Civil Engineering Commons^™

Curbless By Design: Revitalizing Downtown Infrastructure For Pedestrians, Alex Duran, Steve Cherry

Civil Engineering Professional Development Seminar

This presentation will discuss the design of a curbless, pedestrian-focused corridor as part of a small-town downtown reconstruction in Sylvania, Ohio. The project team will share how they balanced community goals, accessibility, and utility coordination, along with considerations for drainage, hardscape, lighting, and power. The session will also highlight early construction lessons learned from Phase 1.

Mass Timber Construction: Products, Performance And Design, Anthony Harvey

Civil Engineering Professional Development Seminar

Due to their high strength, dimensional stability and positive environmental performance, mass timber building products are quickly becoming materials of choice for sustainably‐minded designers. This presentation will provide a detailed look at the variety of mass timber products available, including glue‐laminated timber (glulam), cross laminated timber (CLT), nail laminated timber (NLT), heavy timber decking, and other engineered and composite systems. Applications for the use of these products under modern building codes will be discussed, and examples of their use in U.S. projects reviewed. Mass timber’s ability to act as both structure and exposed finish will also be highlighted, as will …

Carbon-Neutral Concrete: A Review On Carbon Capture, Storage, And Utilization Technologies, Syed Muhammad O Naqvi, Muhammad Daniyal Raza, Syed Muhammad Bilal Haider

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Concrete industry is responsible for approximately 7% of total CO2 emissions around the globe making it a critical target for decarbonization. This review study evaluates carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies applicability in concrete industry with a focus on direct air capture (DAC), CO2 curing, mineral carbonation, and incorporation of carbonated recycled aggregates and alternative binders. Emphasis is placed on the mechanisms of various CCUS technologies, economic feasibility, environmental benefits, mechanical performance, and current challenges in their application and scalability aiming to optimize the structural efficiency, carbon uptake, and cost of concrete structures. Case studies from industrial implementations, such …

Cytotoxicity And Genotoxicity Of Glyphosate And Roundup Quickpro On Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells, Tasnimul Ferdous, Qingfang He, Wen Zhang

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Glyphosate and Roundup products have become the most used herbicide worldwide. However, previous bans in Europe and recent reversal have caused confusion over their safety. This study aims to investigate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Roundup QuickPro and its main ingredient glyphosate using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Cytotoxicity was calculated by measuring CHO cell viability with 72 h of exposure to each toxicant. Roundup QuickPro exhibited higher cytotoxicity with LC50 of 511.2 mu g/mL than glyphosate's LC50 of 3389 mu g/mL. The recommended application concentration (11,233.7 mu g/mL) of Roundup QuickPro is much higher than the measured LC50, …

Numerical Modeling Of Circular Reinforced Concrete Columns Confined With Frcm Composites, Ahmed Khaled Elzaher

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites are considered a promising alternative for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) columns due to the noncorrosive nature of the fiber strands and the enhanced thermal resistance of the cementitious mortar. The interaction between the confinement provided by the internal steel ties and the external FRCM composites represents a key parameter that has not yet been thoroughly investigated. The complexity of this combined FRCM–steel confinement mechanism increases under eccentric compression loading, which is commonly encountered in practical applications. This study aimed to investigate the structural behavior of short circular RC columns confined with FRCM composites under concentric …

Development Of New Design Criteria For Coastal Highway Embankment Under Wave-Induced Loading, Udaya Bilas Panta

Master's Theses

In the face of intensifying hurricanes and rising sea levels, Louisiana’s coastal highways, lifelines for communities and commerce, stand increasingly vulnerable. This thesis introduces a pioneering methodology for designing geosynthetic-reinforced highway embankments capable of withstanding wave-induced loading and rapid drawdown scenarios, the most critical failure condition identified in coastal environments. By integrating statistical wave modeling, advanced numerical simulations using SEEP/W and SLOPE/W, and a comprehensive parametric analysis, the study develops a novel hybrid regression formula that accurately predicts optimal reinforcement lengths based on site-specific geotechnical and hydraulic parameters. Validated against Hurricane Katrina data and real-world soil profiles from Cameron Parish, …

Locations Of Outfalls In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly M. Kibler, Melinda J. Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_Outfalls_IRL_LWL.shp was created under grants from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL).

The dataset presented here includes the location of outfalls identified throughout the study region and general characteristics of the shoreline where they were identified.

Seagrass Persistence In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly Kibler, Melinda Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_seagrasspersistence_IRL_LWL.shp was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL). The dataset presented herein represents persistence of seagrass throughout waters of the IRL and LWL.

Development Of Work Breakdown Structure (Wbs) Dictionary And Checklist Integrated With Building Information Modelling (Bim) On Concrete Bridge’S Care And Maintenance Work To Improve Maintenance Performance, Dina Benua Lalitya, Yusuf Latief

Journal of Project Management & Construction

According to The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing of Republic of Indonesia (Kementerian PUPR), there was a significant decrease in national bridge condition in year 2021 compared to year 2018. One of the crucial factors that led to the collapse of the bridge was the lack of bridge management and maintenance to ensure the bridge’s serviceability. To cope with this condition, the solution needed is to carry out effective, efficient, and economical care and maintenance works. In bridge’s care and maintenance works, good project management can be improved with Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and the use of integrated …

Critical Success Factors Of Lean Construction Implementation To Improve Construction Project Efficiency In Indonesia, Onal Putra, Rossy Armyn Machfudiyanto

Journal of Project Management & Construction

Inefficiency is still a problem in the construction industry in Indonesia and in the world. Inefficiency leads to delayed deadlines, budget overruns, and inappropriate quality. It is caused by a lot of waste in the form of activities that use resources but do not produce the expected value. Lean construction is one approach to address this problem by eliminating waste and maximizing value for users or customers. This research aims to identify and determine the critical success factors that most influence the implementation of lean construction to improve the efficiency of construction projects in Indonesia as well as the development …

Wildfire Impact Analysis On Power System Operation: A Framework Leveraging Physics-Based Wildfire Simulation And Dynamic Line Rating, Saeed Nematshahi, Behrouz Sohrabi, Amin Khodaei, Ali Arabnya, Rui Fan

Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Scholarship

The growing frequency and intensity of wildfires is significantly impacting power grid operations. Specifically, wildfires spreading to power lines can induce thermal stress, leading to a restriction in line capacity. This reduction imposes a challenge for electric utilities as they must supply electric demand while experiencing reduced transmission capacity. This paper introduces a model that simulates wildfire behavior in proximity to a transmission line, evaluates the impact on conductor temperature and capacity constraints, and subsequently analyzes the impact on grid operation from economic and reliability perspectives. The numerical studies conducted on the IEEE 14-bus test system assess both economic and …

From The Editors, Rully Karim Dr.

Journal of Project Management & Construction

The Journal of Project Management and Construction (JPMC) is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to advancing the field of project management and construction, grounded in the principles outlined in the PMBOK 6th Edition. Our focus encompasses the ten knowledge areas essential to successful project management: Integration, Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resource, Communications, Risk, Procurement, and Stakeholder Management.

JPMC publishes original research papers written in English that provide deeper insights into these knowledge areas and contribute to the development of best practices in project management and construction. Submissions may include theoretical analyses, computational models, experimental observations, or a combination of both theoretical …

Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Control For Enhanced Frequency Response With Multi-Energy Storage Systems, Abu Shouaib Hasan, Rui Fan, Wei Gao, Di Wu

Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Scholarship

This paper proposes an advanced strategy for managing multiple battery energy storage systems (BESS) to enhance frequency support during contingencies. A novel deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework based on a guided surrogate-gradient-based evolutionary strategy (GSES) was developed to dynamically regulate BESS outputs for rapid power injection or absorption. This approach effectively mitigates the rate of change of frequency (ROCOF) and stabilizes the system frequency under varying operating conditions. Parallel computing techniques are employed to accelerate training and ensure robust performance. In addition, a genetic algorithm is implemented to determine the placement of BESS within the grid network, strategically minimizing ROCOF …

Evaluating Tire-Pavement Noise Reduction Of Porous Asphalt Using Close Proximity Tests: Comparative Performance And Long-Term Effectiveness, Jin Hwan Kim, Kyungnam Kim, Oh Sun Kwon, Woo Young Cho, Youngguk Seo

Faculty Articles

The objective of this study was to understand the long-term noise reduction effect of Porous Asphalt (PA) in an expressway environment. To this end, PA was compared with that of Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA), tined concrete, and Next-Generation Concrete Surface (NGCS) at the time of construction. Then, the evolution of PA’s acoustic performance was characterized on 82 pavement sections over the period of 1–18 years. The Close Proximity (CPX) method was used to measure tire-pavement noise at three cruising speeds: 80, 100, and 120 km/h. Mean Profile Depth (MPD) and permeability time were considered as key functional measures of PA …

Lithological Modeling And Aquifer Characterization Of The Coastal Lowlands Aquifer System In Texas, Emmanuel Egyin Hayford

LSU Master's Theses

The Texas Coastal Lowlands Aquifer System (CLAS) is a crucial water resource for the Gulf Coast, serving millions through municipal, agricultural, and industrial supplies. However, its sustainability is increasingly threatened by factors such as population growth, saltwater intrusion, land subsidence, and climate change. A significant limitation is the absence of a comprehensive, data-rich, three-dimensional lithologic model that accurately represents the intricate structure and geometry of the aquifer. Existing models are overly simplistic, treating the hydrogeologic unit as laterally uniform and failing to capture its true hydrogeologic complexity. This study addresses this gap by developing the first high-resolution 3D lithologic model …

Truck Drivers And Autonomous Trucks: A Topic Modeling Analysis Of Truck Driver Posts, Noah Britt, Amy M. Schuster, Shubham Agrawal, Chu-Hsiang Chang, Jenna A. Van Fossen, Elizabeth A. Mack, Sheila R. Cotten

Publications

Social media provides a rich, alternative data source to interviews or survey-based research to study hard-to-reach populations (e.g., truck drivers, because of their transient work structure and unique subculture). This study uses public social media posts from the largest trucking forum in the United States to examine truck drivers’ views on autonomous trucks (ATs), which are poised to transform the trucking industry. We expand on traditional qualitative strategies of analyzing social media data by combining newer methods, including BERT-based topic modeling, sentiment analysis, stance detection, emotion analysis, topic similarity, and location analysis through a social interaction network, to analyze a …

Living Shoreline Prioritization And Hydrodynamic Habitat Suitability Models For Restoration In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly M. Kibler, Melinda J. Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_shorelinemodel_IRL_LWL.shp, was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon and Lake Worth Lagoon.

The dataset presented herein includes:

1. shoreline data from >15,000 transects collected in the field,
2. shoreline wave climate data created through hydrodynamic modeling and frequency analysis of historic data,
3. categorization of potential risk for shoreline boat wake impact,
4. persistence of seagrass within 210 m of the shoreline, …

Crack Propagation Behavior Of Polyurethane Grouting Sma Asphalt Mixtures, Ji Guoqi, Ma Hui, Zheng Junqiu, Huang Yujie

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To reveal the influence me chanis m of polyurethane grouting on the crack propagation behavior of SMA-13 asphalt mixtures, this paper first conducted a semi-circular bending (SCB) test to validate the effectiveness of the PFC2D discrete element model, which was employed to simulate the microscopic responses of mixtures under different notch positions and grouting conditions. The analysis focused on load-displacement curves, crack propagation paths, crack number evolution, and force chain distribution characteristics. The results indicate that polyurethane grouting significantly increases the peak load and peak displacement of the specimens, thereby enhancing the fracture load-bearing capacity and deformation tolerance, with the …

Characterization Of Sediment Loads And Size Distribution In Nebraska Roadway Runoff, Pavel Shrestha

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) must manage sediment and pollutant loads from roadway runoff to meet stormwater regulations for discharges into impaired waters. The SAFL Baffle, a hydrodynamic separator used by NDOT, depends on accurate estimates of total suspended solids (TSS) and particle size distribution (PSD). However, existing studies show large variability in these characteristics, limiting their relevance to Nebraska roadways.

This study monitored stormwater runoff for 1.5 years at four NDOT-maintained sites—two in Lincoln and two in Beatrice—that received runoff from areas outside the roadway right-of-way. The SAFL Baffle was evaluated using the SHSAM (Sizing Hydrodynamic Separators and …

Atomistic Insights Into Dual Mechanisms For Nacl-Driven Dissolution And Polymerization Of Tricalcium Silicate, Wei Zhang, Jia Sun, Juntao Dang, Bo Tao Huang, Biqin Dong, Hongyan Ma, Dongshuai Hou

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study, experimental characterization and reactive molecular dynamics simulations were integrated to reveal the effects of NaCl on the early hydration of tricalcium silicate (C3S). The results demonstrate that NaCl significantly accelerates the early hydration of C3S by promoting Ca dissolution and silicate tetrahedra polymerization. Specifically, Cl^–ions coordinate with surface Ca, weakening the Ca–O bonds in C3S and reducing the energy barrier for Ca dissolution. Meanwhile, Na⁺ions compete with Ca²⁺for the O atoms, creating localized charge imbalance and attracting protons, which destabilize Si–O bonds and facilitate the polymerization of silicate tetrahedra. These effects …

An Integrated Decision Support System For Bim Level 3 Implementation, Lama Abumoeilak, Salwa Beheiry, Serter Atabay

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector accounts for 39% of greenhouse gas emissions, 40% of solid waste, and 12% of potablewater usage globally, underscoring the need for sustainable, efficient practices. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers a digital framework to address these challenges through lifecycle management, collaboration, and efficiency gains. However, most organizations remain at BIM Level 2 maturity, which limits their potential for full integration. This study proposes a comprehensive Decision Support System (DSS) to facilitate the adoption of BIM Level 3, with an emphasis on collaboration, sustainability, and data interoperability. The DSS integrates Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Analytical …

Physical Model Investigations On Nappe Instabilities At Labyrinth Weirs, Michael Gebhardt, Fabian Belzner

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Free overflow hydraulic structures operating at low heads tend to develop nappe instabilities when there is no ventilation. A detailed investigation has been undertaken with a relatively large-scale labyrinth weir in the hydraulic laboratory of the BAW. A quarter-round crest was selected, because nappe instabilities mainly occur at sharp-crested weirs, which favor the development of an air pocket behind the nappe. The headwater ratios for which nappe instabilities could be observed were determined. Pressure fluctuations were measured and the frequencies determined. Adding splitters to the crest is one way to vent the air pocket and to avoid vibrations. Another possibility …

Co2-Induced Changes In Rheology, Structural Evolution, And Particle Characteristics Of Cement Paste, Seongho Han, Tae Yong Shin, Seung Mo Kim, Jae Hong Kim, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The injection of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into cementitious systems has emerged as a promising approach to enhancing sustainability in concrete production. This study explores the impact of CO₂ injection on the rheological behavior, structural build-up, and particle size evolution of cement paste by systematically varying the water-to-cement ratio (w/c) (0.35, 0.4, and 0.5) and CO₂ concentration (0.06, 0.28, and 0.84 mol). Rheological analysis revealed a significant increase in initial yield stress with CO₂ injection. Using the Modified Bingham model, yield stress increased by 72 % and 150 % for 0.28- and 0.84-mol CO₂, …

Influence Of Channel Geometry And Inflow Hydrograph On Hydraulics And Air Volume Around Shafts Of A Stormwater Main, Lylie Vindie Wilkie

Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater management in urban areas is complex, in part because of difficulties related to modeling water flowing in closed conduits, as well as to controlling odor, noise, and pipe corrosion. This thesis summarizes the main findings of a study on how changes in inflow discharge and the geometry of a stormwater main may affect water flow, and how changes in water depth impact air volume and pressure around an air shaft. The study is conducted using CHAN, a one-dimensional model that simulates both flow hydraulics in mains and associated changes in air volume and pressure around air shafts. Main difference …

Building Services Engineering September/October 2025

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Erosion Of Bermuda Grass Covered Soils, Oru-Ntui Johnwatters Nkiri

Theses and Dissertations

Earthen embankments are the most common type of embankment due to the relatively low cost, simplicity, and material availability. However, they are also the most prone to erosion related failure, typically due to overtopping and piping. Research has been conducted to identify ways to control soil erosion and protect earthen embankments with different approaches such as addition of chemicals and biopolymer to the soil, installation of protective layering (geotextiles, concrete), increased soil compaction, and use of vegetation. This thesis considers the use of Bermuda Grass to increase resistance to erosion and protect embankments from failure during overtopping. Grass coverage and …

Carbonated High-Al Steel Slag As Supplementary Cementitious Material: Synergy Of Carbonation At Elevated Temperature And Addition Of Gypsum, Nannan Zhang, Gao Deng, Wenyu Liao, Chuanlin Hu, Lingyu Chi, Hongyan Ma

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-Al steel slags, such as ladle metallurgy furnace (LMF) slag, substantially retard the early hydration of cement when incorporated into cement pastes, primarily due to the high mayenite content. In this study, carbonation of slag at elevated temperatures of 60°C and 80°C, combined with gypsum addition, was proposed to synergistically mitigate the retardation effect and enhance the early-age strength of cement pastes. The physical and chemical properties of slags carbonated at various temperatures were analyzed to elucidate their impact on cement performance as a supplementary cementitious material. The results indicate that higher temperatures enhance carbonation reactivity, accelerating the carbonation of …

Using Drone And Ai To Map Leaf Water Potential And Stem Water Potential For Water Stress Management In Commercial Vineyards, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Magnesium Sulfate Attack Of Alite Paste And Mitigation By Surface Carbonation: Monitoring And Comparison Using Novel Portable Fiber-Optic Raman Probe, Bohong Zhang, Gao Deng, Hongyan Ma, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sulfate attack on cement matrix is still a "confused world" especially when magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) is the sulfate source. Accurate assessment of sulfate attack is essential for evaluating the structural integrity and durability of concrete in relevant environments. This study presents a portable fiber-optic Raman probe approach with 125 μm spatial resolution, designed for depth-resolved sulfate ingress monitoring in tricalcium silicate (C₃S, Alite) pastes. The probe is also used to evaluate the effectiveness of surface carbonation in mitigating sulfate attack. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between sulfate penetration depth and Raman spectral intensity ratios of sulfate-related vibrational …

Seismic Fragility Analysis Of Above-Ground Liquid Storage Tanks, Pooyan Khajeh Shahzanian

Dissertations and Theses

Liquid storage tanks are critical infrastructure, serving as key storage facilities for various products. As the contents in these tanks are usually highly toxic and flammable, damage to these structures under earthquakes can cause severe consequences, including energy shortage, fire and explosion, and spilling and long-term environmental damages.

Although new liquid storage tanks are designed according to the updated seismic design codes, large numbers of existing storage tanks were built before modern seismic design codes and did not undergo necessary seismic retrofitting. Observations and reports from past earthquakes demonstrate that these older tanks can be highly vulnerable to seismic excitation. …