Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

An Analytical Framework For Quantifying Urban And Community Resilience To Natural Hazards From Cell-Phone Gps-Location And Traffic-Flow Data, Georgios Chatzikyriakidis

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Urban areas are increasingly exposed to natural hazards while accommodating a growing share of the global population, yet a consistent science-based framework for quantifying urban and community resilience remains lacking. This dissertation develops a physics-based analytical framework grounded in statistical mechanics and the quantitative theory of Brownian motion. A city is conceptualized as a complex medium in which citizens move analogously to Brownian particles within a viscoelastic environment, influenced by socioeconomic interactions and infrastructure functionality.

A central premise is that urban resilience, interpreted as engineering resilience (an outcome), can be quantified through a single metric: the mean-square displacement MSD=⟨r²(t)⟩, of …

2025, Significant Natural Disasters And Global Carbon Capture, Utilization, And Storage—Annual Progress Report, Shangli Shi, Yun Hang Hu

Michigan Tech Publications

This annual review summarizes the progress of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies in 2025. During this year, the growth rate of atmospheric CO2 concentrations slowed, yet anthropogenic CO2 emissions continued to rise. At the same time, the increasing frequency of severe natural disasters underscored the urgency of climate action and further intensified global efforts to advance CCUS deployment. Scientific interest in CCUS expanded markedly, with the annual number of related publications increasing by 18.5% compared with 2024, reaching 63935. Meanwhile, the total number of operational commercial CCUS facilities worldwide grew by 54%, accompanied by an approximate 25% increase …

Development And Characterization Of Sulfur-Based Concrete From Industrial Waste By-Products, Vasilia Numan Rabah Alkhaldi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Portland cement (PC) is a significant player in the construction industry, which is one of the largest global carbon footprint sectors, contributing approximately 8% of total anthropogenic CO₂ emissions worldwide. In arid and developing countries such as the UAE, the negative impacts of PC are amplified by the piling of industrial wastes, and hence there is an urgent need to develop efficient and cost-effective waste management solutions. This dissertation reports on the design and characterization of a novel sulfur-based concrete made from locally available industrial waste materials, with an emphasis on improving the performance and durability of the material as …

Sorption And Thermal Conductivity Of Concrete Containing Aggregates Of E-Waste, Rakesh Kumar Saini, Praveen Kumar

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

In many parts of the world, substantial energy is used to maintain comfortable temperatures in inner parts of the buildings for living and working. Construction materials with low thermal conductivity, if used in the exterior walls and façade etc. in such structures can be useful in lowering the energy demand. On the other hand, moisture ingress through sorption is a common factor contributing in degradation of concrete structures with time. Constituents of concrete may be engineered to some extent to get both the desired attributes, lower thermal conductivity and sorption than normal concrete. The rapid increase in electronic waste, or …

Effects Of Niobium On The Mechanical And Oxidation Properties Of Additively Manufactured Tungsten, Alexander Lesieur, Cayla Eckley, Ryan A. Kemnitz

Faculty Publications

Although additive manufacturing presents a novel and customizable approach to fabricating tungsten (W) alloys, the layer-by-layer production technique presents a unique set of processing challenges which are further exacerbated by the metal’s refractory properties. In this study, additions of niobium (Nb) were found to improve the mechanical properties and oxidation resistance of additively manufactured W. Microstructural investigation revealed the effect of Nb on the cracking, grain size, and texture in the as-built material. Mechanical compression testing showed significant improvement in ductility with increasing Nb content. The low concentrations of Nb used did not induce large changes in the yield strength …

A Review Of Magnesium-Based Stents: Manufacturing Strategies And Future Trends, Amir Motaharinia, Amir Sanati Nezhad, Jeremy Goldman, H. R. Bakhsheshi-Rad, J. Drelich

Michigan Tech Publications

Coronary artery disease is often treated with vascular stents to restore the blood flow. Recently, there has been growing interest in biodegradable metal stents, especially those made from magnesium (Mg). This review starts by explaining the complex pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and the current treatment options. It then discusses stents, including their potential benefits, capabilities, and limitations, as they represent the gold standard for percutaneous coronary intervention in treating atherosclerosis. Given the vital role of stents, we provide a thorough review of the manufacturing techniques involved, such as wire forming, subtractive manufacturing, and additive manufacturing, with a specific focus on stents …

Thermal Transient Analysis Of Mahogany Wood Biomass Pyrolysis: The Role Of Zeolite Catalyst Variations On Temperature Distribution, Yusri Yusri, Widya Wijayanti, Mega Nur Sasongko

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Biomass pyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste into fuel. The use of zeolite catalysts can enhance efficiency by accelerating biomass decomposition. To demonstrate its effect, thermal simulations were conducted using ANSYS Thermal Transient to analyze temperature distribution, reaction rates, and catalyst effectiveness in the pyrolysis process. This study aims to improve thermal efficiency and temperature uniformity by analyzing the effect of 10% and 20% zeolite mixtures on heat distribution and heating rates at input temperatures of 650 K, 750 K, and 850 K, using the 2D axial symmetry method. The simulation was performed under specific boundary conditions: input …

Plastic Material Analysis And Bonding In Small Aquatic Vessels, Andrew R. Orr

Honors College Theses

This project presents the design and development of a suitable vessel for small-scale aquatic applications. The developed project is used for a remote-controlled duck hunting system, and the parameters of the design are based on the requirements for the system as a whole. Traditionally, plastics are fabricated using blow molding to create a single seamless form. However, for small-scale prototyping with limited resources, this method of fabrication is unsustainable for short-term, non-industrial design applications. As a result, an existing longer hull is selected and shortened to meet the required project length. The project evaluates multiple initial hull designs, ultimately selecting …

Ballistics Characterization Of Micro-Truss Reinforced Lunar-Inspired Geopolymer Concrete For Space Construction, Phoebe G. Johnson

Honors Theses

This research investigates the ballistics response and compressive strength of a Fly Ash/ Lunar Regolith hybrid geopolymer concrete developed for space construction. The study aimed firstly to optimize the Fly Ash/ Regolith mix ratio for maximum mechanical performance and secondly, to evaluate the effectiveness of carbon-fiber micro-truss reinforcement, produced by 3D printing, in mitigating damage from high-velocity impacts. Concrete specimens with varying Fly Ash-to-Regolith ratios (100-50% Fly Ash) were fabricated and tested under compression and ballistic loading. Compressive strength tests followed ASTM C109 using a 110 Kip 810-MTS testing apparatus on both unreinforced and reinforced 2” cubes. For unreinforced samples, …

Energy Materials Health Monitoring With Interpretable Machine Learning, Osumanu Musah Mohammed

Honors Theses

Reliability and the lifecycle of energy materials have become key concerns for sustainable, decarbonized power systems [1]. More recent reports on photovoltaic (PV) device technologies, fuel cells, hydrogen storage, and novel composite materials have indicated that material deterioration is a constraint on large-scale exploitation and cost-effectiveness, rather than on energy conversion efficiency [2], [3]. The energy infrastructure of tomorrow needs to be smart and efficient; however, more to the point, it needs to be self-aware, self-diagnostic, and able to overcome any form of degradation before breaking down [4]. The US dilemma is also directly related to federal concerns. That is …

Recovering Sn From Ultrafine Tails At Mina San Rafael, Peru, Angelica Plenge

Honors Theses

San Rafael is currently the only mine producing tin (Sn) in Peru, operating two concentrators. In the first, called the San Rafael plant, tin concentrate is produced through gravity separation circuits consisting of jigs, spirals, and Mozley tables, followed by reverse flotation, where sulfides are floated while cassiterite (78.77% theoretical tin content) is depressed. Material containing tin values is then directed to a desliming circuit, where the pulp density is adjusted prior to sulfide reverse flotation. The tailings from this stage are subsequently processed through another flotation circuit but, in this case, the Sn is floated. Cycloning is applied throughout …

Brine Solidification And Metals Sequestration Using Lignocellulosics, Frank Kvietok

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Coal ash has historically been used as a convenient, on-site solidification material for brines generated from flue gas desulfurization at power plants. As alternate utilization scenarios are developed for coal ash, lignocellulosic (wood-based) sorbents can serve as a highly efficient substitute for the solidification process. Results will be shared for a variety of different brine types: thermally reduced, thermally reduced and neutralized, and reverse osmosis. In addition to solidification performance, which demonstrated a 3-4x mass of liquid vs mass of sorbent factor, studies were conducted to quantify the strength of binding to the wood-based sorbent for a broad range of …

Practical Guidelines For Pump Testing Of Ccr: Workflow, Design, And Lessons Learned., Nathanial Keller, Brian Hennings, Vic Modeer, Katie Moran

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

This session presents a streamlined approach for pump testing of coal combustion residuals (CCR) to maximize hydraulic information with limited well installations, variable pumping rates, and short tests. Pre-test forward modeling identifies well offsets (typically 5–10 ft) and test durations (~2–6 hours) to yield measurable and analyzable drawdown at observation wells despite low pumping rates. Field execution consists of short step-drawdown testing to evaluate well specific capacity and select pumping rates for a constant rate test with one or more observation wells. Test results facilitate analysis of transmissivity and storativity of the CCR. Applied at two Midwestern sites with different …

Simplified Approximate Procedure For Assessing The Implications Of Updated Usgs Seismic Hazard Models On Seismic Stability Assessments Of Ccr Impoundment Facilities, Nick Mcclung, Matt Bishop, Adrian Pena-Iguaran, Seda Gokyer-Erbis

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Selection of appropriate seismic design ground motions remains a key challenge for seismic stability assessments of coal combustion residual (CCR) impoundment facilities, particularly where regulatory guidance does not specify a required hazard model. This paper examines the implications of using Uniform Hazard Spectra (UHS) derived from the 2014 versus the 2018 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for seismic amplification and stability evaluations of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Widows Creek Fossil (WCF) Plant CCR Management Units. The 2018 NSHM incorporates updated understanding of seismicity in the central and eastern United States and generally predicts higher ground …

Before The Limit Hits: Lessons From A Proactive Construction Air Monitoring Program, Brian Egan, Nicholas Golden, Wendy Depp

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

This presentation describes a comprehensive air monitoring program designed to protect workers and nearby neighborhoods during ash pond closure work. The program uses three main components: project (or boundary) monitoring at the site perimeter to track dust near the project boundaries, work area monitoring placed near active construction zones, and personal sampling on individual workers at regular intervals. Together, these approaches provide data on both community impacts and worker exposures, helping the team respond quickly when levels approach action limits. The Teams actions prior to exceedance of regulatory limits has helped prevent exposures. The talk will explain how monitors are …

Integrating Advanced Geochemical Workflows With Modern Statistical Tools To Improve The Decision-Making Process At Ccr Sites, A Case Study, Glenna Thomas

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

While statistical assessment provides the foundation for CCR compliance reporting, incorporating a holistic geochemical framework transforms statistics from a compliance requirement into a powerful predictive tool. Strategic geochemical insight established the basis of understanding needed to support successful statistical approaches and to ensure that statistical outcomes reflect actual groundwater behavior. Whether it is trend analysis, delineating source mechanism, or updating geochemical conceptual site models (GCMs), geochemical context provides the technical foundations for statistical outputs and methods. A continuously refined GCSM enhances the ability to anticipate how groundwater chemistry should evolve, improving interpretation and predictive capability. This allows practitioners to understand …

Monitored Natural Attenuation Evaluation And Additional Characterization Of A Ccr Unit Lithium Groundwater Plume, Matt Barickman, Adam Piestrzeniewicz Pg

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) refers to the reliance on natural attenuation processes (within the context of a carefully controlled and monitored site cleanup approach) to meet groundwater protection standards (GPS) for a CCR unit within a reasonable time frame (USEPA, 1999). MNA is being evaluated as an adaptive management strategy for a CCR unit groundwater plume with statistically significant lithium concentrations above GPS, though with little risk of offsite migration. A previous MNA evaluation was performed for the lithium plume following the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) “tiered lines of evidence approach” (USEPA, 2015), which determined that there were …

Establishing Groundwater Monitoring Systems Under The Legacy Rule: A Systematic Approach For Utilities, Chris Hoglund

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

The USEPA’s Legacy CCR Rule introduces new requirements for establishing groundwater monitoring systems at Legacy Surface Impoundments (LSIs) and Coal Combustion Residual Management Units (CCRMUs). These requirements present unique challenges for electric utilities, particularly at inactive or historically operated facilities where subsurface data are limited and CCR units may have nontraditional configurations such as linear roadways, elongated embankments, or distributed disposal areas. Utilities must also determine how best to apply single-unit or multi-unit monitoring approaches, integrate newly regulated units into existing monitoring networks, and align monitoring system design with planned closure strategies. This presentation outlines a systematic, defensible framework to …

Risk Evaluation Of Linear Coal Combustion Residual Management Unit (Ccrmu) Fills, Qian Zhang, Andrew Bittner, John Kondziolka, Masoud Arshadi

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

In 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) established new regulations for coal combustion residual management units (CCRMUs), defined as coal combustion residual (CCR) deposits placed on power plant properties outside of landfills or surface impoundments. US EPA supported the rulemaking with modeling-based risk analyses and established regulatory requirements based on fill size. Linear CCRMU, such as backfill along pipelines or haul roads, have individual segments that may be composed of a small amount of mass below the threshold for regulation, but the cumulative mass over the full linear feature extent may exceed regulatory thresholds. This study applies US …

Application Of Mine Tailings Flow Failure Assessment On Ccr, Zachary Fallert

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

A new geotechnical stability analysis method has been implemented for a CCR surface impoundment to aid in design for temporary cut slopes and final closure grades. Conditions have come to light after significant tailings dam failures occurred across the globe, specifically those exhibiting flow failures (i.e. failures in which tailings behave a liquid and flow out of the facility). These failures have come under intense scrutiny as the failures pose significant risk to public safety and the environment and have been observed in CCR. Additionally, static liquefaction has arisen as another potential but less well understood causative mechanism. As the …

Lessons Learned: Commissioning An Fgd Wastewater Treatment System, Bella Triolet, Mckale Grant, Louis Manigault

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Stantec recently supported commissioning a flue gas desulfurization (FGD) Wastewater Treatment System in accordance with the 2020 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) Rule, which requires that coal fired power plants meet their more stringent requirements by December 31, 2025. With the addition of the 2024 EPA ELG Rule, coal fired power plants will now be expected to move to zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems or permanently cease coal combustion by 2034. Due to this change, it is likely that coal fired power plants will be looking to design and install ZLD systems within the next decade. While …

Risk Evaluation Of Linear Coal Combustion Residual Management Unit (Ccrmu) Fills, Qian Zhang, Andrew Bittner, John Kondziolka, Masoud Arshadi

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

In 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) established new regulations for coal combustion residual management units (CCRMUs), defined as coal combustion residual (CCR) deposits placed on power plant properties outside of landfills or surface impoundments. US EPA supported the rulemaking with modeling-based risk analyses and established regulatory requirements based on fill size. Linear CCRMU, such as backfill along pipelines or haul roads, have individual segments that may be composed of a small amount of mass below the threshold for regulation, but the cumulative mass over the full linear feature extent may exceed regulatory thresholds. This study applies US …

Site Characterization, Design, Permitting, And Construction For Clean Closure Of A Small But Challenging Legacy Ccr Disposal Impoundment, John Garten, Bob Baker, Lee Lenhart

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

The Lay of Land Area (LOLA) is a 10-acre (40,468 square meters) legacy disposal impoundment containing approximately 55,000 cubic yards (42,000 cubic meters) of sluiced coal combustion residuals (CCRs) produced during startup operations of a former fossil plant. Most of its perimeter is bounded by water, with a river to the north and a cooling water lake to the south. The entire area lies within a 100-year floodplain, is heavily forested, and groundwater is typically encountered within a few feet of the existing ground surface. As part of an overall CCR closure-by-removal and ash beneficiation program, planning, design, permitting, and …

Trimble County Pond Closures, Steven Turner, Shanti Montgomery

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

The Trimble County Closure Project is a 5-year project to close the 40-acre (161,900 square meters) Gypsum Storage Pond (GSP) through closure-by-removal and the 100-acre (404,700 square meters) Bottom Ash Pond (BAP) through closure-in-place in accordance with coal combustion residual (CCR) Rule. The excavated gypsum from the GSP was “Beneficially Reused” to fill the BAP to the prescribed grade for drainage through a monitored outfall to the adjacent creek. The daily plant produced CCRs of fly ash, bottom ash, and gypsum were also used for four years to supplement the filling of the BAP as well as several onsite soil/rock …

Dewatering System Operations And Modeling Of A Bottom Ash Ccr Surface Impoundment, Craig Schuettpelz, Todd Stong, Ben Sieren

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Dewatering of coal combustion residual (CCR) surface impoundments is a technically challenging item for sites with CCR units at closure. Generation has ceased at this site where fly ash was mostly sold for beneficial use and bottom ash was sluiced to composite-lined CCR surface impoundments to passively drain prior to landfilling. During site closure and restoration, bottom ash and relatively minor amounts of other permitted waste materials were consolidated into the site’s landfill and bottom ash impoundment. The bottom ash impoundment entered closure 5 years ago with installation of a final cover system and construction of a sump to allow …

Building Better Partnerships: Design-Build Lessons From The Ash Pond Closure Front Lines, Brian Egan, Nicholas Golden, Mark Edlebeck

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

This presentation shares lessons learned on an ash pond dig-and-haul project delivered by a design-build team with CTI providing engineering and Fisher Contracting delivering construction services. CTI and Fisher Contracting will discuss how they formed their partnership, what makes a good teaming arrangement work, and the challenges that come with working closely together. This team has worked side by side from early design through construction, which has helped cut costs and keep the project on schedule. The talk will show how the partners divide tasks, then adjust roles as needed instead of locking into a fixed plan. In some cases, …

Illinois Coal Ash Impoundment Assessment, Randy Locke

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Coal combustion residuals (CCR) present one of the most significant waste management challenges in the United States. Illinois hosts 72 coal ash impoundments at 23 facilities across 22 counties. In 2019, the state enacted Public Act 101 0171 (Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act), followed by Illinois Administrative Code Title 35, Part 845, establishing CCR surface impoundment standards. Even with federal and state requirements, significant gaps remain in identifying management options and site-specific risks. Key limitations include: (1) incomplete understanding of ash composition and variability within and among impoundments; and (2) fragmented information on impoundment physical properties, operational status, and geological …

Response Surface Modelling And Multi-Objective Optimisation Of Asphalt Binder And Mixture Properties Modified With Reclaimed Automotive Lubricants And Waste Glass Bottle Powder, Nura Shehu Aliyu Yaro, Jacob Adedayo Adedeji, Luvuno Nkosinathi Jele, Nasir Khan, Aliyu Usman, Jacob Olumuyiwa Ikotun

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Large volumes of reclaimed automotive lubricant (RAL) and waste glass bottle powder (WGBP) are disposed of inappropriately, causing serious environmental concerns. Furthermore, the paradigm shift towards sustainability in the pavement industry has prompted academics to investigate alternatives to conventional materials. As a result, one possible approach is to use these waste products as alternative materials in the asphalt pavement sector. This study investigated the combined use of RAL and WGBP as complementary modifiers, extending beyond the conventional single-modifier approaches reported in previous studies. Thus, in this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was utilised to optimise and predict the synergistic effects …

A Novel Geospatial Tool For Assessing Risks And Opportunities For Conversion Of Ccr Closures Into Productive Solar Energy Generation Sites, Marc Theisen

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Closure of Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) surface impoundments and landfills offers unique opportunities for conversion to solar power sites with the potential to offset costs of post-closure care via generation of clean electricity. In 2023 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collaborated with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to create a report entitled “Coal Ash Disposal Sites and Opportunities for Solar Photovoltaic Development” (EPA Publication #540-S-23-004). The purpose of this document was to identify closed CCR units and provide key factors for their potential for solar photovoltaic (PV) development. In 2022, the EPA’s RE-Powering Initiative identified 772 current CCR …

Establishing A Roadmap For The Planning, Design, And Construction Of A Water Treatment System For A Ccr Unit Closure, Mariah Schroeder, Matthew Balance

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

The treatment of water from a CCR unit is an important step in the closure strategy for surface impoundments to comply with 40 CFR §257.102(d)(2)(i) of the CCR rule. The unwatering and dewatering of a surface impoundment is a necessary first step in ensuring that the eventual closure of the unit will meet the requirements for closure in place described in 40 CFR §257.102(d). Depending on the operational conditions and requirements of the plant, the NDPES discharge limits, and the impacted water quality, the water treatment system needs can vary greatly. This presentation will outline a roadmap for assessment, evaluation, …