Structural Engineering Commons^™

Demystifying Utility Coordination: Understanding The Basics, Josshe I. Palm

Purdue Road School

This session will explain utility coordination to non-utility coordinators. It will help educate others about the role and responsibilities of a utility coordinator, an OSA, easy UC and design mistakes to avoid, scope and design considerations, items commonly overlooked, when to coordinate SUE, and how to work with your UC to request a letting adjustment. We will also highlight UC submittals and allow time for questions about the UC’s role in a project’s success.

Implementation Of Fluid Viscous Damper For 2023 Eeri Seismic Design Competition, Dalton J. Muck, Payton S. Mcgee, Payton R. Filippin, Tynan Castro

Architectural Engineering

The authors of this report were a part of the 2023 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) student chapter for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). With thirteen other team members, they traveled to San Francisco, CA to compete in the Seismic Design Competition (SDC) hosted by EERI. The team was tasked with preparing a written proposal, design and computer analysis of the structural system, construction of two physical models, as well as creation of a poster and a presentation for a proposed mid-rise building located in the competition host city. The goal of the design of Cal …

Natural Gas Induced Vegetation Stress Identification And Discrimination From Hyperspectral Imaging For Pipeline Leakage Detection, Pengfei Ma, Ying Zhuo, Genda Chen, Joel G. Burken

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Remote Sensing Detection of Natural Gas Leaks Remains Challenging When using Ground Vegetation Stress to Detect Underground Pipeline Leaks. Other Natural Stressors May Co-Present and Complicate Gas Leak Detection. This Study Explores the Feasibility of Identifying and Distinguishing Gas-Induced Stress from Other Natural Stresses by Analyzing the Hyperspectral Reflectance of Vegetation. the Effectiveness of This Discrimination is Assessed Across Three Distinct Spectral Ranges (VNIR, SWIR, and Full Spectra). Greenhouse Experiments Subjected Three Plant Species to Controlled Environmental Stressors, Including Gas Leakage, Salinity Impact, Heavy-Metal Contamination, and Drought Exposure. Spectral Curves Obtained from the Experiments Underwent Preprocessing Techniques Such as Standard …

Characterization Of Alkali-Silica Reaction (Asr) Products And C-S-H Using Swir Spectroscopy For Nondestructive Detection Of Asr, Pengfei Ma, Wenyu Liao, Ying Zhuo, Hongyan Ma, Yanping Zhu, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study explores the feasibility of characterizing alkali-silica reaction (ASR) products and calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) from short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectroscopy. ASR products and C-S-H samples with different Ca/Si ratios were synthesized and analyzed through XRD, 29Si nuclei magnetic resonance (NMR) and SWIR spectroscopy. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was collected to help interpret the results from the SWIR spectroscopy. The obtained spectroscopic features were applied to quantify the ASR product abundance denoted by the length expansion of mortar bars after an accelerated ASR test. The results show that the SWIR spectra of the synthetic ASR gels are similar regardless of …

Buckling Behavior Of Thin Wall Stiffened Cylindrical Shells Through Ml Techniques, Fnu Tabish, Muhammad Hamza Karim, Rajesh Godasu, Iraj H.P Mamaghani

SDSU Data Science Symposium

Stiffened cylindrical shell buckling strength mainly depends on the geometric and stiffness properties. A detailed parametric study was conducted to investigate the influence of these properties on the stiffened aluminium cylindrical shell buckling strength. The proposed framework involves an integration of finite element method and various machine learning techniques. The dataset obtained from the eigenvalue buckling analysis of 350 numerical simulations using ANSYS workbench 2022; however, the FE simulation of ten ring-stiffened cylindrical specimens was initially substantiated by experimental work conducted in the literature. 350 sample specimens were categorized into seven groups based on the no. of stiffeners varying from …

Exemplary Studies On The Torsional Response Of Single Pile In Contaminated Sand, Ahmed Nasr, Waseim Azzam, Nada Ramadan

Journal of Engineering Research

Deep foundations, including piles, are employed in types of coastal soil because the soil in such regions may be subjected to several variables that alter the engineering features of the soil, like oil contamination. Together with the loads caused by supported superstructures, the pile foundations may also be susceptible to torsional loads from eccentric, horizontal loads brought on by winds, earthquakes, ship accidents, and waves. Tests have been conducted in this laboratory investigation to examine the behavior of piles under torsional load (T) in polluted sandy soil. Also, tests investigated how the Lp/Dp ratio affected the piles' bearing capacity. Details …

Enhancing Bridge Resilience And Overheight Vehicle Mitigation Through Innovative Sacrificial Cushion Systems, Aly Mousaad Aly, Marc Hoffmann

Faculty Publications

Transportation departments have made significant strides in addressing the challenges posed by the increasing weights of trucks on bridges. While there is a growing awareness of overheight vehicle collisions with bridges, implementing effective countermeasures remains limited. The susceptibility of bridges to damage from such collisions is on the rise, further exacerbated by unpredictable lateral impact forces. This study employs nonlinear impact analysis to assess the response of an unprotected vehicle-girder model, yielding realistic deformation outcomes comparable to observed impacts on the US-61 bridge. Predictions for a truck traveling at 112.65 km/h indicate deformations of 0.229 m, 0.161 m, and 0.271 …

Inspire Newsletter Spring 2024, Missouri University Of Science And Technology Inspire - University Transportation Center

INSPIRE Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Experimental And Finite Element Investigation Of Shear Transfer Mechanisms And Capacity Of Continuous Post-Tensioned Concrete Beams In One-Way Slab Buildings, Suman Rijal

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This study investigates the shear behavior and resistance mechanisms of continuous post-tensioned beams commonly used in one-way slab buildings. Combining experimental and analytical methods, the research focuses on the targeted failure regions of prestressed and non-prestressed continuous beams to gain deeper insights into their shear behavior. The large-scale specimens used in this study featured realistic parabolic tendon profiles and an average prestress level comparable to that used in actual construction. The experimental program includes three test series, with beam designs and setups refined for each series based on observations of shear crack development and progression in the preceding series. This …

Assessing The Seismic Performance Of 45 Ft And 65 Ft Special Truss Moment Frames (Stmfs) Designed With Proposed 2027 Aisc Seismic Provisions Using Nonlinear Time-History Analysis, Vesal Shakibaie

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the seismic design and performance of Special Truss Moment Frames (STMFs) with long spans, focusing on two configurations: STMFs with Vierendeel panels and those with X-braced diagonals in the special segment. The study assesses two case studies with spans of 45 ft and 65 ft, analyzing their behavior under Design Basis Earthquake (DBE) and Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCE) scenarios. The structures were designed according to the latest proposed 2027 revision of the AISC Seismic Provisions, which includes significant changes compared to the published 2022 version. Nonlinear time-history analysis and nonlinear static (push-over) analysis …

Performance Evaluation Of Composite Utility Structures Under Wildfires And Mitigation Methods, Siddhant Sitoula

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite utility poles and crossarms have been getting wider attention from the utility industries because of their advantages over the traditional wooden, concrete, and steel poles. Wood is vulnerable to fire, rot, and animal damage. Concrete poles are heavier, increasing both transportation and installation costs of the poles, in addition to limited-service life (40-50 years). Similarly, steel poles have durability and safety concerns because of their inherent corrosive nature and conductivity. These disadvantages are significantly reduced by the use of FRP composites in utility structures because of FRP’s strength, specific gravity, flexibility, non-conductivity and durability …

Improvement In Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Bridges Through Assessment Of Secondary Benefits And Defect Based Maintenance Cost, Shadman Sakib

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Benefit-cost Analysis (BCA) is conducted prior to federal grant allocation for bridge replacement and enhancement projects to prioritize decision-making. Benefits are measured based on total bridge closures, requiring vehicles to take alternate detour paths. Primary benefits are the direct user costs such as travel time saving or emission costs. However, there are more secondary benefits that are intangible and hard to monetize, but United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) guidelines suggest considering them wherever possible. There are lack of US based data and research also no set guideline by authority.

Apart from calculating primary benefits for a 95 sample of …

Statistical Analysis On The Effects Of Environmental Factors On Bridge Condition Rating In Texas, Mohammad Wasif Quadri

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The development of predictive models for bridge deterioration is crucial for ensuring the longevity and safety of transportation infrastructure. Bridge condition degradation is heavily influenced by environmental conditions. This research integrates various environmental variables such as rainfall, humidity, air temperature, coastal influence, and freezing effects to generate environmental risk scores. These scores help in developing environmental risk zones within the Texas region. Deck condition ratings from the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database are used to develop deterioration models using linear regression and the Markov method. The results highlight the impact of different environmental risk zones on bridge degradation patterns and …

Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Analysis And Discovery, Payton Maddaloni

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Analysis And Discovery, Payton Summer Maddaloni

Honors Theses and Capstones

This poster encompasses yearlong literary research into floating offshore wind turbines. Limitations created by society are discussed, these have prohibited large leaps to get the turbines out of the design phase. Traditional platform designs are displayed to show the potential the industry has to offer as the next renewable energy source. The maintenance phase seeks optimization. A case study by the University of Cincinnati used production losses as a consideration to lower the total cost of traditionally expensive maintenance. Finally, the end-of-life scenarios are currently being overlooked by developers. This opens the door to multiple options for disposal. Mimicking the …

Sustainable Use Of Wastewater In Concrete Construction, Mohammadamin Soltanianfard

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation investigates the use of wastewater from various treatment stages in concrete production to promote sustainable construction practices. Concrete prepared with potable water (PW) served as a control, while wastewater from plant final effluent (FE), chlorine contact basin (CL), secondary clarifier effluent (SC), primary clarifier effluent (PC), and bar screen effluent (BSE) was evaluated.

A comprehensive testing program was implemented to assess performance, including compressive strength tests, water absorption measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results showed that wastewater from advanced stages (FE, CL, SC) had minimal impact on strength and durability, …

Evaluation Of 50’ Frp Truss Bridges With Timber Decks, Maxwell Browning Carey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have become mainstream structural materials and are being utilized in many different structural applications because of their outstanding thermos-mechanical properties and other characteristics. These characteristics include exceptional corrosion resistance, energy absorption, durability, high strength-to-weight, stiffness-to-weight ratios, and others. Also, FRP composites are cost effective especially when accounting for the service life of such a material.

In this study, testing and analysis were performed at both the component as well as a structural system levels. Herein, two FRP truss bridges of different widths with 50 ft. spans underwent extensive testing and analysis in accordance with AASHTO specifications. …

Advancing Gfrp Column Design: Strength, Effective Lengths, And Failure Modes, Jack Alan Wykle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites have become an increasingly popular choice in construction industry due to their higher strength-to-weight ratio, ease of manufacture including lower Embodied Carbon Factor, and better durability in harsh environmental conditions than conventional structural construction materials. Currently, GFRP composite column design lacks well-established design standards due to the material's unique properties such as lower bending and shear stiffness than steel, differing compressive and tensile moduli, which leads to complexities in computing buckling capacities under local effects such as flange or web buckling and even torsional buckling under off-centered compression loading. Therefore, GFRP columns will behave …

Computationally Modeling The Human-Structure Interaction Response Of An Occupied Cantilevered Structure, Brennan Smith

Honors Theses

There is a limited understanding of the impact that passive human occupants have on a dynamic structural system, referred to as Human-Structure Interaction (HSI). Cantilevers are naturally prone to excessive vibrations due to their long unsupported spans, and cantilevered structures such as those commonly found in the seating area of a stadium facility or concert hall are designed to support a high density of occupancy.

This study determined that HSI in cantilevered structures can be modeled using a simple two-degree-of-freedom system. The results of the model were validated by data that was collected on a small-scale laboratory structure intentionally designed …

Understanding Impact Resistance Of Hollow Core Slabs Using Frp Retrofitting. A Comparative Analysis Of Gfrp And Cfrp, Rana Essam, Mina Maxi, Mariam Ehab

Civil Engineering

No abstract provided.

Battery Dunnage, Paul Hirsch, Alex Cox, Ben Strubbe

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Schaeffler is launching a new assembly line for a battery in 2025. As part of the project, it is necessary to design and fabricate a reusable dunnage (packaging) specialized for the battery, meant for safe domestic transportation in the United States. Through an iterative process, the team developed a final dunnage design out of steel components that had a maximum footprint of 62 in X 43.5 in X 29.25 in and a weight of 821.682 lbs. The dunnage is stackable on itself up to two high, weighing a total of 4,918.724 lbs. when loaded with four batteries. The design was …

Analysis Of Earthquake Resistant Structures Using Matlab, Rhett Hamilton Brodie

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper is a report for the development of MATLAB software to aid in the organization, analysis, and interpretation of results from the research and design of earthquake resistant structures.

A Vehicle-Bridge Interaction Model Considering Contact Patch Size And Vehicle Self-Generated Excitation – A Theoretical Study, Zhenhua Shi, Yahya M. Mohammed, Nasim Uddin, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents an improved theoretical damped single-axle vehicle-bridge dynamic interaction model to consider the effect of the contact patch size and motor-induced vehicle excitation. The contact patch issue is critical as it determines the minimum time step for simulation and maximum identifiable frequency, while the inclusion of the motor-induced vehicle excitation benefits the design of autonomous self-driven rather than towed vehicles. Estimations of the contact patch size for both the pneumatic tire and solid wheel scenarios are discussed. The contact patch responses, which degenerate into contact point responses when the contact patch size is assumed to be infinitely small, …

Tough Monolayer Silver Nanowire-Reinforced Double-Layer Graphene, Yanxiao Li, Congjie Wei, Steven E. Kooi, David Veysset, Chuanrui Guo, Yuxiang Gan, Ying Zhuo, Genda Chen, Mohammad Naraghi, Keith A. Nelson, Chenglin Wu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Mixed-dimensional nanomaterials composed of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, such as graphene-silver nanowire (AgNW) composite sandwiched structures, are promising candidates as building blocks for multifunctional structures and materials. However, their mechanical behavior and failure mechanism have not yet been fully understood. In this work, we have performed integrated experimental, theoretical, and numerical studies to explore the performance and failure modes of graphene-AgNW composite under tensile and impact loading conditions. In situ tensile tests using a nano indenter, implemented with a push-to-pull device and a laser-induced projectile impact test system, are used to shed light on load-bearing mechanisms in graphene-AgNW …

Railroad Condition Monitoring Using Distributed Acoustic Sensing And Deep Learning Techniques, Md Arifur Rahman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Proper condition monitoring has been a major issue among railroad administrations since it might cause catastrophic dilemmas that lead to fatalities or damage to the infrastructure. Although various aspects of train safety have been conducted by scholars, in-motion monitoring detection of defect occurrence, cause, and severity is still a big concern. Hence extensive studies are still required to enhance the accuracy of inspection methods for railroad condition monitoring (CM). Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has been recognized as a promising method because of its sensing capabilities over long distances and for massive structures. As DAS produces large datasets, algorithms for precise …

Improving Aggregate Abrasion Resistance Prediction Via Micro-Deval Test Using Ensemble Machine Learning Techniques, Alireza Roshan, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Aggregate is the most extracted material from the world's mines and widely used in civil and construction projects. The Micro-Deval abrasion test (MD) is one of the most important tests that provides characteristics of crushed aggregates that show their resistance against mechanical abrasive factors such as repeated impact loading. The impact of various factors on abrasive resistance properties of aggregates has led researchers to seek correlations, often focusing on limited data samples, leading to reduced accuracy. This study employs machine learning (ML) methods to predict MD abrasion values, considering diverse aggregate properties. Various ensemble ML methods were applied, revealing the …

Scshm Benchmark Study On Bridge In-Service Structural Monitoring, Maria Pina Limongelli, Doug Thomson, Sreenivas Alampalli, Aftab Mufti, Thomas Schumacher, Luca Martinelli, Othmane Lasri, Harry Shenton, Genda Chen, Mohammad Noori, Farnaz Raeisi, Ahmed Silik, Ji Dang, Ray Hoemsen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The mission of the Society of Civil Structural Health Monitoring (SCSHM, previously known as ISHMII) is to advance the understanding and application of structural monitoring methodologies for the management of civil infrastructure systems. To enable comparative and contrasting studies of various monitoring issues and technologies, the SCSHM Committee on Data-Enhanced Infrastructures Management (DEIMC) identified the need for benchmark problems in the areas of bridge and building structural monitoring. This article reports and briefly discusses the first benchmark study on in-service structural monitoring of bridges that was developed in collaboration with the University of Manitoba, and presents the structure details, study …

Static Response Of Frp Structural Systems – Piles, Platforms, And Poles, Manish Adhikari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study addresses the static response of three Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) structural systems (piles, platforms, and poles) under static loads. This research aims to improve safety and sustainability in modern infrastructure by bridging the knowledge gap currently that exists between the experimental behavior and theoretical predictions.

FRP round piles (18-inch in diameter) were tested under axial compression, shear, four-point bending and fatigue. Both the load-deflection and stress-strain responses were analyzed. Coupon tests were conducted and related to the outcomes of full-scale test data. Two major differences were observed in the response of the bending test specimens with modulus of …

Performance Of Smart Shear Keys In Concrete Bridges Under Tsunami Loading: An Experimental Study, Haibin Zhang, Xinzhe Yuan, Genda Chen, Pedro Lomonaco

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bridges have recently been exposed to an increasing number of natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. These extreme events have resulted in transverse offsets, overturning moments, and even dropping-off of superstructures due to their weak connection to substructures. These outcomes are potentially prevented or mitigated by developing and deploying sliding, modular, adaptive, replaceable, and two-dimensional (SMART) shear keys as fuse elements between superstructures and substructures. The novelty of SMART shear keys is to enable an adaptive control of both the force and displacement of bridges under different types of loads. In this study, the performance of SMART shear keys …

Evaluating Friction Characteristics Of High Friction Surface Treatment Application Under Varied Polishing And Slippery Conditions, Alireza Roshan, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The frictional attributes of high friction surface treatment (HFST) play a crucial role in ensuring optimal traffic safety, particularly in wet weather conditions. Friction consists of two important components: adhesion and hysteresis. This research focuses on evaluating these essential factors in HFST using two different aggregates and two distinct sizes by considering various abrasion and polishing methods. To isolate these components for assessment, testing was carried out under various slippery conditions, including dry, wet with water, and wet with water + soap. The inclusion of liquid hand soap in the test procedure effectively minimized or even eliminated the adhesion component's …