Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Long-Term Effectiveness Of Radar Speed Display Signs In A University Environment, Michael R. Williamson, Ryan N. Fries, Huaguo Zhou

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Vehicular speeds are of particular interest in areas with a high number of pedestrians due to the fact that 14-percent of all fatal crashes involve pedestrians. This study investigated the effect of a radar speed display sign placed for an extended period of time, at a location frequented by law enforcement on a road segment entering a university campus with a high number of pedestrians and vehicle speed violations. The statistical analysis included a comparison between AM peak, PM peak, and midday speeds collected one year apart. The data suggested that radar speed display signs can remain effective over a …

Impact Of Image Resolution On Pavement Distress Detection Using Picucha Methodology, Reus Salini, Bugao Xu, Mena I. Souliman

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

An accurate and regular survey of the road surface distresses is a key factor for pavement rehabilitation design and management, allowing public managers to maximize the value of the continuously limited budgets for road improvements and maintenance. Manual pavement distress surveys are labor-intensive, expensive and unsafe for highly-trafficked highways. Over the years, automated surveys using various hardware devices have been developed and improved for pavement field data collection to solve the problems associated with manual surveys. However, the reliable distress detection software and the data analysis remain challenging. This study focused on the analysis of a newly-developed pavement distress classification …

Phosphorus Adsorption Through Engineered Biochars Produced From Local Waste Products, Peter Ogonek

Honors Theses

Phosphorus contained in agricultural runoff is a major anthropogenic contributor to harmful algal blooms (HABs). Biochars are carbon-based materials produced from the pyrolysis of waste biomass that have the potential to amend soils and remediate inorganic and organic contaminants from water. Engineered biochars tailored to adsorb phosphorus from water could reduce the availability of the nutrient in agricultural runoff, reducing the size and frequency of HABs. This study observed the phosphorus adsorption properties of engineered biochars produced from two source materials, oak sawdust and cornstalk residue, and being unmodified, acid-rinsed, or loaded with magnesium prior to pyrolysis, creating acid-rinsed, unmodified, …

Sustainable Architecture Design: Environmental And Economic Benefits, Michael Babcock

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the movement of environmentalism, and its impact on architecture and construction. During an interview with a professional architect, a basis for research of sustainable design was devised, when he explained that “good” architecture attempts to holistically integrate the external and built environment. Presently, the main measurement for sustainability is energy efficiency. Therefore, architects constantly implement new technology in an attempt to unify both the external and built environment in an energy efficient manner. Furthermore, this thesis provides an environmental and financial cost analysis of implementing sustainable design and build. Research shows that the life cycle and up-front …

Texture Analysis Using The Neutron Diffraction Method On The Non Standardized Austenitic Steel Process By Machining,Annealing, And Rolling, Tri Hardi Priyanto, Parikin Parikin, Meijuan Li

Makara Journal of Technology

Austenitic steel is one type of stainless steel which is widely used in the industry. Many studies on austenitic stainless steel have been performed to determine the physical properties using various types of equipment and methods. In this study, the neutron diffraction method is used to characterize the materials which have been made from minerals extracted from the mines in Indonesia. The materials consist of a granular ferro-scrap, nickel, ferro-chrome, ferro-manganese, and ferro-silicon added with a little titanium. Characterization of the materials was carried out in three processes, namely: machining, annealing, and rolling. Experimental results obtained from the machining process …

The Role Of Household Antimicrobials In The Proliferation Of Antibiotic Resistance During Anaerobic Digestion, Daniel Elliott Carey

Dissertations (1934 -)

Antimicrobial chemicals in consumer personal care products have been found to increase antibiotic resistance in pure culture studies. Although many studies focus on antibiotic resistance development pertinent to medical scenarios, resistance developed in natural and engineered environments might be significant and has become an emerging concern for human health. This dissertation focuses on the antimicrobial chemicals triclosan and triclocarban. These compounds are distinctly different from antibiotics and are used in products like soaps that are labelled as “antibacterial”. Municipal wastewater treatment plants receive triclocarban and triclosan loads higher than most contaminants of emerging concern because they are frequently used in …

Potential Of Using High Resolution Bus Gps Data To Assess Traffic Speeds, Nicholas B. Stoll

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

This research investigates the potential of using archived high resolution bus data to describe traffic speeds on roadways; effectively using buses as probe vehicles. This is not only a simple and inexpensive way for transit agencies to better understand their road networks, but also utilizing buses as probe vehicles provides the potential to understand traffic conditions, to understand potential consequences of changes in road infrastructure, and many aspects of traffic utilizing already archived data. Using speed information derived from high resolution bus GPS data and stationary sensor data, this research examines the accuracy of bus GPS data and also discusses …

Performance Implications Of Bicycle Specific Treatments At Signalized Intersections, Andrew Kading

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

A rise in cycling nationwide has brought an increased awareness of bicycle specific safety concerns, particularly right-hook crashes at signalized intersections. There are several common and emerging signal timing strategies that are can be used to improve the safety and efficiency of traffic signals for people on bicycles, including the Leading Bicycle Intervals (LBI), Split LBI, and Exclusive Bicycle Phasing (EBP). The leading and split bicycle intervals provide a head start for bicycles in advance of concurrent and conflicting motor vehicle movements, typically about 3-5 seconds. The EBP provides an interval only when bicycles are moving. To examine the performance …

Preliminary Design Guidelines For Poraver-Based Lightweight Concrete, Marlow Stanton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research project investigated lightweight Portland cement concrete batching procedures and developed guidelines for designing Poraver-based mixes. Lightweight concrete has a variety of applications, from structural fills to structural members. The study was completed in two stages: Stage 1 was a pilot study serving to confirm whether the ACI211.2-98 Volumetric Method was appropriate for Poraver-based lightweight concrete. Additionally, Stage 1 examined the range of outcomes possible with a large combination of test mixes and explored handling techniques for presoaked aggregate. Stage 2 focused on confirming the linear relationship of cement content and compressive strength through a large quantity of test …

Disseminating The Sustainable City Year Program (Scyp) Education Model, Nico Larco, Marc Schlossberg

TREC Final Reports

The University of Oregon has developed a catalytic learning model that simultaneously meets the needs of both the next generation’s transportation workforce and cities looking for innovative and catalytic ways to advance a new era of transportation goals. Named the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP), the model links local community priorities (as expressed through local plans and city council goals) with courses from a range of disciplines at a nearby university. The UO program engages 500+ multidisciplinary students annually in providing 60,000+ hours of work to city-identified projects using the existing administrative systems of both universities and local communities.

This …

2016 Directory Of Indiana State, County, City And Town Officials Responsible For Road And Street Work, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Directory

Contact information for local agency officials and employees responsible for Indiana’s local road infrastructure.

Investigating The Relationship Between Latent Driving Patterns And Traffic Safety Using Smartphone-Based Mobile Sensor Data, Kenneth Wynne

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Crash frequency modelling has been used in the past as an attempt to quantify the expected number of crashes occurring on a certain segment of roadway given a set of variables and factors describing the roadway segment and the traffic along that segment. These models are referred to as the Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM). In past studies, these SPFs have focused primarily on roadway geometric information along with limited traffic exposure data such as traffic volume. Alternate data sources for probe vehicle data are increasingly available and this research sought to exploit this new …

Maneuverability Of Ships With Small Draught In Steady Wind, Daeng Paroka, Andi Haris Muhammad, Syamsul Asri

Makara Journal of Technology

Wind force and moment may force a ship to drastically decrease its speed and use a large drift angle as well as a large rudder angle in order to maintain its course. Ships with a small draught might have more risk in maneuvering to its point of view compared with a ship with a larger draught. This paper discusses maneuverability of a ship with a small draught in steady wind. The effect of wind on ship speed, drift angle, and rudder angle are investigated in a steady state condition. Five different ratios of wind velocity to ship speed from 1.0 …

Impacts Of Operating Parameters On Extracellular Polymeric Substances Production In A High Rate Activated Sludge System With Low Solids Retention Times, Matthew S. Elliot

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The Adsorption/Bio-oxidation (A/B) process accomplishes carbon capture via bio-flocculation in the adsorption stage (A-stage) to maximize energy recovery while simultaneously providing an optimal carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio for denitrification in the Bio-oxidation stage (B-Stage). The present study evaluated the influence of the solids retention time (SRT), dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, and production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on bio-flocculation and subsequent carbon capture using a pilot-scale A-stage process. A mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS)-based control strategy was implemented to manage carbon capture by maintaining a constant MLSS concentration of 3,000 mg/L in response to diurnal variations in organic loading. …

Analysis Of Pedestrian And Bicycle Crashes In Michigan, Ahmed Abbas Ghubin Al-Zubaidi

Masters Theses

Vulnerable road users such as pedestrian and bicyclists are more likely to sustain a severe injury when they are involved in a crash with motor vehicles. Identifying the causes of crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists is essential to reducing the number and the severity of such crashes. This study identified the causes and risk behaviors associated with pedestrian and bicycle crashes in Michigan by reviewing selected individual crash report (i.e., UD-10). Crash reports for all pedestrian and bicycle fatal crashes (K) and a sample of incapacitating injury crashes (A) from 2010 to 2014 were reviewed and typed individually using the …

Automatic Surface Crack Detection In Concrete Structures Using Otsu Thresholding And Morphological Operations, Sattar Dorafshan, Marc Maguire, Xiaojun Qi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Concrete cracking is a ubiquitous phenomenon, present in all types of concrete structures. Identifying and tracking the amount and severity of cracking is paramount to evaluating the current condition and predicting the future service life of a concrete asset. Concrete cracks can indicate reinforcement corrosion, the development of spalls or changing support conditions. Therefore, monitoring cracks during the life span of concrete structures has been an effective technique to evaluate the level of safety and preparing plans for future appropriate rehabilitation.

One growing technique are unmanned inspections using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). UAVs are drones equipped with cameras, sensors, GPS, …

Education For Sustainable Development- The Irish Construction Sector And The Need For A Sustainable Approach, Conor Mcmanus

Masters

This study explores the path to be taken towards achieving Sustainable Development. It examines the impact the construction industry has on the environment as a result of a knowledge and skills gap and considers how our present way of thinking facilitates this. It then goes on to show how a change in construction education can bring about change in the industry and facilitate the implementation of sustainable development. The study examines how the singular emphasis on technology, the introduction of the ‘expert’ into the domestic building process and the narrow focus on operational energy conservation raises questions about Ireland's present …

Application Of Qual2k Model To Macrophyte Rich Silver Bow Creek, Dylan Uecker

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Silver Bow Creek (SBC, Blacktail Creek to Warm Springs Creek) is a small urbanized stream in western Montana (MT) identified as impaired for nitrate, total nitrogen and total phosphorus on the 2014 303(d) list. Enrichment of SBC occurs primarily from a single municipal point source that results in excessive primary production, macrophyte growth, large diel waterquality swings, and nightly hypoxic conditions that likely impair aquatic life uses. The objective of this study is to apply QUAL2K (a surface water-quality model) to a 5.6 km long reach of SBC to predict in-stream dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations under different nutrient loading scenarios. …

Cyclic Behavior Of A Hybrid Light Gauge And Hss Mezzanine Structural System, Michael John Kren

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Cold-formed steel is emerging as an alternative material in the building industry to hot-rolled steel for smaller buildings and indoor structures also called mezzanines. Cyclic testing of a full-scale mezzanine structures composed of cold-formed structural channel beams connected to hollow structural steel (HSS) columns cap plates using wedge expansion anchors at the base plate to generate rotation restraint, is performed in this research. The characteristics of the structure will be explained by displaying full experimental results of structural testing. Unfortunately, limited experimental data outlining the behavior of these structures is available and design criteria is very limited. Thus, there is …

A Comparison Of American, Norwegian, And Russian Standards In Calculating The Wall Thickness Of Submarine Gas Pipeline, Cindy Dianita, Tatyana Vladimirovna Dmitrieva

Makara Journal of Technology

One of the key issues in the pipeline design is wall thickness calculation. This paper highlights a comparison of wall thickness calculation methods of submarine gas pipeline based on Norwegian Standard (DNV-OS-F101), Indonesian Standard SNI 3474 which refers to American Standard (ASME B31.8), and Russian Standard (VN39-1.9-005-98). A calculation of wall thickness for a submarine gas pipeline in Indonesia (pressure 12 MPa, external diameter 668 mm) gives the results of 18.2 mm (VN39-1.9-005-98), 16 mm (ASME B31.8), and 13.5 mm (DNV-OS-F101).The design formula of hoop stress due to internal pressure is interpreted in different ways for every standard. Only Norwegian …

Traffic Study Using A Video Camera And An Image Processing Software Lessons Learned, Sanjay Tewari, Nazimuddin Wasiuddin, Marissa K. Orr

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Highway Engineering I – CVEN332, is a junior-level course in civil engineering that covers primarily traffic engineering and transportation planning. Traffic engineering topics include isolated intersection signal timing design, intersection capacity analysis and freeway capacity analysis. In fall 2015, students collected real life and local field data in two design modules and used a traffic camera compatible with the video processing software in one design module. The objective of this study is to assess if the usage of local, real life field data and introduction of a traffic camera have any impact on increasing learning, increasing feeling of preparedness and …

Environmental Engineering Laboratory Development To Promote Active And Hands-On Learning, Sanjay Tewari

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This extended abstract details one instructor’s experience in incorporating hands-on laboratory portion in a junior level civil engineering class, Environmental Engineering. The objective of the change was to help students become more involved and aware of their own learning through active participation so that they can relate to course contents in a better way. The author sought to achieve this through a laboratory structure that 1) required students to reflect on certain topics and device a do-it-yourself experiment to measure certain parameters and 2) provided a level of autonomy by allowing them to choose to work alone or in small …

Model For Coupled Large Strain Consolidation And Solute Transport In Layered Soils, Hefu Pu, Patrick J. Fox

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A numerical model, called CST3 (Consolidation and Solute Transport 3), is presented for coupled one-dimensional large strain consolidation and solute transport in layered soils. The consolidation algorithm accounts for vertical strain, soil self-weight, general constitutive relationships, relative velocity of fluid and solid phases, changing compressibility and hydraulic conductivity during consolidation, unload/reload, time-dependent loading and boundary conditions, external hydraulic gradient, variable preconsolidation stress profiles, and multiple soil layers with different material properties. The solute transport algorithm accounts for advection, diffusion, mechanical dispersion, linear and nonlinear sorption, equilibrium and nonequilibrium sorption, porosity-dependent effective diffusion coefficient, and first-order decay reactions. CST3 is based …

Post-Repair Seismic Assessment Of Rc Bridges Damaged With Fractured Column Bars - A Numerical Approach, Ruili He, Yang Yang, Lesley H. Sneed

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Seismic repair of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns has been studied extensively during the past several decades; however, few studies have been conducted on the influence of the column repair (member level) on the post-repair performance of bridge structures (system level). In a previous experimental study by the authors, a method was developed to rapidly repair severely damaged RC bridge columns to enable the quick reopening of the bridge to emergency traffic. Thus, a lower limit state was used for the repair design, so that the lateral strength and drift capacity of a repaired RC column with fractured longitudinal bars …

Strain-Controlled Cyclic Simple Shear Tests On Sand With Radial Strain Measurements, Xin Kang, Louis Ge, Kuang Tsung Chang, Annie On Lei Kwok

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Strain-controlled cyclic simple-shear tests were performed on silica sand with radial strain measurements. The specimens were tested under a constant K0 condition and subjected to cyclic loading and post cyclic monotonic loading. Threshold cyclic shear strain, volumetric strain, secant shear modulus, and damping ratio are investigated. Generally, the volumetric strain behavior in this study agreed well with literature findings that were investigated using the conventional cyclic direct simple shear test (without radial constraints). Radial strain during monotonic simple shear (post cyclic loading) was found to be a good parameter in monitoring the onset of flow slide in cohesionless soil. The …

Comprehensive Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Pedestrian Countdown Signals On Road Users In Michigan, Richard Atta Boateng

Masters Theses

Pedestrian countdown signals (PCSs) are specifically designed to improve pedestrian safety at intersections. Installation of these devices may be with push buttons or without push buttons. Studies have shown that intersections where PCSs with push buttons have been installed have recorded reduction in pedestrian violation as well as reduction in the number of pedestrians trapped in the roadway. Studies have also shown that PCSs may be used by approaching drivers in the same way as other traffic signal anticipation devices such as green signal countdown (GSC). While other signal anticipation devices have been found to benefit drivers, a very limited …

Developing Standard Procedures For Structural Aspects Of Slide-In Bridges In Accelerated Bridge Construction (Abc), Ozan Utku Ridvanoglu

Masters Theses

Slide-in bridge construction (SIBC) is a special method especially used to replace an existing bridge with the minimum duration road closure. In this method, new bridge superstructure is built next to the existing one and it is slid to its final position after demolishing the existing one. Applied implementations of SIBC show that several complications are experienced during bridge slide related with surface interaction. There is a need to evaluate the structural components of SIBC to develop suggestions. In this research, structural components of SIBC were investigated. The research dealt with completed SIBC implementations and numerical modelling of the slide …

Ensemble Forecasts: Probabilistic Seasonal Forecasts Based On A Model Ensemble, Hannah Aizenman, Michael D. Grossberg, Nir Y. Krakauer, Irina Gladkova

Publications and Research

Ensembles of general circulation model (GCM) integrations yield predictions for meteorological conditions in future months. Such predictions have implicit uncertainty resulting from model structure, parameter uncertainty, and fundamental randomness in the physical system. In this work, we build probabilistic models for long-term forecasts that include the GCM ensemble values as inputs but incorporate statistical correction of GCM biases and different treatments of uncertainty. Specifically, we present, and evaluate against observations, several versions of a probabilistic forecast for gridded air temperature 1 month ahead based on ensemble members of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System Version 2 …

Highway Expenditures And Associated Customer Satisfaction: A Case Study, Alexander Paz-Cruz, H De La Fuente-Mella, A Singh, R Conover, H Monteiro

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

This study analyzes the satisfaction of the Nevadans with respect to their highway transportation system and the corresponding expenditures of Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). A survey questionnaire was designed to capture the opinions of the Nevadans (customers) about a number of characteristics of their transportation system. Data from the financial data warehouse of the NDOT was used to evaluate expenditures. Multinomial probit models were estimated to study the correlations between customers' opinion and the government expenditures in transportation. The results indicate the customer satisfaction is decreasing with respect to traffic safety throughout Northwestern and Southern Nevada highways. In addition, …

A Novel Methodology For Spatial Damage Detection And Imaging Using A Distributed Carbon Nanotube-Based Composite Sensor Combined With Electrical Impedance Tomography, Hongbo Dai, Gerard J. Gallo, Thomas Schumacher, Erik T. Thostenson

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper describes a novel non-destructive evaluation methodology for imaging of damage in composite materials using the electrical impedance tomography (EIT) technique applied to a distributed carbon nanotube-based sensor. The sensor consists of a nonwoven aramid fabric, which was first coated with nanotubes using a solution casting approach and then infused with epoxy resin through the vacuum assisted resin transfer molding technique. Finally, this composite sensor is cured to become a mechanically-robust, electromechanically-sensitive, and highly customizable distributed two-dimensional sensor which can be adhered to virtually any substrate. By assuming that damage on the sensor directly affects its conductivity, a difference …