Other Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Prioritization Of Research On Bridge Railings For Use On Timber Deck Bridges And Development Of Two Glulam Bridge Railing Systems, Jared Duren

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

In the past, many timber bridge railings, bridge railings for use on timber deck bridges, and approach guardrail transition systems to accompany these railings, have been developed to meet different impact safety criteria. Through an extensive literature review, the design details of these systems were identified and organized. A survey was then developed and distributed to multiple government agencies and timber industry members to identify their desire for these bridge railing and approach guardrail transition systems to be developed to meet current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) impact safety criteria. …

Establishing Safe Operating Speeds For Autonomous Vehicles: A Case Study From The Automated Skyway Express In Jacksonville, Florida, Andrew Loken

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

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) differ significantly from traditional passenger vehicles in both their behavior and physical characteristics. As such, the validity of the guidance provided in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware, Second Edition (MASH 2016) is questionable in AV applications. Impact conditions specified in MASH 2016 are inextricably linked to the traditional vehicles underlying the estimates. For AV applications, conditions must be estimated from the ground up, stepping outside the guidance of MASH 2016. Herein, a method for evaluating existing infrastructure to support AV traffic is proposed. The method integrates traditional structural analyses with unconventional methods of estimating impact conditions. …

An Improved Earned Value Management Method Integrating Quality And Safety, Brian Briggs

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The construction industry invests significant time and money to improve quality and safety while reducing cost and schedule impacts. The industry has a sincere desire to improve construction project management methods to improve efficiency. Historically, quality and safety underperformances result from undermanaged quality control and safety activities. The cost and schedule impacts associated with poor quality work have always had an impact on construction operations. The unprecedented challenges and uncertainties of COVID-19 highlighted the need to improve the Earned Value Management (EVM) method within construction to reflect these quality and safety activities. The central goal of this dissertation is to …

Determinants Of Water System Management, Caleb White

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

Water system management is complex, involving state, local, and federal regulations and impacting people from a wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Systems in the developing and industrialized worlds both face challenges in managing water systems. Much research has been completed regarding associations of water system violations and system factors, and there has been an increased attention to issues of environmental justice – how water system violations affect communities of color, impoverished communities, and rural communities. Currently no studies have focused on the associations between socioeconomic factors and water system management violations. The goal of this research was to ascertain the …

Fragility Functions Of Manufactured Houses Under Earthquake Loads, Shuyah Tani Aurore Ouoba

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

Manufactured homes are factory-built homes made of wooden structural members, then transported and installed on a given site. Manufactured housing is used in many countries, such as in Australia, and in New Zealand but remain mostly popular in the United States. In 2020, nearly 22 million people were estimated to live in manufactured homes in the United States, with an increase of more than fifty percent in the shipment over the past seven years. However, performance observations from the last decades have shown the vulnerability of manufactured homes to extreme events, like windstorms and earthquakes. Damage assessments and post-event evaluations …

Experimental Investigation Of The Performance Of A Hybrid Self-Healing System In Porous Asphalt Under Fatigue Loadings, Shi Xu, Liu Xueyan, Amir Tabakovic, Erik Schlangen

Articles

Self-healing asphalt, which is designed to achieve autonomic damage repair in asphalt pavement, offers a great life-extension prospect and therefore not only reduces pavement maintenance costs but also saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions. The combined asphalt self-healing system, incorporating both encapsulated rejuvenator and induction heating, can heal cracks with melted binder and aged binder rejuvenation, and the synergistic effect of the two technologies shows significant advantages in healing efficiency over the single self-healing method. This study explores the fatigue life extension prospect of the combined healing system in porous asphalt. To this aim, porous asphalt (PA) test specimens with …

Quantifying Discharge On The Lower Mississippi River Physical Model, Taylor S. Cagle

LSU Master's Theses

The Lower Mississippi River Physical Model (LMRPM) is a distorted, movable-bed physical model that replicates the hydraulics and bedload (sand) transport of the lower 195 miles of the Mississippi River. One year of flow and sediment transport on the prototype can be modeled in approximately one hour. With the ability to simulate long periods of time on the Lower Mississippi River in such a short time frame, the model can provide unique insight into subjects such as the potential effects from relative sea level rise on the lower river’s hydraulics and sediment transport. Quantifying discharge on the LMRPM is an …

Variability In The Hamburg Wheel-Tracking Device (Hwtd) Data And Results, Ilerioluwa S. Giwa

LSU Master's Theses

Over the years, the Hamburg Wheel-Tracking Test (HWTT) has become one of the most popular devices used for characterizing asphalt mixtures for rutting potential and moisture susceptibility. However, although the HWTT is a reliable standard test for evaluating asphalt mixtures, it is not exempt from variability in the test data and result. Variability in the HWTT test data and results have been majorly attributed to imprecision in the test practice and due to some limitations in the HWT device setup.

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the variability in the HWTT data and result by investigating a …

On The Computational Efficiency Of Les And Hybrid Rans-Les Models In Building Aerodynamics, Aly Mousaad Aly, Faiaz Khaled

Faculty Publications

Large-eddy simulation (LES) has proven to offer superior accuracy in regards to predicting surface pressures compared to the Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) models. However, the primary impediment is the high computational cost associated with LES. The authors attempt to investigate the computational cost and accuracy by employing different sub-grid scale (SGS) models in LES and hybrid RANS-LES models. One of the prerequisites of accurate pressure estimations is to ensure a horizontally homogeneous empty computational domain. This study aims to compare the computational competence qualitatively and quantitatively using an empty domain in regards to the ability to maintain horizontal homogeneity. The …

On The Computational Efficiency Of Les And Hybrid Rans-Les Models In Building Aerodynamics, Faiaz Khaled, Aly Mousaad Aly

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Conventional Energy Conservation Strategies And Active Thermal Insulation Wall System And Economic Analyses., Li Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the past few decades, the importance and the technology of building energy conservation is increasing. In support of this research into energy efficiency, the Department of Energy has developed simulation models of sixteen buildings representing most commercial buildings in the US. In this research, four of these sixteen prototype models were used in energy conservation analyses variety of energy conservation strategies in the seven US Climate Zones. To estimate the effectiveness of several common energy conservation measures on yearly building energy use, holistic analyses were conducted using software that accounts for the interactions of the building systems, occupants and …

Risk And Safety Associated With Hazardous Materials Transport In Rural And Native American Communities: A Case Study Of Thurston County, Nebraska, Sydney James

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

Rural counties and Native American Reservations often lack the resources and planning to respond to a hazardous material release which can cause catastrophic results. Many rural counties and Native American Reservations do not have close access to a fire department or medical facility, which would increase response times during a time of crisis. Jurisdiction issues further complicate the matter since Native American Reservations are sovereign nations,.

Thurston County, home to two Native American Reservations, served as a case study to perform a safety analysis for vehicles transporting hazardous material. Stakeholders within the county from tribal, county, and state levels were …

Evaluation Of Permanent Concrete Barriers To Mash 2016, Samuel Elias Hovde

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

The objective of this research project was to develop evaluation criteria for permanent concrete barriers to MASH 2016 TL-3 and TL-4 without crash testing and then to evaluate permanent concrete barrier standards provided by the sponsoring agencies of the Midwest Pooled Fund Program. A literature review was conducted to determine evaluation criteria for stability, shape, strength, and anchorage, and a database of permanent concrete barrier crash tests was compiled. A survey was conducted to collect barrier standards from the members of the Midwest Pooled Fund Program, and barriers were selected and evaluated according to the determined methodology. A total of …

Effects Of Historical Land-Use Change On Surface Runoff And Flooding In The Amite River Basin, Louisiana, Usa Using Coupled 1d/2d Hec-Ras–Hec-Hms Hydrological Modeling, Alexandre G. H. Cowles

LSU Master's Theses

The Amite River Basin is a largely rural watershed spanning parts of four counties in southern Mississippi and seven parishes in southeast Louisiana, with basinwide imperviousness increasing from 0.82% in 1938 to 3.85% in 2016. The Basin has been the subject of significant research interest since catastrophic flooding in 2016 caused 13 deaths and widespread damages. Rapid development in recent decades has led to an expansion of impervious surfaces in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, encroaching on floodplains and wetlands. At the basin scale, differences in flooding due to impervious cover changes were found to be somewhat limited, particularly along …

Study Of Fragility Functions For Assessing Damage To Water Pipe Networks Caused By Earthquake Loading, Dylan Joseph Merlo

Master's Theses

The performance of water lifelines during seismic events is an area of ongoing research. In this study we evaluate eight (8) different seismic events and the impact that ground shaking and ground deformations had on water pipeline systems. The overall goal of this work is to provide municipalities and utility providers with tools for mitigating the consequences of seismic hazards on water lifeline systems by analyzing the accuracy of damage estimation models. Three (3) different repair rate models are evaluated using data collected from the seismic events and compared to observed repair rate data. Results are analyzed to examine the …

Impact Of Particle Surface Charge Heterogeneity On Deposition Onto Flat Surfaces And Transport In Porous Media, Thompson Delon

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

Biological and non-biological natural colloids are anisotropic and ubiquitously exist in groundwater. Previously in colloid transport modelling, colloids are assumed to be homogenous for simplification, whether in shape or surface charge. More research has been done to incorporate surface heterogeneity in the transport experiment, i.e., surface charge heterogeneity on collector in column experiment. However, few studies have been done on surface heterogeneity on colloids themselves.

In this dissertation, Janus particles with different surface charge was developed to model surface heterogeneity on colloids. The interaction energy between Janus particle and flat surfaces was analyzed through DLVO simulation. It was discovered that …

The Role Of Rejuvenators In Embedded Damage Healing For Asphalt Pavement, Shi Xu, Xueyan Liu, Amir Tabakovic, P Lin, Y Zhang, S Nahar, B J. Lommerts, Erik Schlangen

Articles

Rejuvenator encapsulation technique showed great potential for extrinsic asphalt pavement damage healing. Once the capsules are embedded within asphalt pavement, the healing is activated on-demand via progressing microcrack. When the microcrack encounters the capsule, the fracture energy at the tip opens the capsule and releases the rejuvenator. Then the released rejuvenator wets the crack surfaces, diffuses into and softens the aged bitumen, allowing two broken edges to come in the contact, preventing further asphalt pavement deterioration. The quality and speed of the damage repair process strongly depend on the quality of rejuvenator, thus it is important to choose a proper …

Stream Power Analysis Of The Mid-Barataria Conveyance Channel Model, Jack Graham

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana’s coast is disappearing at an alarming rate. Erosion, subsidence, sea level rise, and the devastating impacts from hurricanes have contributed to the loss of thousands of square miles of land that was once a thriving ecosystem. The Louisiana government is taking action to help protect and restore these coastal habitats, which are a home to some two million people and numerous species of animals, birds, and fish. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is a new type of project to help create land in Barataria Basin. Conceptually, the diversion is designed to use the available sediment and stream power provided by …

Quantifying Materials Waste In The Egyptian Construction Industry: A Critical Analysis Of Rates And Factors, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Ahmed Osama Daoud Dr., Obas John Ebohon, Ali Bayyati

Architectural Engineering

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a critical challenge facing the construction industry. It leads to deterioration of the triple bottom line of sustainability. Unfortunately, the CDW management research in Egypt lacks studies investigating (1) the variations in CDW generation (CDWG) among different types of construction projects, and (2) the factors affecting CDW reduction (CDWR). Based on a benchmarking approach, this research (1) quantifies CDW in terms of generation rates and costs among different construction project types in Egypt, and (2) investigates the relationship between CDWG and different adopted CDWR factors. Using structured interviews, a comparative case study was conducted …

A Critical Analysis Of The Application Of Augmented Reality (Ar) For Monitoring And Documentation Of Construction Site Progress In The Irish Aec Industry., Bim Tudublin, Lukasz Sarnot

Capstone Reports

Sarnot, L. (2021) A critical analysis of the application of augmented reality (AR) for monitoring and documentation of construction site progress in the Irish AEC industry, Capstone Project from the MSc in aBIMM

To What Extent Can Innovative International Project Delivery Strategies (Which Leverage Bim) Improve The Cost Certainty Of Large Complex Public Procurement Projects In The Context Of Irish Public Procurement?, Bim Tudublin, Roqaya Abouklaib

Capstone Reports

Cost overrun is one of the biggest issues in the construction sector, and cost certainty is one of the main aims of the public construction sector in Ireland. Studies have shown that multi-disciplinary collaboration will benefit a construction project throughout its lifecycle. BIM, Lean, and IPD are independent methodologies that encourage collaborative work, and there are existent effective synergies among these concepts. The synergetic innovative international strategies were utilised for delivering large complex projects successfully globally, and many authors have studied large complex public projects that have adopted innovative international project delivery strategies collaboratively and have shown that the cost …

A Critical Examination Of Visual Programming And Generative Design For The Compliance Checking Of Open Plan Office Layouts Against Hse Guidelines Post Covid-19., Bim Tudublin, Ronan Byrne

Capstone Reports

The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of Visual Programming (VP) and Generative Design (GD) in assisting employers review open plan office layouts against Ireland’s HSE guidelines implemented in May 2020 in response to Covid-19. The pandemic has affected all areas of life with workplace standards requiring a complete overhaul. This study will attempt to ascertain compliance with natural ventilation and social distancing requirements through the completion of an experimental research study, utilising Computational Design (CD) tools. A GD study will be undertaken to provide the designer with numerous office layout design solutions to evaluate and evolve. …

Should Acoustic Simulation Technology Be Utilised In Architectural Practice? Does It Have The Potential For Bim Integration?, Bim Tudublin, Keith Harvey

Capstone Reports

The research presented in this paper, firstly, aims to convey the importance of our acoustic environment through focusing on the effects of undesirable acoustic conditions on cognitive abilities in spaces where cognitive performance is of the utmost concern, our learning environments. Secondly, it aims to investigate current state-of-the-art acoustic simulation methods, available platforms, and their levels of interoperability with architectural BIM authoring software. Structured interviews were carried out with 7 Irish architects and architectural technologists to determine if a disconnection between architectural design and acoustic performance exists and to identify the advantages and disadvantages of current workflows for acoustic performance …

Effects Of Changes In Land Use Land Cover And Climate On Long-Term Total Dissolved Solids Trends In The Mid-Atlantic Region Of The United States, Melaine Edouard Kolimedje

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Mid-Atlantic region (MAR) of the U.S. is subjected to a variety of stressors that affect the headwaters of the major rivers. Some of these stressors are abandoned mine drainage, agriculture, municipal point sources, urban areas, out-of-basin diversions, competing water uses, rapid population growths in the lowlands, alterations in water availability due to climate change and habitat alteration. In addition to these regional stressors, the rapid population growths and energy sources shifting have resulted in changes in land use and land cover (LULC) over the last few decades. The interactive effects of LULC and interannual/long-term climate changes have resulted in …

Linear Generators In Wave Energy Conversion: Performance, Feasibility, And Location Study, Luis Fernandez De Valderrama

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the energy demand increases and climate change becomes a major problem, the solution to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change involves increasing the use of sustainable and renewable sources to generate electricity. However, developed renewable sources have inconveniences that make them incapable of generating the totality of the electricity that a country demands. Wave energy is an alternative renewable energy source that can help mitigate the inconveniences of other renewable sources and decrease the emission of greenhouse gases.

This study aims to find the potential of linear generators in wave energy by analyzing the …

Modeling Coastal Vulnerability Of The St. Johns River And Northeastern Florida Shorelines, Madison E. Heppe

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal and riverine communities, with anthropogenic congestion and natural and economic resources, are vulnerable to climate change impacts including rising sea levels and increasing severity and frequency of storms. Coastal habitats are being increasingly recognized as natural infrastructure that provides resiliency against these stressors. However, few studies have analyzed coastal vulnerability at landscape scale with finely resolved spatial data that account for habitats and demographics. The purpose of this study is to map the coastal vulnerability of the St. Johns River and adjacent Northeastern Florida Atlantic shoreline within the St. Johns River Water Management District. Unique to this study is …

Optimisation Of Retrofit Wall Insulation: An Irish Case Study, Rakshit D. Muddu, D M. Gowda, Anthony James Robinson, Aimee Byrne

Articles

Ireland has one of the highest rates of emissions per capita in the world and its residential sector is responsible for approximately 10% of total national CO2 emissions. Therefore, reducing the CO2 emissions in this sector will play a decisive role in achieving EU targets of reducing emissions by 40% by 2030. To better inform decisions regarding retrofit of the existing building stock, this study proposes Optimum Insulation Thicknesses (OIT) for typical walls in 25 regions in Ireland. The calculation of OIT includes annual heat energy expenditure, CO2 emissions, and material payback period. The approach taken is based on Heating …

A Critical Analysis Of How Large Irish Architectural Practices Responded To Initial Covid-19 Restrictions And The Affect Implementing Remote Working Had On Bim Processes, Policies, And People, Bim Tudublin, John Mcenroy

Capstone Reports

The unprecedent events which transpired in the 88-day period from the 31st of December 2019 to the 27th of March 2020 have changed the world in which we live and work. The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and the ensuing pandemic which has evolved are descripted as one in a hundred-year events. This paper researched and critically analyses the operations which large Irish Architecture firms initiated during this period in order to facilitate the ability of its employees working from a remote location, focusing on how the People, Processes and Policies of BIM (3 Ps of BIM); adapted to …

An Examination Of The Use Of Geotechnical Bim To Provide Value Engineering Solutions For Coastal Infrastructure., Bim Tudublin, Eric Brennan

Capstone Reports

The digitisation of construction is taking root as Building Information Modelling is becoming more prevalent across the industry. From an Irish context, the adoption rate of BIM has been slow; nationally its advantages and merits have been welcomed and the appropriate government support is either available, soon to be implemented or in the early conceptual stage. Within the Irish governments Project Ireland 2040 framework there are significant infrastructure developments looming ahead, in particular regarding ports and harbours. The importance of this type of infrastructure is only further compounded due to the UK’s departure from the EU and the need for …

Local Watershed Analysis For Hubbell And Lake Linden, Michigan, Brittany Hubbard

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This report analyzes flood frequency risk, examines drainage, and delineates local level watershed characteristics for the Site located in western HUC 12-040201 030304 Torch Lake Subwatershed. Specifically, unnamed catchments in need of HUC-14 or HUC-16 local level delineation are evaluated to determine the effects of excess runoff on the cities of Hubbell and Lake Linden, Michigan. Further, this report aims to identify the location of known or suspected historical and current drainage infrastructure, and to prioritize locations for low-impact sustainable designs that reduce excess runoff and provide flood protection for these lakeshore communities.