Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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As structural engineers in practice continue to improve their methods and advance their analysis and design techniques through the use of new technology, how should structural engineering education programs evolve as well to match the increasing complexity of the industry? This thesis serves to analyze the many differing opinions and techniques on modernizing structural engineering education programs through a literature review on the content put out by active structural engineering education reform committees, articles and publications by well-known educators and practitioners, and a series of interviews conducted with key individuals specifically for this project. According to the opinions analyzed in this paper, structural engineering education should be a 5-year program that ends with a master’s degree, so that students obtain enough necessary knowledge to begin their positions as structural engineers. Firms would rather continue the education of new-hires themselves after this time than to wait and pay more for students to finish longer graduate-type programs. Computer programs should be implemented further into education programs, and would be most productive not as a replacement to hand-calculation methods, but as a supplement. Students should be tasked with writing codes, so that they are required to implement these calculations into computer programs themselves, and use classical methods to verify their answers. In this way, engineering programs will be creating critical thinkers who can adapt to any new structural analysis and design programs, and not just be training students on current programs that will become obsolete with time. It is the responsibility of educators to educate current staff on how to implement these coding methods seamlessly into education as a supplement to hand calculation methods. Students will be able to learn what is behind commercial coding software, develop their hand-calculation skills through code verification, and focus more on the ever-important modeling and interpretation phases of problem solving. Practitioners will have the responsibility of not expecting students to graduate with knowledge of specific software programs, but instead recruiting students who showcase critical thinking skills and understand the backbone of these programs. They will continue the education of recent graduates themselves, providing them with real-world experience that they cannot receive in school while training them to use company-specific analysis and design software.
ContributorsMaurer, Cole Chaon (Author) / Hjelmstad, Keith (Thesis director) / Chatziefstratiou, Efthalia (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Oxic beds containing basic oxygen furnace slag were evaluated as potential post-treatment method for sulfate reducing bioreactor (SRB) treatment of acid rock drainage. SRB effluent was pumped into BOF slag/sand leach beds, also known as oxic slag beds (OSBs), at various flow rates. OSB influent versus effluent concentrations of dissolved metals (specifically magnesium and manganese) and water quality parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, and conductivity) were compared. The OSBs increased the pH of the SRB effluents from 6.2–6.7 to 7.5–8.3. Dissolved oxygen concentration increased from 2-4 mg L^(-1) to approximately 8 mg L^(-1). Conductivity remained similar, with some effluent values being less than influent. Manganese concentration was observed to be reduced through OSB post-treatment by an average of 8.2% reduction and a maximum of 23 % reduction. Magnesium was not reduced during OSB post-treatment. Other metal concentrations changes were analyzed. Recommendations the design of OSBs for future studies were made, and a proposed design was configured.
ContributorsReep, Jeffrey Kyle (Author) / Delgado, Anca G. (Thesis director) / Hamdan, Nasser (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / School of Sustainable Engineering & Built Envirnmt (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Terrestrial crude oil spills compromise a soil’s ability to provide ecosystem services by inhibiting plant life and threatening groundwater integrity. Ozone gas, a powerful oxidant, shows promise to aid in soil recovery by degrading petroleum hydrocarbons into more bioavailable and biodegradable chemicals. However, previous research has shown that ozone can change the soil pH and create harmful organic compounds.
The research objective was to determine the short-term ecological toxicity of ozonation byproducts on seed germination of three distinct plant types (radish, lettuce, and grass) compared to untreated and uncontaminated soils. We hypothesize that the reduction of heavy hydrocarbon contamination in soil by ozone application will provide more suitable habitat for the germinating seeds. The effect of ozone treatment on seed germination and seedling quality was measured using ASTM standards for early seedling growth in conjunction with a gradient of potting soil amendments. Ozonation parameters were measured using established methods and include total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and pH.
This study demonstrated the TPH levels fall up to 22% with ozonation, suggesting TPH removal is related to the amount of ozone delivered as opposed to the type of crude oil present. The DOC values increase comparably across crude oil types as the ozonation dose increases (from a background level of 0.25 g to 6.2 g/kg dry soil at the highest ozone level), suggesting that DOC production is directly related to the amount of ozone, not crude oil type. While ozonation reduced the mass of heavy hydrocarbons in the soil, it increased the amount of ozonation byproducts in the soil. For the three types of seeds used in the study, these changes in concentrations of TPH and DOC affected the species differently; however, no seed type showed improved germination after ozone treatment. Thus, ozone treatment by itself had a negative impact on germination potential.
Future research should focus on the effects of post-ozonation, long-term bioremediation on eco-toxicity. By helping define the eco-toxicity of ozonation techniques, this research can improve upon previously established ozone techniques for petroleum remediation and provide economic and environmental benefits when used for soil treatment.
The research objective was to determine the short-term ecological toxicity of ozonation byproducts on seed germination of three distinct plant types (radish, lettuce, and grass) compared to untreated and uncontaminated soils. We hypothesize that the reduction of heavy hydrocarbon contamination in soil by ozone application will provide more suitable habitat for the germinating seeds. The effect of ozone treatment on seed germination and seedling quality was measured using ASTM standards for early seedling growth in conjunction with a gradient of potting soil amendments. Ozonation parameters were measured using established methods and include total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and pH.
This study demonstrated the TPH levels fall up to 22% with ozonation, suggesting TPH removal is related to the amount of ozone delivered as opposed to the type of crude oil present. The DOC values increase comparably across crude oil types as the ozonation dose increases (from a background level of 0.25 g to 6.2 g/kg dry soil at the highest ozone level), suggesting that DOC production is directly related to the amount of ozone, not crude oil type. While ozonation reduced the mass of heavy hydrocarbons in the soil, it increased the amount of ozonation byproducts in the soil. For the three types of seeds used in the study, these changes in concentrations of TPH and DOC affected the species differently; however, no seed type showed improved germination after ozone treatment. Thus, ozone treatment by itself had a negative impact on germination potential.
Future research should focus on the effects of post-ozonation, long-term bioremediation on eco-toxicity. By helping define the eco-toxicity of ozonation techniques, this research can improve upon previously established ozone techniques for petroleum remediation and provide economic and environmental benefits when used for soil treatment.
ContributorsJanuszewski, Brielle (Author) / Rittmann, Bruce (Thesis director) / Yavuz, Burcu (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Volunteering can lead to many positive outcomes on individuals in terms of social, psychological, and professional development. This study sought to understand the process and mindset of volunteers and how their experience affects attitudes towards environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze the attitude change of volunteers toward the environment, culture, and community after volunteering at a community of a background different than theirs. In this study, the volunteer setting is in Shonto, a Native American community in the Navajo Nation, Arizona. This study utilized a qualitative research approach. A total of 12 participants were interviewed in this study. All participants were members of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at Arizona State University and have traveled to Shonto. Questions were asked to participants about their experiences with EWB and their volunteering experiences in Shonto. The main findings were categorized into four themes: 1) motivations; 2) preconceived perceptions and exposure; 3) collaboration and connection; and 4) commonality and reflection. The findings can be described as a process that participants go through in their entire volunteering experience. The first two themes occur before individuals volunteer and the last two themes occur after. First, individuals develop certain motivations to volunteer. Then, the preconceived perceptions of individuals were analyzed, and it was presumed that these perceptions were a result of their upbringing and exposure, or lack thereof, to the community they volunteer at. The last two themes occur after the individuals have volunteered. Individuals are able to collaborate and form a connection with the community, which influences their awareness and their ability to reflect on their experiences. These last two themes are important because they indicate the change of perceptions that volunteers perceive. These findings connect the motivations that volunteers have all the way to their attitude changes after volunteering. Further, findings demonstrate that the preconceived perceptions are influenced by an individual’s upbringing or exposure, but these misconceptions are changed after volunteering experience, which supports contact theory. Through these findings the study contributes to the existing literature on voluntourism. This study is applicable to organizations and tour operators who offer volunteer tourism programs and work with communities of different backgrounds. It can provide individuals an insight to other volunteering experiences.
ContributorsRoman, Brian (Author) / Nyaupane, Gyan (Thesis director) / Legg, Eric (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
An existing house is outdated and in need of a renovation. The kitchen, living room, bar and dining room are currently all closed off from one another creating four separate spaces. The goal is to recreate the main floor into an open concept space, that is great for entertaining, and being with family and friends. This Thesis/Creative Project deals in the area of structural redesign, aesthetics, client relations and budget tracking. To do this effectively, Revit, AutoCAD, RISA 3D and Excel will all be used to complete various elements of the project. In order to open the space a structural analysis needs to be done to ensure the structural integrity of the home remains solid. If structural walls are being removed the forces being exerted on those walls will need to be redistributed. This will require a redesign of the structural members to ensure the forces are supported. Once the walls are down the area can be redesigned to ensure function and usability. Every inch of the space needs to be optimized to ensure the most efficient use of space. The storage will also need to be taken into consideration because there will be storage loss when removing walls. The space will need to look aesthetically pleasing and keep in theme with the country cabin feel of the home. The Client’s will be involved in every step of the process to ensure they are satisfied with the varying design. While redesigning the area there is a strict budget that was set by the Clients, and every step of the designing process needs to take into consideration the cost. Once the successful completion of the project is accomplished, the Clients, will have the ability to take the plans and complete the renovation on the house.
ContributorsKahler, Jared (Author) / Ward, Kristen (Thesis director) / Chatziefstratiou, Efthalia (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
This thesis is part of a larger research project, conducted by Elizabeth Stallings Young, which aims to improve understanding about the factors controlling the process of MIDP and the interaction between the biochemical reactions and the hydrological properties of soils treated with MIDP. Microbially Induced Desaturation and Precipitation (MIDP) is a bio-geotechnical process by which biogenic gas production and calcite mineral bio-cementation are induced in the pore space between the soil particles, which can mitigate earthquake induced liquefaction (Kavazanjian et al. 2015). In this process substrates are injected which stimulate indigenous nitrate reducing bacteria to produce nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas, while precipitating calcium carbonate minerals. The biogenic gas production has been shown to dampen pore pressure build up under dynamic loading conditions and significantly increase liquefaction resistance (Okamura and Soga 2006), while the precipitation of calcium carbonate minerals cements adjacent granular particles together. The objective of this thesis was to analyze the recorded pore pressure development as a result of biogenic gas formation and migration, over the entire two-dimensional flow field, by generating dynamic pressure contour plots, using MATLAB and ImageJ software. The experiment was run in a mesoscale tank that was approximately 114 cm tall, 114 cm wide and 5.25 cm thick. Substrate was flushed through the soil body and the denitrifying reaction occurred, producing gas and correspondingly, pressure. The pressure across the tank was recorded with pore pressure sensors and was loaded into a datalogger. This time sensitive data file was loaded into a MATLAB script, MIDPCountourGen.m, to create pressure contours for the tank. The results from this thesis include the creation of MIDPContourGen.m and a corresponding How-To Guide and pore pressure contours for the F60 tank. This thesis concluded that the MIDP reaction takes a relatively short amount of time and that the residual pressure in the tank after the water flush on day 17 offers a proof of effect of the MIDP reaction.
ContributorsCoppinger, Kristina Marie (Author) / van Paassen, Leon (Thesis director) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Stallings-Young, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This honors project combines the capstone component of CEE: 486 Integrated Civil Engineering Design and the Barrett, The Honors College requirement by combination of Due Diligence report and Street Improvements and Quantities, respectively.
Overall, this project report provides due diligence for a proposed development project, Bella Vida Estates, designed by Red Rock Engineering. This proposed project is located in the southwest portion of the City of Phoenix, in the Laveen Village community.
Bella Vida Estates is a proposed 560-acre mixed-use development whose composition includes single family residential, commercial, recreational park and greenspace, a preparatory charter school, and water storage and wastewater treatment facilities. The subject property is confined east of the new Loop 202 – South Mountain Freeway Extension, south of W. Dobbins Road, north of W. Elliot Road, and west of S. 51st Avenue.
The Due Diligence report is comprised of relevant information needed to develop these parcels of land, including a Property Overview, Land Development Plan, Development Considerations, Sustainability and Value Add components, and Costs.
To provide a more comprehensive due diligence package for the proposed project, street improvement quantities were estimated and then presented via a Construction Documents Exhibit and an Opinion of Probable Costs document.
The Construction Documents Exhibit was created according to City of Phoenix Standards using AutoCAD Civil 3D. The exhibit includes four sheets: Cover Sheet, Exhibit Sheet, Cross Sections, and Appendix. The purpose of this exhibit is to provide a visual representation of the streets to be improved upon, with proper hatching (based on type of cross section), dimensioning, and annotations to aid in presentation.
The Opinion of Probable Costs tabulates Onsite Development costs, which includes Paving, utilities in the form of Water, Sewer, and Storm, Earthwork/Grading, and Lump Sum costs. In addition to the onsite costs, Contingency, General Conditions, General Contractor Fee, and Taxes are included to provide a comprehensive overview of estimated costs.
Red Rock Engineering is excited to propose this promising, sustainable development as a place of residence, commerce, and recreation to the residents of the Laveen Village community.
Overall, this project report provides due diligence for a proposed development project, Bella Vida Estates, designed by Red Rock Engineering. This proposed project is located in the southwest portion of the City of Phoenix, in the Laveen Village community.
Bella Vida Estates is a proposed 560-acre mixed-use development whose composition includes single family residential, commercial, recreational park and greenspace, a preparatory charter school, and water storage and wastewater treatment facilities. The subject property is confined east of the new Loop 202 – South Mountain Freeway Extension, south of W. Dobbins Road, north of W. Elliot Road, and west of S. 51st Avenue.
The Due Diligence report is comprised of relevant information needed to develop these parcels of land, including a Property Overview, Land Development Plan, Development Considerations, Sustainability and Value Add components, and Costs.
To provide a more comprehensive due diligence package for the proposed project, street improvement quantities were estimated and then presented via a Construction Documents Exhibit and an Opinion of Probable Costs document.
The Construction Documents Exhibit was created according to City of Phoenix Standards using AutoCAD Civil 3D. The exhibit includes four sheets: Cover Sheet, Exhibit Sheet, Cross Sections, and Appendix. The purpose of this exhibit is to provide a visual representation of the streets to be improved upon, with proper hatching (based on type of cross section), dimensioning, and annotations to aid in presentation.
The Opinion of Probable Costs tabulates Onsite Development costs, which includes Paving, utilities in the form of Water, Sewer, and Storm, Earthwork/Grading, and Lump Sum costs. In addition to the onsite costs, Contingency, General Conditions, General Contractor Fee, and Taxes are included to provide a comprehensive overview of estimated costs.
Red Rock Engineering is excited to propose this promising, sustainable development as a place of residence, commerce, and recreation to the residents of the Laveen Village community.
ContributorsGrgantov, William (Author) / Fox, Peter (Thesis director) / Farrell, Trey (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Agriculture is the second largest water consumer in the Phoenix Metropolitan region, after the municipal sector. A significant portion of the cultivated land and agricultural water demand is from the production of animal feed, including alfalfa (~69% of total cropland area), corn (~8), and sorghum (-3%), which are both exported and needed to support local dairy industry. The goal of this thesis is to evaluate the impacts on water demand and crop production of four different crop portfolios using alfalfa, corn, sorghum, and feed barley. For this aim, the Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) platform and the embedded MABIA agronomic module are applied to the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA), a political/hydrological region including most of Phoenix Metro. The simulations indicate that the most efficient solution is a portfolio where all study crop production is made up by sorghum, with an increase of 153% in crop yield and a reduction of 60% of water consumption compared to current conditions. In contrast, a portfolio where all study crop production is made up by alfalfa, which is primary crop grown in current conditions, decreased crop yield by 77% and increases water demand by 105%. Solutions where all study crop production is achieved with corn or feed barley lead to a reduction of 77% and 65% of each respective water demand, with a portfolio of all corn for study crop production increasing crop yield by 245% and a portfolio of all feed barley for study crop production reducing crop yield by 29%.
ContributorsRees, Kendall Marcella (Author) / Mascaro, Giuseppe (Thesis director) / Muenich, Rebecca (Committee member) / Chhetri, Netra (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This Barrett creative project includes the structural design of a coffee shop using recycled shipping containers in Phoenix, Arizona. Repurposing old shipping containers into commercial and residential buildings has become more popular. Even here in Arizona, buildings have already integrated shipping containers into their design. Shipping containers add a unique character to the architectural design of the building and at the same time cut costs of construction due to their low prices. With using the shipping containers as building materials, there is a positive impact on the use of the structures in builds. The uniqueness of using shipping containers is what sparked my interest to design a shipping container coffee shop. For my creative project, I designed the coffee shop using the already structurally sound core of the shipping container to my advantage. However, when adding modifications to the structure, the materials of the structure were analyzed to ensure the design could take the modifications. I have taken my love for structural design, the environment, and coffee and brought it to life. Through this project, I have a better understanding of how much thought goes into designing a building and have a deeper understanding of the codes that structural engineers must follow to design and analyze buildings.
ContributorsWhite, Celine Johanna (Author) / Ward, Kristen (Thesis director) / Chatziefstratiou, Efthalia (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
As a student and then an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UGTA), I have had the opportunity to personally witness the learning process of both myself and approximately 75 additional incoming Civil Engineering students taking the Mechanics courses after me. While watching the student learning process as an UGTA, I realized that there were consistent points of confusion amongst the students that the teaching staff could not efficiently communicate with the electronic or physical classroom materials available. As a physical learner, I am able to learn more comprehensively if I have a physical model to manipulate, and often found myself in the position of wanting to be able to physically represent and manipulate the systems being studied in class.
ContributorsCamillucci, Allyson Nicole (Co-author, Co-author) / Hjelmstad, Keith (Thesis director) / Chatziefstratiou, Efthalia (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05