Other Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Experimental Modeling Of Wind Farm Topography And Canopy, Dan S. Parvu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

As an important renewable energy source for electricity generation, wind energy must rely on efficient and accurate wind resource assessment for the siting and the design of wind farms. Traditionally relying on numerical modeling, current wind farms built in Canada, notably, experience an under-performance in terms of power generation. This work studies an alternative approach to wind farm modeling through experimental wind tunnel testing.

The objective of the work is to develop methodologies on how topographic and forest canopy models should be built as scale models of full scale wind farms. The models developed are validated by comparing the data …

Investigation Of Asphalt Pavement Mixture Blending Utilizing Analytical Chemistry Techniques, Benjamin Frank Bowers

Doctoral Dissertations

The use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in new pavement mixtures is a topic of interest throughout the transportation industry and academia due its economic and environmental implications. There is concern however about how well the binder from the RAP blends with new, virgin binder when the mixture is created. Insufficient blending of the aged and unaged binders may compromise the long-term pavement performance. In this study, an enhanced staged extraction method is coupled with two chemical testing techniques to develop a novel approach for evaluating blending efficiency from a qualitative and quantitative perspective: Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and Fourier …

A Simple Method For Estimation Of Queue Length, S. P. Anusha, Lelitha Devi Vanajakshi, Anuj Sharma

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Urban arterials are characterized by frequent intersections. Queue length and delay are the two primary measures of performance of intersection. These measures play a primary role in determining the arterial performance. This article presents a methodology to determine the number of vehicles in queue at a signalized intersection for under saturated traffic conditions. The results obtained were validated using actual values that are manually extracted. The root-mean-square error is of the range 1.3 vehicles for estimation of number of vehicles in queue. The various aspects that have to be considered in accurate estimation of performance measures are also discussed.

Effects Of Waste Placement Practices On The Engineering Response Of Municipal Solid Waste, Jason Taylor Cox

Master's Theses

An extensive laboratory and field investigation was conducted at Santa Maria Regional Landfill (SMRL) in Santa Maria, CA to determine the effects of waste placement practices on the engineering response of municipal solid waste (MSW). Laboratory and field testing was used to determine the engineering properties and monitor field response of MSW.

The specific gravity (G_s) of manufactured MSW (MMSW), fresh MSW (FMSW), and old MSW (OMSW) was determined experimentally using a modified version of standard soil testing procedures. Effects of particle size, compactive effort, and degradation on the specific gravity of waste were evaluated. Specific gravity …

In-Plane Loading Of Brick Veneer Over Wood Shear Walls, Elias Anis Toubia, James M. Lintz

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

In the design of wood stud walls with brick veneer, current design building codes specify that the wood stud wall should resist all in-plane and out-of-plane loads (IBC 2009). For out-of-plane loads, this assumption is entirely justified as the brittle brick veneer will crack and lose its capacity to resist bending. For in-plane loads, the brick veneer is significantly stiffer than the wood shear wall, and the veneer is unlikely to crack before the wood shear wall reaches its allowable capacity. The assumption that the wood shear wall resists the entire load is based on the further assumption that the …

Elementary Implantable Force Sensor For Smart Orthopaedic Implants, Rebecca A. Wachs, David Ellstein, John Drazan, Colleen P. Healey, Richard L. Uhl, Kenneth A. Connor, Eric H. Ledet

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Implementing implantable sensors which are robust enough to maintain long term functionality inside the body remains a significant challenge. The ideal implantable sensing system is one which is simple and robust; free from batteries, telemetry, and complex electronics. We have developed an elementary implantable sensor for orthopaedic smart implants. The sensor requires no telemetry and no batteries to communicate wirelessly. It has no on-board signal conditioning electronics. The sensor itself has no electrical connections and thus does not require a hermetic package. The sensor is an elementary L-C resonator which can function as a simple force transducer by using a …

Hydrogeological And Thermal Sustainability Of Geothermal Borehole Heat Exchangers, S. Emad Dehkordi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Assessment of the current approach taken by guidelines and design methods of vertical closed loop heat exchangers shows that often groundwater flow is either disregarded or is not methodically incorporated. The state of scientific research in this arena reveals that overlooking the groundwater flow in the design procedure may not always be a correct assumption. The significance of advective heat transport compared to conduction is defined by the groundwater flux or Darcy velocity which heavily depends on the hydraulic conductivity of the ground, followed by the hydraulic gradient which has a relatively limited range. A sensitivity analysis on ground and …

Absorption Simulation ( Absim ) Software Development, Vipul Vishnu Bhat, Ming Qu

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Researchers working on air conditioning systems currently use a software called ABSIM ( Absorption Simulation ) to evaluate current absorption systems or simulate new system designs. ABSIM was developed at Oak Ridge National Labs in the 1980s and the latest platform it is compatible with is Windows XP. ABSIM is not compatible on newer platforms and is not very user friendly. A lot of the actions involved in using ABSIM aren’t very intuitive. The goal is to develop a more user friendly simulation program that is based off of ABSIM and see to it that the program can be deployed …

Compression Testing And Failure Modes Of Steel-Concrete Composite (Sc) Structures For Nuclear Containment, Patrick Michael Wanamaker, Amit H. Varma

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Although being able to provide much cleaner power than burning coal and other fossil fuels, nuclear power plants are still a tough sell to the general public due to their history of being spontaneously dangerous. The containment structures surrounding these nuclear plants, however, can play a huge role in reducing the risks associated with them. Relatively new designs for these containment assemblies, known as SC (steel-concrete composite) structures, aim to increase the strength and durability of the containment facilities while keeping costs down. By varying the spacing between shear studs, the ratio of concrete to steel, and the ratio of …

Insights Into The Effect Of Geometrical Parameters In The Mechanical Properties Of The Radular Teeth Of The Cryptochiton Stelleri – A 3d Print Approach, Chan Jeong, Enrique Escobar, Pablo Zavattieri Dr.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The Cryptochiton Stelleri is known to have ultra-hard radular teeth that have one of the largest hardness (9-12GPa) and stiffness (90-125GPa) among other biological materials such as Enamel and Abalone shell. The ultrastructure of the teeth is formed by a bundle of highly mineralized rods composed of iron oxides and organic material. The main method to measure the material properties has been through nanoindentation. However there are limitations to nanoindentation of the Chiton’s teeth such as limited equipment, costly and time consuming preparation of the samples, and observation of nanoscale features being difficult. In this work, the rod-like microstructure of …

Joiner, William C., 1933-2009 (Mss 480), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 480. Log books kept by William C. Joiner, 1959-1973, while he was master and pilot of tugboats on the Green and Barren Rivers in Kentucky, his operator’s license, navigation charts, and newspaper clippings.

Climate Change And Hydrological Risks Related To Railway Infrastructure In Northern Regions, Barry A. Palynchuk Phd

Barry A. Palynchuk PhD

In this paper, the authors discuss the possible consequences of global warming on northern hydrology and their impacts on railway drainage infrastructure. How can we change actual design approaches, methods and standards to adapt, to reduce vulnerability and to improve resilience to climate change? Under current climate conditions, snow, ice and permafrost play a dominant role in the water balance in cold regions. Three areas can be distinguished: regions of continuous permafrost, regions of discontinuous permafrost and permafrost-free regions. To predict the potential climate change impacts on each region, the spatial analog and the climate variability analog approaches can be …

Project Complexity Mapping In Five Dimensions For Complex Transportation Projects, Douglas D. Gransberg, Jennifer S. Shane, Carla Lopez Del Puerto

Douglas D. Gransberg

Traditional three-dimensional project management theory is based on optimizing the cost-schedule-technical dimensions. Recent studies in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have shown that the current project management body of knowledge may not be adequate to address interrelated and dependent variables encountered on complex projects. This paper reports the findings of an international research team’s detailed study of eighteen complex projects, which confirms the findings of the previous research and proposes a framework upon which a complex transportation project’s scope of work can be better conceptualized and a methodology to graphically display a project’s complexity in order to better understand …

The Effect Of The Bicycle Detector Symbol And R10-22 Sign On Cyclist Queuing Position At Signalized Intersections, Stefan W. Bussey

Civil and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Manual of Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) includes a roadway marking and accompanying explanatory sign which may be installed on public roads to help guide cyclists position themselves over detection at actuated traffic signals. While adopted into the MUTCD in 2003, little research is available on the effectiveness of the marking and sign. This study evaluates the influence that the roadway marking, roadway marking installed in conjunction with the explanatory sign, and an alternative detector marking comprised of the MUTCD marking installed over a one foot by two feet green rectangle, have on cyclist queuing position at actuated, signalized intersections. …

Feed‐In Tariff Design For Domestic Scale Grid‐Connected Pv Systems Using High Resolution Household Electricity Demand Data, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy

Articles

The advent of large samples of smart metering data allows policymakers to design Feed‐in Tariffs which are more targeted and efficient. This paper presents a methodology which uses these data to design FITs for domestic scale gridconnected PV systems in Ireland. A sample of 2,551 household electricity demand data collected at ½‐hourly intervals, electricity output from a 2.82 kWp PV system over the same time interval as well as PV system costs and electricity tariffs were used to determine the required FIT to make it worthwhile for the households to invest in the PV system. The methodology shows that it …

Analysis Of The Thermal Performance Of A Solar Water Heating System With Flat Plate Collectors In A Temperate Climate, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy

Articles

The thermal performance of a solar water heating system with 4 m² flat plate collectors in Dublin, Ireland is presented in this paper. The experimental setup consisted of a commercially available forced circulation domestic scale system fitted with an automated sub‐system that controlled hot water draw‐offs and the operation of an auxiliary immersion heater. The system was tested over a year and the maximum recorded collector outlet fluid temperature was 70.4 ^oC while the maximum water temperature at the bottom of the hot water tank was 59.9 ^oC. The annual average daily energy collected was 19.6 MJ/d, …

A Study On Appraisal Of Government Performance In Zhuhai Marine Pollution Prevention Management, Dan Jiao

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Maritime Environmental Influence Of Large-Scale Tanker On The Water Area Of Tianjin Port, Hanhui Guo

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Research On Safety Supervision Of Tianjin Nanjiang Port Liquefied Natural Gas Floating Storage And Regasification Unit, Yong Xie

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Passive Stormwater Samplers For Sampling Highway Runoff From Bmps: Feasibility Studies, Mitchell R. Klein

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

Pollution from highway stormwater runoff has been an increasing area of concern within the environmental field. To respond to the need for reduced contamination within runoff many Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been implemented. One difficult aspect of BMPs is monitoring their effectiveness along with determining effluent concentrations. The current methods for stormwater sampling include sending technicians or installing an auto-sampler to collect either grab or composite samples. These methods become costly, cumbersome and infeasible due to the potentially large amount of BMPs across a region and the irregularity and difficulty of predicting storms. Passive samplers have proven themselves as …

A Comparative Health And Safety Analysis Of Electric-Assist And Regular Bicycles In An On-Campus Bicycle Sharing System., Brian Casey Langford

Doctoral Dissertations

E-bikes have emerged in recent years as a valid mode of transportation. Comparable to regular bicycles in many ways, e-bikes offer some added advantages due to the additional electric motor on the bicycle. This dissertation combines three different research efforts centered on the study of e-bikes and their inclusion in e-bike sharing systems. First, it looks at a model for e-bike sharing at the University of Tennessee and examines system operations, performance, and demand from users. It investigates the characteristics of trips using the sharing system’s fleet of regular and electric bicycles, and it describes the preferences among system users …

Exploring Data Quality Of Weigh-In-Motion Systems, Chengxin Dai

Dissertations and Theses

This research focuses on the data quality control methods for evaluating the performance of Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems on Oregon highways. This research identifies and develops a new methodology and algorithm to explore the accuracy of each station's weight and spacing data at a corridor level, and further implements the Statistical Process Control (SPC) method, finite mixture model, axle spacing error rating method, and data flag method in published research to examine the soundness of WIM systems. This research employs the historical WIM data to analyze sensor health and compares the evaluation results of the methods. The results suggest the new …

Integration Of A Sedimentation Module To A Hydrologic Model And Its Application To A Mercury Tmdl Analysis, Lilian Marrero

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is part of continued efforts to correlate the hydrology of East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) and Bear Creek (BC) with the long term distribution of mercury within the overland, subsurface, and river sub-domains. The main objective of this study was to add a sedimentation module (ECO Lab) capable of simulating the reactive transport mercury exchange mechanisms within sediments and porewater throughout the watershed. The enhanced model was then applied to a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) mercury analysis for EFPC. That application used historical precipitation, groundwater levels, river discharges, and mercury concentrations data that were retrieved from government …

Reducing Uncertainties In Estimation Of Wind Effects On Tall Buildings Using Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel Tests, Workamaw Paulos Warsido

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tall buildings are wind-sensitive structures and could experience high wind-induced effects. Aerodynamic boundary layer wind tunnel testing has been the most commonly used method for estimating wind effects on tall buildings. Design wind effects on tall buildings are estimated through analytical processing of the data obtained from aerodynamic wind tunnel tests. Even though it is widely agreed that the data obtained from wind tunnel testing is fairly reliable the post-test analytical procedures are still argued to have remarkable uncertainties. This research work attempted to assess the uncertainties occurring at different stages of the post-test analytical procedures in detail and suggest …

Climate Change Impact On The Spatio-Temporal Variability Of Hydro-Climate Extremes, Mohammad Reza Najafi

Dissertations and Theses

The rising temperature of the earth due to climate change has shown to alter the variations of hydro-climate variables, including their intensities, frequencies and durations. Extreme events such as floods are, in particular, susceptible to any disturbances in climate cycles. As such it is important to provide policymakers with sufficient knowledge about the probable impacts of climate change on hydrologic extremes and most importantly on floods, which have the highest impacts on the societies. For this reason analysis of hydro-climate extremes is commonly performed using data at each site (or grid cell), however due to the limited number of extreme …

Laboratory Evaluation Of A Turn Compensation Control System For A Ground Sprayer, W. M. Porter, J. A. Rascon, Yeyin Shi, Randal K. Taylor, Paul A. Weckler

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

The ability to compensate sprayer nozzle flow across a horizontal boom has the potential to mitigate the problem of inaccurate chemical application rate due to lateral speed differences when sprayers are turning. A laboratory testing platform and procedure were developed and tested with a commercial turn compensation control system for a ground sprayer. Virtual paths consisting of simulated GPS signals representing right and left turns separated by straight segments were simulated with four turning radii (75%, 125%, 250%, and 500%) based on boom width. Actual application rates from 11 nozzles spread across the boom were measured using load cells in …

Extending Technology Roadmap Through Fuzzy Cognitive Map-Based Scenarios: The Case Of The Wind Energy Sector Of Pakistan, Muhammad Amer

Dissertations and Theses

In this modern era, energy is a key element required for sustainable development and prosperity of a society. Pakistan is an energy deficient country facing problems due to the shortage of over 4000 MW of electricity. The national energy sector is heavily dependent on imported fossil-fuel resources. The energy crisis is negatively affecting all economic and business activities, and it is widely recognized as a severe obstacle to growth and poverty reduction in the country. Establishment of wind farms can help to overcome the energy crisis.

In this research, a national level wind energy roadmap is developed through scenario planning. …

Climate Change Impact On Flood Hazard In The Grand River Basin, Ontario, Canada, Abhishek Gaur

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Rapidly changing climatic conditions across the globe are believed to have an impact on key climate variables and the hydrologic cycle. Changes in magnitude and frequency of peak flow patterns have been noted in rivers worldwide. The associated risk is projected to increase many folds during the 21^st century. Therefore, it is necessary to quantify these impacts for effective water resource planning and management in future. Methodology chosen to do so should be able to capture variations in climate variables at fine temporal, spatial and distributional scales. Also, it should be able to cover uncertainties associated with future climatic, …

Thermal Performance Analysis Of A Solar Water Heating System With Heat Pipe Evacuated Tube Collector Using Data From A Field Trial, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy

Articles

This paper presents an analysis of the thermal performance of a solar water heating system with heat pipe evacuated tube collector using data obtained from a field trial installation over a year in Dublin, Ireland. An automated sub‐system was developed and incorporated to control the hot water draw‐offs and electric immersion heater to mimic the operation of solar water heating systems in domestic dwellings. The maximum recorded collector outlet fluid temperature was 70.3^oC while the water temperature at the bottom of the hot water tank was 59.5^oC. The annual average daily energy collected was 20.4 MJd …

Water Demand And Allocation In The Mara River Basin, Kenya/Tanzania In The Face Of Land Use Dynamics And Climate Variability, Shimelis B. Dessu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mara River Basin (MRB) is endowed with pristine biodiversity, socio-cultural heritage and natural resources. The purpose of my study is to develop and apply an integrated water resource allocation framework for the MRB based on the hydrological processes, water demand and economic factors. The basin was partitioned into twelve sub-basins and the rainfall runoff processes was modeled using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) after satisfactory Nash-Sutcliff efficiency of 0.68 for calibration and 0.43 for validation at Mara Mines station. The impact and uncertainty of climate change on the hydrology of the MRB was assessed using SWAT and …