a model scale grouted helical pile with the green grout …

Str-992: Damage Detection Of Uhp-Frc Plates Using Random Decrement Technique, Azita Pourrastegar, Hesham Othman, Hesham Marzouk

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

This paper is about structural health monitoring using Random Decrement (RD) technique for Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHP-FRC) slabs. Five simply supported slabs with identical dimensions are tested using low-velocity impact technique. Multi-impact load is applied at the mid-point of the UHP-FRC slabs by dropping a 475 kg steel weight from a constant height of 4.15 m. Two parameters are considered: namely: the steel reinforcement ratio, and the steel fiber volume content. The natural frequencies (eigenvalues) and corresponding mode shapes (eigenvectors) of tested plates are extracted numerically using linear perturbation analysis available in ABAQUS (Lanczos solver) to verify …

Str-993: Behaviour Of Fire-Damaged Engineered Timber Beams, Hailey Quiquero, John Gales

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Recently in Canada, the national building code has been amended to include mid-rise engineered timber buildings. The code also contains an allowance for Alternative Solutions, in which taller and more complex engineered timber structures may be built with sufficient research and proof of performance. For sustainable material use in infrastructure, an environmentally conscious population is motivating the employment of new engineered timber constructions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the behaviour of timber members, specifically glulam, before and after fire damage to inform future testing of large-scale engineered timber building systems. The experiments provide valuable data with …

Str-991: Energy Harvesting Methods For Structural Health Monitoring Using Wireless Sensors: A Review, Srishti Banerji, Ashutosh Bagchi, Shervin Khazaeli

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) implies monitoring the performance of structures using sensors to get an advance warning of the loss of structural capacity or potential collapse. Wireless-sensor based monitoring system is found to be advantageous over traditional wire-based system because of their ease of implementation and maintenance. However, power supply is an important concern for wireless sensors used in monitoring of civil engineering structures. While there are different efficient power usage methods and power supply solutions available for wireless sensors, their applications to SHM systems for civil infrastructure are not standardized. Energy harvesting by means of converting energy from the …

Str-994: Investigation Of L-Shaped Low-Rise And High-Rise Buildings Response To Nbcc 2005 And 2010 Seismic Loads, Ahmed Hamada, Ashraf A. El Damatty

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

The current study builds on a previous study conducted by the authors that investigated the seismic provisions of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) 2005 and 2010, pertaining to the loading and analysis of irregular L-shaped buildings. The study uses low-rise and high-rise L-shaped buildings as case studies. Three-dimensional finite element models of the two irregular L-shaped buildings were developed and discussed in the previous study. The lateral resisting system of the low-rise buildings consists of concrete shear walls, while the high-rise building consists of a combination of concrete shear walls and concrete rigid frames. Low and high-rise concrete …

Str-995: Calibration Of An Analytical Method For Vehicle-Induced Vibrations On Flexible Bridges, Zachary J. Taylor, Pierre-Olivier Dallaire, Marco Accardo, Christian Mercier, Martin Talbot, Stoyan Stoyanoff

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

The results of full scale trials of heavy vehicle-induced vibrations on the Pierre Laporte Bridge are presented. The Pierre Laporte Bridge spans approximately 1 km having the longest main span of any suspension bridge in Canada. The tests were performed during short periods of complete bridge closure on October 27 and 28, 2014. During the tests, the acceleration of the bridge was recorded at multiple locations in addition to measurements of the vertical and pitching accelerations of the testing vehicle itself. The results of these tests are used to calibrate an analytical tool developed to screen bridge designs for potential …

Str-996: Optimization For Bridge Type Selection Using Artificial Neural Networks, Elie M. Otayek, Ahmad Jrade

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Many Researchers have attempted to establish a methodology for the selection of bridge type in a systematic manner. Knowledge based systems (KBS) and other Expert Systems (ES) have been used for this purpose but they have some limitations and restrictions. This paper proposes a methodology to implement a Decision Support System (DSS) in an artificial intelligent environment that aims to suggest a bridge type with its main components at the conceptual design phase, based on the characteristics and performance of existing and similar bridges in order to predict the performance of proposed ones that have been analyzed by decision makers …

Str-997: Instrumentation And Long-Term Monitoring Of An Integral-Abutment Bridge Superstructure, Shelley A. Huntley, Arun J. Valsangkar

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Strain gauges were installed in the girders and deck of an integral abutment bridge to determine the behaviour of the superstructure to daily and seasonal thermal fluctuations. The two-span, 76 m-long bridge has no expansion joints; rather, the prestressed-concrete girders are cast directly into the abutments which are in turn supported by flexible pile foundations. Details of field instrumentation along with monitored data over a period of eight years are presented in this paper. Gauges measured the longitudinal strain in the girders and deck and were positioned at different elevations to provide a strain distribution across the superstructure depth. From …

Str-998: Design Of Fiber-Reinforced Tunnel Segmental Lining According To New Aci Report, Mehdi Bakhshi, Verya Nasri

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Fiber reinforcement has emerged as an alternative to steel bars in precast concrete segments due to advantages such as saving cost and reducing production time while developing a more robust product with improved handling and long-term durability. ACI recently drafted a new report as the first design guideline on FRC tunnel segments to provide specific guidance for this emerging technology. This document offers general information on the history of FRC precast segments from tunneling projects throughout the world; a procedure for structural analysis and design based on governing load cases, and a description of the material parameters, tests and analyses …

Str-999: Intelligent Monitoring System Reveals New Information About The Champlain Bridge, Ehsan Sobhani, Armineh Garabedian, Dominic Lavigne, Chakib Kassem, René Tinawi

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

The Champlain Bridge, constructed in 1957, is one of Canada’s busiest and most economically critical bridges. This 3.4km-long bridge consists of as many as 50 simply supported spans, 50 to 53 m long, plus an elevated truss structure over the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Each span has a cross-section of seven precast post-tensioned girders supporting cast-in-place infill strips that constitute a deck with six traffic lanes. Like many other structures, Champlain Bridge is subjected to environmental, traffic or hydrological loads, which adversely affect the structural condition of the bridge. This structural degradation is further accelerated for the Champlain Bridge due to …

Tra-901: Optimizing The Location Of Road Weather Information Systems (Rwis) Stations – A Sampling Design Optimization Approach, Tae J. Kwon, Liping Fu, Stephanie J. Melles, Max S. Perchanok

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

This study presents an innovative approach to the design of a road weather information monitoring system (RWIS) that optimally combines spatial data on weather-related road surface conditions with data on traffic volume over a state-wide road network. The optimization method minimizes the spatially averaged ordinary kriging variance of hazardous road surface condition (HRSC) frequencies. Since it is desired that an RWIS should also be located at high traffic demand areas, road class data is implemented in the optimization process. Spatial simulated annealing (SSA) is used to search for the optimal RWIS network design by iteratively examining each possible location and …

Tra-904: Road Mortality Hot Spots Of Turtles: A Three-Year Ministry Of Transportation Study In Brant County, Ontario, Will Van Hemessen, Julie Scott, Tisha Doucette, Kirstie Houston

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Road mortality has a significant depressive effect on turtle populations in southern Ontario and mitigation measures to reduce turtle road mortality are therefore increasingly being incorporated into road construction projects in the province. This has included the installation of “ecopassages” beneath roadways which enable turtles and other animals to safely move between habitats. These measures are most effective if they are installed at locations with frequent turtle movement and high road mortality rates. We conducted a detailed multi-seasonal survey of turtle road mortality in order to identify mortality “hot spots” along a 4.85 km stretch of highway in Brant County, …

Tra-905: Encountering Rainbow Mussel, A Species At Risk, During Construction Of A Stormwater Management Facility, Robert Ginson, Courtney Beneteau, Tisha Doucette

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Many freshwater mussels in the Ontario-Great Lakes Area are considered Species at Risk (SAR) and these are increasingly influencing planning, implementation, and monitoring of infrastructure projects near watercourses. In 2010, the City of London commissioned an on-line Stormwater Management Facility in the Stoney Creek watershed in the form of an Erosion Control Wetland. Design objectives included: creation of additional water storage in the floodplain, prevent erosion in the downstream watercourse, and reclaim natural heritage features lost during infrastructure development. Erosion and sediment controls were applied during construction; however, storm events in December 2011 washed out a section of bank that …

Tra-910: Connected Vehicle V2i Communication Application To Enhance Driver Awareness At Signalized Intersections, Mostafa Mohammed, Yahui Ke, Jie Gao, Hui Zhang, Karim El-Basyouny, Tony Z. Qiu

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

This study introduces a Vehicle-To-Infrastructure (V2I) architecture to enhance driver awareness at signalized intersections. The main objectives are to (i) provide a proof-of-concept field experiment on the use of V2I communication architecture at a signalized intersection and (ii) evaluate the impact of V2I communication on improving driver performance while crossing the intersection. The proposed V2I communication application will relay an advisory auditory message to the driver regarding the status of the traffic signal. It is expected that driver behaviour is going to change as a result of the in-vehicle audible message. Consequently, the proposed application will collect additional driver performance …

Tra-912: Barn Swallow (Hirundo Rustica) Nesting Habitat, Use Of Bridges And Culverts And Other Structures, And Implications To Infrastructure Projects In Ontario, Sean Spisani, Matt Bruder

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Barn Swallow is a medium-sized song bird that is approximately 15 to 18 cm long, which feeds on flying insects. They are easily recognized by their blue glossy back and upper wings, rusty- orange forehead and throat, brownish underbelly, and their deeply forked tails. In Ontario, they are most common in southern and central Ontario but occur as far north as Hudson Bay (COSSARO 2011). Barn Swallows nest on walls or ledges of barns and on other human-made structures such as bridges, culverts or other buildings (Lepage 2007). Barn Swallow often nest in small colonies of 2 to 59 nests …

Tra-914: Tdm To Promote Sustainable Commuting – An Employer’S Perspective, Sarah Hanson, Kevin Phillips

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

There is a comprehensive transportation consulting industry across Canada that provides engineering services for highway and roadway design, environmental assessments, traffic engineering, etc. that all contribute to the development of our transportation infrastructure. However, as leaders in transportation planning and engineering, these transportation consultants must also strive to ‘practice what we preach’ in terms of promoting sustainable transportation solutions in our communities and in our daily lives. The purpose of this presentation is to examine the Travel Demand Management (TDM) initiatives that our AECOM Richmond Hill office has implemented to promote more sustainable work related commuting, and to present a …

Tra-919: A Survey-Based Approach To Understanding Resilience Implications Of Disruption To Transit Operation, Jenessa Man, Aarshabh Misra, Siva Srikukenthiran, Amer Shalaby

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Recent surge in academic and industry-related interest in transit resilience can be partly attributed to the occurrence and impact of disruptive events like Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Katrina and the July 2005 London bombings. Such events have served not only to highlight the vulnerabilities of our public transit systems to natural disasters, targeted attacks and, broadly speaking, unexpected conditions, but also to garner interest in resilience-based approaches to mitigate and recover from the damage caused. In spite of recent gains in developing better understanding of transit resilience, substantial gaps remain in establishing a clear relationship between resilience and transit planning. This …

Tra-927: The Evolution Of Reptile Mitigation Measures On Highway 69, Terri Rogers

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

MTO is actively expanding Highway 69 from a two-lane rural highway to a four-lane controlled access freeway. This is being completed through the eastern Georgian Bay area, some of the most pristine habitat for numerous species at risk reptiles. MTO obtained a permit under the Endangered Species Act for the project, prescribing extensive mitigation measures, including a requirement to prevent snakes and turtles from accessing the highway while still being able to access habitat on both sides.

To fulfill this condition, MTO is constructing one of the most permeable highways in Canada. At this stage, MTO has completed 13 passage …

Tra-928: Fish Barrier Mitigation Of An Oversteepened Culvert Within Saugeen First Nation Reserve, Robert A. Amos, Courtney Beneteau, Tisha Doucette, Dan Green, Kirstie Houston, Adele Mochrie, Valerie Nantais, Dave Penny, Doran Ritchie

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

A deteriorated concrete box culvert conveying a tributary of the Saugeen River under Highway 21 in Ontario had reached the end of its lifespan and was in need of replacement. The tributary supports a diverse range of coldwater fish species such as Rainbow Trout; however, fish passage, particularly upstream migration, has been cut off since the culvert and highway were constructed over seventy-five years ago. Specifically, fish passage has been hindered by shallow sheet flow along the sixty metre flat bottom, excessive velocities associated with the smooth, seven percent gradient, and a perched barrier at the downstream outlet. A key …

Tra-929: A Standard Lexicon To Measure The Level Of Service Of Public Transportation Services Through Online Transit-Oriented Discussions, Moein Hosseini, Tamer El-Diraby, Amer Shalaby

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Public involvement in operation and planning of transit services is becoming a major focus of public transportation agencies. With the growing population and diversification of ideas, distilling knowledge from public opinion to incorporate into decision support systems is a major challenge for transit agencies. The common practice is to collect information from customers via Customer Satisfaction Surveys (CSat). Although such surveys provide useful insight for transit agencies, their design, data collection, and interpretation is expensive and time consuming. Because of the qualitative nature of the questions in these surveys, inconsistency in respondents’ perception of the survey questions is another challenge. …

Tra-913: Bat Species At Risk And Implications To Infrastructure Projects In Ontario, Melissa Straus, Nicole Kopysh, Andrew Taylor

Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

The Ontario Endangered Species Act (ESA 2007) provides protection of listed bat species and their habitat, including Eastern Small-footed Myotis (Myotis leibii), Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus), and Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis); all of which have been identified as Endangered. The Tri-coloured Bat (Perimyotis subflavus) is currently under review and may be identified at risk in the near future. Bats are listed as a result of the spread of White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal pathogen that has resulted in mass mortality events within hibernation sites. Through the use of two case studies …