View All Items

Title: LAST-MILE DELIVERY SCHEDULING USING AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY ROBOTS.
Creator: Antonoglou, Vasileia, Kaisar, Evangelos I., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Urban freight system constitutes an essential component for both economic and social aspects of the urban areas. However, the driving forces of globalization and ecommerce have adversely affected the volume of freight vehicles in urban roads over the past few decades impacting the sustainability and efficiency of last-mile deliveries. At the same time, the last-mile problem of goods distribution from companies to customers comprises one of the most costly and highest polluting components of...
Show moreUrban freight system constitutes an essential component for both economic and social aspects of the urban areas. However, the driving forces of globalization and ecommerce have adversely affected the volume of freight vehicles in urban roads over the past few decades impacting the sustainability and efficiency of last-mile deliveries. At the same time, the last-mile problem of goods distribution from companies to customers comprises one of the most costly and highest polluting components of the supply chain. Over the past few years, different innovative concepts of autonomous vehicles were introduced to improve last-mile logistic inefficiencies such as traffic congestion and pollution externalities. The objective of this study is to optimize a distribution network consisting of a set of depots and customers by utilizing Autonomous Delivery Robots (ADRs). For that reason, a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model was developed in GAMS for solving the vehicle routing problem while minimizing the total delivery and delay costs of ADRs. This optimization model is based on the route assignment and the required number of ADRs within the network. A heuristic solution algorithm based on the cluster-first, route-second technique was developed in MATLAB for solving the NP-hard problem efficiently. First the customers were clustered to depots based on their maximum distance from them and the maximum allowed number of customers per cluster. After the clustering, the mathematical model was implemented in each cluster providing an exact solution. Three different medium-sized scenarios of 200, 300 and 400 customers were tested under three different clustering instances of a maximum of 20, 30 and 40 customers per cluster and their results were presented and discussed in detail.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013978
Subject Headings: Freight and freightage, Robotics, Urban transportation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: AQUEOUS ARSENIC REMOVAL USING NOVEL CARBON ADSORBENTS THAT ARE DERIVED FROM WASTE ALGAE.
Creator: Rawal, Rishabh, Meeroff, Dan, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Human exposure to arsenic from natural as well as anthropogenic sources can lead to a detrimental impact to the nervous system, cardiovascular system and can also cause cancer. Historical agricultural runoff has led to an accumulation of arsenic in groundwater and soils around Lake Okeechobee and many golf courses in Florida. This research involved studying the removal of aqueous arsenic via adsorption using activated carbon derived from algae. Carbon derived from Sargassum removed 41.47% of...
Show moreHuman exposure to arsenic from natural as well as anthropogenic sources can lead to a detrimental impact to the nervous system, cardiovascular system and can also cause cancer. Historical agricultural runoff has led to an accumulation of arsenic in groundwater and soils around Lake Okeechobee and many golf courses in Florida. This research involved studying the removal of aqueous arsenic via adsorption using activated carbon derived from algae. Carbon derived from Sargassum removed 41.47% of arsenic after a contact time of 2 hours. Adsorbents created from blue-green algae showed essentially no arsenic removal under the same conditions. Various chemical additives were tested to improve arsenic adsorption as well. Modification of the adsorbent surface with magnesium chloride demonstrated an arsenic removal efficiency of 98.6% when added to commercial activated carbon. However, when magnesium chloride was used to modify the surface of Sargassum-derived carbon adsorbents, the arsenic removal efficiency after 2 hours was 26.7%. It is recommended to investigate other surface modification agents that can potentially improve adsorption of arsenic.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014036
Subject Headings: Arsenic, Adsorption, Algae, Carbon, Activated, Groundwater--Purification--Arsenic removal
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: STOCHASTIC METHODOLOGY TO QUANTIFY FLOOD-RISK FOR COASTAL AND INLAND AREAS.
Creator: Suarez, Eva L., Meeroff, Daniel E., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Current flood-risk models lack fidelity at the neighborhood level. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) develops flood maps based on experts’ experience and estimates on the probability of flooding. First Street Foundation evaluates flood risk with regional and subjective measures, without impact from torrential rain and nuisance flooding. The purpose of this research is to develop a data-driven method to determine a comprehensive flood-risk that accounts for severe, moderate, and...
Show moreCurrent flood-risk models lack fidelity at the neighborhood level. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) develops flood maps based on experts’ experience and estimates on the probability of flooding. First Street Foundation evaluates flood risk with regional and subjective measures, without impact from torrential rain and nuisance flooding. The purpose of this research is to develop a data-driven method to determine a comprehensive flood-risk that accounts for severe, moderate, and nuisance flood events at the single-family home level, while also estimating the recovery time from the specified flood event. The method developed uses the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) method from the American Society of Quality (ASQ) to determine the Consequence of Flooding (CoF), following the 1-day 100-yr storm for the Probability of Flooding (PoF). The product of CoF and PoF provides an estimate of the flood-risk. An estimated Resilience Index value derived from flood-risk, is used to determine the recovery time after a severe or moderate
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013945
Subject Headings: Floods--Risk assessment, United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Floods
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: REVISITING THE COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER DISPOSAL METHODS IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA.
Creator: Conboy, Kelley, Bloetscher, Frederick, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: A comparative risk assessment of wastewater disposal methods in southeast Florida has only been performed once and it was over 20 years ago. Since then, methods has changed and research have been developed. This study follows the methods used in the 2000 study, and assesses the following disposal methods: ocean outfalls, deep injection wells, surface water discharge, reuse for non-potable applications, indirect potable reuse, and direct potable reuse. This assessment assembled a team of...
Show moreA comparative risk assessment of wastewater disposal methods in southeast Florida has only been performed once and it was over 20 years ago. Since then, methods has changed and research have been developed. This study follows the methods used in the 2000 study, and assesses the following disposal methods: ocean outfalls, deep injection wells, surface water discharge, reuse for non-potable applications, indirect potable reuse, and direct potable reuse. This assessment assembled a team of qualified experts to complete a modified delphi survey to assess the human risks of wastewater disposal methods. Using the delphi results in a Bayesian Assessment Model, this assessment found that deep injection well and direct potable reuse were the disposal methods with the least risk.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014068
Subject Headings: Sewage disposal--Florida, Wastewater, Sewage--Management
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Development and Evaluation of a New Beam Element for Modeling the Partially Yielded Regions of Steel W-Shapes.
Creator: Silva, Naomi, Rosson, Barry T., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: This research investigates the development and performance of a new closed-form stiffness matrix for a beam element that assumes a second-order stiffness variation over the regions of beam-columns with partial yielding. Stiffness reduction occurs due to yielding of the cross-section of W-Shapes under certain conditions of residual stress, moment, and axial load. Currently, inelastic material models assume a linear stiffness variation over the beam element length, even though it is well known...
Show moreThis research investigates the development and performance of a new closed-form stiffness matrix for a beam element that assumes a second-order stiffness variation over the regions of beam-columns with partial yielding. Stiffness reduction occurs due to yielding of the cross-section of W-Shapes under certain conditions of residual stress, moment, and axial load. Currently, inelastic material models assume a linear stiffness variation over the beam element length, even though it is well known they vary nonlinearly over the partially yielded regions. To evaluate the performance of the new stiffness matrix, two beams and four frames were analyzed using MASTAN2 considering five load increment and nine element conditions. Discussion and recommendations are provided regarding the parameters that influence the modeling results and the ability of the new stiffness matrix to consistently provide better results than the original stiffness matrix with an assumed linear stiffness variation.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014065
Subject Headings: Steel, Civil engineering
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: ADVANCED DATA SCIENCE AND PHYSICS-BASED MODELING FOR DYNAMIC SYSTEMS.
Creator: Hashemi, Ali, Jang, Jinwoo, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: This dissertation focuses on the development of data-driven and physics-based modeling for two distinct significant structural engineering applications: time-varying response variables estimation and unwanted lateral vibration control. In the first part, I propose a machine learning (ML)-based surrogate modeling to directly predict dynamic responses over an entire mechanical system during operations. Any mechanical system design, as well as structural health monitoring systems, require...
Show moreThis dissertation focuses on the development of data-driven and physics-based modeling for two distinct significant structural engineering applications: time-varying response variables estimation and unwanted lateral vibration control. In the first part, I propose a machine learning (ML)-based surrogate modeling to directly predict dynamic responses over an entire mechanical system during operations. Any mechanical system design, as well as structural health monitoring systems, require transient vibration analysis. However, traditional methods and modeling calculations are time- and resource-consuming. The use of ML approaches is particularly promising in scientific and engineering challenges containing processes that are not completely understood, or where it is computationally infeasible to run numerical or analytical models at desired resolutions in space and time. In this research, an ML-based surrogate for the FEA approach is developed to forecast the time-varying response, i.e., displacement of a two-dimensional truss structure. Various ML regression algorithms including decision trees and deep neural networks are developed to predict movement over a truss structure, and their efficiencies are investigated. ML algorithms have been combined with FEA in preliminary attempts to address issues in static mechanical systems.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014048
Subject Headings: Dynamics, Data Science, Machine learning
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: DEVELOPMENT OF A BIOSENSOR FOR OBJECTIVELY QUANTIFYING NUISANCE ODORS NEAR LANDFILLS.
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 odors from landfills have more impact than just being an annoyance to nearby residents. With an ever-increasing population, a larger number of communities are located in closer proximity to landfills than ever before. This has brought along with it, more regular conflicts with landfill authorities surrounding the issue of odors, resulting in complaints, lawsuits, fines, and even re-siting operations. The absence of an objective method of quantifying nuisance odors makes the task of...
Show moreNuisance odors from landfills have more impact than just being an annoyance to nearby residents. With an ever-increasing population, a larger number of communities are located in closer proximity to landfills than ever before. This has brought along with it, more regular conflicts with landfill authorities surrounding the issue of odors, resulting in complaints, lawsuits, fines, and even re-siting operations. The absence of an objective method of quantifying nuisance odors makes the task of creating regulations and setting standards even more complicated. The current research focuses on a method to objectively quantify landfill odors. The human odorant binding protein 2A (hOBPIIa) can be produced using published recombinant gene technology and can be used as a biosensor to quantify odorants through spectrofluorometric measurements. The current work is a continuation of the previous work by Rahman (2020). In this work, the spent biosensor after it reacts with an odorant is shown to be regenerated by applying additional fluorophore following La Chateliers’ principle, so that the same batch of protein can be used to run multiple experiments with odorants. An important part of the work miniaturized the earlier version of the experimental setup and incorporates a much more efficient flow-through system. This setup is capable of collecting real-time readings, increasing the overall accuracy and shortening the duration of each set of the experiment. The current work also explores the response of the biosensor with an expanded group of pure odorants, including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, toluene, formaldehyde, tert-butyl mercaptan, and methyl mercaptan as well as their mixtures, thus expanding the list of odorants tested under this principle. The results show that the protein shows a concentration-dependent response differing on the hydrophobicity of the target compound.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014101
Subject Headings: Landfills, Fills (Earthwork), Odors, Biosensors
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: CONVERSION OF WASTE MATERIALS TO ACTIVATED CARBON ADSORBENTS FOR BIOGAS PURIFICATION.
Creator: Guirard, Mitchell, Lashaki, Masoud Jahandar, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: The potential of plastic waste-derived activated carbon was investigated for the removal of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from biogas. Activated carbon materials were prepared by carbonizing plastic waste followed by activation via microwave heating after mixing with potassium hydroxide. Samples were tested using thermogravimetric analysis to determine the equilibrium uptake of carbon dioxide. Samples were modified with tetraethylenepentamine and diethanolamine however, sample texture...
Show moreThe potential of plastic waste-derived activated carbon was investigated for the removal of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from biogas. Activated carbon materials were prepared by carbonizing plastic waste followed by activation via microwave heating after mixing with potassium hydroxide. Samples were tested using thermogravimetric analysis to determine the equilibrium uptake of carbon dioxide. Samples were modified with tetraethylenepentamine and diethanolamine however, sample texture produced was deemed unusable for further testing due to operational concerns. Adsorbent screening was conducted in conditions mimicking that of biogas at a temperature of 40 °C and 30% carbon dioxide in nitrogen. Performant samples were identified as those achieving uptakes greater than 3 wt.%. The best performing sample achieved an uptake of 3.57 wt.% and maintained 99% of its uptake during cycling. Column breakthrough experiments demonstrated that the final candidate achieved complete removal of both carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, suggesting viability for larger scale biogas purification.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014093
Subject Headings: Biogas--Purification, Carbon, Activated, Thermogravimetry
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: WASTE DERIVED ACTIVATED CARBON MATERIALS FOR LANDFILL GAS PURIFICATION.
Creator: Thomas, Ryan, Lashaki, Masoud Jahandar, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: The potential of paper waste-derived activated carbon was investigated for the removal of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from landfill gas. Activated carbon materials were prepared by carbonizing paper waste followed by acid treatment to remove ash, mixing with aqueous phase potassium hydroxide, and activation via microwave heating. Activated samples were tested using thermogravimetric analysis to determine their equilibrium uptake of carbon dioxide. The adsorbent materials were modified...
Show moreThe potential of paper waste-derived activated carbon was investigated for the removal of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from landfill gas. Activated carbon materials were prepared by carbonizing paper waste followed by acid treatment to remove ash, mixing with aqueous phase potassium hydroxide, and activation via microwave heating. Activated samples were tested using thermogravimetric analysis to determine their equilibrium uptake of carbon dioxide. The adsorbent materials were modified with both tetraethylenepentamine and diethanolamine to potentially increase the carbon dioxide uptake, however, all the modified samples had a performance significantly worse than their unmodified counterparts. Adsorbent screening was conducted in conditions mimicking that of landfill gas, namely temperature of 40 °C and 40% carbon dioxide in nitrogen. Performant samples were identified as those achieving uptakes greater than 3 wt.%. The best performing sample achieved an uptake of 5.03 wt.% and maintained 97% of its uptake during 100 successive adsorption-desorption cycles. Column-breakthrough experiments demonstrated that the final candidate achieved complete removal of both carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, suggesting viability for larger scale landfill gas purification.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014106
Subject Headings: Landfill gases--Purification, Carbon, Activated, Adsorption
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FIELD EXPERIMENT OF MIXED TRAFFIC – HUMAN DRIVER INTERACTION BETWEEN ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC) AND HUMAN DRIVERS.
Creator: Natrajan, Swarna Lexmi, Kan, David, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Mainstream vehicles sold today are equipped with the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) known as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). ACC automatically adjusts speeds and maintains a safe following distance with the preceding vehicle. This enables partial automation by automating longitudinal car-following. Despite the ever-increasing market penetration, ACC-equipped vehicles will likely operate in a mixed environment with other human-driven vehicles first. However, the traffic flow impact of...
Show moreMainstream vehicles sold today are equipped with the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) known as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). ACC automatically adjusts speeds and maintains a safe following distance with the preceding vehicle. This enables partial automation by automating longitudinal car-following. Despite the ever-increasing market penetration, ACC-equipped vehicles will likely operate in a mixed environment with other human-driven vehicles first. However, the traffic flow impact of human driver behavior when following ACC-equipped vehicles is largely unknown, and it is uncertain whether this deserves special consideration when modeling human driver behavior near ACC enabled vehicles. This study conducted a preliminary real-world experiment on a freeway (a portion of Interstate 95) and an urban arterial (a portion of state route A1A) to investigate the human driver behavior with and without the presence of vehicles in ACC mode as the leaders. This unbiased experiment was conducted in naturalistic traffic conditions. Results from the field experiments demonstrate that in a mixed environment with ACC-equipped vehicles as leaders, the human driven vehicles as the follower adopt similar headway, spacing, and acceleration on both freeway and arterial, with no statistically significant difference. The only exception is when traveling at speeds below 15 mph on urban arterials, where human drivers adopt significantly larger spacing while following ACC-enabled vehicles. We expect that findings from these field experiments will provide important initial insights to future research on human driver car following models in a mixed traffic environment and dedicated lanes for automated vehicles.
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014190
Subject Headings: Driver assistance systems, Automated vehicles, Automobile drivers--Behavior--Evaluation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: COMPARISON OF FUNDAMENTAL DIAGRAMS FOR TRAFFIC FLOW BETWEEN INTERNAL COMBUSTION VEHICLES AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATION AND DRIVER ASSISTANCE.
Creator: Yagantekin, Kemal Ulas, Kan, David, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Adaptive cruise control (ACC) system is the first widely offered automated functionality that regulates the longitudinal movement of the vehicle using onboard radar sensors, and they can maintain a safe following distance with the preceding vehicle. In most of the field experiments with ACC-equipped vehicles conducted with internal combustion engine vehicles, there is still a gap in research on how the automation systems such as ACC combined with electric powertrains will influence the...
Show moreAdaptive cruise control (ACC) system is the first widely offered automated functionality that regulates the longitudinal movement of the vehicle using onboard radar sensors, and they can maintain a safe following distance with the preceding vehicle. In most of the field experiments with ACC-equipped vehicles conducted with internal combustion engine vehicles, there is still a gap in research on how the automation systems such as ACC combined with electric powertrains will influence the traffic flow be examined. This study refined and recalibrated an ACC car-following model for EVs and integrated it into AIMSUN to realistically simulate ACC-equipped vehicles and their impact on the fundamental diagram of traffic flow. Simulations were conducted for various ACC market penetrations, and fundamental diagrams were constructed for those market penetrations using detector measurements at various locations along the simulated segment. Overall, the capacity and the jam density increase as the EV with ACC market penetration rises. EVs with ACC can achieve higher capacities compared to ICEs with ACC.
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014202
Subject Headings: Traffic flow, Automated vehicles, Electric vehicles
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: INVESTIGATING THE POTENTIAL OF AMINE-GRAFTED SILICA MATERIALS FOR SIMULTANEOUS REMOVAL OF CARBON DIOXIDE, WATER VAPOR, AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE FROM LANDFILL GAS.
Creator: Lam, Dung, Lashaki, Masoud Jahandar, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Amine-grafted silica (i.e., aminosilicas) was investigated for single-stage landfill gas purification via simultaneous removal of CO2, H2S, and water vapor. Aminosilica materials were synthesized by covalent triamine grafting onto mesoporous silica with custom amounts of water and amine. Screening adsorption experiments were completed in dry 30 vol.% CO2 in N2 at 40 °C and assessed using thermogravimetric analysis. Materials with equilibrium CO2 uptakes greater than 1.5 mmol/g were chosen for...
Show moreAmine-grafted silica (i.e., aminosilicas) was investigated for single-stage landfill gas purification via simultaneous removal of CO2, H2S, and water vapor. Aminosilica materials were synthesized by covalent triamine grafting onto mesoporous silica with custom amounts of water and amine. Screening adsorption experiments were completed in dry 30 vol.% CO2 in N2 at 40 °C and assessed using thermogravimetric analysis. Materials with equilibrium CO2 uptakes greater than 1.5 mmol/g were chosen for CO2 adsorption kinetics assessments. The highest-performing aminosilica achieved fast CO2 adsorption by reaching 80% of its equilibrium uptake in one minute. This material also maintained 100% of its initial CO2 uptake when subjected to rigorous 100-cycle testing. It underwent column-breakthrough tests in the presence of different dry and humid gas streams containing CO2, H2S, and water vapor, and achieved concurrent and complete (100%) removal of all target impurities. The results suggest that aminosilicas can purify landfill gas in a single stage.
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014182
Subject Headings: Gases--Purification, Landfill gases--Purification
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON WAVE BREAKING AND TRANSMISSION IN SUBMERGED ARTIFICIAL REEFS.
Creator: Raju, Rahul Dev, Arockiasamy, Madasamy, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Artificial reefs are coastal structures built to improve marine life and prevent beach erosion. During earlier days artificial reefs were constructed for recreational fishing using discarded scraps and waste materials. Later on, ships were scuttled for constructing artificial reefs. Artificial reefs dissipate the energy of the wave by making the wave break over the reef. The artificial reefs used for coastal protection are usually in submerged condition as this condition does not affect the...
Show moreArtificial reefs are coastal structures built to improve marine life and prevent beach erosion. During earlier days artificial reefs were constructed for recreational fishing using discarded scraps and waste materials. Later on, ships were scuttled for constructing artificial reefs. Artificial reefs dissipate the energy of the wave by making the wave break over the reef. The artificial reefs used for coastal protection are usually in submerged condition as this condition does not affect the aesthetic beauty of the beach. Wave transmission decides the efficiency of submerged-detached artificial reef in protecting the beach from the incoming waves. The efficiency of submerged detached coastal protection structures in protecting the beach is usually measured in terms of wave transmission coefficient. The experimental investigation in the present study is carried out for submerged two-dimensional impermeable and permeable reefs for three water depths. The crest width of the reefs considered for the experimental studies are 60 cm and 20 cm. The permeable artificial reefs are made up of oyster shells in Nylon bags and biodegradable bags. The water levels considered for the study are 35 cm, 34 cm, and 33 cm. The effect of pore space between the oyster shells, crest width, water depth and wave parameters on the wave transmission coefficient for submerged impermeable and permeable artificial reefs are studied experimentally. The wave transmission coefficient is calculated for submerged impermeable and permeable reefs for different water levels and crest widths. Based on the results of the present experimental studies, it is logical to conclude that both submerged impermeable and permeable artificial reefs contribute to a significant extent to the attenuation of the incident wave.
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014241
Subject Headings: Artificial reefs, Water waves, Ocean waves
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Support for Regional Community Anaerobic Digestion for Organic Waste Diversion.
Creator: Sharmin, Sumaiya, Meeroff, Daniel E., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: As the global population is increasing, the generation of various waste materials (fats, oils and grease, fruit waste etc.) is increasing, which when landfilled, takes up valuable landfill space. Anaerobic digestion techniques have been developed that potentially convert these waste materials into energy and fertilizer, thus reducing landfill demand. It has been hypothesized that addition of high strength organic waste to conventional wastewater sludge can enhance the generation of onsite...
Show moreAs the global population is increasing, the generation of various waste materials (fats, oils and grease, fruit waste etc.) is increasing, which when landfilled, takes up valuable landfill space. Anaerobic digestion techniques have been developed that potentially convert these waste materials into energy and fertilizer, thus reducing landfill demand. It has been hypothesized that addition of high strength organic waste to conventional wastewater sludge can enhance the generation of onsite biogas at wastewater treatment plants, to meet the energy requirements of the plant partially or fully. To determine the anaerobic biodegradability of fats, oils and grease and fruit waste residuals, lab scale ultimate digestibility tests were conducted for a period of 63 days under mesophilic conditions. High strength organic wastes, thickened waste activated sludge and inoculum were mixed at 9 different ratios, and the mixtures were incubated in 500 mL serum bottles. After 63 days, the highest methane yield of 280 mL/gVS and 243 mL/gVS were obtained with mixtures containing 10% FOG with 10% red apples and 10% FOG only respectively whereas the methane yield of inoculum was only 8 mL/gVS. Preliminary cost analyses were conducted using the laboratory derived data
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014297
Subject Headings: Sewage disposal plants--Management, Sewage--Purification--Anaerobic treatment, Biogas
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF HEAVY TRUCK FLOW OUTSIDE INTERMODAL FACILITIES WHILE CONSIDERING TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: A PROOF OF CONCEPT.
Creator: Jaya, Jayisha Das, Kaisar, Evangelos I., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Intermodal facilities, including port operations, play a significant role in the economic framework of the United States by making substantial contributions to the country's GDP, but face challenges managing increased freight volumes. However, increased transportation time within port facilities leads to higher costs, emissions, and impacts on efficiency and sustainability. This thesis aims to develop a concept of operations (ConOps) for improving the efficiency of heavy truck movement...
Show moreIntermodal facilities, including port operations, play a significant role in the economic framework of the United States by making substantial contributions to the country's GDP, but face challenges managing increased freight volumes. However, increased transportation time within port facilities leads to higher costs, emissions, and impacts on efficiency and sustainability. This thesis aims to develop a concept of operations (ConOps) for improving the efficiency of heavy truck movement outside ports, with goals of reducing congestion, considering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and addressing issues faced by the truck drivers. The study proposes integrating technological solutions to streamline heavy truck traffic at intermodal port facilities, including scheduled truck arrivals and departures, truck stop and rest areas near ports, real-time traffic information, implementation of dedicated truck lanes, and autonomous truck platooning. The focus is improving communication, efficiency, and safety for trucking companies, operations managers, and truck drivers. Using microsimulation modeling in PTV VISSIM (2023), a traffic impact study is also conducted, focusing on a case study near the Port of Miami. A base scenario is developed to represent current traffic conditions, and additional scenarios are implemented to evaluate different strategies, such as dedicated and exclusive truck lanes, freeway lane restrictions, and autonomous truck platooning. Simulation findings emphasize the positive impact of these strategies on travel times and delays, and forecast scenarios account for increased truck volumes. Dedicated truck lanes and truck platooning demonstrate promising results in reducing congestion and improving overall traffic flow. This research supports decision-making for government officials and logistics service providers in sustainable and efficient intermodal freight planning. The study also suggests opportunities for future extensions, including emerging technologies and tailored solutions for different port locations and contexts.
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014253
Subject Headings: Intermodal transportation, Containerization, Freight and freightage--Environmental aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FIELD EXPERIMENT ON THE CAPACITY IMPACT OF VEHICLE AUTOMATION ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES (EVS) – CASE STUDY OF ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC).
Creator: Majumder, Tasnim Anika, Kan, David, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Today’s mainstream vehicles are partially automated via an Advanced Driver Assistance Feature (ADAS) known as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). ACC relies on data from onboard sensors to automatically adjust speed to maintain a safe following distance with the preceding vehicle. Contrary to expectations for automated vehicles, ACC may reduce capacity at bottlenecks because its delayed response and limited initial acceleration during queue discharge could increase the average headway. Fortunately...
Show moreToday’s mainstream vehicles are partially automated via an Advanced Driver Assistance Feature (ADAS) known as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). ACC relies on data from onboard sensors to automatically adjust speed to maintain a safe following distance with the preceding vehicle. Contrary to expectations for automated vehicles, ACC may reduce capacity at bottlenecks because its delayed response and limited initial acceleration during queue discharge could increase the average headway. Fortunately, when ACC is paired with fully electric vehicles (EVs), EV’s unique powertrain characteristics such as instantaneous torque and aggressive regenerative braking could allow ACC to adopt shorter headways and accelerate more swiftly to maintain shorter headways during queue discharge, therefore reverse the negative impact on capacity. This has been verified in a series of car following field experiments. Field experiments demonstrate that EVs with ACC can achieve a capacity as high as 3333 veh/hr/lane when cruising in steady state conditions at typical freeway speeds (60 mph and 55 mph) and arterial speeds (45 mph and 35 mph). Furthermore, speed fluctuations and disturbances that may come from queues forming at or near the bottleneck do not reduce the capacity, unlike ACC-equipped internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, making ACC-equipped EVs outperform ICE vehicles with ACC, as well as human drivers.
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014283
Subject Headings: Automated vehicles, Electric vehicles, Adaptive control systems
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FIELD EXPERIMENTS ON ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC) CAR FOLLOWING BEHAVIOR – IMPACT OF LANE CHANGES ON CAPACITY.
Creator: Khan, Md Mahede Hasan, Kan, David, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Today’s mainstream vehicles are partially automated via an advanced driver assistance feature (ADAS) known as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). ACC uses data from on-board sensors to automatically adjust speed to maintain a safe following distance with the preceding vehicle. Contrary to expectations, ICE vehicles equipped with ACC may reduce capacity at bottlenecks because its delayed response and limited initial acceleration during queue discharge could increase the average headway. On the...
Show moreToday’s mainstream vehicles are partially automated via an advanced driver assistance feature (ADAS) known as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). ACC uses data from on-board sensors to automatically adjust speed to maintain a safe following distance with the preceding vehicle. Contrary to expectations, ICE vehicles equipped with ACC may reduce capacity at bottlenecks because its delayed response and limited initial acceleration during queue discharge could increase the average headway. On the other hand, ACC equipped EVs can potentially mitigate this effect for having ready torque and quicker acceleration. However, this has not been investigated for cases when lane changers enter from the adjacent lane. ACC could respond differently under these conditions, and this car following behavior is often referred as receiving lane change car following. Carefully planned field experiments on lane change car following demonstrate that lane changes and the subsequent receiving lane change car following from ICE vehicles equipped with ACC increases the gap unless the lane changer and the target lane traffic have identical or similar speeds for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and ACC in the EVs doesn’t increase the gap after lane change increasing capacity for merging compared to ICE vehicles. For ICE, this trend also correlates with the selected ACC gap, with larger gap selection resulting in longer gap following the lane change maneuver and the receiving lane change car following in response. Larger gap setting shows better results after lane change for EVs.
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014276
Subject Headings: Automated vehicles, Automobile driving--Lane changing
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: MULTISPECTRAL UAS BASED COASTAL CHANGE DETECTION METHODS.
Creator: Rajkumar, Monica, Nagarajan, Sudhagar, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Coastal landscape plays a vital role in reflecting various natural processes. Vegetation resource management improves the quality of life above the surface of the earth. Due to factors such as climatic change, urban development, and global warming, monitoring the coastal region as well as its vegetation has indeed become a challenge to mankind. The purpose of the study is to propose an effective low-cost methodology to monitor the 120- acre Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area ...
Show moreCoastal landscape plays a vital role in reflecting various natural processes. Vegetation resource management improves the quality of life above the surface of the earth. Due to factors such as climatic change, urban development, and global warming, monitoring the coastal region as well as its vegetation has indeed become a challenge to mankind. The purpose of the study is to propose an effective low-cost methodology to monitor the 120- acre Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) located in Jupiter, Florida (USA) using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Imagery deployed with RedEdge Micasense Multispectral sensor having five bands. Since, UAS provides high resolution imagery at lower altitudes, it has a lot of potential for variety of applications. This research aims to (1) Automate the extraction of shoreline and coastline through Modified Normalized Difference Index (MNDI), thereby comparing it with the manually digitized shoreline using transect-based analysis (2) Automate the volume change computation, as the area has been affected due to various natural and anthropogenic factors in the past few decades. (3) Perform shoreline change detection for the time period 1953 to 2021 (4) Develop an algorithm to differentiate ground and non-ground points along the shore region and generate Digital Terrain Model (DTM) (5) Land use and Land cover (LULC) mapping using different band combinations and compare its result using deep learning approach.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013931
Subject Headings: Coastal zone management--Florida, Jupiter Inlet Light (Fla.), Multispectral imaging, Drone aircraft, ArcGIS
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: ANALYSIS OF PILE FOUNDATION SYSTEMS IN MULTI-LAYERED SOIL STRATA.
Creator: Arvan, Prakash Ankitha, Arockiasamy, Madasamy, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: Pile foundations are subjected to vertical loads and significantly higher lateral loads due to wind, seismic effects, ocean waves and currents, and floating ice sheets. Applied vertical load on a pile is resisted by the skin friction and base resistance. The base resistance is provided by the soil layer and skin friction develops at the soil-pile interface. The lateral load on the pile is resisted by the soil-pile interaction effect, which is dependent on the pile and soil parameters....
Show morePile foundations are subjected to vertical loads and significantly higher lateral loads due to wind, seismic effects, ocean waves and currents, and floating ice sheets. Applied vertical load on a pile is resisted by the skin friction and base resistance. The base resistance is provided by the soil layer and skin friction develops at the soil-pile interface. The lateral load on the pile is resisted by the soil-pile interaction effect, which is dependent on the pile and soil parameters. Published literature shows that a properly designed Pile-to-Pile Cap (PTPC) connection will offer significant lateral resistance to the applied loads. The soil-pile system behavior is highly non-linear which requires a detailed study on the soil-structure interaction considering multi-layered soil strata and their properties. This Dissertation is divided into two parts: Evaluation of (A) the behavior and performance of PTPC connections, and (B) the load-displacement responses of a pile embedded in a multi-layered non-linear elastic soil strata subjected to static loads. A comprehensive literature review has been performed to study the factors affecting the PTPC connection performances and the load-displacement behavior of piles subjected to static lateral and axial loads considering soil-pile interactions. The objective of the study in Part A is to develop a PTPC connection design capable of producing adequate moment capacity of the pile by relying only on plain pile embedments without any special connection reinforcement details. The present study evaluates the local and global behavior of the PTPC connections with plain pile embedment through Finite Element Analyses (FEA).
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014124
Subject Headings: Pile foundations, Piling (Civil engineering), Soils
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: REGULARIZATION MODELS FOR IMPUTATION OF MISSING PRECIPITATION DATA.
Creator: Azad, Anika, Teegavarapu, Ramesh S. V., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Description: This study focuses on developing optimization models to estimate missing precipitation data at twenty-two sites within Kentucky State. Various optimization formulations and regularization models are explored in this context. The performance of these models is evaluated using a range of performance measures and error metrics for handling missing records. The findings revealed that regularization models performed better than optimization models. This superiority is attributed to their ability...
Show moreThis study focuses on developing optimization models to estimate missing precipitation data at twenty-two sites within Kentucky State. Various optimization formulations and regularization models are explored in this context. The performance of these models is evaluated using a range of performance measures and error metrics for handling missing records. The findings revealed that regularization models performed better than optimization models. This superiority is attributed to their ability to reduce model complexity while enhancing overall performance. The study underscores the significance of regularization techniques in improving the accuracy and efficiency of precipitation data estimation.
Show less
Date Issued: 2024
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014432
Subject Headings: Rain and rainfall, Precipitation (Meteorology), Missing data (Statistics), Machine learning
Format: Document (PDF)

FAU Theses and Dissertations (184)	+ -
FAU College Collections (17)	+ -

Mathematical models (13)	+ -
Environmental aspects (9)	+ -
Florida Atlantic University -- History (8)	+ -
Automated vehicles (7)	+ -
Concrete (7)	+ -

Management (7)	+ -
Precipitation (Meteorology) (7)	+ -
Design and construction (6)	+ -
Floods--Risk assessment (6)	+ -
Intelligent transportation systems (6)	+ -
Measurement (6)	+ -
Structural analysis (Engineering) (6)	+ -
Testing (6)	+ -
Traffic engineering (6)	+ -
Climatic changes (5)	+ -
Design (5)	+ -
Emergency management (5)	+ -
Freight and freightage (5)	+ -
Roads (5)	+ -
Technological innovations (5)	+ -
Adsorption (4)	+ -
Evacuation of civilians (4)	+ -
Machine learning (4)	+ -
Purification (4)	+ -
Reinforced concrete construction (4)	+ -
Sanitary landfills (4)	+ -
Structural dynamics (4)	+ -
Traffic congestion (4)	+ -
Carbon, Activated (3)	+ -
Climatic changes. (3)	+ -

United States (10)	+ -
Florida (8)	+ -
Boynton Inlet (1)	+ -
Longboat Key (1)	+ -
Palm Beach County (1)	+ -

Pembroke Pines (1)	+ -
South Florida Water Management District (1)	+ -

Search In

Pages

Pages

Sort Results By:

Narrow results by:

Collection

Topical Subject

Geographic Subject

Genre

Type of Resource

Language

Creator

Format

Owner