Civil Engineering Commons^™

Optimisation Of Cold-Formed Steel Purlin Cross-Sections, Matt Clifford

Theses

The subject of buckling of steel members is introduced and the critical nature of local buckling in slender members is highlighted.

The main thrust of work this semester is an investigation into the following buckling modes:

Flexural buckling;

Lateral torsional buckling;

Torsional buckling;

Shear buckling;

Web buckling;

Distortional buckling;

Local buckling.

This investigation has three main components:

1. Review of theory, books and appropriate published work;

2. Investigation into the relevant parts of Eurocode 3;

3. Finite element analysis using the LUSAS FE program to illustrate the various buckling modes.

Finally, the areas to be covered in the Realisation Stage …

An Analysis Of Dredge Material Reuse Techniques For Ireland, Colm Sheehan

Theses

This thesis examines the use and applicability of a range of dredge material management techniques for the Republic of Ireland which will ultimately assist the stakeholders in the industry in assessing the available dredge material management options. A detailed study is presented into the critical parameters required for successful implementation of a range of dredge material management options. An overview of the Irish dredging industry including current dredge material management practice is presented. This is complemented by a detailed critical analysis of the industry which identifies areas requiring development and future challenges for the dredging industry in Ireland. To further …

Strengthening Of Reinforced Concrete Beams Pre-Damaged In Shear, Yousef Mohammed Bachar Chekfeh

Theses

Repair and strengthening of existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures has increased drastically in recent years. Shear reinforcement in RC beams is typically of a small bar diameter, and hence any shear-damage would result in a severe safety hazard and a catastrophic mode of failure especially under extreme loading events. The present work was initiated to the effectiveness of different composite strengthening systems; namely externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (EB-CFRP), and near surface mounted glass fiber reinforced polymer (NSM-GFRP) to prolong the functional service life of RC beams pre-damaged in shear. It comprised experimental testing and analytical investigation.

The experimental …

Strengthening Of Steel Beams Using Mechanically Anchored Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers Laminates, Mohammed Monir Makin Ajan Alhadid

Theses

على مدى العقدين المنصرمين من الزمن تم إستخدام الألياف البلاستيكية المسلحة بشكل فعال و عملي في تقوية وتدعيم المنشأت الهندسية المختلفة بما في ذلك العناصر الإنشائية الخرسانية والطابوقية والخشبية, وطوال هذه الفترة الزمنية جرت أبحاث مفصلة حول العالم لدراسة مدى فاعلية مثل هذه الألياف في تقوية العناصر المعدنية و ذلك عن طريق تثبيتها بواسطة مواد شديدة الإلتصاقو ولقد كشفت الدراسات المنشورة أن هذه الطريقة في التثبيت سواءً في العناصر الخرسانية أو العناصر المعدنية تؤدي الي الانهيار الفجائي للعناصر المدعمة عند قيم التحميل المرتفعة ما لم يتم اتخاذ احتياطات أخرى وخصوصاً عند أطراف هذه الألياف، وبالمقابل فإن هناك دراسات أخرى أجريت …

Elasto-Plastic Lateral Torsional Buckling Of Steel Beams With Perforated Web, Mohammad Iqbal Mohammad Hesham Martini

Theses

I-shaped steel members represent the basic structural element in the majority of steel structures. Perforated-web I-shaped steel sections have been used as structural members since the Second World War in an attempt to enhance the flexural behavior of traditional solid-webbed I-shaped steel sections without increasing the cost of the material. In general, two types of web perforations are commonly used in engineering practice; hexagonal and circular. Although, the main intent of the perforation process is to produce stiffer I-sections by increasing the web height and providing higher major-axis flexural capacity than solid-webbed members of the same weight, it also provides …

A Finite Element Study Of Precast Prestressed Concrete Circular Tanks Subject To Elevated Temperatures, Michael Minehane

Theses

The current study investigates the influence of heated water storage, upward of 95°C, on precast prestressed concrete circular tanks. Modem design standards for liquid- retaining concrete structures stipulate that thermal effects are to be considered for the serviceability limit state. They are also to be considered for the ultimate limit state when deemed significant. The standards, however, do not provide guidance for the analysis of such effects. Research in this area is also limited and exclusively concerned with ambient thermal conditions, with a maximum temperature of 30 °C in any instance.

A finite element study incorporating thermo-mechanical coupling investigates the …

Design Of A Centralised Anaerobic Digestion Plant In Ireland., Diarmuid O'Meara

Theses

Climate change is brought about by greenhouse gases emitted to the earth’s atmosphere by fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources are seen as an alternative to fossil fuels. Examples of renewable energy sources are biofuels which are a method of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. One form of biofuels is biogas that is produced during the anaerobic digestion process. In this thesis pig slurry is used to produce biogas.

In this project, the optimum design process for a centralised anaerobic digestion plant was established in the literature review, The optimum process for anaerobic digestion plant design in Ireland was investigated. …

Feasibility Report On Use Of Anchored Gravity Bases For Offshore Wind Turbines, Anthony Hayes

Theses

In recent years, the demand for renewable energy in Europe has been rising substantially, as a result of statutory demands put in place by the European Union. It is expected that a relatively large proportion of future renewable electricity will be supplied by offshore wind farms. The offshore wind industry is currently attempting to design and evaluate cost effective foundation systems suitable for water depths greater than 30m. There is also a drive to reduce foundation costs for offshore wind turbines at present. This project is a preliminary feasibility report on an anchored gravity base foundation concept for deployment at …

Rubble-Mound Structure Design In The Coastal Environment, Jack Murphy

Theses

The main aims of this thesis were to investigate the main aspects of the design and implementation of rubble-mound structures as a form of shoreline stabilisation and coastal defence. An emphasis has been placed on the Irish context of how these structures have been implemented in the past. The intention was that this work would improve the understanding of the use of these structures for future projects both in Ireland and internationally.

This work required a literature review which investigated the general aspects of rubble-mound structures, the coastal environment, and the theory of designing the structures’ layout, cross-section and impact …

Semi-Rigid Steelwork Connections, Conor Murphy

Theses

This thesis sets out to assess the stiffiiess of typical fin plate steelwork connections. The classification of joints as pinned, semi-rigid or fixed is described and the different models of moment-rotation relationship are explained. Eurocode treatment of steelwork connections is assessed with particular emphasis on joint stiffness. Procedures for the design of fin plate connections are set out and an example presented and a spreadsheet developed. Tests on a number of fin plate connections were carried out in the Heavy Structures Laboratory, to determine the moment rotation characteristics. The finite element software LUSAS was used to analyse the fin plate …

Calorific Values Of Building Materials And Their Effect On The Structural Environment, Graham Doyle

Theses

As materials are seen to be a distinct source of fire and to avoid the destructive effects of fire to people and the environment, there is certainly a need for an assessment of building materials, internal finishes and contents to be conducted in a fire engineering context. This report examines the effect of these materials on the structural environment with a view of ultimately determining compartmental fire loads.

Research has shown that there is a significant lack of information available in regards to the calorific values of materials, and in particular building materials. In addition, material calorific values and generic …

Monitoring And Improving The Effectiveness Of Quality Control And Quality Assurance In Road Construction At Al-Ain Municipality, Mohammed Muftah Sultan Al Aryani

Theses

A good roads network has an important bearing on the economic growth of the country. Construction of quality roads, which is considered a primary objective of any highway agencies and contractors, requires concerted efforts on many fronts. Over the past several years, agencies have been working with the construction industry to implement Quality Assurance/Quality Control activities (QA/QC) in an effort to improve the quality of highway construction. They are used as a mean to describe the materials, workmanship, and other general requirements for the project that the highway agencies expect from the contractors. Good specifications should be easy to understand …

A Study Of The Economical Feasibility Of Installing Heating, Ventilation, And Air-Conditioning Condensate Recovery System, Rafid M. Kully

Theses

The objective of this study is to establish a guide line or an analytical frame work to predetermine the economic benefits associated with the installation of Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) condensate recovery systems to capture the air-handler’s condensate water and use it as makeup water for the cooling tower. Some factors should be considered such as; the location, building operation, amount of outside air required, type of energy recovery system, and indoor conditions setup. Experimental data was used from Emory University in Georgia, where a condensate recovery system was installed and the condensate water from four air-handler units at …

Performance Of Reinforced Concrete Columns Strengthened With Fiber Reinforced Polymers Under Various Loading Conditions, Mohamed Gamal Mohamed El Sayed

Theses

Strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites has been a popular subject that attracted considerable attention from researchers for the last two decades. The high specific strength, stiffness, environmental resistance, and ease of application make CFRP composites highly desirable for strengthening and rehabilitation of RC structural components.

For concentrically loaded RC members with a circular cross-section, the lateral CFRP-confinement of concrete results in a substantial increase in load capacity and ductility. CFRP-confinement is less effective for RC compression members with square and rectangular cross-sections due to stress concentration at the corners and lack of …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Speed Cameras On Road Safety In The Emirate Of Abu Dhabi Roads, Ali Humaid Ai Darei

Theses

The problem of road safety in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is eminent. According road crash data from the Ministry of Interior, from 1999 to 2007 the average percentage of deaths due to road crashes in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi was 42 percent of the whole UAE. The high death rate due to road crashes has enormous economic and financial loss to the Emirate. The previous research on road safety in the UAE reported that the aberrant driving behavior is one of the major causes for road crashes in the UAE. The aberrant driving behavior includes careless driving, speeding, …

Structural Behaviour And Analysis Of A Steel-Concrete Balcony Bracket, Sean Carroll

Theses

For commonly used moment connections, such as the various types of beam to column endplates, a large amount of information in relation to testing data and suggested design methods exist. Engineers can use this information to safely design such connections. When developing new and unique types of connections however, usually no prior testing information is available to engineers due to the unique design. At the present time, the most effective method of designing and developing any structural element or connection is through testing. Testing and detailed analysis of the results gives factual information on the behaviour of the structure, which …

Sediment Budgets In The Irish Estuarine Environment, Kevin Motherway

Theses

A sediment budget is the quantification of sediment sources and sinks for natural physical systems such as rivers and estuaries.

This thesis has developed estuarine sediment budgets for Cork Harbour, Kinsale Harbour and Youghal Harbour. The thesis includes a literature review of the properties of sediment, river and estuary related sediment transport, sediment management and sediment related legislation and the approaches used to develop a sediment budget for an estuary system.

An extensive study of riverine suspended sediments discharging to the estuaries has been undertaken. Both surface grab samples and depth integrating suspended sediment samples were collected, tested and analysed. …

Feasibility Of Utilising Construction And Demolition Waste And Dredge Material As Landflll Liner, John David Riordan

Theses

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste and dredge material are significant bulk waste streams in the Republic of Ireland. This thesis examines the feasibility of combining these waste streams to produce a viable novel geotechnical clay liner for landfill.

This thesis includes a literature review and a detailed study of C&D waste, dredge material and landfill liners in Ireland. The research for this thesis includes a geotechnical laboratory test programme. Samples of C&D waste and dredge material were collected and tested to establish relevant characteristics. In addition, a senes of tests were commissioned on test samples to establish their chemical and …

Sediment Transport In Rivers And Estuaries, John Clancy

Theses

The processes of erosion, transportation and sedimentation in rivers and estuaries have fascinated researchers for centuries. These processes have been active throughout geological time and have shaped the present landscape. To effectively study these processes analysis needs to be carried out at catchment scale level. Cork Harbour and its tributaries including the River Lee, the Owenabue River, the Glashaboy River, the Owennacurra River, and the Dungoumey River are analysed for the processes of sediment transport within their catchments and systems, and particularly river sediment loadings.

This thesis includes a literature review of the properties of sediment, river and estuary related …

Dredging And Dredge Disposal And Reuse In Ireland, Séamus Sutton

Theses

Dredging involves raising material from a river or estuary bed to the surface and transporting it some distance for disposal or reuse. It may be required to improve navigational access, to allow for port development or for mining aggregates.

This thesis includes a literature review and a detailed study of the dredging industry in Ireland. This study is partly based on a nationwide survey undertaken on dredging and dredge disposal and reuse, the results of which are included in a dredging database created for this project. All the main stakeholders in the industry were invited to complete questionnaire forms for …

Issues Of Seismic Response And Retrofit For Critical Substation Equipment, Seyed Ali Hashemi Nezhad Ashrafi

Theses

This study focuses on means to reduce the seismic hazard for transformer-bushing systems and different issues of the response and rehabilitation of transformers. The primary means of seismic mitigation investigated is the use of the Friction Pendulum System (FPS) bearings to seismically isolate transformers. This is done by developing a finite element model representing the behavior of FPS bearings and implementing this model on to ADINA finite element package for further use in analytical studies. This model is used to study the behavior of isolated primary-secondary systems and the effects of parameters like different FPS radii or vertical excitations. Also …

The Consolidation Analysis Of A Clay Layer In The City Of Belem Do Para, Brazil, John Bezerra Jr.

Theses

In this study, an analysis was done on a particular clay layer found in the city of Belem do Para, Brazil. Various soil tests were conducted including a consolidation analysis. Data were gathered and analyzed in order to obtain a better understanding of how the soil responds under certain loading conditions. There have been no previous studies done on this material and so when it has been encountered in the field geotechnical engineers provide the safest, but not necessarily best design method possible. In the case of large buildings, piles are driven past this material to competent sand. There have …

Shape Finding Of Fabric Structures Using Grid Method, Armin Bischof

Theses

Fabric structures can span large distances with a very low self-weight, which makes them very efficient for covering huge areas. They have attractive shapes and an appealing architecture. These properties make them very popular and they are used in many different kinds of buildings. Airports, stadiums and halls are typical examples where the use fabric structures is often recommendable.

Fabric structures are built mainly out of fabric and cables; two structural members that can only take tension stresses. Therefore these structural members must be prestressed in such a way that their shape can carry all loads that might affect the …

Optimization Of Very Early Strength Concrete Mixes Using Maturity Method, Sun Punurai

Theses

Fast track concrete technology has been used over the past two decades for overnight highway repairs. Originally, fast track was concerned only with rapid strength gain and workability but little concern was paid to cost and durability of the concrete.

The purpose of this research study is to develop a current improved very early strength (VES) concrete mix, which was accepted by NJDOT in 1996. More than 50 concrete mixes were evaluated for strength, shrinkage, and curing rate (maturity), eventually leading to the development of an optimized VES concrete mix with improved performance characteristics.

The study has developed the new …

Hydrological And Geotechnical Investigation Of A Sparta, New Jersey Landslide, James Talerico

Theses

On August 13, 2000, a massive landslide occurred in Northern New Jersey following an extreme rainfall event during which 14.1 inches of precipitation fell locally during a 24-hour period. The slide, with an estimated volume of 22,000ft³, traveled up to 1,500ft in a short period. While landslides do occasionally occur along the coastal bluffs of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, slides of this magnitude are uncommon in the glacial soils of the New Jersey Highland section.

The investigation of this landslide was compiled through rainfall data and geotechnical data, which was used to determine the triggering mechanism of the …

Probability Of A Hazardous Material Truck Accident In New Jersey, Mahesh Damodaran

Theses

Accident prediction modeling is a powerful tool for determining the frequency of accidents under certain circumstances. Nationwide, direct damages from highway hazardous material spills for the year 2000 were tallied at over $31billion. This thesis determines the probability of an accident involving hazardous materials on the roads of New Jersey. The methodology is based on a British predictive equation used by their Highways Agency to determine the probability of a hazardous spill over a section of a roadway. The parameters used by the British's Highways Agency, which is obtained from their accident data, were modified to reflect conditions that best …

Impact Of Truck Regulation And 65mph Speed Limit On Truck Accidents In New Jersey, Rajat G. Rajbhandari

Theses

The state of New Jersey enacted two regulations with significant importance to the highway operations: 65 mph speed limit and truck restriction on the National Network. The speed limit of 65mph was used on limited sections of interstate system highways with an objective to reduce energy consumption by vehicles and truck restriction was used on the interstate system and other state highway system to reduce large truck accidents and thereby increase truck safety. In this research, the safety impacts of these two regulations on truck crashes were studied.

The research focused on monthly truck crashes along the highway sections where …

Shear Behavior Of Reinforced Concrete Deep Beams Strengthened With Cfrp Laminates, Jon Erik Moren

Theses

Considerable research has been performed using CFRP plates bonded to normal reinforced concrete beams, the objective being to improve shear and flexural strength. However, very few tests have been performed on reinforced concrete deep beams with CFRP as shear reinforcement. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the behavior of the deep beam in shear with various arrangements of Sika CarboDur laminates bonded to the sides. The beams were designed to be shear deficient with stirrups omitted, except at the supports and directly under the load. In total eight beams were tested, four with one-point loading and four with …

Mechanical Properties And Stress-Strain Behavior Of High Performance Concrete Under Uniaxial Compression, Pornchai Jiratatprasot

Theses

Many recent innovations in advanced concrete materials technology have made it possible to produce concrete with exceptional performance characteristics. High performance concrete (HPQ is defined as concrete that meets special performance and uniformity requirements that cannot always be achieved routinely by using conventional materials and normal mixing, placing, and curing practices. The importance of HPC to structural engineering is unquestionable. However, HPC is a relatively new material. Some results of research on conventional concrete are not entirely applicable. In this experiment, the main mechanical properties of HPC including compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and Poisson's ratio were investigated and compared …

Characterization Of The Dependant Pile Capacity In Glacial Deposits By Dynamic Load Tests, Upendra L. Karna

Theses

A study of the effects of time on axial pile capacity in glacial deposits is presented in this report. The dynamic and static load database test results of the Route 21, Viaduct Replacement project are studied and analyzed. In this project two sizes (18-inch and 24-inch dia.) of closed end pipe piles varying in length 100 to 150 feet driven through highly variable glacial deposits were utilized. Within a small reach the subsurface conditions and the behavior of pile capacity with time varied considerably. About 112 piles were tested dynamically by Pile Driving Analyzer. Restriking was performed on fifty-nine piles …