Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Development Of An Innovative Rapidly Constructible Bridge, Swikar N. Pyakurel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapidly deployable temporary bridges are critical for military operations in hostile environments. The research focuses on conceptualizing bridge solutions for MLC 40 loading and 30 feet span that can be operational within hours, require minimal personnel and equipment, and are compact for logistics. An extensive literature review covered historic deployable structures, retractable stadium roofs, structures in aerospace, permanent deployable bridges, current military bridges, innovative deck solutions, lightweight structural materials, and compliant mechanisms. The study then investigated bridge superstructures made of lightweight Aluminum 6061-T6 alloy utilizing tensegrity and prefabricated aluminum extruded decks to meet the criteria. Two concepts, expandable scissor truss …

Impact Of Equipment Type On Measured Particle Size Of Civil Engineering Materials, Tanner Turben

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Particle size analysis (PSA) captures the size distribution of fine-grained or emulsified materials with particles generally smaller than 1000 microns. Asphalt emulsions and many other civil engineering materials do not leverage PSA for material specifications or acceptance despite the insight into material performance and quality gained through understanding the particle size. The objectives of this study are to compare PSA measurement principles by testing 13 civil engineering materials by laser diffraction, Coulter counter, and microscopy and to develop a draft standard procedure for asphalt emulsion PSA. Asphalt emulsions, cementitious materials, sands, clays, and biological samples were selected to represent a …

Identifying Waterway Traffic Flow Patterns Using Modified Clustering, Shihao Pang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Efficient management of inland waterways is essential for the economic and operational efficiency of transportation networks. Characterization and prediction of waterway vessel traffic flow patterns by time of day are critical for optimizing planned disruptive events like maintenance activities. This study identifies and predicts inland waterway traffic flow patterns along the Lower Mississippi River (LMR) using a modified clustering approach. A five-year period of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, which tracks vessel movements in real-time, is used for model development and evaluation. The model first segments the river into approximately one-mile-long traffic message channels (TMCs) to estimate vessel counts and …

Applying Uas Lidar For Developing Small Project Terrain Models, Ashraf Siddiqui

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) LiDAR was used to collect survey data for small-area projects, particularly bridge replacement projects. The project aimed to compare UAS LiDAR data with conventional surveying methods. For the project, five bridge sites were selected for UAS LiDAR and conventional survey data collection, which include Lincoln Bridge 1 (East), Lincoln Bridge 2 (West), Humnoke, Frenchman’s Bayou, and Mountain Home. Data for each site was collected during the 2021–2022 winter. A DJI M600 Pro and Phoenix LiDAR Systems AL3-16 LiDAR unit were used for the UAS LiDAR measurements. The conventional survey equipment used included a global navigation satellite …

Real-Time Barge Detection Using Traffic Cameras And Deep Learning On Inland Waterways, Geoffery Eyram Agorku

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inland waterways are critical for freight movement, but limited means exist for monitoring their performance and usage by freight-carrying vessels, e.g., barges. While methods to track vessels, e.g., tug and tow boats, are publicly available through Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), ways to track freight tonnages and commodity flows carried on barges along these critical marine highways are non-existent, especially in real-time settings. This paper develops a method to detect barge traffic on inland waterways using existing traffic cameras with opportune viewing angles. Deep learning models, specifically, You Only Look Once (YOLO), Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD), and EfficientDet are employed. …

Evaluation Of Roadway Reconfigurations In Louisville, Kentucky, William Staats, Adam Kirk

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In 2009, Louisville Metro Public Works undertook its first roadway reconfiguration project, converting a section of Eastern Parkway (US 60A) from a four-lane undivided road to a three-lane section with a two-way left-turn lane and one travel lane in each direction. Since this initial project, Louisville Metro Public Works and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) have completed 40 roadway reconfigurations to reduce the number of through lanes and reassign existing right-of-way to other roadway users. Additionally, the agencies have 25 more planned or proposed reconfiguration projects. This report documents the safety and operational performance of reconfigured roads. Across all projects, …

Rheology Modification Of Flowable Mortar With Co2, Sean Monkman, Soo Duck Hwang, Kamal Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Rheological Properties of Mortar Samples with Different Additions of CO₂ during Mixing Were Determined. Flowable Cement-Based Mortars at Three Different W/c (0.55, 0.45 and 0.35) Were Produced and the Effects of CO₂ Gas Were Examined on the Fresh Properties of Slump Flow, Yield Stress and Plastic Viscosity. According to the Experimental Results, the Mortar Yield Stress and Plastic Viscosity Increased Faster over Time Than in a Reference System with the Increasing Addition of CO₂ and Greater Effects Were Seen at the Lowest W/c of 0.35 Than at the Others. the Impact of the CO₂ on …

Accelerating The Circular Economy Transition: A Construction Value Chain-Structured Portfolio Of Strategies And Implementation Insights, Radwa Eissa, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Despite the Increasing Recognition of the Potential of Circular Economy (CE) Strategies, their Effective Application to Decarbonize the Construction Value Chain Faces Multiple Challenges. Ambiguity Surrounding CE, stemming from a Lack of Clarity on Actionable Strategies, is a Common Concern. Existing Studies Lack a Holistic Approach for Systematically Integrating CE Principles throughout the Construction Value Chain, resulting in a Scarcity of Information on How to Practically Adopt CE within Projects. This Research Aims to Accelerate CE Adoption by Creating a Value Chain-Structured Portfolio of CE Strategies and Analyzing the Implementation of Such Strategies in Actual Projects. to This End, a …

Pinn-Chk: Physics-Informed Neural Network For High-Fidelity Prediction Of Early-Age Cement Hydration Kinetics, Md Asif Rahman, Tianjie Zhang, Yang Lu

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cement hydration kinetics, characterized by heat generation in early-age concrete, poses a modeling challenge. This work proposes a physics-informed neural network (PINN) named PINN-CHK designed for cement hydration kinetics, to predict early-age temperature rises in cement paste. PINN-CHK leverages data-driven solutions to craft a high-fidelity prediction model, encompassing material properties and maturity functions in cement hydration. Trained on heated cement paste data, it simultaneously fits experimental results and underlying physics, yielding a mesh-free simulation. Incorporating governing partial differential equations (PDEs), and initial and boundary conditions into its loss function, PINN-CHK architecture undergoes rigorous benchmark testing, demonstrating unparalleled predictive accuracy compared …

Predicting Hurricane Evacuation Behavior Synthesizing Data From Travel Surveys And Social Media, Tanmoy Bhowmik, Naveen Eluru, Samiul Hasan, Aron Culotta, Kamol Chandra Roy

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Evacuation behavior models estimated using post-disaster surveys are not adequate to predict real-time dynamic population response as a hurricane unfolds. With the emergence of ubiquitous technology and devices in recent times, social media data with its higher spatio-temporal coverage has become a potential alternative for understanding evacuation behaviour during hurricanes. However, these data are often associated with selection bias and population representativeness issues. To that extent, the current study proposes a novel data fusion algorithm to combine heterogeneous data sources from transportation systems and social media, in a unified framework to understand and predict real-time population response during hurricanes. Specifically, …

Carbon Capture And Renewable Energy Policies: Could Policy Harmonization Be A Puzzle Piece To Solve The Electricity Crisis?, Mahelet G. Fikru, Fateh Belaïd, Hongyan Ma

Economics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The electricity market crisis, driven by factors such as increased energy demand, rising fuel prices, aging infrastructure, and greenhouse gas emissions, requires a multifaceted approach including the strategic implementation of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies, which despite high costs and potential adverse impact on renewable investments, can allow the use of fossil fuels to maintain grid stability, and simultaneously lower carbon footprint. Across the world, several nations are designing financial incentives and improving regulatory frameworks to reduce barriers to the deployment of CCS. However, it is not clearly understood whether and to what extent such policy support would affect …

Influence Of Aggregate Properties On Skid Resistance Of Pavement Surface Treatments, Alireza Roshan, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Skid resistance is a critical aspect for traffic safety since it significantly influences vehicle control and minimizes the distance required for emergency braking. The surface characteristics of pavements play a pivotal role in determining skid resistance. To achieve the optimal skid resistance performance, the pavement must sustain a specific level of friction. Thus, it is advantageous to apply surface treatments in areas that require enhanced friction. This study investigates the impact of factors such as the aggregate source, size, morphological properties, and abrasion levels on the skid resistance and frictional characteristics of a high-friction surface treatment (HFST). A complete investigation …

Indefinability Of Effective Stress For Unsaturated Soils, Xiong Zhang, Sandra Houston

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

For decades, researchers have searched for an unsaturated soil effective stress that performs analogously to effective stress for saturated soils and provides some simplifications over net stress and suction approaches. A recent debate is whether problems identified with unsaturated soil effective stress can be resolved via elastoplastic analyses. Effective stress equations are reviewed and categorized as being based on volume change, shear strength, yield, or degree of saturation. These equations are evaluated for consistency with saturated soil effective stress expectations using the Barcelona basic model (BBM), simplified into an integrated elastoplastic framework using the modified state surface approach (MSSA). Under …

Transforming Construction? Evaluation Of The State Of Structural 3d Concrete Printing In Research And Practice, Alireza Hasani, Sattar Dorafshan

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Additive manufacturing in construction has witnessed exponential growth over the recent years. In this paper, advancements in 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) in additive construction are explored. The authors synthesize the states of research and practice of 3DCP technology for construction through an extensive examination of 137 projects and various publications. Insights are provided into the key factors influencing 3DCP structural performance. The technology is shown to be advantageous, although with varying benefits observed in different cases, including but not limited to reduced cost, labor requirements, material, and construction time. Nevertheless, challenges, such as limited control over the quality, unexplored long-term …

Slurry Infiltrated Low-Quality Construction And Demolition Coarse Aggregate Waste In Concrete - A Sustainable Construction, Vishnu Vijayan, Sanjay Kumar Shukla, K. M. Mini

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Exponential growth in infrastructure projects, stimulated by emerging sophisticated technologies have been instrumental in the salutary proliferation of the construction sector, globally. An indubitable adversity of the rapid boom in the construction industry has been the rampant cumulative fallout of burgeoning waste during the demolition and construction phases of restoration. The current study explored the propriety of replacing natural coarse aggregate by low-quality recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) with varying proportions, along with silica fume (SF) and polypropylene (PP) fibers as admixtures, for the preparation of concrete. As the quality of RCA is determined by the history of its parent demolished …

Trust: The Inertia Taxonomy Of Trust And Learning Outcomes Of Trust Building Exercises, Ann B. Lyons

All Theses

This study investigates United States construction professionals’ view of trust in the workplace. In particular the focus is on building trust through trust building exercises. In order to accomplish this, a literature review was conducted focusing on trust in the worldwide construction industry. This was followed by interviews with US construction professionals who focus on team building. These interviews informed a survey sent to a wide variety of US construction professionals. The survey had two sections of content questions, 1. view of trust indicators and 2. perception of trust building exercises. Finally, experts in the field of construction team building …

Extraction Of Neutron-Gamma Irradiated Diffusion Pump Oils, Cooper L. Tillman

All Theses

This work successfully demonstrates solvent extraction methods for separation of oil from the by-products when two commercially available vacuum pump oils were exposed to an intense neutron and gamma-ray radiation environment. Nuclear fusion power at a commercial scale has accelerated the need for radiation resistant vacuum technology, such as oil-based diffusion pumps. Polyphenyl ether and aromatic silicone oils were irradiated at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center (RINSC) up to MGy absorbed doses with neutron and gamma-ray radiation. Solvent extractions were performed using hexane and isopropanol to characterize the oil extraction as a function of total absorbed dose. The by-products …

Hydrogen Isotope Exchange On Diffusion Pump Oils, Carson G. Allen

All Theses

The extent of isotopic exchange of deuterium and tritium with protium atoms in hydrocarbon pump oil was investigated as a means to quantify the chemical stability of a mineral oil, a silicone oil, and a polyphenyl ether oil as candidates for implementation in a diffusion pump. In its target application at a fusion power plant, a chemically stable and radiation hard oil offers substantial reductions in tritium inventory, electrical consumption, and operational pump expenses over alternate solutions for vacuum induction. Select oils were introduced to deuterium and tritium isotopes in a high temperature environment, analogous to an operating vacuum pump. …

Integrating Building Information Modelling And Extended Reality In The Transportation Infrastructure Industry, Yosra El Maghraby, Shady Salem, Ahmed Alhady, Yasser Khodeir

Civil Engineering

No abstract provided.

Carbon Capture And Renewable Energy Policies: Could Policy Harmonization Be A Puzzle Piece To Solve The Electricity Crisis?, Mahelet G. Fikru, Fateh Belaïd, Hongyan Ma

Economics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The electricity market crisis, driven by factors such as increased energy demand, rising fuel prices, aging infrastructure, and greenhouse gas emissions, requires a multifaceted approach including the strategic implementation of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies, which despite high costs and potential adverse impact on renewable investments, can allow the use of fossil fuels to maintain grid stability, and simultaneously lower carbon footprint. Across the world, several nations are designing financial incentives and improving regulatory frameworks to reduce barriers to the deployment of CCS. However, it is not clearly understood whether and to what extent such policy support would affect …

Investigation Of Faults In Air-Conditioning Systems In Commercial Buildings: Occurrence, Diagnostic Validation, And Energy Impacts, Yuxuan Chen

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In commercial buildings, fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) tools have been developed for detecting and diagnosing faults in building systems, which can provide useful information regarding fault locations and potential causes of faults, so that building operators and facility staff can be notified in time and quickly respond as problems arise. Nowadays, there are many commercial FDD tools available in the market, and these tools have been widely adopted in large- and medium-scale commercial buildings in the United States. Several studies have demonstrated the energy saving potential with the use of FDD in commercial HVAC systems, and one critical aspect …

Long Term Ultrasonic Monitoring And Machine Learning Investigation Of Micro-Crack Damaged Concrete, Yalei Tang

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The thermal modulation method is a recently developed nonlinear ultrasonic technique for evaluating material damage. This method utilizes thermal strain changes resulting from temperature variations to excite the nonlinear behavior of materials and modulate high-frequency ultrasonic waves within them. Its working principle suggests significant potential for application in large-scale concrete structures and in-situ monitoring of real structures. Despite numerous laboratory demonstrations of its effectiveness, several gaps remain before it can be applied to in-service large concrete structures.

This study investigates the potential of the thermal modulation technique for evaluating concrete structures in ambient conditions, addressing key uncertainties for practical implementation. …

A Study Of Commuting Conditions For Construction Professionals In The San Francisco Bay Area, Ethan John Argue

Construction Management

This paper investigates the commuting experiences of workers in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a focus on construction industry professionals. Numerous scientific studies and reports have been done regarding both traffic congestion in the Bay Area and commuting conditions for construction workers. By comparing points of information on Bay Area workers like their job type, commute length and commute satisfaction, this study aims to uncover correlations and understand who is affected the most by traffic congestion. After extensive surveys and interviews of Bay Area workers, average commute times were calculated and reported for several industry subsets, along with averages …

The Impact Of Internal Curing Additives On Compressive Strength, Shrinkage, And Internal Relative Humidity Of Mortars., Payton Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Curing is a critical step in concrete construction. When a concrete specimen is properly cured, its shrinkage and early age curling/warping can be reduced, and the concrete strength can be increased. Curing methods can be divided into two categories: traditional external curing and emerging internal curing methods. Internal curing has similar benefits to external curing, such as reduced early-age cracking and shrinkage risk, and increased durability and strength. The purpose of this research is to investigate internal curing additives and their impact on length change, weight change, compressive strength, autogenous shrinkage, and internal relative humidity. Mortar mixtures with lightweight aggregate …

A Thermo-Mechanical Analysis Of The Well-Structure Integrity In Enhanced Geothermal Systems Using Numerical Simulation, John Alfred Ganal Acevedo

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will investigate the well structure integrity of enhanced geothermal systems. Enhanced geothermal system is a type of renewable energy generation that utilizes heat from a rock reservoir deep within the Earth’s subsurface delivered by circulating working fluids through kilometers-long well structures. However, due to the surrounding environment and harsh operating conditions, the well structures are vulnerable to deterioration and cracking, which can lead to structural failure of wells and reduced energy efficiency. The study seeks to gain a better understanding of the vulnerability of the well structure. A finite element model of a well structure was developed, and …

Degradation Products And Microbial Communities Associated With The Conversion Of Five Long-Chain Fatty Acids Relevant For Anaerobic Co-Digestion Of Fog With Sludge, Claire Funk

All Theses

Anaerobic digestion is a technology that allows wastewater treatment plants to convert sludge to energy by recovering the biogas produced during the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Furthermore, adding fats, oils, and greases (FOG) through co-digestion with wastewater sludge can increase energy production as lipids have a higher methane yield than proteins and carbohydrates. However, adding FOG can also lead to operational problems in the digester due to the potential accumulation of certain long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). Current research is limiting in the degradation pathways of prominent LCFAs in FOG and the microbial communities responsible for their degradation

The …

Proportioning And Performance Of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (Uhpc) For High Friction Surface Treatment (Hfst) On Pavement And Bridge Decks, Adam R. Biehl

All Theses

High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) is a roadway remediation technique used to improve pavement’s coefficient of friction, to enhance roadway safety. The application of HFSTs has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to significantly reduce crashes in both wet and dry conditions. Typically, epoxy-resins and calcined bauxite aggregate are used in HFST treatment. However, the high material costs and scarcity of calcined bauxite render this form of HFST an expensive and limited option for roadway rehabilitation. Therefore, the identification of alternative binders and HFST aggregates is needed for broad scale implementation. One potential alternative binder is Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC), a specialty cementitious …

Advancing Unmanned Ground Vehicle Path Planning With Quantified Map Uncertainty, Israel Afriyie

All Theses

This thesis addresses the complex challenge of path planning for Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) in areas where traditional navigation systems are inadequate, such as unstructured or off-road military zones. Recognizing the limitations of current path planning algorithms, which primarily focus on optimizing for the shortest path and often fail to account for variability and risks, this research proposes an enhanced Hyperstar algorithm. This approach not only considers the fastest route but also integrates maximum delays and visibility risks into its computation, ensuring a balance between swift mission completion and concealment from adversaries.

Utilizing terrain maps and incorporating uncertainties in map …

Ultra High-Performance Concrete As A High Friction Surface Treatment For Pavements And Bridges, Kyle Maeger

All Dissertations

High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) is a proven technology to reduce crashes on roadways by increasing the coefficient of friction between vehicle tires and the pavement. However, it is an expensive solution due to the high cost of the two commonly used constituent materials, calcined bauxite aggregate and epoxy resin binders.

This study evaluated the abrasion resistance performance of four alternative HFST aggregates to calcined bauxite using Los Angeles Abrasion and Micro-Deval Abrasion tests, and studied the surface texture utilizing a high-resolution laser scanner and friction utilizing the British Pendulum Test.

This study also assessed the performance of non-proprietary Ultra …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence And Augmented Reality For Enhanced Task Performance In The Construction Industry, Aasish Chandrika Bhanu

All Dissertations

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector, characterized by its complex tasks, often faces challenges in adopting cutting-edge technologies, a trend that can significantly hinder productivity improvements compared to other industries. This dissertation explores the emerging integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) within the AEC domain, investigating how effectively this can be implemented to potentially revolutionize industry practices. AI could be used in the AEC domain for advanced analytical and decision-making processes, while AR could be used for training, visualization, and remote collaboration.

In scenarios where construction site workers require expert guidance, these technologies could be helpful. …