Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Analysis Of Spatial Discrepancies Between 76-Foot Close Range Photogrammetric And Terrestrial-Lidar Models, Abdoul K. Ouangre

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study presents an analysis of the accuracy of a 3D model generated by two different methods. In the first method, the 3D model is generated via Laser Scanning. In the second method, the 3D model is generated via Close-range Photogrammetry from a drone flying at 76 feet above the ground. Photogrammetry is a photo-based technique that uses images to generate 3D models of objects where distances could be extracted from. Close-range photogrammetry is the approach of generating a 3D model from a camera placed anywhere between 1 foot and 1000 feet relative to the object. Terrestrial LiDAR is the …

Parametric Study On Environmental Friendly Blast Wall Systems, Mariam Ehab, Aya Elhozayen

Civil Engineering

Protecting people and structures against blast loading that can happen due to several reasons such as wars, terrorism or even accidental explosions, has become of great concern during the last decade. Blast walls is considered as one of the most effective ways to protect important structures against such hazards. However, limitation in technology of construction using high –technology blast wall systems are a huge obstacle specially in developed countries. Moreover, using high-technology materials in construction industry are very polluting process along with the high expenses during construction phase. As a result, designers tend to propose solutions with readily available materials …

Corrosion Resistance Performance Investigation Of Mild Steel Bar Coated With Magnesium Phosphate Cement Paste, Fan Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

"In this research study, the anti-corrosion mechanism of reinforcement embedded in magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC) is explored. In addition, one type of additives, metakaolin, and one type of retarder, boric acid, are employed in MKPC to modify its properties in order to further investigate corrosion resistance and to achieve mass-production coating reinforcement at the work site. This coating method may be practical for some underwater construction and some traditional reinforcement concrete structures to reduce the reinforcement corrosion rate and to eventually extend service life in both repair and new construction applications.

By comparing the electrochemical properties of bare ribbed …

Multifunctional Behaviors Of Two-Dimensional Materials And Their Composites, Yanxiao Li

Doctoral Dissertations

"Two-dimensional (2D) materials, including graphene, transition metal carbides or nitrides (TMC/Ns), have rich surface chemistry, superb electrical and mechanical properties. These unique properties make them ideal for multifunctional devices. Among them, we focused on graphene and TMC/Ns (i.e., MXenes), as well as their composites. Unlike the well-known graphene, MXenes, are relatively new and typically synthesized by the selective etching of the “A” layers from the layered carbides and /or nitrides known as MAX phases, which introduce MXenes with rich terminal groups (e.g. -O-, -OH, -F).

During my Ph.D. study, firstly, the adhesive and frictional behaviors, which are related to successful …

Evaluating Essential Processes And Forecast Requirements For Meteotsunami-Induced Coastal Flooding, Chenfu Huang, Eric Anderson, Yi Liu, Gangfeng Ma, Greg Mann, Pengfei Xue

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Meteotsunamis pose a unique threat to coastal communities and often lead to damage of coastal infrastructure, deluge of nearby property, and loss of life and injury. The Great Lakes are a known hot-spot of meteotsunami activity and serve as an important region for investigation of essential hydrodynamic processes and model forecast requirements in meteotsunami-induced coastal flooding. For this work, we developed an advanced hydrodynamic model and evaluate key model attributes and dynamic processes, including: (1) coastal model grid resolution and wetting and drying process in low-lying zones, (2) coastal infrastructure, including breakwaters and associated submerging and overtopping processes, (3) annual/seasonal …

Experimental Analysis And Computer Simulation Of A Laboratory-Scale Intermittent Water Supply System, Brian Rivers

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Intermittent water systems (IWS) are prevalent throughout developing regions of the world. However, few tools exist to predict IWS performance because modeling transient flow is difficult: IWS networks can experience widely fluctuating conditions, ranging from completely empty to completely full (pressurized flow). An experimental IWS, consisting of a 50.75-gallon reservoir, an elevated distribution network, and four outlets was constructed to study the hydraulics of IWS. Three experiments were run on the system that represented two falling-head scenarios and a constant-head scenario. Computer simulation models of the experimental IWS were developed in EPANET 2.2.0 and EPA-SWMM 5.1, which are open-source modeling …

Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Mitigation From Contaminated Groundwater Using Halophyte And Cow Bone Biochars, Bailey Papes

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) groundwater contamination is a growing concern for the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility. Two of the four wells onsite are contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). The removal of PFAS by adsorption onto powder activated carbon (PAC) is promising, but the production of PAC is energy intensive and expensive. A potential cost-effective alternative to PAC is biochar. This study quantified the capacities of two halophyte biochars, cow bone biochar and PAC to adsorb PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS from brackish groundwater. The three biochars were ineffective at …

Simulating Groundwater Pollutant Transport For Remediation Design, Antrim County, Michigan, Abilynn Raetz

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Located in Antrim County, Michigan between the coasts of Torch Lake and Lake Michigan is a hydrocarbon plume that has impacted surrounding residential wells. The plume is comprised of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) and primarily resides in the shallowest groundwater aquifer. The plume is suspected of having originated from an underground storage container that was removed in 1979. A conceptual model was developed for the site, comprising of a simplified hydrogeological model. Groundwater modeling was performed using Aquaveo's groundwater modeling software (GMS). PEST parameter calibration was performed on the hydraulic conductivity and recharge values using data from surrounding …

The Role Of Inclusion In Climate Vulnerability Assessment And Equitable Adaptation Goals In Small American Municipalities, Elena Lioubimtseva

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Equity and inclusion considerations are important prerequisites of effective climate adaptation planning, especially at a local scale. This study examines how climate adaptation plans of small American cities and counties consider equity in their climate vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning goals and how consideration of equity in existing adaptation plans relates to the inclusion of diverse categories of stakeholders. Data analysis is based on the content of 23 local climate adaptation plans of small urban and rural municipalities across the United States with populations of less than 300 thousand people. Correlations between conceptualization of vulnerability dimensions, inclusion of 9 categories …

ประสิทธิภาพตัวกลางดูดซับสำหรับกำจัดสารหนูจากน้ำบาดาลในพื้นที่จังหวัดระยอง, วรรณพศุกร์ สิทธิผล

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาประสิทธิภาพตัวกลางดูดซับสำหรับกำจัดสารหนูจากน้ำบาดาล โดยศึกษาตัวกลางดูดซับ 3 กลุ่ม คือ วัสดุโครงข่ายโลหะอินทรีย์ วัสดุที่มีทางการค้า และวัสดุทางการเกษตร โดยถ่านกัมมันต์ทางการค้าชนิดเกล็ด (Granular activated carbon, GAC) ถูกนำมาปรับสภาพด้วยสารปรับสภาพ 2 ชนิด ได้แก่ การเคลือบด้วย Zeolitic idazolate framework และเหล็กไนเตรท ส่วนถ่านมันสำปะหลังถูกปรับสภาพพื้นผิวด้วยเหล็กไนเตรท จากการศึกษาประสิทธิภาพการดูดซับสารหนูเบื้องต้นเพื่อคัดเลือกวัสดุที่มีความเหมาะสมในการนำไปใช้งานในระบบคอลัมน์พบว่า ถ่านกัมมันต์ทางการค้าชนิดเกล็ดที่ปรับสภาพด้วยเหล็กไนเตรท (GAC-120-250Fe) มีความเหมาะสมในการนำไปใช้งานในระบบคอลัมน์เนื่องจากมีความสามารถในการดูดซับสารหนูได้เพียงพอ มีความแข็งแรงของโครงสร้างอนุภาค และมีการชะละลายเหล็กและสารอินทรีย์ละลายน้ำต่ำ ผลการศึกษาจลนพลศาสตร์และไอโซเทอร์มการดูดซับสารหนูของ GAC-120-250Fe พบว่า สอดคล้องกับสมการอันดับสองเทียมและสมการของฟรุนดลิช ตามลำดับ การวิเคราะห์การชะละลายของเหล็กและสารอินทรีย์ละลายน้ำพบว่าค่าทั้งสองมีค่าต่ำกว่ามาตรฐานน้ำบาดาลดื่มได้ ส่วนการศึกษาการดูดซับในระบบคอลัมน์พบว่า การเพิ่มความสูงของชั้นตัวกลางดูดซับส่งผลให้เวลาในการผลิตน้ำจนถึงความเข้มข้นเบรกทรู (Breakthrough) เพิ่มมากขึ้นและเป็นไปตามสมการของโบฮาร์ท-อดัมส์ โดยเส้นกราฟเบรกทรูที่ได้จากการทดลองสอดคล้องกับแบบจำลองของโทมัส ค่าอัตราการใช้ตัวกลางดูดซับ (Usage rate) และค่าเวลาสัมผัส (EBCT) ที่ให้ประสิทธิภาพการดูดซับสารหนูสูงสุดได้แก่ 286.2 มิลลิลิตรต่อกรัม และ 15.7 นาที ตามลำดับ ที่อัตราเร็วการไหลที่ 0.51 เซนติเมตรต่อนาที

Implementation And Usage Of Low-Cost Turbines For Power Generation In Water Networks, Luis Javier Ortiz Osornio

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The following APP is part of an investigation and development, carried out to design, and implement a hydroelectric turbine of horizontal axis, in order to generate electrical energy in rural areas, utilizing existing infrastructure or natural waterways such as irrigation canals, piping, rivers and streams. Every industrialized country, as well as, most of the developing nations, have a stake in agriculture and thus access to the infrastructure required for irrigation purposes. Artificial irrigation canals offer advantages such as a clean continuous flow, with the possibility of flow regulation: this together with their vast availability as agricultural infrastructure constitute the main …

Definition And Detection Of Hypervulnerabilities Using A Framework For Assessing Port Resilience, Katherine Smith, Rafael Diaz, Yuzhong Shen, Francesco Longo

VMASC Publications

Long term plans for maritime ports are identifying investments that will increase their capacity while decreasing their environmental footprint and operating costs. These changes are leading to increases in complexity at a time when leaner practices are driving investments to become more strategic. As such, this work proposes a generalized definition that allows a system or entity to be classified as exceedingly vulnerable by comparing it to other entities. This definition is developed from a set of definitions gathered from disparate fields. From this definition grounded in theory, the initial rules for complex system implementation are developed and demonstrated on …

Tension-Stiffening Effect Consideration For Modeling Deflection Of Cracked Reinforced Uhpc Beams, Le Teng, Rongling Zhang, Kamal Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tension-stiffening effects can significantly influence the flexural performance of cracked reinforced concrete specimens. Such effect is amplified for fiber-reinforced concrete, given the fact that fibers can bridge the cracks. The objective of this study was to develop a model to predict the deflection of cracked reinforced ultra-high performance concrete (R-UHPC) beam elements. The modeling approach characterized the average bending moment of inertia by combining the existing model used for conventional reinforced concrete and the analytical model of stress distribution of UHPC along the cross-section. The finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to evaluate the flexural deflection based on the average …

Optimizing Exterior Lighting Illuminance And Spectrum For Human, Environmental, And Economic Factors., S. M. Simmons, Stuart Werner Baur, William L. Gillis, Devin Michael Burns, Heath Pickerill

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

With the recent widespread adoption of LED lighting in outdoor areas, numerous concerns have been raised about the potential for harmful effects on humans, animals, plants, and the night sky. These stem from the high blue light content of some LED bulbs and an incentive to increase lighting levels caused by higher efficiency and lower costs. While new lighting installations are often described as environmentally friendly due to their energy efficiency, factors such as light pollution are often neglected or not given enough weight. This research focuses on optimizing the design of exterior lighting for human, environmental, and economic factors …

Cal Poly Construction Management Summer Bootcamp 2022, Mason A. Heinse

Construction Management

The purpose of this paper is to outline the intent and key objectives of the Cal Poly Construction Management Summer Bootcamp. This project was developed through collaboration with Cal Poly Construction Management faculty and other contributors to create a multi-scope project with the objective of creating a summer bootcamp. The camp was proposed to assist the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education and the Central Coast Homebuilders Association with promoting skilled trades education in high schools. Local high schools currently implement the Building Industry Technology Academy (BITA) curriculum, which has proven difficult for students to enroll in or complete. …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Aviation-Wildlife Strikes Across Europe, Isabel C. Metz, Marta Giordano, Dionysios Ntampakis, Marianna Moira, Anneke Hamann, Rosanne Blijleven, Jürgen J. Ebert, Alessandro Montemaggiori

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions between aircraft and wildlife (i.e., wildlife strikes) pose a serious threat toward the safety of aircraft, its crew, and passengers. The effects of COVID-19 related travel restrictions on wildlife strikes are unknown. With this study, we aim to address this information gap by assessing the changes of wildlife hazard management performance across European airports during the lockdown period (e.g., period of reduced operations and borders closure in spring 2020). We also sought to raise awareness of the importance of wildlife strike prevention in times of reduced operations. The objective of our study was to compare wildlife strike data before …

Comparative Analysis Of Bridge Abutment Types, David Fell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project was developed to serve as a brief overview of design practices and considerations in the selection of highway bridge abutment types. This involved a review of literature in the form of reviewing national design guides and department of transportation (DOT) requirements from both US DOTs and international DOTs. The abutment types covered in this research included conventional reinforced concrete abutments with bearings, integral abutments, and semi-integral abutments. This research focused solely on highway bridge abutments, particularly on Ohio Department of Transportation design requirements due to their extensive use of semi-integral abutments. Superstructure elements and geometric requirements are primary …

Investigation Of Casting Methods Of Photoelastic Particles To Study The Geomechanics Of Granular Media, Daniel Schullek

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The research being conducted within this project is to observe force chains in different samples of soil media with varying shapes. The method for observing the force chains is a process called photoelasticity. Photoelasticity uses two polarizing sheets, with the clear media being tested placed between, and light is directed through the sheets to observe how the light is refracted as force is applied to the tested media. Through our research, we are coming up with a method of casting soil particles through the utilization of resin, silicone, and 3D printing. Once the clear particles have been cast, we will …

Improving Traffic Efficiency At Tallmadge Circle Considering Autonomous Vehicles, Benjamin Mallinak

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In a set of behavioral recommendations outlined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), navigating a roundabout is listed as one of twenty-eight regularly required abilities that a highly automated vehicle must be able to complete. As autonomous vehicle technology is developed, refined, and proven to meet these ability expectations, roundabouts and traffic circles that experience high volumes of traffic are anticipated to benefit from an improved efficiency of traffic flow. For Tallmadge Circle and other similar traffic control configurations, the degree of improvement will be dependent on the steps taken to utilize the capabilities of the autonomous vehicles …

Energy Analysis Of Heating, Ventilation, And Air Conditioning Systems, Erica Ferguson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project studied Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems for commercial buildings. I completed an energy model Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department in West Virginia. This building’s HVAC has been completed by the consulting engineering firm: Scheeser Buckley Mayfield. I intern at this company, so they allowed me to use their original design as a basis for comparison. Load calculations, utility costs, energy consumption, and carbon footprint were derived from this energy analysis. The energy model compared three systems: variable air volume (VAV) with electric reheat, variable air volume with hydronic reheat, and variable refrigerant volume (VRV). Based on the …

Barriers To Technology Adoption In The Water Treatment Industry, Ian Adams

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project focuses on barriers to technology adoption in the drinking water treatment industry. The scope of this project considers these barriers as they relate to general technology and with a specific focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twins. To better understand these barriers, prior research and case studies are analyzed. The case studies include reports provided by Fontus Blue, a water treatment software provider based in Akron, Ohio. The case studies exhibit the benefits and challenges of integrating new technology, including AI systems. With the context of these case studies in mind, a survey was distributed to …

Affordable And Sustainable Housing, Brandon Gibson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Due to the current state of the world, families around the world have started to invest in their homes. This change in lifestyle has caused the average cost to build a new home to increase to nearly $300,000, with an additional $35,872 due to the pandemic-related uptick in material costs. Custom homes take an ample amount of planning, construction time, along with excessive amounts of materials. I am looking to put my spin on a recent trend that allows an efficient construction timeline, along with the reduction of materials and waste.

Shipping Containers. Though their history of utilization has solely …

Emergency Water Treatment Methods Through The Adaptation Of Natural Disaster Building Debris, Benjamin Colston

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The primary objective of this research was to determine whether concrete slag acquired from building debris in a disaster can be utilized to remove pathogens biochemically through changes in pH or physically through filtration. Direct Plate Enumeration testing was completed for different water samples to compare the general activity of bacterial growth as an indication of pathogenic potential. Throughout each experiment, the pH of different water samples was monitored and consistently indicated that water samples in contact with concrete pieces (concrete water samples) would exhibit a higher pH than samples with no exposure to concrete (control water samples). Compared to …

Assessing The Impacts Of Covid-19 On Activity-Travel Scheduling: A Survey In The Greater Toronto Area, Alireza Dianat, Jason Hawkins, Khandker Nurul Habib

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 lockdown provided many individuals an opportunity to explore changes in their daily routines, particularly when considered in combination with an ever-changing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) landscape. These new routines and alternative activities have the potential to be continued in the post-COVID era. Transportation planners must understand how routines vary to effectively estimate activity-travel scheduling. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on activity-travel behavior and the adoption of ICT-based alternative options. A special emphasis is placed on predicting the long-term effects of this disturbance on activity-travel scheduling. This study …

Effects Of Friction On The Dynamic Behavior Of Flexible Rocking Bodies, S. Mohammadreza Farooghi Mehr, Christine E. Wittich

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Flexible rocking bodies are freestanding structures that are free to deform and rock, potentially overturning, when subject to ground excitation. Prior research on the seismic behavior of this type of structure typically assumed sufficient friction at the ground surface to avoid sliding motion. However, experimental observations showed that this assumption was often violated and structures demonstrated non-negligible sliding during their responses. The overarching goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of sliding on the overturning response of flexible rocking bodies. To this end, a two-dimensional analytical model was developed in a Lagrangian formulation, which is presented in this …

Soil Drought Can Mitigate Deadly Heat Stress Thanks To A Reduction Of Air Humidity, Jeremy Pal, Hendrik Wouters, Jessica Keune, Irina Y. Petrova, Chiel C. Van Heerwaarden, Adriaan J. Teuling, Jordi Vilà-Guerau De Arellano, Diego G. Miralles

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Works

Global warming increases the number and severity of deadly heatwaves. Recent heatwaves often coincided with soil droughts that intensify air temperature but lower air humidity. Since lowering air humidity may reduce human heat stress, the net impact of soil desiccation on the morbidity and mortality of heatwaves remains unclear. Combining weather balloon and satellite observations, atmospheric modelling, and meta-analyses of heatwave mortality, we find that soil droughts-despite their warming effect-lead to a mild reduction in heatwave lethality. More specifically, morning dry soils attenuate afternoon heat stress anomaly by ∼5%. This occurs because of reduced surface evaporation and increased entrainment of …

Sustainability And Environmentally Friendly Methods To Travel Over Waterways, Kendall Kubus

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Throughout daily traveling, the main structures used are bridges and tunnels. Bridges are used as overpasses over valleys, canyons, and areas that require a large amount of dirt fill to bring the roadway up to the proper grade. Tunnels are underpasses through mountains, under city limits and waterways. The benefits of building a bridge structure is little preparation goes into earth-work and the transportation of aggregate materials. There is some time spent testing surrounding soil to determine the process that will need to occur for foundation preparations in bridge columns. Options for foundation include different types of drilled shafts, caissons, …

A Comparison Of Common Structural Materials, Molly Green

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report will compare structural steel, concrete, and lumber through the lenses of mechanical properties, design process, cost, and environmental impact. Steel is a versatile, strong, and lightweight material that comes at a premium price – both financially and environmentally. It is the most expensive material of the three included in this report. This is largely due to its complex manufacturing process that is also responsible for a significant amount of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Concrete is significantly less expensive than steel, but the carbon dioxide emissions from manufacturing are approximately equal. Concrete also only performs well in compression …

Analysis Of Road Use Maintenance Agreements (Rumas), Anna Cermak

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A Road Use Maintenance Agreement, also known as a RUMA, is an agreement made between a government entity and a business to put in place the set of rules that will guide the responsibilities of the business regarding the use of the entity's roads (Road use maintenance agreements RUMA, 2020). This specific type of road maintenance agreement is popularly used in the state of Ohio a the time. Most other states still operate on older ways of thinking, not capitalizing on the industry that in their area, therefore causing their road infrastructure and economies to suffer. A template agreement was …

Biodegradation Of Rubber Particles In Soil: Using Acclimated Bacteria Isolated From Kansas Soil To Degrade Cryogrinds In Slurry, Shane Graham

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study investigated the viability of bioremediating rubber cryogrind using enriched indigenous bacteria. To begin the experiment, soils from three highway roadside locations in Kansas, KS 96 and West, KS 400 and 143^rd, and 199^th, were collected and transported to the lab to be studied. An initial soil characterization was run on the soil samples using distilled (DI) water mixture and 0.01 M CaCl₂ to assess conductivity. The soils were tested to gather a baseline of the relationship between pH and conductivity and the impact of its distance from the roadside. Bacteria were isolated from …