Civil Engineering Commons^™

Heating Methods And Detection Limits For Infrared Thermography Inspection Of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites, Jeff R. Brown, H. R. Hamilton

Publications

The use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites to strengthen existing civil infrastructure is expanding rapidly. Many FRP systems used to strengthen reinforced concrete are applied using a wet lay-up method in which dry fibers are saturated on site and then applied to the surface. This research investigated using infrared thermography (IRT) as a nondestructive evaluation (NDE) tool for detecting air voids and epoxy-filled holes in FRP systems bonded to a concrete substrate. Four small-scale specimens with FRP thicknesses ranging from 1 to 4 mm (0.04 to 0.16 in.) containing fabricated defects were constructed and inspected in a laboratory setting. Three …

Analysis Of Soil Erosion Based On Soil Properties, Preetha Veeraraghavan

Masters Theses

"The objectives of this research were to identify the major soil parameter(s) that affect the erosion rate of soil and to estimate the erosion rate based on those soil parameters. Both prepared samples and natural samples were used in this research. The soil properties analyzed were the water content, unit weight, Atterberg limits, and soil cohesion. The erosion rate was determined using a rectangular flume and a linear relation between the erosion rate and shear stress was established from the flume experiment. The slope of the linear relation was a good indicator of the soil's erosion rate. The erosion rate …

Static Evaluation Of The Out-Of-Plane Behavior Of Urm Infill Walls Utilizing Modern Blast Retrofit Systems, Trevor D. Hrynyk

Masters Theses

"Previous investigations have shown that the use of modern retrofit systems can significantly improve the behavior of URM infill walls subjected to variable out-of-plane loads. It has also been shown that the use of externally bonded retrofit systems can greatly reduce the amount of fragmentation and debris scatter that is found to occur in URM walls subjected to high intensity blast loads...The main objective of this study is to investigate, through static testing, the use of modern materials for the purpose of improving the behavior of URM walls subjected to blast loads. This study implemented externally bonded FRP grids and …

Development Of A Decision Support System For Selection Of Trenchless Technologies To Minimize Impact Of Utility Construction On Roadways, Dulcy M. Abraham, Hyeon-Shik Baik, Sanjiv B. Gokhale

JTRP Technical Reports

The need to replace deteriorating underground utility infrastructure and to expand utility services, increases the need for utility conduits to intersect roadways. Open-trench method is currently the most widely used method for installation of underground pipelines and conduits of all sizes. However, open-cut construction has several shortcomings, chief amongst which are: health and safety concerns of workers, surface disturbance, disruption to vehicular/pedestrian traffic and reduction of pavement life. Today, other cost-effective alternatives exist to traditional open-trench construction. These methods are categorized as "Trenchless Technologies" as they require minimum trenching (excavation). While the benefits of trenchless technology are quite apparent when …

Indot Guidance Document For In-Situ Soil Flushing, Linda S. Lee, Xihong Zhai, Jaesun Lee

JTRP Technical Reports

Many of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) sites are contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents; these contaminants often occur in the form of light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) or dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). Considerable effort has recently been focused on developing in-situ technologies for removing or destroying NAPL source zones, and several potentially viable methods have emerged including cosolvent-enhanced source zone removal. Most recently, site-specific remedial designs involving a combination of in-situ methods (often referred to as a treatment train) have been proposed for which data are still sparse. The primary goal of the laboratory experiments is …

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. …

Deriving The Cost Impacts Of Indiana's Storm Water Rule 13 On Indot Maintenance Facility Operations, Lynn A. Corson

JTRP Technical Reports

The objectives of this research were: 1. To classify maintenance facilities by ten or fewer “typologies” (categories) to analyze storm water collection and drainage from the sites and to estimate the cost of installing or implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs), identified by INDOT, to prevent or reduce contamination of the drainage that migrates to waters of the state; 2. To prepare an Environmental Management System (EMS) modeled on the ISO 14001 Standard and “pilot” the EMS in an INDOT District; conduct EMS Awareness training for affected employees. The research included the conduct of on-site operations and environmental assessments at 50 …

Evaluating And Enhancing The Safety Of Nighttime Construction Projects, Dulcy M. Abraham, Julia Jensen Spadaccini, Beau Braxton Burgess, Lindsay Rae Miller, Vanessa Valentin

JTRP Technical Reports

The increased demand on the current highway system has caused transportation agencies to increase scheduling for nighttime work in order to alleviate daytime work zone congestion, especially during peak traffic hours. Although traffic congestion is reduced, safety in nighttime workzones remains a concern among both transportation agencies and contractors. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), approximately one-half of the fatalities that occurred in workzones nationwide occurred at night. These work zone statistics have received increased attention among agencies to evaluate planning and safety issues concerning the workers and the general public on nighttime workzones. Four separate, but interrelated research …

Applicability Of Borman Decision Tree Its Management Tool To Other Expressway Systems, Ahmed S. Soliman, Robert Bertram Jacko, Barry K. Partridge

JTRP Technical Reports

An empirical model called the Traffic Air Quality Model (TAQ) was developed from meteorological and PM2.5 measurements adjacent to the Borman Expressway in Northwest Indiana to estimate PM2.5 road emissions. It concluded that on average a 74% improvement in air quality is expected (based on reduction of mass emitted per mile [g/mi]) when the average Borman speed range is improved from < 30 mph to >50 mph. An additional 39% (on average) improvement in the PM_2.5 emissions on the Borman Expressway was found when traffic flow speeds increased from 55 mi/h to 75 mi/h. The TAQ model was found to perform well when tested …

Safety Conscious Planning In Indiana: Predicting Safety Benefits In Corridor Studies, Volume 1: Research Report, Andrzej P. Tarko, Muhammad Asif Iqbal, Michal Adam Inerowicz, Hong Liang, Gopal Panicker

JTRP Technical Reports

INDOT units responsible for planning and pre-engineering analysis consider safety implications of studied alternative roadway and road network solutions to the extent allowed by the available tools. This project is meant to enhance the available tools of predicting crash frequencies in future road networks to improve the quality of safety consideration in intermediate and long-term road planning.

Safety Performance Functions are widely used to estimate and predict road safety at intersections and on segments. Evaluation of the performance of the functions developed for regions other than Indiana indicated that only full recalibration, which is in fact equivalent to developing own …

Economic Development Effects Of Indot Transportation Projects, Konstantina Gkritza, Samuel Labi, Kumares C. Sinha

JTRP Technical Reports

The evaluation of transportation projects has traditionally been carried out in the context of economic efficiency, in terms of savings in travel time, vehicle operating cost, and safety. The wider and longer-term effects on economic development (i.e., job, income and business growth) are a concern of transportation planners and decision-makers but have been often overlooked due to the lack of a reliable impact estimation methodology and/or data. Information on economic development impacts is valuable for understanding the total effect of projects and therefore, for a more balanced justification of proposed transportation infrastructure investments. This study extends the traditional transportation impact …

Effect Of Horizontal Piles On The Soil Bearing Capacity For Circular Footing Above Cavity, Rafael L. Arosemena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The design of foundation in normal soil conditions is governed by bearing capacity, minimum depth of foundation and settlement. However, foundation design in karst regions needs to consider an additional criterion associated to the possibility of subsurface subsidence and ravelling sinkholes. Under this environment, alternative techniques are needed to improve the subsurface soil. In this study general background information is given to understand the geological characteristics of Central Florida and why this area is considered to be a karst region and susceptible to sinkholes formation. Traditional foundation design techniques on karst regions are addressed in this paper. Finally, the use …

Analysis Of Ultraviolet Energy Distribution In Uv Disinfection Systems Using Monte Carlo Ray -Trace Method, Khoi Trung Nguyen

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Determination of fluence rate in ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems is a crucial part in evaluating disinfection efficiency of the systems. A robust Monte Carlo Ray Trace (MCRT) method has been developed to determine fluence rates in three-dimensional space of the systems. This is a statistical sampling method in which millions of random light energy bundles are simulated from the axis of each UV lamp and traced through the system until their energies reduce to a minimum threshold level. Inherent phenomena including refraction through quartz tubes, specular reflection at quartz tube surfaces, and absorption by quartz and water, along with specific …

Critical Route Network For Earthquake Response And Dynamic Route Analysis, Srinivas Peeta, Georgios Kalafatas

JTRP Technical Reports

Earthquakes can significantly disrupt societal functioning, cause ecological damage, and lead to loss of human lives and property, warranting a coordinated and efficient response to mitigate their negative impacts. Preparedness against earthquakes entails a pre-disaster planning aspect and a post disaster operational aspect. In the JTRP study “Emergency Earthquake Routes for the State of Indiana; Part I: Criteria for Selection of Primary Routes: Transportation Aspects”, a multicommodity maximal covering network design formulation based optimization methodology was proposed to identify a critical routes sub-network for the Indiana component of the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone in the INDOT Vincennes District. Addressed from …

Factors In Debris Accumulation At Bridge Piers, Dennis A. Lyn, Thomas J. Cooper, Charles Anthony Condon, Lu Gan

JTRP Technical Reports

Debris accumulation at bridge piers has been a significant problem at a number of bridge sites in Indiana, increasing risks of upstream flooding, scour, and stream instability. The current study aimed at identifying factors contributing to debris accumulation in order to formulate guidelines for the design of new bridges that would minimize their occurrence or impact. Three related approaches were taken: i) a systematic study of the available underwater bridge inspections reports, ii) a program of periodic visits and visual examination of bridge sites that were thought to be prone to debris accumulation, and iii) continued video monitoring of three …

Automated Composite Column Wrapping, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

The Automated Composite Column Wrapping is performed by a patented machine known as Robo-Wrapper. Currently there are three versions of the machine available for bridge retrofit work depending on the size of the columns being wrapped. Composite column retrofit jacket systems can be structurally just as effective as conventional steel jacketing in improving the seismic response characteristics of substandard reinforced concrete columns.

New Structural Material - Fiber Reinforced Plastics, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Traditional structural materials are heavy and require a great deal of maintenance. If a new breed of structural material could be produced that was lighter, stronger and more resistant to corrosion, impacts, parasites and chemicals, it could be a good substitute for steel, concrete, masonry and wood. One new material that has the potential to meet these demands is starting to show up on the construction industry market, it is Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP). Some technologies that have been developed using FRP materials within the last few years are: structural shapes, concrete reinforcing, prestressing and post-tensioning tendons and pre-engineered structural …

Post-Tensioned Steel Structure, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Welded steel Moment-Resisting Frames (MRFs) were long considered as one the most earthquake-resistant types of structures. Recently, the idea of applying the post-tensioning technology to achieve moment resistant structural systems has been investigated at the University of California, San Diego. Since 1996, moment-resisting connections using post-tensioning concepts have been developed and tested for precast concrete beam-to-column connections, and concrete shear walls.

Precast Hybrid Moment Resistant Frames, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

The recent disasters from earthquakes in Northridge, California and Kobe, Japan, demands a structural design that will provide integrity of the structure and protection of the investment against seismic activity. Charles Pankow builders developed a new frame that absorbs seismic energy independent of the integrity of the structural members and that delivers superior post elastic response. The Precast Hybrid Moment Resisting Frame (PHMRF) involves a column/beam connection utilizing both elastic and inelastic action at the joint for Precast Moment Resistant Frames.

Spraywall, Cured-In-Placed Method For Manhole Rehabilitation, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Manholes and other underground structures commonly account for 25-30 % of infiltration and up to 70% of inflow in sanitary sewer collection systems. These will cause sewer overflow and endanger the nearby environment. SprayWall is a spray-applied, cured-in-place method of construction and is primarily used in manholes. It uses urethane material that provides excellent corrosion resistance. SprayWall is structural and can withstand ground water loads on a long-term basis.

Welding Clamps, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

While welding technology has advanced in recent years, methods of fitting pipe remained primitive. Chain Clamps are versatile: each clamp can fit-up elbows, tees, flanges, and other pipe fittings. All carbon steel Chain Clamps are zinc plated to resist spatter and corrosion. On the average, one Chain Clamp costs about 40% less and weighs about 77% less than the required number of cage clamps to cover the same range of pipe diameter.

Decision Aid For Electronic Simulation In Construction, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

The Decision Aid for Electronic Simulation in Construction is an output of the research “Electronic Simulation in Construction” sponsored by CII (Construction Industry Institute). The Web-based Decision Aid was developed to assist a decision-maker in utilizing the results of this research. This system along with the database allows the user to (i) establish the need for electronic simulation, (ii) ascertain specific needs with respect to application domain, product features, and operating system requirements, and (iii) identify products and suppliers that support the need and requirements established in the previous steps.

T.O.C.S. : Hydrogen Sulfide Remission System, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

BioEnviroTech, Inc., (BET) developed Toxicity Odor Corrosion Sulfides (T.O.C.S.) Remission System for hydrogen sulfide reduction in municipal and industrial wastewater sewer, lift stations and force mains. This safe and cost effective biotreatment technology uses safe and natural bacteria to interrupt sulfide generation.

Mobile Bricklaying Robot, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Bricklaying is a highly repetitive and physically exhaustive task. The tasks of the construction site bricklaying robot include removing bricks or blocks from prepared pallets, the application of bonding material and the erection of brickwork at a high level of accuracy and quality. Prototype realization of the bricklaying robot, which is based on a commercial construction machine, has been done by two research institutes in close cooperation with ten industrial partners.

3m Personal Air Monitoring Systems, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

3M monitors are made to allow sample desorption directly in the monitor itself. The monitor comes with a snap-on elution cap that permits the desorbing solvent to be injected into the monitor. The solution is then poured into sample vials for analysis. 3M monitors use standard analytical methods: gas chromatography for the organic vapor monitor and ethylene oxide monitor, and colorimetry for the formaldehyde monitor.

Ehydraulic Pneumatic Fracturing, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

The technology is an enhancement process designed for integration with primary in-situ treatment technologies such as vapor extraction, bioremediation, thermal treatment, and 'pump and treat'. Fractures in dense soils are created, using hydraulic or pneumatic methods, making existing fractures larger to get at contaminants and allowing a more effective distribution of the extractive air throughout the soil. Pneumatic Fracturing was jointly developed by Accutech Remedial Systems Inc. and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. It involves the injection of air (or another gas) into a contaminated geologic formation at sufficient pressure and flow rate to create artificial fractures or to …

Electro Osmotic Pulse Technology For Prevention Of Water Intrusion In Concrete Structure, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Groundwater intrusion into a building can cause serious structural degradation, corrosion of expensive mechanical equipment. ElectroOsmotic Pulse (EOP) technology is based on the concept of electroosmosis; the movement of an electrically charged ion in a liquid under the influence of an external electric field. EOP not only eliminates water-seepage problems from the interior of the structure without excavation, but it further mitigates corrosion damage to mechanical equipment and reduces the interior relative humidity of the basements.

Soundprint: Continuous Acoustic Monitoring For Structure, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

The effective evaluation and management of corrosion in unbonded post-tensioned tendons requires an understanding of the causes of corrosion as well as an appreciation of the measures required to mitigate future corrosion. Present evaluation methods have been unsuccessful in accurately assessing the existing condition of post-tensioned structures. Continuous monitoring technology allows engineers to locate future failures so that property owners can implement cost-effective management strategies. An acoustic monitoring system, SoundPrint® has been developed which allows continuous monitoring of entire structures.

Arcagent – Weld Process Quality Monitoring System, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

The ARCAgent 2000 is a real-time monitoring and alarming unit for automated and semi-automated arc welding (GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, SAW, SMAW) applications. The ruggedized ARCAgent 2000 uses an embedded microprocessor for high speed analysis of arc current, supply voltage, gas flow, wire feed speed, and an additional 4-20 mA sensor to verify the weld process parameters. When process problems are detected, context specific diagnostics information is displayed directly to the operator for corrective action.

Alternative Material Dowel Bars For Rigid Pavement Joints, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

Over the last thirty to forty years, dowel support of the joint in Rigid Joint Pavement (RJP) has been widely used. The problem of deterioration of concrete pavement joints has resulted in the search for alternate solutions. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and stainless steel represent corrosion resistant alternatives to conventional galvanized steel in this application. The recently study by the FHWA of Alternative Materials for Highway Construction demonstrated that even with extended wet-dry cycles of exposure to fluids of high chloride content, at various temperatures and PH levels, stainless steel had corrosion resistance hundreds and in many cases thousands of times …