Geological Engineering Commons^™

Developing An Idealistic Model To Characterize And Optimize A Photovoltaic Battery Systems, Pavani Reddy Nalladimmu

Masters Theses

"Solar energy is one of the most abundant and clean energy sources of renewable energy. Due to its unsteady nature, most photovoltaic systems require a solar storage system. Ultracapacitors have proven to be an effective solar energy storage component due to their wide range of input voltages and high power density. This research focuses on characterizing the performance of a PV/UCAP hybrid storage system to meet required household loads at various locations throughout the US as a backup energy source. A calibrated empirical model was developed to characterize system performance. A load profile was designed based on a typical 2 …

Imaging Reinforced Concrete: A Comparative Study Of Ground Penetration Radar And Rebarscope, Abhishek Kodi

Masters Theses

"Geophysical techniques have been playing a very vital role in subsurface imaging in the recent past. Technology has been making it both reliable and convenient to utilize non-destructive geophysics techniques like Ground Penetration Radar, Induction current based Rebarscope, Seismic methods, ERT, etc. The applications range from shallow subsurface investigation of Bridge decks to old tunnels, mapping of rabars in a pre-existing construction and analyzing the concrete strength.

The thesis constitutes of a comparative study and analysis of a Ground Penetration Radar system and a Rebarscope. Individual parameters obtained directly from the study and obtained indirectly from the study shall be …

Determining Rockfall Volumes In Three Sites Along Habs Mountain Road In Southwestern Saudi Arabia, Using Lidar Technology, Abdullah Ayed Al-Otaibi

Masters Theses

"The rugged elevated topography is a characteristic feature of the western and southwestern regions of Saudi Arabia. Few arterial roads connect the scattered villages of these regions to major cities, such as Habs Road in Jazan region. Rock fall poses a serious hazard to people, property and animals along the rock cuts of this road. Although no traditional Rockfall studies have previously been applied to this road, accessibility and rock formation shape and structure variability influenced the choice of using Terrestrial Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) technology to calculate the volume of rockfall at selected sites along this road.

Software …

Characterizing The Influence Of Carbon On The Flowrate And Disinfection Efficacy Of Household Ceramic Water Filters, Jessie Yvonne Hahn

Masters Theses

"Drinking water contamination is a major cause of disease in developing countries. Point of Use (POU) water treatment technologies generally have low initial cost and allow rapid availability of improved water. Ceramic pot filters (CPFs) are a POU water source treatment technology which filter water by gravity through a porous ceramic media. Some filters in use contain carbon remnants left from the fugitive pore former as a dark carbon core. Using disk-shaped experimental ceramic filters produced in the lab to have varying levels of carbon, the percent carbon present was measured and a visual analysis method was developed to determine …

A New Technique For Modeling The Geomorphology Of A Slow Moving, Soft-Slope Landslide Using Terrestrial Lidar, Nathan Bradley Rohrbaugh

Masters Theses

"Soft slope movement is a big problem whether it involves an engineered slope, one that is near infrastructure, or both. Active landslides that fail slowly sometimes allow ample time to affect remedial works. In order to plan effective remedial works, there needs to be a model of the entire geometry of the slide. This thesis describes a new approach to evaluate the morphology of slope geometry using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data obtained from simple targets strategically positioned on a slide body. The data was gathered in three-month intervals over a period of one year to allow enough time …

Optimum Acquisition And Processing Parameters For Multichannel Analysis Of Surface Waves Using 3d Electrical Resistivity Tomography As Control, Uchenna Chibuzo Nwafor

Masters Theses

"Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) data were acquired in the Newburg, Missouri with the goal of determining optimum MASW acquisition parameters. Users of the MASW tool generally state that greater geophone intervals and greater shot-to-receiver offsets provide for more accurate results. The objective was to determine if this "rule of thumb" applies in karst terrain.

ERT data were acquired along four traverses with eighty-four (84) electrodes at five feet spacing with SuperSting R8 Resistivity System using dipole- dipole array. The data were processed using Earth Imager to generate 2-D resistivity inversion and thereafter, Voxler …

Development Of A Stochastic Model For Performance Characterization Of A Pv/Vrb Microgrid, Kayla M. Speidel

Masters Theses

"Photovoltaic (PV) Microgrids have been proven to be a useful technology in providing an environmentally friendly source of energy when compared to the use of fossil fuels. Accurately characterizing the performance of a microgrid system would ensure that the system is appropriately sized to meet electrical loads without a heavy reliance on diesel generators. A microgrid that is sized properly will reduce the cost of diesel fuel, while also reducing the risk of wasting money on an oversized system. A deterministic model which was created to characterize the performance of PV microgrids based on percent of time generator running was …

Effects Of Grain Properties And Compaction On Single-Tool Normal Indentation Of Granular Materials, Dennis Chieze Duru

Masters Theses

"The behavior of three granular materials; filter sand, crushed garnet, and shale cutting, were investigated in an effort to evaluate the effect of grain size and shape, and material compaction under single tool load-indentation test. Force-penetration data was collected continuously through the end of each test and specific energy and specific penetration was calculated from the data.

Grain size and compaction affected the force penetration behavior. The higher the grain size, the more the fluctuation in the force of penetration. In addition, compaction reduces the force fluctuation in the fine aggregate grains, but increases the magnitude of the force fluctuations …

The Description Of An Effective Sinkhole Investigation Approach: A Case Study Of Two Sites In Greene County, Missouri, Stanley Chinedu Nwokebuihe

Masters Theses

"Karst topographies pose danger to the environment. The associated gradual subsidence or sudden collapse of the ground can lead to loss of lives and damage to property. A sinkhole is the subsidence or collapse of the overburden into subsurface cavities. Sinkholes develop in different sizes, shapes and rates all over the world especially in areas where the bedrock can be dissolved by percolating slightly acidic surface water.

Different methods have been used to investigate sinkholes. Boring is the most common of these methods. But the boring technique is quite inefficient; it only provides information of the subsurface conditions at the …

Comparison Of Core Control And Geophysical Investigations, Silica Sand Deposits, Dawmat Al Jandal, Al Jawf At Saudi Arabia, Ghassan Salem Alsulaimani

Masters Theses

"This thesis is a summary of a comprehensive geophysical investigation in southern Dawmat Al Jandal, Al Jawf in Saudi Arabia. This research demonstrates that the acquisition of both core control and geophysical data is superior to the acquisition of core control alone. Coring is expensive and is limited in subsurface coverage. Geophysical surveying, however, is a relatively rapid and cost-effective means of deriving information about the subsurface between core holes. Ground penetrating radar (GPR), Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), and Seismic Refraction methods were used as exploration techniques to locate surficial mineral deposits within the study area.

During the …

Effects Of Indentation Speed And Water Saturation Level On The Behavior Of Roubidoux Sandstone, Azupuri Ayerikujei Kaba

Masters Theses

"The experiment conducted in this research was to determine the behavior of a porous rock under an indenter. To investigate this, medium-grained sandstone was subjected to a series of indentation tests. These tests were conducted under both dry and saturated conditions using a rounded conical indenter. In addition, tests were conducted at different indentation speeds. The test results were used to calculate the mechanical specific energy (SE) and specific penetration (SP). The porewater pressure evolution in the saturated sample was also monitored.

The tests and subsequent analyses reveal that saturation did not affect the specific energy when the indentation rate …

A Modification Of Freeze-Core Technology For Collecting Granular Fluvial Sediment Samples, David Charles Smith

Masters Theses

"The presence of coarse grained sediment can potentially reduce the effectiveness of conventional sampling methods in recovering fluvial sediments. A modification to freeze-core technology was used to collect fine grained sediments for the purpose of characterizing the extent of heavy metal contamination in fluvial deposits that contain significant amounts of coarse-grained material such as cobbles and boulders. This material greatly reduces the effectiveness of conventional sampling methods. This method uses 2.5-cm and 2.9-cm diameter by 30-cm long finned samplers that were mechanically- and hand-driven into the ground. The sediment is frozen to the outside of the sampler by injecting liquid …

Wolf Creek Dam: A Case Study Of Foundation Remediation For Dams Built On Karst Foundations, Kyla Justene Erich

Masters Theses

"Wolf Creek Dam was completed in 1952 as a 5,736-foot long and 258-foot high combination embankment-concrete gravity dam. Its storage capacity of 6 million acre feet makes it the ninth largest reservoir in the nation. The dam was built on a heavily karstified limestone foundation and began exhibiting signs of excess foundation seepage in late 1967. This led to extensive corrective work in the 1970s beneath the earthen core of the embankment to reduce underseepage. In 2006 an independent assessment by the Dam Safety Action Classification (DSAC) Peer Review Panel recommended that Wolf Creek Dam exhibited "Urgent and Compelling" foundation …

Characterization Of Rabinal, Guatemala Clay And Development Of An Engineered Surrogate For The Purpose Of Laboratory Study, Lara Anne Hubbel

Masters Theses

"Ceramic pot filters (CPFs) have been proven to be an effective, low cost household water treatment system that are commonly used in third world countries. They are made using local clay, burn out material and colloidal silver or silver nitrate. Challenges faced by researchers include difficulty in acquiring filters from their manufacturing facilities without incurring damage and the cost of shipping. Acquiring the clay material used to make the filters is also difficult due to the cost of shipping and permits necessary to import soil. There have been studies conducted that compared laboratory made CPFs made with native clay and …

Capture Zone Modeling For Photovoltaic Microgrid Powered Pump And Treat Remediation, John Patrick Conroy

Masters Theses

"Remediation systems protect human health and the environment by removing harmful contaminants from the environment. Pump and treat groundwater remediation systems typically rely on utility power to continuously pump contaminated groundwater to an above ground treatment unit. However, the use of renewable energy (solar and wind) for a pump and treat remediation system can reduce the output of harmful greenhouse gases and the need for coal-based utility power.

This paper describes a hypothetical renewable energy powered pump and treat remediation system that uses an off-grid photovoltaic array to power a submersible solar water pump. The pump operates on an intermittent …

The Use Of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (Ert) To Delineate Water-Filled Vugs Near A Bridge Foundation, Jeremiah Chukwunonso Obi

Masters Theses

"A structural support was needed to strengthen the load-bearing capacity of an unnamed bridge foundation in Laclede County in South-Central Missouri due to increasing traffic volume and age of the bridge. This area is characterized by karstic features such as losing streams, underground caves and sinkholes. During the construction of a drilled shaft for the substructure, a few feet north of the north footing of the pier, voids were noted beneath a roughly 2 foot thick cap of dolomite rock. Because of this, there were concerns about the integrity of the rock beneath the existing bridge foundation. Consequently, subsurface investigation …

Analyses Of Surface Wave Seismic Data And Supplemental Borehole And Electrical Resistivity Tomography Control, Mengxing Li

Masters Theses

"Multichannel analyses of surface wave (MASW) data and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) control were acquired at two test sites in central Missouri. Limestone bedrock existed at both test sites at variable depths. The ground surface at both test sites was relatively flat.

The primary objective was to map the variable depth to the top of the rock based on shear-wave velocity contrasts. ERT data and borehole control were acquired at each site in order to constrain the interpretation of the MASW data.

The MASW method proved to be more effective than the ERT method in terms of mapping soil layers …

Waterjet Injection Of Powdered Activated Carbon For Sediment Remediation, Chris J. Redell

Masters Theses

"In situ sediment remediation through waterjet-activated carbon amendment delivery is an innovative means to mitigate the dangers posed by hydrophobic organic compounds. Ease of use and applicability to inundated environments makes this technique valuable. This work made feasible low-pressure injections of a 15% (by dry weight) carbon/water slurry through a pulsating piston pump waterjet. The project fabricated nozzle tips and a unique injection apparatus comprising a quantitative system for the evaluation of bench scale models. Based on a series of iterative processes, injections of carbon were analyzed for depth and concentration. Injections varied in duration and they were made into …

Visual Inspection And Ground Penetrating Radar Investigation Of The Historical Pulaski County Poor Farm Cemetery, Ibrahim E. Ahmed

Masters Theses

"This thesis is a comprehensive summary of the geotechnical investigation of the Historical Pulaski County Poor Farm Cemetery, southeast Waynesville, Missouri. This research demonstrates that unmarked graves in an abandoned historical cemetery can be located using visual site inspection and ground penetrating radar techniques.

During the course of these investigations, multiple visual site inspections of Pulaski County Poor Farm Cemetery were conducted and ground penetrating radar data were acquired. Based on the visual site inspections and the interpretation of ground penetrating radar data, a total of one-hundred and fifty-one (151) graves were identified; eighty-seven (87) of the graves were mapped …

Using Conditional Probability To Predict Solar-Powered Pump-And-Treat Performance, Erica RenéE Collins

Masters Theses

"Green and sustainable remediation can be further environmentally friendly by using renewable energy systems in place of utility-provided power. This project includes the installation of a single-axis tracking photovoltaic (PV) array at a former dry cleaning site that is undergoing remediation under the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MODNR) Dry cleaning Environmental Response Trust (DERT) Fund program. The PV array provided power to a positive displacement piston pump that extracted ground water from a 15 m deep monitoring well. The tetrachloroethene (PCE)-contaminated ground water was treated using granular activated carbon (GAC) units prior to discharge to the local publicly owned …

Performance Evaluation Of Energy Efficient Lighting Associated With Renewable Energy Applications, Allison Nicole Sperber

Masters Theses

"The present study demonstrated lighting loads as an energy end use associated with renewable energy system applications. Incorporating an energy efficient end use within a renewable energy system can be especially beneficial regarding size and portability. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are an energy efficient alternative to traditional outdoor lighting, which is currently dominated by high intensity discharge source lamps. LEDs provide the ability to mitigate the negative impacts of diesel consumption when a diesel generator is used independently or as a backup for renewable energy applications in remote localities. In-field data was collected of traditional metal halide lamps and two comparable …

Field Analysis Of Photovoltaic Ultracapacitor Energy Storage System, Jenna Vujic

Masters Theses

"In the field of innovative power sources, photovoltaics are playing an important role as a clean energy source. Because performance is dependent on instantaneous weather conditions, all stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) systems require an energy storage device. Batteries are not suitable for PV source applications due to depth of discharge restrictions, maintenance requirements and minimal power density availability. However, ultracapacitors (UCAPs) have a high power density, require little maintenance, and can be used in sequence with a dc-dc converter to maintain power output at an increased depth of discharge. This paper describes a PV-UCAP power system used to collect and compare …

Characterization Of Geotechnical Variability Based Upon Sampling Frequency Using Monte Carlo Simulation: A Study Of The Kcicon Project, Kerry Allen Magner

Masters Theses

"The geotechnical variability of individual homogeneous isotropic soil units is of interest during the process of determination of adequate geotechnical design parameters for almost all construction projects. In this study, an attempt is made to quantify the effects of sampling frequency (sample size) on the mean, variance, and coefficient of variation of individual geomechanical parameters within a distinct soil type.

In-situ geotechnical sampling data and laboratory testing data from the kcICON project was provided by Terracon Consultants, Inc. (Terracon) of Lenexa, Kansas for analysis within this research project. This soil sampling and laboratory testing was performed by Terracon as part …

Development Of A One Dimensional Subsurface Contaminant Transport Model With Stochastic Applications, Benjamin Waldon Johnson

Masters Theses

"Contaminant source release history is a necessary element of contaminant mass transport simulation in the saturated zone. The source release history is unknown at many sites, and many inverse models have been developed to define finite release histories. To define a likely domain of three source history parameters, a mass balancebased one dimensional approach is developed and tested by discretizing the spatial domain into bands. By incorporating the approach in a spreadsheet model, observed data is represented by both variable length and constant length bands of analysis. Each representation of observed data was tested to determine the most appropriate band …

A Mobile Water Disinfection Unit Powered By Renewable Energy Systems, Matthew Vitello

Masters Theses

"The current method of disinfection of water used by the United States Army requires a significant amount of mobilization and demobilization time as well as being energy intensive. In an effort to improve small unit mobility a need for a light-weight, low maintenance, highly mobile disinfection system has arisen. In addition to the potential military use, a system of this type could provide a safe drinking water product during the aftermath of natural or man-made disasters, reducing the burden on emergency management services. A prototype system was developed that is self-powered, has low maintenance requirements, and can be stored for …

A Renewable Energy Feasibility Study To Power A Water Supply Pump In Sacala Las Lomas, Guatemala, William Anthony Granich

Masters Theses

"A clean and sufficient source of drinking water can be a challenge to develop in the rural highlands of Guatemala. Installing a submersible pump in a groundwater well can provide a source of water that is free of contamination and yields sufficient water throughout the year. Submersible pumps are typically powered from grid-power; however, an alternative energy source may be considered. An evaluation of the renewable energy resources has been conducted in Sacala las Lomas de San Martin Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, Guatemala (Sacala). The drilling of a deep groundwater well has been proposed in Sacala to supply the community with sufficient, …

Application Of Ground Penetrating Radar (Gpr) For Bridge Deck Condition Assessment: Using A 1.5 Ghz Ground-Coupled Antenna, Amos Wamweya

Masters Theses

"This study is a GPR-based assessment of three bridge decks, two with a hot bituminous wearing surface and one with a bare concrete slab. The primary objectives of this study were: 1) to assess the integrity of the three bridge decks using a 1.5 GHz ground-coupled GPR antenna, and 2) to evaluate the utility of the 1.5 GHz ground-coupled antenna for bridge deck investigations. Core control (chloride ion concentration data and core integrity data) and visual inspection were used as interpretive constraint. The acquired GPR data were interpreted, and two plan view maps were generated. One depicts the magnitude of …

Imaging In Karst Terrain Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Iana Muchaidze

Masters Theses

"The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) plans to construct a new intersection between highway 60 and highway 65 to alleviate traffic congestion during peak flow periods. This construction site, which is referred to as the Route 60/65 study site in this thesis, is located on the southeastern side of Springfield, Greene County, Missouri. Bedrock in the study area (Burlington-Keokuk Limestone) is characterized by karstic features such as loosing streams, underground caves, and sinkholes. Prior to the commencement of construction, MoDOT conducted a study of the subsurface conditions in the Route 60/65 study site. The main objective was to identify features, …

Methodology And Process To Accompany A Virtual Geotechnical Database For The St. Louis Metropolitan Area, Katherine Leigh Onstad

Masters Theses

"The St. Louis metropolitan (STL) area, which spans Missouri and Illinois, currently has no overarching organization of geospatial data (geodata). The two states have their own geodata, using their own individual standards. The development of a virtual geotechnical database (VGDB) encompassing the entire STL area on both sides of the Mississippi River is a solution to the data sharing and standardization problem of this area. The VGDB integrates geodata from disparate sources into a geographic information systems (GIS) database accessible via the internet. The creation of the STL area VGDB consisted of three parts: 1) compiling the geodata; 2) formatting …

Ground Motion Sensitivity Analyses For The Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area, Ece Karadeniz

Masters Theses

"Local site effects can play an important role in modifying the intensity of ground shaking and earthquake damage. The process of rock motion propagating through the soil column can be approximated using one-dimensional site response analyses. To evaluate the likely site response several input parameters are required. These include: thickness of the unconsolidated soil cap, shear wave velocity, unit density, dynamic soil properties, and acceleration time histories. Considerable uncertainty often exists in regards to these input parameters. In this study, the program Shake2000 was employed for site response analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed to determine how the uncertainties in …