Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Robotic Technologies For High-Throughput Plant Phenotyping: Contemporary Reviews And Future Perspectives, Abbas Atefi, Yufeng Ge, Santosh Pitla, James Schnable

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Phenotyping plants is an essential component of any effort to develop new crop varieties. As plant breeders seek to increase crop productivity and produce more food for the future, the amount of phenotype information they require will also increase. Traditional plant phenotyping relying on manual measurement is laborious, time-consuming, error-prone, and costly. Plant phenotyping robots have emerged as a high-throughput technology to measure morphological, chemical and physiological properties of large number of plants. Several robotic systems have been developed to fulfill different phenotyping missions. In particular, robotic phenotyping has the potential to enable efficient monitoring of changes in plant traits …

Comparison Of Promoter, Dna Vector, And Cationic Carrier For Efficient Transfection Of Hmscs From Multiple Donors And Tissue Sources, Tyler Kozisek, Andrew Hamann, Luke Samuelson, Miguel Fudolig, Angela K. Pannier

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are primary cells with high clinical relevance that could be enhanced through genetic modification. However, gene delivery, particularly through nonviral routes, is inefficient. To address the shortcomings of nonviral gene delivery to hMSCs, our lab has previously demonstrated that pharmacological “priming” of hMSCs with clinically approved drugs can increase transfection in hMSCs by modulating transfection-induced cytotoxicity. However, even with priming, hMSC transfection remains inefficient for clinical applications. This work takes a complementary approach to addressing the challenges of transfecting hMSCs by systematically investigating key transfection parameters for their effect on transgene expression. Specifically, we investigated …

Influence Of Coating Defects Within The Lock Seams On The Corrosion Performance Of Aluminized Steel Drainage Pipes, Mohammed Al Yaarubi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The electrochemical behavior of aluminized steel is investigated to determine the corrosion performance of coating deficiencies generated within the lock seams during the fabrication of aluminized steel corrugated pipe. Electrochemical techniques and visual and profilometric analysis are used to assess the ability of the aluminum and zinc coating to provide sufficient galvanic protection to the underlying steel in the presence of a crevice. Also, Crevice coupons and lock-seam samples were used in this investigation in different environmental conditions simulating natural water conditions to relate the corrosion rate with the level of protection that the coating will provide. In addition, a …

Development Of A Numerical Process Model For Adsorbent-Amended Constructed Wetlands, Lillian Mulligan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a need for alternative methods for municipal landfill leachate treatment as the high concentrations of pollutants in leachate interfere with processes at publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been shown to be a sustainable alternative with good removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+). The addition of an adsorbent media, such as zeolite and biochar, to CWs to further enhance removal efficiencies has been investigated in recent years. However, the long-term effects of zeolite and biochar addition to CWs is not well known. A model could be a useful tool to …

Corrosion Propagation Of Stainless Steel Reinforced Concrete, Nelly Sofía Orozco Martínez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Structural durability is a growing concern in global infrastructure. The infrastructure report card released by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) indicates that approximately 9.1% of the total bridges in the United States were structurally deficient in 2016. In addition, it suggests that about 40% of the total bridges in the country are now 50 years or older. This issue becomes even more critical in structures exposed to aggressive environments such as marine structures. Thus, federal and regional efforts are now being directed towards infrastructural durability improvement to improve the long-term cost-efficiency of civil infrastructure.

Corrosion prevention strategies may …

Corrosion Durability Service Life Of Calcium Silicate-Based Reinforced Concrete, Carolina Páez Jiménez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Corrosion of reinforcing steel is a major area of study for assessing durability of reinforced concrete infrastructure. Conventional concrete infrastructure designs use ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as the primary cementitious material. However, the world's current challenge to achieve sustainable development requires the cement industry to reduce its environmental impact, as it is responsible for 8% of the anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Hence, a new type of cement has been developed. This novel calcium silicate cement (CSC) reduces the carbon dioxide emissions during its manufacturing process as compared to OPC, providing an environmentally-sound alternative for reinforced concrete fabrication.

Corrosion of steel reinforcement …

Sustainability Assessment Of A Pressure Retarded Osmosis System, Samar Al Mashrafi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Desalination has the potential to provide a stable supply of clean fresh water and meet the increasing water demands; however, this process does come with a few challenges such as high energy consumption, high energy cost, and a discharge of a highly concentrated brine. Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is a technology that could work as an efficient energy recovery technology for desalination since it can significantly reduce the energy consumption and dilute the brine before discharge. Studies have assessed the economic feasibility of PRO systems; however, these studies have not addressed the environmental sustainability of the systems. Thus, there is …

A Laboratory Investigation Of High Polymer Modified Asphalt Mixtures With Softening Agent, Basel K. Al-Badr

Theses and Dissertations

This study was initiated to evaluate the impact of aging and High Polymer Modified Asphalt (HPMA) binders containing a bio-based-oil softening agent (SA) on the rutting, cracking, and durability of asphalt mixtures. One control asphalt binder (PG 52-34), Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) polymer modifier, and corn-oil SA were used to produce four asphalt mixtures including a control prepared using PG 52-34 binder and three modified mixtures were produced by blending PG 52-34 binder with different dosages of SBS and SA. The mixtures were tested using the Dynamic Complex Modulus (|E*|), Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device (HWTD), Flow Number (FN), Indirect Tension Cracking Test …

Atomistic Thermo-Mechanical Description Of The Deformation Behavior, Scaling Laws, And Constitutive Modeling Of Nanoporous Gold, Mohammed Hassan Yousef Saffarini

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Metallic foams, or nanoporous (NP) metals as it is widely referred to in literature, with ligament sizes up to a few tens of nm show exceptional mechanical properties such as high strength and stiffness per weight ratio under different loading scenarios due to their high surface area to solid volume ratio. Therefore, they can be utilized in a wide range of applications making them of great interest to researchers. While their elasticity and yield strength have been the subject of several studies, very limited attention was given to the effect of size, strain rate, and temperature on the material plastic …

Preventing Transmission Of Covid 19 In Hvac Duct Systems: Implementations Of Hvac System Design Upgrade, Jacob S. Lopez, Adama Barro

Publications and Research

The recent pandemic outbreak has triggered a global alarm to increase efforts on finding the best methods to mitigate contagious viral pathogens. This project is a continuation of our mission to study engineering guidelines needed to implement upgrades to HVAC Systems in order to deter airborne pathogens such as the covid-19 virus. In our previous projects we researched how covid-19 can possibly flow through the ambient air inside of restaurants, office spaces, and locomotive train cabins. As we continued our research, we were able to find some solutions that will be best used to deactivate and prevent the virus from …

Enhancing A Building Information Model For An Existing Building With Data From A Sustainable Facility Management Database, Ryan Loeh, Jess Everett, William Riddell, Douglas Cleary

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

This study investigates the feasibility and benefits of transferring data between Autodesk Revit (used for building information modeling (BIM)) and BUILDER SMS (used for sustainable facility management (SFM)). Two data transfer methods were evaluated using a case study; one involved entirely manual data transfer, the other a combination of manual and automatic. Of the data transfer methods evaluated, the manual/automated hybrid was determined to be the best option, especially when regular updates are envisioned. The case study produced an enhanced BIM model that can be used to support sustainable facility management, called here an SFM-enhanced BIM model. An integration workflow …

Multi-Sensor Data Collection And Fusion Using Autoencoders In Condition Evaluation Of Concrete Bridge Decks, Sepehr Pashoutani, Jinying Zhu, Chungwook Sim, Kwanghee Won, Brian A. Mazzeo, W Spencer Guthrie

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper presents a multi-sensor data collection and data fusion procedure for nondestructive evaluation/testing (NDE/NDT) of a concrete bridge deck. Three NDE technologies, vertical electrical impedance (VEI), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and high-definition imaging (HDI) for surface crack detection, were deployed on the bridge deck. A neural network autoencoder was trained to quantify the relationship between VEI and GPR results using the data collected at common positions. This relationship was then used for fusion of VEI and GPR data to increase the reliability and spatial resolution of the NDE measurements and to generate a data-fused condition map that showed novel characteristics. …

An Open Web-Based Module Developed To Advance Data-Driven Hydrologic Process Learning, Belize A. Lane, Irene Garousi-Nejad, Melissa A. Gallagher, David G. Tarboton, Emad Habib

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The era of ‘big data’ promises to provide new hydrologic insights, and open web-based platforms are being developed and adopted by the hydrologic science community to harness these datasets and data services. This shift accompanies advances in hydrology education and the growth of web-based hydrology learning modules, but their capacity to utilize emerging open platforms and data services to enhance student learning through data-driven activities remains largely untapped. Given that generic equations may not easily translate into local or regional solutions, teaching students to explore how well models or equations work in particular settings or to answer specific problems using …

Early-Age Strength Of Co2 Cured Alkali-Activated Blast Furnace Slag Pastes, Yubin Jun, Seong Ho Han, Jae Hong Kim

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The effect of CO₂ curing including pre-conditioning on alkali-activated slags, activated by different alkaline activators (NaOH, Na₂SiO₃, and KOH solution), is studied. While dry pre-conditioning before the CO₂ curing increases the strengths of all mixtures, the effect of pre-conditioning time is dependent on the alkali activator used to produce samples. The CO₃-bearing reaction product in samples also depends on the alkali activator. Gaylussite, pirssonite, hydrotalcite, and calcite are observed in the NaOH activator, and calcite, hydrotalcite, and C₄AcH₁₁ are detected in the NaOH and Na₂SiO₃ (9:1) …

Leaf Cutter Ant Nest Soil Cement Stabilized Earthen Bricks: Materials And Methods For Engineering Field Applications, Faith Malay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As climate change threatens vulnerable tropical climates and development outpaces resource availability, the need for diverse construction material grows. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aim to reduce poverty in all forms. Diversifying construction material works toward reducing indoor air pollution, the eradication of houselessness, encouraging diversification in industry, and supporting small scale industrialization. In the Province of Bocas del Toro in Panama, there is a tenuous connection to the greater industries in the country due to location and existing infrastructure.This research presents a literature review of the historical approaches to the construction and chemistry of cement stabilized earth bricks, …

Experimental Investigation Of The Performance Of A Hybrid Self-Healing System In Porous Asphalt Under Fatigue Loadings, Shi Xu, Liu Xueyan, Amir Tabakovic, Erik Schlangen

Articles

Self-healing asphalt, which is designed to achieve autonomic damage repair in asphalt pavement, offers a great life-extension prospect and therefore not only reduces pavement maintenance costs but also saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions. The combined asphalt self-healing system, incorporating both encapsulated rejuvenator and induction heating, can heal cracks with melted binder and aged binder rejuvenation, and the synergistic effect of the two technologies shows significant advantages in healing efficiency over the single self-healing method. This study explores the fatigue life extension prospect of the combined healing system in porous asphalt. To this aim, porous asphalt (PA) test specimens with …

The Role Of Scenography In The Narration Of The Inner Space Of Contemporary Museums Through Employment The Space Staging, Shamael M. W. Al-Dabbagh, Dania Saleh Yaheia Al-Jaboury

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

In the recent period, several design mechanisms have emerged related to the design of internal spaces in architecture, specifically the museum spaces and associated with exhibitions, and the most important of these scenographic mechanisms are clearly and significantly adopted in the field of theater to design the stage and the scene that embodies the narrative vision and the idea of the theater director and scenographic designer to express what the text wants from Anecdotal expressing the objectives of the product of the text, therefore the research aimed to delve into the effect of the scenography mechanism on the contemporary architectural …

Evaluating The Performance Of The Jadriya Water Project For Water Treatment, Rana Mohammed Rasheed

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

For the purpose of evaluating the performance of the Al-Jadriya water project, water samples were taken before and after the sedimentation basins to find out the efficiency of the sedimentation ponds, as well as water samples were taken before and after the filtration basins, to know the efficiency of the filtration basins by conducting the following tests on them (Turbidity, TDS, TC, pH) to ensure that these ponds work properly. It was found that the efficiency rate of sedimentation ponds was 83%, which indicates the inefficiency of these ponds, as well as the inefficiency of the fast and slow mixing …

Possible Developments Of The Industrialization Of Appropriate Building Subsystem For Iraq, Wisam William Saleem Al-Ayoubi

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

Industrialization of building has developed very rapidly in industrialized countries as well as in many other parts of the world to fulfill the need for housing and public buildings after the Second World War. Prefabricated building is defined as a type of building that consists of several elements or modular units prepared in advance and assembled on-site. The term prefabricated indicates that these building elements are manufactured in the workshop or factory and then combined with other elements. Iraq has witnessed vital development in the construction industry sector. The study investigates the appropriate technology for Iraq, considering resources, economy, labor, …

Ion Exchange Method For Sulphate Removal From Treated Wastewater Of Al-Doura Refinery, Rana Mohammed Rasheed

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

The treated wastewater by the industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), commonly named (INGECO) in Al-Doura refinery, suffers from highly sulfate concentrations that exceed the EPA specified limits of 250 mg/L. Laboratory water quality historical data have been reviewed and analyzed to determine the annual rate, maximum, and peak sulfate concentrations, which were found to be 360 mg/L, 425 mg/L, and 550 mg/L, respectively. A field inspection was conducted to identify the reasons for the high sulfate concentrations in the wastewater of most refinery process units. It was found that the maximum required sulfate remaining concentration should not exceed 10 mg/L …

The Effect Of The Spirit Of The Place On The Formulation Of Emotion In Contemporary Arab-Islamic Architecture, Mahdi Saleh Al-Faraj, Dania Saleh Yaheia

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

Arab-Islamic architecture is characterized by both constants and variables, with spiritual aspects (content) representing the constants and physical aspects (form) representing the variables. It evolves based on changing times and needs, with compassion being a significant feature associated with its spiritual aspects. Compassion is essential for collective agreement and individual emotional connection in Arab-Islamic architecture. The present research aims to investigate the influence of the spirit of the place, as embraced by designers, on the emotional characteristics of contemporary Arab-Islamic architecture. The research problem identified is the lack of a theoretical concept regarding the impact of the spirit of the …

The Effect Of Bioenergy Systems On The Architectural Product The Effect Of Fung Shui And Biogetric To Achieve The Performance Of Architectural Space, Abdullah Saadon Al-Mamoory, Ann Samari Ibrahim

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

This research presents an analytical study exploring the vital systems of energy science and their influence on architecture by examining ancient environmental philosophies like Feng Shui in China and bio-geometry in Egypt. These philosophies serve as guiding principles for studying energy and its impact on human daily life, highlighting their effects on integrated ecosystems in the design of residential buildings at both external and internal levels. The study examines key aspects such as the influence of energy on furniture arrangement in living spaces. The primary objective is to establish a synergistic relationship between architectural design of residential spaces during occupancy …

Some Aspects Of The Suitability Of Three-Story Residential Buildings For Vertical Housing In Iraq, Wisam William Saleem Al-Ayoubi

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

This research initially aimed to examine the changes in housing since the 1930s, driven by rapid population growth and evolving lifestyles, juxtaposed with advancements in contemporary building materials that are environmentally compatible. After a comprehensive analysis of housing and living arrangements throughout history, including the evolution of open house units towards more interior-focused designs such as the Baghdadi house with its central courtyard, the study delved into the significant changes and the challenges posed by the rapid population growth. The focus of the study was on the viability of vertical housing in Iraq and the considerations related to low-rise residential …

Role Of Iconic Architecture In Sustainable Tourism Development, Basim H. H. Al-Majidi, Ann Samari Ibrahim

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

Architecture "is an expression of the way of life and the spirit of the ages and cultures in which I grew up" as the buildings speak for themselves. While tourism is a scenario "to define a city to an unfamiliar audience and acquire an identity for a citizen". Both architecture and tourism have been linked together since time immemorial. Architecture was the main aspect of attracting crowds, while tourism helped architecture survive the test of time as well as money. Both tourism and architecture operate in a symbiotic manner to break the lack of familiarity with any culture and to …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Bioplastics And Food Waste Disposal Methods, Shakira R. Hobbs, Tyler M. Harris, William J. Barr, Amy E. Landis

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The environmental impacts of five waste management scenarios for polylactic acid (PLA)-based bioplastics and food waste were quantified using life cycle assessment. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated the potential for a pretreatment process to accelerate the degradation of bioplastics and were modeled in two of the five scenarios assessed. The five scenarios analyzed in this study were: (1a) Anaerobic digestion (1b) Anaerobic digestion with pretreatment; (2a) Compost; (2a) Compost with pretreatment; (3) Landfill. Results suggested that food waste and pretreated bioplastics disposed of with an anaerobic digester offers life cycle and environmental net total benefits (environmental advantages/offsets) in several areas: ecotoxicity …

Fiber Optic Sensor Based Corrosion Assessment In Reinforced Concrete Members, Genda Chen

INSPIRE Archived Webinars

In this 50-minute lecture, the fundamental concepts of fiber optic sensors for both distributed and point corrosion measurements are reviewed. For the distributed monitoring of a line bridge component such as steel reinforced girders, Brillouin scattering and fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) can be coupled to measure both temperature and radial strain as an indirect indicator of corrosion process. For the point monitoring of steel structures, long period fiber gratings (LPFG) are specially designed for a direct measurement of mass loss or the loss in cross sectional area of the component. In particular, a Fe-C coated LPFG sensor is introduced for …

Solar Disinfection Of Turbid Hygiene Waters In Lexington, Ky, Usa, Atena Amirsoleimani, Gail M. Brion

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Solar disinfection (SODIS) could be a key to providing a clean, hygiene water for birthing uses, but the recommended climate zone is limited, the microbial indicators are related to gastrointestinal illness and not wound infections. SODIS feasibility was investigated to remove Escherichia coli from turbid water at temperatures less than 50 °C in Lexington, KY. Increasing turbidity from 0 to 200 NTU decreased E. coli inactivation from 5 to 1 log. With the same experimental protocol, more than 4-log inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis (common human-skin microorganisms related to serious post-partum infections of both mother and child) was …

Do Secondary Cyclones Increase The Category Scale Of Atmospheric Rivers?, Edgar Sanchez Fausto

University Honors Theses

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) play a crucial role in delivering precipitation worldwide. This makes them an important phenomenon for water resource specialists to study. One such interest is to understand what mechanisms make ARs produce significant rainfall and associated hazards such as flooding. One possible mechanism is that AR duration or intensity may increase when it interacts with a secondary cyclone, either of which can increase the AR category scale. The purpose of this study is to determine whether AR and secondary cyclone interactions increase the category scale ARs. Out of 52 AR events analyzed, 32 events contained at least one …

An Evaluation Of Electrically Conductive Asphalt Mixtures For Electrically Heated Flexible Pavement Systems, Rahaf Hasan

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to develop Electrically Conductive Asphalt (ECA) mixtures with optimized electrical and mechanical properties for use in electrically heated asphalt pavements for anti-icing applications. Laboratory experiments were carried out to design ECA mixtures at varying dosages, using three graphite grades of different particle sizes, one virgin aggregate type, two binder grades, and one carbon fiber. The impact of graphite dosage and particle size on the volumetric properties and electrical resistivity of asphalt mixtures was assessed. Different factors with potential impact on the electrical properties were investigated, including the graphite particle size and dosage, the air …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Translucent Wood Composite Using Egyptian Hardwoods: Casuarina & Eucalyptus, Sherif Elia

Theses and Dissertations

Due to climate change and global warming, there is an increasing need for sustainable solutions in all industries. As one of the most important and growing industries worldwide, the construction industry has a huge responsibility towards the environment. It is responsible for the consumption of vast amounts of resources and consequently generating massive quantities of waste. Also, as the building sector is responsible for consuming large portions of the world energy and electricity, such buildings' efficiency and sustainability must be considered. While the world is working on balancing between consuming less and recycling more while maintaining the construction materials' effectiveness …