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Title: Dynamic and Stochastic Transition of Traffic Conditions and Its Application in Urban Traffic Mobility.
Creator: Kidando, Emmanuel, Moses, Ren, Duncan, Michael Douglas, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Sando, Thobias M., Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering...
Show moreKidando, Emmanuel, Moses, Ren, Duncan, Michael Douglas, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Sando, Thobias M., Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Analytical models developed using field data can provide useful information with acceptable confidence to evaluate and predict the operational characteristics of a highway. As such, this study presents statistical models that can be used to estimate the travel time or speed distribution, cluster different traffic conditions, to model the dynamic transition of traffic regimes (DTR), and quantify the disparity-effects on the DTR associated with different lateral lane positions (i.e., lane near...
Show moreAnalytical models developed using field data can provide useful information with acceptable confidence to evaluate and predict the operational characteristics of a highway. As such, this study presents statistical models that can be used to estimate the travel time or speed distribution, cluster different traffic conditions, to model the dynamic transition of traffic regimes (DTR), and quantify the disparity-effects on the DTR associated with different lateral lane positions (i.e., lane near shoulder, middle lane(s) and lane near a median) as well as different days of the week. In the analysis, this study uses Bayesian frameworks to estimate the model parameters. These frameworks reduce the impact of model over-fitting and also incorporate uncertainty in the estimates. Data from a freeway corridor along I-295 located in Jacksonville, Florida were selected for analysis. It includes data from individual microwave vehicle sensors, segment level aggregated traffic data and data aggregated at a corridor level. The proposed probabilistic frameworks developed by this study can be a useful resource in detecting and evaluating different traffic conditions, which can facilitate the planning action to implement congestion-related countermeasures in urban areas. In addition, findings from the hierarchical regression model presented by the current study can be used in the application of intelligent transportation systems, mainly in the dynamic lane-management strategy.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: 2019_Spring_Kidando_fsu_0071E_15049
Format: Thesis

Title: Degradation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid by a Non-Thermal Plasma Reactor and Bio-Reactors.
Creator: Farahani, Meysam, Tang, Youneng, Locke, Bruce R., Clark, Clayton J., Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is persistent in environment due to its stable structure. It is also toxic to animals and human. The objective of this research is to remove PFOA with a non-thermal plasma reactor, anaerobic and aerobic bio-reactors, and their combination. Mineralization and defluorination (i.e., fluoride production) occurred in the plasma reactor. Neither PFOA removal nor fluoride production was observed in the bioreactors. In the plasma reactor with Argon as the carrier gas, 20...
Show morePerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is persistent in environment due to its stable structure. It is also toxic to animals and human. The objective of this research is to remove PFOA with a non-thermal plasma reactor, anaerobic and aerobic bio-reactors, and their combination. Mineralization and defluorination (i.e., fluoride production) occurred in the plasma reactor. Neither PFOA removal nor fluoride production was observed in the bioreactors. In the plasma reactor with Argon as the carrier gas, 20 µM of PFOA in deionized (DI) water was removed to 4.22 and 4.04 µM, respectively, when the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 0.21 s and 0.15 s, respectively. When the carrier gas was changed to Helium, PFOA was removed to 3.85 µM and 3.77 µM, respectively. Therefore, the carrier gas and HRT did not have significant effect on PFOA degradation. However, the carrier gas and HRT strongly affected the defluorination rate: 11% (for HRT = 0.21 s) and 6.5% (for HRT = 0.15) when Argon was the carrier gas, and 22% (for HRT = 0.21 s) and 8.6% (for HRT = 0.15 s) when Helium was the carrier gas. Consequently, a higher energy yield was achieved with Helium as the carrier gas (maximum of 11.3×10-11 mole F- production/J) than with Argon as the carrier gas (maximum of 6.43×10-11 mole F- production/J). Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) were observed in the effluent of the non-thermal plasma reactor by using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The intermediates production rate was higher when argon was the carrier gas compared with Helium, probably because the degradation mechanisms are different for PFOA and their intermediates.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: 2019_Spring_Farahani_fsu_0071N_15034
Format: Thesis

Title: Hybrid Data Mining Models for Risk and Vulnerability Analysis of Traffic Safety.
Creator: Mafi, Somayeh, AbdelRazig, Yassir, Boot, Walter Richard, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreMafi, Somayeh, AbdelRazig, Yassir, Boot, Walter Richard, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: As the roadway networks have been developing gradually to improve transportation accessibility to various facilities, the probability of traffic crash occurrences has also increased consequently. With an increasing transportation demand, traffic safety needs to be improved in order to reduce the economic and societal expenses related to improper traffic safety measures. The identification and prediction of crash-prone regions is an essential task in highway safety management, particularly...
Show moreAs the roadway networks have been developing gradually to improve transportation accessibility to various facilities, the probability of traffic crash occurrences has also increased consequently. With an increasing transportation demand, traffic safety needs to be improved in order to reduce the economic and societal expenses related to improper traffic safety measures. The identification and prediction of crash-prone regions is an essential task in highway safety management, particularly when highway officials have a limited budget for mitigations. Generally, implementing effective methods for the prediction of high crash risk locations can facilitate research on contributing factors in traffic crashes to mitigate them, resulting in the efficient employment of federal, state and local government resources for enhancing transportation safety. In this regard, developing non-biased and accurate models capable of predicting crash risk is a vital task in transportation safety research. Another transportation issue, believed to have a close relationship with traffic safety and operation, is drivers’ gap acceptance behavior. Given the steady rise in the percentage of aging roadway users in the United States and their over-represented engagement in fatal crashes, there is a growing need for understanding how this population differs from their younger counterparts in driving performance and crash involvement. The general objective of this research is to develop hybrid data mining models for risk and vulnerability analysis of traffic safety. This research examines the feasibility of different data mining models in predicting the priority of intersections needing improvement for aging drivers by comparing their results with traditional models. It also investigates how injury severity differs between drivers of various age and gender groups by developing cost-sensitive data mining models which consider the consequences (cost) of incorrect predictions. Moreover, it examines the effect of time-based accessibility to on-premise alcohol outlets on the severity of alcohol-related crashes. This research also conducts Geographical Information System (GIS)-based hotspot analyses to identify the crash-prone locations for various occupant age groups during different time intervals of a day and predict the location of these hotspots using statistical and machine learning models. Besides, it conducts a spatiotemporal analysis to quantify the exposure of population of different age groups to crash-prone locations and to statistically analyze the decision-making process for possible improvement. This study also aims to investigate the differences in drivers’ gap acceptance behavior while performing permissive left and right turn maneuvers at four-legged intersections using the data extracted from a driving simulator. The results showed that the implemented machine learning models were superior methodologies for predicting crash risk. Moreover, the cost-sensitive learning classifiers outperformed regular classifiers at accurately predicting injuries and fatalities of crashes. Results of the crash severity models displayed substantial differences in injury severity determinants across the age/gender cohorts. Also, it was concluded that more accessibility to on-premise alcohol outlets results in more severe alcohol-related crashes. The hotspot prediction models also revealed considerable differences in crash hotspot determinants and their coefficients across the occupants’ age groups and time intervals of a day. Moreover, among the residents, the aging population were shown to be more exposed to the risk of being injured in a crash compared to other age groups. The results of driving simulation experiment also illustrated that aging drivers are more conservative in performing left turns than younger drivers, and accepted gap size, number of lanes, and the presence of pedestrians were significantly correlated with drivers’ gap acceptance behavior.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: 2019_Spring_Mafi_fsu_0071E_14997
Format: Thesis

Title: Multilevel Competing Risks Models for the Performance Assessment of Transportation Infrastructure.
Creator: Inkoom, Sylvester Kwame, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Chicken, Eric, AbdelRazig, Yassir, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of...
Show moreInkoom, Sylvester Kwame, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Chicken, Eric, AbdelRazig, Yassir, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, storm surges, wildfires among other hazards affect communities and large geographic areas of the United States resulting in negative repercussions on the environment and the economy. The impacts of these hazards on bridges and other civil infrastructure affect the structural integrity and functionality of bridges, highway pavements and overall efficiency of the transportation network. This study focuses on the hazards that affect bridges and...
Show moreNatural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, storm surges, wildfires among other hazards affect communities and large geographic areas of the United States resulting in negative repercussions on the environment and the economy. The impacts of these hazards on bridges and other civil infrastructure affect the structural integrity and functionality of bridges, highway pavements and overall efficiency of the transportation network. This study focuses on the hazards that affect bridges and pavements, and the complex interactions and correlations among them, to evaluate the performance of civil infrastructure. Hazard scenarios are considered as competing risks impacting the health of bridges and highway pavements. The study derived stochastic distributions characterizing the behavior of bridge elements and pavement segments during natural deterioration process which are compared to their response in the presence of hazards. To achieve the above objective, competing risk models were developed for highway pavement in Florida in the presence of hurricane failures. Also, distributions and competing risk deterioration models for AASHTO Commonly Recognized (CoRe) bridge elements were developed using legacy data for bridges from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Annual probability of hazard occurrence data sourced from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA – HAZUS) was employed to model hurricane induced pavement and bridge element failure. The expected service lives for highway pavement and bridge elements, transition and sojourn times from one condition state to another were obtained using the Cox Proportional Hazards, cumulative incidence functions, product-limit survival estimates and other survival functions. The method of likelihood estimation, weighting techniques and inference procedures were used to describe risk event data with censoring and truncation scenarios where necessary for the analyses. The cumulative incidence function and the Kaplan – Meier estimates were used to ascertain the effects of the modes of failures of bridge elements and highway pavements at the network levels in the presence of hurricanes. The results showed that three modes of failure (cracking, riding and rutting) are all significant to for pavements. As the roadway pavement section ages, the chance of failure is more likely to be due to cracking than the other competing modes. Based on the road functional classifications, the survival probabilities and the cumulative incidence estimates showed that the cracking defect was predominant on both interstate and non-interstate roadways. It was observed that urban and rural pavements deteriorated by the cracking and riding defects with the rutting failure mode being significant at the end of the service life of the pavement. The research also evaluated the significance of two competing risks events: “natural” crack deterioration of highway pavements in the presence of hurricane failure (Hurricane Categories 1, 2 and 3), for 6702 highway pavement sections using the nonparametric survival probability (Kaplan-Meier estimates) and the cumulative incidence function (CIF). The risks were compared using the Logrank Test (to indicate if the survival probabilities of the risks are significantly different), and the hazard ratio (ratio of hazard rates based on time to failure covariate). From the results, it was observed that the contribution of the Hurricane Category 3 as a competing risk was significantly higher and different from that of crack deterioration. For example, the hazard ratio indicated the effect of Hurricane Category 3 on pavement failure was twice as significant as that of the crack deterioration for the inland urban interstates roadways. Also, the hazard ratio between hurricane category 3 and crack deterioration was about 16 for rural interstates and 18 and 28 for urban non-interstates and rural non-interstates at the coastal locations respectively. The hazard ratios and CIF plots showed that impact of hurricanes on coastal roadways is more significant compared to how they affect the inland pavements. Finally, it was observed that the “natural” deterioration of bridge channels and hurricane induced channel failures generally yield significantly different impacts based on the logrank chi-square outputs. Also, it was observed the impact of hurricane categories 3 and 2 on bridge channel elements were more significant (based on the hazard ratios) at the coastal bridge locations than in the noncoastal areas, and also generally high for urban bridge channels compared to rural channels.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: 2019_Spring_Inkoom_fsu_0071E_14979
Format: Thesis

Title: Enhancement of Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Mitigation of Nitrous Oxide Emission in Agricultural Fields.
Creator: Li, Simeng, Chen, Gang, Sang, Qing-Xiang, Clark, Clayton J., Tang, Youneng, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering (Tallahassee, Fla.), Department of Civil...
Show moreLi, Simeng, Chen, Gang, Sang, Qing-Xiang, Clark, Clayton J., Tang, Youneng, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering (Tallahassee, Fla.), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Recent intensification of agriculture in face of the continuously increasing food demand has caused many environmental and socioeconomic problems. Excessive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers is prevalent on many farms today. However, a large proportion of the N applied to agricultural soil contributes very little to crop production. Instead, a considerable amount of N is lost via leaching into groundwater, via runoff into surface water, and via nitrous oxide (N2O) emission into the atmosphere....
Show moreRecent intensification of agriculture in face of the continuously increasing food demand has caused many environmental and socioeconomic problems. Excessive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers is prevalent on many farms today. However, a large proportion of the N applied to agricultural soil contributes very little to crop production. Instead, a considerable amount of N is lost via leaching into groundwater, via runoff into surface water, and via nitrous oxide (N2O) emission into the atmosphere. As a result, the ecosystem is negatively impacted. Sustainable N management should aim at supplying sufficient N for optimum crop growth and development, while keeping losses to the environment to a minimum. Towards this goal, it is essential to enhance N retention and at the same time mitigate N2O emission in agricultural soil. Being the leader of one USDA project, I investigated the effects of different N management approaches that are based on the use of biochar, dicyandiamide (nitrification inhibitor) and polyacrylamide (superabsorbent hydrogel) in agricultural soils. It was found that a significantly higher amount of ammonium (NH4+) could be retained in the biochar-amended soil, comparing to the control soil. However, the retention of other ionic forms of N, such as nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-), was barely improved. In fertilized soil, nitrification is a common process that transforms NH4+ into NO2- and eventually NO3-. To limit this transformation, the effects of one of the most commonly used nitrification inhibitor, i.e., dicyandiamide (DCD), was studied in combination with biochar. Based on the experimental data, mathematical models were developed to estimate the rate of nitrification impacted by the inhibition of persistently degrading DCD. It was discovered that the presence of biochar accelerated the biodegradation of both DCD and NH4+, but effectively reduced the spatial separation between the two. Depending on the soil properties and environmental conditions, the combined use of DCD and biochar can have versatile effects on nitrification inhibition. Also, considering the great amount of field data reported in the literature, statistical methods such as data synthesis and meta-analysis were also exploited to excavate the insightful information on the effectiveness of different soil amendments (e.g., biochar) in terms of N retention, crop production and N2O emission. Lastly, the recalcitrance of biochar, which is directly related to biochar's soil carbon sequestration potential, was also discussed. In order to quantify and compare the soil carbon sequestration potential of biochar produced from different conditions and feedstock types, a carbon-based recalcitrance index was developed using a state-of-the-art thermochemical technique.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: 2019_Summer_Li_fsu_0071E_15255
Format: Thesis

Title: Modeling Biofilm on Reactive Surface.
Creator: Wang, Boya, Tang, Youneng, Ordóñez, Juan Carlos, Chen, Gang, Huang, Wenrui, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental...
Show moreWang, Boya, Tang, Youneng, Ordóñez, Juan Carlos, Chen, Gang, Huang, Wenrui, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Biofilms were first used to treat wastewater in the late 19th century, and still play an important role in today’s wastewater treatment plants. Biofilm model is one of the most essential and powerful tools for studying biofilm process, understanding the mechanisms both inside the biofilm and between the biofilm and outside environment, and controlling the performance of the biofilm reactors. Usually the biofilm grows on inert and impermeable surfaces, but sometimes it develops on ‘active’...
Show moreBiofilms were first used to treat wastewater in the late 19th century, and still play an important role in today’s wastewater treatment plants. Biofilm model is one of the most essential and powerful tools for studying biofilm process, understanding the mechanisms both inside the biofilm and between the biofilm and outside environment, and controlling the performance of the biofilm reactors. Usually the biofilm grows on inert and impermeable surfaces, but sometimes it develops on ‘active’ surfaces, which makes it more challenging to simulate. This dissertation is focused on modeling biofilm on reactive surface. It also develops a method to estimate kinetic parameters of biodegradation to be used in models. Homoacetogenesis and methanogenesis, which usually occur during anaerobic trichloroethene (TCE) dechlorination, affect the removal of TCE and its daughter products. This study develops a one-dimensional, multi-species H2-based biofilm model to simulate the interactions among six solid biomass species (Dehalococcoides, Geobacter, methanogens, homoacetogens, inert biomass (IB), and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)) and 10 dissolved chemical species (TCE, dichloroethene (DCE), vinyl chloride (VC), ethene, hydrogen (H2), methane, acetate, bicarbonate, utilization associated products (UAP), and biomass associated products (BAP)). To evaluate and parameterize the model, parameter values from the literature were input into the model to simulate conditions reported for an experiment. The biomass species distribution in the biofilm and the chemical species concentrations in the reactor effluent at steady state were generally consistent between the experiments and the model. The predicted 15-µm biofilm consisted of three layers, each dominated by a different active biomass type: homoacetogens in the layer next to the membrane, Geobacter in the biofilm surface layer (next to the water), and Dehalococcoides in-between. About two thirds of the TCE was converted to ethene and one third to VC due to the large half-maximum-rate concentration of VC. The effluent concentration of VC is far beyond the drinking-water maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 2 µg/L. To achieve complete removal of TCE, DCE, and VC, we evaluated the influence of various operating conditions like H2 pressure, biofilm detachment rate (kdet), and multiple stages. Through all the simulation results, we demonstrated that VC could be completely removed from the reactor when the H2 pressure was between 0.01 and 0.1 atm and kdet was between 1 and 3.6 cm-1day-1. We also found that a 2-stage system was more efficient than a single-stage reactor. All biofilm models use kinetic parameters of biodegradation. For microbial consortia, the traditional method for kinetic parameter estimation is based on the total biomass concentration and assumes that all the microorganisms are capable of degrading the contaminant. This work proposed an improved method that selects the responsible microbial groups and uses their concentrations for parameter estimation. We conducted batch experiments to track the change of contaminant and biomass concentrations, and used 16s rRNA sequencing to analyze the microbial community. Based on the correlation between the contaminant and microbial abundance, we then found the groups that were likely responsible for bio-degradation of the contaminant. PEST, the industry standard software package for parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis of complex environmental and other computer models, was used to estimate biodegradation parameters. By comparing to the conventional method, we found that the accuracy of this method was higher than that of the conventional method.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: 2019_Fall_Wang_fsu_0071E_15625
Format: Thesis

Title: Removal and Recovery of Selenium from Agricultural Drainage Using Microbial Processes.
Creator: Zhang, Zhiming, Tang, Youneng, Ye, Ming, Clark, Clayton J., Chen, Gang, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: Selenium is a nutrient for animals and human at low concentrations, but toxic at high concentrations. Agricultural drainage is one type of water that may contain selenium at a high concentration due to seleniferous agricultural soils, which presents hazards to its surrounding biosphere. Microbes can be used to remove selenium from agricultural water by converting dissolved selenate to elemental selenium nanoparticles, which may then be removed or recovered as a valuable resource. However,...
Show moreSelenium is a nutrient for animals and human at low concentrations, but toxic at high concentrations. Agricultural drainage is one type of water that may contain selenium at a high concentration due to seleniferous agricultural soils, which presents hazards to its surrounding biosphere. Microbes can be used to remove selenium from agricultural water by converting dissolved selenate to elemental selenium nanoparticles, which may then be removed or recovered as a valuable resource. However, sulfate is ubiquitous in water systems and the analogous reactions between selenate and sulfate affect the selenate reduction and the downstream elemental selenium purification and recovery. This presents one challenge for selenium recovery. The location of elemental selenium nanoparticles produced by the bacteria is closely relevant to the following recovery, since extracellular selenium nanoparticles are much easier to be recovered than intracellular selenium. Most microbial species either produce intracellular selenium nanoparticles or simultaneously produce extracellular and intracellular selenium nanoparticles. Few species produce only extracellular selenium nanoparticles, which leads to another challenge for selenium recovery. The overall objective of this dissertation is to address the two challenges. Being able to accurately measuring various selenium species is the precondition to addressing the two challenges. Particulate selenium is usually separated from dissolved selenium by centrifugation or filtration, but the separation conditions vary widely and are inconsistent in the literature. By systematically studying the effects of the relative centrifugation force and filter pore size on the separation of particulate selenium from dissolved selenium in typical environmental samples, we found that the relative centrifugation force of ≥ 20,000 g and filter pore size ≤ 20 nm led to complete separation of particulate selenium in general. The presence of other particles and the concentration of particulate selenium affect the separating efficiency by centrifugation and thus should be considered while choosing the appropriate centrifugation condition. To address the first challenge, the effects of sulfate on selenate reduction were studied in a H2-based membrane biofilm reactor. The composition and spatial distribution of biological selenate reduction products were affected by the operating conditions. At a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 0.28 day, selenate was biologically reduced all the way to elemental selenium nanoparticles, which were embedded in the biofilm, suspended in the effluent and precipitated at the bottom of the reactor. With the HRTs decreasing to 0.14 and 0.07 days, selenium sulfides were the dominant particulate selenium products in the effluent, suggesting that the abiotic reaction between selenite (the intermediate of biological selenate reduction) and sulfide (the product of biological sulfate reduction) also occurred. To address the second challenge, a biocathode-based bioelectrochemical reactor was used to eliminate the need for separating intracellular selenium from biomass. The continuous-flow bioelectrochemical reactor removed > 99.6% of the selenate at a selenate surface loading rate of 330 mg Se/m2-day, which was higher than that in most of the conventional biological reactors. The inoculum was a microbial consortium containing both intracellular and extracellular selenium-producing bacteria, but only extracellular selenium nanoparticles were observed when the biocathode was imaged by a transmission electron microscope. To understand the extracellular selenium-producing mechanisms on the biocathodes, 16S rRNA sequencing was used to study the microbial community. Selenate reducing bacteria Azospira oryzae, Desulfovibrio, Stenotrophomonas, and Rhodocyclaceae dominated the cathodic electrode. They were reported to produce both intracellular and extracellular selenium nanoparticles in conventional reactors, but they produced only extracellular selenium nanoparticles on the biocathode. Raman spectrometry further demonstrated the existence of significant Cytochrome c (Cyt c) on the BIOcathode, an enzyme that plays a key role in extracellular electron transfer and subsequent extracellular selenium production. This dissertation is based on and adapted from published journal papers and manuscripts that are ready to submit.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: 2019_Fall_Zhang_fsu_0071E_15643
Format: Thesis

Title: Innovative Metaheuristic Algorithms for Efficient Berth Scheduling at Marine Container Terminals.
Creator: Kavoosi, Masoud, Dulebenets, Maxim A., Vanli, Omer Arda, Moses, Ren, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Wang, Hui, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of...
Show moreKavoosi, Masoud, Dulebenets, Maxim A., Vanli, Omer Arda, Moses, Ren, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Wang, Hui, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Maritime transportation has been continuously playing an undeniable role for the global trade and economy of many countries. Based on the fast growth of the maritime trade, the marine container terminal (MCT) operators should focus on improving the operations planning at the MCTs. Seaside operations have substantial impacts on the general throughput of the MCTs. The daily berth planning as a seaside operation is the point of focus herein. The daily berth planning is modeled as a berth...
Show moreMaritime transportation has been continuously playing an undeniable role for the global trade and economy of many countries. Based on the fast growth of the maritime trade, the marine container terminal (MCT) operators should focus on improving the operations planning at the MCTs. Seaside operations have substantial impacts on the general throughput of the MCTs. The daily berth planning as a seaside operation is the point of focus herein. The daily berth planning is modeled as a berth scheduling problem (BSP) in this dissertation. The BSP (as a decision problem) aims to assign the arriving vessels to the available berthing positions and can be reduced to the unrelated machine scheduling problem, which has NP-hard complexity. The large-size instances of decision problems with NP-hard complexity cannot be solved using exact optimization algorithms, while metaheuristic algorithms can effectively solve large-size problem instances and return good-quality solutions. Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) are among the most popular metaheuristic algorithms deployed to solve the real-size BSPs. There are some algorithmic parameters in EAs (e.g., crossover probability, mutation probability, population size, etc.), which should be assigned the appropriate values to have the best possible performance of the algorithm for a given BSP. The process of determination of algorithmic parameters values is called the parameter selection. Several methodologies have been introduced in the EA literature for parameter selection, which can be classified as follows: (1) parameter tuning; and (2) parameter control. In parameter tuning, the algorithmic parameter values remain constant throughout the algorithmic evolution, while the parameter control strategy updates the algorithmic parameters considering different approaches. In this dissertation, an EA with a self-adaptive parameter control strategy is proposed to solve the developed BSP. Based on a self-adaptive parameter control strategy, the crossover and mutation probabilities are encoded in the solutions and evolve with the EA. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model, minimizing the total weighted vessel turnaround time and the total weighted vessel late departures. Comprehensive numerical experiments are conducted to assess performance of the proposed self-adaptive EA against the alternative EAs, which rely on the different parameter selection strategies. Results demonstrate that all the considered solution algorithms show a promising performance in terms of the objective function values at termination. However, application of the self-adaptive parameter control strategy substantially enhances the objective function values at convergence without a significant impact on the computational time. Furthermore, an EA with an augmented self-adaptive parameter control strategy is presented in this dissertation as another solution algorithm for the BSPs. Based on an augmented self-adaptive parameter control strategy, not only the crossover and mutation probabilities are encoded in the solutions but they are also updated based on the feedback from the search. A mixed-integer linear programming mathematical model is developed for the BSP, aiming to minimize the total costs for serving vessels at the MCT. The designed algorithm is evaluated against nine alternative state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms, which have been widely utilized in the BSP literature. The results show that all the developed algorithms have a high level of stability and return high-quality solutions at termination. The computational experiments also prove the superiority of the designed augmented self-adaptive EA over the alternative algorithms considering different performance indicators. Another innovative solution methodology is developed in this dissertation, which relies on the island-based concept. Specifically, a universal island-based metaheuristic algorithm is designed for the BSP, where four different population-based metaheuristics are executed simultaneously in order to effectively search for solutions. A mixed-integer linear mathematical model is developed for the BSP, minimizing the total cost to serve the arriving vessels at the MCT. Comprehensive numerical experiments are conducted to evaluate performance of the island-based algorithm against seven commonly used metaheuristics in the BSP literature. The stability and the capability of the adopted algorithms in providing high-quality solutions at convergence are proven. The results demonstrate that the island-based algorithm outperforms other adopted algorithms considering different performance indicators. To summarize, this dissertation proposes three different solution methodologies for various BSP mathematical formulations. The algorithms have been evaluated based on extensive numerical experiments against the alternative algorithms, which have been widely used in the MCT and freight terminal operations literature. Findings confirm effectiveness of the proposed solution methodologies. Therefore, the developed solution methodologies can serve as promising decision support tools and assist MCT operators with the development of berth schedules. The latter will also assist with serving the growing demand for containerized trade and ensure that the vessel service will be completed in a timely manner.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: 2019_Fall_Kavoosi_fsu_0071E_15484
Format: Thesis

Title: Multi-Scale Hurricane Loss Estimation.
Creator: Kakareko, Grzegorz, Jung, Sungmoon, Liu, Xiuwen, Vanli, Omer Arda, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of...
Show moreKakareko, Grzegorz, Jung, Sungmoon, Liu, Xiuwen, Vanli, Omer Arda, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Hurricane risk assessment is an important research topic: accurate estimation of the potential loss helps guide mitigation efforts to decrease the loss in the future. In the past decade, researchers working on the loss analysis tried to improve the loss estimation by generally working on a specific scale, such as building scale or city scale. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to improve the hurricane risk analysis by advancing the components in different scales, starting from...
Show moreHurricane risk assessment is an important research topic: accurate estimation of the potential loss helps guide mitigation efforts to decrease the loss in the future. In the past decade, researchers working on the loss analysis tried to improve the loss estimation by generally working on a specific scale, such as building scale or city scale. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to improve the hurricane risk analysis by advancing the components in different scales, starting from improving the current vulnerability and fragility models used in risk analysis, exploring the new metrics in regional loss estimation, and quantifying Florida mitigation impact. The first objective is to investigate the approximate loss of low-rise buildings from hurricane damage considering a Bayesian capacity model. Due to the lack of methods that can combine physics principles with experimental data, many previous vulnerability models relied on estimating parametric statistical models solely from data. In this research, a Bayesian capacity model that combines physics-based analytical results with experimental results was proposed. The inclusion of analytical estimations can help to produce more accurate fragility function when the amount of available data is limited. The proposed approach provides a range of the fragility functions and their confidence intervals, which then is translated into upper and lower bounds in the vulnerability estimation. The second objective is the new methodology for time dependent fragility analysis. A gamma process is employed to model the stochastic degradation of building components. Time-dependent fragility function and failure probability of the roof system obtained from the component degradation can be applied in time-dependent reliability modeling and optimal maintenance planning. Another objective of this dissertation is to understand characteristics of hurricane loss in different regions of Florida. Two different structures with different components capacities were taken into consideration. The first structure does not meet the current building standards in terms of the high winds performance (“weak”), and the second structure is built from hurricane proved materials approved by Florida Building Code (“strong”). In order to bring a new insight into the regional differences in hurricane loss, Exceedance Probability of Loss (EPL) is introduced. The EPL is the probability that the total annual loss will exceed a certain level. The results of this research identified the most vulnerable parts of Florida in terms of the EPL. In order to quantify the loss, the main loss measures used in the past are normalized percentage loss and dollar value loss. In this dissertation, it is shown that these measures are useful but may not properly reflect the size of the population influenced by hurricanes. The first metric is the average annual loss (AAL) which represents the expected loss per year in percentage. The second is the average annual dollar loss (AADL) which represents the expected dollar amount loss per year. In addition, a new loss measure is proposed that reflects the hurricane impact on people occupying the structure, which is the average annual population-weighted loss (AAPL). Compared to the AAL, the AAPL reflects the number of people influenced by the hurricane. The advantages of the AAPL are illustrated using three different analysis examples: 1) conventional regional loss analysis, 2) mitigation potential analysis, and 3) forecasted future loss analysis due to the change in population.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: 2019_Fall_Kakareko_fsu_0071E_15506
Format: Thesis

Title: Risk-Benefit Analysis and Optimization of LEED-Certified School Buildings Design and Construction: Statisitical and Machine Learning Approaches.
Creator: Doczy, Ryan Daniel, Boot, Walter Richard, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental...
Show moreDoczy, Ryan Daniel, Boot, Walter Richard, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: As the strategy of green building becomes more and more popular due to a combination of environmental and economic concerns, there develops a need for clearly being able to understand the potential implications for choosing green strategies over conventional building practices. Some of the regions of interest consist of the additional upfront costs associated with green practices, potential life-cycle benefits associated with green building components, potential energy savings, and the...
Show moreAs the strategy of green building becomes more and more popular due to a combination of environmental and economic concerns, there develops a need for clearly being able to understand the potential implications for choosing green strategies over conventional building practices. Some of the regions of interest consist of the additional upfront costs associated with green practices, potential life-cycle benefits associated with green building components, potential energy savings, and the ability to reduce emissions. Many of these areas can potentially be forecasted with a fair degree of certainty (e.g. energy consumption, additional upfront costs); however, some elements of green building are less well defined. One such area consists of the ability of green buildings to improve the productivity and well-being of its inhabitants through an improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ). It is difficult to grasp just how much a healthier and cleaner environmental can impact a person’s cognitive functions, mental state, and physical health. Several studies shown in the literature review of this paper lead show a positive correlation between green buildings and reductions in asthma symptoms, depression symptoms, improved well-being due to reductions in contaminants, a reduction in sick building syndrome (SBS) and building related illness (BRI). This paper aims to do what many have done before in attempting to quantify the potential impact that sustainable buildings can have on its occupants; however, the scope and methods to determine these potential correlations will differ. Perhaps the most noticeable difference will be in the paper’s focus on attempting to measure the potential impact that LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited schools have on their student occupants by measuring their productivity via the use of standardized test scores and attendance rates compared to those students in conventional (non-LEED) schools. To develop a balanced analysis, the paper will control for various school-related and socio-economic factors (e.g. economic status, race, percent of teachers with a Master’s degree or higher). To make a judgement on the effect that sustainability has on academic achievement and student wellbeing, 2 sample t-tests, regression analysis, and M5P decision trees will be implemented to determine if there are significant differences between LEED and conventional schools and to determine the relationship between LEED and non-LEED parameters on student achievement and wellbeing metrics. To ensure that a large population of students from across the nation are accounted for, the study intends on investigating at least three states-worth of student data. These states (Florida, New York and Virginia) are in different climates, thus allowing for an examination of the potential differences between the various climate zones and building codes. Lastly, a case study building information model (BIM) of College Park Elementary School (located in Virginia) will be run through the energy modeling (EM) software, Ecotect, to provide information related to the school’s annual energy consumption, acoustics, and daylight and lighting values. An optimization equation, developed using previous literature and findings from this study, will use information from the case study in an attempt to optimize its academic performance. The equation will attempt to minimize construction and operational costs while maximizing student performance metrics. The optimization equation will be run through NEOS server’s Nonlinearly Constrained Optimization, Knitro. The purpose of this study is to inform those decision-makers involved in the construction of schools, and who may be interested in obtaining LEED certification for the school, to what extent the LEED schools benefit the school’s student academic achievement levels. Accounting for soft benefits (e.g. productivity, morale, general wellbeing) in a cost-benefit analysis invites an element of risk due to the difficulties in soliciting, obtaining, and accurately measuring these performance metrics. When considering fields involving knowledge work, accurately measuring productivity is an inexact science that normally requires building occupants to perform self-examinations. The results from these examinations are reliant on the occupant’s perceptions and could be open to bias. This study avoids self-assessments through its use of standardized testing as a measure for productivity. The proposed outcome of this paper is that the impacts of LEED schools on their occupants’ academic achievement, health, and wellbeing will be better understood and easier to quantify. The authors hypothesize that LEED schools will outperform conventional schools, which can be attributed to improved IEQ due to tighter building envelopes, increased ventilation rates, better filtration, a reduction in building or cleaning products containing volatile organic compounds, etc. An absence of this data could point to the inability of LEED schools to directly impact their students in a meaningful way, particularly its Indoor Environmental Quality credits, which means that LEED could have to rethink its standards if it wishes to truly improve the productivity and wellbeing of its occupants.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_Doczy_fsu_0071E_14648
Format: Thesis

Title: Resilience of Residential Structures: Analysis and Mitigation Strategies for Hurricane Wind Loads.
Creator: Poire, Garit Wade, AbdelRazig, Yassir, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Kampmann, Raphael, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering,...
Show morePoire, Garit Wade, AbdelRazig, Yassir, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Kampmann, Raphael, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: TBD
Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_Poire_fsu_0071N_14591
Format: Thesis

Title: Production and Modification of Biochar for Organics Removal and Soil Ammendment.
Creator: Brown, Douglas Lane, Ahmad, Hafiz, Chen, Gang, Tang, Youneng, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: The use of biochar as a soil amendment for agricultural purposes in various cultures has been around for centuries, perhaps millennia. This study seeks to advance this practice by investigating the use of engineered biochar, by chemical impregnation, as a means of optimizing the nutrient retaining properties of soil. As a potentially major source of nutrients are found in wastewater, the biochar is also checked for its viability of pre-loading said char with nutrients, by first using it as a...
Show moreThe use of biochar as a soil amendment for agricultural purposes in various cultures has been around for centuries, perhaps millennia. This study seeks to advance this practice by investigating the use of engineered biochar, by chemical impregnation, as a means of optimizing the nutrient retaining properties of soil. As a potentially major source of nutrients are found in wastewater, the biochar is also checked for its viability of pre-loading said char with nutrients, by first using it as a means to clean wastewater. First biochar (BC) is used to produce activated carbon (AC) and comparisons are made between the BC and AC in their ability to remove organics from wastewater, then the biochar is chemically modified with three chemicals, Ferrous sulfate Heptahydrate (Copperas), Calcium Chloride (Ice Bite), and Aluminum Potassium Sulfate Dodecahydrate (Alum), and tested for nutrient (orthophosphate and nitrate) sorption. The biochar failed in its unaltered form of removing organics (COD) from wastewater, actually adding COD into the solution. Only when the char was turned into activated carbon did it express the ability to remove COD. The chemically modified chars showed promise in their ability to adsorb nutrients (phosphate and nitrate) from solution (wastewater), as well as enhance the retention of said nutrients (particularly phosphate) within a sandy soil. The biochar amendments also significantly increased the water holding capacity of the sandy soil, regardless of BC type, by no less than 10%.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_Brown_fsu_0071N_14794
Format: Thesis

Title: Modeling Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Impacts on Mobility and Safety in Work Zones.
Creator: Sanusi, Fehintola B. (Fehintola Basirat), Sobanjo, John Olusegun, AbdelRazig, Yassir, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department...
Show moreSanusi, Fehintola B. (Fehintola Basirat), Sobanjo, John Olusegun, AbdelRazig, Yassir, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: This study embarked with focus on the analysis, to quantify the potential impacts of varying market penetration rates (MPR) of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) on the traffic network mobility and safety in construction work zones. The prospects for success were evaluated in three ways: (1) understanding the potential benefits of CAV in improving the travel time as result of work zone impacts; (2) reducing the delay and queues by improved time headway; and (3) safety benefits of the...
Show moreThis study embarked with focus on the analysis, to quantify the potential impacts of varying market penetration rates (MPR) of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) on the traffic network mobility and safety in construction work zones. The prospects for success were evaluated in three ways: (1) understanding the potential benefits of CAV in improving the travel time as result of work zone impacts; (2) reducing the delay and queues by improved time headway; and (3) safety benefits of the autonomous vehicles at varying market penetration rates by lowering the levels of incident probabilities and the Time-to-Collision. CAV market penetration rates, from 10% to 100%, in an increment of 10%, were used in the assessment of the potentials for these vehicles to improve the traffic performance in work zones. The effects at low and high penetration rates were assessed to evaluate the improvements on traffic mobility and overall network safety in the work zone when compared with traffic stream of only conventional vehicles. The motivation of this research comes primarily from the consideration of deployment and full utilization of connected autonomous vehicles in the real traffic world, most especially in the work zones which typically require altered road geometry such as lane closure and reduced speed areas. With varied market penetration rates (relative composition in the traffic) of the connected autonomous vehicles, the research question is premise on the actualization and an assessment of the safety benefits and improvement of network performance. VISSIM, a microscopic traffic simulation software, was used extensively in the analysis of the traffic conditions because it is able to represent different driver behaviors and interaction between vehicles. A broad literature review in the area of microsimulation of connected and autonomous vehicles was conducted to examine the effects of automated vehicles effects on traffic operations. Two different work zone locations were considered for this study: one is a long stretch of work zone on Interstate 44 in Missouri; and the other is a short stretch on Interstate 95 in Jacksonville, Florida. The study sites do not have similar traffic characteristics and geometry and hence the impacts of CAVs on both sites were evaluated independently. Different driver behavior models comprising cautious, moderate and assertive types, were considered for the study. After a careful analysis of the impacts of the different levels of CAV capabilities on the two work zones, findings show that CAVs have potential benefits of improving the traffic situations in work zones. For instance it was observed that even at low MPR of 10% CAVs, travel time was reduced by 14%. A monotonic improvement in travel time was observed across all CAV market penetrations. Results also showed that the benefits of travel CAVs were only noticeable when there is a high demand in traffic or during the peak period. No noticeable changes in traffic performance were observed when demand was low. Similar results were observed for impacts that CAVs have on both delays and queue length; this is because both of the measures of performance are related. When CAVs assumed the most cautious driver behavior models, results showed that the average vehicle delay was reduced, and there was a gradual improvement in delay as MPR increases. When market penetration approaches 100%, the work zone’s average vehicle delay could be reduced by a 70%. For the moderate (between cautious and aggressive) models, the average vehicle delay was greatly reduced. As CAV market penetrations approached 20%, similar results were achieved for the two scenarios of the moderate models that were evaluated. The results of the aggressive models appears to be more unrealistic, and reduction in delays very dramatic at lower market penetrations of CAVS, resulting in an 85% reduction in average vehicle delay as the CAV fleet reached 20%. A sensitivity analysis of the VISSIM driver behavior parameters will be necessary in this case to assess the impacts of such parameters on the traffic flow. In general, introduction of CAVs in the traffic stream lowered the average vehicle delays, however the resulting impacts vary across the different driver behavior models. The impacts on CAVs was also assessed for safety of the road users; the time-to-collision (TTC) and post encroachment time (PET) surrogate safety measures were employed to determine the effects of CAVs on the presence of conflicts. Findings from this study shows that as CAV market penetrations increase, the conflicts in the work zones reduced significantly. CAVs with more assertive driver behaviors indicated a higher percentage in conflict reductions even at lower market penetrations. Though the impacts vary for all the behavior models, it was observed that there is capability-wide safety benefits for CAV market penetrations. However, the proportion of conflicts in the severity zones increased with an increase in the CAV aggressiveness.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_Sanusi_fsu_0071N_14810
Format: Thesis

Title: Impact of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles on Freeway Traffic Operations.
Creator: Theophilus, Oluwatosin Paul, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Dulebenets, Maxim A., Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreTheophilus, Oluwatosin Paul, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Dulebenets, Maxim A., Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: This project evaluates using traffic simulation, the performance of a mixed traffic composition of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) and conventional or human-driven vehicles, in comparison with the performance of the existing traffic composition of only conventional vehicles on a freeway segment. The introduction of CAVs into the existing transportation system is a phase in the evolution of automobile traffic currently generating a lot of concerns and questions that needs to be...
Show moreThis project evaluates using traffic simulation, the performance of a mixed traffic composition of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) and conventional or human-driven vehicles, in comparison with the performance of the existing traffic composition of only conventional vehicles on a freeway segment. The introduction of CAVs into the existing transportation system is a phase in the evolution of automobile traffic currently generating a lot of concerns and questions that needs to be answered before the full deployment of these vehicles. Traffic simulation presents a safer and cost-effective approach to evaluating this innovative technology when compared with real world testing. Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV) are designed to improve traffic operations, as the difference in their driving behavior from regular vehicles suggests a reasonable tendency to change the traffic flow pattern. However the issue being examined in this project is whether there would be a significant change in traffic operations resulting from their deployment, and also to verify whether the change is an improvement of the existing traffic condition in terms of performance measures used for the evaluation. Data was collected from the I-95 Freeway in South Florida, and used in the development of a traffic microsimulation model, in VISSIM. The model was calibrated using minimum error algorithm implemented in MATLAB to determine the optimal value of the two model parameters considered -- stand still distance (CC0), and headway time (CC1). The calibrated model was used as the base model and CAVs are incorporated into the base model in 10% increment, to examine their effect on the base model. The performance measures are average hourly speed, hourly traffic volume, travel time, delay, and safety. Findings show that for every increment in CAV market penetration, there is a change of 6.52% - 48% in the capacity of the freeway, 40% reduction in travel time, more than 30% reduction in delay per vehicle, more than 26% increase in average speed of the traffic at high demand volumes.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_Theophilus_fsu_0071N_14809
Format: Thesis

Title: Accelerated Slab Replacement Using Temporary Precast Panels and Self Consolidating Concrete.
Creator: Squillacote, Steven C., Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Kampmann, Raphael, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering...
Show moreSquillacote, Steven C., Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Kampmann, Raphael, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: As it stands, many of Florida’s roads have already reached their designed service life and are now in the process of being renewed. The current method in rehabilitation of concrete pavement requires the expired piece of pavement to be cut and removed, place new dowel bars, and then epoxied into the surrounding slabs. Once the slab area has been prepared, fresh concrete is poured, and finished. The concrete is then cured and monitored to achieve a strength requirement of 2,200 psi in the...
Show moreAs it stands, many of Florida’s roads have already reached their designed service life and are now in the process of being renewed. The current method in rehabilitation of concrete pavement requires the expired piece of pavement to be cut and removed, place new dowel bars, and then epoxied into the surrounding slabs. Once the slab area has been prepared, fresh concrete is poured, and finished. The concrete is then cured and monitored to achieve a strength requirement of 2,200 psi in the shortest possible time before the lanes can be opened for traffic. This event has been known to take a long time and on major highways lane where lane closure may not exceed 8 hours. This restriction limits the number of slabs that can be replaced. The types of concrete used on these projects are also problematic. In the past, high amounts of cementitious material was used and this can lead to premature cracking. To improve production levels, accelerate construction time at a reduced cost, and provide long lasting pavement, the current research study presents an alternative method of using precast slab panels and self-consolidating concrete. This was accomplished by testing several SCC mixes in the laboratory to achieve concrete with high workability without, high early strength and without segregation. Then, precast panels were designed and built for quick installation and removal. This study also necessitated full scaled field tests where precast slab panels with the proper SCC mix were used. The slabs were tested by a loaded truck moving over it repeatedly and the slab was monitored for any movement and displacements caused by driving and braking on it. After the data was collected from the precast panels, the slabs were then removed and fresh SCC was then poured into the empty pit. The SSC slab was left to cure and the maturity of the concrete was monitored to achieve the required strength for lane opining. In this study, three techniques were used to monitor the concrete maturity. These techniques involved the use of the conventional thermocouples, thermal camera, and laser gun. The traffic load was then applied by driving a dump truck loaded to 25000 pounds over the track for 100 laps. The SCC mix behaved as designed and presented in this study. It achieved a high workability and retained a high slump for nearly an hour. It also exceeded the required FDOT strength requirement of 2200 psi for lane opening. The precast panels proved to be highly durable during the installation, testing, removal and can be reused for other similar applications. Results from this study proved proved that using this method has several benefits including greater productivity, reduced maintenance of traffic, shorter project completion time. Further, it may reduce the case of premature cracking due to the increase amount of curing time.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_Squillacote_fsu_0071N_13474
Format: Thesis

Title: Biological Reduction of Selenate and Recovery of Elemental Selenium from Wastewater in a Continuous-Flow System.
Creator: Adedeji, Itunu Comfort, Tang, Youneng, Chen, Gang, Clark, Clayton J., Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: The biological degradation of selenate to elemental selenium and recovery of valuable selenium nanoparticles has been extensively studied and reported by researchers throughout literature. The major challenges in degradation and recovery processes are the reduction of high concentration of selenium oxyanions and effective separation of bacterial cells and sludge from these economically beneficial elemental selenium nanoparticles. This study seeks to investigate the efficacy of a novel...
Show moreThe biological degradation of selenate to elemental selenium and recovery of valuable selenium nanoparticles has been extensively studied and reported by researchers throughout literature. The major challenges in degradation and recovery processes are the reduction of high concentration of selenium oxyanions and effective separation of bacterial cells and sludge from these economically beneficial elemental selenium nanoparticles. This study seeks to investigate the efficacy of a novel combination system comprising a biological reactor, a separating chamber and a tangential-flow ultrafiltration module (TFU). The biological reactor was investigated for its ability to reduce selenate at high loading rates. The separating chamber containing the inclined bacterium-nanoparticle separator was investigated for its ability to separate bacteria from nanoparticles. The TFU was investigated for its ability to induce a water-bacterium-nanoparticles separation even at high selenate loading rates. The reactor system worked in synergism to remove high concentration of selenate from wastewater and simultaneously recover the valuable elemental selenium nanoparticles thereby eliminating the additional use of chemicals or post-treatment operations.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Fall_Adedeji_fsu_0071N_14970
Format: Thesis

Title: Analysis of Composite Timber Studs: An Optimization of Tall Wall Structures.
Creator: Solek, Ashley, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Jung, Sungmoon, Kampmann, Raphael, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of...
Show moreSolek, Ashley, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Jung, Sungmoon, Kampmann, Raphael, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: The National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS) outlines different factors and equations necessary for designing structures exploiting timber. While analyzing a timber shear wall there are several specific equations and restraints that the design must satisfy. These limitations come from not only the NDS, but also the Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE7), the Florida Building Code (FBC), and the International Residential Code (IRC). ASCE7, paired with...
Show moreThe National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS) outlines different factors and equations necessary for designing structures exploiting timber. While analyzing a timber shear wall there are several specific equations and restraints that the design must satisfy. These limitations come from not only the NDS, but also the Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE7), the Florida Building Code (FBC), and the International Residential Code (IRC). ASCE7, paired with the NDS, provide a standard design methodology. The FBC and IRC focus their framework around the minimum requirements. These manuals focus on the design strength of the individual components, rather than how they react once affixed to one another. The sheathing is the foremost structural component which combats against the wind loads. Several different types of sheathing, as well as nail sizes and patterns were analyzed as a connected structure. The methodology used was similar to that of reinforced concrete, in that the properties of the nails and sheathing were transformed into that of the sawn lumber stud. This facilitated an analytical comparison between the standard design method and that of a "composite I-beam". Increases and decreases in strength were found, due to the complexity of the design equations, the addition of the sheathing component did not always enable a higher wall capacity. Deflection as the ultimate failure of the member still rang true for the new method of design.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Fall_Solek_fsu_0071N_14938
Format: Thesis

Title: Geographical Information Systems-Based Spatial and Statistical Investigation to Enhance Transportation Safety for the Aging Population.
Creator: Ulak, Mehmet Baran, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Vanli, Omer Arda, Moses, Ren, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering,...
Show moreUlak, Mehmet Baran, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Vanli, Omer Arda, Moses, Ren, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Traffic crashes are one of the leading causes of death, substantial economic loss, and severe injuries for drivers. They also put lives of people at risk, cause severe traumas and incapacitating injuries, which usually require a painful healing process. Over the last 25 years, many researchers have recognized the necessity of delving into the nature of the traffic crashes. This necessity arises from the fact that developing methodologies to reduce crashes is vital to provide the public with...
Show moreTraffic crashes are one of the leading causes of death, substantial economic loss, and severe injuries for drivers. They also put lives of people at risk, cause severe traumas and incapacitating injuries, which usually require a painful healing process. Over the last 25 years, many researchers have recognized the necessity of delving into the nature of the traffic crashes. This necessity arises from the fact that developing methodologies to reduce crashes is vital to provide the public with safe and reliable transportation. From a transportation safety perspective, this problem becomes even more challenging and complex when aging populations are considered due to their cognitive, behavioral, and health limitations. Moreover, the number of aging road users and crashes involving aging drivers on Florida roadways are expected to increase in the near future due to their growing population in the state, which makes studies on aging population-involved crashes even more critical. With this motivation, unlike previous crash-focused traffic safety studies mostly focusing on the general population, this dissertation attempts to understand the unique nature of aging population-involved (aging-involved) crashes. Note that by "aging-involved", the crashes involving at least one 65 years and older individual are meant in this dissertation. The utmost importance is given to answering the following question: How do the aging-involved crashes vary compared to other age group-involved crashes? Given the limitations of existing traffic crash studies on addressing the needs of aging populations, this dissertation proposes several novel methodological approaches with the following objectives: • to discover the geo-spatial differences between aging- and other age group-involved crashes based on the comparison of high risk crash locations, • to identify the statistically significant factors influencing the aging-involved crashes using a multiple binary choice model-based approach, • to disclose the differences between crashes involving 50-64 and 65+ drivers in terms of involvement characteristics, spatial distribution, and significant factors causing those crashes, • to stratify the aging drivers by dividing them into three subgroups (65-69, 70-74 and 75+) in order to explore the differences among aging drivers, who are oftentimes evaluated as a homogeneous group, • to provide a spatiotemporal comparative investigation of the crashes involving aging drivers, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, • to determine the factors that drive both the crash occurrence probability and the crash rate of aging drivers, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, • to understand where and how far away people have crashes compared to where they live, and what the statistical nature of proximity of crash spots to the residence locations of crash occupants is. To the authors' knowledge, such a comprehensive investigation of aging population-involved crashes has not been conducted previously in the traffic safety field, which represents the novel contribution of this work. For this purpose, several methodological approaches were applied on both different counties in the State of Florida as well as the whole state. Aging-involved crashes were spatially and temporally investigated using GIS-based methodologies in order to discover the significant factors that affect those crashes using statistical modeling approaches. The most important findings of this work can be summarized as follows: • Aging-involved crashes differ from other age group involved crashes both spatially and temporally. • Aging-involved crash density maps have a unique geo-spatial pattern, which is different than the patterns of other age groups' crash density maps. • Spatial distributions of aging adults and aging-involved crashes are strongly correlated as indicated by the population factor approach. • Aging drivers in different age cohorts such as 65-69, 70-74, and 75+ do not constitute a homogeneous group and rather heterogeneous in terms of crash involvement. • There are significant differences in the effect of significant causal and spatiotemporal factors on the crash involvement not only between 65- and 65+ drivers, but also between stratified age groups of 65+ drivers. • Significant spatiotemporal variations in crash rates of different types of aging roadway users (e.g. driver, pedestrian, etc.) were captured. • Traffic safety of 65+ population compel spatially and temporally tailored remedies in order to address issues emerge at different roadway segments at weekdays and weekends. • Facility variables such as health facilities, religious facility, and supermarkets are highly influential on 65+ crashes, and hence roadways around these facilities should be particularly scrutinized by road safety stakeholders. • High aging-involved crash rate roadways are found to vary spatially depending on whether it is weekday or weekend. • The information obtained from crash spot –residence location proximity analysis can help in developing methodologies that can integrate population into crash frequency prediction methods.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Fall_Ulak_fsu_0071E_14851
Format: Thesis

Title: Influence of Traffic and Geometric Features on Safety and Operations of Roundabouts.
Creator: Kadeha, Cecilia Fabian, Moses, Ren, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Dulebenets, Maxim A., Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental...
Show moreKadeha, Cecilia Fabian, Moses, Ren, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Dulebenets, Maxim A., Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: The overall goal of this thesis was to provide a quantitative analysis of the operational and safety performances of roundabouts. The operational analysis of Florida roundabouts was conducted to determine the base capacity of different configurations of approaching lanes. Building upon the methodologies and findings of NCHRP 572 report, FHWA-SA-15-070 study and HCM 6th Edition, capacity models were calibrated to reflect Florida driving conditions for different roundabout lane configurations....
Show moreThe overall goal of this thesis was to provide a quantitative analysis of the operational and safety performances of roundabouts. The operational analysis of Florida roundabouts was conducted to determine the base capacity of different configurations of approaching lanes. Building upon the methodologies and findings of NCHRP 572 report, FHWA-SA-15-070 study and HCM 6th Edition, capacity models were calibrated to reflect Florida driving conditions for different roundabout lane configurations. The results indicated that Florida roundabouts were not congested, the gap acceptance parameters were within the range of the HCM 6th Edition with slightly higher average values of follow-up time. The study found out that the HCM 6th Edition models generally overpredicted the capacity of roundabouts in Florida. Safety performances were evaluated from the crash data of 34 roundabouts in Florida for a period of 5 years. The type of crashes, severity and contributing factors were analyzed to determine the relationship between the roundabout crashes severity with traffic and geometric parameters. Four types of crashes were found to be prevalent in the roundabouts (i.e. Rear-end, Angle, Sideswipe and Off-road crashes). The crashes were 77.4% PDO, 21.9% injury and only 3 fatal crashes. Results indicated that the crash severity was influenced by the number of vehicles involved in the crash, and diameters of the inscribed circle and central island. There was a 3.6 odds of a crash causing injury or fatality for an incident involving a single vehicle than it was for an incident involving more than one vehicle. The negative binomial model was developed to show the relationship between the total number of crashes at a roundabout with the traffic exposure, geometric, age, gender and weather parameters. The traffic volume (i.e. AADT) and inscribed circle diameter were significant variables in the proposed safety models at a 95% level of confidence. Generally the roundabouts were found to have few crashes consistent with the results from other studies.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Fall_Kadeha_fsu_0071N_14936
Format: Thesis

Title: The Safety Effectiveness of Roundabouts among Drivers of Different Age Groups.
Creator: Adegbulugbe, Oluwanifemi Tomilayo, Spainhour, Lisa, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Dulebenets, Maxim A., Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreAdegbulugbe, Oluwanifemi Tomilayo, Spainhour, Lisa, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Dulebenets, Maxim A., Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Recently, in the United States, roundabouts have been used to replace signalized and unsignalized intersections because the use of roundabouts has safely reduced crash severity and fatality at intersections by eliminating or altering conflict types and forcing drivers to reduce their speed as they drive in and through it. Generally, in Florida, due to the recent introduction of roundabouts and the complexity of some roundabouts (especially multi-lane roundabouts), drivers are most times not...
Show moreRecently, in the United States, roundabouts have been used to replace signalized and unsignalized intersections because the use of roundabouts has safely reduced crash severity and fatality at intersections by eliminating or altering conflict types and forcing drivers to reduce their speed as they drive in and through it. Generally, in Florida, due to the recent introduction of roundabouts and the complexity of some roundabouts (especially multi-lane roundabouts), drivers are most times not familiar with this type of intersection and therefore involve in a crash. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the safety effects of roundabout amongst drivers and especially aging drivers since it is projected by the United States Census Bureau, that the population of persons aged 65 and above in Florida is expected to be more than 26% of the total population by the year 2025 and by the year 2030 all the baby boomers will be older than age 65. Thus, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of roundabouts among drivers by comparing the crash severity of roundabout crashes involving aging drivers versus their young and middle-aged counterparts and to determine the relationship between the crash frequency, the geometric characteristics of roundabouts and the signage of roundabouts .In order to achieve these objectives, the type and severity of roundabout crashes, as distributed according to participant age will be investigated Binomial logistic regression model was used to evaluate injury severity differences in roundabout crashes amongst drivers of different age groups while evaluating the differences in factors relating to roundabout crashes which includes the time of the day, day of the week, the type of roundabout, weather conditions, lighting conditions, the geometric design of the roundabout, vehicle speed and the crash's at-fault driver age. Also, the negative binomial regression model was used to determine the relationship between the total number of crashes, the roundabout speed, the geometric conditions and signage of the roundabouts selected for the count study. The results from this study indicate that vehicle speed and average annual daily traffic are the most important factors affecting the severity of crashes among all age groups at roundabouts and that the total number of crashes on roundabouts are affected by the traffic volume, the number of circulatory roadway lanes, the number of legs, the roundabout speed, inscribed circle. diameter, and the presence of signages and signals such as chevron, pedestrian sign, approach marking, lane use control symbol marking and pavement word. For aging drivers, the number of vehicles involved in the crash, the vehicle speed of the at-fault driver and the type of crash are significant at 95% confidence interval in affecting their crash severity while the annual average daily traffic is the only significant factor at 95% confidence interval affecting the frequency of aging driver crashes at roundabout This study focuses on developing recommendations for roundabout implementation, improved design guidelines and additional recommendations for improved for improved safety of drivers in the State of Florida.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Fall_Adegbulugbe_fsu_0071N_14964
Format: Thesis

Title: Resilience of Transportation Networks Subject to Bridge Damage and Road Closures.
Creator: Twumasi-Boakye, Richard, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Chicken, Eric, Moses, Ren, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreTwumasi-Boakye, Richard, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Chicken, Eric, Moses, Ren, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Resilience simply means to rebound when exposed to a disruptive event. Damage to bridges in transportation networks usually result in long detours and increased travel time hence have massive cost implications. Transportation networks composed of major bridge infrastructures frequently depend on the bridges to carry high traffic volumes. Transportation network resilience explains the ability of transportation networks to contain and recover from disruptions. Transportation network resilience...
Show moreResilience simply means to rebound when exposed to a disruptive event. Damage to bridges in transportation networks usually result in long detours and increased travel time hence have massive cost implications. Transportation networks composed of major bridge infrastructures frequently depend on the bridges to carry high traffic volumes. Transportation network resilience explains the ability of transportation networks to contain and recover from disruptions. Transportation network resilience entails the transportation network’s capability to continue functioning in spite of hazard-induced breakdown to network segments and how quickly those sections can be restored for the network to return to pre-disaster performance levels. Most resilience-related research in this area have primarily focused on physical bridge resilience without necessarily considering the resilience impact of bridge damage on the overall or regional network. This thesis is focused on filling this research gap by considering the resilience of transportation networks subject to bridge damage and road closures. This research further proposes the use of regional travel demand models and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) visualization techniques for network level impact visualization and accessibility analyses. The socio-technical approach associated with transportation system resilience is broad and multidisciplinary, focusing on the network’s ability to sustain functionality and recover speedily when faced with disruptions or shocks. Academic works in this area are generally viewed in terms of having qualitative or quantitative frameworks. There is also significantly less literature evaluating response and recovery phases of resilience. Developed resilience indexes have sparsely touched on many salient aspects of resilience; hence they are only applicable to very specific scenarios. Further investigative efforts are therefore necessary for post-disaster phases of resilience, evaluating the applicability of resilience indexes on multiple hazard events for transportation networks, and developing resilience indexes based on regional road network models while considering all network links and not just alternative routes. Temporary, long-term, and partial closures to bridges can result in enormous cost implications. However, bridge closures are inevitable not only due to the likelihood of hazard-induced damages, but routine maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation (MR&R) activities may also warrant closures. It is a current practice that vehicles are rerouted to the shortest alternative route (detour approach) during bridge closures. In an initial study, a scenario-based network approach for evaluating the impact of bridge closures on transportation user cost is proposed. Both the detour-based and network-based approaches were applied to the Tampa Bay regional network model while considering five bridge closure scenarios. User costs were computed in terms of delay and vehicle operating costs. Findings indicated that for closures to I-275, Gandy, Highway 580 and W.C.C Causeway bridges, there were increases of about 42%, 18%, 61%, and 45% respectively, in total user costs for the network-based approach when compared with the current detour-only approach, indicating a significant network impact captured by the network-based approach. The proposed methodology captures the effects of bridge closures on all road segments within the regional network jurisdiction, provides a more rigid framework for analysis by ensuring user costs are computed efficiently while avoiding overestimation, takes into account the fact that road users may have advance knowledge of roadway conditions prior to trips hence significantly influencing route choices, and provides sufficient information for agencies to implement preemptive measures to cater for network-level disruptions due to bridge closures. Also, regional network resilience was assessed, first through a schematic framework developed for selecting at-risk bridges during hurricane events by: (i) computing exposure probabilities for hurricane events at bridge locations; (ii) developing bridge damage state functions and damage state rating assignments using historical data from the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database; (iii) identification of bridges at risk to hurricane-induced damage; and (iv) computing aging accessibility to hospitals from which resilience was measured. Results indicated an increase from about 1200 minutes to 2100 minutes and from about 900 to 1100 minutes, for the congested travel time (CTT) and free flow travel time (FFTT), respectively, representing about 75% and 15% for CTT and FFTT, respectively. Furthermore, an additional total travel distance of 52.85 miles was observed for CTT and FFTT. The mean travel times after bridge closures increased from 8.43 to 15.1 minutes and from 6.6 to 7.76 minutes for CTT and FFTT, respectively. The resulting resilience index scaled from 0 to 1 was computed with 1 representing a network which can recover immediately after a disruption (or a network without any performance loss) and zero for one that may never recover to its pre-disaster form. Restoration to moderately damaged bridge led to functionality improvement from 0.87 to 0.94 considering FFTT, and from 0.57 to 0.83 considering the CTT. Reinstating extensively-damaged bridges resulted in functionality increase from 0.94 to 0.96, and 0.83 to 0.85, respectively, for FFTT and CTT. The resilience index for this study was computed as 0.94 and 0.81 for FFTT and CTT respectively, implying a significant loss in senior mobility hence the need for mitigation measures A framework for assessing the regional network resilience was developed by leveraging scenario-based traffic modeling and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. High impact zones location identification metrics were developed and implemented in preliminarily identifying areas affected by bridge closures. Resilience index measures were developed by utilizing practical functionality metrics based on vehicle distance and hours traveled. These are illustrated for the Tampa Bay area. Findings for ten bridge closure scenarios and recovery schemas indicate substantial regional network functionality losses during closures. I-275 bridge closure yielded the highest functional loss to the regional network: the aggregated resilience index below 0.5 reflects severe network performance deficit and mobility limitations. Closure to the WCC Causeway bridge results in a network level resilience index value of 0.87, while the indexes for the other scenarios range between 0.76 and 0.97. These results reflect the high dependency of the network on the I-275 bridge. Damage to this bridge is foreseen to have a massive impact on the network in terms of travel cost. Lower resilience index values imply either significant functionality losses or lengthy closure durations or both. To demonstrate the proposed methodology, a hypothetical network illustration indicated that: (i) Single bridge closure scenarios recorded significant performance losses for bridges which directly connected to the destination zone; (ii) Resilience indexes echoed the need to compare predicted recovery times to scheduled restoration times since index measures are either compensated or penalized the speed of predicted recovery with respect to scheduled recovery durations; (iii) Sensitivity analyses reinforced the previous assertion by accounting for both performance loss and restoration or recovery times; (iv) Multiple closures had a significant impact on network performance hence rapidity is vital in improving network resilience. Like any study, there are some limitations identified in this research. While it was clearly identified that variation in response and recovery times may have a significant impact on explaining and formulating resilience measures, there is insufficient data on the road closure and bridge closure durations after hazard events. Such databases will help researchers in evaluating resilience more accurately. Furthermore, even though case studies in this thesis took into account large networks, the utilized models were based on static traffic assignment which suffices for long-term transportation planning. However, it is recommended that use of dynamic traffic assignment models should be explored since they are known to reflect more accurate travel times. This is especially important for equity-based case study applications with respect to post-disaster accessibility. The use of user equilibrium assignment which accounts for each road user minimizing his or her travel time was used for this study, it is recommended that the system optimal solution which minimizes the overall network travel time should be considered since it may be of specific interest to agencies. Solution-based resilience studies are encouraged, especially efforts which incorporate the influx of connected and autonomous vehicles and other shared mobility solutions. This study also recognized the need for collaborative efforts between management authorities and researchers to facilitate the development and implementation of necessary policies and systems for the enhancement of transportation systems’ resilience.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: 2018_Su_TwumasiBoakye_fsu_0071E_14751
Format: Thesis

Title: Evacuating and Sheltering Aging Populations: A GIS- and Optimization-Based Methodology.
Creator: Kocatepe, Ayberk, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Brown, Jeff R., Moses, Ren, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreKocatepe, Ayberk, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Brown, Jeff R., Moses, Ren, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Evacuating individuals and allocating space in shelters are complex tasks that depend on disaster characteristics, roadway network characteristics, the demographics and socioeconomic status of people in the affected region, as well as the effectiveness of the emergency plans. This problem becomes even more challenging when special needs (access and functional needs) populations and those with pets are considered since they may require more time in the event of an evacuation along with more...
Show moreEvacuating individuals and allocating space in shelters are complex tasks that depend on disaster characteristics, roadway network characteristics, the demographics and socioeconomic status of people in the affected region, as well as the effectiveness of the emergency plans. This problem becomes even more challenging when special needs (access and functional needs) populations and those with pets are considered since they may require more time in the event of an evacuation along with more space in shelters. Satisfying the needs of aging victims during emergency evacuations is critical and requires extra attention in the presence of highly uncertain disaster conditions. During Irma, it was very hard to manage the evacuation of aging people who had disabilities and mobility restrictions, did have special needs or pets. This study develops a Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-based methodology to measure and assess the transportation accessibility of these critical facilities through a diverse set of case study applications in the State of Florida. This research presents a timely evaluation and assessment of aging-focused evacuations towards providing better decision support during emergency transportation operations. This analysis is applied on a case study application set in Florida with a focus on the delays, evacuation travel times and critical bottlenecks, which can be vital for aging victims’ safety and survival. This study also emphasizes the use of GIS-based maps and modeling scenarios in support of emergency evacuation operations, in order to both satisfy the needs of aging people and account for real-world disruptions such as road closures. Additionally, a variety of scenarios are constructed to simulate evacuating 65+ and 85+ populations living in the evacuation zone, providing dynamic congested travel times. Finally, a capacitated p-median optimization model is implemented to maximize the accessibility and capacity of the existing shelters for 85+ populations with special needs (access and functional needs) or pets. Results indicate that the location and allocations of people to shelters are sensitive to demographics and roadway conditions, and the accessibility to shelters can be improved for this group of people based on optimization model results. A contribution of the research will be the evaluation of emergency evacuation performance of the transportation network under multiple disaster scenarios and the detailed modeling of key transportation facilities where special needs would take place. By exploring the use of multi-layered approach for emergency operations, this research will also increase the performance in evacuating aging people who has limitations.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_FALL2017_Kocatepe_fsu_0071E_14253
Format: Thesis

Title: Biomechanics of Older Drivers in Vehicular Crashes.
Creator: Fung, Kakit, Jung, Sungmoon, Zeng, Changchun (Chad), Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of...
Show moreFung, Kakit, Jung, Sungmoon, Zeng, Changchun (Chad), Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: The aging population is expected to increase substantially in the future. The fatal crash rates (per mile traveled) involving older drivers (65+) are considerably higher than those of younger drivers. This research involved conducting computational experiments involving dummy models to investigate the biomechanics of older drivers in vehicular crashes. Before conducting these experiments, the concepts of biological changes in older populations needed to be addressed. This allowed us to first...
Show moreThe aging population is expected to increase substantially in the future. The fatal crash rates (per mile traveled) involving older drivers (65+) are considerably higher than those of younger drivers. This research involved conducting computational experiments involving dummy models to investigate the biomechanics of older drivers in vehicular crashes. Before conducting these experiments, the concepts of biological changes in older populations needed to be addressed. This allowed us to first find out what makes the older drivers different from younger drivers. It was found that driving posture is one of the two key differences between the two age groups. The Hybrid III computational dummy model was used to investigate the effect of driving posture. The other key finding shows that older drivers are affected by aging factors such as material properties decrease and thickness decrease of bones. The Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) was used because it can be modified to represent an aged driver to be used in the crash simulations. For the posture investigation, the idea is that driving posture for older drivers tend to be closer to the steering wheel whereas younger drivers are more laid back was incorporated. All computational work was completed in LS-DYNA; a finite element code used for non-linear impact analysis. The Finite Element (FE) simulation was validated by comparing the FE results with physical crash test results. These results were found in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations (FMVSS) Report 208 for Frontal Crash Test. For subsequent simulations, posture changes based on the idea of aging according to literature review were implemented. For the Head Injury Criteria, the extended shoulders of an older driver yielded percent differences as high as 16%. The arms acted like braces to restrain the torso while the head continued forward. The extended knees also yielded a 16% increase in head injury. As for the chest acceleration, the extended hip and torso joints showed increased values. It was concluded that sitting closer was beneficial for the Head Injury Criteria but the opposite was true for the chest acceleration. The posture changes did not affect the pelvis acceleration. This investigation gave us a better understanding of what occurs in automobile accidents specific to older occupants. This knowledge can be useful in designing engineering approaches to mitigate injuries. Using the aged model, the material properties decrease yielded the highest chest deflection of 13.3%. For the bone thickness decrease, the chest acceleration showed the highest increase of 12.5%. The head acceleration and chest deflection showed noticeable increases. Overall with all three aging factors in place, the head and chest accelerations yielded high increases. Whereas for the deflection, it remains the same. The thoracic rotation increased the head resultant acceleration. The rotation decreased the deflection of the thorax because the ribs were more in line with the force imposed by the crash. It can withstand more force when the ribs are more parallel with the force. As for the chest acceleration, no significant change was present. It can be concluded that the older drivers in rear impacts experienced higher (Neck Injury Criterion) NICmax than younger drivers as much as 6.9% percent for the material property decrease and bone thickness decrease. The thorax rotation yielded a 4.7% decrease in NICmax. It is possible that this aging factor caused the thorax to conform more into the seatback thus reducing the injury. The bone thickness decreased affected the NICmax greatly whereas the material property decreased did show signs of minimal positive influence. The material property decreased yielded 0.8% increase while the thickness decreased yielded a 3.0% increase.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_FALL2017_Fung_fsu_0071E_14227
Format: Thesis

Title: Optimization of Groundwater Long-Term Monitoring Network Optimization of Groundwater Long-Term Monitoring Network with Ant Colony Optimization with Ant Colony Optimization.
Creator: Liu, Xiaoli, Chen, Gang, Ye, Ming, Wang, Xiaoqiang, Hilton, Amy B. Chan, Huang, Wenrui, Tang, Youneng, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreLiu, Xiaoli, Chen, Gang, Ye, Ming, Wang, Xiaoqiang, Hilton, Amy B. Chan, Huang, Wenrui, Tang, Youneng, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Groundwater remediation is conducted in polluted sites to remove contaminants and to restore ground water quality. After remediation goals are achieved, long-term groundwater monitoring (LTM) that can span decades is required to assess the concentration of residual contaminants and to avoid the risk of human health and environment. On large remediation sites, the cost for maintaining a LTM network, collecting samples, conducting water quality lab analysis can be a significant, persistent and...
Show moreGroundwater remediation is conducted in polluted sites to remove contaminants and to restore ground water quality. After remediation goals are achieved, long-term groundwater monitoring (LTM) that can span decades is required to assess the concentration of residual contaminants and to avoid the risk of human health and environment. On large remediation sites, the cost for maintaining a LTM network, collecting samples, conducting water quality lab analysis can be a significant, persistent and growing financial burden for the private entities and government agencies who are responsible for environmental remediation projects. LTM network optimization offers an opportunity to improve the cost-effectiveness of the LTM effort while meeting data accuracy requirements. The optimization includes identifying the redundancy in the monitoring network, and recommending changes to protect against potential impacts to the public and the environment. This study develops a variant ant colony optimization (VACO) method, using ordinary kriging (OK) or inverse distance weighting (IDW) for data interpolation, to identify optimal LTM networks that minimize the cost of LTM by reducing the number of monitoring locations with minimum overall data loss. ACO is a global stochastic search method inspired by the collective problem-solving ability of a colony of ants as they search for the most efficient routes from their nests to food sources. The performance of ACO variant (VACO) developed in this study is evaluated separately in two test cases. In the first case, VACO is used to solve a simplified traveling sales person problem. In the second case, both enumeration method and VACO are employed for optimization of a synthetic long term monitoring network of 73 wells generated from a groundwater transport simulation model. The two sets of test show that the VACO performs well for optimization problems. The VACO is finally adopted for the optimization of a long term monitoring network of 30 wells in Logistic Center, Washington, with the data interpolation methods of inverse distance weighing, ordinary kriging, and modified inverse distance weighing which is developed in this study. The optimization results are analyzed and group of ideal redundant wells identified. The conclusion of this study is summarized at the end, and future work is suggested.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_FALL2017_Liu_fsu_0071E_14254
Format: Thesis

Title: Offshore Wind Turbines Subjected to Hurricanes.
Creator: Amirinia, Gholamreza, Jung, Sungmoon, Liu, Xiuwen, Spainhour, Lisa, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of...
Show moreAmirinia, Gholamreza, Jung, Sungmoon, Liu, Xiuwen, Spainhour, Lisa, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Hurricane Andrew (1992) caused one of the largest property losses in U.S. history, but limited availability of surface wind measurements hindered the advancement of wind engineering research. Many studies have been conducted on regular boundary layer winds (non-hurricane winds) and their effects on the structures. In this case, their results were used in the standards and codes; however, hurricane winds and their effects on the structures still need more studies and observations. Analysis of...
Show moreHurricane Andrew (1992) caused one of the largest property losses in U.S. history, but limited availability of surface wind measurements hindered the advancement of wind engineering research. Many studies have been conducted on regular boundary layer winds (non-hurricane winds) and their effects on the structures. In this case, their results were used in the standards and codes; however, hurricane winds and their effects on the structures still need more studies and observations. Analysis of hurricane surface winds revealed that turbulence spectrum of hurricane winds differs from that of non-hurricane surface winds. Vertical profile of wind velocity and turbulence intensity are also important for determining the wind loads on high-rise structures. Vertical profile of hurricane winds is affected by different parameters such as terrain or surface roughness. Recent studies show that wind velocity profile and turbulence intensity of hurricane winds may be different from those used in the design codes. Most of the studies and available models for analyzing wind turbines subjected to high-winds neglect unsteady aerodynamic forces on a parked wind tower. Since the blade pitch angle in a parked wind turbine is usually about 90°, the drag coefficient on blade airfoils are very small therefore the along-wind aerodynamic forces on the blades are smaller than those on the tower. Hence, the tower in parked condition plays an important role in along-wind responses of the wind turbine. The objectives of this study are, first, to explore the nature of the hurricane surface winds. Next, to establish a time domain procedure for addressing structure-wind-wave-soil interactions. Third, investigating the behavior of wind turbines subjected to hurricane loads resulted form hurricane nature and, lastly, to investigate reconfiguration of turbine structure to reduce wind forces. In order to achieve these objective, first, recent observations on hurricane turbulence models were discussed. Then a new formulation for addressing unsteady wind forces on the tower was introduced and NREL-FAST package was modified with the new formulation. Interaction of wind-wave-soil-structure was also included in the modification. After customizing the package, the tower and blade buffeting responses, the low cycle fatigue during different hurricane categories, and extreme value of the short-term responses were analyzed. In the second part, piezoelectric materials were used to generate perturbations on the surface of a specimen in the wind tunnel. This perturbation was used to combine upward wall motion and surface curvature. For this purpose, a Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) material was mounted on the surface of a cylindrical specimen for generating perturbation in the wind tunnel. Four different perturbation frequencies (1 Hz, 2 Hz, 3 Hz, and 4Hz) as well as the baseline specimen were tested in a low-speed wind tunnel (Re= 2.8×104). Results showed that recently observed turbulence models resulted in larger structural responses and low-cycle fatigue damage than existing models. In addition, extreme value analysis of the short-term results showed that the IEC 61400-3 recommendation for wind turbine class I was sufficient for designing the tower for wind turbine class S subjected to hurricane; however, for designing the blade, IEC 61400-3 recommendations for class I underestimated the responses. In addition, wind tunnel testing results showed that the perturbation of the surface of the specimen increased the turbulence in the leeward in specific distance from the specimen. The surface perturbation technique had potential to reduce the drag by 4.8%.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_FALL2017_Amirinia_fsu_0071E_14157
Format: Thesis

Title: Driver Behavior in Mixed Connected-Automated and Conventional Vehicle Traffic at a Freeway Merge.
Creator: Chityala, Sneha, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: Wireless communication through automated and connected vehicles is an evolving technology. This ameliorates the driving conditions, reduces time spent in traffic and curtails the crash occurrences. One of the most challenging areas, where these interactions can be most useful, are freeway merge ramps. Both the drivers on mainline and the drivers merging would be skeptical about their decisions at this location. The drivers who want to merge to the freeway mainline would seek to find an...
Show moreWireless communication through automated and connected vehicles is an evolving technology. This ameliorates the driving conditions, reduces time spent in traffic and curtails the crash occurrences. One of the most challenging areas, where these interactions can be most useful, are freeway merge ramps. Both the drivers on mainline and the drivers merging would be skeptical about their decisions at this location. The drivers who want to merge to the freeway mainline would seek to find an appropriate gap to enter the mainline of the freeway. While the technology of connected and automated vehicles is being promoted, the reality now is that for the foreseeable future, the traffic would not comprise 100% of such connected and automated vehicles. In other words, there will be a mixed traffic of manually-driven and connected/automated vehicles, with various levels of automation in the latter types of vehicles. Capturing the driver behavior at the merge locations into a freeway with such mixed traffic, will be useful in learning and improving safety on the roadways. The Driving Simulator is a useful device in capturing driver behaviors. In this study scenarios are developed in the Driving Simulator which allows mixed traffic on mainline and also observe the driver behaviors from the ramp onto the merge. Overall there were three variations in the mixed traffic flow for the mainline freeway: 0%, 50% and 75% penetration rates. The freeway traffic was generated for the mixed traffic by first developing a mixed probability distribution which assumes exponential distributions for the inter-arrival times of manually-driven vehicles and a constant headway (uniform distribution) is assumed between connected vehicles. The mixed distribution was then used to randomly generate vehicles through Monte Carlo simulation, with assigned headways in the Driving Simulator for the various connected vehicle penetration rates. The subject driver’s speed along the ramp is monitored, as well as the speeds of those vehicles on the freeway. The gaps between freeway vehicles, which were accepted by the subject driver, were recorded for the various situations and scenarios. There were a total of 41 participants, with 29 young drivers (younger than 65 years) and 12 elderly drivers (65 years and older, amongst which 2 were between 55 and 65 years old). Three scenarios were presented to the drivers. The first driving task was to determine headway gap acceptance for the three penetration rates, based on the perception of the subject drivers (without driving). The second test involved the subjects actually driving on the ramp and implementing a suitable gap to merge on the freeway traffic at each ramp. From the data collected, the critical gaps were estimated based on perception. The gaps accepted while driving were also tabulated analyzed. It was observed that the critical gap for the young drivers in 0%, 50%, 75% penetrations rate are 2.9 sec, 1.8 sec, and 1.7 sec respectively. The critical gaps observed for elderly drivers aged over 65 are 3.5 sec, 2.0 sec, and 1.9 sec respectively. Based on an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), there is no evidence to prove the equality of means for different groups classified by age, gender and driving experience in both perception and actual driving conditions for 0% and 50% penetration rates. It was observed that the headway gaps accepted by young and drivers, both by perception and driving in 0% penetration rate were 2.39 sec and 2.35 sec respectively. The headway gaps accepted by elderly drivers both by perception and driving in 0% penetration rate were 2.4 sec and 2.72 sec respectively. When the ANOVA was performed between the 0% and 50% penetration rates of driving conditions, it was observed that there is a lot of variation in the mean headway gaps accepted. The values of average headway gaps accepted for young drivers were estimated as 2.36 sec and 1.53 sec respectively, in the 0% and 50% penetration rates. For the elderly drivers the average headway gap values observed were 2.72 sec and 1.55 sec respectively, in the 0% and 50% penetration rates traffic. The results also indicated the subject driver acceleration and deceleration behavior at the merge ramp. The results also showed that when the (aggressive) drivers accelerated to match the velocity of mainline traffic and merged in between connected-automated vehicles with the shortest gap, effects were noticed on the mainline traffic, where the main line traffic had to decelerate rapidly. Overall, it was observed that the subject drivers accepted shorter headway gaps as the penetration rates increases.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_SUMMER2017_Chityala_fsu_0071N_14121
Format: Thesis

Title: Optimization of Alternative Wind Turbine Towers in Low Wind Resource Regions.
Creator: Al-Kaimakchi, Anwer, Jung, Sungmoon, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreAl-Kaimakchi, Anwer, Jung, Sungmoon, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Taller wind turbines with big wheel area have been proposed for low wind speed sites, where conventional 80m tower cannot produce enough electricity. Hub height of 140m gives the potential to all 50 states to produce power from wind. However, it is not clear which tower (steel, concrete or hybrid) is economically attractive beyond 80m, or which design parameter is most critical in enabling tall yet economic tower. The aim of this paper is to come up with optimum designs for steel, concrete...
Show moreTaller wind turbines with big wheel area have been proposed for low wind speed sites, where conventional 80m tower cannot produce enough electricity. Hub height of 140m gives the potential to all 50 states to produce power from wind. However, it is not clear which tower (steel, concrete or hybrid) is economically attractive beyond 80m, or which design parameter is most critical in enabling tall yet economic tower. The aim of this paper is to come up with optimum designs for steel, concrete and hybrid towers while minimizing wind turbine cost and maximizing power production and then study the influence of changing one design variable on optimum designs. Also, it was of interest to study the effect of defining rotor dimeter of turbine as an independent design variable or as function of height. Multiple optimal solutions were obtained, which are called Pareto-optimal solutions. The design variables were chosen to be diameter, thickness, height of tower and blade radius. Design constraints were buckling, yielding, shear stresses for steel tower and ultimate and service limit states for the concrete tower. Those constraints have been used to control the stability of the tower. Different linear constraints have been applied for each tower, e.g. radius of the rotor should be less than the height of the tower. The design problem is conceptual design so detailed design is beyond scope of this research, such as the flange for the steel tower, connection between the concrete parts, and connection between the steel and concrete for the hybrid tower. Nonetheless, the cost of these parts was added to the design problem. Due to the highly constrained, non-convex and non-linear nature of the design problem, Genetic algorithm has been chosen as a solver for the problem. The towers were analyzed for operational and nonoperational aerodynamic conditions according to IEC 61400-1. A comparison of steel, concrete and hybrid towers was analyzed for heights ranging (80m-150m). Results showed that up to 95m, the cost difference was negligible between all towers options. Beyond 95m hybrid towers were dominating the solutions. For 150m hub height, concrete tower saved 12% when it is compared to its steel counterpart. Concrete base diameter decreases to less than 10m, industry preferred, when average concrete wall thickness was equal or greater than 0.4m or compressive strength of concrete increases. Increasing compressive strength of concrete by 10% also resulted in cost reduction of 2.18% for 150m hub height. Results showed that defining rotor diameter as a design variable was better than defining it as a function of height because the optimization problem had fewer constraints.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_SUMMER2017_ALKAIMAKCHI_fsu_0071N_13989
Format: Thesis

Title: Removal of Powdered Activated Carbon by Cloth Tertiary Filters.
Creator: Madden, Brandon Cale, Ahmad, Hafiz, Chen, Gang, Tang, Youneng, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: Water conservation, wastewater treatment regulations, and the use of reclaimed/reuse water supplies have been on a collision course since society’s demand began outstripping the supply of fresh water. As potable water demand has risen, engineers have looked toward Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) to alleviate the stress placed upon aquifers and surface water sources. Direct Potable Reuse (DPR), Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) and Reuse/Reclaimed systems all conserve water; however, they also...
Show moreWater conservation, wastewater treatment regulations, and the use of reclaimed/reuse water supplies have been on a collision course since society’s demand began outstripping the supply of fresh water. As potable water demand has risen, engineers have looked toward Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) to alleviate the stress placed upon aquifers and surface water sources. Direct Potable Reuse (DPR), Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) and Reuse/Reclaimed systems all conserve water; however, they also unintentionally conserve pollutants. The widespread use of WWTP effluent conservation requires additional treatment options such as Activated Carbon treatment to further treat plant effluent. Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) has shown promise as a treatment method to reduce pollutants but challenges remain in effectively applying PAC to a wastewater stream. Of particular concern is the application of PAC to existing facilities in which the existing hydraulic profile does not allow the use of large sedimentation tanks normally associated with PAC use in potable water applications. Cloth Media Filtration (CMF) is an existing treatment process that has seen significant saturation into the WWTP market in the United States since being introduced in 1991. While mostly targeted at tertiary treatment, alternate processes such as primary filtration and storm water treatment are now being pursued. It is suspected that CMF will capture and retain Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) in which the two processes could be combined in order to produce an energy friendly and cost competitive approach to pollutant reductions. This research examines the feasibility of application of PAC into existing hydraulic profiles by using inline injection and its quick removal by Cloth Media Filtration (CMF). One of the most challenging aspects of PAC usage is its removal, which can be facilitated by a commercial CMF. A bench sized cloth media filter was constructed and then operated in a side stream manner with a real-world wastewater treatment train. The results show excellent performance of the designed CMF. The removal of two commercially available PACs was more than 70% within a short time using the existing hydraulic conditions of the plant. Additionally, using the backwash rates and solids removal rates, it was determined that CMF performs as an acceptable means of removal for PAC in a WWTP.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_SUMMER2017_Madden_fsu_0071N_14114
Format: Thesis

Title: Gas Emissions in Landfills.
Creator: Melaouhia, Haykel, Abichou, Tarek, Chanton, Jeffrey M., Tang, Youneng, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Chen, Gang, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil...
Show moreMelaouhia, Haykel, Abichou, Tarek, Chanton, Jeffrey M., Tang, Youneng, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Chen, Gang, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Environment and natural resources can be polluted and consequently human beings, animals and plants can be impacted. Then, waste management plays an important role in human's life. Landfilling is one of the most common technology for solid waste management (MSW) as an alternative to waste burning and composting. A complex series of biological and chemical reactions is initiated with the burial of solid waste in a landfill, resulting in the production of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2)...
Show moreEnvironment and natural resources can be polluted and consequently human beings, animals and plants can be impacted. Then, waste management plays an important role in human's life. Landfilling is one of the most common technology for solid waste management (MSW) as an alternative to waste burning and composting. A complex series of biological and chemical reactions is initiated with the burial of solid waste in a landfill, resulting in the production of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as the major end products of biological decomposition. With a global warming potential 25 times as high as than carbon dioxide on a century time scale, methane is an important greenhouse gas in the climate system. The fate of this CH4 varies widely depending on typical landfill practice in a specific country. Ideally, all generated CH4 would be captured and used beneficially as an energy source. However, even at modern landfills, some CH4 is released before installation of gas collection systems and some CH4 is released because it is not captured in a collection system. A fraction of the uncollected CH4 is oxidized in the landfill cover through bacterial activities and the rate of CH4 oxidation has recently been reviewed. Thus, estimation of methane emissions from landfills is a crucial task. Several models have been developed through the history for such a task, however, none of them represent the reality of the different phases that methane goes through in the landfill. Moreover, methane oxidation capacity estimation has been only based on stable isotopes method. The objective of this work is to develop new methodologies to quantify methane oxidation capacity within landfill covers and to develop a holistic gas estimation model based on the different phases that gas goes through, generation, collection and oxidation, and this model will be calibrated based on field measurements and historical data available over the United States.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: FSU_2017SP_Melaouhia_fsu_0071E_13859
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effect of Aging Altered Driving Posture in Low Speed Frontal Impact.
Creator: Xu, Ran, Jung, Sungmoon, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: The research investigated the effect of aging altered driving posture on injury criteria of the head (HIC15) and chest (peak resultant chest acceleration) in low speed frontal impact. The aging altered driving postures were described in terms of body joint angles. Older drivers exhibited smaller body joint angles meaning older drivers tended to sitting closer to the steering wheels compared to their younger counterparts. A simplified anthropomorphic test dummy, sled rig, and impact pendulum...
Show moreThe research investigated the effect of aging altered driving posture on injury criteria of the head (HIC15) and chest (peak resultant chest acceleration) in low speed frontal impact. The aging altered driving postures were described in terms of body joint angles. Older drivers exhibited smaller body joint angles meaning older drivers tended to sitting closer to the steering wheels compared to their younger counterparts. A simplified anthropomorphic test dummy, sled rig, and impact pendulum were constructed as the necessary testing apparatus for the low speed frontal impact sled test experiment. A fractional factorial design screened out the significant factors that affect HIC15, and peak resultant chest acceleration. The results showed that for HIC15, torso angle, hip angle, right knee angle, right ankle angle, and seatbelt pillar loop anchor height were the significant factors. For peak resultant chest acceleration torso angle, right knee angle and left ankle angle were significant. Qualitatively, extended torso angles, meaning sitting more laid back, increased both HIC15 and peak resultant chest acceleration. Left and right side of lower extremities altered HIC15 and peak resultant chest acceleration separately. These findings may help to better understand biomechanical response of older drivers during car accidents and provide useful information regarding safer vehicle design, such as occupant seat and seatbelt in an effort to mitigate injuries.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: FSU_FA2016_Xu_fsu_0071N_13637
Format: Thesis

Title: Evaluation of Florida-I Beam Bridges with Precast Concrete Deck Panels (Non-prestressed and Prestressed).
Creator: Chipperfield, Jonathan Darren, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, DeBrunner, Linda S., Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FSU-FAMU College of...
Show moreChipperfield, Jonathan Darren, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, DeBrunner, Linda S., Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FSU-FAMU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Four (4) new bridges were constructed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to replace four (4) deteriorated bridges on U.S. Highway 90 between Tallahassee and Quincy, Florida. The new bridges were built using new construction methods which can be designated as Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) processes. This research focuses on the bridges' superstructures which were constructed using prefabricated elements from a precast concrete facility. The superstructure elements...
Show moreFour (4) new bridges were constructed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to replace four (4) deteriorated bridges on U.S. Highway 90 between Tallahassee and Quincy, Florida. The new bridges were built using new construction methods which can be designated as Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) processes. This research focuses on the bridges' superstructures which were constructed using prefabricated elements from a precast concrete facility. The superstructure elements included precast pretensioned Florida-I Beams (FIB), precast pretensioned concrete deck panels and precast reinforced (non-prestressed) concrete deck panels. The two (2) westbound bridges were constructed using pretensioned concrete deck panels, whereas the two (2) eastbound bridges were constructed using reinforced concrete deck panels. The bridge panels were connected to the FIBs using a high-strength grout. Closure joints between the panels were filled with cast-in-place concrete. Before this new construction method can be adopted by the FDOT, it is necessary to evaluate the feasibility, construction process, and overall structural integrity of the new bridges. Therefore, load tests took place to evaluate the similarities and differences of the two (2) different types of panels. The testing showed that they both behave similarly to each other, and that composite action between the panels and FIBs was achieved. The test results were also used to compare the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) distribution factors with those calculated from load test data. A portion of the load test focused on how much the barrier affects the overall load distribution, by load testing before and after the barriers were placed on one of the bridges.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: FSU_FA2016_Chipperfield_fsu_0071E_13615
Format: Thesis

Title: High Alkalinity Cement: The Use of High Alkalinity Cement in FDOT Class IV Concrete.
Creator: Beckwith, Lauren Ann, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental...
Show moreBeckwith, Lauren Ann, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: High alkali cements are not used in the state of Florida because of its supposed deleterious effects to concrete. The alkali-silica reaction forms a gel in the voids of the concrete and the increase in internal pressure created by the gel causes the concrete to crack. Other states across the United States have implemented the use of high alkali cements. The purpose of this research was to supply the Florida Department of Transportation an initial investigation of the effects high alkali...
Show moreHigh alkali cements are not used in the state of Florida because of its supposed deleterious effects to concrete. The alkali-silica reaction forms a gel in the voids of the concrete and the increase in internal pressure created by the gel causes the concrete to crack. Other states across the United States have implemented the use of high alkali cements. The purpose of this research was to supply the Florida Department of Transportation an initial investigation of the effects high alkali cement in Class IV concrete. A total of twelve mixes, four control mixes and eight test mixes, were prepared and tested to compare the fresh and hardened properties. Class IV concrete has requirements that it must be met in order to be used in Florida and the goal of this research was to determine if the test mixes met these requirements. As it stands, the high alkali cement did appear to have an effect on the fresh and hardened properties of the concrete. A final conclusion was made that high alkalinity cements could be use but only with supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: FSU_FA2016_Beckwith_fsu_0071N_12986
Format: Thesis

Title: Evaluation of Florida Vehicle Classification Table.
Creator: Masaki, Jaqueline Eliabu, Moses, Ren, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental...
Show moreMasaki, Jaqueline Eliabu, Moses, Ren, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Accurate vehicle classification data is fundamental to pavement design and road safety analysis. In addition, vehicle classification data is important for Florida Department of Transportation’s Transportation Statistics Office’s clients including consultants, researchers, designers, and planners who use the data to perform various analyses. In the mid-1980s, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed a standardized vehicle classification system which was designed to meet the needs of...
Show moreAccurate vehicle classification data is fundamental to pavement design and road safety analysis. In addition, vehicle classification data is important for Florida Department of Transportation’s Transportation Statistics Office’s clients including consultants, researchers, designers, and planners who use the data to perform various analyses. In the mid-1980s, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed a standardized vehicle classification system which was designed to meet the needs of many traffic data users. This resulted in the FHWA 13-category classification rule set presently used for most Federal reporting requirements. Furthermore, this serves as the foundation for most State vehicle classification reporting efforts.The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) uses the FHWA F-Scheme to classify vehicles throughout the state highway system. This scheme relies mainly on the number of axles and the axle spacing, but on some Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) sites, vehicle weights are also used to improve classification. This thesis evaluates the performance of the Florida vehicle classification table of non-WIM sites using video data as the ground truth.This thesis has two main parts. Part I compares the performance of different data recorders that use FDOT vehicle classification table for WIM and non-WIM sites in classifying vehicles and evaluate the misclassification rates for each recorder. Part II evaluates the accuracy of the Florida vehicle classification table, determines the sources of misclassification, describes the changes recommended in the classification table to improve the classification accuracy, proposes and validates the improved vehicle classification table. This report will be of interest to Florida Department of Transportation and consultants, researchers, engineers, designers, and planners who require accurate vehicle classification information for planning, designing and maintenance of transportation infrastructures.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: FSU_2016SU_Masaki_fsu_0071N_13458
Format: Thesis

Title: Weibull-Based Deterioration and Preservation Models for Florida Bridges.
Creator: Ackah, Kojo Essuman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Spainhour, Lisa, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreAckah, Kojo Essuman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Spainhour, Lisa, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: In the past decade, FDOT has carried out network-level decisions through the utilization of AASHTO Pontis Bridge Management System. Like most states, Florida DOT had been previously using a customized version of the 1997 AASHTO CoRe Element Guide and developed its inspection, deterioration and cost frameworks using the 1997 capabilities. In compliance with the MAP-21 directive, Florida modified its procedures of bridge inspection data collection, cost, and deterioration and preservation...
Show moreIn the past decade, FDOT has carried out network-level decisions through the utilization of AASHTO Pontis Bridge Management System. Like most states, Florida DOT had been previously using a customized version of the 1997 AASHTO CoRe Element Guide and developed its inspection, deterioration and cost frameworks using the 1997 capabilities. In compliance with the MAP-21 directive, Florida modified its procedures of bridge inspection data collection, cost, and deterioration and preservation models development based on the new AASHTO 2013 manual. This thesis research was aimed at developing a Semi-markov based preservation model based on the revised bridge inspection process. The changes however, required a revision of past deterioration models, both Markov and Semi-markov. Thus, transition probabilities based on the two-parameter Weibull distribution describing the natural deterioration of each element were generated and consequently, optimized preservation policies. This task required a review of Florida bridge data, creating a time-based deterioration model and thereafter, generating preservation actions to be taken on the bridge elements. A literature review of state DOT inspection and preservation manuals, the NBIS requirements, AASHTO BrM 5.2.1 documentation and other helpful publications was also conducted in the process. The network-level optimization model was established with the application of linear programming algorithms and stochastic theories.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: FSU_2016SU_Ackah_fsu_0071N_13292
Format: Thesis

Title: Wind Energy Potential on the Norhteastern Island Territories in Venezuela Considering Uncertainties.
Creator: Vasquez Maldonado, Paola Gabriela, Jung, Sungmoon, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Kampmann, Raphael, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department...
Show moreVasquez Maldonado, Paola Gabriela, Jung, Sungmoon, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Kampmann, Raphael, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Wind energy has become one of the most important and thriving renewable energy resources in the world. Transforming the kinetic energy of wind into electric power is more environmentally friendly than traditional processes such as the combustion of fossil fuels. It provides independence from the limited fossil fuels reserves by using an unlimited resource. In order to develop a wind power facility, it is important to develop an initial wind resource assessment to guarantee the selected site...
Show moreWind energy has become one of the most important and thriving renewable energy resources in the world. Transforming the kinetic energy of wind into electric power is more environmentally friendly than traditional processes such as the combustion of fossil fuels. It provides independence from the limited fossil fuels reserves by using an unlimited resource. In order to develop a wind power facility, it is important to develop an initial wind resource assessment to guarantee the selected site will be profitable in terms of electric energy output. Several countries lack developed wind atlases that indicate a rough estimate of wind resource in their territories, which is an obstacle for inexpensive wind resource evaluations. In order to perform site evaluations generally an anemometer must be put in place to take wind measurements. This process is costly and time consuming since at least a year of data must be observed. The quality of wind resource depends on several geographic and atmospheric characteristics such as: air density, site location, site topography, wind speed and direction. This study was conducted to provide an initial wind resource assessment on three locations in Venezuela which do not have previous evaluations: Cerro Copey, Punta de Piedras and Los Roques. The assessment was done remotely based on the national meteorological service meteorological observations; wind resource and turbine power output uncertainties were taken into account. The wind assessment was done through Monte Carlo simulations mathematically considering several uncertainties with emphasis on surface roughness for vertical extrapolation. The results exhibit wind energy potential of the three sites and a throughout wind resource characterization of the site with the most potential: Cerro Copey.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: FSU_2016SP_VasquezMaldonado_fsu_0071N_13137
Format: Thesis

Title: Aerated Recirculation and Pressurized Suspended Fiber Biofiltration for the Treatment of Landfill Leachate.
Creator: Wang, Boya, Chen, Gang, Huang, Wenrui, Tang, Youneng, Florida State University, FAMU/FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: ABSTRACT Landfilling is widely adopted as one of the most economical processes for solid waste disposal. At the same time, landfill leachate is also a great environmental concern because of its complex composition and high contaminant concentrations. Recirculating leachate appears to be one of the least expensive methods for partial treatment and disposal of leachate at properly designed and operated landfill sites. The leachate recirculation not only improves the leachate quality, but also...
Show moreABSTRACT Landfilling is widely adopted as one of the most economical processes for solid waste disposal. At the same time, landfill leachate is also a great environmental concern because of its complex composition and high contaminant concentrations. Recirculating leachate appears to be one of the least expensive methods for partial treatment and disposal of leachate at properly designed and operated landfill sites. The leachate recirculation not only improves the leachate quality, but also shortens the time duration required for landfill stabilization. In addition, aerated leachate recirculation can bring air into the landfill, leading to aerobic organic decomposition, as well as iron precipitation. It has been discovered that up to 84% BOD, 86% COD, 90% iron and manganese can be removed after 4 months' recirculation. In Northwest Florida, high concentrations of iron have been observed in the landfill leachate, which is believed to be released to the landfill leachate from iron-rich soil owing to changes in pH and redox conditions induced by organic waste decomposition. Therefore, aerated leachate recirculation has obvious benefits in this region. Although aerated leachate recirculation has these advantages, leachate is only partially treated. The leachate must be further treated in order to meet the discharge requirements. Among all the treatment methods, biological treatment of wastewater with a biofilter is the most promising and most well characterized technology. During biofiltration operations, the growth of microorganisms develops biofilms on the medium surfaces and the microorganisms in the biofilms absorb soluble and colloidal waste materials in the wastewater as it percolates over the medium surfaces. The BOD can nearly be completely removed if the wastewater retention time in the media is sufficiently long for the microorganisms to absorb wastewater constituents. In this research, aerated recirculation and pressurized suspended fiber biofiltration were tested for the treatment of leachate from landfills in Northwest Florida. The pressurized suspended biofilter can efficiently achieve the filtration function with limited space. The suspended fiber provide a tremendous amount of surface areas in a small volume. Therefore, microorganisms can grow around the fibers at a density of greater than 1 × 108 cells per ml, the only means to culture cells at in vivo-like cell density. Another advantage of the pressurized suspended fiber filtration is that the oxygen transfer barrier can be overcome and consequently significantly increased dissolved oxygen level can be achieved. As an innovative technology for wastewater treatment, the pressurized suspended fiber biofilters also makes biological contact oxidation possible, which can significantly improve BOD and COD removal and decrease the sludge yield. For iron removal, contact oxidation is achieved by microbial mediated iron oxidation and fixation during which ferrous iron is oxidized to ferric iron and fixed onto the filter media. Consequently, there is minimal ferric iron suspending in the solution that can escape the filter. Using the combined aerated leachate recirculation and pressurized fiber biofiltration, chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the landfill leachate can be reduced to as low as 8 mg/l and iron content can be reduced to as low as 0.02 mg/l under appropriate dissolved oxygen and alkalinity conditions.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: FSU_2016SP_Wang_fsu_0071N_13128
Format: Thesis

Title: Aging Population-Focused Transportation Accessibility Assessment of Critical Facilities in Florida.
Creator: Ozel, Hidayet, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Moses, Ren, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: A significant responsibility of officials involved in transportation planning is ensuring people's accessibility to critical facilities such as multi-modal terminals and emergency shelters. This challenging task depends on the available transportation infrastructure as well as the overall population, traffic, roadway and regional characteristics. Such planning takes on additional complexity when aging populations are considered because any extra time they incur reaching these facilities can...
Show moreA significant responsibility of officials involved in transportation planning is ensuring people's accessibility to critical facilities such as multi-modal terminals and emergency shelters. This challenging task depends on the available transportation infrastructure as well as the overall population, traffic, roadway and regional characteristics. Such planning takes on additional complexity when aging populations are considered because any extra time they incur reaching these facilities can be especially confounding in light of their potential health and other safety concerns. As such, there is a need for state/federal transportation plans to have a transportation assessment component that specifically focuses on the accessibility of aging people ('the aging population' can be thought of as those people aged 65+ in this study) to critical facilities. To accomplish this goal, this study first describes a Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-based methodology for measuring the aging population-focused accessibility to multi-modal facilities in Florida. Spatially detailed population block- and county-based accessibility scores are calculated with respect to key intermodal facility types (airports, bus stations, and railway and ferry stations), and visually assessed via GIS maps. Second, a spatial optimization model is presented which focuses on maximizing the accessibility of aging populations to the emergency shelters. For this purpose, a p-median optimization model is proposed in order to minimize the transportation cost (travel time or roadway network distance costs between the origins –centroids of population blocks- and destinations –emergency shelters) in the transportation network, and therefore providing maximum accessibility for aging adults to the emergency shelters. In this context, different transportation costs are used: (a) roadway network distance, (b) free flow travel time, and (c) congested travel time. This model is also extended towards a capacitated p-median model with hubs, which makes it possible to conduct an extensive evaluation of possible intermediate hub locations that can have a significant effect on the accessibility of those shelters. The knowledge obtained from this accessibility analysis can successfully contribute to the development of more reliable aging population-focused transportation plans, as the analysis points to specific areas where accessibility could be improved as well as those candidate locations that can be serve as additional emergency shelters and intermediate hubs.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_2015fall_Ozel_fsu_0071N_12963
Format: Thesis

Title: Effect of Friction on Vehicle Crashworthiness during Rollover.
Creator: Gleba, Michal, Jung, Sungmoon, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Wekezer, Jerry W., Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreGleba, Michal, Jung, Sungmoon, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Wekezer, Jerry W., Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: The State of Florida acquires over 300 cutaway buses every year. The increasing popularity of such buses raised concerns about passenger safety and overall crashworthiness of this transportation mode. Dimensions of the cutaway buses and their two-stage manufacturing process made them exempted from safety standards which were developed for smaller passenger cars as well as for large coaches. To fill this gap, cutaway bus manufacturers try to demonstrate the strength of their bus roof...
Show moreThe State of Florida acquires over 300 cutaway buses every year. The increasing popularity of such buses raised concerns about passenger safety and overall crashworthiness of this transportation mode. Dimensions of the cutaway buses and their two-stage manufacturing process made them exempted from safety standards which were developed for smaller passenger cars as well as for large coaches. To fill this gap, cutaway bus manufacturers try to demonstrate the strength of their bus roof structures by using FMVSS 220 standard, which follows conservative quasi-static load tests for school buses in the US. However, more advanced, dynamic based safety standard - Regulation 66, was developed in Europe. It is based on a dynamic rollover test which more closely resembles an actual rollover accident. A cutaway bus is placed on a tilt table 800 mm above a concrete slab. The bus is tilted until it falls and impacts the concrete deck and the deformation of the sidewalls is measured in order to check if there is any intrusion into a so called 'survival space'. This standard was endorsed by 44 countries through the United Nation resolution. However, the Regulation 66 standard does not specify all the parameters regarding the rollover test. From multiple tests it can be observed that the friction between the vehicle and the concrete slab which is being impacted by the bus has an influence on the outcomes of the experiment and has great contribution to either a positive or negative assessment of the crashworthiness of a tested vehicle. This Master thesis focuses on the friction parameters between the impacting cutaway bus and a concrete slab used in the Regulation 66 standard. Due to dynamic nature of the experiment, the impact of the bus exerts a high normal force on the concrete slab. Together with an uneven and non-standard geometry of the elements in contact with the concrete deck the standard coefficient of friction found in the literature or obtained using standard tests may not hold. The proper assessment of this coefficient is important since many rollover tests are carried out numerically using Finite Element Methods. The use of numerical analysis reduces the cost of an expensive full scale rollover test. However, it requires verified and validated parameters in order to consider the results trustworthy. The experimental part of this thesis consists of designing and carrying out experiments to evaluate the coefficient of friction for an impacting cutaway bus and a concrete slab. The results from the experiments are incorporated into an explicit computer code LS-DYNA, which is used for numerical analysis of the cutaway buses. The final outcome of this thesis will be validating the coefficient of friction used in the Finite Element Analysis which will lead to improvement of the Finite Element models and will be used to check the influence of the coefficient of friction on vehicle structure deformation (Deformation Index) during rollover accidents.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_2015fall_Gleba_fsu_0071N_12953
Format: Thesis

Title: Hydrogen Sulfide Attenuation within Landfill Covers.
Creator: Green, Stefan Larae, Abichou, Tarek, Clark, Clayton J., Chen, Gang, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract/Description: There has been much research done on the reduction, or attenuation, of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), particularly within landfill cover soils, as H2S can cause many issues when exposed to the atmosphere. The objective of this research study was to understand hydrogen sulfide (H2S) attenuation within landfill cover soils, and to use mass balancing to determine how much sulfur was retained within each layer of test pad. Both of these were completed through 403 days of monitoring three 65 feet by 35...
Show moreThere has been much research done on the reduction, or attenuation, of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), particularly within landfill cover soils, as H2S can cause many issues when exposed to the atmosphere. The objective of this research study was to understand hydrogen sulfide (H2S) attenuation within landfill cover soils, and to use mass balancing to determine how much sulfur was retained within each layer of test pad. Both of these were completed through 403 days of monitoring three 65 feet by 35 feet lysimeter test pads constructed at the Riverbend Landfill. Test Pad 1 was constructed with 18 inches of local soil and an underlying 6 inch gravel layer. Test Pad 2 was constructed with 12 inches of compost, 6 inches of local soil and an underlying 6 inch gravel layer. Test Pad 3 was constructed with 6 inches of local soil and an underlying 6 inch gravel layer. Monitoring on Test Pad 3 was stopped on April 27th, 2015 due to erosion of the 6 inch soil layer, while Test Pads 1 and 2 were monitored until July 20th, 2015. Readings of landfill gas and H2S inflow, and bottom landfill gas and H2S concentrations were taken in each testing pad on a weekly basis. Bottom H2S loading into the soil layer and top H2S emissions from the soil layer were also measured to determine the removal efficiency of H2S. The average H2S removal efficiency of the test pads is 95%, with Test Pad 1 having a removal efficiency of 99%, Test Pad 2 having a removal efficiency of 99%, and Test Pad 3 having a removal efficiency of 82%. Six soil samples and five water samples were taken to measure sulfur concentration within the testing pads. Soil samples were also taken within each of the layers of each testing location within each test pad to determine the soil type and the water content of each soil layer. Mass balance was calculated by taking the amount of sulfur loaded into the bottom of each testing pad, and subtracting the sum of sulfur loaded into the soil cover, sulfur emitted from the soil cover into the atmosphere, and sulfur removed from the system with water as sulfate. Test Pads 1 and 2 yielded similar results, both retaining about 6000 grams of sulfur within their cover layers, while the results from Test Pad 3 suggest that more sulfur was removed from the system than was originally pushed into the system, which is not possible and suggests errors with either testing methods or the testing pad itself. While the concentrations of sulfur within each test pad layer were measured, there were concerns with their dependability that caused them to not be used to determine the amount of sulfur in each layer.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_2015fall_Green_fsu_0071N_12959
Format: Thesis

Title: Analysis of Route Choice and Activity Scheduling Dynamics in Multi-Agent Transport Simulation Environment for Efficient Network Demand Estimation.
Creator: Mtoi, Enock T., Moses, Ren, Horner, Mark W., Ozguven, Eren Erman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Park, Chiwoo, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreMtoi, Enock T., Moses, Ren, Horner, Mark W., Ozguven, Eren Erman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Park, Chiwoo, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: The study of user-behavior and decision-making dynamics in transportation network are vital in modeling and simulation of user interactions. Different users access transportation network in order to accomplish different activities. Such activities can be regular commuting, transit services, commercial taxicabs, deliveries, long distance trips, logistics or fleet services, etc. While the world is becoming increasingly urbanized reliable and cost effective movement of people and goods is...
Show moreThe study of user-behavior and decision-making dynamics in transportation network are vital in modeling and simulation of user interactions. Different users access transportation network in order to accomplish different activities. Such activities can be regular commuting, transit services, commercial taxicabs, deliveries, long distance trips, logistics or fleet services, etc. While the world is becoming increasingly urbanized reliable and cost effective movement of people and goods is important for the productivity and economic growth at large. Urbanization and population growth have created the shift in how travel activities are tied to the economy. In today's economy, businesses and individuals are looking for ways of making their fiscal resources and workforce more efficient. However, traffic congestion dampens the efficiency and prosperity by imposing additional operating costs, slowing mobility and causing wastage of time and by hindering efficient metropolitan services such as deliveries, public safety and maintenance. Traffic congestion in the United States in 2011 for instance, caused urban commuters to travel 5.5 billion hours more and to purchase an extra 2.9 billion gallons of fuel (enough to fill Superdome in New Orleans, two times) for a congestion cost of $121 billion. In larger cities and in busy expressways, traffic infrastructures are already operating at near or full capacity. With today's shrinking budgets, often no funding is available to rebuild or expand an aging public transportation infrastructure, making it crucial to devise ways to optimize the performance of existing transportation assets. Since the recurring congestions in large metropolitan areas are mainly due to predictable behavioral activity scheduling, traffic management efforts should be geared towards behavior analysis and modeling. Modeling behavior and decisions, pertinent to route choice and activity scheduling dynamics are crucial for capturing microscopic and mesoscopic nature of traffic flow patterns. In this research, the focus is placed on the development of multi-agent transportation demand estimation and simulation framework to be used by the public entities for performance optimization of existing transportation network and scenario evaluation of new investments. The framework employs several mathematical and statistical methods for the derivation of sampling distributions of users' (i.e., agents') behavior and travel characteristics for the initial network demand generation. The processes of deriving sampling distributions of agents' behavior and travel characteristics largely rely on the quantity, quality and resolution of the available data of the region under study. Travel characteristics/travel surveys data from South East Florida Regional Planning Model (SERPM) region and the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data contained individuals' travel characteristics such as origin, destination, departure and arrival time, chain of activities and tours within the trip. These are micro-information needed for the derivation of household and individual agent's travel behavior. The data was processed to develop probability distributions for groups of agents with similar travel behavior, given the agents' household characteristics. In a similar fashion, with agents' household characteristics given, the logit models for agents' activity and locations choices were developed. Besides behavior simulation and demand estimation, the developed framework included an ad-on module for lane choice and pricing approaches applicable to dynamic high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes pricing. The reinforcement learning (RL) approach was used for updating the optimal pricing strategy in a given traffic condition. The pricing controller was configured to start with a predefined base price at a given traffic level, and then in the process of learning, it varies the price in accordance with the acceptable price levels at a given level of service (LOS). In this way, the pricing controller learns the states in which a higher price is more beneficial and those in which a lower price is more beneficial, and then adjusts the parameters of the pricing function to minimize the difference between the current computed price and the posted price. The framework was tested and validated for the scenario based on the data from SERPM region. The scenario was simulated in Multi-Agent Transport Simulation (MATSim). In MATSim, the simulation is constructed around the notion of agents that make independent decisions about their actions. Each traveler of the real system is modeled as an individual agent. Generally, the observation of network traffic evolution from the simulation showed the expected traffic patterns for both morning peak and afternoon peak traffic. One of the most important aspects of travel behavior is the characterization of travel activities by trip duration. The distribution of travel activities by trip duration is the reflection of user behavior in the study area. This determines the expected users departing, en-route, stuck, and arriving to their destinations at a particular time interval. In this research, the simulation results show that network users in our case consist mainly of regular commuters (≥ 20%) whose trips take about 15 minutes. As any other research study, there are some limitations with this work. Due to lack of relevant data, transit use and other modes other than personal vehicle were not considered. Future directions for this research include the inclusion of other data sources and optimization of the demand estimation framework in order to scale-down the computation cost. In addition to the reduction of computation cost, focus will be on development and implementation of modules for simulating dynamic toll pricing on high occupancy toll lanes and assessing the effects of social media information exchange among the agents on mobility.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9419
Format: Thesis

Title: Automated Method for Determining Infiltration Rate in Soils.
Creator: Fatehnia, Milad, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, DeBrunner, Linda S. (Linda Sumners), Abichou, Tarek, Chen, Gang, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil...
Show moreFatehnia, Milad, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, DeBrunner, Linda S. (Linda Sumners), Abichou, Tarek, Chen, Gang, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: The first goal of this study was determining in-situ soil's vertical saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) from the measured steady infiltration rate, initial soil parameters, and test arrangements of the Double Ring Infiltrometer (DRI) test. This was done by conducting 30 small scale DRI lab experiment, 9 full scale in-situ DRI, 9 in-situ Mini-Disk infiltrometer experiments, several lab measurements, and 864 simulated DRI tests using finite element program HYDRUS-2D. The effects of the ring...
Show moreThe first goal of this study was determining in-situ soil's vertical saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) from the measured steady infiltration rate, initial soil parameters, and test arrangements of the Double Ring Infiltrometer (DRI) test. This was done by conducting 30 small scale DRI lab experiment, 9 full scale in-situ DRI, 9 in-situ Mini-Disk infiltrometer experiments, several lab measurements, and 864 simulated DRI tests using finite element program HYDRUS-2D. The effects of the ring diameter, head of ponding, ring depth, initial effective saturation, and soil macroscopic capillary length on measured steady infiltration rates was fully studied. M5' model trees and genetic programming methods were applied on the data to establish formulas for predicting the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the sand to sandy-clay materials. The accuracy of Ks measurements of each method was estimated using 30% of 864 data by comparing the predefined Ks measured from the initial assumptions of the finite element programs with the estimations of the suggested formulas. Another comparison was done by using the derived formulas to predict Ks values of the 9 field DRI experiments and comparing the predicted values with the Ks values measured with the lab falling head permeability tests. Compared to genetic programming method, M5' model had a better performance in prediction of Ks with correlation coefficient and the root mean square error values of 8.618E-01 and 2.823E-01, respectively. Tension Disc Infiltrometer was needed during the first part of the research. This test is a commonly used test setup for in-situ measurement of the soil infiltration properties. In the second part of this study, Mini Disk Infiltrometer was used in the lab to obtain the cumulative infiltration curve of the poorly graded sand for various suction rates and the hydraulic conductivity of the soil material was measured from the derived information. Various methods were proposed by several researchers for determination of hydraulic conductivity from the cumulative infiltration data derived from Tension Disc Infiltrometer. In this study, the hydraulic conductivity measurements were estimated by using eight different methods. These employed methods produced different unsaturated and saturated hydraulic conductivity values. The accuracy of each method was determined by comparing the estimated hydraulic conductivity values with the values obtained from the falling head permeability test. Finally, as the third part of the research, a system of automated DRI using Arduino microcontroller, Hall effect sensor, peristaltic pump, water level sensor, and constant-level float valve was designed and tested. The advantages of the current system compared to previous designed systems was discussed. The system configuration was illustrated for better understanding of the set-up. The system was mounted in a portable and weather resistant box and was applied to run DRI testing in the field to check the applicability and accuracy of the portable system in field measurements. Results of the DRI testing using the automated system were also presented.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9327
Format: Thesis

Title: Pressure Drag Reduction on Patterned Cylindrical Models Inspired by Biomimicry.
Creator: Ferreira, Larissa Mendes, Jung, Sungmoon, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreFerreira, Larissa Mendes, Jung, Sungmoon, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Extensive research has been previously conducted on cylindrical models with different surface patterns. These experiments were generally performed with the intention of passively reducing friction drag on aerodynamic structures exposed to laminar flows. Incorporating knowledge from this, the present research aims to quantify the effectiveness of similar surface patterns in reducing pressure (form) drag for structures exposed to turbulent flow through wind tunnel experiments. The surface...
Show moreExtensive research has been previously conducted on cylindrical models with different surface patterns. These experiments were generally performed with the intention of passively reducing friction drag on aerodynamic structures exposed to laminar flows. Incorporating knowledge from this, the present research aims to quantify the effectiveness of similar surface patterns in reducing pressure (form) drag for structures exposed to turbulent flow through wind tunnel experiments. The surface patterns selected are originally inspired from marine animal anatomy. V-grooved riblets mimic the miniscule patterns found on a sharks' skin, which aid sharks in reducing drag while propelling forward in the water. U-grooved riblets (ie: bumps) mimic the tubercles located on the leading edge of a humpback whale's pectoral fins, which serve to increase maximum lift and reduce drag. In addition to patterned cylinders, pressure tests will also be conducted on a smooth-surfaced cylinder, serving as the control of the experiment. Since the length of the wind tunnel test section is short in comparison to the length of wind tunnels regularly used for this type of testing, having a 0.61m x 0.61m x 2m test section, there needs to be an array of roughness elements placed at the upstream end of the test section. These elements will serve to induce a thicker atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) within the test section before interacting with the test specimen. After a series of experimental tests, this project successfully generated an ABL in a short tunnel which allowed for a detailed study of the effects of surface patterns on scaled-down versions of high-rise structures. The results indicated that the cylinder covered in V-grooved riblets was most effective in reducing pressure drag when subjected to a turbulent flow characteristics.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9332
Format: Thesis

Title: Response of a Wind Turbine Structure to Strong Ground Motions and High Velocity Winds.
Creator: Patil, Atul Sudhakar, Jung, Sungmoon, Liang, Zhiyong Richard, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Wekezer, Jerry W., Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department...
Show morePatil, Atul Sudhakar, Jung, Sungmoon, Liang, Zhiyong Richard, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Wekezer, Jerry W., Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Wind turbines are getting bigger to extract more power from wind. In the past decade, the wind turbines heights increased up to 135 m (Enercon E126, 7.5MW capacity). Many wind turbines are constructed in earthquake prone and high velocity wind regions. The taller wind turbine structures are more susceptible to high loading events such as high intensity earthquake and high velocity wind such as hurricane wind. Wind turbines are not catered for a particular type of high loading events. The same...
Show moreWind turbines are getting bigger to extract more power from wind. In the past decade, the wind turbines heights increased up to 135 m (Enercon E126, 7.5MW capacity). Many wind turbines are constructed in earthquake prone and high velocity wind regions. The taller wind turbine structures are more susceptible to high loading events such as high intensity earthquake and high velocity wind such as hurricane wind. Wind turbines are not catered for a particular type of high loading events. The same wind turbine could be installed in earthquake prone regions as well as high velocity wind regions. Though, these high loading events could impart comparable loading magnitude, the nature and the characteristics of these loads are different. The failure of one turbine in the wind farm could disrupt the operation of an entire wind farm. This makes it imperative to evaluate performance of the wind turbine towers under the action of high loading events. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the performance of the wind turbine tower for earthquake and high velocity wind loading events. The performance was evaluated by probabilistic approach by employing fragility analysis. For earthquake fragility analysis four displacement based limit states: a) global buckling b) yielding c) permanent deformation d) foundation overturning were defined. The wind fragility analysis was performed by defining three limit states: a) global buckling b) yielding, c) foundation overturning. The demand data, as required for fragility analysis, comes from the full scale nonlinear analysis by applying earthquake and wind loads. The capacity data comes from the pushover analysis by applying loads along the different directions. Few studies in the recent past include creating the simplified wind turbine model, and analyzing the particular type of response. In the present study, a full scale model of a wind turbine tower based on Vestas 1.65 MW was created with details such as door and cable opening at the bottom. The height of the tower was 80 m. The nacelle and rotor were simplified as concentrated mass at the top of the tower. The finite element model comprises of shell and solid elements for main body of the structure, the point mass elements for nacelle and rotor assembly. The turbine model was validated for geometric, engineering and dynamic properties. The seismic loadings were applied as earthquake accelerations availed from PEER (Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research) center database. The earthquake loads were the time history acceleration records in orthogonal directions. The preliminary analysis performed by applying original earthquake loads did not fail the turbine tower. The earthquake records were scaled by the factor of 2.5 so as to fail the structure. The near and far fault acceleration loadings were applied at the base of the wind turbine tower. The wind loadings were applied as wind fields generated by TURBSIM for various mean wind velocities. The wind loads were applied with the attack angles of 0 and 30 degrees with respect to the rotor axis. In the case of near fault earthquake loading, the maximum magnitude for the response spectral acceleration in the present study was 1.715 g. When the response spectral acceleration reaches to 1.715 g, the exceedance probability for global buckling was found to be 5.7%. The exceedance probability for yielding was found to be 68%. The exceedance probability for permanent deformation was found to be 26.4%, whereas the exceedance probability for foundation overturning was found to be 99.4%. In case of far fault loading, the maximum magnitude of spectral acceleration was 0.57 g. When the response spectral acceleration reaches this value the exceedance probability was found to be 0% for global buckling, 0.4% for yielding, 0.25 % for permanent deformation and 10.8% for foundation overturning limit state. For both the near and far fault loading, the foundation overturning was found to be the most critical limit state. This foundation was not designed for an earthquake prone region. The analysis was performed by improving the foundation by increasing the width from 15 m to 16.56 m. The exceedance probability rendering to failure was found to be reduced significantly. In the case of high velocity wind, the maximum mean wind velocity was 70 m/s. In case of 0 degree wind direction, the exceedance probability for all the three limit states were found to be 0% even when the mean wind velocity reaches to the maximum value of 70 m/s. In case of 30 degree wind direction, when the mean wind velocity reaches to 70 m/s, the exceedance probability for global buckling was found to 0%, the exceedance probability for yielding was found to be 88%, the exceedance probability for foundation overturning was found to be 100%. This foundation also was adopted from a hazard-free region and shown to be susceptible to failure. The exceedance probability leading to the failure was found to be reduced when the foundation was improved by increasing the width from 15 m to 16.56 m. For the wind turbine studied in this research, it could be concluded that the foundation overturning is the most critical limit state, and needs a due consideration while designing the wind turbine tower system. In case of earthquake, the near fault earthquake loading is the most detrimental to the stability of the wind turbine structures. The first mode failure governs the safety and satiability of the wind turbine structures. The 30 degree wind direction loading is more critical wind direction compared to 0 degree wind direction loading. Repeating the analysis for different wind turbine types, capacities and sizes would give more data, and more comprehensive conclusion could be drawn.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9666
Format: Thesis

Title: GIS-Based Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Aging-Involved Crashes in Florida.
Creator: Vemulapalli, Sai Saylesh, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Moses, Ren, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental...
Show moreVemulapalli, Sai Saylesh, Ozguven, Eren Erman, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, Moses, Ren, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Roadway crashes claim more than 30,000 lives each year in the United States, and they continue to affect the lives of people adversely. This problem becomes even more challenging when aging populations are considered due to their vulnerability and fragility to crashes. This is especially a major concern in Florida since the crash risk for the aging populations is increasing day by day proportional to the population growth of aging Floridians. This study investigates the spatial and temporal...
Show moreRoadway crashes claim more than 30,000 lives each year in the United States, and they continue to affect the lives of people adversely. This problem becomes even more challenging when aging populations are considered due to their vulnerability and fragility to crashes. This is especially a major concern in Florida since the crash risk for the aging populations is increasing day by day proportional to the population growth of aging Floridians. This study investigates the spatial and temporal patterns of aging-involved crashes using Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-based methods with a case study on three urban counties in Florida. These counties are selected based on the high aging-involved crash rates, as identified by the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition of Florida. Among the methods studied, a network distance-based kernel density estimation method, namely SANET, is identified as a very effective tool since it provides an unbiased distribution of the crashes by calculating the actual distances between the crashes over the roadway network. GIS-based results are also supported with a binary logistic regression analysis in order to identify the significant factors affecting the aging-involved crashes. Results indicate that high risk locations for aging-involved crashes show different spatial and temporal patterns than those for other age groups. These pattern specific differences include the following: (a) Intersections have an adverse effect on the 65+ populations more than other adult age groups, (b) Aging-involved population crashes occur during the mid-day rather than the peak hours, which is not a similar pattern for other adult age groups, especially for the working populations, and (c) Weekdays have more aging-involved crashes than the weekends contrary to the other age group crashes. Investigating these distinct patterns thoroughly can lead to better aging-focused transportation plans and policies.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9516
Format: Thesis

Title: Health Index and Deterioration Models for Florida Bridges.
Creator: Inkoom, Sylvester Kwame, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, AbdelRazig, Yassir A., Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and...
Show moreInkoom, Sylvester Kwame, Sobanjo, John Olusegun, AbdelRazig, Yassir A., Spainhour, Lisa, Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Florida has been actively implementing the AASHTO Pontis Bridge Management System (BMS) to support network-level and project-level decision making in the headquarters and district offices. As a concerted effort of the FDOT to improve the quality of asset management information, Pontis is used as a tool to provide decision making recommendations. The credulity and usefulness of this information is also essential for satisfaction of the requirements of the government accounting standards board...
Show moreFlorida has been actively implementing the AASHTO Pontis Bridge Management System (BMS) to support network-level and project-level decision making in the headquarters and district offices. As a concerted effort of the FDOT to improve the quality of asset management information, Pontis is used as a tool to provide decision making recommendations. The credulity and usefulness of this information is also essential for satisfaction of the requirements of the government accounting standards board statement 34 (GASB 34) regarding the reporting of capital assets, and the federal MAP-21 requirements for performance management and development of asset management plans. Anticipating the new MAP-21 requirements, AASHTO in 2013 approved a new bridge element inspection manual (BRM manual), which was published as the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Element Inspection. Like most states, in order to comply with the new MAP-21 requirements, Florida will need to redefine its methods of obtaining bridge inspection data, developing deterioration models, cost models, and other preservation analysis capabilities. This thesis research seeks to develop data and models based on the bridge inspection process. First, an extensive literature review has been conducted, including but not limited to, the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Element Inspection (2013 edition); reports of state DOT experiences implementing the new inspection process; federal guidance on the collection and use of the new data, such as new NBIS requirements; BrM versions 5.1.2 and 5.2.1 software and documentation; and other relevant materials. Next the research has developed a new set of condition health index models to fit the new bridge element inspection data. A Bridge Health Index (BHI) is a calculated number between 0 and 99 percent that can be used as a rating to represent the overall deteriorated condition of a bridge element. The report looks at various methodologies of determining the health index (based on relative importance levels or factors) of bridge elements. Stochastic analysis and element historical data have been used to generate health index of elements through the risk and vulnerability (hazard) information as well as replacement cost data. Also a reliability methodology was considered as a new approach to compute importance weights and health index of bridge components. This thesis research also reviewed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Bridge Field Inspection Guide, including a comparison on element condition state tables from the FDOT manual, with the AASHTO manual and manuals from other state DOTs. Expert opinions on the importance of bridge elements were elicited and used to compute the health index of the bridge. This BHI has been compared to other methodologies already mentioned. Due to the revised bridge element definitions and meaning of condition states, necessary studies on the use of the AHP method and the Delphi survey analysis have been suggested for future research.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9620
Format: Thesis

Title: Evaluation of Florida Asphalt Mixtures for Crack Resistance Properties Using the Laboratory Overlay Test Procedure.
Creator: Sheng, Biqing, Ping, Wei-Chou Virgil, Niu, Xufeng, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Moses, Ren, Florida State University, College of Engineering,...
Show moreSheng, Biqing, Ping, Wei-Chou Virgil, Niu, Xufeng, Tawfiq, Kamal Sulaiman, Rambo-Roddenberry, Michelle Deanna, Moses, Ren, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Abstract/Description: Cracking is a primary distress on flexible pavements in Florida. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the crack resistance of proposed asphalt mixtures on Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) projects. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on the evaluation of reflective cracking of HMA mixtures. Mechanisms of reflective cracking, crack models, and crack resistance evaluation was reviewed based on research studies performed by other researchers. The ability of the overlay...
Show moreCracking is a primary distress on flexible pavements in Florida. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the crack resistance of proposed asphalt mixtures on Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) projects. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on the evaluation of reflective cracking of HMA mixtures. Mechanisms of reflective cracking, crack models, and crack resistance evaluation was reviewed based on research studies performed by other researchers. The ability of the overlay test for characterizing the cracking-resistance performance of asphalt mixtures was methodically reviewed. Available information, such as test procedures, results, and findings, were collected and examined. The variability and effects of different factors on the overlay test, such as test setup, opening width, sample thickness, asphalt binder, and Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) materials, were also evaluated. Cracking performance of common Florida asphalt mixtures were evaluated using laboratory Overlay Test (OT). A test procedure based on Tex-248-F test method was developed to accommodate the Florida test methods on asphalt mixtures. Nine standard mix designs for traffic level C & E, which included SP-12.5, SP-9.5, and SP-4.75 mix designs, were selected to conduct the Overlay Test. Granites, which were from different sources, were used as the aggregate in the mixtures. In addition, the mixtures were prepared using both virgin asphalt binder (PG 67-22) and polymer modified asphalt (PMA) binder (PG 76-22). The effects of material characteristics, polymer modified binder, and RAP on the crack resistance of Florida asphalt mixtures were investigated. Additionally, a lower maximum opening displacement, 0.0125 inch, was tried out on one type of mixture (SP-12.5 with 20% RAP) to determine the significance of displacement rate on the crack resistance of the Florida asphalt mixture. Three replicate samples were tested for each type of mixture. The test results had a good agreement on the three replicate samples. The coefficients of variation (COV) were less than 20%. It was found that granite from different aggregate source did not have a strong influence on the test results, while the aggregate size did have a significant effect. SP-9.5 mixtures had the best cracking performance compared to SP-12.5 and SP-4.75 mixtures. Considerable effects were found on the asphalt binder and RAP. Crack resistance of Florida asphalt mixtures was significantly improved if PG 76-22 PMA binder was used instead of PG 67-22 virgin asphalt binder. However, the crack resistance was reduced when 20% RAP was included in the mix designs. Fracture mechanics analysis was conducted on the overlay test results based on the Paris' Law. Besides of fracture properties A and n, crack indexes A' and n', which can be easily obtained from the overlay test load reduction curve, were introduced to evaluate the crack resistance of asphalt mixtures. The correlation relationships between the crack indexes and the fracture properties were developed. It was found that the asphalt mixtures with greater n'/n values had better crack resistance than the asphalt mixtures with lower n'/n. The computed fracture properties can be compared to the results from the other tests, such as IDT. The laboratory test results can also be compared to the field observations to better predict the cracking performance of asphalt mixtures in the field. Some criteria based on the laboratory test results can be adopted into the design guide to evaluate the cracking performance of the asphalt mixtures.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9680
Format: Thesis

Title: Pyrolysis and Activation of an Invasive Species.
Creator: Mayers, Jordan, Chen, Gang, Ahmad, Hafiz, Clark, Clayton J., Huang, Wenrui, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Invasive plants are a nuisance and a hazard across the United States. Many states spend large amounts of money in an attempt to control and prevent the spread of these plants. This study seeks to take these invasive, low value plants and process them into higher value products. The first step is pyrolysis in which the plant, albizia, is converted into bio-gas, bio-oil, and bio-char. The bio-gas is released while the bio-char and bio-oil are collected. Their basic properties are studied and...
Show moreInvasive plants are a nuisance and a hazard across the United States. Many states spend large amounts of money in an attempt to control and prevent the spread of these plants. This study seeks to take these invasive, low value plants and process them into higher value products. The first step is pyrolysis in which the plant, albizia, is converted into bio-gas, bio-oil, and bio-char. The bio-gas is released while the bio-char and bio-oil are collected. Their basic properties are studied and presented. The bio-char is then further processed to produce activated carbon. Both physical activation with steam and chemical activation with phosphoric acid were evaluated. The carbon showed significantly increased surface area and iodine adsorption. Both physical and chemical activation achieved significant activation with iodine numbers as high as 1000 mg. of I per g. of activated carbon. The results also showed that the yield was significantly increased with the addition of phosphoric acid while maintaining high iodine numbers. As phosphoric acid increased, the yield increased.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-8841
Format: Thesis

Title: Behavior of Plywood and Fiberglass Steel Composite Tube Structures Subjected to Impact Loading.
Creator: Armaghani, Seyamend Bilind, Jung, Sungmoon, Spainhour, Lisa, Tawfiq, Kamal, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Paratransit buses are custom built as the major vehicle manufacturer produces the custom built passenger cage installed on the chassis for the Paratransit bus. In order for these Paratransit bus members to be sufficient, they have to be evaluated for crashworthiness and energy absorption. This has prompted Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to fund research for the safety evaluation of Paratransit busses consisting of crash and safety analysis. There has been a large body of research...
Show moreParatransit buses are custom built as the major vehicle manufacturer produces the custom built passenger cage installed on the chassis for the Paratransit bus. In order for these Paratransit bus members to be sufficient, they have to be evaluated for crashworthiness and energy absorption. This has prompted Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to fund research for the safety evaluation of Paratransit busses consisting of crash and safety analysis. There has been a large body of research done on steel subjected to static loads, but more research is needed for steel applied under dynamic loading and high speeds in order to improve crashworthiness in events such as rollovers and side impacts. Bare steel Hollow Structural Section (HSS) tubing are used a lot as structural members of Paratransit buses because of their lightness and progressive buckling under loading. The research will be conducted on quantifying the tubing's behavior under bending by conducting static three point bending and impact loading tests. In addition to the bare tubing, plywood and fiberglass composites are investigated because they are both strong and lightweight and their behavior under dynamic loading hasn't been quantified. As a result, the main purpose of this research is to quantify the differences between the dynamic and static behavior of plywood steel composite and fiberglass steel composite tubing and compare these findings with those of bare steel tubing. The differences will be quantified using detailed and thorough experiments that will examine the composites behavior under both static and dynamic loading. These tests will determine if there are any advantages of using the composite materials and thus allow for recommendations to be made to the FDOT with the goal of improving the safety of Paratransit busses. Tensile tests were conducted to determine the material properties of the tested specimens. Before the static and dynamic experiments are run to investigate the differences between static and dynamic behavior, Preliminary three point bending testing was conducted to determine the parameters for the final experiments. Static bending testing was conducted on the bare, plywood composite, and fiberglass composite steel tubing. The point of these experiments was to produce a Moment vs. Rotation plot to determine the specimens' maximum moments and their associated rotation, as that is when the steel buckles and fails. The dynamic three point bending experiments were conducted using the impact loading apparatus and had the same purpose as the static experiments. For both static and dynamic experiments, the performances of the different types of specimens were compared based upon their Moment vs. Rotation plots. This will determine the effect that the composite has on the rotation and maximum moment at which the tubing fails. After conducting these experiments, amplification factors were established for each specimen by comparing the maximum moment and their associated rotation between static and dynamic testing. λ was calculated to quantify the ratio between the static and dynamic maximum moments. β was used to quantify the ratio between the rotation needed to produce the maximum moment between static and dynamic events. A small amplification factor denotes that material performs well under impact loading and the material doesn't experience dramatic change in behavior during dynamic events. Amplification factors were compared between the bare, plywood, and fiberglass composite steel tubing in order to evaluate the performance of the composites. After comparing the amplification factors of the different types of tubing, recommendations can be made. Fiberglass and plywood composite were shown to be valuable because it decreased the effect of dynamic forces as β was reduced by a factor of 2 in comparison to bare tubing. Based upon the amplification factors, it was recommended to use 14 gauge fiberglass composite tubing as Paratransit bus structural members because it was affected the least by dynamic loading.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-8933
Format: Thesis

Title: E.Coli Growth and Transport in the Presence of Nanosilver under Variable Growth Conditions.
Creator: Xie, Weijie, Chen, Gang, Huang, Wenrui, Clark, Clayton, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Nanosilver has the ability to anchor to the bacterial cell wall and subsequently penetrate it, thereby causing structural changes in the cell membrane and death of the cell. The bacterial responses to the presence of nanosilver usually vary depending on the concentration of nanosilver particles, exposure conditions and the bacterial physiological stage. Since bacterial anabolism dependents upon a stoichiometric ratio of carbon and inorganic nutrients, the carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) thus...
Show moreNanosilver has the ability to anchor to the bacterial cell wall and subsequently penetrate it, thereby causing structural changes in the cell membrane and death of the cell. The bacterial responses to the presence of nanosilver usually vary depending on the concentration of nanosilver particles, exposure conditions and the bacterial physiological stage. Since bacterial anabolism dependents upon a stoichiometric ratio of carbon and inorganic nutrients, the carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) thus plays an important role of bacterial responses to the exposure of nanosilver. This study investigated the responses of Escherichia coli to the exposure of nanosilver under variable growth conditions. It was discovered that E. coli grown under different growth conditions had least resistance to the toxicity of nanosilver when cultured under carbon limited conditions. However, the presence of rhamnolipid, a commonly utilized biosurfactant for soil remediation increased the resistance of E. coli to nanosilver. The transport of E. coli cultured under carbon limited conditions was further studied in silica sand columns. E. coli adsorption in silica sand increased when cultured in the presence of nanosilver. On the contrary, E. coli adsorption in silica sand was significantly reduced when cultured in the presence of rhamnolipid. The results suggest that the resistance of E.coli to nanosilver can be improved by diminishing the carbon limitation in growth condition and the transport impact of nanosilver can be diminished by adding rhamnolipid.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-8921
Format: Thesis

Title: Buildings' Sustainability Analysis: Analytical Hierarchy Process to Analyze Cost, Leed Credits, and Carbon Neutrality Utilizing a Building Information Modeling Platform.
Creator: Doczy, Ryan, AbdelRazig, Yassir A., Sobanjo, John O., Spainhour, Lisa, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: For building owners, there are several factors that they must consider when thinking about whether or not a building has achieved the goals set up for it. With increases in energy prices, knowledge about the damage being done to our atmosphere by humanity, and an increased drive towards environmental stewardship, sustainability has become more and more of a priority for building owners. A problem that building owners face when designing a building is trying to create a proper balance between...
Show moreFor building owners, there are several factors that they must consider when thinking about whether or not a building has achieved the goals set up for it. With increases in energy prices, knowledge about the damage being done to our atmosphere by humanity, and an increased drive towards environmental stewardship, sustainability has become more and more of a priority for building owners. A problem that building owners face when designing a building is trying to create a proper balance between reducing immediate costs and increasing the "greenness" of a building. The construction industry's technological breakthroughs and growing experience constructing green buildings is causing even those without sustainable inclinations to have to consider the possibility of going green due to the perceived benefits. Owners now have to consider that while sustainable construction drives up the upfront costs of costs of buildings, it also reduces long term costs (e.g. utility bills) while also increasing potential benefits associated with building green (e.g. increasing worker productivity). Due to the implications that these decisions will have on the owner and the building's occupants, the owner needs to have a tool to be able to assist them in determining what building design alternatives are helping the owner achieve his or her goals. The objectives of this research consist of the following (1) develop a decision making tool that is a hybrid of the analytical hierarchy process and the multiple attribute utility theorem; (2) design the decision making tool to take user inputs and determine how close a project came to meeting its goals; (3) set up the model to allow the user to be able to compare alternatives and chose the one that best meets the cost, LEED, and net-zero/carbon neutral goals
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-8767
Format: Thesis

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