Structural Engineering Commons^™

Fatigue Life Prediction Of The Keel Structure Of A Tsunami Buoy Using Spectral Fatigue Analysis Method, Angga Yustiawan, Ketut Suastika, Wibowo Harso Nugroho

Makara Journal of Technology

One of the components of the Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System (InaTEWS) is a surface buoy. The surface buoy is exposed to dynamic and random loadings while operating at sea, particularly due to waves. Because of the cyclic nature of the wave load, this may result in a fatigue damage of the keel structure, which connects the mooring line with the buoy hull. The operating location of the buoy is off the Java South Coast at the coordinate (10.3998 S, 108.3417 E). To determine the stress transfer function, model tests were performed, measuring the buoy motions and the stress at …

Production Optimization For Plan Of Gas Field Development Using Marginal Cost Analysis, Suprapto Soemardan, Widodo Wahyu Purwanto, Arsegianto Arsegianto

Makara Journal of Technology

Gas production rate is one of the most important variables affecting the feasibility plan of gas field development. It take into account reservoir characteristics, gas reserves, number of wells, production facilities, government take and market conditions. In this research, a mathematical model of gas production optimization has been developed using marginal cost analysis in determining the optimum gas production rate for economic profit, by employing the case study of Matindok Field. The results show that the optimum gas production rate is mainly affected by gas price duration and time of gas delivery. When the price of gas increases, the optimum …

Reliability Analysis Of Shallow Foundations Bearing Capacity On Sand, Ali Alhajami

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

Bearing capacity of shallow foundation is one of the most challenging problems for engineers. The difficulty comes from multiple sources of variability and uncertainty. There is an uncertainty in live load. Soil properties including: unit weight, cohesion, and angle of friction represent sources of variability in the determining bearing capacity. The current theories used in practice only estimate bearing capacity and does not give an exact value for it because of these sources of variability. Currently, there are Terzaghi, Meyerhof, Vesic, and Hansen theories for dealing with this problem. Based on previous research Terzaghi theory was found to be the …

Energy Dissipation Of Thin-Walled Cold-Formed Steel Members, David A. Padilla-Llano, Christopher D. Moen, Matthew Eatherton

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.

Weighing The Financial And Sustainable Benefits Of High Performance Structures In Seismically Active Regions, Alia Talina Barajas

Master's Theses

This thesis investigated the potential advantages and disadvantages of high performance structures by comparing the financial and environmental impacts of a performance based four-story office building to one designed to meet minimum code-level requirements.

To generate a comparison, the lateral system of a four-story structure utilizing buckling restrained braced frames was designed to meet code-level requirements per the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7-05) and again to meet the immediate occupancy criteria defined by ASCE 41-06 Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings. The following was then performed:

• Test the structural performance of …

Structural Reliability Analysis Of Corroded Steel Girder Bridge, Mohammed Shaalan Al Badran

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

The natural aging, environmental impact, and appropriate design are certainly playing a serious role in safety of the bridges function. The functional safety of bridge constitutes a prime element of the transportation system serving commuters, passengers and freight. According to Federal Highway Administration, the steel bridges share represents a large amount of the United States’ bridges. In last century, the collapse of both the Silver Bridge at Point Pleasant, West Virginia over the Ohio River on December 15, 1967 and over the Mianus River Bridge in Connecticut on June 28, 1983 showed that steel corrosion has been the leading reason …

The Effect Of Microencapsulated Phase-Change Material On The Compressive Strength Of Structural Concrete, Chad Norvell, David J. Sailor, Peter Dusicka

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Latent heat energy storage through phase-change materials (PCMs) is one possible strategy to control interior temperatures in buildings, improve thermal comfort, and passively reduce building energy use associated with heating and cooling. While PCMs integrated into building structure elements have been studied since the 1970s, challenges of integrating PCMs into building materials while maintaining their heat storage benefits have limited their application in practice. The recent introduction of microencapsulated phase-change materials provides the energy storage capability of PCMs in micron-scale, chemically-inert capsules that can be easily integrated into composite materials such as gypsum wallboard and concrete. The size and physical …

Reliability-Based Topology Optimization Of Trusses With Stochastic Stiffness, Mehdi Jalalpour, James K. Guest, Takeru Igusa

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A new method is proposed for reliability-based topology optimization of truss structures with random geometric imperfections and material variability. Such imperfections and variability, which may result from manufacturing processes, are assumed to be small in relation to the truss dimensions and mean material properties and normally distributed. Extensive numerical evidence suggests that the trusses, when optimized in terms of a displacement-based demand metric, are characterized by randomness in the stiffness that follow the Gumbel distribution. Based on this observation, it was possible to derive analytical expressions for the structural reliability, enabling the formulation of a computationally efficient single-loop reliability-based topology …

Public Works Projects As Vehicles For Engineering Education And Outreach, Shannon Weiss, David Heil, Thalia Anagnos

Faculty Publications

America is built on small and large feats of public works engineering that, although often taken for granted, affect almost every aspect of our daily lives. So how can we celebrate these marvels of utilitarian infrastructure and use them to teach public audiences about the engineering principles, materials, and human innovations that make them possible? This case study will share how one project addressed these questions by leveraging informal learning strategies, multi-agency collaborations, and new media technologies to explain the history and engineering of one of the world’s most recognizable public work sites: the Golden Gate Bridge. This paper will …

Reliability-Based Design Optimization Of Concrete Flexural Members Reinforced With Ductile Frp Bars, Bashar Behnam, Christopher D. Eamon

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research Publications

In recent years, ductile hybrid FRP (DHFRP) bars have been developed for use as tensile reinforcement. However, initial material costs regain high, and it is difficult to simultaneously meet strength, stiffness, ductility, and reliability demands. In this study, a reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) is conducted to determine minimum cost DHFRP bar configurations while enforcing essential constraints. Applications for bridge decks and building beams are considered, with 2, 3, and 4-material bars. It was found that optimal bar configuration has little variation for the different applications, and that overall optimized bar cost decreased as the number of bar materials increased.

North American Specification For The Design Of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members, 2012 Edition, American Iron And Steel Institute

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Truck Permitting Policy On Us Bridge Loading, Eugene J. Obrien, Bernard Enright, Cathal Leahy

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Another Look At The Collapse Of Skyline Plaza At Bailey’S Crossroads, Virginia, Jeffrey Schellhammer, Norbert Delatte, Paul A. Bosela

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

On March 2, 1973, the Skyline Plaza apartment building in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia collapsed while under construction. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requested an investigation from the National Bureau of Standards [(NBS); now the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)]. The NBS team concluded that the most likely cause of the collapse was a punching shear failure of the 23rd floor slab. The two factors that contributed to this were premature removal of shores below the 23rd floor slab, and the low strength of the 23rd floor concrete in the area supporting the weight of the 24th …

Seismic Rehabilitation Of Steel Concentrically Braced Frames Vulnerable To Soft-Story Failure Through Implementation Of Rocking Cores, Francisco Sanchez-Zamora

Master's Theses

Recent research reports that steel Concentrically Braced Frames (CBFs) (even the code-compliant ones) may be susceptible to soft-story failures during strong earthquakes. Such a failure mode causes catastrophic outcomes and should be definitely avoided in practice. This thesis focuses on development and validation of a seismic retrofit strategy for low-rise and mid-rise steel CBFs vulnerable to soft-story failures. The considered retrofit strategy consists of a sufficiently stiff rocking core (RC) pinned to foundation and connected to the existing frame. For demonstration purpose, two representative benchmark steel CBF buildings, which are the three-and six-story CBFs designed forLos Angelesin the SAC Steel …

Seismic Design Manual For Interlocking Compressed Earth Blocks, Nicholas Edwards Kennedy

Master's Theses

Seismic Design Manual for Interlocking Compressed Earth Blocks

Nicholas Edwards Kennedy

This thesis presents a comprehensive seismic design manual to be used to design and construct simple Interlocking Compressed Earth Block (ICEB) structures in seismically active regions. ICEBs are earth blocks made primarily of soil and stabilized with cement. They have female and male stud mechanisms designed to interlock when stacked, eliminating the need for mortar. The blocks can accept reinforcement and grout after they are placed. While ICEB construction is similar to conventional masonry construction, current design code standards for masonry only partially capture the actual behavior of ICEB …

Seismic Performance Comparison Of A Fixed-Base Versus A Base-Isolated Office Building, Nicholas Reidar Marrs

Master's Theses

The topic of this thesis is base isolation. The purpose of this thesis is to offer a relative understanding of the seismic performance enhancements that a typical 12-story steel office building can achieve through the implementation of base isolation technology. To reach this understanding, the structures of a fixed-base office building and a base-isolated office building of similar size and layout are designed, their seismic performance is compared, and a cost-benefit analysis is completed. The base isolation system that is utilized is composed of Triple Friction Pendulum (TFP) bearings.

The work of this thesis is divided into four phases. First, …

Seismic Rehabilitation Of Steel Moment Frames Vulnerable To Soft-Story Failures Through Implementation Of Rocking Cores, Juan Carlos Sanchez

Master's Theses

During seismic events, inefficient steel moment frame building systems may exhibit soft-story failures. This thesis focuses on development and validation of a seismic retrofit strategy for avoiding soft-story failures in low-rise and mid-rise steel moment frame buildings. The considered retrofit strategy consists of a sufficiently stiff Rocking Core (RC) pinned to the foundation and pin connected to the existing frame. For demonstration purposes, two representative benchmark steel moment frames, which are modified from the three- and nine-story pre-Northridge steel moment frames designed for Los Angeles in the SAC Steel Project, are considered. Finite Element (FE) models of the benchmark buildings …

Exploring Factors Contributing To Injury Severity At Freeway Merging And Diverging Locations In Ohio, Worku Y. Mergia, Deogratias Eustace, Deo Chimba, Maher Butros Qumsiyeh

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

Identifying factors that affect crash injury severity and understanding how these factors affect injury severity is critical in planning and implementing highway safety improvement programs. Factors such as driver-related, traffic-related, environment-related and geometric design-related were considered when developing statistical models to predict the effects of these factors on the severity of injuries sustained from motor vehicle crashes at merging and diverging locations. Police-reported crash data at selected freeway merging and diverging areas in the state of Ohio were used for the development of the models. A generalized ordinal logit model also known as partial proportional odds model was applied to …

Reliability-Based Bridge Assessment Using Enhanced Monte Carlo To Simulate Extreme Traffic Loading, Bernard Enright, Donya Hajializadeh, Eugene J. Obrien

Conference papers

A framework is presented for the assessment of the safety of a bridge deck under actual traffic loading using an enhanced Monte Carlo method which attempts to reduce computational cost while preserving the advantages of more conventional, computationally intensive, simulation. To generate the bridge loading scenarios, an extensive Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) database is used to calibrate a sophisticated simulation model of two-directional traffic. Traffic and vehicle characteristics are generated from statistical distributions derived from measured traffic data. Two examples are used in this study to assess the usefulness and accuracy of the enhanced method. In the first, a simple example is …

Fatigue Testing And Data Analysis Of Welded Steel Cruciform Joints, Alina Shrestha

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this study, ABS Publication 115, “Guidance on Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures” is briefly reviewed. Emphasis is on the S-N curves based fatigue assessment approach of non-tubular joints, and both size and environment effects are also considered. Further, fatigue tests are performed to study the fatigue strength of load-carrying and non-load-carrying steel cruciform joints that represent typical joint types in marine structures. The experimental results are then compared against ABS fatigue assessment methods, based on nominal stress approach, which demonstrates a need for better fatigue evaluation parameter. A good fatigue parameter by definition should be consistent and should correlate …

Creep, Fatigue And Creep-Fatigue Interactions In Modified 9% Cr - 1% Mo (P91) Steels, Valliappa Kalyanasundaram

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Grade P91 steel, from the class of advanced high-chrome ferritic steels, is one of the preferred materials for many elevated temperature structural components. Creep-fatigue (C-F) interactions, along with oxidation, can accelerate the kinetics of damage accumulation and consequently reduce such components' life. Hence, reliable C-F test data is required for meticulous consideration of C-F interactions and oxidation, which in turn is vital for sound design practices. It is also imperative to develop analytical constitutive models that can simulate and predict material response under various long-term in-service conditions using experimental data from short-term laboratory experiments. Consequently, the major objectives of the …

Full Depth Reclamation: Bringing Developing Countries' Transportation Up To Speed, Sadie Smith

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Often, a direct correlation is observed between a country’s transportation network and economic development. Evidence of this is observed all over the world. Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) is a roadway recycling technique that mills and mixes the existing roadway with a stabilizing agent and then re-compacts the mixture to create a thicker, stabilized pavement layer. This method is both cost effective and environmentally friendly, making it a very appealing option as the need to rehabilitate or increase the structural capacity of existing roads grows. In this study, the material characterization of FDR was examined as a composite material of both …

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Truss-Girder For Roof Applications, Peter S. Samir

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Steel trusses are the most popular system for supporting long span roofs in commercial buildings, such as warehouses and aircraft hangars. There are several advantages of steel trusses, such as lightweight, ease of handling and erection, and geometric flexibility. However, they have some drawbacks, such as high material and maintenance cost, and low fire resistance. In this paper, a precast concrete truss is proposed as an alternative to steel trusses for spans up to 160 ft. without intermediate supports. The proposed design is easy to produce and has lower construction and maintenance costs than steel trusses. The proposed design is …

Analysis Of Aggregate Distribution In Self-Consolidating Concrete, Brendan Ho

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concrete consists of several key ingredients: cement, water, and coarse and fine aggregate. Depending on the proportions of these ingredients, the strength and workability of a concrete mix can be affected adversely. Segregation is the separation of aggregate and cement paste, resulting in a lack of homogeneity. Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) does not require traditional consolidation; however, it can be affected by segregation. This project examines different SCC mixtures and establishes ranges of values for slump flow, T20 , Visual Stability Index (VSI), J-ring flow and J-ring flow spread that ensures proper aggregate distribution and therefore reduces the potential of segregation. …

Internal Curing Using Lightweight Fine Aggregate, Jonathan Kerby

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Curing refers to the process of maintaining the hydration of the concrete as it hardens, or sets up. Concrete is cured to prevent things such as cracking and shrinkage. Autogenous shrinkage occurs internally in concrete because there isn’t enough water in the concrete for hydration, so the concrete rapidly draws out water to complete the hydration cycle, causing internal drying of concrete. There are two types of curing: external and internal. External curing utilizes water from external sources such as saturated burlap mats, ponding, or fogging. Internal curing supplies water from an internal source inside the concrete, such as saturated …

Plastic Deformation Of Astm A36 Steel Using Two-Stage Light Gas Gun, Shawoon Kumar Roy

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

To characterize material deformation in high velocity impact. To validate material models for computation simulation purposes.

This ongoing research is an attempt to study the plastic deformation of A36 steel plate (0.5” thick) under hypervelocity impact. Plastic deformation of the target plate was simulated using finite element software LS-DYNA.

Precast Concrete Insulated Wall Panel Corbels Without Thermal Bridging, Mohamed Elkady

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The common practice in corbel design is to block out the insulation in order to provide a solid concrete area at the corbel location. This connection practice results in thermal bridging, which significantly reduces the energy performance of the panel. For example, the PCI Design Handbook indicates that the reduction in thermal resistance caused by a solid part with an area equal to 9% of the total panel surface area is as high as 42%. This paper presents a discussion of a new concept for corbel design of insulated wall panels with the thermal break totally preserved. Two different designs …

Sensors For Integrated Monitoring And Mitigation Of Erosion, Genda Chen, David Pommerenke, Zhi Zhou, Ying Huang, Andro Radchenko

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Methods and systems for measuring erosion. Systems of various embodiments include a sensor adapted to be placed where earthen material is expected to move and to sense a condition related to that movement (for instance, the position of the sensor). The sensor includes a receiver for receiving a wireless signal (be it acoustic, magneto-inductive, etc.) from another sensor which conveys an identifier for the second sensor. The first sensor also includes a signal generator that generates a second (possibly wireless) signal conveying that identifier and its own identifier. Systems of some embodiments include a second receiver placed outside of the …

Design Of Cable-To-Post Attachments For Use In A Non-Proprietary, High-Tension, Cable Median Barrier, Ryan Joseph Bateman

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

Cable median barriers are widely used across the country to prevent cross-median crashes. Several years ago, the Midwest States Pooled Fund Program contracted with the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF) to develop a new, non-proprietary, high-tension, 4-cable median barrier. In the Fall of 2011 and following two failed full-scale vehicle crash tests on prototype barrier systems, it was determined that design modifications were necessary to improve barrier performance. In addition, members of the Midwest States Pooled Fund Program desired to redirect the development effort.

Both of the barrier system failures which prompted the re-design effort could be partially attributed to …

North American Standard For Cold-Formed Steel Framing -- General Provisions, 2012 Edition, American Iron And Steel Institute

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.