AUS Repository (American University of Sharjah)
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Construction with Contour Crafting
No full textA poster submitted in ENG 207 taught by Dr. David Prescott for the Fall 2016 semester.The emirate’s population is growing 7% year-on-year, meaning that at least 75,000 new properties are needed each year to keep up with demand. The number of properties for sale in Dubai is beginning to fall below the level needed to meet demand from buyers. Massive push for affordable housing which would require the cost of land to be adjusted. Contour Crafting, or 3D printing, is the process of manufacturing three dimensional objects from a digital design or model
Effect of Concrete Type on Flexural Behavior of Concrete Beams Reinforced with HSS Bars
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Saif Maad Aldabagh entitled, "Effect of Concrete Type on Flexural Behavior of Concrete Beams Reinforced with HSS Bars," submitted in March 2016. Thesis advisor is Dr. Farid H. Abed and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Sherif Yehia. Soft and hard copy available.High-Strength Steel (HSS) bars can be a promising alternative to commonly used mild steel since they have the potential of making more efficient use of highperformance concrete and reducing the required number and size of the reinforcement. The main shortcomings associated with utilizing HSS bars in concrete beams are related to the cracking behavior of these beams at service load and the possibility of concrete crushing prior to steel yielding. This research investigates the effect of using highstrength concrete, fiber-reinforced concrete and compression reinforcement to enhance the flexural behavior of HSS-RC beams. Twenty four beams singly and doubly reinforced with high-strength steel bars were cast using plain concrete, steel fiber and synthetic fiber-reinforced concrete. In addition, concrete compressive strength of 50 and 80 MPa were used in the investigation. Four-point loading flexure tests were conducted on all beams. The flexure test results showed that increasing the concrete compressive strength contributes the most to the flexural capacity in steel fiber-reinforced concrete specimens. The concrete compression strain at mid-span's top
surface of steel fiber-reinforced specimens reached up to 0.0039 prior to ultimate loading which, in turn, enhanced the flexural capacity. Results also indicated that highest curvature ductility was achieved by synthetic fiber-reinforced concrete beams with f'c = 80 MPa. The deep propagation of cracks was noticeably restrained at service and steel yielding load in fiber-reinforced specimens. In addition, the applicability of ACI ITG-6R-10 recommendations was evaluated using the results of plain concrete specimens and then extended to cover fiber-reinforced concrete beams. A nonlinear finite element model was developed and verified to evaluate the effect of utilizing different reinforcement ratios on the flexural behavior of the HSS-bar reinforced concrete beams.College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE
Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beams Made with Recycled Coarse Aggregate
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Abdullah Mohsin Sagher entitled, "Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beams Made with Recycled Coarse Aggregate," submitted in July 2016. Thesis advisor is Dr. Sami Tabsh. Soft and hard copy available.The Bee'ah's Waste Management Complex in the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE, has been producing aggregate from construction and demolition wastes for quite some time. However, such a product has not been utilized in structural applications. This research focuses on the concrete shear strength, which is a major component of the total shear resistance of reinforced concrete elements. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to investigate the behavior and develop design recommendations for the shear strength of reinforced concrete beams made with locally produced coarse aggregate. To do that, laboratory experiments on fifteen half-scale beams and associated theoretical predictive methods are utilized. The experimental part of the study addresses beams with different concrete compressive strengths, recycled coarse aggregate replacement percentages in the concrete mix, shear span-to-depth ratios and effective flexural steel reinforcement ratios. The experimental results are compared with corresponding findings from reinforced concrete beams employing natural aggregate. The theoretical part of the study considers available codified procedures for predicting the shear strength of concrete beams, such as the ACI 318 and CSA 23.3, as well as the strut-and-tie procedure, modified compression field theory and fracture mechanics approach. Results of the study showed that North American codes can adequately predict the shear strength provided by concrete when the shear span-to-depth ratio is large, but over-estimates it when the applied load is very close to the support. The strut-and-tie model predicted the shear strength of the tested beams much better than the other methods. The recycled concrete beams showed lower shear strength when the coarse aggregate replacement ratio was 50% and comparable shear strength when the replacement ratio was 100% than corresponding beams made with natural aggregate. The influence of concrete compressive strength on the shear capacity is much more predominant in the beams that were made with natural aggregate than those that were made with recycled aggregate. The effect of the flexural reinforcement ratio was not as significant in the beams made with concrete utilizing recycled aggregate as those made with natural aggregate. Until more tests on concrete beams made from different batches of recycled aggregate from Bee'ah become available, a 30% reduction factor is suggested to be incorporated into the shear strength equations in the relevant codes.College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE
Sustainable and Efficient Electric Vehicle and Charging System
No full textA poster submitted in ENG 207 taught by Dr. David Prescott for the Fall 2016 semester.Global warming is a major problem the world is facing, and the main contributors to it are greenhouse gases. Gas operated cars and electricity generation using fossil fuels are the major greenhouse gas emitters. So our project suggests the use of a modified version of electric vehicles (EV) that are charged using electricity generated by sustainable energy
A framework for green project management processes in construction projects
No full textGreen industries are growing worldwide and in most cases provide a good rate of return on investment. Moreover, there are many benefits that are associated with green buildings such as lower ecological impact and carbon footprint on the environment, healthier life style for residents and end users, higher service life, less water and energy consumption and less maintenance. The main obstacle for a wide adaptation of green and sustainable buildings in the construction industry is the perceived higher initial costs and the higher risks involved with novel ventures. The higher costs and risks associated with green projects could be reduced by utilising a green project management process that addresses the needs of specific projects. Such green project management processes, if adapted and implemented, could lower the costs and risks of green projects and raise their competitive advantage versus conventional and less efficient projects. This study investigates the conventional project management processes used in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) construction industry and postulates the integration of green practices into these project management processes to enhance their applicability in new construction projects
A Benchmarking Approach to the Progress of Green Materials and systems’ use in the UAE construction industry
No full textOver the past decade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced several green regulatory guidelines, federal decrees, and a considerable number of environmentally friendly initiatives. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the top green materials and systems used currently in the UAE construction industry as per the new laws dictate as well as see if professionals are switching over to incorporate more green materials, systems, and/or designs
Remote Sensors to Monitor Structural Integrity in Pipelines
No full textA poster submitted in ENG 207 taught by Dr. David Prescott for the Fall 2014 semester.Nowadays, pipelines represent one of the most common for transporting fluids. The risk of a spill due to pipeline damage is always there. The risk of a spill due to pipeline damage is always there. Although there are various organizations working on reducing the losses from pipelines failures, our project aims to predict the failure before it occurs by means of using sensors and database systems
Removal of lead (II) ions from Aqueous Solution using Eggplant Peels Activated Charcoal
No full textThe eggplant peel activated charcoal (EPPAC) was investigated as an adsorbent for the removal of lead II ions from aqueous solution. Three methods were tested for the production of eggplant peel activated charcoal (EPPAC) from eggplant peel charcoal (EPPC), yielding three different products; EPPAC-1, EPPAC-2, and EPPAC-3. The difference among the three methods lies in the primary physical mixing of the EPPC with the activating agent (potassium hydroxide) before heating the mixture in a furnace for activation. The removal efficiency of lead II ions by the three adsorbents was 57.7%, 70.0%, and 60.0% for EPPAC-1, EPPAC-2, and EPPPAC-3, respectively. The optimized activation parameters for EPPAC-2 were: activation time 2 hours, activation temperature 700�C, and activation ratio 1:2 (EPPAC: KOH). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that EPPAC-2 has the most porous structure. The surface area of EPPAC-2 was measured to be 739 m2/g. Adsorption kinetics of lead (II) is best described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with second order rate constant of 1.70 × 10-3 g/mg.h at room temperature. The adsorption of lead on EPPAC-2 is found to follow the Langmuir isotherm with a maximum adsorption capacity of 1.4 × 102 mg/g
Control of Flow Past an Airfoil Section Using Rotating Cylinders
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Mechanical Engineering by Argin Nazari entitled, "Control of Flow Past an Airfoil Section Using Rotating Cylinders," submitted in January 2015. Thesis advisor is Dr. Saad Ahmed and co-advisor is Dr. Essam Wahbe. Available are both soft and hard copies of the thesis.The flow past a NACA 0024 airfoil with a leading edge rotating cylinder is simulated numerically using the ANSYS CFX software. To delay the boundary layer separation from the airfoil surface, different configurations for the airfoil and the cylinder were used. A leading edge rotating cylinder with some of its surface area exposed to the free stream velocity was positioned on the airfoil. The shear stress transport turbulence model was used for the analysis. The lift coefficient for the airfoil with the rotating cylinder was found to be considerably higher as compared to the original airfoil. The lift and pressure coefficients and the velocity profiles for this airfoil compared well with published experimental data. The detached eddy simulation turbulence model was used to analyze the flow field for the wake regions and vortices created from the flow separation. The results predicted by this model were accurate in terms of the airfoil drag coefficient and had lower computational costs that are usually associated with the standard large eddy simulation model. The flow over the same airfoil with an addition of a flap and a second rotating cylinder was also analyzed using the shear stress transport model. The use of rotating cylinders on the airfoil increased the lift coefficient and the stall angle by delaying the flow separation. For the case with a leading edge rotating cylinder, the effect of the momentum injection from the cylinder rotation increased the lift coefficient by 60% and the stall angle by approximately 80% as compared to the original airfoil. For the airfoil with two rotating cylinders the stall angle was increased by 90% with the use of rotating cylinders as a moving surface.College of EngineeringDepartment of Mechanical EngineeringMaster of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME
Hydroelectric Dams
No full textA poster submitted in ENG 207 taught by Dr. David Prescott for the Fall 2014 semester.Energy consumption has increased exponentially since the advent of electricity. To satisfy consumer needs, there needs to come an increase in production of energy. Seeing as the earth is covered in approximately 70% water it would seem beneficial to
utilize this in the form of hydroelectric power using dams. A hydroelectric is a dam specifically designed to generate electricity. This electricity can then be stored or transmitted for later usage. Hydroelectric dams are currently being used in almost 150 countries. The use of hydroelectric power is deemed as one of the cleanest methods of energy production