Civil Engineering Commons^™

A Review Of Approaches To Solving The Problem Of Bim Search: Towards Intelligence-Assisted Design, Hamed Khademi, Avril Behan

Conference papers

Due to the growing adoption of BIM and the rising popularity of cloud computing, BIM models are increasingly stored in central cloud repositories or Common Data Environments. Effective management and exploitation of these models creates the requirement for BIM retrieval systems. Thus far, the BIM industry has utilized general-purpose, text-based search techniques that operate on BIM metadata. This paper highlights the need for a domain-specific BIM search engine and reviews various approaches to address the problem of BIM search. Three main approaches were identified as context-, geometry-, and content-based BIM retrieval. For a comprehensive BIM retrieval system, all three approaches …

Embedding Systems Thinking Into Ewb Project Planning And Development: Assessing The Utility Of A Group Model Building Approach, Kimberly Pugel, Jeffrey P. Walters

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Amongst growing sociotechnical efforts, engineering students and professionals both in the international development sector and industry are challenged to approach projects more holistically to achieve project goals. Engineering service learning organisations must similarly adapt their technological projects to consider varying cultural and economic structures, ensuring more resilient social progress within development efforts. In practice, systems thinking approaches can be utilised to model the social, economic, political, and technological implications that influence the sustainability of an engineering project. This research assesses the utility of integrating systems thinking into Engineers Without Borders (EWB) project planning and development, thereby improving project impact and …

Working With Complexity: A Participatory Systems-Based Process For Planning And Evaluating Rural Water, Sanitation And Hygiene Services, Jeffrey P. Walters, Kate Neely, Karla Pozo

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Individuals working within the water, sanitation and hygiene for development (WASH) sector grapple daily with complex technical, social, economic, and environmental issues that often produce unexpected outcomes that are difficult to plan for and resolve. Here we propose a method we are calling the ‘Participatory Systems-based Planning and Evaluation Process’ (PS-PEP) that combines structural factor analysis and collaborative modeling to guide teams of practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholders through a process of modeling and interpreting how factors systemically and dynamically influence sustained access to WASH services. The use and utility of the PS-PEP is demonstrated with a regional team of …

Exercise - Calculate Reservoir Performance Metrics - University Of Colorado Boulder, Joseph Kasprzyk

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No abstract provided.

Gams Handout 1, Ethan Yang

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No abstract provided.

Gams Handout 4, Ethan Yang

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No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Individual Photovoltaic Module Performance After 26 Years Of Field Exposure At The Telonicher Marine Lab In Trinidad, California, Jake Rada

Projects

In 1990, 192 ARCO M75 photovoltaic (PV) modules were installed as a part of the Schatz Solar Hydrogen Project at the Humboldt State University (HSU) Telonicher Marine Lab in Trinidad, California, within 150 m of the Pacific Ocean. This 9.2 kW-rated PV array was used to power the marine laboratory air compressor and an electrolyzer. Individual current-voltage (IV) curve tests were performed on each of the PV modules prior to the array’s construction in 1990 and again in 2001, 2010, and, most recently, in 2016, following decommissioning of the array. After 25.5 years of use, 188 of the original 192 …

Seismic Evaluation Of 196kv Transformer Bushings, Joanne R. Shields

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

Transformer bushings have shown to have an unsatisfactory performance during earthquakes and have therefore been chosen for further testing. How the bushings fail, and how this failure can be prevented has been analyzed. Two used 196 kV bushings made by General Electric were chosen for seismic testing at the iSTAR laboratory located at Portland State University in Portland, OR. The multiple objectives that brought about these tests were: to determine how the bushings failed due to gasket extrusion at the porcelain-flange connection and to verify that the failure was due to pure tipping and not sliding, to determine the damping …

Gams Handout 2, Ethan Yang

All ECSTATIC Materials

No abstract provided.

Gams Handout 3, Ethan Yang

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No abstract provided.

Optimizing Fiber Parameters Coupled With Chemical Treatment: Promethee Approach, Arif Ali Baig Moghal, Ateekh Ur Rehman, Bhaskar Chittoori

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In order to combat issues related to expansive soils, chemical stabilization augmented with use of synthetic fibers is gaining focus in recent times. However, in most of these applications, the practicing field engineers face difficulty in selecting the right mix of fiber size, fiber dosage and stabilizer content. The decision becomes more typical, as the target is to achieve or enhance multiple geotechnical properties which differ with fiber dosage and stabilizer content based on governing mechanisms. Addressing these issues, in this study an attempt is made to present an approach for selecting fibre dosage and lime mix for a typical …

Role Of Ground Glass Fiber As A Pozzolan In Portland Cement Concrete, Hassan Rashidian-Dezfouli, Prasad Rao Rangaraju

Publications

Millions of tons of fiberglass are produced annually for a variety of applications. Because of stringent quality requirements and operational characteristics of the manufacturing plants, a significant quantity of fiberglass that does not meet required specifications of the industry ends up as waste in landfills. This study investigated the use of ground glass fiber (GGF) that had been discarded by plants because it did not meet prescribed standards, as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) for portland cement. Three replacement levels (10%, 20%, and 30% by mass) for portland cement in paste, mortar, and concrete mixtures were studied. Mechanical and durability …

Concrete Pavement Service Condition Assessment Using Infrared Thermography, Yang Lu, Aidin J. Golrokh, M.D. Aminul Islam

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Infrared thermography (IRT), an effective nondestructive testing method, is used to obtain an initial evaluation of the concrete pavement surface and near surface in a time effective manner. In this paper, the effect of the depth of delamination inside concrete pavement on infrared thermography technique is studied for bridge decks inspection. To be able to mimic the delamination in subsurface, two Styrofoam cubes have been inserted in different depth near the surface of the concrete cylinder. After heating up the specimen, thermal images were taken from the surface using an infrared thermal camera to evaluate the effect of subsurface defects …

Freeze-Thaw Durability Of Concrete Columns Wrapped With Frp And Subject To Corrosion-Like Expansion, Ronald S. Harichandran, M.I. Baiyasi, G. Nossoni

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Experiments were conducted to assess the effects of using fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps, with fibers oriented in the hoop direction, for rehabilitating corrosion-damaged columns. This paper reports findings related to the freeze-thaw durability of concrete specimens with round and square cross sections, wrapped with glass and carbon FRP, after they are subjected to an internal expansive force similar to that generated by corroding steel. The results of the experiment indicate that freeze-thaw cycles have no statistically significant effect on the compressive strength of glass- and carbon-wrapped specimens. Freeze-thaw conditioning generally reduced the longitudinal failure strain of wrapped specimens. The square …

Seismic Retrofit Case Study Of Reinforced Concrete Bridges With Buckling Restrained Braces, Michael K. Miotke

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

Many highway bridges in Oregon have been designed with minimal considerations for seismic hazard and are in need of retrofit. Although buckling restrained braces (BRBs) are not necessarily a new concept, using them to seismically retrofit bridges is. This case study investigates the BRB retrofit concept as compared to traditional retrofit measures for a sample of typical vulnerable bridges in Oregon. The objectives of evaluating these cases were to determine the feasibility of the concept both in terms of performance as well as construction costs. This study builds on the ongoing research at Portland State University into the development of …

Feasibility Determination Guide For The Road Diet Plus: A Five/Four-Lane To Two-Lane Road Diet, Michael Williams

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

Road diets are a popular tool for corridor improvement. Road diets are normally defined as the conversion of a four-lane undivided road to a three-lane undivided road made up of two through lanes separated by a center two-way-left-turn-lane (known as a TWLTL). This new configuration has similar vehicular capacity, greater safety and frees up right-of-way for other uses.

This work examines the possibility of going one step, or one lane, further. What is the possibility of reducing five- or four-lane roads to two-lanes? If this is possible, what are the corridor characteristics within which this process would be feasible?

The …

Exercise - Choose A Manager To Learn Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis - University Of Colorado Boulder, Joseph Kasprzyk

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A prompt for an in-class exercise, so that students can learn basic principles of multi-criteria decision analysis. The ideal place for this exercise is to have it before the formal lecture of multi-criteria decision analysis. The students will start to gain an intuitive understanding of how to transform preferences to scores, how to weight the metrics, and how to make a final decision.

Water Resource Systems And Management (Spring 2017) - University Of Colorado Boulder, Joseph Kasprzyk

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No abstract provided.

Introduction To Reservoir Analysis - University Of Colorado Boulder, Joseph Kasprzyk

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Introduction to reservoirs, lecture from Water Resource Systems and Management (Spring 2017), University of Colorado Boulder. By Joseph Kasprzyk. Learning goals include (i) introducing what a reservoir is, (ii) apply control volume and conservation of mass principles to analyze storage in natural lakes and reservoirs (iii) calculate required storage size for reservoirs using basic techniques (iv) define reservoir terms including safe yield and critical period (v) discuss dam building trends in the US and globally.

Introduction To Water Resources Systems - University Of Colorado Boulder, Joseph Kasprzyk

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This is the introductory lecture to a Water Resource Systems and Management class from Spring 2017 at the University of Colorado Boulder, by Joseph Kasprzyk. Learning goals include (i) defining integrated water resources management, (ii) identifying Colorado water management issues (ii) identifying how RiverWare simulation and optimization can be used to develop water plans (iii) use the HyMod model to perform rainfall-runoff modeling (iv) generating random parameter samples and understanding how parameter uncertainty affects model results.

Stochastic Hydrology, Meghna Babbar-Sebens

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Syllabus for graduate class in Stochastic Hydrology

Case Study For Guided Project In Stochastic Hydrology, Meghna Babbar-Sebens

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Attached are two guided project activities for hydrology and climate data of Eagle Creek Watershed, Indiana, USA. The zip files have flow and precipitation datasets at daily, monthly, and annual time scales.

Optimization In Water Resources Engineering, Meghna Babbar-Sebens

All ECSTATIC Materials

No abstract provided.

Groundwater Modeling For Assessing The Impacts Of Natural Hazards In East-Central Florida, Han Xiao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In coastal east-central Florida (ECF) , the low-lying coastal alluvial plains and barrier islands have a high risk of being inundated by seawater due to climate change effects such as sea-level rise, changing rainfall patterns, and intensified storm surge from hurricanes., This will produce saltwater intrusion into the coastal aquifer from infiltration of overtopping saltwater. In the inland ECF region, sinkhole occurrence is recognized as the primary geologic hazard causing massive financial losses to society in the past several decades. The objectives of this dissertation are to: (1) evaluate the impacts of sea-level rise and intensified storm surge on the …

Reliability Based Design Optimization Of Load And Rating Models For Bridge Structures In Michigan, Vahid Kamjoo

Wayne State University Dissertations

The main objective of this study is to develop optimal live load models for design and rating of bridges using reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) methodology, such that target reliability levels for bridge girders subjected to Michigan traffic loads can be consistently met. Traffic data from 20 high-fidelity weigh-in-motion (WIM) sites collected over a two-year period across Michigan will be used for statistical analysis. From the filtered data, load effects are generated for a series of hypothetical bridges considering spans from 20 to 200 ft. and girder spacings from 6 to 12 ft. Simple moments and shears, for both single lane …

Influence Of Moisture Content Distribution In Soil On Pavement And Geothermal Energy, Md Adnan Khan

Doctoral Dissertations

Moisture content in soil has a great implication in engineering design, and it has been heavily investigated by soil engineers and scientists. If moisture content in expansive soil changes drastically, it will create significant volume change in the soil. If expansive soil is present in building foundation or pavement subgrade, it may result in structural failure. On the other hand, if sufficient moisture content is present in soil, it will increase the production of geothermal energy from the ground soil. This dissertation is an effort to understand the effects of moisture content on both expansive soils and geothermal energy that …

Laboratory X - Autonomous Vehicle Application, Nate Lant, Matthew Strong

Engineering Applications of GIS - Laboratory Exercises

Autonomous vehicles are currently the newest and hottest technology and show tremendous potential in making current transportation much more efficient. GIS is a key element in providing different mapping solutions and satellite assistance to support the cars in addition to their LIDAR and camera systems. Over the last few decades, different technologies have been integrated into cars to make them more user friendly--more autonomous. Recently, cars have been given a standardized range to categorize them into different levels of autonomy. The levels range from 0 to 5. Level 0 has no capacity of any autonomous technology; level 1 has cruise …

Laboratory Exercise – Calculating Runoff Over Land Parcels, Wade Bozeman, Steven Evans, Ryan Selee

Engineering Applications of GIS - Laboratory Exercises

When developing land, most municipalities will require that all runoff from the site be retained on site or flow into a storm water conveyance system. In the near future, new regulation will require that all runoff be retained on site. For this reason, it is important to know how much runoff can be expected to flow over a potential development site. In this lab, you will use ArcMap ModelBuilder to predict the amount of flow which can be expected over a land parcel in a storm event.

Laboratory Exercise – Frontrunner Extension, Meeya Apelu, Jordan Arrowchris, Joseph Browning

Engineering Applications of GIS - Laboratory Exercises

The Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA) FrontRunner is a commuter rail line that runs 89 miles through Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah counties. There are 16 different stops along this line which are: Pleasant View, Ogden, Roy, Clearfield, Layton, Farmington, Woods Cross, North Temple, Salt Lake Central, Murray Central, South Jordan, Draper, Lehi, American Fork, Orem and Provo (UTA 2017). Using the FrontRunner is easy and is very convenient. The popularity of this transit system is increasing and UTA has announced their future plans to continue the rail line. UTA is exploring ways to go forward with this plan and …

Shifted Plastic Hinge Column Connections Using Grouted Sleeves For Accelerated Bridge Construction, Haider Al-Jelawy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is being increasingly used in new bridge construction and repair. ABC typically requires prefabricated elements joined with mechanical couplers. Grouted sleeves (GSs) offer good construction tolerances and load transfer between precast elements. However, previous research identified some performance issues with precast columns employing GS connections for seismic regions. Therefore, there is a need to develop improved connection details. This research consists of three components; testing of six large-scale precast reinforced concrete column models, a series of individual component tests on GS bar splices, and analytical studies. Large-scale, precast column models were designed and experimentally tested using …