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Title: Biofilm Detection through the use of Factor Analysis and Principal Component Analysis.
Creator: Gallant, Richard, Bloetscher, Frederick, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: Safe drinking water is paramount to a healthy society. Close to a hundred contaminants are regulated by the government. Utilities are using chloramines to disinfect water to reduce harmful byproducts that may present themselves with the use of chlorine alone. Using chlorine and ammonia to disinfect, ammonia oxidizing bacteria can present themselves in an unsuspecting utilities distribution network.
Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013309
Subject Headings: Biofilms, Factor analysis, Principal components analysis, Drinking water--Analysis, Nitrification
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Biogas Production from Organic Waste, Meat and FOG by Anaerobic Digestion and Ultimate Sludge Digestibility.
Creator: Sethi, Rohan, Meeroff, Daniel E., Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: The anaerobic biodegradability of food waste (FW), meat waste and FOG (fats, oils and greases) with municipal primary sewage sludge was assessed using a laboratory scale anaerobic digester and by ultimate sludge digestibility, at mesophilic conditions by varying the inoculum to feedstock ratio (1:2-1:10) and solids retention time (SRT). Preliminary analysis assessed the anaerobic digestion of food waste and meat at a biogas production over 30 days at 1000 mL and 1400 mL, respectively. The...
Show moreThe anaerobic biodegradability of food waste (FW), meat waste and FOG (fats, oils and greases) with municipal primary sewage sludge was assessed using a laboratory scale anaerobic digester and by ultimate sludge digestibility, at mesophilic conditions by varying the inoculum to feedstock ratio (1:2-1:10) and solids retention time (SRT). Preliminary analysis assessed the anaerobic digestion of food waste and meat at a biogas production over 30 days at 1000 mL and 1400 mL, respectively. The maximum methane yield was 0.18 m3/kg VS and 0.50 m3/kg VS for 1:10 in meat and FOG, respectively in 28 days with 56-61% volatile solids of destruction and first order methane generation rate of 0.15 d-1 for both meat and FOG. The optimal ratio for meat and FOG was determined to be beyond highest ratio tested (1:10), and longer SRT should be considered to investigate the impact of feedstock on methane yield. Preliminary modeling suggests that for one 1.74 MG digester, diverting just 0.6% of the food waste generated in one-third of Palm Beach County could produce enough methane to power 130-360 homes for one full month.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013032
Subject Headings: Biogas, Organic wastes, Methane, Food waste, Anaerobic digestion
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: CALCULATION AND COMPARISON OF THE FLOOD RISK POTENTIAL DUE TO RAINFALL EVENTS AND SNOW MELT USING TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED FOR FLOOD RISK IN FLORIDA.
Creator: Weaver, Jared, Bloetscher, Frederick, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: CASCADE 2001 is a multi-basin flood routing program used in areas of flat terrain. CASCADE was used for different situational elements including the Florida Keys, Broward County, and Pensacola. The goal for this screening tool was to create flood inundation watershed mapping for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). After showing the risks of flooding that could occur in Florida, the thought of how useful CASCADE can be in other environmental conditions. The Rocky Mountains...
Show moreCASCADE 2001 is a multi-basin flood routing program used in areas of flat terrain. CASCADE was used for different situational elements including the Florida Keys, Broward County, and Pensacola. The goal for this screening tool was to create flood inundation watershed mapping for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). After showing the risks of flooding that could occur in Florida, the thought of how useful CASCADE can be in other environmental conditions. The Rocky Mountains were selected to show the effect of flood inundation that can be mirrored in an opposite condition from prior experimentation. We chose to test this program in an area with mountainous terrain like the region of Grand Lake, Colorado. Rainfall, in collaboration with groundwater tables, ground soil storage and topography have the most effect on the CASCADE modeling program. Effects that were not used in the Florida models but added for Grand Lake included snowmelt. Snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains affects the flow of the Colorado River causing excess discharge that flows throughout the valleys and into Shadow Mountain Lake. WINSRM was a recommended model that could be used to simulate snowmelt during different months of Colorado’s spring season. The effects of snowmelt and rainfall flooding can be compared in relation to each other.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013774
Subject Headings: Floods--Risk assessment, Rain and rainfall, Runoff, Flood routing
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Evaluation of future design rainfall extremes and characteristics using multiple-model and multiple-scenario climate change models.
Creator: Dezmain, Celyn, Teegavarapu, Ramesh, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: Climate models are common tools for developing design standards in the hydrologic field; however, these models contain uncertainties in multi-model and scenario selections. Along with these uncertainties, biases can be attached to the models. Such biases and uncertainties can present difficulties in predicting future extremes. These hydrologic extremes are believed to be non-stationary in character. Only in the recent past have model users come to terms that the current hydrologic designs are...
Show moreClimate models are common tools for developing design standards in the hydrologic field; however, these models contain uncertainties in multi-model and scenario selections. Along with these uncertainties, biases can be attached to the models. Such biases and uncertainties can present difficulties in predicting future extremes. These hydrologic extremes are believed to be non-stationary in character. Only in the recent past have model users come to terms that the current hydrologic designs are no longer relevant due to their assumption of stationarity. This study describes a systematic method of selecting a best fit model in relationship to location and time, along with the use of that best fit model for evaluation of future extremes. Rain gage stations throughout Florida are used to collect daily precipitation data used in extreme precipitation and quantitative indices. Through these indices conclusions are made on model selection and future extremes, as they relate to hydrologic designs.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004016
Subject Headings: Climatic changes -- Environmental aspects, Climatic extremes, Hydrologic models, Percipitation (Meteorology) -- Measurement
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Estimating Pedestrian Impact on Coordination of Urban Corridors.
Creator: Chowdhury, Sharmin-E-Shams, Stevanovic, Aleksandar, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: At most of the US signal, pedestrian walk timings run in concurrence with relevant vehicular traffic signal phases which means that major-street coordinated operations can be interrupted by a pedestrian call. Such interruption may increase delays and stops for major traffic flows. An alternative to this design is to increase the cycle length and embed pedestrian timings within the ring-barrier structure of the prevailing coordination plan. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages....
Show moreAt most of the US signal, pedestrian walk timings run in concurrence with relevant vehicular traffic signal phases which means that major-street coordinated operations can be interrupted by a pedestrian call. Such interruption may increase delays and stops for major traffic flows. An alternative to this design is to increase the cycle length and embed pedestrian timings within the ring-barrier structure of the prevailing coordination plan. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. This study attempts a novel approach to address this situation by a comprehensive experimental evaluation of traffic performance under various pedestrian signal timing strategies. Findings show that either abovementioned approach works well for very low traffic demands. When the traffic demand increases findings cannot be generalized as they differ for major coordinated movements versus overall network performance. While coordinated movements prefer no interruption of the coordinated operations, the overall network performance is better in the other case.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013128
Subject Headings: Transportation corridors, Pedestrians, Urban traffic, Traffic estimation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Experimental evaluation of cement stucco surfacing material (CSSM) removal for reducing particulates in air.
Creator: Cowan, David, Meeroff, Daniel E., Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: Every year millions of construction workers are exposed to dust in levels that create a hazard to them (Fundukian, 2011). Their environment is contaminated by activities such as cutting, chipping, grinding and sanding building materials. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) refers to this general collection of building materials debris and fine particulates as nuisance dust. Some of the particles in nuisance dust possess properties that make them especially hazardous, such...
Show moreEvery year millions of construction workers are exposed to dust in levels that create a hazard to them (Fundukian, 2011). Their environment is contaminated by activities such as cutting, chipping, grinding and sanding building materials. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) refers to this general collection of building materials debris and fine particulates as nuisance dust. Some of the particles in nuisance dust possess properties that make them especially hazardous, such as their shape or specific gravity. It has been found by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that inhalation of quantities of silica dust above the permissible exposure limit (15.0 mg/m3) causes a deterioration of the outside lining of the lung.This research seeks to limit this exposure by a pretreatment process using acid application and then absorbed moisture content that reduces airborne particulate during the removal of cement stucco surfacing materials. Successful pretreatment would allow removal of CSSM from substrates such that the release of airborne particulates does not exceed the permissible exposure limits (PEL) found in the 29 CFR-Table Z-3 for mining applications (15-mg/m3).
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004438, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004438
Subject Headings: Air -- Pollution -- United States -- Measurement, Air quality management, Concrete -- Deterioration, Environmental health, Particles -- Environmental aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: EFFECTS OF SALTWATER INTRUSION ON THE COMPRESSIBILITY BEHAVIOR OF THE EVERGLADES SOILS.
Creator: Ribeiro, Camila, Sobhan, Khaled, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: The Florida Everglades is considered as a vulnerable wetland composed primary of organic rich peat soils, experiencing saltwater intrusion. Impact of increasing salinity on the strength and deformation properties of peat is unknown. A laboratory study was undertaken to evaluate how the growing salinity level due to sea level rise may alter the compressibility behavior of the Everglades soils. Sixteen 1-dimensional oedometer tests were conducted on undisturbed Everglades peat soils in two...
Show moreThe Florida Everglades is considered as a vulnerable wetland composed primary of organic rich peat soils, experiencing saltwater intrusion. Impact of increasing salinity on the strength and deformation properties of peat is unknown. A laboratory study was undertaken to evaluate how the growing salinity level due to sea level rise may alter the compressibility behavior of the Everglades soils. Sixteen 1-dimensional oedometer tests were conducted on undisturbed Everglades peat soils in two phases. Phase I included samples from Site 1 (saltwater) and Site 3 (freshwater) without any salinity addition. Phase II consisted of soil from Site 3 (freshwater) saturated in six different levels of salinity artificially added to the samples. Compressibility properties investigated in this study include compression index (Cc), coefficient of consolidation (Cv), hydraulic conductivity (K), and the Ca/Cc ratio. In general, it was observed that the increase in salinity beyond a threshold value tends to increase the soil compressibility properties, indicating a possible reduction in soil stability with saltwater intrusion.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013783
Subject Headings: Everglades (Fla.), Peat soils, Saltwater encroachment, Compressibility
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN AUTOMATED VEHICLES AND HUMAN DRIVERS: CASE STUDY OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC).
Creator: Chon Kan-Muñoz, Pablo, Kan, David, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Automated vehicles (AVs) are becoming more common each day as car manufacturers have started to include advanced driving assistant systems (ADAS) in trendline models. The most basic level of vehicle automation includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) can disrupt and change traffic flow. The current study proposes the development of controlled experiments to obtain traffic flow properties for vehicles equipped with ACC in different scenarios. As part of this dissertation, the effects of ACC on...
Show moreAutomated vehicles (AVs) are becoming more common each day as car manufacturers have started to include advanced driving assistant systems (ADAS) in trendline models. The most basic level of vehicle automation includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) can disrupt and change traffic flow. The current study proposes the development of controlled experiments to obtain traffic flow properties for vehicles equipped with ACC in different scenarios. As part of this dissertation, the effects of ACC on capacity are quantified at steady state conditions, meaning cruising speeds or free flow, and at bottlenecks, where speed fluctuations occur. The effects of ACC on traffic flow properties are also assessed by the construction and study of the Fundamental Diagram. Lastly, the vehicles are submitted to less predictable deceleration scenarios that involve a leading vehicle driven in ACC mode and a leading vehicle driven manually. The reaction of ACC for these cases is documented.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013778
Subject Headings: Automated vehicles, Traffic flow, Traffic engineering
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: ESTABLISHING A SCREENING TOOL TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT AND PRIORITIZATION OF WATERSHED BASED FLOOD PROTECTION PLANS.
Creator: Rojas, Gerardo, Bloetscher, Frederick, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Flood risk analysis is the instrument for utility managers to create a sound strategy and adaptation plans into their communities. Local municipalities are being continuously challenged every year by the impacts of climate change. The need to develop a screening tool to analyze watersheds and find risk areas is the goal of this research. Open source high-quality data is allowing climate scientists to create innovative ways to study watersheds when performing spatial analysis for inundation...
Show moreFlood risk analysis is the instrument for utility managers to create a sound strategy and adaptation plans into their communities. Local municipalities are being continuously challenged every year by the impacts of climate change. The need to develop a screening tool to analyze watersheds and find risk areas is the goal of this research. Open source high-quality data is allowing climate scientists to create innovative ways to study watersheds when performing spatial analysis for inundation areas. The development procedures for a screening tool involved combining readily available data on topography, groundwater, surface water, tidal information for coastal communities, soils, open space, and rainfall data. All efforts to help develop a planning level framework that allows investigators to target the optimal set of outcomes for a given community. This framework appears to be viable across cities that may be inundated with water due to sea-level rise, rainfall, runoff upstream, and other natural events.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013538
Subject Headings: Watersheds, Floods--Risk assessment, Watersheds--Analysis, Flood protection
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Evaluation of Freight and Transit Signal Priority Strategies for Improving Transportation Operations in Urban Corridors.
Creator: Manta, Stavroula, Kaisar, Evangelos I., Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: Freight transportation is a significant component of the nation’s economy. However, the augmented volume of the freight movements contributed to continuously increasing congestion on the urban road networks, that affects the timeliness and reliability of freight transportation. In addition, congestion has a negative impact on the transit operations as well. Various studies conducted on multi-modal corridors recognized the importance of the simultaneous performance of freight and transit...
Show moreFreight transportation is a significant component of the nation’s economy. However, the augmented volume of the freight movements contributed to continuously increasing congestion on the urban road networks, that affects the timeliness and reliability of freight transportation. In addition, congestion has a negative impact on the transit operations as well. Various studies conducted on multi-modal corridors recognized the importance of the simultaneous performance of freight and transit operations. Thus, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) components, such as Freight Signal Priority (FSP) and Transit Signal Priority (TSP), present traffic operations strategies "shaped" to give priority, reduce delay and travel time, and overall improve the performance of freight and transit movements, respectively. The primary objective of the thesis refers to evaluate possible improvements in freight mobility, while sustaining good transit services and minimizing congestion on the multi-modal corridor, through simultaneous implementation of the FSP and the TSP. The effectiveness of the newly established criteria was evaluated through real-world case study on a micro-simulation platform. The results showed significant improvements on all the vehicle movements.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013235
Subject Headings: Intelligent transportation systems, Freight transportation, Transit
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Configuration and assessment of hardware-in-the-loop-simulation with high resolution data to coordinate traffic signals.
Creator: Klanac, Ivica, Stevanovic, Aleksandar, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: Today, the information (signal timings, detector extension, phase sequence, etc.) to install traffic lights on the street are obtained from traffic software simulations platforms, meaning that information from simulation is not tested on the field (intersection where it will be installed) before the installation. Many installed controllers on the street use time of day (TOD) patterns due to cheaper cost than adaptive traffic control systems, but that is not the best solution for traffic...
Show moreToday, the information (signal timings, detector extension, phase sequence, etc.) to install traffic lights on the street are obtained from traffic software simulations platforms, meaning that information from simulation is not tested on the field (intersection where it will be installed) before the installation. Many installed controllers on the street use time of day (TOD) patterns due to cheaper cost than adaptive traffic control systems, but that is not the best solution for traffic volume changes that can occur during the day or even a month. To improve traffic signal operation most of the traffic signal controllers in the same corridor or zone operate in coordination mode. Furthermore, phases need to be in coordination to achieve “green wave”. Green wave is term used when in corridor traffic lights allow continues flow of traffic through intersections that are coordinated.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004709, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004709
Subject Headings: Digital control systems, Digital integrated circuits -- Design and construction, Hardware in the loop simulation, Highway engineering -- Safety measures, Traffic engineering -- Technological innovations, Traffic flow -- Management, Traffic signs and signals -- Control systems -- Methodology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: DEVELOPMENT OF A BIOSENSOR FOR OBJECTIVELY QUANTIFYING ODORANTS.
Creator: Rahman, Sharmily, Meeroff, Daniel E., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Nuisance odor levels produced by solid waste management operations are subject to regulatory standards due to their impacts on the quality of life of the residents living nearby the facility. Failure to meet regulatory standards may result in fines, litigation, inability to acquire permits, mitigation, and re-siting operations. Since measurement of environmental nuisance odors is currently limited to subjective techniques, monitoring odor levels to meet such standards is often problematic....
Show moreNuisance odor levels produced by solid waste management operations are subject to regulatory standards due to their impacts on the quality of life of the residents living nearby the facility. Failure to meet regulatory standards may result in fines, litigation, inability to acquire permits, mitigation, and re-siting operations. Since measurement of environmental nuisance odors is currently limited to subjective techniques, monitoring odor levels to meet such standards is often problematic. This is becoming more acute as increasing residential populations begin to encroach on properties adjacent to landfills. In order to ensure that nuisance odor issues are minimized, it is necessary to provide an objective measurement. The objective of the current research is to develop a biosensor for providing an objective, standard measurement of odors. The approach is to modify the human odorant binding protein (hOBPIIa), isolated using published biomolecular techniques, by fluorescently tagging it with a chromophore functional group. When this protein is tagged with a fluorophore marker and excited in a spectrofluorometer, it emits light of a certain wavelength that can be detected and quantified. Once odorant molecules are exposed to this complex, they start replacing the fluorophore, and as a result, the emitted light intensity decreases in proportion to the number of odorant molecules. Since the protein response depends on odorant concentration, following an inverse Beer’s Law relationship, the odorants can be quantified accurately and rapidly using fluorometric measurements. The results establish quantitation ranges for different pure and mixture of odorant gases as well as the amount of gas that can be quantified across various flow rates.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013491
Subject Headings: Biosensors, Odors--Measurement, Landfills, Odorant-binding protein, Fluorescence--Measurement
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF FREIGHT AND TRANSIT SIGNAL PRIORITIES TO ENHANCE ROAD TRAFFIC SUSTAINABILITY.
Creator: Ardalan, Taraneh, Kaisar, Evangelos I., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Lately, the attractiveness of cities has contributed to a rise in vehicle movements to and from cities. The growth of freight movements in cities predictably will be one of the critical issues of the near future. Congestion caused by the increased movements of freight impacts the flow of private and transit vehicles. Thus, it is crucial to reduce the congestion on multimodal corridors. Components of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) such as Freight Signal Priority (FSP) and Transit...
Show moreLately, the attractiveness of cities has contributed to a rise in vehicle movements to and from cities. The growth of freight movements in cities predictably will be one of the critical issues of the near future. Congestion caused by the increased movements of freight impacts the flow of private and transit vehicles. Thus, it is crucial to reduce the congestion on multimodal corridors. Components of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) such as Freight Signal Priority (FSP) and Transit Signal Priority (TSP) that promote the freight and transit vehicles may not only help solve these conditions but may assist with the sustainability of the system. The primary objective of this research is to develop guidelines for traffic agencies to implement signal priorities based on identified decision factors on certain corridors. Besides, this study evaluates the efficiency of FSP and TSP in improving the performance of freight and transit systems. Finally, inclusive guidelines are drawn up based on the literature and the conducted simulation. The developed guidelines apply to corridors where freight delay plays a vital role in the assessment of corridor benefits.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013484
Subject Headings: Freight and freightage, Traffic signs and signals—Control systems, Traffic congestion, Freight transportation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Correlation of Chloride Diffusivity and Electrical Resistance for Cracked Concrete.
Creator: Merantus, Stanley W., Reddy, Dronnadula V., Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: The durability of Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures in the Marine environment is causing serious concern in the structural infrastructure. Reinforced concrete structures, exposed to aggressive environments, are expected to last with little or no maintenance for long periods of time. However, one of the most serious environmental exposures that causes degradation is Chloride Diffusion, due to shrinkage, atmospheric corrosion, and tide-induced wet and dry conditions at the air-water...
Show moreThe durability of Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures in the Marine environment is causing serious concern in the structural infrastructure. Reinforced concrete structures, exposed to aggressive environments, are expected to last with little or no maintenance for long periods of time. However, one of the most serious environmental exposures that causes degradation is Chloride Diffusion, due to shrinkage, atmospheric corrosion, and tide-induced wet and dry conditions at the air-water interfaces of coastal structures. Therefore, chloride diffusivity, which correlates with the electrical resistivity, has a significant impact on the durability of concrete. Concrete chloride diffusivity has been experimented by multiple agencies and researchers on sound concrete, but there is a considerable need for investigation of the durability of cracked concrete in the marine environment. The two test methods carried out are presented: Standardized American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C1202 for Rapid Chloride Permeability (RCP) and ASTM D257 for Surface Resistivity (SR), and Nordtest (NT) Build 492 for Rapid Chloride Migration (RCM) and Bulk Resistivity (BR) for both sound (uncracked) and cracked (micro and macro) concrete. The limitations of the ASTM method, due to measurements before the steady-state migration is reached, does not account for leakage in cracked concrete, and the heating of the specimen due to higher current that increase the conductivity are indicated. The Rapid Chloride Migration test provides for the non-steady state of diffusion. Again, Bulk Resistivity, in contradistinction to Surface Resistivity is more accurate for cracked concrete. The correlation betweeen RCM-BR are plotted. Chloride Permeability/Migration is an important parameter that governs the Durability of Concrete. The principal contribution is the highlighting of the inadequacy of the current widely used standard ASTM C1202 for diffusivity testing, and the need for revision with further investigation.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004942, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004942
Subject Headings: Reinforced concrete--Construction--Corrosion., Reinforced concrete--Deterioration., Concrete--Corrosion., Concrete--Chemical resistance., Chlorides--Environmental aspects., Chlorides--Diffusion rate.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Development of Linear Feature Based Non-Contact Bridge Deflection Monitoring System.
Creator: Khamaru, Satarupa, Nagarajan, Sudhagar, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: In any infrastructure project, monitoring and managing the built assets is an important task. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is meant for continuous assessment of safety and serviceability of a structure and its elements. SHM has taken a leading role in the field of structural engineering and has become very popular in recent age. Bridge deflection is the basic evaluation index to examine the health status of a bridge structure. The existing bridge monitoring systems have several...
Show moreIn any infrastructure project, monitoring and managing the built assets is an important task. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is meant for continuous assessment of safety and serviceability of a structure and its elements. SHM has taken a leading role in the field of structural engineering and has become very popular in recent age. Bridge deflection is the basic evaluation index to examine the health status of a bridge structure. The existing bridge monitoring systems have several drawbacks. Hence, a new methodological approach has been proposed to overcome the limitations of traditional contact-based bridge deflection monitoring system and other non-contact based system. This study developed a non-contact linear feature based Deflection Monitoring System (DMS) using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and cameras for timber railroad bridges. The process and detailed workflow of building the DMS, its components and sensors involved are discussed here. The efficiency of this DMS is validated against a deflectometer.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013081
Subject Headings: Structural health monitoring., Bridges--Evaluation., Deflection.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Durability of a recycled aggregate concrete base course material under coupled environmental exposure and cyclic.
Creator: Gonzalez, Lillian, Sobhan, Khaled, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: Long term durability is a major concern for wide-scale use of recycled aggregate materials in civil engineering construction. The purpose of this study is to provide an insight into the damaging effects of combined wet-dry cycles and repeated mechanical loading in a recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) base course material made from recycled crushed concrete aggregate and cement. A coordinated experimental program followed by a mechanistic pavement modeling and life cycle analysis was conducted...
Show moreLong term durability is a major concern for wide-scale use of recycled aggregate materials in civil engineering construction. The purpose of this study is to provide an insight into the damaging effects of combined wet-dry cycles and repeated mechanical loading in a recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) base course material made from recycled crushed concrete aggregate and cement. A coordinated experimental program followed by a mechanistic pavement modeling and life cycle analysis was conducted as part of this research study. This laboratory investigation was divided into three phases each consisting of both wet-dry exposed specimens (WD), and control or non wet-dry exposed specimens (NWD). Phase I experiments involved monotonic loading tests under compression and flexure to evaluate the strength properties. Phase II involved testing a total of 108 cylindrical specimens in cyclic compressive loading at three different stress ratios. After each regime of cyclic loading, residual compressive strengths were determined. In addition, the load-deformation hysteresis loops and the accumulated plastic deformation were continuously monitored through all loading cycles. Phase III included a flexural fatigue test program on 39 beam specimens, and fracture testing program on 6 notched beam specimens, each one having 19-mm initial notch. Traditional SR-N curves, relating the Stress Ratio (SR) with the number of cycles to failure (N or Nf), were developed. Fatigue crack growth rate and changes in Stress Intensity Factors were obtained to determine Paris Law constants and fracture toughness. A mechanistic analysis of a typical highway pavement incorporating RAC base was performed with KENPAVE program, followed by a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) using the GaBi software. It was found that the specimens subjected to wet-dry cycles suffered significantly higher damage expressed in terms of accumulated plastic deformation, and loss of residual compressive strength, modulus, fatigue endurance limit, and design life, compared to specimens not exposed to wet-dry cycles. Although such degradation in material properties are important considerations in pavement design, a concurrent Life Cycle Analysis demonstrated that recycled aggregate concrete base course still holds promise as an alternative construction material from environmental stand point.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004116, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004116
Subject Headings: Aggregates (Building materials ) -- Recycling, Concrete -- Mechanical properties, Construction and demolition debris -- Recycling, Structural engineering, Sustainable construction, Waste products as road materials
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Development of a Biosensor to Detect Landfill Odors Using Human Odorant Binding Protein.
Creator: Roblyer, Julia Gia, Meeroff, Daniel E., Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: Landfills receive odor complaints from local residents potentially resulting in legal ramifications and decreasing quality of life of the neighboring communities. However, analytical technologies to objectively measure odors in the field that will reflect human odor perceptions at a reasonable price do not currently exist. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is detectable by humans at low odor thresholds and may be one of the main nuisance odors emanating from landfills. For the first time, hOBPIIa...
Show moreLandfills receive odor complaints from local residents potentially resulting in legal ramifications and decreasing quality of life of the neighboring communities. However, analytical technologies to objectively measure odors in the field that will reflect human odor perceptions at a reasonable price do not currently exist. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is detectable by humans at low odor thresholds and may be one of the main nuisance odors emanating from landfills. For the first time, hOBPIIa complexed with 1- AMA has been used to detect H2S concentrations by spectrofluorometry. The optimal ratio of hOPBIIa-to-1-AMA was determined to be approximately 1:1. A strong linear regression model was generated to predict H2S concentrations from peak fluorescent emission intensity measurements within a range of 0-8.3 g of H2S. A novel experimental exposure chamber prototype was developed that has the potential to be incorporated into a portable sensor because it is compact.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005939
Subject Headings: Dissertations, Academic -- Florida Atlantic University, Landfills., Biosensors., Odor sensors., Odor control.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Development of a Mobile Mapping System for Road Corridor Mapping.
Creator: Sairam, Nivedita, Nagarajan, Sudhagar, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: In any infrastructure project, managing the built assets is an important task. In the case of transportation asset inventories, a significant cost and effort is spent on recording and storing the asset information. In order to reduce the time and cost involved in road corridor mapping, this paper proposes a low cost MMS (Mobile Mapping System) using an equipped laser scanner and cameras. The process of building the MMS, components and sensors involved and calibration procedures are discussed....
Show moreIn any infrastructure project, managing the built assets is an important task. In the case of transportation asset inventories, a significant cost and effort is spent on recording and storing the asset information. In order to reduce the time and cost involved in road corridor mapping, this paper proposes a low cost MMS (Mobile Mapping System) using an equipped laser scanner and cameras. The process of building the MMS, components and sensors involved and calibration procedures are discussed. The efficiency of this Mobile Mapping System is experimented by mounting it on a truck and golf cart. The paper also provides a framework to extract road assets both automatically and manually using stateof- the-art techniques. The efficiency of this method is compared with traditional field survey methods. Quality of collected data, data integrity and process flow are experimented with a sample asset management framework and a spatial database structure for mapping road corridor features.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004629, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004629
Subject Headings: Transportation engineering., Electronics in engineering., Geographic information systems--Software., Internetworking (Telecommuniation), Geospatial data.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Flexural Behavior of Concrete Using Basalt FRP Rebar.
Creator: Trotsek, Dylan, Arockiasamy, Madasamy, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: The objective of this research is to determine if the deflection equations currently adopted in ACI 440.1r-15 and previously ACI 440.1r-06 accurately reflect the flexural behavior of an overreinforced Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) concrete beam. This was accomplished with experimental, analytical and numerical models. The experiment consisted of two beams doublyreinforced with BFRP rebar. A three-point flexural test on beams with a 30 in. clear span was performed and the deflections...
Show moreThe objective of this research is to determine if the deflection equations currently adopted in ACI 440.1r-15 and previously ACI 440.1r-06 accurately reflect the flexural behavior of an overreinforced Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) concrete beam. This was accomplished with experimental, analytical and numerical models. The experiment consisted of two beams doublyreinforced with BFRP rebar. A three-point flexural test on beams with a 30 in. clear span was performed and the deflections were recorded with a dial gauge and LVDT system. This data was compared to the equations from ACI 440.1r-06, ACI 440.1r-15, Branson’s equation and a numerical model created in ANSYS Mechanical APDL. Experimental results show a stiffer beam than expected when compared to the four predictive models for deflection. This can be due to the level of over-reinforcement and the small clear-span to depth ratio. Further research should be conducted to determine the cause for the additional stiffness.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004920, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004920
Subject Headings: Reinforced concrete construction--Mathematical models., Structural analysis (Engineering), Fiber-reinforced concrete.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Fracture and Fatigue Behavior of Geosynthetic Reinforced Asphalt Concrete for Pavement Overlays.
Creator: Polidora, Jamie Barbara, Sobhan, Khaled, Florida Atlantic University, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: Flexible or asphalt pavements constitute nearly 94% of the 2.7 million miles of existing roadways in the United States. In a typical rehabilitation project, the existing asphalt pavement is milled up to a prescribed depth for removing the near surface distresses such as excessive cracking and rutting, and a new overlay is placed. The average time between resurfacing projects varies depending on the level of pavement deterioration which is significantly accelerated when poor subgrade...
Show moreFlexible or asphalt pavements constitute nearly 94% of the 2.7 million miles of existing roadways in the United States. In a typical rehabilitation project, the existing asphalt pavement is milled up to a prescribed depth for removing the near surface distresses such as excessive cracking and rutting, and a new overlay is placed. The average time between resurfacing projects varies depending on the level of pavement deterioration which is significantly accelerated when poor subgrade conditions are encountered. The use of geosynthetic reinforcement within the new asphalt overlay is often perceived as a mitigation strategy that can delay the onset and propagation of reflection cracking, and also control the rutting and differential settlement. However, some mixed reviews about the performance of the geosynthetic reinforced overlays have been reported in the literature. In Phase I of this study, a laboratory investigation was conducted for evaluating the flexural fatigue behavior, permanent deformation response, and fracture characteristics of geogrid reinforced asphalt beam specimens made from a typical overlay material. The laboratory specimens included geogrid as a single-layer inclusion either at the bottom third depth or at the mid height, and as double-layer inclusion, with geogrid placed both at the bottom third and at the middle of the beam. In Phase II, a case study involving geogrid reinforced overlay constructed over a deteriorated pavement underlain by soft subgrade in southeastern Florida was numerically simulated. It was found that the geogrid reinforcement significantly improved the fatigue and fracture properties of the asphalt beams compared to unreinforced specimens. Results from numerical simulation demonstrated that the double reinforced overlay resulted in the minimum tensile stress at the bottom of the asphalt layer (reducing the cracking potential) and minimum vertical strain on the top of the subgrade (reducing the rutting potential), compared to unreinforced or bottom-third reinforced overlays. Accordingly, it is concluded that the double layer reinforcement of asphalt overlays with an appropriate geosynthetic product can be beneficial for the performance and long term preservation of the pavement system when soft soils are encountered.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004972, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004962
Subject Headings: Dissertations, Academic -- Florida Atlantic University, Reinforced concrete., Asphalt pavements., Geosynthetics., Pavements--Overlays--Evaluation.
Format: Document (PDF)

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