Civil Engineering Commons^™

Introductory Editorial: Water Microbiology, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Mark J. Krzmarzick

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Triclosan On The Spread Of Antibiotic Resistance In The Environment, Daniel E. Carey, Patrick J. Mcnamara

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Triclosan (TCS) is a commonly used antimicrobial agent that enters wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and the environment. An estimated 1.1 × 10⁵ to 4.2 × 10⁵ kg of TCS are discharged from these WWTPs per year in the United States. The abundance of TCS along with its antimicrobial properties have given rise to concern regarding its impact on antibiotic resistance in the environment. The objective of this review is to assess the state of knowledge regarding the impact of TCS on multidrug resistance in environmental settings, including engineered environments such as anaerobic digesters. Pure culture studies are reviewed …

Earthmoving Productivity In Urban Bridge Construction, Seonghoon Kim, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Earthmoving operations in urban bridge reconstruction projects are analyzed to identify significant factors that impact relatively low productivity. The research project was conducted in the urban interchange reconstruction of Interstate Highway 235 (I-235) in Des Moines, Iowa. By using observational studies and a statistical analysis method, the factors were identified, including match factor, number of passes, and loading cycle time per bucket. Number of truck, match factor, travel time, and hauling distance were identified as the unique factors for the off-site earthmoving project, while the start time and travel time were significant factors for the on-site project. This research also …

Seismic Response Of A Tall Building To Recorded And Simulated Ground Motions, Nenad Bijelic, Ting Lin, Gregory Deierlein

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Seismological modeling technologies are advancing to the stage of enabling fundamental simulation of earthquake fault ruptures, which offer new opportunities to simulate extreme ground motions for collapse safety assessment and earthquake scenarios for community resilience studies. With the goal toward establishing the reliability of simulated ground motions for performance-based engineering, this paper examines the response of a 20-story concrete moment frame building analyzed by nonlinear dynamic analysis under corresponding sets of recorded and simulated ground motions. The simulated ground motions were obtained through a larger validation study via the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Broadband Platform (BBP) that simulates magnitude …

An Ecohydrological Perspective On Drought-Induced Forest Mortality, Anthony J. Parolari, Gabriel Katul, Amilcare Porporato

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Regional‐scale drought‐induced forest mortality events are projected to become more frequent under future climates due to changes in rainfall patterns. The occurrence of these mortality events is driven by exogenous factors such as frequency and severity of drought and endogenous factors such as tree water and carbon use strategies. To explore the link between these exogenous and endogenous factors underlying forest mortality, a stochastic ecohydrological framework that accounts for random arrival and length of droughts as well as responses of tree water and carbon balance to soil water deficit is proposed. The main dynamics of this system are characterized with …

Utilization Of Simulated Ground Motions For Engineering Performance Assessment Of Tall Buildings, Nenad Bijelic, Ting Lin, Gregory Deierlein

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Heavy Vehicle Performance During Recovery From Forced-Flow Urban Freeway Conditions Due To Incidents, Work Zones And Recurring Congestion, Alexander Drakopoulos, Yue Liu, Alan Horowitz

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Information contained in the Highway Capacity Manual on the influence heavy vehicles have on freeway traffic operations has been based on few field data collection efforts and relied mostly on traffic simulation efforts. In the 2010 Manual heavy vehicle impact is evaluated based on “passenger car equivalent” values for buses, recreational vehicles and trucks. These values were calibrated for relatively uncongested freeway conditions (levels of service A through C) since inadequate field data on heavy vehicle behavior under congested conditions were available. A number of field data collection efforts, that were not included in deriving the passenger car equivalent values …

Validation Of Earthquake Simulations And Their Effects On Tall Buildings Considering Spectral Shape And Duration, Ting Lin, Gregory Deierlein, Nenad Bijelic

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Developing A Model To Enhance Labor Productivity Using Bridge Construction Benchmark Data, Seonghoon Kim, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The Labor Working Status Monitoring (LWSM) Model that incorporates the WRITE and the industry benchmark data was developed through the five steps to enhance labor productivity in bridge construction operations. The first step of the development process was to conduct a literature review, followed by the second step which was to develop the WRITE. During the development, the authors identified the necessary hardware and software for the WRITE and outlined a schematic to show the connection of major hardware components. The third step was to develop the LWSM Model for monitoring the on-site construction labor working status by comparing data …

Development Of The Chinese Construction Industry After The Cultural Revolution: Administration Framework, Economic Growth, And Market Structure, Yilei Huang, Yi Lan, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This paper presents the results of an investigation on the development of the Chinese construction industry after the Cultural Revolution in terms of administration framework, economic growth, and market structure, with the consideration of Chinese currency inflation. The development was divided into three stages based on Chinese government policy changes on the construction industry. In each stage, the reform of administration framework was reviewed, and the market size and market structure in both the domestic and the international markets were analyzed. Value added and gross output value of domestic market, the number of contracts, contracting value, total turnover, and turnover …

Legacy Effects In Material Flux: Structural Catchment Changes Predate Long-Term Studies, Daniel J. Bain, Mark B. Green, John L. Campbell, John F. Chamblee, Sayo Chaoka, Jennifer M. Fraterrigo, Sujay S. Kaushal, Sherry L. Martin, Thomas E. Jordan, Anthony J. Parolari, William V. Sobczak, Donald E. Weller, Wilfred M. Wollheim, Emery R. Boose, Jonathan M. Duncan, Gretchen M. Gettel, Brian R. Hall, Praveen Kumar, Jonathan R. Thompson, James M. Vose, Emily M. Elliott, David S. Leigh

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Legacy effects of past land use and disturbance are increasingly recognized, yet consistent definitions of and criteria for defining them do not exist. To address this gap in biological- and ecosystem-assessment frameworks, we propose a general metric for evaluating potential legacy effects, which are computed by normalizing altered system function persistence with duration of disturbance. We also propose two distinct legacy-effect categories: signal effects from lags in transport and structural effects from physical landscape changes. Using flux records for water, sediment, nitrogen, and carbon from long-term study sites in the eastern United States from 1500 to 2000, we identify gaps …

Fertilization Effects On The Ecohydrology Of A Southern California Annual Grassland, Anthony J. Parolari, Michael L. Goulden, Rafael L. Bras

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Nitrogen limits leaf gas exchange, canopy development, and evapotranspiration in many ecosystems. In dryland ecosystems, it is unclear whether increased anthropogenic nitrogen inputs alter the widely recognized dominance of water and energy constraints on ecohydrology. We use observations from a factorial irrigation and fertilization experiment in a nitrogen-limited southern California annual grassland to explore this hypothesis. Our analysis shows growing season soil moisture and canopy-scale water vapor conductance are equivalent in control and fertilized plots. This consistency arises as fertilization-induced increases in leaf area index (LAI) are offset by reduced leaf area-based stomatal conductance, gs. We interpret this as evidence …

Measuring Bridge Construction Efficiency Using The Wireless Real-Time Video Monitoring System, Yong Bai, Jun Huan, Seonghoon Kim

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

To enhance the efficiency of bridge construction, the wireless real-time video monitoring system (WRITE) was developed. Utilizing the advanced technologies of computer vision and artificial neural networks, the developed system first wirelessly acquired a sequence of images of work-face operations. Then human pose analyzing algorithms processed these images in real time to generate human poses associated with construction workers who performed the operations. Next, a portion of the human poses were manually classified into three categories as effective work, contributory work, and ineffective work and were used to train the built-in artificial neural networks (ANN). Finally, the trained neural networks …

A Petri Net Simulation Model For Virtual Construction Of Earthmoving Operations, F. F. Cheng, Y. W. Wang, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A common and extended Petri net simulation framework for virtual construction of earthmoving operations is developed to simulate dynamic changes of workflow and information flow in the earthmoving construction process and illustrate the constraint relationship between various operational equipment and construction restrictions. The proposed framework considers factors that influence earthmoving operations including randomness of construction activities, individual preference of equipment scheduling, and constraint relationship between equipment and construction environment. With the given equipment availability and project indirect cost, the framework can predict construction situation, equipment utilization rate, estimated duration and cost to achieve visualized and intelligent scheduling of virtual construction …

Analyzing Motorists’ Responses To Temporary Signage In Highway Work Zones, Yong Bai, Kris Finger, Yue Li

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

For decades, the importance of highway work zone safety has increased considerably with the continual increase in the number of highway work zones present on highways for repairs and expansion. Rural work zones on two-lane highways are particularly hazardous and cause a significant safety concern due to the disruption of regular traffic flow. In this study, researchers determined motorists’ responses to warning signs in rural, two-lane highway work zones. The researchers divided vehicles into three classes (passenger car, truck, and semitrailer) and compared the mean change in speed of these classes based on three different sign setups: portable changeable message …

Tapping Environmental History To Recreate America’S Colonial Hydrology, Christopher L. Pastore, Mark B. Green, Daniel J. Bain, Andrea Muñoz-Hernandez, Charles J. Vörösmarty, Jennifer Arrigo, Sara Brandt, Jonathan M. Duncan, Francesca Greco, Hyojin Kim, Sanjiv Kumar, Michael Lally, Anthony J. Parolari, Brian Pellerin, Nira Salant, Adam Schlosser, Kate Zalzal

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

To properly remediate, improve, or predict how hydrological systems behave, it is vital to establish their histories. However, modern-style records, assembled from instrumental data and remote sensing platforms, hardly exist back more than a few decades. As centuries of data is preferable given multidecadal fluxes of both meteorology/climatology and demographics, building such a history requires resources traditionally considered only useful in the social sciences and humanities. In this Feature, Pastore et al. discuss how they have undertaken the synthesis of historical records and modern techniques to understand the hydrology of the Northeastern U.S. from Colonial times to modern day. Such …

Highway Work Zone Risk Factors And Their Impact On Crash Severity, Yingfeng Li, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Numerous factors may contribute to high-severity crashes in highway work zones. Identifying these factors and then alleviating their impact is a challenging task that traffic engineers and researchers have to confront. In this study, the work zone risk factors that could increase the probability of causing fatalities when severe crashes occur were examined using a comprehensive approach. The researchers first identified the significant risk factors based on a screening process that incorporates both statistical analyses and empirical research findings. They then systematically investigated these factors using logistic regression and frequency analysis techniques. The severe crashes including the fatal crashes between …

Effectiveness Of Temporary Traffic Control Measures In Highway Work Zones, Yingfeng Li, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

In the United States, hundreds of people lose their lives each year and many more are injured due to vehicle crashes in the work zones. Over the years, temporary traffic control (TCC) measures have been developed and deployed in work zones. To continuously improve the safety, there is a need to identify the traffic control deficiencies in work zones by evaluating the effectiveness of existing TTC measures based on the real crash cases. In this study, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of several commonly used TTC methods using logistic regression techniques and various significance test methods including likelihood ratio test, score …

Comparison Of Characteristics Between Fatal And Injury Accidents In The Highway Construction Zones, Yingfeng Li, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Highway construction zone safety has been a research focus in many countries for many decades. In the United States, regardless of the research efforts devoted, highway construction zones remain a serious safety concern for government agencies, legislatures, the highway industry, and the traveling public. In this study, the fatal and injury accidents between 1992 and 2004 in Kansas highway construction zones were examined systematically and their major characteristics were compared. The results showed significant differences between fatal and injury accidents in the construction zones. The researchers found that: (1) head-on was the dominant type for fatal accidents while rear-end was …

Intelligent Painting Process Planner For Robotic Bridge Painting, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Due to increased government regulations on environment, health, and safety, the cost of on-site bridge painting has quadrupled over the past several years. The construction industry faces a great challenge in how to control the increased costs of bridge painting and meet the regulations at the same time. A possible solution to address this challenge is to develop a robotic bridge painting system. The development of the robotic system can be justified by the potential improvements in safety and productivity. This paper presents the development and testing of an Intelligent Painting Process Planner. The Planner, built based on bridge feature …

Enhancing The Capability Of Rapid Bridge Replacement After Extreme Events, Yong Bai, Seong Hoon Kim, William R. Burkett

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The potential threats of extreme events to highway bridges have received increased attention from government agencies, the engineering and construction communities, and the traveling public. These events include terrorist attacks as well as human‐induced and natural hazards such as earthquakes, explosions, fires, floods, and hurricanes. To respond to the potential threats on highway bridges, a research project was conducted to identify rapid bridge replacement processes, techniques, and needs for improvements.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the research objectives, a detailed case study of previous bridge replacement following an extreme event was conducted. The case study was performed using a three‐step approach. …

Rapid Bridge Replacement: Processes, Techniques, And Needs For Improvements, Yong Bai, William R. Burkett

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 and subsequent potential threats to the United States transportation systems have presented an urgent need to develop emergency response plans in order to quickly react to the possible consequences of an extreme event. Highway bridges, as critical components of the nation’s transportation network, have received increased attention. To respond to the potential threats on highway bridges, a research project was conducted to identify rapid bridge replacement processes, techniques, and needs for improvements. To achieve the research objectives, the research team studied three cases of previous bridge replacements following extreme events. By studying these …

Rapid Bridge Replacement Under Emergency Situation: Case Study, Yong Bai, William R. Burkett, Phillip T. Nash

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and subsequent potential threats to the United States transportation systems have presented an urgent need to elevate the security of the transportation infrastructure and to develop emergency response plans to quickly react to the possible consequences of an extreme event. Highway bridges, as critical components of the nation’s transportation network, have been brought to closer attention by government agencies. A research project was conducted to identify strategies and technologies to restore the use of a damaged bridge quickly. One of the tasks associated with the research was to perform several case studies of …

Lessons Learned From An Emergency Bridge Replacement Project, Yong Bai, William R. Burkett, Phillip T. Nash

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and subsequent potential threats to U.S. transportation systems have presented an urgent need to develop emergency response plans to quickly react to the possible consequences of extreme events. Extreme events include terrorist attack as well as man-made and natural disasters such as explosions, fires, floods, and earthquakes. The objective of this research was to identify strategies and technologies to quickly restore the use of highway bridges, a critical component of the nation’s transportation network, in case they are damaged or destroyed by extreme events. One of the tasks associated with this research was …

Quality Control Parameters For Robotic Bridge Painting, Yong Bai, Leonhard E. Bernold

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

To protect a steel bridge from corrosion, periodic painting is needed. Bridge painting operations are dangerous and hazardous to human health. A robotic bridge painting system is being developed to replace the human being. One major problem with robotic bridge painting is how to achieve the specified coating quality, which includes two aspects: (1) the coating thickness; and (2) the coating appearance. To ensure quality of the robotic bridge painting, the writers have investigated: (1) the parameters that affect the coating thickness and appearance; (2) the values of the parameters to achieve the required thickness and appearance for the robotic …

An Evaluation Of Age Effects On Driver Comprehension Of Flashing Traffic Signal Indications Using Multivariate Multiple Response Analysis Of Variance Models, Alexander Drakopoulos, Richard W. Lyles

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to identify whether drivers comprehended traffic signals differently when turning left at signalized intersections where traffic signals were in “flashing mode” operation. Method:Multivariate multiple response analysis of variance models were used to analyze the simultaneous effects of displayed color combination, age, and geographical location on signal message interpretation. Data were gathered in a laboratory environment. Results: Left-turn and through-signal color combination had a significant effect on subject comprehension. Comprehension was found to be lowest for displays flashing red only, followed by displays flashing red on the left-turn, and yellow on the through-signal, …

Preferences For Permitted And Protected Left-Turn Signal Displays, Alexander Drakopoulos, Richard W. Lyles

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Twenty-two different signal displays for permitted and protected left turns were evaluated from a driver comprehension perspective. The objective was to identify which alternate signal displays used to convey the same left-turn message to the driver are better comprehended and therefore recommended for use in the field. Protected displays compliant with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices were found to be better comprehended than certain noncompliant displays; however, some noncompliant permitted displays were found to outperform their compliant counterparts. Regional comprehension biases are nonexistent for the most part, regardless of display compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control …

Knowledge‐Based Expert System For Concrete Mix Design, Yong Bai, Serji N. Amirkhanian

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

In the United States, the American Concrete Institute method (ACI 211) is the most widely used concrete mix design. However, ACI 211 does not consider all factors regarding concrete mix design. The acceptance of a freshly mixed concrete depends on concrete quality control test results. If the results indicate that the concrete does not meet the specification, mix design adjustment must be made. Concrete mix design and adjustment are somewhat complicated and time‐consuming tasks that are performed best by experienced persons. In this project, a rule‐based expert system was developed to assist the user in concrete mix design, including the …