Matching Items (67)
Description
Concern and interest about the environment and ecologic systems have promoted the usage of earth as a construction material. Technology advancement has resulted in the evolution of adobe into compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEB). CSEB’s are prepared by compressing the soil-stabilizer mixture at a particular stress. In order to accomplish the required strength, cement has been used in a regular basis as stabilizing agent. It is of interest to find means to reduce the cement used in their construction without affecting its dry strength and durability. In this study, natural fibers were used along with lower proportions of cement to stabilize soil with varying fine content. Blocks were compacted at 10MPa stress and prepared by using 7%, 5% and 3% cement along with fiber content ranging from 0.25% to 2%. The effect of fine content, cement and fibers on strength and durability of the CSEB blocks were studied. Different sand/fine fractions of a native Arizona soil were used to fabricate the blocks. Results indicate that the compressive strength reaches a maximum value for blocks with 30% fine content and inclusion of fibers up to 0.5% increased the dry compressive strength. The use of 0.25% fiber by weight and 5% cement content showed comparable dry compressive strength to that of the 7% cement blocks with no fibers. The dry strength of the blocks reached an optimal condition when the combination of materials was 30% fines, 5% cement and 0.5% fibers, which satisfied the strength requirement given by the ASTM C62 and ASTM C216 standards for construction material. The CSEB’s with 0.5% fiber had higher toughness. The durability was determined by subjecting the CSEBs to wetting and drying cycles. The blocks with 5% cement withstand the durability test as the dry strength was higher than that required for construction use.
The blocks were also submitted to heating and cooling cycles. After 12 cycles, the specimens showed a reduction in strength, which further increased as the number of cycles increased. Finally, the thermal resistivity of fiber reinforced CSEB was found to be higher than that for clay bricks.
The blocks were also submitted to heating and cooling cycles. After 12 cycles, the specimens showed a reduction in strength, which further increased as the number of cycles increased. Finally, the thermal resistivity of fiber reinforced CSEB was found to be higher than that for clay bricks.
ContributorsPadmini Chikke Gowda, Rakshith (Author) / Zapata, Claudia (Thesis advisor) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Jang, Jaewon (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
The trend towards using recycled materials on new construction projects is growing as the cost for construction materials are ever increasing and the awareness of the responsibility we have to be good stewards of our environment is heightened. While recycled asphalt is sometimes used in pavements, its use as structural fill has been hindered by concern that it is susceptible to large long-term deformations (creep), preventing its use for a great many geotechnical applications. While asphalt/soil blends are often proposed as an alternative to 100% recycled asphalt fill, little data is available characterizing the geotechnical properties of recycled asphalt soil blends. In this dissertation, the geotechnical properties for five different recycled asphalt soil blends are characterized. Data includes the particle size distribution, plasticity index, creep, and shear strength for each blend. Blends with 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% recycled asphalt were tested. As the recycled asphalt material used for testing had particles sizes up to 1.5 inches, a large 18 inch diameter direct shear apparatus was used to determine the shear strength and creep characteristics of the material. The results of the testing program confirm that the creep potential of recycled asphalt is a geotechnical concern when the material is subjected to loads greater than 1500 pounds per square foot (psf). In addition, the test results demonstrate that the amount of soil blended with the recycled asphalt can greatly influence the creep and shear strength behavior of the composite material. Furthermore, there appears to be an optimal blend ratio where the composite material had better properties than either the recycled asphalt or virgin soil alone with respect to shear strength.
ContributorsSchaper, Jeffery M (Author) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Thesis advisor) / Houston, Sandra L. (Committee member) / Zapata, Claudia E (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Currently conventional Subtitle D landfills are the primary means of disposing of our waste in the United States. While this method of waste disposal aims at protecting the environment, it does so through the use of liners and caps that effectively freeze the breakdown of waste. Because this method can keep landfills active, and thus a potential groundwater threat for over a hundred years, I take an in depth look at the ability of bioreactor landfills to quickly stabilize waste. In the thesis I detail the current state of bioreactor landfill technologies, assessing the pros and cons of anaerobic and aerobic bioreactor technologies. Finally, with an industrial perspective, I conclude that moving on to bioreactor landfills as an alternative isn't as simple as it may first appear, and that it is a contextually specific solution that must be further refined before replacing current landfills.
ContributorsWhitten, George Avery (Author) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Thesis director) / Allenby, Braden (Committee member) / Houston, Sandra (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
After describing the types of foundation systems employed for high rise buildings, this thesis discusses the process of foundation design for tall buildings as it is practiced today, including computer programs used in designing the foundations of high rise buildings. This thesis then presents the geotechnical in-situ and laboratory tests used to establish the parameters required for input to design analyses for high rise building foundations. This thesis subsequently describes the Construction Quality Assurance practices used in the construction of the foundations of high rise buildings. This thesis next presents several case histories detailing the foundation practices employed in the design and construction of modern high rise buildings. Finally, this thesis provides some concluding thoughts regarding the development of the geotechnical practices when designing and constructing high rise buildings.
ContributorsMohammad, Saeed Ishaq (Author) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Thesis director) / Zapata, Claudia (Committee member) / Houston, Sandra (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
This dissertation investigates the potential for stimulating ureolytic and denitrifying microbes concurrently (i.e., stimulating a ureolytic, denitrifying microbial community) for a more efficient microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) process. Three sand columns were run for a treatment period of six weeks with a continuous flow of nutrient solution containing calcium nitrate, calcium acetate, calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate, tryptic soy broth and trace metals. The first and third columns served as control columns, within which only denitrification processes were at work. The first column was used for periodic sampling to measure the pH, ion concentrations, and total nitrogen over time. The third column was used to measure compressional (P-) and shear (S-) wave velocities to monitor cementation and desaturation over time. The second column was subject to initial conditions identical to the other two columns except that urea was added to the nutrient solution to stimulate ureolysis and was also subject to sampling. This was done to determine whether the use of the combined MICP processes resulted in increased efficiency of precipitation. Results from ion chromatography analysis, acid digestion and scanning electron microscope imaging did not show an increase in the amount of carbonate precipitated for the second column, possibly due to nitrite inhibition and abiotic hydrolysis of the urea from sterilization of the nutrient solution through autoclaving. However, the stimulation of denitrification and ureolysis in combination was achieved, and the amount of carbonate precipitation per mol of nitrate reduced increased, which in a sense increased the efficiency of the system. Ultimately, more experimentation is needed to determine if this combination is beneficial for MICP.
ContributorsOchsenbein, Amelia Dell (Author) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Thesis director) / O'Donnell, Sean (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Seed awns (Erodium and Pelargonium) bury themselves into ground for germination usinghygroscopic coiling and uncoilingmovements. Similarly,wormlizards (Amphisbaenia) create
tunnels for habitation by oscillating their heads along the long axis of the trunks. Inspired by
these burrowing strategies, this research aims to understand these mechanisms from a soil
mechanics perspective, investigate the factors influencing penetration resistance, and develop
a self-burrowing technology for subterranean explorations. The rotational movements of
seed awns, specifically their coiling and uncoiling movements, were initially examined
using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) under shallow and dry conditions. The findings
suggest that rotation reduces penetration resistance by decreasing penetrator-particle contact
number and the force exerted, and by shifting the contact force away from vertical direction.
The effects of rotation were illustrated through the force chain network, displacement field,
and particle trajectories, supporting the "force chain breakage" hypothesis and challenging
the assumptions of previous analytical models. The factors reducing penetration resistance
were subsequently examined, both numerically and experimentally. The experimental results
link the reduction of horizontal penetration resistance to embedment depth and penetrator
geometry. Notably, both numerical and experimental results confirm that the reduction of
penetration resistance is determined by the relative slip velocity, not by the absolute values.
The reduction initially spikes sharply with the relative slip velocity, then increases at a slower
rate, leveling off at higher relative slip velocities. Additional findings revealed a minimal
impact of relative density, particle shape, and inertial number on penetration resistance
reduction. Conversely, interface friction angle appeared to increase the reduction, while
penetrator roundness and confining pressure decreased it. The investigation also extended
to the effect of rotational modes on the reduction of penetration resistance. Reductions
between cone-continuous rotation (CCR) and cone-oscillatory rotation (COR) cases were
i
comparable. However, whole-body-continuous rotation (WCR) yielded a higher reduction
under the same relative slip velocities. Interestingly, the amplitude of oscillation movement
demonstrated a negligible effect on the reduction. Lastly, a self-burrowing soft robot was
constructed based on these insights. Preliminary findings indicate that the robot can move
horizontally, leveraging a combination of extensioncontraction and rotational movements.
ContributorsTang, Yong (Author) / Tao, Junliang (Thesis advisor) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Marvi, Hamid (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The climate-driven volumetric response of unsaturated soils (shrink-swell and frost heave) frequently causes costly distresses in lightly loaded structures (pavements and shallow foundations) due to the sporadic climatic fluctuations and soil heterogeneity which is not captured during the geotechnical design. The complexity associated with the unsaturated soil mechanics combined with the high degree of variability in both the natural characteristics of soil and the empirical models which are commonly implemented tends to lead to engineering judgment outweighing the results of deterministic computations for the basis of design. Recent advances in the application of statistical techniques and Bayesian Inference in geotechnical modeling allows for the inclusion of both parameter and model uncertainty, providing a quantifiable representation of this invaluable engineering judgement. The overall goal achieved in this study was to develop, validate, and implement a new method to evaluate climate-driven volume change of shrink-swell soils using a framework that encompasses predominantly stochastic time-series techniques and mechanistic shrink-swell volume change computations. Four valuable objectives were accomplished during this research study while on the path to complete the overall goal: 1) development of an procedure for automating the selection of the Fourier Series form of the soil suction diffusion equations used to represent the natural seasonal variations in suction at the ground surface, 2) development of an improved framework for deterministic estimation of shrink-swell soil volume change using historical climate data and the Fourier series suction model, 3) development of a Bayesian approach to randomly generate combinations of correlated soil properties for use in stochastic simulations, and 4) development of a procedure to stochastically forecast the climatic parameters required for shrink-swell soil volume change estimations. The models presented can be easily implemented into existing foundation and pavement design procedures or used for forensic evaluations using historical data. For pavement design, the new framework for stochastically forecasting the variability of shrink-swell soil volume change provides significant improvement over the existing empirical models that have been used for more than four decades.
ContributorsOlaiz, Austin Hunter (Author) / Zapata, Claudia (Thesis advisor) / Houston, Sandra (Committee member) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Soltanpour, Yasser (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
It has been found that certain biological organisms, such as Erodium seeds and Scincus scincus, are capable of effectively and efficiently burying themselves in soil. Biological Organisms employ various locomotion modes, including coiling and uncoiling motions, asymmetric body twisting, and undulating movements that generate motion waves. The coiling-uncoiling motion drives a seed awn to bury itself like a corkscrew, while sandfish skinks use undulatory swimming, which can be thought of as a 2D version of helical motion. Studying burrowing behavior aims to understand how animals navigate underground, whether in their natural burrows or underground habitats, and to implement this knowledge in solving geotechnical penetration problems. Underground horizontal burrowing is challenging due to overcoming the resistance of interaction forces of granular media to move forward. Inspired by the burrowing behavior of seed-awn and sandfish skink, a horizontal self-burrowing robot is developed. The robot is driven by two augers and stabilized by a fin structure. The robot’s burrowing behavior is studied in a laboratory setting. It is found that rotation and propulsive motion along the axis of the auger’s helical shape significantly reduce granular media’s resistance against horizontal penetration by breaking kinematic symmetry or granular media boundary. Additional thrusting and dragging tests were performed to examine the propulsive and resistive forces and unify the observed burrowing behaviors. The tests revealed that the rotation of an auger not only reduces the resistive force and generates a propulsive force, which is influenced by the auger geometry, rotational speed, and direction. As a result, the burrowing behavior of the robot can be predicted using the geometry-rotation-force relations.
ContributorsShaharear, Md Ragib (Author) / Tao, Junliang (Thesis advisor) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Marvi, Hamidreza (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Characterization and Manipulation of Microbiomes From Arid Landfills for Improved Methane Production
Description
Environmentally harmful byproducts from solid waste’s decomposition, including methane (CH4) emissions, are managed through standardized landfill engineering and gas-capture mechanisms. Yet only a limited number of studies have analyzed the development and composition of Bacteria and Archaea involved in CH4 production from landfills. The objectives of this research were to compare microbiomes and bioactivity from CH4-producing communities in contrasting spatial areas of arid landfills and to tests a new technology to biostimulate CH4 production (methanogenesis) from solid waste under dynamic environmental conditions controlled in the laboratory. My hypothesis was that the diversity and abundance of methanogenic Archaea in municipal solid waste (MSW), or its leachate, play an important role on CH4 production partially attributed to the group’s wide hydrogen (H2) consumption capabilities. I tested this hypothesis by conducting complementary field observations and laboratory experiments. I describe niches of methanogenic Archaea in MSW leachate across defined areas within a single landfill, while demonstrating functional H2-dependent activity. To alleviate limited H2 bioavailability encountered in-situ, I present biostimulant feasibility and proof-of-concepts studies through the amendment of zero valent metals (ZVMs). My results demonstrate that older-aged MSW was minimally biostimulated for greater CH4 production relative to a control when exposed to iron (Fe0) or manganese (Mn0), due to highly discernable traits of soluble carbon, nitrogen, and unidentified fluorophores found in water extracts between young and old aged, starting MSW. Acetate and inhibitory H2 partial pressures accumulated in microcosms containing old-aged MSW. In a final experiment, repeated amendments of ZVMs to MSW in a 600 day mesocosm experiment mediated significantly higher CH4 concentrations and yields during the first of three ZVM injections. Fe0 and Mn0 experimental treatments at mesocosm-scale also highlighted accelerated development of seemingly important, but elusive Archaea including Methanobacteriaceae, a methane-producing family that is found in diverse environments. Also, prokaryotic classes including Candidatus Bathyarchaeota, an uncultured group commonly found in carbon-rich ecosystems, and Clostridia; All three taxa I identified as highly predictive in the time-dependent progression of MSW decomposition. Altogether, my experiments demonstrate the importance of H2 bioavailability on CH4 production and the consistent development of Methanobacteriaceae in productive MSW microbiomes.
ContributorsReynolds, Mark Christian (Author) / Cadillo-Quiroz, Hinsby (Thesis advisor) / Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa (Thesis advisor) / Wang, Xuan (Committee member) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
The presence of expansive soils underneath pavement structures is considered one of the most common sources of pavement distresses, due to differential settlements caused by differential moisture distribution attributed to soil heterogeneity and seasonal climatic fluctuations. The cost of the repairs to the infrastructure caused by expansive soils is estimated to exceed 10 billion dollars annually in the US, as reported by Puppala and Cerato (2009). Although many studies have been developed to better understand the volume change of unsaturated soils and incorporate the effect of swelling/shrinkage behavior into pavement design procedures, current methodologies are still based on simple correlations with index properties or other empirical methods. Such solutions lead to poor or uneconomical design practices. The objective of this study was to calibrate and implement a new mechanistic, stochastic model that predicts pavement distresses caused by the presence of expansive soils. Three major tasks were completed to fulfill the objective of this study: 1) a laboratory research program performed to estimate the volume change of compacted specimens, with different expansion potential, due to the simultaneous application of suction and net normal stresses, 2) the calibration of a new mechanistic free-swell model for expansive soils tailored to pavement structures, based on elevation information collected from the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program, and 3) the incorporation and calibration of the free-swell stochastic model results into the current Pavement Mechanistic-Empirical (ME) Design procedure using the International Roughness Index (IRI) models.
The results presented includes: 1) an empirical model to estimate volume change due to the coupled effect of suction, and net normal stresses, for soils with different soil index properties, 2) a calibrated model to adjust the free-swell results of the mechanistic-stochastic model developed by Olaiz et al. (2021), and 3) an updated IRI equation for asphalt concrete pavements to account for volume change fluctuations due to changes in suction stress conditions. The models presented can be easily implemented into currently available pavement design procedures and greatly improves over the existing empirical models that have been used for more than four decades.
ContributorsMosawi, Mohammad (Author) / Zapata, Claudia E (Thesis advisor) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Kaloush, Kamil E (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022