Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Substantial Gas Enrichment In Shales Influenced By Volcanism During The Ordovician–Silurian Transition, Yujie Yuan, Songtao Wu, Emad A. Al-Khdheeawi, Jingqiang Tan, Zhuo Feng, Zhenjiang You, Reza Rezaee, Han Jiang, Jun Wang, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The substantial gas enrichment in shales of the Ordovician–Silurian transition is associated with the development of the organic matter (OM)-rich source rock. While organic matter enrichment has been linked to intensive volcanism, it remains a challenge to precisely evaluate the impact of the volcanism on substantial gas enrichment containing the largest gas storage capacity. This study focused on consecutive borehole shale samples from the Wufeng–Longmaxi formations during the Ordovician–Silurian transition in southern China. We conducted a comprehensive analysis, integrating the major geological volcanism with high-resolution analysis, including QEMSCAN, argon-ion SEM, thin-section examination, XRD mineralogy, TOC, Hg concentration, petrophysical properties and …

Breaking The Yoke: A Systematic Unmasking Of Challenges To Sustainable Rural Development In South Sudan, Gai Chol Paul

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

South Sudan, a young nation grappling with the legacy of protracted conflict, faces significant challenges in fostering sustainable rural development. While the immense potential of its vast agricultural lands remains largely untapped, the persistent triple threat of insecurity, deficient infrastructure, and the absence of robust government policy actively hinders progress. The ongoing armed conflict, characterized by inter-communal violence and sporadic attacks, casts a long shadow over rural areas in South Sudan. Thus, I developed this mixed-method multiple-case study, grounded in the sustainable livelihoods framework, to explore challenges that hinder sustainable rural development in South Sudan. I collected data through document …

Increasing Drift Capacity Of Non-Ductile Concrete Shear Walls Through Confinement With Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Application, Andrew Duong, Sophia Maglabe, Sheyna Rongong

Architectural Engineering: Graduate Reports

The seismic response and laboratory testing of pre-1980s reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls commonly exhibit undesirable concrete crushing and rebar buckling in the wall end-zones leading to a flexural compressive failure. The lack of ductility of these walls is attributed to low reinforcement ratios and absence of special boundary elements (SBE) as required by modern design code. Thus, the authors are proposing a fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) retrofit method to provide confinement to the end-zones of pre-1980s walls equivalent to that of an SBE. Current industry applications of FRP have largely been for shear strengthening of RC beams, columns, and …

Assessing The Effect Of Material Properties On Full Depth Reclamation (Fdr) Mixtures Via Compressive Strength Characterization, Toluwanimi Ogundipe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enormous amounts of money to replace all poorly maintained roads with brand new construction or with rehabilitation options like the mill and overlay which neglects the address of underlying pavement issues. To reduce the cost intensity of new construction of dilapidated pavements, state departments of transportation are seeking cost-effective techniques to rehabilitate roads. One of the techniques that have been explored and implemented by state DOTs is full-depth reclamation. Full depth reclamation (FDR) as a pavement rehabilitation technique is the reclaiming and recycling of an existing pavement with a predetermined amount of existing base layer. The combination of the reclaimed …

Controlling Expansion Behavior Through Curing And Mix Design For An Expansive, Rapid-Setting Bcsa Cement, Amanda Parolini Dutra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cracking in concrete has been a concern for engineers because it reduces its durability and strength. Some of this cracking behavior is due to shrinkage, which occurs when the water in the concrete evaporates and causes a reduction in volume. Expansive cements were invented to counteract this shrinkage behavior. This research studies a new formulation of a standalone, fast-setting, fast-strength gain expansive BCSA cement. Since it is a new cement, a limited amount of literature is available about mixture design, strength properties, and how to obtain the desired level of expansion. This study then aims to fill some of these …

Determination Of The Internal Erosion Potential Of Bcsa Soil-Cement Using A Modified Hole Erosion Test System, Edgar Enrique Ortega De La Cruz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Levees play a fundamental role in preserving human lives and resources and are the key infrastructure protecting against flood events. In the United States, the levee system is extensive, but unfortunately many of the levees were either not engineered or have well exceeded their intended design life. This was evident after the Midwest floods of 2019, which resulted in the failure of multiple levees leading to costly losses and repairs. In addition, flood levels remained high for days at a time, making it imperative to find fast and effective repair methods. This thesis presents a study conducted at the University …

Paste Properties, Hardened Concrete Properties, And Mix Design Process For Magnesium Phosphate Cement, Rilye Dillard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) is a rapid-setting alternative cement typically used as a quick repair material. MPC has gained popularity in recent years due to its ability to reduce CO2 emissions, its strong chemical resistance, and potential use in large scale applications. There is currently limited research on the properties of MPC when varying the proportions of its ingredients. Several hardened concrete properties were analyzed on concrete mixtures made with MPC. A mix design process for MPC concrete is proposed based on testing of 300 MPC paste mixtures and 115 MPC concrete mixtures. A standardized mix design process is imperative …

An Investigation Into The Effect Of Performance Engineered Mixture (Pem) Design On The Workability And Strength Of Concrete Pavement Mixtures, Alexander Cook

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) currently requires a minimum cement content of 564 pounds of cement per cubic yard of concrete. This minimum cement requirement can be reduced through the utilization of optimized gradation of aggregates within concrete mixtures as well as the addition of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash. The study presented in this paper aims to demonstrate how the use of the Tarantula Curve can be used to design concrete mixtures with reduced cement contents while maintaining sufficient workability for concrete mixtures to be used for slipform paving. Fresh workability was measured using the …

Electrochemical Techniques For The Treatment Of Source-Separated Urine, Philip Arve

All Dissertations

Urine makes up approximately 1% of the total volume of municipal wastewater, but it contributes up to 75% of the nitrogen and 50% of the phosphorus received by publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). These elements are essential nutrients for plant growth and trigger algal blooms when released into natural bodies of water, resulting in rapid ecological degradation. Removing these nutrients from municipal wastewater is energy intensive and often operationally sensitive. The past few decades have seen an increase in focus on the source-separation and side-stream treatment of urine.

Urine characteristics differ greatly from those of municipal wastewater, presenting an opportunity …

Minimizing Take Of Threatened Rattlesnakes And Optimizing Project Review In Se Nebraska, Shaun Dunn, Dan Fogell, Colleen Rothe-Groleau

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) and the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) are protected under Nebraska Statute 37-801-811 and listed as threatened species. These species occur in the right-of-way (ROW) along several roads in Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee, and Richardson Counties which necessitates the need for added Environmental Review (ER) from Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) staff and onsite surveys prior and during maintenance and construction to roadways. This project sought to minimize ER time, staff time, and increase the knowledge of these species in southeast Nebraska by:

1. Identifying precise locations of western massasauga brumation sites;
2. Mapping travel …

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Of Fm4 Txdot Roadway Alternatives In Cleburne, Texas, Ethan A. Bright

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The Engineering senior design group proposed a three-span concrete bridge, merged lane intersection, and a single storm conduit system. The Honors contribution to this project was analyzing the design’s alternative’s life-cycle costs to compare the most economic design. The project’s cost consists of initial construction, maintenance, and decommission. Utilizing Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) bid code unit prices, each design alternative is calculated by multiplying each material amount by the unit price then summed. Although the parallel conduit system has a cheaper initial cost, it requires more maintenance during its lifetime, therefore the single conduit system was recommended. Notably, cost …

Interpreting Strain Caused By Transient Well Testing, Soheil Roudini

All Dissertations

Understanding reservoir properties and structure is essential to managing subsurface operations, such as geologic storage of CO₂ or production of water, hydrocarbons or heat. Previous work demonstrated the potential of analyzing strain data during transient well tests by estimating hydraulic diffusivity using a type-curve-like approach. The following dissertation aims to pursue this potential by developing and evaluating methods for interpreting strain tensor data to improve subsurface characterization. The research advances the classic, intuitive method of using type-curves to interpret well tests, but it also brings together modern computational methods from machine learning, proxy modeling and Bayesian inversion, and it …

Harmonizing Vaccine And Infrastructure Development To Tame Cholera Outbreaks Across Africa, Amira Mohamed Taha, Hussam Mahmoud, Emad M. Hassan, Mohamed M. Ghonaim

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Vaccines and clean water shortages continue to give rise to cholera outbreaks in Africa. Coordinated efforts to increase vaccine distribution and improve physical infrastructure are needed while considering future outbreaks and water demands due to conflicts and climate events.

Performance Of Optimized Composition Of Epoxy Resin Adhesive Used In High Friction Surface Treatment, Jiapeng Li, Xiao Huan, Shubing Wang, Yanping Sheng, Dahui Xu, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications

The High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) paving technique is widely employed in engineering practices globally, serving to enhance the long-term anti-skid performance of pavements. However, there still exist significant gaps in research regarding the modified and optimized composition and corresponding content of the polymer binding materials used in HFST, as well as the performance of the pavements laid with modified and optimized blended aggregates during service. To address these issues, this research first modified and optimized the composition ratio of traditional epoxy resin materials. Subsequently, a toughened, high-flow epoxy bonding system suitable for the maintenance of concrete pavements was prepared. …

Thermal Conductivity Characterization Of High Oleic Vegetable Oils Based Hybrid Nanofluids Formulated Using Gnp, Tio2, Mos2, Al2o3 Nanoparticles For Mql Machining, Anthony Chukwujekwu Okafor, Tobechukwu Kingsley Abor, Saidanvar Esanjonovich Valiev, Ignatius Echezona Ekengwu, Abiodun Saka, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the results of thermal conductivity characterization of six high oleic soybean oil (HOSO) and four high oleic canola oil (HOCO)-Based hybrid nanofluids formulated with four types of nanoparticles (Graphene nanoplatelet (xGnP), TiO₂, MoS₂, and Al₂O₃) at nanoparticles wt.% concentration from 1 % to 7 % in 1 % increment using the two-step method for use in MQL machining of difficult-to-cut metals. Thermal conductivity of the formulated hybrid nanofluids were measured using Thermtest Transient Hot Wire Liquid Thermal Conductivity Meter at temperatures from 25 °C to 75 °C in increment …

A Strategic Insight Into The Market For Carbon Management Capacity, Mahelet G. Fikru, Ting Shen, Jennifer Brodmann, Hongyan Ma

Economics Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study presents the market for carbon management capacity via carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies, identifying demand and supply forces, as well as clarifying the potential impact of market and non-market-based shocks on technology developers versus adopters. The paper addresses a prevailing gap in market analysis, introducing a microeconomic framework and unique dataset to identify key players, market forces, and policy incentives shaping the carbon capture, utilization, and storage landscape. The analysis equips industry stakeholders, policymakers, and investors with valuable insights regarding (1) leaders in the design, development, and manufacture of carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies (supply), (2) …

Cytotoxicity And Genotoxicity Of Glyphosate And Roundup Quickpro On Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells, Tasnimul Ferdous

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Glyphosate and Roundup products have become the most used herbicide worldwide. However, previous bans in Europe and recent reversal have caused confusion over their safety. This study aims to investigate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Roundup QuickPro and its main ingredient glyphosate using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Cytotoxicity was calculated by measuring CHO cell viability with 72 hours of exposure to each toxicant. Roundup exhibited higher cytotoxicity with LC50 of 511.2 μg/mL than glyphosate’s LC50 of 3389 μg/mL. The recommended application concentration (11,233.7 μg/mL) of Roundup QuickPro is much higher than the measured LC50, which caused complete cell …

Fitting Quality Of Nmr Relaxation Data To Differentiate Asphalt Binders, Rebecca M. Herndon, Kevin Lai, Magdy Abdelrahman, Klaus Woelk

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Asphalt binder performance grades (PGs) are important metrics in designing pavements for effective transportation infrastructure. the PG system relies on the binder's stiffness and is determined through energy- and time-intensive physical testing. Physical properties, like stiffness, can also be determined by spin–lattice NMR relaxometry, a non-destructive chemical method. NMR relaxometry can quantify the molecular mobility of materials by determining relaxation times from exponential decays of excited nuclear magnetization. While relaxation times have been used to determine physical properties of materials, a quantitative relation to the PG grades of asphalt binder is yet to be established. in this study, T1 NMR …

Assessment Of Pedestrian Safety At Roundabout Slip Lanes: A Study On Design Configurations And Surrogate Safety Measures, Norran Kakama Novat

Masters Theses

The implementation of slip lanes at roundabouts has been widely adopted to improve traffic flow and reduce vehicle conflicts. However, the presence of slip lanes introduces significant risks for pedestrians, influencing vehicle speeds, merging behaviors, and increasing the potential for pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. This study investigates pedestrian safety at roundabouts with various slip lane designs, focusing on their impact on vehicle speeds, pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, and yielding behavior. Also, the study evaluates commonly used surrogate safety measures by employing extreme value models to assess their efficiency.

The study addresses two primary objectives: (1) analyzing the effects of different slip lane configurations on …

Assessing The Critical Factors Influencing Worker Safety In Roadway Work Zones, Bahaa Chammout, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ongoing roadway construction and maintenance activities are essential for sustaining and improving infrastructure. Nonetheless, work zones in the United States continue to experience concerning frequencies of occupational and traffic accidents. Previous research highlighted multiple factors influencing work zone safety, yet their relative impact and importance remain unclear. This study addresses this gap following a multistep methodology. First, 32 safety factors were identified through an extensive literature review in a previous study. Second, a survey was administered among 298 professionals from diverse backgrounds, with an average of 17.75 years of construction experience and 13.78 years of work zone experience, to assess …

Thermal Conductivity Characterization Of High Oleic Vegetable Oils Based Hybrid Nanofluids Formulated Using Gnp, Tio2, Mos2, Al2o3 Nanoparticles For Mql Machining, Anthony Chukwujekwu Okafor, Tobechukwu Kingsley Abor, Saidanvar Esanjonovich Valiev, Ignatius Echezona Ekengwu, Abiodun Saka, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the results of thermal conductivity characterization of six high oleic soybean oil (HOSO) and four high oleic canola oil (HOCO)-based hybrid nanofluids formulated with four types of nanoparticles (Graphene nanoplatelet (xGnP), TiO2, MoS2, and Al2O3) at nanoparticles wt.% concentration from 1 % to 7 % in 1 % increment using the two-step method for use in MQL machining of difficult-to-cut metals. Thermal conductivity of the formulated hybrid nanofluids were measured using Thermtest Transient Hot Wire Liquid Thermal Conductivity Meter at temperatures from 25 °C to 75 °C in increment of 10 °C. Obtained results showed that thermal …

Designing A Robust Lab Scale Electrocoagulation Reactor For Removal Of Micro- And Nanoplastics From Drinking Water, Emmanuel Louis Aduhene

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The widespread occurrence of micro and nanoplastics in drinking water sources could cause serious public health issues. These plastics particles, products of industrial operations and weathering of larger plastics, can interact with other contaminants in the environment, leading to more severe environmental pollution. Present drinking water treatment technologies were designed to remove suspended colloids. However, due to the distinct chemical and physical properties of micro and nanoplastics from conventional colloids, it is challenging for traditional chemical coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation process to achieve satisfying removal performance. This report investigates a design of a lab-scale electrocoagulation reactor for the removal of nanoplastics from drinking …

Geotechnical Aspects Of Extraterrestrial Regolith Simulants, Jesus Baca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Geotechnical engineering has been crucial to the success of construction projects on Earth, and now it is time to extend this expertise to other celestial bodies. As NASA planned the Apollo missions, geotechnical engineers conducted extensive studies to understand the properties of lunar soil, using analogs like volcanic ash and other terrestrial materials to simulate the moon's surface. Nevertheless, it was not until the inception of the year 1968 that the Surveyor landers were able to give the first actual estimates of the moon soil geotechnical characteristics such as bearing capacity, void ratio, etc. With the development of more refined …

Collision Hazard Prevention And Notification For Construction Worker Safety Using Audio Surveillance, Kehinde Elelu

All Dissertations

The construction industry faces significant safety challenges, with collision hazards ranking as the second highest cause of annual fatalities and injuries in the United States, as reported by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Current collision detection methods predominantly rely on proximity technologies, which necessitate costly and complex installations on each construction equipment piece. Furthermore, auditory situational awareness declines among workers due to hearing loss and intricate construction noises, which further heightens collision risks. This research introduces an innovative, low-cost, audio-based collision prevention technology aimed at enhancing auditory situational awareness for construction workers exposed to high noise levels. The …

Sustainable And User-Driven Scope Development Framework For Engineering Design Services Of Transportation Infrastructure Projects, Ahmad Zaki Ghafari

All Dissertations

Rapid economic growth has led to a significant increase in transportation demands, exerting unprecedented pressure on infrastructure systems in the United States. State transportation agencies play a vital role in maintaining and developing transportation infrastructure networks within their regions. State transportation agencies face immense pressure from federal and state governments, elected officials, and the public to deliver projects efficiently and within budget. State transportation agencies rely on professional consultants for engineering design services. Engineering design services for transportation infrastructure projects are delayed due to incomplete inaccurate scope. For state Department of Transportation (DOTs), a streamlined scope development process is essential …

Performance Evaluation Of Bio-Oil And High Rubber Content Modified Asphalt: More Effective Waste Utilization, Zihao Ju, Dongdong Ge, Songtao Lv, Dongzhao Jin, Yanhua Xue, Jianping Xian, Wenhui Zhang

Michigan Tech Publications

In this study, the bio-oil was used to reduce the viscosity and preparation temperature of high content of rubber-modified asphalt. The high rubber content modified bio-asphalt (RMBA) was prepared, the rubber and bio-oil contents were 20 %-30 % and 5 %-15 % (mass ratio of neat asphalt), respectively. The viscosity, temperature sweep (TS), frequency sweep (FS), multi-stress creep recovery (MSCR), and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests were performed to assess the properties of RMBA. The Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Fluorescence microscopy (FM), and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were conducted to explore the microscopic morphology of RMBA. Besides, the …

Transmission Main Construction Management - An Assessment Of Project Tracking During Transition To A Cloud Based System, Martin C. Munger

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A massive $2B settlement between the Federal Government and the City of New Orleans to remediate the damage to municipal infrastructure from Hurricane Katrina and the failed USACE levee system required the repair of roughly 400 of 1600 miles of roadways in New Orleans. The mandated repairs included many subsurface utilities below those roads. Traditional engineering construction project management practices proved inadequate to manage such a massive undertaking on the strict timelines mandated by FEMA funding. Unprecedented volumes of work for the engineering and construction industries and the government agencies tasked with performing the work from design through construction revealed …

Nlp-Based Quantitative Methods For Measuring Highway Project Similarity To Support Project Clustering And Bundling, Quan Do

All Dissertations

State highway agencies (SHAs) often need to classify similar projects into distinct work type clusters, enabling them to correlate new projects with historical data on cost, schedule, pay item production rates, and project complexity. This classification also facilitates the identification of similar projects for project bundling. However, the conventional method for classifying projects into work types is inefficient, relying heavily on subjective judgment and manual review of project scope. This inefficiency hinders SHAs’ ability to effectively apply knowledge gained from historical projects to future projects. Moreover, the subjective nature of project classification is time-consuming and can result in inconsistencies and …

Quantitative Evaluation Of Baseflow Separation Methods Using An Integrated Hydrologic Model: A Case Study In A Snow-Dominated Watershed, Jihad Othman

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Baseflow, commonly referred to as the groundwater contribution to streamflow, constitutes approximately 50% of streamflow in mountainous regions of the Western United States. Accurately quantifying the amount of baseflow is critical for water management and decision-making, as it significantly impacts stream water quality, low flow availability, and ecosystem health. Traditionally, baseflow has been estimated using conceptual and automated baseflow separation methods, which are known to be both arbitrary and ambiguous, posing a challenge to validate them. In this study, we developed an integrated hydrologic model that seamlessly integrated the exchange between surface and subsurface flows to physically quantify the baseflow …

Analyzing Tms 402 -22 : Design Of Special Reinforced Masonry Shear Walls, Tristan D. Aranda

Architectural Engineering

This experiment examines possible inconsistencies in the TMS 402-22 masonry code between Section 7.3.2.5 and Section 9.3.5.6.2, regarding the requirements for special boundary elements in Special Reinforced Masonry Shear Walls. By investigating the two sections, it can be determined whether the two sections are in accordance with each other regarding aspect ratio. Tensile forces and strains are calculated respectively for each wall and block type and are compared to the respective tensile yield forces and ductile strains. This determines which respective boundary elements go past yield and become ductile. Based on this determination, recommendations can be made to the …