Structural Engineering Commons^™

One-Dimensional Compressibility Of Intermediate Non-Plastic Soil Mixtures, Sean E. Salazar

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The results of high stress, one-dimensional compression testing on intermediate soils are presented. Nevada Sand and silica silt mixtures were subjected to very high vertical stresses (140 MPa) in one-dimensional, monotonic compression. Each soil mixture was tested in a nominally loose condition. A specially designed mold with an integrated sensor array was fabricated to contain the soil during pre-consolidation and loading. The 1-D compression curve was plotted for each mixture in the double-logarithmic void ratio (e), and vertical effective stress (σ’v) space and characteristics of the Limiting Compression Curve (LCC) were identified. Initial and post test grain size distribution curves …

Mode I Fracture Toughness Of Eight-Harness-Satin Carbon Cloth Weaves For Co-Cured And Post-Bonded Laminates, Josh E. Smith

Master's Theses

Mode I interlaminar fracture of 3k 8-Harness-Satin Carbon cloth, with identical fill and weft yarns, pre-impregnated with Newport 307 resin was investigated through the DCB test (ASTM D5528). Crack propagations along both the fill and weft yarns were considered for both post-bonded (co-bonded) and co-cured laminates. A patent-pending delamination insertion method was compared to the standard Teflon film option to assess its applicability to mode I fracture testing. The Modified Beam Theory, Compliance Calibration method, and Modified Compliance Calibration method were used for comparative purposes for these investigations and to evaluate the validity of the proposed Equivalent Stiffness (EQS) method. …

Heavy Vehicle Performance During Recovery From Forced-Flow Urban Freeway Conditions Due To Incidents, Work Zones And Recurring Congestion, Alexander Drakopoulos, Yue Liu, Alan Horowitz

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Information contained in the Highway Capacity Manual on the influence heavy vehicles have on freeway traffic operations has been based on few field data collection efforts and relied mostly on traffic simulation efforts. In the 2010 Manual heavy vehicle impact is evaluated based on “passenger car equivalent” values for buses, recreational vehicles and trucks. These values were calibrated for relatively uncongested freeway conditions (levels of service A through C) since inadequate field data on heavy vehicle behavior under congested conditions were available. A number of field data collection efforts, that were not included in deriving the passenger car equivalent values …

Smart Rocks And Wireless Communication System For Real-Time Monitoring And Mitigation Of Bridge Scour -- A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Genda Chen, David Pommerenke, Y. Rosa Zheng, Andriy V. Radchenko, Yan Tang, Brandon P. Schafer, Ying Huang, Z. L. Yang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study aims to integrate commercial measurement and communication components into a scour monitoring system with magnets or electronics embedded in smart rocks, and evaluate and improve its performance in laboratory and field conditions for the movement of smart rocks. Properly-designed smart rocks were found to be automatically rolled into the very bottom of a scour hole and can give critical information about the maximum scour depth and effectiveness of rip-rap mitigation strategies. Four types of smart rock technologies were investigated in this proof-of-concept phase of study, including passive with embedded magnets, active with magneto-inductive communication, active with controllable magnet …

Load Path Uncertainty In A Wood Structure And The Effect On Structural Reliability, Wenqi Wang, Christopher D. Eamon

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research Publications

The roof truss bearing points of a light-framed wood house were instrumented with load cells. It was found that under dead load alone, symmetric and theoretically identical truss reactions have significant variation. A similar degree of reaction discrepancy was found under the application of uplift pressures caused by hurricane winds. Analysis revealed that the majority of this discrepancy is caused by inherent uncertainties in load path. Although uncertainties in load magnitude and material resistance are accounted for in design by use of appropriate load and resistance factors, load path is generally taken to be deterministic. In this study, load path …

Reliability Analysis Of Reinforced Concrete Columns Exposed To Fire, Christopher D. Eamon, Elin A. Jensen

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research Publications

A reliability analysis is conducted on reinforced concrete columns subjected to fire load. From an evaluation of load frequency of occurrence, load random variables are taken to be dead load, sustained live load, and fire temperature. Resistance is developed for axial capacity, with random variables taken as steel yield strength, concrete compressive strength, placement of reinforcement, and section width and height. A rational interaction model based on the Rankine approach is used to estimate column capacity as a function of fire exposure time. Various factors were considered in the analysis such as fire type, load ratio, reinforcement ratio, cover, concrete …

Approximating The Seismic Amplification Effects Experienced By Solar Towers Mounted On The Rooftops Of Low-Rise Industrial Buildings, Peter Luiz Balla

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the acceleration amplification experienced by solar towers mounted on the rooftops of low-rise industrial buildings during a seismic event. Specifically, this thesis looks to assess the validity of using amplification factors adopted by the ASCE 7-05Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures to approximate seismic acceleration amplification for roof-mounted solar towers. To investigate the validity of the ASCE 7-05 amplification factors, this thesis conducts timehistory analyses of three theoretical solar towers mounted on the roof of a case study building. The time history analyses are conducted in the finite element computer modeling program SAP 2000 using …

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 …

Real-Time-Hybrid-Simulation Of Multi-Degree-Of-Freedom Systems With Multiple Time Steps, Lanxi Liu, Arun Prakash

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Computational simulation and physical experiments are both widely used in testing the response of a structure under earthquake loadings, but physical experiments can be expensive for large problems and numerical may result in the loss of important structural behavior caused by a large amount of assumptions. Real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) is a combination of these two approaches, which uses both a numerical and physical substructures that interact in real time to simulate structural behavior. The numerical and physical substructures are connected using a transfer system that enforces compatibility between them. The physical substructure needs to be run at a very …

Recursive Multi-Time-Step Coupling Of Multiple Subdomains, Yukun An, Payton Lindsay, Xiaowo Wang, Arun Prakash

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The need for efficient computation methods for modeling of large-scale structures has become critically important over the past few years. Efficient means of analysis often involve coupling in space through domain decomposition and multi scale methods in time. The multi-time-step coupling method is a coupling method in time which allows for efficient analysis of large-scale problems for structural dynamics where a large structural model is decomposed into smaller subdomains that are solved independently and then coupled back together to obtain the global solution. For coupling of more than two subdomains that are solved at different timesteps, we employ recursive methods. …

Validation Of Earthquake Simulations And Their Effects On Tall Buildings Considering Spectral Shape And Duration, Ting Lin, Gregory Deierlein, Nenad Bijelic

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Report On Laboratory Testing Of Fastening Of Cfs Track To Concrete Base Materials With Pafs, With Revision, Ricardo Ramirez, Roger A. Laboube

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

The 2012 AISI S100 Section E5 includes design provisions for power-actuated fasteners (PAFs) for connection of cold-formed steel (CFS) to steel base materials. However, a need exists to develop an in-depth understanding when CFS wall tracks are attached to concrete base materials as part of interior and exterior wall framing applications. Current code requirements, as specified by ASCE 7 – 2010 Chapter 13 (Exception to Section 13.4.5), limit individual PAFs in nonstructural component connections as part of distributed systems, to a sustained tension service load of 90 lbs in concrete and 250 lbs in steel in Seismic Design Categories D, …

Comparison Of Prestress Losses For Pedestrian Bridges Constructed With High-Strength Concrete And High-Strength Self-Consolidating Concrete, John J. Myers, Kurt E. Bloch

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Abstract Two precast prestressed high-strength concrete and high-strength self-consolidating concrete pedestrian bridges were designed and erected in Rolla, Missouri, for an in situ investigative study to monitor time-dependent losses. Using the temperature and strain data monitored by the vibrating wire strain gauges within the beam cross sections, time-dependent losses were determined and compared between the bridges and various empirical expressions presented by AASHTO and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.

The Effect Zeolite Addition In Natural Rubber Polypropylene Composite On Mechanical, Structure, And Thermal Characteristics, Nurdin Bukit, Erna Frida

Makara Journal of Technology

This study was conducted to determine the effect of zeolite as filler on mechanical properties, and thermal structure blends of natural rubber and polypropylene (NR/PP). In this study, NR/PP/PP-g-MA blends was filled uncalcined zeolite and calcined zeolite at different weight percent of the 2, 4, and 6%. Samples were characterized to determine the tensile strength, fracture elongation and Young's modulus. Structure of the samples was investigated using XRD method and thermal characteristics were analyzed using DTA/TGA technique. The results obtained for tensile strength showed a significant influence with the addition zeolite of the NR/PP blends at 2% by weight of …

The Plasma Electrolysis Phenomenon In A Two-Compartment Reactor For Chlor-Alkali Production, Nelson Saksono, Fakhrian Abqari, Setijo Bismo

Makara Journal of Technology

Chlor-alkali is one of the most important processes in the chemical industry. It produces chlorine and caustic soda, which become the main feedstock of daily products. The aim of this study is to report the phenomenon of plasma electrolysis and how it can be used in chlor-alkali production for more efficient energy consumption. When the plasma is formed, the current fluctuates and gradually declines. Plasma electrolysis begins with the process of electrolysis itself. Due to Joule heating, gas bubbles are formed and a sheath is made on both electrodes, resulting in the plasma field. Plasma electrolysis can be identified by …

Determining The Air Gap Length Of An Axial Flux Wound Rotor Synchronous Generator, Abdul Multi, Iwa Garniwa, Uno Bintang Sudibyo

Makara Journal of Technology

The air gap length of the designed axial flux wound rotor (AFWR) synchronous generator is determined properly according to the design parameters. One of the distinct advantages of an axial flux (AF) machine is its adjustable air gap. An AF generator’s performance might be controlled by adjusting its air gap. The designed generator has a smallscale capacity that has 1 kW, 380 V, and 50 Hz. The windings are laid into slots made from laminated core. The slots are carved in the face of the stator and rotors. The generator has a single-double-sided slotted wound stator sandwiched between twin rotors. …

Characteristics Of Vacuum Freeze Drying With Utilization Of Internal Cooling And Condenser Waste Heat For Sublimation, Muhammad Idrus Alhamid, Nasruddin Yusuf, Indra Teuku Meurah Mahlia, Engkos Ahmad Kosasih, Muhamad Yulianto, Rio Ricardi

Makara Journal of Technology

Vacuum freeze drying is an excellent drying method, but it is very energy-intensive because a relatively long drying time is required. This research investigates the utilization of condenser waste heat for sublimation as a way of accelerating the drying rate. In addition, it also investigates the effect of internal cooling combined with vacuum cooling in the pressure reduction process. Jelly fish tentacles were used as the specimen, with different configurations for condenser heat waste and internal cooling valve opening. The results show that heating with condenser heat waste can accelerate the drying rate up to 0.0035 kg/m2.s. In addition, pre-freezing …

A New Experimental Approach To Evaluate Plasma-Induced Damage In Microcantilever, Yuki Nishimori, Shinji Ueki, Masakazu Sugiyama, Seiji Samukawa, Gen Hashiguchi

Makara Journal of Technology

Plasma etching, during micro-fabrication processing is indispensable for fabricating MEMS structures. During the plasma processes, two major matters, charged ions and vacuum–ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation damage, take charge of reliability degradation. The charged ions induce unwanted sidewall etching, generally called as “notching”, which causes degradation in brittle strength. Furthermore, the VUV irradiation gives rise to crystal defects on the etching surface. To overcome the problem, neutral beam etching (NBE), which use neutral particles without the VUV irradiation, has been developed. In order to evaluate the effect of the NBE quantitatively, we measured the resonance property of a micro-cantilever before and after …

Observation Of Photovoltaic Effect And Single-Photon Detection In Nanowire Silicon Pn-Junction, Arief Udhiarto, Sri Purwiyanti, Daniel Moraru, Takeshi Mizuno, Michiharu Tabe

Makara Journal of Technology

We study nanowire silicon pin and pn-junctions at room and low temperature. Photovoltaic effects are observed for both devices at room temperature. At low temperature, nanowire pn-junction devices show their ability to detect single photon. This ability was not been observed for pin devices. Phosphorus-boron dopant cluster in the depletion region is considered to have the main role for single-photon detection capability. Fundamental mechanism of dopant-based single-photon detection in nanowire pn-junction is described in details.

Improvement In Performance Of Zno Based Dsc Prepared By Spraying Method, Rangga Winantyo, Devinda Liyanage, Kenji Murakami

Makara Journal of Technology

This paper reports the effect of TiCl4 on the performance of ZnO based DSC. ZnO was used due to its stability against photo-corrosion and photochemical properties similar to TiO2. Thin films of nanocrystalline ZnO were deposited on transparent conducting oxide glass using spray method. The ZnO films were treated using TiCl4. The cell’s efficiency was found to be 2.5% with TiCl4 post-treatment and 1.9% without TiCl4 post-treatment.

Influences Of Surface Morphology Of Nanostructured Rutile Tio2 Nanorods/Nanoflowers As Photoelectrode On The Performance Of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell, Mohd Khairul Bin Ahmad, Kenji Murakami

Makara Journal of Technology

Aligned Rutile TiO2 nanorods (r-TNRs) and TiO2 nanoflowers (r-TNFs) were successfully prepared by hydrothermal method. Using hydrochloric acid (HCl) as chelating agent and titanium butoxide (TBOT) as precursor, aligned r-TNRs with r-TNFs were successfully growth onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) with different morphologies. The influences of surface morphologies to the rutile based Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) efficiency are discussed. The highest lightto- electric energy conversion efficiency, 1.80% is achieved using different concentration under simulated solar light illumination of 100 mWcm-2 (1.5 AM).

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 …