Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Assessing Flooding Impact To Riverine Bridges: An Integrated Analysis, Maria Pregnolato, Andrew O. Winter, Dakota Mascarenas, Andrew D. Sen, Paul Bates, Michael R. Motley

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Flood events are the most frequent cause of damage to infrastructure compared to any other natural hazard, and global changes (climate, socioeconomic, technological) are likely to increase this damage. Transportation infrastructure systems are responsible for moving people, goods and services, and ensuring connection within and among urban areas. A failed link in these systems can impact the community by threatening evacuation capability, recovery operations and the overall economy. Bridges are critical links in the wider urban system since they are associated with little redundancy and a high (re)construction cost. Riverine bridges are particularly prone to failure during flood events; in …

Comparing Actively Managed Mutual Fund Categories To Index Funds Using Linear Regression Forecasting And Portfolio Optimization, Luke Weiner

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The global investment industry offers a wide variety of investment products especially for individual investors. One such product, index funds, which are younger than actively managed mutual funds, have typically outperformed managed funds. Despite this phenomenon, investors have displayed a tendency to continue investing in actively managed funds. Although only a small percentage of actively managed funds outperform index funds, the costs of actively managed funds are significantly higher. Also, managed fund performances are most often determined by their fund category such as growth or real estate. I wanted to answer the following question for individual investors: can we …

Improving Efficiency At El Paso Water Canal Plant, Angel Bustamante

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

AbstractThis project focused on the savings associated with filter backwash and rewash water at the Canal plant. Canal plant is a conventional surface water plant owned and operated by El Paso Water. Approximately 330,000 gallons of backwash water and 84,500 gallons of rewash water are lost daily during normal operational conditions. The combined 414,500 gallons of water are equivalent to 1.27 acre feet per day. During a full eight-month surface water season, this is 305 acre feet. With the goal of optimizing the plant, residuals waste streams can be recycled to the head of the treatment plant. However, there is …

Utilizing Shockwave Theory And Deep Learning To Estimate Intersection Traffic Flow And Queue Length Based On Connected Vehicle Data., Abdulmaged Algomaiah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The development of Connected Vehicles (CV) facilitates the use of trajectory data to estimate queue length and traffic volume at signalized intersections. The previously proposed models involved additional information that may require conducting different types of data collection. Also, most models need higher market penetration rate or more than a vehicle per cycle to provide adequate estimation. This is mainly because a significant number of the estimation models utilized only queued vehicles. However, the state of motion in non-queued vehicles, particularly slowed-down vehicles, provides much information about the traffic characteristics. There is a lack of exploiting the information from slowed-down …

Data Linkage For Crash-Injury Outcome Assessment., Aryan Hosseinzadeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Traffic crash reports lack detailed information about emergency medical service (EMS) responses, the injuries, and the associated treatments, limiting the ability of safety analysts to account for that information. Integrating data from other sources can enable a better understanding of the characteristics of serious crashes and further explain variance in injury outcomes. In this thesis, first, a heuristic approach is proposed and implemented to link crash data to EMS run data, patient care reports, and trauma registry data. Next, the method was adapted through larger datasets in a statewide linkage effort. The performance of the heuristic method was compared …

Repair And Strengthening Of Concrete Bridges Using Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (Uhpc), Antony Kodsy

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Reinforced/Prestressed concrete bridges are subjected to environmental effects that cause premature deterioration and require structural repair and strengthening during their service life. Currently 42% of bridges in the United States are at least 50 years old, and 7.5% of them are structurally deficient and need to be repaired/strengthened. Recently, new repair and strengthening techniques using Ultra-High-Performance concrete (UHPC) have shown a great potential with respect to performance, economy, and speed. UHPC is a new class of concrete that has mechanical and durability properties that are far superior to those of conventional concrete (CC). In addition, UHPC offers several advantages compared …

Fate And Transport Of Toxoplasma Gondii Oocysts In Saturated Porous Media: Effects Of Electrolytes And Natural Organic Matter, Christian Pullano

All Theses

Toxoplasma gondii is a pathogenic microorganism that is currently a threat to public health. Understanding the fate and transport of T. gondii through the soil and groundwater is vital in determining the risk it poses to water resources and human health. The physico-chemical interactions between the groundwater and the bio colloid within an aquifer will dictate its mobility and its ability to infect humans. This research examines how various naturally occurring groundwater chemistries containing organic compounds and monovalent and divalent salt solutions will alter the fate and transport of T. gondii. Solutions containing various concentrations of humic acid, fulvic …

Strain-Based Design Of Steel-Polymer-Steel Composite Pipes, Vul Thang

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Many offshore single-wall pipelines and structural failures have occurred in the past. As a result, lives were lost, and billions of dollars were spent. In addition, natural disasters such as earthquake fault zones can cause a large volume of soil movement. This can easily damage single-wall pipelines or piles of fixed offshore platforms in the earthquake fault zone.

Currently, the single-wall pipelines are used for the offshore and onshore oil and gas industry. This research investigated the use of double-wall composite pipe steel-polymer-steel (SPS) in place of single-wall pipe to prevent such failures. The double-wall composite pipe has a larger …

Behavior Of Axially-Restrained Reinforced Concrete Beams Under High Sustained Loads, Ghazaleh Mehdikhan Laleh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Following column failure in a reinforced concrete (RC) frame structure, a progressive collapse may result if the beams supported by the failed column cannot generate an alternate path to carry the redistributed gravity loads. Past studies of the collapse resistance of RC frame beams were limited to their short-time load-carrying capacity. Axially restrained frame beams experience a compressive arch action as a beneficial load-resisting mechanism not considered in a conventional structural design. Due to the compressive arch action, the column failure may not cause an immediate collapse; however, gravity loads still act on the damaged structure, inducing high sustained stresses …

Exploring The Effects Of Varied Land Use On Elemental Concentrations Within Streams, Logan Jennings

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

It is well documented that human activity influences the chemistry of surrounding waters. As such, it is possible that there is a link between land use within a watershed and the chemical composition of the stream. The objectives of this study are to determine if varied land use does affect the concentrations of macronutrients and trace elements present in the streams of Northwest Arkansas, and if so, to determine what extent urban and agricultural development are responsible for these changes. Water samples were collected across 19 streams in the Northwest Arkansas region between January and March of 2022. Water samples …

An Investigation Of Water Obstructions And Related Weather Conditions For Nebraska Roadways, Mark R. Anderson, Logan R. Bundy

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Roadway resilience across the 10,000 miles of road and 3,500 bridges in Nebraska is critical to the economic success of productionand logistics. In a state where historical flooding scenarios, such as the one in March 2019 that caused $150 million in damage,could potentially be increasing, it has become essential to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of high-frequency waterobstruction areas on roadways. Therefore, in order to further investigate these areas, the main objectives of this research were toperform statistical and spatial analyses to quantify the relationship between water obstructions and their associated meteorologicalconditions, and identify the potential linkages between water …

Estimating System And Traveler Costs Due To Lane Closures During Construction And Maintenance Operations, Ernest Tufuor, Li Zhao, Mm Haque, Laurence Rilett Ph.D., John Anderson, Eric Thompson

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Lane closures are used to facilitate activities related to road construction and maintenance or operations. However, there are economic costs associated with lane closures and these may accrue to both the traveling public as well as to traffic agencies. The Nebraska Governor’s office has identified maximizing the effectiveness of lane closures as a priority for the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT). The goal of this project is to assist NDOT in effectively managing the operations of work zones to maximize the effectiveness of lane closures under Nebraska conditions. This report summarizes the findings of the current state of the practice …

Estimating System And Traveler Costs Due To Lane Closures During Construction And Maintenance Operations, Ernest Tufuor, Lianlin Zhao, Mm Shakiul Haque, Laurence Rilett, John Anderson, Eric Thompson

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Lane closures are used to facilitate activities related to road construction and maintenance or operations. However, there are economic costs associated with lane closures and these may accrue to both the traveling public as well as to traffic agencies. The Nebraska Governor’s office has identified maximizing the effectiveness of lane closures as a priority for the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT). The goal of this project is to assist NDOT in effectively managing the operations of work zones to maximize the effectiveness of lane closures under Nebraska conditions. This report summarizes the findings of the current state of the practice …

An Extraction Method To Quantify The Fraction Of Extracellular And Intracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes In Aquatic Environments, Kassidy N. O'Malley, Walter M. Mcdonald, Patrick J. Mcnamara

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

As the abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes increases in the environment, there is a concurrent increase in the threat to public and ecosystem health. Extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) are cell-free DNA that can promote the development of antibiotic resistance via transformation by competent bacterial cells. Despite this role, eARGs have not been well characterized in different environmental waters. Their small size and low concentrations in some aquatic environments render them difficult to extract. The aim of this research was to modify an eARG extraction method to determine the abundance of both eARGs and intracellular ARGs (iARGs) in …

The Control Strategies Of Brominated Organic Disinfection By-Products: Adsorption With Pre-Chlorination And Photodegradation, Cagri Utku Erdem

All Dissertations

Increasing water pollution, scarcity, and seasonal events force water treatment plants to improve existing treatment techniques and/or implement new methods to enhance drinking water treatment and comply with disinfection by-product (DBP) regulations. A limited number of studies examine the pre-chlorination prior to activated carbon (AC) adsorption for the removal of DBP precursors, and there are no comprehensive and representative treatment conditions in current literature. Although many studies investigated photodegradation of individual DBPs by low pressure ultraviolet (UV₂₅₄) light, there is still lack of information and limited understanding of photodegradation of total organic halogens and practical implications of UV …

Reconstruction Of As-Built Civil Infrastructure Using Lidar To Support Digital Twin Visualization, Jose Luis Lugo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Digital twin (DT) technology is state-of-the-art for engineering processes using a virtual model of a physical system with near real-time data exchange (either fully or semi-automated) during the process (collection and feedback). The potential of DT for as-built civil infrastructure remains relatively unexplored. To achieve the expectation of a DT, three main capacities must be met: (1) accurate virtual twin of physical asset (2) continuous data acquisition and data management (3) automated or semi-automated decision making from the data exchange. The challenge addressed herein is to determine a feasible approach to create an accurate virtual model (efficiently) from light detection …

Equity Driven Data Analysis For Public Transportation Planning, Gerardo Ivan Valenzuela Mendoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Existing public transportation planning methods use a trip-based approach rather than a user-based approach; a user-based approach is sensitive to a broader range of planning strategies and policies, especially those that affect or take into consideration how users spend their time and resources. Even though transportation planning agencies such as Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are required to strive for environmental and social justice, there is still a gap that needs to be filled. Urban population growth and urbanization with its impact on public planning require continuous research to address the constantly evolving challenges when it comes to transportation. As cities …

Paso Robles Police Department Shooting Range Shade Structure, Evan Marshall Cogswell

Construction Management

The Paso Robles Police Department has been a partner for multiple senior projects working to develop improvements for their shooting range. The shooting range is used extensively by officers year-round, with the climate being hot in the summer and rainy in the winter. We wanted to provide a shade structure located between the two shipping containers used for storage so that the officers would have a sheltered place to provide instruction, clean their weapons, and rest in between rounds on the range. This type of project was new to all three of us in the group – Parker Smith, Kevin …

Electrochromic Windows: Return On Investment Analysis, Thomas Michael Caprio

Construction Management

In recent years, sustainability in construction has become a topic of undeniable interest. With sustainability certifications becoming more prominent and desirable, members of the construction industry have begun to seek alternatives for standard systems to keep up with market trends. One of the main issues that the construction industry faces is accessibility of technology. While there are new products and technologies being released frequently, members of the construction industry lack knowledge on the specific details and implications of working with newer systems. One piece of technology that was recently introduced is electrochromic glass, or smart glass. Electrochromic windows analyze sunlight …

Precast Concrete Manufacturing Business Plan, John F. Will Jr.

Construction Management

The Central Coast of California has been under development since the Great Recession of 2008. Throughout this development, there has been an exceedingly high demand for precast concrete products, specifically in the civil sector of the construction industry. These products are being utilized by more and more by contractors around the world. This demand has emerged from the lack of concrete product manufacturers in this region of California. This project introduces a business plan for a new precast concrete product manufacturer by the name of J.W. Concrete Products LLC. The objective of this business plan is to reflect the benefits …

Installation Of Electrical System For Paso Robles Police Department, Jacob M. Studebaker, Peter D. Strykers

Construction Management

This paper outlines the process that Peter Strykers and Jacob Studebaker went through to set up the lighting and power system for the Paso Robles Police Department gun range located off highway 46. Before our installation, the gun range had zero lighting so the officers could not use it after sunset. We allowed the officers to light the gun range with outdoor LED lights, light up both the storage units on site, and have access to multiple outlets inside and out of the storage units. The power source that the electrical system runs on comes from a Kubota generator because …

Installation Of Electrical System For Paso Robles Police Department, Peter D. Strykers, Jacob M. Studebaker

Construction Management

This paper outlines the process that Peter Strykers and Jacob Studebaker went through to set up the lighting and power system for the Paso Robles Police Department gun range located off highway 46. Before our installation, the gun range had zero lighting so the officers could not use it after sunset. We allowed the officers to light the gun range with outdoor LED lights, light up both the storage units on site, and have access to multiple outlets inside and out of the storage units. The power source that the electrical system runs on comes from a Kubota generator because …

Calcium Ferrite As A Semiconductor For Microbially Assisted Photocatalytic Reduction Of Carbon Dioxide, Lauren King

Honors Scholar Theses

The pressing issue of global climate change has been found to be attributed to the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide. One mitigation idea to close the carbon loop is to utilize redox reactions and photocatalysis to reduce carbon dioxide to a useable fuel source, like methane or methanol. This thesis will study the possibility of using calcium ferrite as the semiconductor to perform photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide with the assistance of a microbial fuel cell, which will help minimize the energy required from sunlight photons. A calcium ferrite thin film was produced through …

Forecasting Salinity In The Laguna Madre Using Deep Learning, Martin J. Flores Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Salinity is an important metric in the Laguna Madre for establishing the long term health of the local ecological population. By utilizing Deep Learning (DL) techniques, the predicted and forecasted salinity in the Laguna Madre is generated from data provided by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-Aqua satellite.

Currently, only one other DL model has been used to forecast Sea Surface Salinity (SSS), being a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN). However, the RNN model requires the prediction of a full area of salinity to function.

As such, several model architectures were tested, with the best one, being a Multi-input MPNN, utilized …

Hydrologic Modeling Study To Determine Hydrologic Impact Of Resacas On The Lower Laguna Madre Watershed, Antonio L. Reyna

Theses and Dissertations

During a high intensity storm events, a series of catastrophic events occur. These catastrophic events include flooding and destruction of infrastructure. Engineers have determined a method to design for high intensity storms based off hydrologic analysis of previous storms. With this data engineers can determine the outflow of major rivers and streams that may impact infrastructure. By determining the watershed engineers can predict the flow of the water and as well as the location of the outfall. In the Rio Grande Valley, water quality is very important because after rain events stormwater from cities is carried out towards the Laguna …

Water Quality Monitoring To Assess Pollutant Loadings In Brownsville Ship Channel Watershed, Ivan Rene Santos Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

The Brownsville Ship Channel (BSC) was listed as an impaired waterway from 2010 to 2018 due to screening levels of bacteria concentration. This study aims to address water quality at the three main tributary ditches draining into Brownsville Ship Channel to model present along with future pollutant loads within Brownsville Ship Channel Watershed. Load Duration Curves (LDCs) and Spatial Explicit Load Enrichment Calculation Tool (SELECT) models were developed to determine if current pollutant loads meet water quality standards stablished by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and to estimate average daily potential E. Coli loading contribution from sub-watersheds within …

Building Services Engineering May/June 2022

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Detailing Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Anchorage For Shear Strengthening, Paul Joseph Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) have increased in popularity in the repair and strengthening of reduced shear capacity of concrete bridges. Significant design challenges arise when using CFRP to repair or strengthen bridge girders as the top faces of girders are in contact with decking (i.e. the members cannot be fully wrapped). A full wrap laminates all faces with CFRP and ensures that the failure mode is governed by shear fracture combined with, or followed by, fracture of the CFRP. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Structural Design Manual permits three-sided wrapping schemes (i.e. U-wraps), but the CFRP must be …

Quantifying Responsiveness In The Vaccine Industry To Evaluate And Improve Pandemic Response, Connor Hill

Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of the pandemic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) we can look at many aspects of the global response, including social, scientific, and governmental. Current research in the areas of vaccine development and manufacturing find the process of developing a new vaccine takes an especially long time and is unresponsive. Understanding the factors that influence responsiveness can help organizations be better prepared to address the needs of society should another pandemic strike. Responsiveness can be linked to product, process, and volume. The vaccine development and manufacturing process historically takes years to reach distribution for public use. …

Floating Treatment Wetlands For Brackish Waters: Plant Selection And Nutrient Uptake Potential., Andrea Landaverde

All Theses

Brackish water bodies in coastal regions provide critical ecosystem services that support human and environmental health. Anthropogenic activities such as agricultural and industrial activities, construction, urban settlements, and tourism contribute to increased inputs of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in brackish coastal ecosystems. Excess nutrients can lead to impaired water quality and affect marine organisms. Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are a vegetated-base technology used to remove contaminants from water column, that has been mainly studied and applied in freshwater systems. Application of FTWs in brackish systems requires further investigation, as high salinity in brackish waters could result in toxicity to …