Civil Engineering Commons^™

Safety And Resilience In Disaster Debris Removal And Clean-Up Operations: A Field And Training Guide For Resilience Workers In Disaster Debris Removal And Cleanup, Mohsen Shahandashti, Ph.D, P.E., Abhijit Roy, Ph.D, Zhe Yin, Ph.D, P.E., Pmp, Leed Ap, Antonio Balderrama, Ph.D, P.E., Sandesh Adhikari, Santosh Acharya

Mavs Open Press Open Educational Resources

A practical safety guide for the people who clear debris after disasters, and for the trainers who prepare them. Built for crews of every experience level--from seasoned operators to first-time volunteers--it teaches how to read a damaged site, recognize hidden and shifting hazards, work safely around heavy equipment and hazardous materials, and make sound decisions under pressure. Every chapter pairs clear guidance with a one-page field job aid, facilitator notes for trainers, and a real-world scenario, all grounded in OSHA, FEMA, EPA, and NIOSH guidance.

Safety and Resilience in Disaster Debris Removal and Clean-Up Operations Copyright © 2026 by Mohsen …

Data-Driven Prediction Of Concrete Bridge Deck Corrosion Using Ground Penetrating Radar (Gpr), Nafisa Shafiullah

Civil Engineering Theses

Corrosion detection remains a crucial factor in the proper maintenance of Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures. While several studies have used Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for corrosion detection, quantitative models for prediction are still limited. This study presents an approach for the quantitative prediction of rebar corrosion in concrete using GPR data obtained from a prior experimental program involving accelerated corrosion. A total of 36 RC samples were cast, varying in cover depth, rebar diameter, and concrete porosity. The samples were subjected to an impressed current of 0.65 A in a 5% NaCl solution over three phases: 10, 20, and 30 …

Proposed Design Approach Of Bolted Cruciform Stiffened End-Plate Connections And Bolted Circular Flange Plate Connections Under Combined Loading For Enhanced Economy And Performance, Cesar E. Aguirre

Civil Engineering Dissertations

This research will deliver a substantive contribution to the advancement of design practice for bolted circular flange connections and cruciform stiffened end-plate connections — critically evaluating existing approaches, identifying their limitations, and proposing evidence-based design frameworks that enhance structural performance, predictability, and safety across relevant engineering applications.In addition provide economical benefits.

The Rise In Height And Curb Weight Of The Top-Selling Vehicles In The United States From 1991 - 2025: Implications For Engineering Design And Vulnerable Road Users, Samuel L. Steinman-Friedman

Civil Engineering Theses

Road fatalities are higher in the United States than in other high-income regions. In 2024, 39,254 people died on roads in the United States compared to 19,940 in the European Union. These two regions have comparable exposure metrics, such as population size, roadway network length, and fatalities per mile traveled. Light trucks dominate the U.S. market, whereas hatchbacks are prevalent in Europe. The trendline of the average height and curb weight of the top-selling vehicles in the United States has increased by 0.24 inches and 23.52 pounds per year since 1991. The average 2025 top-selling U.S. passenger vehicle is 7.5 …

Effects Of Metals On Persulfate Activation For The Decomposition Of Pfas, Malu Deav Devadasan

Civil Engineering Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants widely used in industrial and consumer products due to their unique physicochemical properties. Their resistance to degradation, potential for bioaccumulation, and associated adverse health effects have prompted increasing regulatory attention, including the establishment of drinking water standards for six PFAS compounds by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024.

Current PFAS treatment technologies are often energy-intensive and costly or generate secondary waste streams requiring further management. Meanwhile, this research investigated transition metal-catalyzed advanced oxidation processes for PFAS decomposition in water under ambient conditions. Previous studies demonstrated effective degradation of perfluorocarboxylic acids …

Reliability-Based Performance Evaluation Of Slurry Wall For Leakage Control At Chakaria Landfill, Bangladesh, Shishir Bhandari

Civil Engineering Theses

Landfill leachate threatens groundwater quality in low-lying coastal Bangladesh, where a shallow water table and a discontinuous natural clay barrier heighten contamination risk beneath municipal solid waste sites. At the Chakaria Landfill in Cox's Bazar District, a cement-bentonite slurry wall was proposed as a vertical cutoff to control seepage, but its reliability under the site's high-groundwater condition had not previously been evaluated in probabilistic terms.

This study evaluated the wall's performance using a two-dimensional SEEP/W finite-element seepage model, a validated response surface (RSM) equation relating seepage rate to wall permeability, thickness, depth, and a Hasofer-Lind first-order reliability (FORM) analysis built …

Performance Evaluation Of Modified Moisture Barrier For Subgrade Stabilization Of Pavements On Expansive Soils, Md Tamim Shahriar

Civil Engineering Theses

Expansive soils inflict an estimated nine to fifteen billion dollars in annual damage to infrastructure across the United States, surpassing the combined losses from earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes (Nelson and Miller, 1997; Jones and Jefferson, 2012). In Texas, eighteen of twenty-five TxDOT districts contend with pavement failure rooted in moisture-driven volume change of subgrade clay, consuming roughly twenty-five percent of the agency's annual budget for maintenance and repair (Sebesta, 2002; Wanyan et al., 2010). Conventional remediation approaches, including soil replacement, chemical stabilization with lime or cement, and prewetting, are either prohibitively expensive, unsuitable for high-sulfate soils, or confined to …

Anaerobic Digestion Of Food Waste Components: Modeling Biogas Production, Opeyemi E. Adelegan

Civil Engineering Dissertations

Food waste constitutes the single largest component of municipal solid waste landfilled in the United States — approximately 22% of 292.4 million tons generated in 2018 — and its anaerobic decomposition releases methane, a greenhouse gas with global warming potential approximately 27–30 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year horizon (IPCC, 2021). Anaerobic digestion (AD) offers an alternative management pathway that recovers energy and produces nutrient-rich digestate, but AD performance varies by as much as five-fold across food waste streams (130–630 m³ CH₄ per Mg VS added), and existing predictive tools either treat food waste as a …

Integrating Off-Spec Scms Into Plc Blends, George A. Qubty

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Off-spec supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) remain underutilized due to variability in reactivity and non-conformance with existing standards. This study evaluates the hydration behavior and fresh-state and mechanical performance of these materials in Portland limestone cement (PLC) systems. One Class F fly ash (FA), one bottom ash (BA), and two calcined clays (HACC and LACC) were evaluated as 20 % replacements to PLC. Hydration behavior was characterized using isothermal calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), while fresh-state and mechanical performance were assessed through flow table, Vicat setting time, load–crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) flexural testing, and compressive strength testing. HACC increased compressive …

The Development Of Sustainable Synthetic Fiber Reinforced Concrete Mix Design With Low Maintenance Cost, Kentesha L. High

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation presents the mix design of polypropylene SYN-FRC as an alternative to traditional concrete mixtures in construction roadways. The primary scope of work was to develop and implement a pavement system at The University of Texas at Arlington, specifically designed for the Dallas area, to minimize long-term maintenance. Additionally, the project aimed for expeditious construction to avoid traffic closure during new construction and maintenance. It also involved evaluating the pavement performance, providing the City of Dallas with specifications for the mix design of SYN-FRC. The sustainability of the synthetic fiber mix design for concrete roadways, compared to traditional concrete, …

Assessment Of Long Term Durability Of Prefabricated Frp Strip Systems For The Rehabilitation Of Concrete, Karunya Kanagavel

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites provide an extremely effective means of rehabilitating deteriorating and understrength concrete elements due to their characteristics of high specific strength and stiffness, corrosion resistance, and potential long-term durability, lightweight nature, and ease of placement in the field. Despite significant use of these materials, there is still a lack of long-term durability data. With this in mind, the current study investigates the impact of environmental exposure and aging on 3 commercially available prefabricated carbon fiber reinforced composite strips and their recommended adhesives used in externally bonded rehabilitation with the aim of providing a comprehensive set of …

Coastal Flooding Along The Lower Brazos During The Landfall Of Hurricane Beryl -A Model-Based Investigation, Sabiha Tasnuva Khan

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Hurricane Beryl generated a complex hydrodynamic response along the Texas coast and Lower Brazos River, producing storm surge, elevated coastal water levels, intense rainfall, and widespread inundation. Low-gradient coastal rivers such as the lower portion of the Brazos River are particularly sensitive to the interaction of these drivers, yet the inland decay of surge energy and its interplay with watershed runoff remain poorly quantified. This study aims to characterize the physical mechanisms controlling water-level amplification, flow reversal, surge attenuation, and inundation development during Hurricane Beryl along the Lower Brazos and to determine the relative contributions of surge and rainfall to …

Citizen-Centric Building Energy Retrofits: Understanding And Supporting Citizens As Occupants, Participants, Decision-Makers, And Learners In Home Energy Retrofits, Nikhil Singh Yaduvanshi

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Residential building retrofits remain significantly under-adopted despite substantial technological advances, economic incentives, and policy efforts, creating a critical gap between technical potential and actual implementation in achieving climate goals. Assessment of citizen involvement in building retrofit processes plays a critical role in formulating effective home retrofit program designs to ensure maximum adoption rates and avoid energy waste. Although, existing retrofit programs and decision-making models recognize the importance of citizen involvement, the extent of citizen capabilities and the effects of citizen-centered approaches on retrofit adoption and building performance has not been comprehensively examined. The adoption and success of retrofit programs depends …

Assessment Of The Feasibility Of Utilizing Plastic Waste In Infrastructure To Promote Circular Economy In Bangladesh, Md Lutfor Rahman

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of municipal solid waste (MSW) and plastic waste characterization across Bangladesh, with a focus on circular economy opportunities and the long-term economic viability of plastic road. Using on-site waste characterization data for 13 major cities from four geographic zones of Bangladesh —Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast—the research identifies food waste as the dominant component of the national waste stream (67.3%), followed by plastic (12.4%), textiles (7.8%), and paper (4.7%). Among plastics, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) overwhelmingly dominates (89.7%), highlighting the continued prevalence of single-use flexible plastics.

A life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) was conducted comparing …

Implementation And Performance Evaluation Of Plastic Road Mix Design In Parking Lot, Ishraq Faruk

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The uncontrolled proliferation of plastic waste has emerged as a global environmental crisis, with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) constituting a substantial fraction of the waste stream due to its extensive use in packaging and its resistance to degradation. In parallel, asphalt pavements particularly in urban infrastructure such as parking lots experience accelerated deterioration from raveling, rutting, and cracking as a result of thermal cycling, repetitive loading, and inadequate drainage. These converging challenges present an opportunity for innovative, circular-economy-based sustainable pavement technologies that simultaneously improve surface durability and mitigate plastic waste accumulation.

This research investigates the full-scale implementation and monitoring of HDPE …

Enhancing Operational Efficiency Of Paratransit Services Using Predictive Models, Troyee Saha

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Paratransit services play a vital role in supporting the mobility of older adults and individuals with disabilities, yet they experienced major disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to face ongoing operational issues such as trip cancellations. This dissertation explores these challenges through three distinct analyses using data from Arlington, TX. The first chapter investigates how COVID-19-related factors (policies, cases, and vaccination) and socio-demographics influenced paratransit usage from 2019 to 2021. Applying SARIMAX and Poisson regression models, the study finds a substantial drop in ridership—41% in 2020—and a shift toward essential medical travel. It also reveals that restrictive policies, such …

Development Of Supervised Machine Learning-Based Life-Cycle Cost Estimation And Prediction Models For Comparative Sewer System Rehabilitation Using Open-Cut And Trenchless Cured-In-Place Pipe Methods, Gayatri R. Thakre

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Aging wastewater infrastructure in the United States demands renewal strategies that balance cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and minimal social disruption. Conventional open-cut pipeline installation (OCPI) involves extensive excavation and restoration, whereas trenchless alternatives such as Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) Renewal Technology offer reduced surface disturbance and environmental impacts. However, existing studies primarily focus on Construction Costs (CC), neglecting integrated life-cycle evaluations that also account for Environmental Costs (EC) and Social Costs (SC).

The primary objectives of this research are to develop supervised machine-learning (ML) models to estimate and predict CC in 2025 US dollars (USD) per linear foot of OCPI and CIPP Renewal …

Development Of A Drone-Assisted Pavement Management Framework Based On The Pavement Condition Index For University Parking Lots, Omesh Pasuluru

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Efficient pavement management is essential for keeping university parking lots in good condition. At the University of Texas at Arlington, parking areas experience heavy use and environmental wear, which can cause damage if not addressed early. Traditional methods for assessing pavement conditions are time-consuming, interrupt daily activities, and are expensive. Hence, there is a need for better solutions. This study introduces a drone-based pavement management approach that uses the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) system. The PCI is a numerical scale from 0 to 100 that rates pavement quality based on surface condition. A high PCI score (85-100) indicates the pavement …

Structural Performance Of High-Rise Rc Buildings With Sfrc Columns And Shear Walls Subjected To Seismic Loading, Ali Azzawi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

To investigate the seismic performance of high-rise RC buildings with steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) columns and shear walls, a detailed numerical analysis was established using RISA-3D software on twelve-story RC buildings subjected to earthquakes. The variables included in this research are steel fiber volume fraction (SFVF), number of stories with SFRC columns and shear walls, and concrete strength grade. The mechanical properties of the concrete for each mix are evaluated experimentally. Three types of concrete mix designs were performed in the Civil Engineering Laboratory Building (CELB) using different dosages of steel fibers (0, 25lb/cy, and 70lb/cy). The properties of …

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Of Fm4 Txdot Roadway Alternatives In Cleburne, Texas, Ethan A. Bright

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The Engineering senior design group proposed a three-span concrete bridge, merged lane intersection, and a single storm conduit system. The Honors contribution to this project was analyzing the design’s alternative’s life-cycle costs to compare the most economic design. The project’s cost consists of initial construction, maintenance, and decommission. Utilizing Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) bid code unit prices, each design alternative is calculated by multiplying each material amount by the unit price then summed. Although the parallel conduit system has a cheaper initial cost, it requires more maintenance during its lifetime, therefore the single conduit system was recommended. Notably, cost …

Investigating Rural Traffic Dynamics: A Traffic Study On E 2nd Street Intersection’S Behavior And Safety, Ma Anjelika Rose T. Pineda

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Traffic studies guide engineers in designing road networks to ensure smooth traffic flow and public safety. Such studies assess the need for traffic control devices to manage vehicle flow safely and efficiently. This is crucial at intersections which pose high risks of collision and congestion. A traffic analysis at the intersection of Island Grove and E 2nd Street on the FM-4 roadway in Cleburne, TX was conducted to evaluate the sufficiency of the current traffic control device. TxDOT warrants and standards and a field study were utilized and performed to justify the substitution for a traffic signal at the intersection. …

Experimental And Finite Element Investigation Of Shear Transfer Mechanisms And Capacity Of Continuous Post-Tensioned Concrete Beams In One-Way Slab Buildings, Suman Rijal

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This study investigates the shear behavior and resistance mechanisms of continuous post-tensioned beams commonly used in one-way slab buildings. Combining experimental and analytical methods, the research focuses on the targeted failure regions of prestressed and non-prestressed continuous beams to gain deeper insights into their shear behavior. The large-scale specimens used in this study featured realistic parabolic tendon profiles and an average prestress level comparable to that used in actual construction. The experimental program includes three test series, with beam designs and setups refined for each series based on observations of shear crack development and progression in the preceding series. This …

Evaluation Of Hydrophobic Materials For Stabilizing Expansive Soils, Suman Shrestha

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The swelling and shrinkage of the expansive soil as a response to moisture change is one of the significant challenges posed to infrastructure projects. The significant economic damage that is caused by the expansive soil, as well as its abundance in nature, has prompted various scientists and engineers all around the world to actively search for new and improved methods for stabilizing it. Various traditional methods, such as lime and cement treatment, have been used extensively to stabilize expansive soils and mitigate their harmful effects on the infrastructure. Although these methods are quite often effective and various studies have been …

Improvement In Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Bridges Through Assessment Of Secondary Benefits And Defect Based Maintenance Cost, Shadman Sakib

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Benefit-cost Analysis (BCA) is conducted prior to federal grant allocation for bridge replacement and enhancement projects to prioritize decision-making. Benefits are measured based on total bridge closures, requiring vehicles to take alternate detour paths. Primary benefits are the direct user costs such as travel time saving or emission costs. However, there are more secondary benefits that are intangible and hard to monetize, but United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) guidelines suggest considering them wherever possible. There are lack of US based data and research also no set guideline by authority.

Apart from calculating primary benefits for a 95 sample of …

Statistical Analysis On The Effects Of Environmental Factors On Bridge Condition Rating In Texas, Mohammad Wasif Quadri

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The development of predictive models for bridge deterioration is crucial for ensuring the longevity and safety of transportation infrastructure. Bridge condition degradation is heavily influenced by environmental conditions. This research integrates various environmental variables such as rainfall, humidity, air temperature, coastal influence, and freezing effects to generate environmental risk scores. These scores help in developing environmental risk zones within the Texas region. Deck condition ratings from the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database are used to develop deterioration models using linear regression and the Markov method. The results highlight the impact of different environmental risk zones on bridge degradation patterns and …

Termite Gut Microbe (Tav5) Application To Pulp & Paper Wastewater And Sugarcane Bagasse: Enhancing Lignin Degradation And Methane Generation During Anaerobic Digestion, Doreen Ntiamoah-Asare, Melanie Sattler Ph.D, P.E.

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

TAV5 is a bacterium strain of the family Opitutaceae from Termite-Associated Verrucomicrobium isolated from the hindgut of Reticulitermes Flavipes, the most common subterranean termite in North America. The genome of TAV5 contains genes coding for enzymes that could structurally modify lignin.

Pulp & paper wastewater and Sugarcane bagasse contain high levels of cellulose (44-46%) and hemicellulose (27-32% ), as well as lignin (17-23%) which is recalcitrant to biodegradation. The lignin tend to shield the cellulose and hemicellulose making them inaccessible for biodegradation.

TAV5 can breakdown lignin, making the cellulose and hemicellulose accessible to microorganisms for biodegradation into methane generation for …

Development Of A Real-Time Warning System For Bridge Icing Using Time Domain Reflectometry, Taryn Dilorenzo

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Treacherous driving conditions are a safety concern during the winter season where icing on roadways and bridges is of particular concern. The use of sensors to detect the presence or potential of surface ice formation is essential for efficient and effective winter road maintenance. However, there is a lack of ice detection systems that combine robust sensors, active warning signs and an ice detection algorithm that is reliable and economical. This study presents an innovative sensor that uses dielectric sensing to detect the onset of ice formation on a bridge deck. The sensor combines an automatic algorithm for ice detection …

Streamlining Public Engagement In Transportation Projects Using Text Analytics, Alireza Shamshiri

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Infrastructure projects impact a broad range of stakeholders, particularly local communities, whose engagement is critical for successful outcomes. Despite the importance of public engagement in these projects, traditional methods of capturing and analyzing public opinion often fail to fully represent the diverse, genuine perspectives involved. This has led to conflicts between community members and project sponsors. On the other hand, despite advancements in text analytics, including natural language processing (NLP) and its subfields such as topic modeling, sentiment analysis, and neural networks, their functionalities and effectiveness in analyzing public opinion in the domain of infrastructure projects have not been fully …

Roles Of Vegetation On Soil Moisture Dynamics In Transitional Climates- Lessons From Improving Phenology Representation In Land Surface Model And Retrieval Algorithm, Farhad Hassani

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Soil moisture is a critical component of the terrestrial water and energy cycles, influencing key hydrological and atmospheric processes such as infiltration, runoff generation, evapotranspiration, and atmospheric boundary layer dynamics. Accurate representation of soil moisture is essential for reliable hydrological modeling, drought monitoring, and seasonal to sub-seasonal (S2S) weather forecasting. Vegetation significantly affects soil moisture dynamics through processes like transpiration, canopy interception, and root water uptake, especially in transitional climates where conditions fluctuate between arid and humid states. However, errors in vegetation phenology representation can lead to substantial biases in soil moisture estimates within land surface models (LSMs) and satellite …

Development And Application Of Teems (Telecommuting Expectation Models): Predicting Post-Pandemic Telecommuting Choice And Frequency Using Machine Learning Models, Aiswarya Acharath Mohanakrishnan

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Telecommuting, increasingly prevalent in today's workforce, has gained significant momentum amid the pandemic-induced shift towards remote work. It altered the travel behavior of workers and their travel patterns. This evolution prompts a reevaluation of worker travel behavior, necessitating adjustments in travel demand modeling to optimize transportation planning and service provision. Using the commuter’s data from a typical pre-pandemic workday to model the travel demand of weeks or years in the future is outdated. In designing transportation systems for the future, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) will thus need to account for change in work trips due to telecommuting, and how this …