Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Accommodating Spatio-Temporal Dependency In Airline Demand Modeling, Sudipta Dey Tirtha, Tanmoy Bhowmik, Naveen Eluru

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objective of the current study is to examine monthly air passenger departures at the airport level considering spatial interactions between airports. In this study, we develop a novel spatial grouped generalized ordered probit (SGGOP) model system of monthly air passenger departures at the airport level. Specifically, we estimate two variants of spatial models including spatial lag model and spatial error model. In the presence of repeated demand measures for the airports, we also consider temporal variations of spatial correlation effects among proximally located airports by employing space and time-based weight matrix. The proposed model is estimated using monthly air …

Risk–Reward Share Allocation Under Different Integrated Project Delivery Relational Structures: A Monte-Carlo Simulation And Cooperative Game Theoretic Solutions Approach, Radwa Eissa, Mohamad Abdul Nabi, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sharing of risks and rewards is considered to be one of the key benefits and principles of integrated project delivery (IPD). Despite its importance, risk–reward strategies are not implemented widely in IPD construction projects due to the lack of a well-defined basis for establishing adequate allocation plans. This paper fills this knowledge gap. This research followed a multistep methodology. First, the authors calculated the risk control valuations of all potential combinations of coalitions for IPD stakeholders. This was performed using interrelated steps of risk identification and quantification, risk assignment based on associated contractual analysis, establishment of a coordination network, and …

Toward Improved Shared Micromobility Implementation: A Data-Driven Approach To Overcome Challenges And Explore Next-Generation Acceptance, Myriam Zakhem

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Rapid transportation advancements over the last several years have resulted in new personal mobility modes, such as shared micromobility (e.g., e-scooters, bikes, and e-bikes). These short-term rental vehicles expand transportation mobility by offering affordable, convenient, and efficient options that are easy to access. The rapid expansion of dockless micromobility systems presents major opportunities and challenges for cities, leading some to ban these services within their jurisdiction. To enhance the effectiveness of dockless shared micromobility services, address challenges created by these services, and achieve better implementation performance, cities need efficacious strategies to tackle major challenges. This dissertation contributes to the body …

Transport Of Multi-Phase Multi-Component Fluids In The Shallow Subsurface Influenced By Soil And Surface Boundary Conditions: Experimental And Numerical Study With Application To Natural Gas Leakage, Navodi Jayarathne

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

With the increased use of Natural Gas (NG) as a source of fuel, underground leak-related events are increasingly reported, and some are fatal. Subsurface migration and development up to flammable limits are highly dependent on leak characteristics, soil, atmospheric variables, and other surface and subsurface structural complexities. Although few studies have characterized the transient behavior of leaked NG in the shallow subsurface, the underlying mechanisms and their interactions are not well understood, which prevents prediction of the impact of environmental and operating conditions on gas migration. The study conducted a series of field scale-controlled release experiments and numerical simulations to …

Guidebook For Project Management, Jill Asher, Keith Caudill, Travis Thompson, Jeff Jasper, Chris Van Dyke, Samantha Wright, Bryan Gibson, Pam Clay-Young, Candice Wallace

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

For the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Department of Highways, project development encompasses all the work activities needed to move a transportation project from concept and project initiation to construction letting. Developing projects efficiently requires the adoption of sound project management practices. Although KYTC has a long track record of executing complex projects, doing so is increasingly challenging due to staff attrition and the attendant loss of institutional knowledge. Today’s entry- and mid-level project managers have more responsibilities than ever but lack a trusted source of guidance to help them manage projects from development through completion. The objective of this study …

Reducing Vehicle Licensing And Titling Fraud, Mallory Brown, Andrew Martin, Jeeyen Koo, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study reviews Kentucky’s vehicle licensing and registration program, evaluates methods of motor vehicle title fraud, examines current anti-fraud mechanisms in Kentucky, reports on vehicle titling and anti-fraud efforts in other states, assesses Ohio’s vehicle inspection program, and develops a proposal for a new Kentucky rebuilt title inspection program. Researchers developed the proposal based on historical Kentucky vehicle registration and titling data, a survey of other states, and other information provided by Kentucky’s Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing and other agency partners. Kentucky historical data revealed consistently high numbers of salvage title applications as well as spatial concentration in rebuilt …

Investigation Of Drying Shrinkage Characteristics In Lightweight Engineered Cementitious Composites, Agnel Mathew, Farhad Aslani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Lightweight engineered cementitious composites (LW-ECCs) not only offer comparable mechanical strengths compared with conventional concrete, but also increase the tensile strain of the composite and exhibit strain-hardening behavior, and can be utilized in weight-critical structures such as buildings in seismically active areas. Hollow glass microsphere is a type of ultra-lightweight inorganic non-metallic hollow sphere and it has been deemed as one of the potential sustainable fillers of cement composites. This study aims to investigate the drying shrinkage behavior of LW-ECCs mix designs incorporating different types of hollow glass microspheres (HGMs). Eight types of HGMs with different densities (0.2–0.6 g/cm3) and …

Mechanistic Empirical Design Of Flexible Pavements For Biopolymer Treated Soils, Vishweshwaran M

Theses and Dissertations

Cognizing the contamination effects of chemical soil modifiers on soil and groundwater, the assessment of the ability of biopolymers to improve the engineering properties of soils has gained attention in the last decade. As a soil additive, biopolymers have the potential to solve the trilemma of sustainability, price and soil suitability. Two polysaccharides and two protein biopolymers have been adopted in this study to enhance the geotechnical properties of fine-grained soils.

Design thickness catalogues were developed for a three-layered flexible pavement using 3D finite element analysis (FEA) and layered elastic analysis. The catalogue aims to provide structurally reliable thickness values …

The Game Of Traffic Lights (Tgotl), Faith Chapman

Posters - 2024

“Computer Science can be applied to nearly ANY field.” In college, and high school especially, the phrase is just that—early comp. sci (CS) students don’t have realworld examples of how/where else they can use CS knowledge outside of CS focused jobs. For high school students, this a missed opportunity to plan for a career outside the obvious. One such career is in traffic lights.

U.S. traffic can be better. Engineering has a subfield dedicated to improving traffic, and part of that entails studying ways to improve traffic lights’ efficacy. Someone with CS knowledge can program a traffic simulator for data …

Probabilistic Alternate Path Analysis Of Steel Moment-Resisting Frames, Esmaeil M. Dehcheshmeh, Vahid Broujerdian, Farhad Aslani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research presents a probabilistic assessment of progressive collapse in intermediate Steel Moment-Resisting Frames (SMRFs) subjected to different levels of column damage. Damage levels were represented by gradual reductions in column stiffness to the extent that tensile forces are created in columns sustaining large deformations, and columns were allowed to enter completely plastic zone. To this aim, low- to mid-rise structures with 4, 8, and 12 stories were examined. The effect of composite slabs on the vertical displacement response of SMRFs was taken as a variable. A number of 11 column damage scenarios were defined with either one or two …

Antibiotic Resistance In Urban Stormwater Runoff And Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Kassidy N. O'Malley

Dissertations (1934 -)

Antibiotic resistance in the environment poses significant risks to human health, especially through the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) via pathways like food and water. Urban stormwater runoff has been identified as a significant contributor to the release and transport of ARGs in the environment but has remained under-researched. This dissertation aimed to address this gap by investigating the fate of ARGs in urban stormwater runoff to guide future stormwater management decisions. Two phases were completed; the first sought to investigate extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) in stormwater runoff, and the second focused on quantifying …

Enhanced Carbohydrate-Based Plastic Performance By Incorporating Cerium-Based Metal-Organic Framework For Food Packaging Application, Shima Jafarzadeh, Mitra Golgoli, Maryam Azizi-Lalabadi, Javad Farahbakhsh, Mehrdad Forough, Navid Rabiee, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The development of biodegradable active packaging films with hydrophobic characteristics is vital for extending the shelf life of food and reducing the reliance on petroleum-based plastics. In this study, novel hydrophobic cerium-based metal-organic framework (Ce-MOF) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. The Ce-MOF nanoparticles were then incorporated into the cassava starch matrix at varying concentrations (0.5 %, 1.5 %, 3 %, and 4 % w/w of total solid) to fabricate cassava-based active packaging films via the solution casting technique. The influence of Ce-MOF on the morphology, thermal attributes, and physicochemical properties of the cassava film was subsequently determined through further analyses. Biomedical …

Adsorbents From Rice Husk And Shrimp Shell For Effective Removal Of Heavy Metals And Reactive Dyes In Water, Md Ibrahim H. Mondal, Shovra C. Chakraborty, Md Saifur Rahman, Shaik M. H. Marjuban, Firoz Ahmed, John L. Zhou, Mohammad B. Ahmed, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Widespread contamination by heavy metals (HMs) and dyes poses a major health risk to people and ecosystems requiring effective treatment. In this work, rice husk (RH) and shrimp shells were extracted to obtain amorphous silica and chitosan, respectively, which were utilized to produce nano-chitosan-coated silica (NCCS). To ensure the stability of the nanoparticles, silica was freeze-dried after being coated with nano-chitosan. Functional groups (–NH2, –OH, P]O) from chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) were introduced to the surface of silica during this process. Dyes such as brilliant green (BG), methylene blue (MB) and reactive brown (RB) as well as HMs (Cr6+, Pb2+, Cd2+, …

Testing Of Recycled Polypropylene As A Viable Structural Material (Quarter 2), Isabella Jimenez-Melendrez, Katherine Timbes, Jocelyn Embleton, Tauni Dela Cruz, Zyra Kingston, Emily Byrd, Jacob Stinger

Architectural Engineering

5.25 trillion plastic particles have been found in the oceans each year, 3 million water bottles are consumed each hour, and one million plastic bags are used each minute in the United States of America (Williams). The vast majority of conventional plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and more, are non-biodegradable (Tokiwa). To make matters worse, 70% of this non-biodegradable plastic is discarded into landfills and inevitably makes its way into the environment (Williams,). Plastic products have become vital to the United States economy due to their many uses in the construction, packaging, transportation, and health care industries. However, this …

2024 Annual Hackathon: Redesigning Safety Head Protection, Olivia Pisani

Construction Management

The Hackathon is an annual event hosted by construction management students at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The event aims to redesign a piece of safety equipment to make it more user-friendly, safe, and enjoyable, and provide equitable safety for all genders. The subject of the hackathon held in April, 2024, was head protection for construction workers, primarily hard hats and helmets. Head protection is a critical PPE item that impacts every worker on a job site - which is why it was chosen for a redesign. The 2024 hackathon event was centered around inviting industry members …

Cal Poly's Old Powerhouse Analysis Assessing Stakeholder Preferences, Marissa D. Burns

Construction Management

This research paper delves into the historical and cultural relevance of Cal Poly’s Old Powerhouse, the college’s oldest architectural landmark, which has remained in a state of disuse since the 1990s. Employing meticulous survey methodology; perspectives from faculty, staff, alumni, students, and community members are gathered to illustrate the significance of the Old Powerhouse within the various stakeholders. The study refrains from imposing interpretation but rather seeks to capture the sentiments expressed by stakeholders, providing valuable insights into the building’s perceived value. By centering on the community opinions, the research will underscore the building’s potential and expand on the collected …

Skip The Grid: Delivering Solar Energy In The Navajo Nation, Lance Brack

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary service-learning project to install solar energy systems on dwellings in the Navajo Nation. This project is a large collaboration between students from 7 different majors at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), SOLV Energy, the educational equity non-profit, Heart of America (HOA), and many industry and community sponsors. Through HOA, Skip the Grid targets homes of school age children that have limited or no access to electricity. On March 24, 2024, a group of 20 Cal Poly students traveled to Farmington, New Mexico to begin collaboration with the Consolidated School District. Over the following …

The Impact Of Disc In Construction Dialogue, Michelle W. Li

Construction Management

Personality tests look to categorize individuals based on their values, identity, psychological traits, and/or perspectives. The DISC (dominance, influential, steady, complaint) assessment is one of the major personality tests. Multiple industries like healthcare and sales have utilized DISC to foster better overall communication from work relations and positive success. Construction management (CM) is a similar industry with heavy emphasis on influence and focus. Utilizing DISC in the construction industry can achieve similar effects to the healthcare and sales industry. To analyze the potential effectiveness of DISC in the construction industry, a survey was distributed to one class of CM majors …

Safety Evaluation Of Hawaii Dot Modified Type A-1 Flared Buried In Backslope Guardrail End Terminal, Sina Changizian

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) desired to evaluate the crashworthiness of a guardrail end terminal design in which the upstream guardrail anchorage was connected to a block partially buried in a cut slope, known as a “Buried in Backslope” or BIB design. The HDOT BIB system used an upper W-beam with 8-in. deep blockouts attached to W6x9 steel posts and a lower W-beam rubrail located 3 in. below the upper rail. The system used two horizontal flares: 7.4:1 near the upstream anchor block and a 13:1 flare through the ditch.

Critical impact points (CIPs) were identified and recommended for …

Thermo-Elasto-Plastic Stability Of Biaxially Loaded Hollow Rectangular Section Steel Beam-Columns With Applied Torsion, George Adomako Kumi

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Presented herein is an experimental and theoretical study of biaxially loaded hollow rectangular section steel beam-columns with applied torsion at elevated temperatures. The theoretical analysis is based on a system of simultaneous materially nonlinear differential equations of equilibrium for which an iterative semi-analytic solution approach is formulated. Although the primary goal of this research is to study the influence of elevated temperatures on the steel member with the complex loading, rigorous analysis is also conducted of the member at ambient temperature for comparison. The experimental part of the study involves conducting tests on the members at both ambient and high …

Advancing Data-Driven Decision Making For Transportation Safety: Emerging Trends, Statistical Modeling, And Causal Inference, Guocong Zhai

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Despite recent advances in data-driven decision-making for transportation safety, there remain potential biases in the decision-making for emerging trends (i.e., shared mobility, safe systems, vehicle electrification, and equity) in transportation. In that case, this dissertation aims to facilitate robust and equitable data-driven decision-making in transportation safety, addressing the potential biases: 1) spatial and inherent correlations across different types of crashes, 2) measurement error biases of exposures, 3) confounding biases, and 4) disparity biases in transportation safety.

To be more specific, four research objectives are demonstrated below. Chapter 3 assessed the safety performance of taxi and ride-hailing services by a multivariate …

Modeling The Impact Of Connected And Automated Vehicles On Driving Behaviors And Safety: A Driving Simulator Study, Abdalziz Alruwaili

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Connected vehicles (CVs), equipped with advanced sensors, can communicate safety messages to drivers. Automated vehicles (AVs), designed with the ability to automate safety critical control functions, will redefine the traditional role of drivers. This dissertation aims to investigate the impact of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) on driving behaviors and safety outcomes using data from driving simulator experiments. More specifically, the research objectives include:

1. Modeling the impacts of CVs on driving aggressiveness and situational awareness in highway crash scenarios.

2. Modeling the impacts of CV technologies on driving behaviors and safety outcomes in highway crash scenarios under diverse weather …

Dynamic Soil-Structure Response And Failure Of Wood Utility Poles Under Hurricane-Force Wind And Non-Linear Cable Loads, Ramani Ayakannu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents the outcome of a study of the dynamic soil-structure interaction response of tapered wood utility poles embedded in various foundation soils subject to quasi-static and dynamic wind loads. The study includes the effects of nonlinear soil behavior with varying quantities of moisture and nonlinear cable tension loads on a class H1 wood pole. The natural frequency response of the pole is determined using a finite element formulation. The dynamic response in the presence of wind-induced forcing function is studied using a SAP2000 finite element scheme with wind speeds up to 220 mph. The natural frequency of the …

Stability And Strength Of Glass Frp Beam-Columns With Biaxial Bending And Torsion Including Shear And Warping Deformations, Emad M. Amin

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Presented herein is a study of the stability and strength of pultruded glass fiber reinforced polymer (Glass FRP) beam-columns with an I-shaped cross section subjected to biaxial bending and torsion including shear and warping deformations. Three coupled differential equations of equilibrium including second-order effects and geometric imperfections are formulated and solved using a finite-difference scheme. Laboratory experiments are also conducted on glass FRP members with applied torsion; axial load; combined axial load with biaxial bending; and combined axial load, biaxial bending and torsional moment, respectively, for comparison to the theoretical predictions. The theoretical results agreed well with the experiments for …

Biochar For Heavy Metal Removal In Water: Opportunities, Challenges, And Sustainable Solutions, Pushpita Kumkum

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The presence of heavy metals in drinking water is a significant concern due to the harmful impacts it can have on human health. Biochar has emerged as a low-cost alternative to activated carbon for lead (Pb) adsorption due to its porous structure and high surface-to-volume ratio. The last 10 years of studies have been reviewed to investigate the biochar production, activation methods, kinetic, adsorption isotherms, mechanism, regeneration, and adsorption capacities to guide future researchers and practitioners in using biochar to remove Pb from water. However, several challenges hinder the actual application of biochar as an adsorbent. These challenges include variability …

Elasto-Plastic Behavior Of Single-Story Single-Bay Orthogonal Steel Space Frame Under Angular Earthquake, Mohammad Hamayoun Stanikzai

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A study of the elasto-plastic behavior of single-story single-bay orthogonal steel space frame under an angular earthquake ground motion is investigated. The building frame is subjected to a horizontal earthquake ground motion not aligned with the building’s principal axes. Such a frame can develop biaxial bending and torsion in its members. The governing differential equations of equilibrium for the typical biaxially loaded sway beam-column are presented and iteratively solved using a finite-difference scheme. The effects of warping and residual stresses are accounted for in the analysis. The equations are used to predict the quasi-static elasto-plastic response of the frame when …

Combine Effects Of Heavy Storm, Sea Level Rise, And Wind-Induced Surge On Flooding In A Low-Gradient Coastal Watershed In Eastern Virginia, Rutvik Rajendrabhai Patel

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines and presents mechanisms of flooding in a low-gradient coastal watershed, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. The watershed comprises the North Landing River watershed and the West Neck Creek watershed, both characterized by a low topographic gradient. The analysis relied on examining simulations generated using one-dimensional and two-dimensional HEC-RAS models. These models were developed using a 1-m digital elevation model (DEM) obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). To calibrate and validate the models, unsteady flows resulting from historical hurricanes (e.g., Matthew, Sandy, and Isabel), southern winds, and/or rising sea levels were utilized. Some flows were caused …

Quasi-Static And Impact Load Response Of Bfrp-Reinforced Concrete Beams And Post-Terrorist-Attack Sub-Assemblages, José Luis Carrasquillo

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents the outcome of a theoretical and experimental study of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) reinforced concrete beams and post-terrorist-attack subassemblages subjected to either quasi-static or impact load. Both BFRP reinforcement as well as BFRP fabric are used in this investigation. The sub-assemblage consists of an otherwise two-span beam converted to a fixed-end single-span one owing to the loss of a middle column blasted off during the terrorist attack. The simply supported beams are subjected to a midspan quasistatic or an impact load. However, each sub-assemblage is subjected to a quasi-static load up to collapse to simulate the …

Dunne Hall Redesign, Isabel Andaya, Rianna Maulino, Jason Uechi

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

As Santa Clara University expands its community, more on-campus residence halls are needed to support the growing student population. Constructing brand new residence halls using traditional framing could take months or years, interrupting the academic environment and campus aesthetic. This demands technology that can speed up construction time. A proposed solution is to use modular construction, or construction that is partially or fully assembled before it is delivered to site. This paper will explore the feasibility of using modular construction to build a residence hall within a three (3) month summer quarter, when campus is less active and less student …

Design Of Sustainable & Affordable Housing For Disadvantaged Communities In Nicaragua, Guillermo Terán

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

Addressing Nicaragua's urgent housing needs, this project transforms a conventional CMU block design into a sustainable and affordable model using local, structural bamboo and adobe plaster. It includes appropriate member size connections, local-code compliant construction drawings, cost estimation and logistics, offering an eco-friendly, affordable housing solution for local communities. The scope of this project can be emphasized with the three words from the project title which are design, sustainable & affordable. The design aspect of this project involved producing detailed architectural and engineering drawings for the housing model, incorporating structural design to ensure the safety, stability and durability of the …