Other Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Study On Effectiveness Evaluation Method Of Expressway Drainage System In Rainy Area, Luo Datian, Li Jiayi, Zou Jingrong

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of expressway drainage systems in rainy areas and comprehensively analyze the factors affecting the effectiveness of drainage systems, this paper took the perfection of drainage system, stability of drainage facilities, and road traffic safety as the first-level evaluation index and six kinds of influencing factors such as the degree of integrity as the second-level index, and it put forward the evaluation criteria of the effectiveness of expressway drainage system in rainy areas. The fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was used to determine the membership degree of expert scoring through the trapezoid membership function, and …

Research On Crack And Permeability Characteristics Of Cement ⁃Modified Expansive Soil Under Dry ⁃Wet Cycles, Bao Guiyong, Xu Yangshaojun, Jiang Zhijie, Rong Hongliu, Wang Jinlong

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to study the engineering permeability characteristics of cement-modified expansive soil under dry and wet cycles, the mix ratio of cement-modified expansive soil was designed, and the orthogonal design test method was adopted. Image analysis software PACS, unconfined compressive strength test, and laboratory permeability test were used to study the crack development, strength attenuation characteristics, and permeability changes of cement-modified expansive soil under dry and wet cycle conditions. The results show that soil permeability and strength are greatly affected by the number of dry and wet cycles. Under the condition of dry and wet cycles, the moisture content of …

Assessing The Impact Of Spatial Resolution Of Uas-Based Remote Sensing And Spectral Resolution Of Proximal Sensing On Crop Nitrogen Retrieval Accuracy, Kianoosh Hassani, Hamed Gholizadeh, Saleh Taghvaeian, Victoria Natalie, Jonathan Carpenter, Jamey Jacob

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Foliar nitrogen (N) plays a central role in photosynthetic machinery of plants, regulating their growth rates. However, field-based methods for monitoring plant N concentration are costly and limited in their ability to cover large spatial extents. In this study, we had two objectives: (1) assess the capability of unoccupied aerial system (UAS) and non-imaging spectroscopic data in estimating sorghum and corn N concentration and (2) determine the impact of spatial and spectral resolution of reflectance data on estimating sorghum and corn N concentration. We used a UAS and an ASD spectroradiometer to collect canopy- and leaf-level spectral data from sorghum …

Exploring The Determinants Of Organic Matter Bioavailability Through Substrate-Explicit Thermodynamic Modeling, Firnaaz Ahamed, Yaqi You, Amy Burgin, James C. Stegen, Timothy D. Scheibe, Hyun-Seob Song

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Microbial decomposition of organic matter (OM) in river corridors is a major driver of nutrient and energy cycles in natural ecosystems. Recent advances in omics technologies enabled high-throughput generation of molecular data that could be used to inform biogeochemical models. With ultrahigh-resolution OM data becoming more readily available, in particular, the substrate-explicit thermodynamic modeling (SXTM) has emerged as a promising approach due to its ability to predict OM degradation and respiration rates from chemical formulae of compounds. This model implicitly assumes that all detected organic compounds are bioavailable, and that aerobic respiration is driven solely by thermodynamics. Despite promising demonstrations …

Analysis Of Evolution And Morphology Of Urban And Road Networks: Case Study Lebanon-Nabatiyeh Area, Amal Al Ghorayeb, Adel Elkordi, Ghaleb Faour, Zeinab Jaber, Youssef Attallah

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

This study examines the morphology and evolution of urban and road networks and their relationship with topography in the Lebanon-Nabatiyeh area, by using GIS and remote sensing data. and calculate the annual urban growth percentage rate. The results reveal a clear relationship between the morphology of urban and road networks and their evolution over four periods, as well as the influence of the surrounding topography on their configuration. The study recommends that urban areas should be developed in areas with a slope range of 15º or more to improve the urban structure and infrastructure surrounding them. Understanding the evolution and …

Methods And Surface Materials Repair For Concrete Structures – A Review, Lelian W. Elkhatib, Adel Elkordi, Jamal Khatib

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Concrete is a very critical material that may require maintenance and possible repair periodically, especially in important structure such as bridges. In general, concrete in structures (e.g. reinforced concrete) may be subjected to cracks due to a variety of reasons. These include, design and external environments such as the ingress of harmful ions into the concrete, unexpected extra loads including earthquakes. These cracks can affect not only the appearance of the structure but more importantly the structural performance of concrete and the integrity of the concrete structure. Therefore, when cracks occur a proper repair method should be selected, based on …

Mechanical And Durability Properties Of Fly Ash Geopolymer Concrete – A Review, Ali Shebli, Jamal Khatib, Adel Elkordi

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Geopolymers have emerged as a promising alternative for Ordinary portland cement (OPC) in construction industry, due to their potential to minimize the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and improve the efficiency of waste recycling. This paper aims to study the fresh and hardened properties of fly ash geopolymer concrete (GPC), as well as to review the raw materials used in the production of geopolymers. Several factors impact the mechanical and durability properties of fly ash GPC, including the specific type of fly ash utilized, the curing temperature, the alkaline activator (AA) concentration, and the type of AA used. …

Maize Nitrogen Uptake, Grain Nitrogen Concentration And Root-Zone Residual Nitrate Nitrogen Response Under Center Pivot, Subsurface Drip And Surface (Furrow) Irrigation, Suat Irmak, Ali T. Mohammed, Matthew Drudik

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

While the impact(s) of irrigation and nitrogen (N) levels on crop yields have been investigated separately, research lacks about how different irrigation methods coupled with different N application timing strategies under full and limited irrigation levels effect yield, soil nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) residual and stover N uptake. Knowledge of these dynamics can help to establish effective water and N management guidelines for the same crop under different irrigation methods and irrigation levels. This research investigated maize (Zea mays L.) residual soil NO₃-N concentration and stover and grain N uptake response to water under different irrigation …

Integration Of Environmental Sustainability And Decision Making: Case Studies Of Civil Infrastructure, Sussan Moussavi

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

Sustainable development is important in the planning and design of critical civil infrastructure systems. However, decision making related to these systems currently lacks meaningful sustainability considerations. To fill this gap, this research explores the life cycle impacts of wastewater and energy infrastructure using case studies, life cycle assessment methodologies, and stakeholder discussions. Environmental and economic impacts, which are more commonly quantified, as well as more difficult to quantify societal factors, are explored. The goal of this research is to help inform decision making and facilitate the consideration of the three pillars of sustainability (e.g., economic, environmental, and social) during the …

Investigation Of Placement Of Polyethylenimine Within Thin Film Composite Reverse Osmosis Membranes For Enhanced Anti-Fouling Properties, Taylor F. Austin

Master's Theses

Fresh water scarcity is an alarming issue for communities across the globe. The development of water recycling and reuse technologies has become crucial in expanding the limited water resources. Reverse osmosis (RO) is among the key processes that can treat wastewater to meet potable water reuse standards. Despite the advancements in RO membrane technologies, many challenges persist regarding the operation and maintenance of RO membranes, such as membrane fouling. Extensive research investigations have focused on developing RO membrane modifications to combat the decreased performance due to fouling. Polyethylenimine (PEI) is a promising polymer used for enhancing the anti-fouling properties of …

Understanding The Flow Dynamics Of The Pearl River, Ms, Through Hydrodynamic Modeling, Nahruma Mehzabeen Pieu

Master's Theses

The Pearl River brings fresh water and nutrients into Lake Borgne regulating conditions for oyster growth in estuarine waters. However, there are no flow measurement stations installed on East Pearl or West Pearl either at the river outlets or after the upstream bifurcation of the Pearl. This study aims to model the Lower Pearl River to understand the flow dynamics in the major branches, and to determine the final outflow distribution into the Mississippi Sound, aiming to improve river forcing for ocean models studying estuarine dynamics of the Mississippi Sound.

Synthetic meandering bathymetry with updated banks is developed and applied …

Enhancing Construction Safety Training Of Bridges Using Augmented Reality And Virtual Reality, Mohamed Sherif Elrifaee

Theses and Dissertations

Infrastructure development projects are widely acknowledged as some of the most complex and challenging projects to undertake. The construction of bridges, in particular, has proven to be a significant safety risk for workers, with a considerable number of accidents reported on construction sites. There is a lack of comprehensive training programs specifically designed for bridge construction safety, and only a few studies have explored the use of both AR and VR to enhance safety training in construction. As such, this research aims to improve the safety of bridge construction sites through the implementation of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality …

Engineering A Multicompartment In Vitro Model For Dorsal Root Ganglia Phenotypic Assessment, Sydney M. Caparaso, Adan Redwine, Rebecca A. Wachs

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Despite the significant global prevalence of chronic pain, current methods to identify pain therapeutics often fail translation to the clinic. Phenotypic screening platforms rely on modeling and assessing key pathologies relevant to chronic pain, improving predictive capability. Patients with chronic pain often present with sensitization of primary sensory neurons (that extend from dorsal root ganglia [DRG]). During neuronal sensitization, painful nociceptors display lowered stimulation thresholds. To model neuronal excitability, it is necessary to maintain three key anatomical features of DRGs to have a physiologically relevant platform: (1) isolation between DRG cell bodies and neurons, (2) 3D platform to preserve cell–cell …

Post-Processed Data And Graphical Tools For A Conus-Wide Eddy Flux Evapotranspiration Dataset, J. M. Volk, J. L. Huntington, F. Melton, B. Minor, T. Wang, S. Anapalli, R. G. Anderson, S. Evett, A. French, R. Jasoni, N. Bambach, W. P. Kustas, J. Alfieri, J. Prueger, L. Hipps, L. Mckee, S. J. Castro, M. M. Alsina, A. J. Mcelrone, M. Reba, B. Runkle, M. Saber, C. Sanchez, E. Tajfar, R. Allen, M. Anderson

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Large sample datasets of in situ evapotranspiration (ET) measurements with well documented data provenance and quality assurance are critical for water management and many fields of earth science research. We present a post-processed ET oriented dataset at daily and monthly timesteps, from 161 stations, including 148 eddy covariance flux towers, that were chosen based on their data quality from nearly 350 stations across the contiguous United States. In addition to ET, the data includes energy and heat fluxes, meteorological measurements, and reference ET downloaded from grid- MET for each flux station. Data processing techniques were conducted in a reproducible manner …

Soybean Crop Coefficients Under Different Seeding Rates And Full And Limited Irrigation And Rainfed Management, Suat Irmak, Rupinder Sandhu

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The effects of soybean seeding rates on evapotranspiration (ET_c) and grassand alfalfa-reference crop coefficients (K_co and K_cr) were investigated under five seeding rates (185,250, 247,000, 308,750, 370,500 and 432,250 seeds ha^-1) (62, 82, 103, 124 and 144% of the recommended seeding rate of 300,000 seeds ha^-1 in the experimental region) and different irrigation strategies (i.e. full irrigation treatment [FIT], limited irrigation of 75% FIT and 50% FIT and rainfed treatment). K_co and K_cr values were developed for each soybean growth stage. The seasonal ET_c ranged from 460 mm for …

Toward Automated Irrigation Management With Integrated Crop Water Stress Index And Spatial Soil Water Balance, Sandeep Bhatti, Derek M. Heeren, Susan A. O’Shaughnessy, Christopher M. U. Neale, Jacob Larue, Steve Melvin, Eric Wilkening, Geng Bai

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Decision support systems intended for precision irrigation aim at reducing irrigation applications while optimizing crop yield to achieve maximum crop water productivity (CWP). These systems incorporate on-site sensor data, remote sensing inputs, and advanced algorithms with spatial and temporal characteristics to compute precise crop water needs. The availability of variable rate irrigation (VRI) systems enables irrigation applications at a sub-field scale. The combination of an appropriate VRI system along with a precise decision support system would be ideal for improved CWP. The objective of this study was to compare and evaluate two decision support systems in terms of seasonal applied …

Toward Automated Irrigation Management With Integrated Crop Water Stress Index And Spatial Soil Water Balance, Sandeep Bhatti, Derek M. Heeren, Susan A. O’Shaughnessy, Christopher M. U. Neale, Jacob Larue, Steve Melvin, Eric Wilkening, Geng Bai

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Decision support systems intended for precision irrigation aim at reducing irrigation applications while optimizing crop yield to achieve maximum crop water productivity (CWP). These systems incorporate on-site sensor data, remote sensing inputs, and advanced algorithms with spatial and temporal characteristics to compute precise crop water needs. The availability of variable rate irrigation (VRI) systems enables irrigation applications at a sub-field scale. The combination of an appropriate VRI system along with a precise decision support system would be ideal for improved CWP. The objective of this study was to compare and evaluate two decision support systems in terms of seasonal applied …

Streambank Erosion Phenomena And Understanding: Current Research And Future Directions, Celso Castro-Bolinaga, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Kyle Mankin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Streams are in dynamic equilibrium with their environments, and as that environment is altered by human development and changing climate, streambank erosion is a common, but little understood, result. This article highlights the contributions of the special collection “Streambank Erosion, Sediment Dynamics, and Restoration (SER),” which assembled six studies that represent key advances in streambank erosion research, highlight current research in the field, and identify directions for future research. The studies in this special collection were grouped into three central themes: (1) streambank erosion monitoring, (2) streambank erodibility characterization, and (3) streambank erosion loading. In this article, key findings within …

Remote Sensing And Artificial Intelligence-Based Modeling And Prediction Of Harmful Algal Blooms In Lake Pontchartrain, Ian Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and particularly toxic cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) have become a growing threat to the environment, economy, communities, and human and animal health. This is particularly true for Lake Pontchartrain. Forecasting the occurrence of cyanobacterial HABs in Lake Pontchartrain is a process that currently does not exist, as nowcasting by the NCCOS Algal Bloom Monitoring System or the similar system implemented by the U.S. EPA is currently the only method to monitor HAB production in the Lake. This thesis made this process possible by identifying antecedent environmental conditions controlling CyanoHABs, describing the conditions using NASA satellite …

Behavioral Comparison Of Fluorescent Tracer Sediment To Lightweight Polystyrene Sediment Of The Lower Mississippi River Physical Model (Lmrpm), Julia C. Mudd

LSU Master's Theses

A lightweight, unexpanded polystyrene sediment with a specific gravity of 1.05 and a D10, D50 and D90 of 0.250 mm, 0.425mm, and 0.800 mm, respectively, is utilized in the Lower Mississippi River Physical Model (LMRPM) at Louisiana State University to mimic the sand transport of the Lower Mississippi River. While the black model sediment is easily visible against the stark white of the LMRPM, the relative homogeneity of the sediment particles and the opaqueness of the model channel make it difficult to closely study sediment dynamics during an experiment. For this reason, a tracer sediment that is marked with fluorescence …

Using Bim To Increase The Efficiency Of Energy-Driven Retrofitting Projects, Anne Grego, Shannon Chance, Barry Mcauley

Conference Papers

The building sector is responsible for nearly 40% of global energy consumption. Many existing buildings have poor thermal insulation and low energy performance, hindering sustainability goals. Energy-driven building retrofitting could address this issue and implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM) in retrofitting can reduce process time, costs, and waste associated with such undertakings. Yet, there is a lack of research and insufficient guidance for implementing BIM in energy-driven retrofitting. A BIM framework is presented to enhance decision-making processes during retrofitting. The aims of this study were to (1) identify BIM technologies and methodologies that could address existing barriers and improve efficiency …

High-Throughput Phenotyping Of Plant Leaf Morphological, Physiological, And Biochemical Traits On Multiple Scales Using Optical Sensing, Huichun Zhang, Lu Wang, Xiuliang Jin, Liming Bian, Yufeng Ge

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Acquisition of plant phenotypic information facilitates plant breeding, sheds light on gene action, and can be applied to optimize the quality of agricultural and forestry products. Because leaves often show the fastest responses to external environmental stimuli, leaf phenotypic traits are indicators of plant growth, health, and stress levels. Combination of new imaging sensors, image processing, and data analytics permits measurement over the full life span of plants at high temporal resolution and at several organizational levels from organs to individual plants to field populations of plants. We review the optical sensors and associated data analytics used for measuring morphological, …

Columbus, Nebraska: Southern Housing Development Design Proposal, Ryan Weyers, Caiden Dynek, Alex Papa, Brexton Robertson, Kaden Perala

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The following paper proposes the design and creation of a new housing development in the city of Columbus, Nebraska in a lot to the south of the city and directly north of the Columbus wastewater treatment plant. The goal of this proposal is to provide readers with confidence that our company is the most qualified to complete the project and will create the safest, most comfortable, most efficient, and most cost-effective final design. This proposal seeks to offer a solution to the lack of affordable housing for the growing workforce in Columbus. In order to arrive at this solution, each …

Integrating Steel Slag Aggregates Into Asphalt Paving By Harmonizing Availability, Quality, Economics, And The Environment, Timothy R. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides guidance on how to balance matters related to the environmental stewardship, market sources, origin and uses, material properties, performance, and economic impact of using slag materials in pavements. The literature on this topic provides numerous references on the use of slag materials for specific applications, and this thesis aims to make use of those references along with other data from the author to describe slag materials from a holistic perspective and provide some suggestions for balancing several factors that impact optimal use of this resource within pavement structures. Discussion is given to the increased importance of recycling …

Research And Application Of Dynamic Compaction Treatment Method For Highway Subgrade In Karst Development Area, Liu Xiaoming, Wang Yigang, Zhao Minghua

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

This paper utilizes discrete-continuum coupled numerical simulation to investigate the failure modes of karst cave roofs with varying spans under specific compaction energy levels. The relationship between the span of the cave roof and the compaction energy required to cause roof collapse is established, providing an estimation method for the maximum unsupported span of cave roofs within the subgrade area. Based on this, the stability of karst cave foundations under the influence of subgrade loads can be evaluated. Depending on the results, a double-layer reinforced continuous concrete slab can be installed in the pavement base to enhance stability and mitigate …

Comparative Analysis Of Asphalt Pavement Performance Prediction Models Based On Gamma And Markov Processes, Ma Shibin, Chen Yonghao

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Pavement performance prediction is a critical component of pavement management systems, serving as an essential basis and prerequisite for decision-making in asphalt pavement maintenance. This paper introduces the relevant theories of Gamma and Markov stochastic processes to construct asphalt pavement performance prediction models and address uncertainties related to pavement degradation. The results show that stochastic process models are effective in predicting pavement performance degradation and service life. Matlab programming was used to predict asphalt pavement performance and lifespan, yielding pavement degradation curves that significantly improve prediction accuracy and reliability. Finally, taking a test road section in Hebei Province as an …

Study On Interlayer Bonding Properties And Influence Factors Of Cape Seal, Li Yan, Zhang Chengxue, Qiu Yeji, Zhang Haijun

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To address pavement issues such as shoving and rutting caused by insufficient bonding strength in cape seal layers, this paper investigates the interlayer bonding properties and influencing factors of cape seal. Mechanical tests were conducted using a pavement interlayer shear-pull testing device. Through interlayer pull-off, direct shear, and torsional shear tests, the maximum tensile force, shear force, and torque at failure were obtained. The interlayer bonding performance of cape seal was analyzed in terms of gravel coverage rates, as well as upper and lower layer combinations. The results show that when the gravel coverage rate is 80%-90%, and the cape …

Fracture Mechanics‐Based Fatigue Study Of Corrugated Steel Webs, Li Haidi, Yang Lei

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To develop fatigue analysis and evaluation methods for corrugated steel web structures, constant-amplitude fatigue load tests were conducted on experimental beam models, supplemented by fatigue test data from domestic and international studies. The finite element submodeling method was employed to obtain stress distribution functions at structural details, and the weight function method was used to derive the stress intensity factor at the crack tip. The Paris law in fracture mechanics was applied to derive the S-N curve for corrugated steel web structures. Comparative analysis with fatigue test results shows that when the initial crack depth is set as a0=t/20 (accounting …

Research On Multi‐Source And Heterogeneous Data Integration Of Large Bridge Health Monitoring System, Wang Daijun, Zhou Tiantu, Fu Junmin, Chen Xing, Lu Shuai, Yu Zheng

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Large bridge health monitoring systems are characterized by numerous sensors, diverse types, various communication methods, and flexible network configurations. The multi-source heterogeneous nature of the data poses significant challenges for data integration. To address the application requirements of bridge health monitoring, this paper designs a multi-source heterogeneous data integration scheme. The scheme achieves structured storage of multi-source heterogeneous data and introduces the concept of “structured communication.” This enables structured communication configuration, unified communication control, and flexible data processing, standardizing and simplifying communication configuration management in data acquisition systems. These improvements enhance code simplicity, maintainability, and the overall integration level of …

Selection And Design Of Anchorage For Suspension Bridge In Downhill Area Under Complex Geological Conditions, Chen Yongliang, He Shiyong, Xia Zhixian, Wu Wenxiang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Due to the complexities of design and construction, long-span single-tower suspension bridges are rarely applied in practice. The main bridge of the Jinsha River Bridge at Tiger Leaping Gorge adopts a 766 m single-span single-tower steel truss suspension bridge. On the Lijiang anchorage side, complex geological conditions posed significant challenges due to geological structures, while the reservoir level of the planned hydropower station created adverse hydrological conditions for waterproofing and durability of the anchorage system. The selection of an appropriate anchorage type was therefore particularly challenging. This paper first details the selection process for anchorage under complex geological conditions. It …