Civil Engineering Commons^™

Spatial Factors Impacting Non-Motorized Exposures And Crash Risks, Farhad Abasahl

Masters Theses

This research investigates spatial factors, that impact non-motorized exposures and crashes, and examines the relationship between exposure at signalized intersections and crash frequencies involving pedestrians and bicycles at a census tract level. The four Michigan cities of Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Flint and Grand Rapids are examined. After completing an extensive literature review to provide a list of required data, 92 intersections are selected from the four cities to collect pedestrian and bicyclist counts. Five-year crash records, special attractions, non-motorized facilities and transportation infrastructure data for the four cities are gathered for the four cities. This data are later mapped …

Field Performance Of Alternative And Cost Efficient Cast In Place And Precast Prestressed Concrete Bridge Approach Slabs, Nathan Price Muncy

Masters Theses

"In December of 2010, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) investigated alternative cost-efficient bridge approach slabs (BASs). New BAS designs were subsequently developed and had a projected cost savings up to twenty-four percent with anticipated equal or better structural performance. A precast-prestressed (PCPS) BAS was introduced as an alternative to traditional BASs that offers advantages such as rapid construction and improved long-term durability. The three new BAS designs were implemented into in-situ bridge projects by MoDOT and the field performance was evaluated within this research study.

Field testing of each BAS was performed using two MoDOT HS20 trucks. Various instrumentation …

Monitoring Micropile Foundations Of Bridge During Construction, Devin Tavis Dixon

Masters Theses

"Information regarding the load transfer of micropiles during in-service construction has virtually never been monitored or documented. The primary objective of this research project was to monitor the load transfer versus the depth of production micropiles during construction. The micropiles being studied were used to support Bridge No. 2 of the Foothills Parkway in eastern Tennessee during construction. Two of the piers (1 & 2) were instrumented for the purpose of this study. Vibrating wire strain gages (VWSG) were installed on select micropiles within pile groups of twenty (20) micropiles. Seven vibrating wire strain gages were installed on each micropile …

Analysis Of Model Uncertainty In Hydraulic Modeling: The Bstem Application To The Osage River, Annabell Leigh Ulary

Masters Theses

"Uncertainty is inevitable when creating any kind of model. A model can be used in the most accurate way possible, if the uncertainties are understood. This study determines the level of uncertainty in the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) of the Osage River downstream of Bagnell Dam between Lake Ozark, MO and Jefferson City, MO. The statistical analysis of the BSTEM model was performed using the aid of SAS statistical computer modeling software. There were 4 different analysis values used to determine the best fit model for all dependent variables. These values include the F-test, the coefficient of …

Effect Of Mix Parameters On Longevity Of Bituminous Mixtures, Clayton Reichle

Masters Theses

"This study was performed to evaluate the effects of varying aggregate sources, aggregate gradations on the stripping and rutting potential of bituminous based plant mixes specified by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The different aggregate combinations included two different aggregate sources (Potosi Dolomite and Jefferson City Dolomite) including two variations for the Jefferson City Dolomite mix to simulate a marginally in-specification mix and an out-of-specification but in-field tolerance mix. The "field" mix simulated the marginal mix where field tolerance of high dust and low binder content were maximized. All three mixes were evaluated for stripping susceptibility using the Tensile Strength …

Direct Shear Transfer Of Lightweight Aggregate Concretes With Non-Monolithic Interface Conditions, Dane Michael Shaw

Masters Theses

"This thesis describes the results of a study initiated to examine the influence of concrete unit weight on the direct shear transfer across an interface of concretes cast at different times. This type of interface is common with structural precast concrete connections, such as corbels, for which shear friction design provisions are commonly used. Increasing use of lightweight aggregate concretes prompted this investigation to determine the appropriateness of current shear friction design provisions with respect to all-lightweight and sand-lightweight concrete. The experimental investigation included thirty-six push-off test specimens, each of which was constructed with a cold-joint at the interface shear …

Use Of Ultra-High Performance Concrete To Mitigate Impact And Explosive Threats, Julie Anne Willey

Masters Theses

"This study is a continuation of research conducted by Natalia Carey, Anthony Wulfers, and Dr. John Myers under the DHS ALERT Center. Carey investigated the use of polyurea coating systems to mitigate close range blast threats on wall panels. Wulfers continued this by using both polyurea coatings as well as a sacrificial wood fiber fly ash (WF-FA) layer to try to get increased performance. This research was aimed at the study of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) for the use in impact and blast mitigation. There is little information on the performance of UHPC under close range blast loading; therefore it …

Statistical And Numerical Integrated Approach For Detecting Onset Of Prefabricated Bridge Component Connection Deterioration, Cem Mansiz

Masters Theses

Bridges are the substantial part of the transportation infrastructure. Most recent report shows that of the 605,086 bridges in the United States, 67,526 (11%) are deemed structurally deficient, and 76,363 (13%) are declared functionally obsolete (FHWA, 2011). Deck is the shelter of a bridge that is subjected to severe loads due to exposure and traffic. Importance of detecting deck deterioration is further highlighted with the introduction of accelerated bridge construction (ABC) where prefabricated components are brought to the site, assembled, and connected using field cast joints. However, durability performance of field cast connections is not encouraging. Hence, continuous monitoring of …

Regression-Based Prioritization And Data Modeling For Customized Civil Engineering Data Collection, Omar Kanaan

Masters Theses

Civil engineers frequently face the challenges of acquiring sufficient data to satisfy the informational needs of various decision making scenarios having time, budget, and resource constraints. This thesis focuses on exploring how statistical analysis of historical data sets can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of future data collection activities in transportation engineering and construction project control. Pearson's correlation, multiple regression, Akaike information criterion, and Bayesian information criterion are applied to two cases of data collection and analysis to understand the relative importance of various parameters within each case. Case I analyzes National Bridge Inventory (NBI) data to …

Driver Mandatory Lane Change Behavior: Use Of Governing Gap In Critical Gap Estimation, Srinadh Kandada

Masters Theses

"This study analyzed the driver gap acceptance and rejection behavior during mandatory lane changes on a multilane freeway in congested and uncongested traffic conditions. During a lane change, drivers were more receptive to either the leading or the trailing gaps with vehicles in the target lane which governed the drivers' lane change and is termed as the governing gap. Drivers maneuvered till the governing gap was greater than the critical gap, accepted the gap and made a lane change. In this process, drivers reduced the non-governing gap to increase the length of the governing gap. The drivers as a result …

Bond Behavior Of High-Volume Fly Ash And Self-Consolidating Concrete, Trevor Jay Looney

Masters Theses

"The main objective of this study was to determine the effect on bond performance of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete and self-consolidating concrete (SCC). The HVFA concrete test program consisted of comparing the bond performance of two concrete mix designs with 70% cement replacement with Class C fly ash relative to a Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) standard mix design. The SCC test program consisted of comparing the bond performance of normal and high strength SCC with their respective MoDOT standard mix designs.

Two test methods were used for bond strength comparisons. The first was a direct pull-out test based …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Shrinkage, Creep, And Abrasion On Self-Consolidating Concrete And High Volume Fly Ash Concrete For Use In Transportation Related Infrastructure, Brian Timothy Tucker

Masters Theses

"Concrete specimens were fabricated for shrinkage, creep, and abrasion resistance testing. Variations of self-consolidating concrete (SCC), high volume fly ash concrete (HVFA), and conventional concrete were studied. The results were compared to previous similar testing programs and used to determine the adequacy of the materials for use in practice. These two concrete variations offer significant benefits when used as replacements to conventional concrete. Because of the respective properties of both types of concrete, both economic and environmental benefits are achieved with the use of both. The lower labor costs of SCC and the lower material cost of HVFA lead to …

Analysis Of Passive Louver Shading Systems And Impact On Interior Environment, Cory Joseph Brennan

Masters Theses

An installed passive louver shading systems can affect the heating, cooling, and lighting loads of any building, by altering the amount of solar energy, in the form of light and heat, from entering. The benefits of a louver system are derived from the application of solar geometry incident on the site and the climate within the area. By optimizing a passive louver system's design parameters, a building can reduce the total annual energy consumption due to artificial heating, cooling loads and artificial lighting. This research has implemented simulation modeling software, Energy Plus, to predict the effect of passive louver shades …

Effects Of High Volumes Of Fly Ash On Cement Paste, Karl Wehking Beckemeier

Masters Theses

"The study of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete mixtures has become popular due to the significant environmental and economic benefits which the material may provide. By including fly ash at 50 percent or greater replacement levels, substantial benefits could be obtained. However, the inclusion of fly ash can have negative effects, including incompatibilities between constituents of a mixture. As the fly ash replacement level increases, the degree and likelihood of these problems increases.

In this study, paste mixtures were made, as part of a larger HVFA concrete study, in order to determine the degree to which varying levels of fly …

Self-Consolidating Concrete For Infrastructure Elements Shear Characteristics, Eric B. Sells

Masters Theses

"Because of its unique ability to maintain high flow-ability and remain homogeneous, self-consolidating concrete (SCC) has the potential to significantly reduce the costs associated with civil infrastructure; however, the use of higher paste and lower coarse aggregate volumes than non-SCC concretes raises concerns about shear strength of SCC mixes. This research focused on the components that contribute to the concrete's ability to provide shear by aggregate interlock. Variables investigated by push-off tests included concrete compressive strength, coarse aggregate type , and volumetric content level of the coarse aggregate portion . Post-failure digital imaging software was used to confirm fresh concrete …

Use Of High Volume Fly Ash-Wood Fiber And Polyurea Layers For Blast Mitigation, Anthony Francis Wulfers

Masters Theses

"This project is a continuation of research done by Natalia Carey and John Myers. The first part of Natalia's research was to develop and characterize an e-glass discrete fiber-reinforced polyurea (DFRP) system for infrastructure applications. She then recommended two polyurea systems (A and B) be further examined. These polyurea systems were then applied to plain reinforced concrete and steel fiber reinforced concrete panels (SFRC). Carey found that the SFRC panels sustained less overall damage. For this project SFRC was used as the base layer in combination with the DFRP systems. In addition to the DFRP and SFRC a high-volume fly …

Bond, Transfer Length, And Development Length Of Prestressing Strand In Self-Consolidating Concrete, Krista Beth Porterfield

Masters Theses

"Due to its economic advantages, the use of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) has increased rapidly in recent years. However, because SCC mixes typically have decreased amounts of coarse aggregate and high amounts of admixtures, industry members have expressed concerns that the bond of prestressing strand in SCC may be compromised. While the bond performance of prestressing strand in a new material such as SCC is an important topic requiring investigation, the results are only applicable if the research is completed on strands with similar bond quality as the strands used in the field. Therefore, the objectives of this research program were …

Effects Of High Volume Fly Ash And Powder Activators On Plastic And Hardened Concrete Properties, Drew Alexander Davis

Masters Theses

This study was performed to examine the effects of high volumes of Class C fly ash modified by powder activators upon the plastic and hardened properties of concrete. In a companion study, five Missouri area cements and five Class C fly ashes were examined for incompatibilities, with the most and least reactive combinations being scaled up to full scale concrete testing. Two baseline concrete mixtures were examined, the only difference in mixtures being the sources of portland cement and fly ash. Fly ash replacement was examined at 50% and 70% replacement (by total cementitious mass). Three powder activators were used …

Effect Of Side Edge Distance And Concrete Materials On Corrosion In Precast Prestressed Concrete Panels, Dayi Zhang

Masters Theses

"This study involved the spalling problem found in some partial-depth precast prestressed bridge decks in the state of Missouri. Recently, panels of several bridges have exhibited corrosion of the prestressing steel tendons causing concrete spalling at the edges of panels. Some of the exposed tendons are corroded to the point of rupture. The effect of factors, namely concrete side edge distance and concrete material type, on steel corrosion in chloride-contaminated reinforced concrete was investigated in this study. Wet-dry cycle tests and accelerated corrosion tests were carried out on sixty-three specimens designed with three different side edge distances and three different …

Behavior Of Staged Externally Bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Sheets For Improved Ductility, Laura Marie Rathe

Masters Theses

"Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) has become increasingly used for the retrofit of aging structures for increased lifespans and for the rapid repair of damaged structures. It has many advantageous such as ease in rapid installation, high strength-to-weight ratio, and corrosion resistance. The main disadvantage of the material is brittle behavior with little warning of impending failures. The main objective of this study is to develop a new system of FRP that exhibits a more ductile behavior. To achieve this objective, separate sheets of FRP were applied at various staged levels and thus engaged at different loads. Ductile behavior was evaluated …

Hardened Mechanical Properties And Durability Performance Of Specialized Concretes, Kyle Richard Holman

Masters Theses

"Concrete is one of the most produced and utilized materials in the world. Due to the labor intensive and time consuming nature of concrete construction, new and innovative concrete mixes are being explored. Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is one such method of improving the overall cost and time efficiency of concrete production. SCC is a highly flowable form of concrete. This characteristic drastically reduces the amount of labor and time needed to place the concrete. The highly flowable nature also allows for much easier placement in applications of highly congested reinforcement.

Another rising concern in today's construction industry is environmental responsibility. …

A Method For Calibration Of Speed-Flow Curves In Hcm 2010 And Determination Of Highway Capacity, Seyed Hadii Khazraee Khoshroozi

Masters Theses

"This study proposes a method for calibration of speed-flow curves in a format suggested by the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) 2010 and applies it to two sites in Missouri: a work zone on I-44 around Pacific, and a basic freeway segment on I-270 in St. Louis. The three-regime model proposed is based on the two-regime (free-flow and transition) uncongested relationship suggested by the HCM 2010, complemented with a third regime representing congested conditions. Further, this study proposes a systematic approach based on regression analysis to determine capacity i.e., the break-point (intersection) between the transition and congested regimes. The proposed method …

Laboratory Studies Of Compatibility Of Tamper Detection Materials With Improvised Explosive Device Crater Repairs, Levi Anthony Smith

Masters Theses

"Past methods for road repairs of craters caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on main supply routes (MSRs) and alternative supply routes (ASRs) in Iraq and Afghanistan have been problematic. Traditional temporary and permanent solutions have proven deficient by being easily penetrable or by exposing troops for long periods of time. The use of a pre-blended rapid hardening cementitious material for lED crater repair has solved issues such as quick placement of the repair and high strength of the repair within an hour of placement. However, there are still issues with IEDs being hidden in repairs tampered by or replicated …

Hardened Concrete Properties And Durability Assessment Of High Volume Fly Ash Concrete, Kyle Marie Marlay

Masters Theses

"Concrete is produced more than any other material in the world. Sustainable construction is extremely important in today's industry and fly ash is the leading material for sustainable concrete design. The addition of fly ash improves many fresh and hardened concrete properties. However, the slow hydration process associated with fly ash makes the use of the material in large amounts undesirable in conventional construction. This study evaluated the hardened concrete and durability performance of several high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete mixes. The various HVFA concrete mixes evaluated within this study consisted of 70 percent replacement of portland cement by weight …

Driven Pile Load Test Data For Load And Resistance Factor Design In Missouri, Joseph Ronson Cravens

Masters Theses

"The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has recently migrated from allowable stress design (ASD) to load and resistance factor design (LRFD) of driven piles. This transition was initiated when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a policy stating that all new bridge designs shall be designed in accordance with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) LRFD Bridge Design Specifications to eliminate the difference in design methodologies for bridge superstructures and bridge substructures. However, the resistance factors for driven piles specified in the AASHTO LRFD specifications are based on nationwide pile data, consisting of a wide range …

Evaluation Of The Orientation Of 90⁰ And 180⁰ Reinforcing Bar Hooks, Nichole Lynn Podhorsky

Masters Theses

"This thesis describes test results of a study initiated to evaluate the potential influence of hook tilt angle of standard reinforcing hooks on the bond strength of concrete. The topic of the evaluation of the orientation of 90 and 180 degree reinforcing bar hooks in concrete members was identified by the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) as high-priority for the reinforcing steel industry. In this test program, a series of single bar and multiple bar specimens were designed and tested to examine bar behavior and potential group effects that may exist in wide flexural members with multiple bars, such as …

Installation And Performance Evaluation Of Coaxial Cable Sensors For Crack And Corrosion Detection, Iana Muchaidze

Masters Theses

"Even under service loads, reinforced concrete (RC) structures can develop cracks that result in excessive deflection of the structures and provide passages for moisture to corrode steel reinforcement. It is thus critical to develop a simple, cost-effective tool for real-time crack monitoring and associated corrosion detection that may affect the engineering maintenance of RC structures. The objectives of this study include: (1) to develop a die-cut manufacturing process of coaxial cables with spiral outer conductors, (2) to quantify the sensing properties of a miniaturized topology-based crack sensor, (3) to investigate the effectiveness of various sensor installation procedures in RC applications, …

Bond Strength Of High-Volume Fly Ash Concrete, Michael Hayse Wolfe

Masters Theses

"Concrete is the most consumed man-made material in the world. Unfortunately, due to the production of cement, concrete has a large carbon footprint. Replacement of cement with fly ash, an industrial waste product, offers a sustainable alternative. The goal of this research was to explore the feasibility of using high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete for structural applications by testing the material's reinforcement bond properties. A series of pull-out tests and beam splice tests were performed on specimens with a 70 percent fly ash replacement of cement and then compared to identical tests performed on control specimens cast from a 100 …

Influence Of Particle Size And Specimen Preparation On The Iowa Pore Index, Christopher Paul Davis

Masters Theses

"This study was performed in order to identify a size correction that would allow aggregate of different sizes, other than the standard 1/2-3/4-inch fraction, to be used in the Iowa Pore Index (IPI) test. This size correction would allow for the IPI to be determined for aggregate gradations of material that have a nominal maximum size (NMS) smaller than 3/4-inch. The interest in a size correction for the IPI developed from its use in a Durability Factor (DF) estimation equation. The estimation equation was developed with the use of 19 different DF from Missouri aggregate sources, where eight aggregates had …

Categorization And Experimental Evaluation Of Anchorage Systems For Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Laminates Bonded To Reinforced Concrete Structures, Stephen V. Grelle

Masters Theses

"While externally-bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are commonly used for the strengthening of structurally deficient reinforced concrete (RC) members, the topic of anchoring FRP to concrete to achieve higher design strengths has not been addressed. Many innovative systems have been developed to anchor FRP to concrete, but the research involving these anchorage systems is not centralized and is therefore difficult to access. Additionally, systematic testing procedures for evaluating the strength of an anchorage system have not been widely used. To aid in the organization of anchorage system research and facilitate a better understanding of anchorage system behavior, a categorization system …