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- All Subjects: Civil Engineering
- Creators: Arizona State University
Description
Design is widely accepted as a factor that affects construction work. Although knowledge about this effect will contribute to the improvement of construction practice, this is very limited. No study has been focused on establishing how the effect of design on construction work can be evaluated. The primary objective of this research was to formulate an approach enabling the assessment of the effect of building design on construction work. To achieve this, a quantitative index based on field data, termed the 'index of difficulty,' was established. Given a construction activity, this index relates the effective work effort per unit of output expended in completing a construction part under two distinct designs: one under evaluation and the other designated as the base design for common comparison. The greater the index of difficulty associated with a design, the higher the required work effort, consequently resulting in a greater affect of the design on construction work.
Multiple ways of utilizing the index of difficulty to assess the effect of building design on construction activities are suggested. Additionally, application cases are exhibited to illustrate the implementation of the proposed approach and the required computations.
ContributorsChang, Luis Gerardo (Author) / Wiezel, Avi (Thesis advisor) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Committee member) / Ayer, Steven (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The management of underground utilities is a complex and challenging task due to the uncertainty regarding the location of existing infrastructure. The lack of accurate information often leads to excavation-related damages, which pose a threat to public safety. In recent years, advanced underground utilities management systems have been developed to improve the safety and efficiency of excavation work. This dissertation aims to explore the potential applications of blockchain technology in the management of underground utilities and reduction of excavation-related damage. The literature review provides an overview of the current systems for managing underground infrastructure, including Underground Infrastructure Management (UIM) and 811, and highlights the benefits of advanced underground utilities management systems in enhancing safety and efficiency on construction sites. The review also examines the limitations and challenges of the existing systems and identifies the opportunities for integrating blockchain technology to improve their performance. The proposed application involves the creation of a shared database of information about the location and condition of pipes, cables, and other underground infrastructure, which can be updated in real time by authorized users such as utility companies and government agencies. The use of blockchain technology can provide an additional layer of security and transparency to the system, ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the information. Contractors and excavation companies can access this information before commencing work, reducing the risk of accidental damage to underground utilities.
ContributorsAlnahari, Mohammed S (Author) / Ariaratnam, Samuel T (Thesis advisor) / El Asmar, Mounir (Committee member) / Czerniawski, Thomas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) treatment is a stabilization method of dust mitigation that applies a spray-on treatment to form a soil crust and increase the wind erosion resistance of a disturbed soil surface. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the EICP treatment with multiple field and laboratory test methods for measuring the wind erosion resistance of EICP treated soil. The threshold friction velocity (TFV) is defined as the minimum wind speed required to initiate continuous particle movement and represents the wind erosion resistance of a soil surface. Tested soil type and textures included a clean fine sand to a loamy sandy soil that contained a significant amount of fines. Dry untreated soil and disturbed field soil surfaces were compared to a chloride salt solution treatment and an EICP treatment solution in both laboratory and field testing to evaluate the wind erosion resistance of the treatments.
ContributorsWoolley, Miriam Arna (Author) / Kavazajian, Edward (Thesis advisor) / van Paassen, Leon (Committee member) / Khodadaditirkolaei, Hamed (Committee member) / Hamdan, Nasser (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Some subterranean animals, such as mole-rats, can burrow underground, sense the environment around them, and communicate with each other. Inspired by the mole-rats, this dissertation is dedicated to developing an active wireless underground sensor network (WUSN) for active underground exploration. Special attention is paid to two key functions: wireless underground data transmission, and underground self-burrowing. In this study, a wireless underground communication system based on seismic waves was developed. The system includes a bio-inspired vibrational source, an accelerometer as the receiver, and a set of algorithms for encoding and decoding information. With the current design, a maximum transmission bit rate of 16–17 bits per second and a transmission distance of 80 cm is achieved. The transmission range is limited by the size of container used in the laboratory experiments. The bit error ratio is as low as 0.1%, demonstrating the robustness of the algorithms. The performance of the developed system shows that seismic waves produced by vibration can be used as an information carrier and can potentially be implemented in the active WUSNs. A minimalistic horizontal self-burrowing robot was designed. The robot mainly consists of a tip (flat, cone, or auger), and a pair of cylindrical parts. The robot can achieve extension-contraction with the utilization of a linear actuator and have options for tip rotation with an embedded gear motor. Using a combined numerical simulation and laboratory testing approach, symmetry-breaking is validated to be the key to underground burrowing. The resistance-displacement curves during the extension-contraction cycles of the robot can be used to quantify the overall effect of asymmetries and estimate the burrowing behavior of the robots. Findings from this research shed light on the future development of self-burrowing robots and active WUSNs.
ContributorsZhong, Yi (Author) / Tao, Junliang (Thesis advisor) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Martinez, Alejandro (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
This Master's thesis presents an experimental testing program conducted to assess the properties of coarse tailings from two Arizona copper mine heap leach pads. This testing program was motivated by recent failures in tailings impoundments, which has prompted a re-evaluation of tailings deposit stability worldwide. The testing was conducted using a unique large-scale Direct-Simple Shear (LDSS) device at Arizona State University (ASU). Prior to testing the tailings, the LDSS device had to be rehabilitated, as it had not been used for several years. The testing program included one-dimensional compression testing, shear wave velocity measurement, and monotonic shearing under constant volume conditions. The test results demonstrate the effectiveness of the LDSS device in obtaining representative data for tailings under monotonic loading. Recommendations for future improvements of the LDSS include enhancing the connection of monitoring instruments, utilizing more sophisticated software for shear wave velocity measurements, and optimizing the control system. The thesis contributes to geotechnical engineering by improving understanding and evaluation of tailings properties, thereby enhancing safety and environmental sustainability in the mining industry.
ContributorsHarker, Jack Michael (Author) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Thesis advisor) / Zapata, Claudia (Committee member) / Razmi, Jafar (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The consequences of failures from large-diameter water pipelines can be severe. Results can include significant property damage, damage to adjacent infrastructure such as roads and bridges resulting in transportation delays or shutdowns, adjacent structural damage to buildings resulting in loss of business, service disruption to a significant number of customers, loss of water, costly emergency repairs, and even loss of life. The American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) 2020 “State of the Water Industry” report states the top issue facing the water industry since 2016 is aging infrastructure, with the second being financing for improvements. The industry must find innovative ways to extend asset life and reduce maintenance expenditures. While are many different assets comprise the drinking water industry, pipelines are a major component and often neglected because they are typically buried. Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) is a process used to determine the most effective maintenance strategy for an asset, with the ultimate goal being to establish the required function of the asset with the required reliability at the lowest operations and maintenance costs. The RCM philosophy considers Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance, Condition Based Monitoring, Reactive Maintenance, and Proactive Maintenance techniques in an integrated manner to increase the probability an asset will perform its designed function throughout its design life with minimal maintenance. In addition to determining maintenance tasks, the timely performance of those tasks is crucial. If performed too late an asset may fail; if performed too early, resources that may be used better elsewhere are expended. Utility agencies can save time and money by using RCM analysis for their drinking water infrastructure. This dissertation reviews industries using RCM, discusses the benefits of an RCM analysis, and goes through a case study of an RCM at a large aqueduct in the United States. The dissertation further discusses the consequence of failure of large diameter water pipelines and proposes a regression model to help agencies determine the optimum time to perform maintenance tasks on large diameter prestressed concrete pipelines using RCM analysis.
ContributorsGeisbush, James R (Author) / Ariaratnam, Samuel T (Thesis advisor) / Grau, David (Committee member) / Chong, Oswald (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024