Civil Engineering Commons^™

Influence Of Terrain Model Resolution On Rockfall Dispersion And Tortuosity Of Rockfall Paths, Lucas Jason Arsenith

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The geology of the Snake River Plain region of southwestern Idaho contains terraces formed from downcutting of the Boise River and columnar jointed basalt cliffs from lava flows. Within the city limits of Boise, Idaho, rockfall events originate from these columnar jointed basalt cliffs. Whitney Terrace, a rockfall-prone location in southwestern Boise, was chosen as the study site. Site-specific LiDAR data was used to create a bare earth terrain model, and rockfall boulders were geolocated and measured to be used as inputs into rockfall models. The slope below the cliff face was divided into four distinct slope zones, each with …

Accelerating Microbial-Induced Calcite Precipitation Treatment Protocols Using Calcium-Based Stabilizers Targeting Pavement Construction, Grant Goertzen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The research, development, and implementation of sustainable and resilient infrastructure is a critical mission for all aspects of modern Civil Engineering. The engineering and construction sector accounts for 37% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, comprising the largest proportion of any industry (Kafu-Quvane et al. 2024). Typically comprising 100% of base and subbase layers, 90% of asphalt pavement, and 80% of concrete pavement, it takes approximately 38,000 tons of aggregate to construct a single-lane mile of interstate highway (Feuling 2024). This presents significant environmental challenges due to the negative impacts of quarrying and aggregate transportation such as habitat destruction, biodiversity …

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

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

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

Development Of A Turning Movement Estimator, Somayeh Nazari Enjedani

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Turning Movement (TM) counts at intersections are crucial for several reasons. There has been extensive research on this topic throughout the history of traffic research, which reflects its importance in transportation engineering and urban planning. It can be said that one of the most significant applications of TMs is signal timing at intersections. Signal timing design requires data on the turning decisions of vehicles that travel through intersections to allow enough time for each movement at the intersection. Most of organizations around the USA are still applying traditional methods for collecting TM data, such as manual counts. These methods are …

The Influence Of Block Characteristics On The In-Plane Settlement Disturbance Zone Of Dry-Stacked Coursed Ashlar Rock Walls, Eli Blackhat

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Dry-stacked stone has been used throughout the history of humankind as property dividers, retention walls, fortifications, temples, and other structures of significance. Many of these historical structures have been designated as culturally significant. In modern infrastructure, dry-stacked stone is often limited to retaining walls and is used more for its aesthetic appeal as opposed to its quality as a building material. The aim of this thesis is to add to engineering knowledge of how these structures behave. Specifically, on how in-plane differential settlement affects shear stress redistribution and vertical displacement within a structure as well as determining how block characteristics …

Wildfire Impacts On Soil: Hydrophobicity Inducement And Water Drop Penetration Test, Max A. Veneris

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The increasing prevalence of wildfires in today’s day and age has amplified the need for post-fire remediation and environmental restoration, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). One of these impacts is soil hydrophobicity, or soil water repellency, which is a well-documented phenomenon after wildfires. Hydrophobicity can significantly impacting revegetation, slope stability, runoff, and erosion potential. To better understand the soil fire-induced hydrophobicity and its impact on other soil properties, variable levels of hydrophobicity need to be repeatably induced in several types of soils under different controlled testing conditions to measure other soil properties. To reach this goal two ingredients are …

Comparison Of Properties And Fracture Patterns In Aged And Fresh Cortical Bone, Mckenna Roan

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Bone is a complex natural material that presents many challenges to researchers interested in characterizing its mechanical properties. There are different techniques, such as drying, embalming, and freezing, to preserve bones for engineering and scientific study. There are advantages and disadvantages to these techniques, and there have been limited studies comparing the effect of preservation techniques on the mechanical and fracture properties. In this research, aged and fresh bovine bone specimens are tested in compression while monitoring acoustic emissions (AE). Three main aspects of testing are investigated: the force-displacement curves, acoustic emission activity, and fracture patterns observed in X-ray computed …

Evaluating The Synergy Of Geocell And Microbial-Induced Calcite Precipitation (Micp) In Enhancing Pavement Base Stability: A Field Study On Us 95, Mabin Dahal

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The imperative to develop resilient and sustainable infrastructure is escalating, particularly as urban road networks are subjected to unprecedented stresses. Conventional pavement bases often entail the extensive utilization of quarry materials, which significantly exacerbates environmental degradation and amplifies the energy footprint of construction endeavors. The extraction, transportation, and processing of these quarry materials contribute to deforestation, habitat eradication, and greenhouse gas emissions. Given these environmental and operational hurdles, the quest for innovative, sustainable alternatives in pavement engineering is pressing. One solution is to use the native materials treated with microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) alongside geocell technology back in pavement construction …

Interdependencies Between Wildfire-Induced Alterations In Soil Properties, Near-Surface Processes, And Geohazards, Farshid Vahedifard, Masood Abdollahi, Ben A. Leshchinsky, Timothy D. Stark, Mojtaba Sadegh, Amir Aghakouchak

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The frequency, severity, and spatial extent of destructive wildfires have increased in several regions globally over the past decades. While direct impacts from wildfires are devastating, the hazardous legacy of wildfires affects nearby communities long after the flames have been extinguished. Post-wildfire soil conditions control the persistence, severity, and timing of cascading geohazards in burned landscapes. The interplay and feedback between geohazards and wildfire-induced changes to soil properties, land cover conditions, and near-surface and surface processes are still poorly understood. Here, we synthesize wildfire-induced processes that can affect the critical attributes of burned soils and their conditioning of subsequent geohazards. …

Post-Fire Hydrologic Analysis: A Tale Of Two Severities, Kendra Fallon, Shawn J. Wheelock, Mojtaba Sadegh, Jennifer L. Pierce, James P. Mcnamara, Megan Cattau, Victor R. Baker

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Addressing post-fire impacts largely depends on burn “severity.” A singular severity classification that encompasses the holistic effects of fire on all ecosystem processes does not currently exist. Lumping vegetation burn severity and soil burn severity into one metric, or using them interchangeably, can induce large inaccuracies and uncertainties in the intended ecosystem response to forcing. Often, burn “severity” reflects fire impacts on vegetation, which can be measured through remote sensing. Vegetation burn severity is likely more apropos for ecological research, whereas soil burn severity is more relevant for hydrological analyses. This paper reviews different remotely sensed vegetation severity products currently …

Statistical And Deep Learning Models For Reference Evapotranspiration Time Series Forecasting: A Comparison Of Accuracy, Complexity, And Data Efficiency, Arman Ahmadi, Andre Daccache, Mojtaba Sadegh, Richard L. Snyder

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is an essential variable in agricultural water resources management and irrigation scheduling. An accurate and reliable forecast of ETo facilitates effective decision-making in agriculture. Although numerous studies assessed various methodologies for ETo forecasting, an in-depth multi-dimensional analysis evaluating different aspects of these methodologies is missing. This study systematically evaluates the complexity, computational cost, data efficiency, and accuracy of ten models that have been used or could potentially be used for ETo forecasting. These models range from well-known statistical forecasting models like seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) to state-of-the-art deep learning (DL) algorithms like temporal fusion transformer …

The Effects Of Restaurant Drive-Through Vehicle Mobile Emissions On Air Quality, Tryston Nychol Sellers Calder

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Studies and regulations on vehicles have become more prominent as concerns continue to rise over mobile emissions. Most recognizable is the U.S. EPA Near-Road monitoring network that began in 2010. The focus of most air quality studies has been vehicular traffic on freeways. However, drive-through sales skyrocketed in 2020 because they were the only way for restaurants to stay in busy during the pandemic. Drive throughs have continued to remain pivotal in fast food restaurant sales accounting for majority of sales. This demand has brought upon the question of how much drive-throughs contribute to mobile emissions, specifically in the form …

Understanding Social Vulnerability To Natural Hazards Through Machine Learning And Dynamic Spatiotemporal Analysis, Donglei Wang

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Natural hazards pose significant threats to communities, impacting livelihoods and property. Socially vulnerable communities are disproportionately affected by these hazards, highlighting the importance of considering social vulnerability in hazard risk assessment. Research on multi-hazards risk assessment, and social vulnerability can provide a comprehensive understanding of hazards and local vulnerability to support the reduction of disaster suffering overall. This thesis presents a comprehensive study conducted in Idaho, US, to examine the regional multi-hazards risk and assess the progression of social vulnerability metrics in wildfire-affected areas in a case study.

The first part of the research proposes a multi-hazards risk assessment methodology …

Social Vulnerability Of The People Exposed To Wildfires In U.S. West Coast States, Arash Modaresi Rad, John T. Abatzoglou, Erica Fleishman, Miranda H. Mockrin, Volker C. Radeloff, Yavar Pourmohamad, Megan Cattau, J. Michael Johnson, Philip Higuera, Nicholas J. Nauslar, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding of the vulnerability of populations exposed to wildfires is limited. We used an index from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess the social vulnerability of populations exposed to wildfire from 2000–2021 in California, Oregon, and Washington, which accounted for 90% of exposures in the western United States. The number of people exposed to fire from 2000–2010 to 2011–2021 increased substantially, with the largest increase, nearly 250%, for people with high social vulnerability. In Oregon and Washington, a higher percentage of exposed people were highly vulnerable (>40%) than in California (~8%). Increased social vulnerability of …

Shrinkage And Consolidation Characteristics Of Chitosan-Amended Soft Soil: A Sustainable Alternate Landfill Liner Material, Romana Mariyam Rasheed, Arif Ali Baig Moghal, Sai Sampreeth Reddy Jannepally, Ateekh Ur Rehman, Bhaskar C. S. Chittoori

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Kuttanad is a region that lies in the southwest part of Kerala, India, and possesses soft soil, which imposes constraints on many civil engineering applications owing to low shear strength and high compressibility. Chemical stabilizers such as cement and lime have been extensively utilized in the past to address compressibility issues. However, future civilizations will be extremely dependent on the development of sustainable materials and practices such as the use of bio-enzymes, calcite precipitation methods, and biological materials as a result of escalating environmental concerns due to carbon emissions of conventional stabilizers. One such alternative is the utilization of biopolymers. …

Machine Learning-Enabled Regional Multi-Hazards Risk Assessment Considering Social Vulnerability, Tianjie Zhang, Donglei Wang, Yang Lu

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The regional multi-hazards risk assessment poses difficulties due to data access challenges, and the potential interactions between multi-hazards and social vulnerability. For better natural hazards risk perception and preparedness, it is important to study the nature-hazards risk distribution in different areas, specifically a major priority in the areas of high hazards level and social vulnerability. We propose a multi-hazards risk assessment method which considers social vulnerability into the analyzing and utilize machine learning-enabled models to solve this issue. The proposed methodology integrates three aspects as follows: (1) characterization and mapping of multi-hazards (Flooding, Wildfires, and Seismic) using five machine learning …

Investigating The Causes Of A Landslide In Terra Nativa Subdivision And Designing Slope Stabilization Using Recycled Plastic Pins, Clara Klamm

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In early 2016, five homes along Alto Via Court in the Terra Nativa Subdivision of the Boise Foothills began to move. By May of 2016, the street was closed due to safety concerns, and a few years later, the homes were demolished. Despite the heartbreak and legal action that followed the event, a definitive cause of the landslide was never identified. To date, the site remains vacant. This research aims to investigate the potential causes of the slide to help identify the contributing factors that resulted in the mishap. In addition, the research seeks to design a way to stabilize …

Systematic Investigation Of Wavy Surface Roughness Profiles Using Common Roughness Algorithms, Russell Gray

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Roughness is an important parameter in rock engineering. Sine wave-based simulated wavy profiles were used to investigate systematic changes of amplitude and frequency on roughness indices. Profiles were 1000 mm in length with amplitude ranging from 0-10 mm and frequency ranging from 0-10 Hz. The roughness algorithms used were Root Mean Square (RMS), Energy, Sinuosity, Z2, Mean Absolute Angle (MAA), and Modified Divider a-Value. Roughness indices were visualized as contour plots. Similarities of the shapes and spacing of the contours as well as the magnitude of the roughness indices prompted the pairing of RMS and Energy algorithms, Z2 and MAA …

Hydraulic Conductivity's Impact On Rise Of Excess Pore-Water Pressure During Seismic-Induced Liquefaction, Holly Gunderson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Liquefaction is a geohazard causing loss of lives and infrastructure around the world. During earthquakes the shaking of the ground may cause a loss of soil strength that results in the settlement of buildings, landslides, failure of earth dams, amongst other hazards (Liquefaction of Soils During Earthquakes, 1985). Liquefaction is the result of a sudden increase in the pore-water pressure (PWP)— referred to as excess pore-water pressure (EPWP)— in loose, saturated, noncohesive, fine soils during seismic shaking. Due to the small pores and low hydraulic conductivity of these soils, the shaking-induced EPWP has less time to dissipate, leading to the …

Development Of Predictive Rockfall Runout Maps Based On Calibrated Rockfall Models, Olivia Tabor

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Cliffs formed in columnar jointed basalt have the proper geometry and discontinuities to initiate rockfall events. There are a number of locations in Boise, Idaho that may experience rockfall events from columnar jointed basalt cliffs. Publicly available LiDAR data coupled with site reconnaissance activities were used to develop calibrated two-dimensional rockfall models at a study site in southeast Boise. Photogrammetry was used to determine the volume of seven calibration boulders. The study site, located on Whitney Terrace, consists of a columnar jointed basalt cliff followed by a slope with a subdivision at the toe of the slope.

The two common …

Multiphysics Numerical Modeling For Pfas Transport Within Vadose And Saturated Zones, Pierrette Iradukunda

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The extent and severity of wildfires have increased around the world, necessitating a greater understanding of the consequences of wildfire and post-fire impacts on soil and groundwater. Wildfire suppression techniques like aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) can also contaminate the soil with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which can contribute to human and environmental health concerns. PFAS are dangerous man-made chemical compounds that are persistent, mobile, poisonous, and a major cause of soil and groundwater contamination. In addition to contamination by aqueous film-forming foams, PFAS has accumulated in the environment as a result of being utilized in numerous other goods over …

Maximizing The Performance Of Geocell Reinforced Pavement Bases With High-Fines Content Soils Through Micp Treatments, Ajay Kumar Reddy Pisati

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Crushed stone and gravel have long been favored for their stability and interlocking properties in Geocell reinforced base course layers of flexible pavement structures. However, their drawbacks, such as depleting reserves, escalating permit costs, environmental compliance, and extensive quarrying impacts, have led researchers to seek alternative options like recycled and on-site materials. Within this framework, utilizing native soil emerges as a promising solution to tackle these challenges. Nevertheless, the grading specifications impose limitations on the fines content allowed in base courses, as determined by the No. 200 sieve. However, the grading specifications pose restrictions on the permissible fines content in …

Study Of Dry Mixing Method To Apply Microbial-Induced Calcite Precipitation For Soil Treatment, Ruchi Shrestha

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) has emerged as a promising technique for soil stabilization, traditionally involving the preparation and mixing of treatment solutions with the soil. However, this thesis explores a novel approach of applying MICP by directly mixing dry chemical compounds into the soil and subsequently adding water. This alternative method offers potential advantages in terms of convenience, ease of implementation, and cost savings.

The objective of this research is to investigate the applicability of dry mixing protocols for MICP in soil stabilization. Through comprehensive experimentation, three different dry protocols were developed and applied to five different soils. The …

Improved Burned Area Mapping Using Monotemporal Landsat-9 Imagery And Convolutional Shift-Transformer, Seyd Teymoor Seydi, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Satellite imagery, specifically Landsat, have been widely used for mapping and monitoring wildfire burned areas. The new Landsat-9 satellite – with higher radiometric resolution compared to its predecessors, and improved temporal resolution when combined with Landsat-8 (∼8 days) – enables a wide range of applications, particularly burned area mapping (BAM). We propose a novel deep learning BAM model that leverages the strengths of the convolutional layers for deep feature generation from Landsat-9 imagery and shift-transformer block for burned area classification. The performance of the model is evaluated in five large fire case studies across the globe. BAM results are also …

Analyzing The Effects Of Rejuvenators In Balanced Mix Design With High Percentages Of Recycled Asphalt Pavement, Amanda Jo Mullins

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Interest in sustainable practices have increased in several industries, including civil engineering pavement materials. The incorporation of Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) into new pavement mix design is a popular method of application for sustainable practice and is accompanied by numerous economic and environmental benefits. There is significant interest in using large amounts of this RAP material in pavement design to maximize the benefits, but several problems arise when utilizing “high” amounts of this material (more than 25% RAP replacement) due to aged and oxidized binder that negatively impacts the properties. The use of rejuvenators (RAs) and Balanced Mix Design (BMD) …

Application Of Connected Vehicle Data To Assess Safety On Roadways, Mandar Khanal, Nathaniel Edelmann

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using surrogate safety measures is a common method to assess safety on roadways. Surrogate safety measures allow for proactive safety analysis; the analysis is performed prior to crashes occurring. This allows for safety improvements to be implemented proactively to prevent crashes and the associated injuries and property damage. Existing surrogate safety measures primarily rely on data generated by microsimulations, but the advent of connected vehicles has allowed for the incorporation of data from actual cars into safety analysis with surrogate safety measures. In this study, commercially available connected vehicle data are used to develop crash prediction models for crashes at …

Use Of Harsh-Braking Data From Connected Vehicles As A Surrogate Safety Measure, Nathaniel Patrick Edelmann

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Traffic safety may be analyzed with the use of surrogate safety measures, measures of safety that do not incorporate collision data but rather rely on the concept of traffic conflicts. Use of these measures provides several benefits over use of more traditional analysis methods with historical crash data. Surrogate measures eliminate the need to wait for crashes to occur to conduct a safety analysis. The amount of time required for enough crash data to accumulate can be significant, delaying safety analyses. Similarly, these measures allow for safety analysis to be conducted prior to crashes occurring, potentially calling attention to hazardous …

The Impact Of Biofilms And Dissolved Organic Matter On The Transport Of Nanoparticles In Field-Scale Streams, Junyeol Kim, Kevin R. Roche, Diogo Bolster, Kyle Doudrick

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The fate and transport of nanoparticles (NPs) in streams is critical for understanding their overall environmental impact. Using a unique field-scale stream at the Notre Dame-Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility, we investigated the impact of biofilms and the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the transport of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) NPs. Experimental breakthrough curves were analyzed using temporal moments and fit using a mobile-immobile model. The presence of biofilms in the stream severely reduced the transport of the TiO₂ NPs, but this was mitigated by the presence of DOM. Under minimal biofilm conditions, the presence of DOM …

Innovative Foundation Alternative Inspired From Tree Roots, Macie Larranaga

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

It is not easy to find a more efficient foundation system than the roots of a tree. Trees create a vast three-dimensional network of roots to support and anchor the critical above-ground trunks, leaves, and limbs. In this work, investigations are made for the feasibility of imitating such a technique and creating similar networks to support civil infrastructure, particularly those subjected to moment loads such as traffic signal posts. Some of the raised questions were: Is it feasible to have a shallow tree root-based foundation system to provide the same capacities as conventional foundation alternatives? If this is feasible: What …

Anthropogenic Stressors Compound Climate Impacts On Inland Lake Dynamics: The Case Of Hamun Lakes, Arash Modaresi Rad, Jason Kreitler, John T. Abatzoglou, Kendra Fallon, Kevin R. Roche, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Inland lakes face unprecedented pressures from climatic and anthropogenic stresses, causing their recession and desiccation globally. Climate change is increasingly blamed for such environmental degradation, but in many regions, direct anthropogenic pressures compound, and sometimes supersede, climatic factors. This study examined a human-environmental system – the terminal Hamun Lakes on the Iran-Afghanistan border – that embodies amplified challenges of inland waters. Satellite and climatic data from 1984 to 2019 were fused, which documented that the Hamun Lakes lost 89% of their surface area between 1999 and 2001 (3809 km² versus 410 km²), coincident with a basin-wide, multi-year …