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Full-Text Articles in Other Civil and Environmental Engineering

Water Resources Planning Under Deep Uncertainty For Physically, Socially, And Politically Complex Systems, Sarah St. George Freeman Feb 2023

Water Resources Planning Under Deep Uncertainty For Physically, Socially, And Politically Complex Systems, Sarah St. George Freeman

Doctoral Dissertations

Water supply systems, particularly those of large cities, are complex systems linking supply, regulatory and distribution infrastructure, and points of use. Despite their physical complexities, it is infrequent that full supply, distribution, end use, and feedbacks therein are considered in an integrated manner. These complex systems-of-systems face large uncertainties related to physical aspects such as degradation of infrastructure, changing demand, and climate variability and change. Though great, such physical uncertainties often pale in comparison to the those related to the human systems in place to manage them and yet uncertainty in the decision-making landscape is often grossly simplified in our …


Analysis And Fate Of 2,6-Dichloro-1,4-Benzoquinone In Real And Model Drinking Waters, Aarthi Mohan Mar 2022

Analysis And Fate Of 2,6-Dichloro-1,4-Benzoquinone In Real And Model Drinking Waters, Aarthi Mohan

Doctoral Dissertations

For many years chlorination has served as a barrier to protect human health from waterborne disease outbreaks. Chlorine is viewed as a near-universal oxidant and disinfectant, that provides a stable residual preventing microbial re-growth all the way through the consumer’s tap. Upon reaction with natural organic matter (NOM) however, it forms disinfection by-products (DBPs) many of which are potent human carcinogens and therefore have been of research interest since the 1970’s (Froese et al., 1999; Krasner et al., 2006, 1989; Richardson, 2003; Rook, 1976, 1974; Singer, 1994). The trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) are the most prevalent (Krasner et …


Preparing Water Supply Systems For Climate Change: The Role Of Hydrologic Forecasting In The Northeast, Leslie Decristofaro Nov 2018

Preparing Water Supply Systems For Climate Change: The Role Of Hydrologic Forecasting In The Northeast, Leslie Decristofaro

Doctoral Dissertations

Fresh water is a resource strongly impacted by climactic conditions. Water supply systems in the northeastern United States will see the effects of climate change on their water quality and quantity in various ways, including changes in seasonality of flows, changes in the frequency and magnitude of extreme precipitation events, and changes in the variability of precipitation and water availability. Five northeastern water supplies examined are expected to maintain at least 95% monthly reliability over a range of climates wider than the current projections. However, model results indicate that turbidity levels in New York City's Ashokan Reservoir will change with …


Decision Analytical Methods For Robust Water Infrastructure Planning Under Deep Uncertainty, Mehmet Umit Taner Nov 2017

Decision Analytical Methods For Robust Water Infrastructure Planning Under Deep Uncertainty, Mehmet Umit Taner

Doctoral Dissertations

Deep uncertainties resulting from climate change, demographic pressures, and rapidly evolving socioeconomic conditions are challenging the way that water planners design and operate large-scale infrastructure systems. Conventionally, water infrastructures have been developed using stationary methods, assuming that the underlying uncertainties can be derived from historical data or experience. However, these methods are less useful under deeply uncertain climate and socioeconomic conditions, in which the future can be substantially different from the past and cannot be expressed by well-defined probability distributions. The recognition of deep uncertainties in long-term water resources planning has led to the development of “decision-analytical” frameworks that do …


An Analysis Of Partial-Depth, Floating, Impermeable Guidance Structures For Downstream Fish Passage At Hydroelectric Facilities, Kevin Mulligan Nov 2015

An Analysis Of Partial-Depth, Floating, Impermeable Guidance Structures For Downstream Fish Passage At Hydroelectric Facilities, Kevin Mulligan

Doctoral Dissertations

Partial-depth, impermeable guidance structures (or guide walls) are used to enhance downstream passage effectiveness at a hydroelectric facility by actively guiding fish to a safe passage route (i.e. the bypass). Guide walls have been installed in a variety of ways and, like many fish passage devices, have resulted in variable efficiency rates. Currently, the most common type of installment is a steel panel guide wall attached to a floating boom. While less utilized than other guidance structure options (e.g. louvers and bar racks), guide walls have been gaining popularity, particularly within the Northwest United States. The aim of this dissertation …


A Framework And Analytical Approach To Evaluate Alternative Vehicle Miles Traveled (Vmt) Fee Systems, Elizabeth V. Ebacher Nov 2014

A Framework And Analytical Approach To Evaluate Alternative Vehicle Miles Traveled (Vmt) Fee Systems, Elizabeth V. Ebacher

Doctoral Dissertations

Since the fuel tax is a dwindling source of revenue, states need to find alternative funding sources. A vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee has received serious consideration from a number of states and the federal government. What is missing from the VMT fee consideration is a framework for developing VMT fee systems and an analytical approach with which to study how well a proposed system conforms to the policies promulgated in the framework. This research strives to fill that void. The framework developed presents five areas of importance in VMT fee systems: 1. Revenue sufficiency; 2. Revenue stability; 3. Environmental …