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Full-Text Articles in Civil Engineering

Experimental Investigation Of The Behavior Of The Steel Reinforced High Density Polyethylene And Corrugated Metal Pipe, Safa Sadat Masajedian Jan 2011

Experimental Investigation Of The Behavior Of The Steel Reinforced High Density Polyethylene And Corrugated Metal Pipe, Safa Sadat Masajedian

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Steel reinforced high density polyethylene pipes are gaining popularity these days because of their good performance and advantages of them in comparison to the other pipe materials. By inverting the steel ribs vertically in to the HDPE materials, strength of steel and flexibility and light weight of HDPE materials have been combined. However due the limited study in this area, the failure modes and design parameters are not classified.This study investigates the behavior and failure modes of SR-HDPE pipes under the simulated soil load and compares the results with the data obtained from the test on corrugated metal pipe under …


Evaluation Of Building Information Modeling Applications For Small Construction Companies, Agustin Villafana Jan 2011

Evaluation Of Building Information Modeling Applications For Small Construction Companies, Agustin Villafana

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This thesis concerns developing recommendations to help small construction company's transition from traditional two dimensional plans to a Building Information Modeling (BIM) management process. Due to the cost of implementing BIM, the primary focus of the thesis is onthe transitioning state of these two management areas in an effort to facilitate full integration of smaller contractors into BIM technologies at a future time.Three case studies are used to assess and evaluate the effects of building information modeling on the schedule, material procurement, and information modeling aspects of a project. The intent of the case studies is to demonstrate a net …


An Overview Of Mitigation Strategies For Settlements Under Bridge Approach Slabs, Raja Veerendra Yenigalla Jan 2011

An Overview Of Mitigation Strategies For Settlements Under Bridge Approach Slabs, Raja Veerendra Yenigalla

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Settlement and heave related movements of bridge approach slabs relative to bridge decks create a bump in the roadway causing inconvenience to the travelling public and at times so large as to make travelling unsafe. Hence, it is important to adopt suitable remedial methods to mitigate the approach settlements so as to ensure safe traveling conditions and also to decrease the repair/maintenance costs. This thesis presents an overview of a few case studies on different mitigation techniques applied on bridge approach settlement problems at various locations in the state of Texas. The methods employed to mitigate the settlement including Polyurethane …


Use Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete In Structural Members With Highly Complex Stress Fields, Tarun Pareek Jan 2011

Use Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete In Structural Members With Highly Complex Stress Fields, Tarun Pareek

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Reinforced concrete (RC) members with significant geometric discontinuities and complex stress distributions under loading require considerable analyses and usually complicated reinforcement detailing. RC members with large openings are one of the examples. These large openings may interrupt the load transfer by direct concrete struts and cause substantial decrease in strength and unpredictable failure modes. The reinforcement detailing of these concrete members based on strut-and-tie models (STMs) is generally complicated and very often, these models cannot predict the failure mechanism due to localized damages. The actual stress fields in such members are typically very different from that predicated by STMs, as …


The Effects Of A Variable Modulus Of Elasticity On Prestress Losses In Bridge Girders, Brahama Prakashni Singh Jan 2011

The Effects Of A Variable Modulus Of Elasticity On Prestress Losses In Bridge Girders, Brahama Prakashni Singh

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The purpose of this research is to evaluate a method proposed by Franz Dischinger (Dischinger, 1939) to consider the effects of a variable modulus of elasticity (MOE) of concrete over a period of time. Current guidelines suggested by the American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) assume a constant value for the MOE and base its calculation on the unit weight of concrete and the twenty eight day compressive strength of concrete. A few methods such as the ACI 209 Model Code (ACI 209, 1982) and CEB-FIP 1990 (CEB-FIP 1990, 1990) provide guidelines for the calculation of a …


Evaluation Of Training Needs For Building Information Modeling (Bim), German Pena Jan 2011

Evaluation Of Training Needs For Building Information Modeling (Bim), German Pena

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The basic premise of Building Information Modeling (BIM) is to use and share the digital model of a project as a source of information for all participants, in order to simulate and analyze potential problems during the project's life-cycle, from conception to operation. BIM is a relatively new technology praised by all participants in the Architecture-Engineering-Construction (AEC) industry for its innovative tools, and the promise of a high return of investment and productivity increase. The construction industry experimented little growth in productivity in the last decades, and is heavily relying on technology rather than intense labor in order to boost …


Evaluation Of Building Information Modeling (Bim) For Water Transmission Pipelines, Rakesh Gopala Raju Doraiswamy Jan 2011

Evaluation Of Building Information Modeling (Bim) For Water Transmission Pipelines, Rakesh Gopala Raju Doraiswamy

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

In the construction industry, water transmission pipelines projects typically require two-dimensional drawings for transferring design data to the field. These drawings are referred as construction documents and serve as the source documents for subsequent facility management. However, two-dimensional drawings become difficult to interpret when there are too many entities involved needing information. In addition, when there are too many drawings for separate components such as plans, sections, and details, the chances of errors and omissions are more likely to happen. On the other hand, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a new trend in construction industry and is being increasingly used …


Sustainable Reutilization Of Excavated Trench Material, Rajini Kanth Reddy Karduri Jan 2011

Sustainable Reutilization Of Excavated Trench Material, Rajini Kanth Reddy Karduri

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Sustainability is becoming a key factor in most construction projects. In most construction projects, personnel are spending efforts to understand the social, economic and environmental impacts of the various facets of construction projects. Geotechnical engineering can contribute to the sustainability of the project via selecting sustainable materials and construction processes that would to lead several tangible benefits. For example a pipeline generally runs through a long and varying terrain which results in innumerable environmental impacts during a pipeline installation. Therefore, it is necessary for the design engineer and also the owner to estimate these impacts of pipe installation and evaluate …


The Effects Of Behavioral, Geometric And Heavy Vehicle Traffic Flow Characteristics On Capacity And Emissions At Roundabouts, Cho Honest Sone Jan 2010

The Effects Of Behavioral, Geometric And Heavy Vehicle Traffic Flow Characteristics On Capacity And Emissions At Roundabouts, Cho Honest Sone

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Modern roundabouts, first constructed in England in the early 1960s, are becoming increasingly popular replacements for signalized and stop controlled intersections in the United States. Roundabouts were introduced to replace traditional traffic circles and rotaries. With the characteristics of entering traffic that yield to circulating traffic and geometric constraints that slow entering vehicles, roundabouts have proven to be more efficient than traffic circles and in some cases than signalized and stop-controlled intersections. Roundabouts often require drivers to decelerate from, and reaccelerate to, highway speeds, and can involve one or multiple stops. One concern about congested roundabouts is that vehicle emissions …


Testing & Design Life Modeling Of Polyurea Liners For Potable Water Pipes, Mustafa Z. Kanchwala Jan 2010

Testing & Design Life Modeling Of Polyurea Liners For Potable Water Pipes, Mustafa Z. Kanchwala

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Currently, there are various renewal methods available for different applications, among which coatings and linings are most commonly used for the renewal of water pipes. Polyurea is a lining material applied to the interior surface of the deteriorated host pipe using spray technique. It is applied to enhance the structural ability of the pipeline. This thesis presents the preliminary results of an ongoing laboratory testing program designed to investigate the renewal of potable water pipes using polyurea spray lining. This research focuses on predicting the long-term behavior of polyurea composite. The goal of this test was to establish a relationship …


Experimental Studies On Shrinkage Induced Pressure Measurements Of Four Expansive Soils, Varagorn Puljan Jan 2010

Experimental Studies On Shrinkage Induced Pressure Measurements Of Four Expansive Soils, Varagorn Puljan

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Civil structures were damaged by expansive soils due to its large volumetric changes caused by moisture fluctuations. During wet and dry season, the ground heaves up and also shrinks noticeably. The significant amount of curling pressure which is induced by soil shrinkage could cause severe damages to the infrastructure. Especially in the eastern and central Texas, pavements encounter severe cracking and premature loss of serviceability. The maintenance costs, in some cases, are greater than the initial construction costs. Residential dwell structures built on problematic expansive soils often become distressed due to volume changes associated with seasonal moisture content variations. This …


Development Of An Accident Model For Construction Industry, Hoda Alavi Jan 2010

Development Of An Accident Model For Construction Industry, Hoda Alavi

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Safety has always been a persistent problem in the construction industry. Construction accidents are a major concern for the construction industry and the researchers. In spite of the role of many construction accident causation models in understanding the accident process, none adequately explain the underlying reasons for construction accidents because of their dynamic nature.To overcome this restriction a new advancement in understanding construction accidents has been proposed by Howell et al (2002) based on the work of Rasmussen (1997). The model recognizes that organizational and individual forces push workers in to hazardous conditions. These forces overcome efforts to impose safe …


Characteristics Of Fresh Municipal Solid Waste, Tashfeena Taufiq Jan 2010

Characteristics Of Fresh Municipal Solid Waste, Tashfeena Taufiq

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The characteristics of fresh municipal solid waste (MSW) are critical in planning, designing, operating or upgrading solid waste management systems. Physical composition, moisture content, compacted unit weight, permeability are the most important MSW characteristics to be considered in planning a system. When the landfill is operated as enhanced leachate recirculation (ELR) landfill, the physical and hydraulic characteristics are of particular interest in determining the amount of moisture to be recirculated and to design the leachate recirculation and gas collection systems. The current study presents the physical and hydraulic characteristics of MSW collected from the working face of Denton Landfill. The …


Development Of A Suction-Controlled Resonant Column Apparatus With Self-Contained Bender Elements, Eduardo Alfonso Suescun-Florez Jan 2010

Development Of A Suction-Controlled Resonant Column Apparatus With Self-Contained Bender Elements, Eduardo Alfonso Suescun-Florez

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Small-strain soil stiffness properties such as shear modulus, shear wave velocity, and material damping, are key subsoil parameters for an adequate analysis and design of unsaturated earth structures subject to static and non-static loading. Most conventional geotechnical testing techniques, however, are not able to capture this small-strain behavior and, hence, enormously underestimate the true soil stiffness, primarily due to inaccuracies in small-strain measurements. Around the world, a great deal of research efforts has been dedicated to field and laboratory based measurements of soil suction, assessments of soil-water retention properties, and analyses of swell-collapse behavior. However, very few efforts have been …


Development Of A Preliminary Cost Estimation Method For Water Treatment Plants, Jwala Raj Sharma Jan 2010

Development Of A Preliminary Cost Estimation Method For Water Treatment Plants, Jwala Raj Sharma

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Reliable cost estimates for construction, and operation and maintenance (O&M) of water treatment plants are essential for their project planning and design. During the planning phases of the project, preliminary cost estimates are developed for major project components, and for screening of alternatives.Construction and O&M cost curves are widely used for developing preliminary cost estimates. This method is time consuming and there is possibility of human errors. Therefore, for this thesis, construction, and O&M cost equations were developed considering historical cost data for different unit operations and processes involved in a water treatment plant. These equations were developed from historical …


Modeling Studies To Assess Long Term Settlement Of Light Weight Aggregate Embankment, Seema Kalla Jan 2010

Modeling Studies To Assess Long Term Settlement Of Light Weight Aggregate Embankment, Seema Kalla

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Expanded clay and shale (ECS) is a low weight material derived from clay and shale, and has been used in large quantities throughout the world. Very few studies have been performed to investigate the behavior of ECS and how it can reduce the settlements of embankments when used as a fill material. This thesis presents research findings of numerical modeling to assess the long term settlements of ECS embankment on a soft clay deposit and supports both pavement and traffic loading. Observed settlements near the pavement of a light weight ECS embankment built on soft clay indicated that this material …


Field Investigations On Performance Of Short Drilled Shafts Under Inclined Loading, Richard S. Williammee Jr Jan 2010

Field Investigations On Performance Of Short Drilled Shafts Under Inclined Loading, Richard S. Williammee Jr

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

In the Kaufman County area within the Texas Department of Transportation's Dallas District, several short drilled shaft foundations supporting three-cable median barrier systems wereobserved to be distressed during severe winter storm conditions in late 2006 through early 2007. A research study was initiated at UT Arlington to determine and understand the mechanisms causing these shaft failures. The ends of the three-cable median barrier systems are fastened to a single drilled shaft foundation. In general, these shafts are short in depth and of the same dimensions, diameter, and depth. They are typically used in all soil conditions. This paper presents the …


Effect Of Frame Shape And Geometry On The Global Behavior Of Rigid And Hybrid Frame Under Earthquake Excitations, S.M. Ashfaqul Hoq Jan 2010

Effect Of Frame Shape And Geometry On The Global Behavior Of Rigid And Hybrid Frame Under Earthquake Excitations, S.M. Ashfaqul Hoq

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The primary focus of this study is to present a shape which will improve building performance in earthquake excitations. The investigation started with 3-, 9-, 12- and 20-story rectangular frame. The seismic performance is observed for different earthquake data with different frequency content. Then, the Rhombus shape is introduced to compare with the Rectangular shape frames, keeping the height-to-width ratio and loading same. For the first part of the investigation, deflection and member forces are compared between rhombus and rectangular shape considering all connections rigid. In the second part of the study partially restrained connections are introduced in mid levels …


Investigation Of The Lower Bound Compressive And Flexural Strengths Of Conventional Concrete And Clay Masonry, Benchmark Henry Harris Jan 2010

Investigation Of The Lower Bound Compressive And Flexural Strengths Of Conventional Concrete And Clay Masonry, Benchmark Henry Harris

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Conventional masonry is a handcrafted product in which units are placed by hand in a mortar bedding that is prepared during construction. TMS 402 Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (also referred to by the industry as the Masonry Standards Joint Committee or MSJC) and referenced standards consequently permit a range of various field conditions so as to allow practical construction (1). The primary objective of the testing program was to measure a statistically significant number of test results to investigate the lower bound compressive and flexural strengths of conventional concrete and clay masonry under simulated field conditions.96 compression tests …


Effect Of Leachate Recirculation On Methane Generation Of A Bioreactor Landfill, Shahed R. Manzur Jan 2010

Effect Of Leachate Recirculation On Methane Generation Of A Bioreactor Landfill, Shahed R. Manzur

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal is of current concern due to the green-house effect and rising temperature all around the globe. Landfill gas is generated from aerobic & anaerobic biodegradation of organic materials in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill. Along with leachate, generation of Methane happens to be a by-product of the entire biodegradation process in MSW landfills. Conventional landfilling or dry cell concept minimizes the amount of moisture infiltration into the waste. In contrast, Enhanced Leachate Recirculation (ELR) or bioreactor operation facilitates leachate recirculation and distribution through the landfill that leads both reduction of time for waste stabilization and …


Evaluation Of Trenchless Renewal Methods For Potable Water Distribution Pipes, Abhay A. Jain Jan 2010

Evaluation Of Trenchless Renewal Methods For Potable Water Distribution Pipes, Abhay A. Jain

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Undoubtedly, potable water pipes, as part of an underground infrastructure system, play a key role in maintaining quality of life, health and well being of human kind. As these potable water pipes reach the end of their useful life, they create high maintenance costs, loss of flow capacity, decreased water quality, and increased dissatisfaction. Trenchless renewal methods (TRMs) are a medium to renew deteriorated potable water pipes, thus decreasing leakage loss, emergency maintenance costs and customer complaints. TRMs also maintain the quality of the water leaving the treatment plant. America's drinking water systems faces an annual shortfall of at least …


An Investigation Of Productivity Loss Due To Outdoor Noise Conditions, Shripad Dilip Maldikar Jan 2010

An Investigation Of Productivity Loss Due To Outdoor Noise Conditions, Shripad Dilip Maldikar

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Most people in day to day life at one time or other get irritated or distracted by surrounding noises. The irritation might have resulted in minor aggravation or may have been dramatic enough to hinder their work. This leads us to think whether there are any losses in the efficiency of construction workers due to surrounding varying noise conditions, or if they naturally adjust to their acoustic environment. In an effort to answer this question, this study on productivity loss due to varying sound conditions was conducted. It was found that, the efficiency of laborers was inversely proportional to the …


Evaluation Of Project Delivery Methods For Trenchless Construction, Sahar W. Hasan Jan 2010

Evaluation Of Project Delivery Methods For Trenchless Construction, Sahar W. Hasan

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The need of today's construction whether it be residential, commercial or infrastructure is to cut costs while maintaining schedule, scope, and delivering the expected quality. This realization has brought to light the importance of project delivery methods. Project delivery methods are no longer seen only as procedures to follow for a construction project; they have become instruments that are being used to save money, deliver projects ahead of schedule and come up with innovative design solutions by utilizing the contractor's expertise. This thesis evaluates the pros and cons of project delivery methods with respect to trenchless construction. Trenchless technology methods …


Performance Of Large Scale Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Deep Beam With Single Opening Under Monotonic Loading, Carlos Flores Jan 2009

Performance Of Large Scale Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Deep Beam With Single Opening Under Monotonic Loading, Carlos Flores

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The design of complex, discontinuous stress trajectory regions (D-regions) is complex in natureand cumbersome to design. The performance of a large scale steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC)deep beam with single opening under monotonic loading was tested under controlled conditions. Themain objective of this study was to see if Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC), used as a bettermaterial than reinforced concrete (RC) offered an alternate to the cumbersome and iterative stepsinvolved in strut-and-tie (STM) methodology. Additionally, a similar reinforced concrete (RC) specimenwas tested under the same controlled condition designed with classical strut-and-tie model designmethodology reinforced using conventional steel bars.Material testing was …


Theoretical Feasibility Study For A Conceptual Approach To Trenchless Replacement Of Culverts, Diego R. Calderon Jan 2009

Theoretical Feasibility Study For A Conceptual Approach To Trenchless Replacement Of Culverts, Diego R. Calderon

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Culvert damage and collapses and their renewal alternatives are a raising concern in today's infrastructure topics. In most cases damages are irreversible; however, in many cases opportunities exist to correct and renew. While conventional open-cut construction brings inconvenience to the public, trenchless technology brings a greener, reliable and more socially acceptable alternative to renew culverts. Considering the strong dependency on highway transportation by the American lifestyle, collapses of culverts in major roads may produce chaotic traffic redirections. To reduce this risk, this research sets a path for a construction and feasibility study on a new culvert replacement method based on …


Use Of Electrical Resistivity And Multichannel Analysis Of Surface Wave Geophysical Tomography In Geotechnical Site Characterization Of Dam, Joshua Lee Hubbard Jan 2009

Use Of Electrical Resistivity And Multichannel Analysis Of Surface Wave Geophysical Tomography In Geotechnical Site Characterization Of Dam, Joshua Lee Hubbard

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Performance of geotechnical site characterization is a primary function of geotechnical engineers. Generalizations required to extrapolate conventional geotechnical boring data can limit the effectiveness of site assessments. Advancements in geophysical technology have simplified means of data acquisition and interpretation of electrical and seismic testing, allowing a broader audience of practitioners to utilize methods for various engineering and environmental applications. In this study, electrical resistivity and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) seismic geophysical methods are used to expound upon previous geotechnical sampling and in situ testing conducted at an earthen dam site in East Texas. Findings from this study show: …


Durability Studies On Stabilization Effectiveness Of Soils Containing Different Fractions Of Montmorillonite, Aravind Pedarla Jan 2009

Durability Studies On Stabilization Effectiveness Of Soils Containing Different Fractions Of Montmorillonite, Aravind Pedarla

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Stabilization of clays with additives like lime and cement has been practiced for several years and worked well in improving the subgrades. Though this practice is used widely, there were cases where the treated subgrades exhibited premature failures. Many departments of transportation (DOT) agencies in the United States have had subgrade failures even after stabilization with chemical additives due to loss of stabilizer over a time period, or a stabilizer being ineffective in some soils. The design based on PI and gradation of soil followed by many DOTs is quite misleading due to the lack of inclusion of basic soil …


Failure Analysis Of A Mechanically Stabilized Earth (Mse) Wall Using Finite Element Program Plaxis, Tahsina Mahmood Jan 2009

Failure Analysis Of A Mechanically Stabilized Earth (Mse) Wall Using Finite Element Program Plaxis, Tahsina Mahmood

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining walls have been increasingly used in many federal, state and private projects over the last 20 years. MSE walls are reliable, constructible, and cost effective. However, failure of MSE wall has become a problem for all agencies using them. This study presents the failure analysis of a segmental block, MSE retaining wall located in Rockville, Maryland. The top of MSE wall moved about 12 inches to 18 inches. An extensive geotechnical investigation program was undertaken to investigate the MSE wall failure. This study presents the results of investigations to determine the causes of failure. The …


Development And Benefits Of A Leed Project Management Database, Teri Schmig Jan 2009

Development And Benefits Of A Leed Project Management Database, Teri Schmig

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The U.S. Green Building Council is a non-profit community of industry leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone. The documentation process for achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED® ) certification is highly complex and more time-consuming than necessary with currently employed systems. This thesis explains the need for development of a relational database as a means to increase the efficiency of the documentation process to meet LEED® requirements. This database will provide the construction project team a relational platform that guides the user through the LEED® administration and certification process. By developing a LEED® specific project …


Development Of Brownfield Database Using Gis, Jubair Hossain Jan 2009

Development Of Brownfield Database Using Gis, Jubair Hossain

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Brownfields are abandoned, idled or underutilized industrial or commercial sites where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by actual or perceived environmental contamination. Brownfields may be as small as a vacant city lot or as large as an abandoned manufacturing facility occupying several hundred acres. The extent of contamination encountered at brownfield sites may range from minor surface debris to extensive, dangerous soil and ground-water contamination. Concerning the communities in which brownfields are located, redevelopment may improve community appearance and image, relieve associated health and environmental concerns and produce a beneficial economic effect through increased property values and employment opportunities.The overall …