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Studies the physical, economic and environmental feasibility of recovering energy from paper sludge in an institutional boiler. Emission rates measured during trial burns; Measurement of air emissions; Comparison of criteria pollutant emissions to wood chip emissions.

The pyrolysis kinetics of cellulosic uncoated printing and writing paper, which is one of the principal materials contributing to the municipal solid waste (MSW) of Taiwan, was investigated with a thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) reaction system. The experiments were carried out in a nitrogen environment in the 450–850 K temperature range at various constant heating rates of 1, 2, and 5 K/min. The results indicated that there were two principal reactions in TGA curves as distinguished by the two significant and distinct mass changes over the experimental conditions. The pyrolysis of uncoated printing and writing paper can be adequately described by a two-reaction model. The corresponding activation energies, preexponential factors, and reaction orders were determined. The experimental results were satisfactorily fitted by the proposed chemical reaction model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formal use of heuristics as a strategy for dealing with decision-making under uncertainty by engineers has been typically overlooked when procuring construction projects, even though they have been shown to deliver better decision outcomes than statistical (including probabilistic and stochastic) and machine learning approaches. Considering the prevailing gap in practice, this paper draws upon the theoretical framing of ecological rationality to raise awareness of the influential role heuristics can play in decision-making under uncertainty when procuring construction projects. The paper suggests that to realize the benefits of heuristics, research is needed to fundamentally focus on understanding the context (i.e., what, why, how, and when) within which decisions are made under uncertainty and to develop and design decision-making strategies for new situations that arise while managing construction projects. This paper's contributions are twofold: (1) a new perspective for engineers to deal with uncertainty through the lens of ecological rationality is proposed; and (2) a pathway for engineers to begin to explore how the benefits of heuristics can be realized is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In transportation system modeling, the origin–destination matrix estimation (ODME) is a critical facet that relies on traffic assignment. Extracting origin–destination (O–D) demand matrices from regional travel demand models for subnetworks is common; however, challenges persist in their quality, particularly for dynamic traffic assignment and simulation modeling. The ODME procedures have emerged to estimate O–D demands using a seed matrix and real-world measures, often segment volume counts. Recently, the availability of O–D demand data from private sector vendors has been witnessed, sourced from crowdsourced and automated vehicle identification (AVI) technologies. This paper explores the integration of crowdsourced data, segment-level measures, and demand forecasting model outputs in O–D demand estimation, which compares 12 ODME variations that employ different input variable combinations and weights. This paper aims to enhance the guidance and methodologies for analysts who utilize diverse data sources in O–D demand estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a large agricultural country, China's timely and accurate extraction of rural buildings from high spatial resolution remote sensing images plays a crucial role in rural revitalization. With the public availability of the data set of buildings covering almost all the main structures in rural China published by China Scientific Data, this study proposes an improved building extraction method based on the above data set to address the problems of the irregularity of the rural building boundaries extraction and the neglect of the different recognition accuracies of the buildings with different main structures in the extraction process. Firstly, the VGG-Net network residual structure is introduced into the backbone feature extraction network of the U-Net model to extract deeper features; then, the attention mechanism is introduced to improve the extraction accuracy of rural buildings of different main structure types by adjusting their positions and numbers. Finally, the extraction results of the model with the addition of the attention mechanism are combined with the original image to form a four-channel image, which is again subjected to fine detection in order to improve the extraction accuracy of the building edges. The experimental results on the Chinese rural buildings data set show that the improved U-Net model outperforms other models in intersection over union (IOU), F1-score, precision, and recall accuracy evaluation metrics; further, the accuracy is improved in the extraction of buildings with different main structures, and the boundaries are more regularized, which can be applied in the extraction of buildings with different main structures. Meanwhile, the accuracies on GF-2, WHU data set, and Massachusetts data set are also improved, proving that the method proposed in this paper is robust and universal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the measured responses of components—blast wall, shear walls, deep beam and bottom chord bracing, and a roof truss—of an instrumented full-scale cold-formed steel (CFS)-framed building subjected to open-arena blast testing. The objective of this test program is to provide a rich data set to inform future research, analysis, and design of these building components for structures that may be subjected to blast loads. A companion paper presents the blast loading, system-level responses, and observed damage, while this paper focuses on component-level responses. The behavior of the blast wall was examined through instrumentation of the central stud with linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs), shock accelerometers, and strain gauges. Additionally, load cells installed at several anchors connecting the bottom track of the blast wall to the foundation recorded hold-down forces along the wall developed during the test. In-plane displacement vectors and time histories for points on one of the shear walls were obtained from high-speed video, while a load cell positioned at an anchor at the bottom track of the shear wall was used to investigate hold-down forces at the shear wall. Forces in the bottom chord bracing of the roof diaphragm were studied through strain measurements. Lastly, the behavior of the roof truss was studied using measurements obtained from an array of LVDTs, shock accelerometers, and strain gauges mounted on the central truss. The results and single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) analyses serve to provide greater insight into component-level responses, interactions between building components and subcomponents, and evidence of component and connection behaviors that have not been previously documented in the published literature for CFS-framed buildings subjected to blast loads. The performance of the building components and supporting SDOF analyses demonstrate significant energy absorbing capacity of conventionally constructed CFS stud walls that exceed established performance criteria in current design standards and offer experimental observations to support future development of performance criteria for CFS shear walls and roof trusses, which currently do not exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerated by the widespread use of social media, Internet rumors in major public health emergencies will destroy urban resilience. To find the path to improve the effectiveness of government rumor–refutation in major public health emergencies to enhance urban resilience, this paper creatively establishes an assessment research structure of the government's rumor–refutation effectiveness in major public health emergencies, and an assessment criteria system from four perspectives of source, message, channel, and reviewer is constructed, an assessment method incorporating multicriteria decision-making and machine learning methods, i.e., optimal clustering-VIKORSort with hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets based on combinatorial weighting is proposed. Subsequently, all 102 cases of government rumor–refutation during the COVID-19 lockdown in Wuhan in 2020 are taken as alternatives and assessed. The results show that Wuhan's rumor–refutation effectiveness was not strong. Then, the investigated factors that constrain Wuhan's emergency rumor–refutation effectiveness are diversified. Furthermore, this paper assesses the rumor–refutation effectiveness in Shanghai during the 2022 epidemic, obtains similar problems to Wuhan, and demonstrates the generalizability and robustness of the proposed method. Finally, based on the results, this paper proposes suggestions for improving the government's rumor–refutation effectiveness in major public health emergencies to enhance urban resilience, which is a crucial contribution to combating Internet rumors and improving urban resilience in major public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citation data is increasingly being used to assess quality and importance. By this criterion, a paper that is not cited is automatically assumed to lack both quality and significance. This paper examines the validity of this hypothesis by reviewing citation rates of award-winning ASCE papers over a 25-year period from 1978-2002. In the study, citation data for seven civil engineering subdisciplines were obtained from the Science Citation Index developed by the Thomson Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). The analysis showed that nearly 25% of the award-winning papers were never cited with over 30% cited just once. Citations were higher in subdisciplines that are science based and lower in those that are more applied or specialist. These findings indicate that although citations provide a quantitative measure of use, they are imperfect indicators of quality and significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers tips on how to write an award-winning paper about engineering. According to the article, a prerequisite to writing a good paper is an in-depth understanding of the subject. This understanding should be beyond words and deep into concepts. To do this, one must have first-hand experience on the research that you are conducting.

This document is a closure to a previous paper titled "Foundation Settlement and Tilt of Millennium Tower in San Francisco, California." The authors respond to comments and questions raised by discussers regarding the design, construction, and analysis of the tower's foundation movements. They emphasize that their goal was to objectively document the data and provide interpretations of the soil deformation mechanisms that caused the settlements. They encourage further investigation and analysis of the case history to advance foundation engineering practices in dense urban environments. [Extracted from the article]

Academics have been devoting a growing attention to different matters involving public-private partnerships (PPPs), and, as the use of PPPs for delivering infrastructure evolves worldwide, so does the number and type of papers addressing this procurement model. The objective of this paper is to undertake a comprehensive literature review of papers relating to PPPs and private finance initiatives (PFIs), using a bibliometric analysis. More than 600 papers published between 1990 and 2014 were examined. None of the previously existing studies analyzed such a large sample of papers. The research found that PPP studies appear to have a steady momentum toward growth. Engineering journals (and engineering as a research area) have been particularly active in this field. Authors based in Europe and Asia had written almost two-thirds of the papers, with transportation and health sectors at the top of sector-based papers. Most of the existing work is focused on aspects of contract design, risk sharing, and analyzing the contract performance and benefits, and neglects areas such as contract termination and renegotiation. The management of PPPs will be the next big challenge for PPP scholars and professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-layer (0.15-mm-thick) and 15-layer (5.43-mm-thick) graphene composites have been fabricated through the impregnation of epoxy resin into porous graphene nanoplatelet (GnP) paper. Three different flake sizes of GnPs were used for the 1-layer graphene com- posites: 5 μm, mixed 5 μm and 25 μm, and 25 μm. The largest graphene flakes showed the best material properties in terms of tensile strength and elongation at break. Both tensile and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) test results demonstrated that the 15-layer graphene composite had better material properties than the 1-layer graphene composites. The storage modulus of 15-layer graphene composite was 170% higher than that of neat epoxy. The transverse surface of 15-layer graphene composite exhibited a higher elastic modulus but lower hardness than the top surface. Ballistic limit test results showed that the combination of polyurea (PU) and a 15-layer graphene composite coating can increase the ballistic limit of TC-128 steel plate slightly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at proposing a calculation model to deal with the face stability of shield tunnels in unsaturated soil. Based on the existing results of centrifugal test and numerical simulation, a new failure mechanism is proposed, which combines the logarithmic spiral with upper loosening arch mechanisms. The failure mechanism considers the influence of the soil arching effect and the logarithmic spiral height coefficient. Formulas for calculating the loosening earth pressure of unsaturated soil are deduced. Subsequently, this model of loosening earth pressure is introduced into an analytical model to compute the limit support pressure on the tunnel face. Compared with other height coefficients and the degree of soil arching effect, when the height coefficient is 0.95 and the degree of soil arching effect is 10%–30%, the limit support pressure proposed in this paper is in good agreement with the centrifugal test results. Finally, comparisons are performed with the proposed model and classical models as well as typical centrifuge model tests. The comparative analysis shows that the proposed theoretical model is in good agreement with the numerical simulation. The outline of the failure zone by the theoretical model in this paper is in good agreement with the centrifuge results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To combat climate change, the world is witnessing a rapid transition phase from fossil fuels to renewables. In this transition, India's aspiration to emerge as a climate leader by declaring ambitious nationally determined contributions and spearheading climate negotiations as a leader of developing countries is praiseworthy and should be complemented by a significant energy transition by all governments, semigovernments, and corporates. The major government organizations, such as railways and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), have declared a road map for achieving carbon neutrality. This situation compels the Indian armed forces to think in what manner their climate-positive actions could reduce their carbon footprint, which could help in accelerating carbon neutrality in India. This paper critically highlights the transition measures that are being adopted by leading world militaries and studies the feasibility of the decarbonization of military transport in the Indian scenario. In addition, without touching on any sensitive security issues, it broadly evaluates emissions from the military transport sector using an econometric approach. This paper further evaluates the feasibility of energy transition in the transportation sector using cost–benefit (CBA) and multicriteria analyses (MCA). The findings of this paper indicate that hydrogen fuel cell technology presents a more viable, environmentally sustainable, and cost-effective option for the Indian military's decarbonization efforts compared with electric vehicles (EVs). This conclusion is drawn based on the proposed green technologies, CBA, and MCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on evaluating dripper-plants spacing to enhance tomato yield and water productivity in Burkina Faso's Sudanian climate. The authors critique the methodology used in the original paper, highlighting errors in irrigation scheduling and water requirement estimates. They point out discrepancies in crop coefficients and soil wetting patterns, which impact water productivity calculations. The discussers emphasize the importance of accurate research methods for effective irrigation water management in water-limited regions like Burkina Faso. [Extracted from the article]

The editorial in the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management provides an update on the journal's Reproducible Results Policy, outlining the process for authors to submit manuscripts to the program. Accepted papers will be published Open Access, included in a Special Collection, and awarded silver or bronze badges based on replicability. Authors are required to create a repository for data, model, code, and directions, provide a Data Availability Statement, and participate in the reproducibility program. The journal aims to enhance the reproducibility of results and recognizes outstanding efforts in this regard. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers information on the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Forensic Engineering Division's (FED) Outstanding Paper Award given to Misko Cubrinovski, Jennifer Haskell and Anna Winkley.

This paper presents an assessment of recycling of thermally treated fluvial sediments as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). Different calcination treatments were conducted with temperatures ranging between 450°C and 950°C. For each calcined sediment, a detailed characterization was carried out. Subsequently, blended cements containing 25% calcined sediments (CS) were prepared and tested, including portlandite consumption, hydration kinetics, and compressive strength development (41 and 52 MPa at 7 and 90 days, respectively). The results showed that blended cement based on CS at 750°C provided the most favorable hydration kinetics and the highest compressive strength. An optimization design of experiment was followed to maximize the substitution rate of CS. The resulting multivariable function suggests a replacement rate up to 20% to produce a blended cement equivalent to CEM II 52.5 N, and up to 30% to produce a cement equivalent to CEM II 42.5 N. The reported technoenvironmental findings corroborate the use of CS as SCMs and motivate future research on their effect on concrete properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces that the paper "Failure Investigation at a Collapsed Deep Excavation in Very Sensitive Organic Soft Clay" by R. P. Chen and colleagues has received the Outstanding Paper Award for 2015 from the American Society of Civil Engineers Forensic Engineering Division.

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a widely utilized nondestructive testing technique for the detection and assessment of internal corrosion in concrete bridge decks. However, abnormal data generated during the practical application of this technology can reduce the accuracy of concrete bridge deck corrosion assessment. Aiming at this problem, this paper analyzes some common abnormal data from actual bridges GPR data and proposes corresponding automatic algorithms for anomaly correction to enhance assessment accuracy. The automatic algorithm focuses on two main aspects: correcting anomalies in direct coupling wave amplitudes based on data statistics and mitigating the impact of abnormal data due to incorrectly picked rebar on depth correction using density clustering. The specific process of the automatic method can be divided into four steps. First, automatic rebar picking is performed based on the preprocessed GPR data. Next, data statistics analysis is implemented on the extracted rebar data to identify and correct abnormal amplitude data. Then, the true rebar data are identified for depth correction based on density clustering. Finally, the bridge deck corrosion map is generated based on the corrected rebar reflection amplitudes and rebar positions. The feasibility of this method was verified through a case study with GPR data from two in-service bridges. The results show that this method can effectively and automatically identify and correct abnormal data. Moreover, the bridge deck corrosion map obtained by the proposed method is also more accurate. It can be concluded that the proposed algorithms can be used in bridge deck corrosion detection and assessment with GPR. Practical Applications: Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a widely utilized nondestructive testing technique for concrete bridge deck corrosion detection and assessment. However, abnormal data generated during the practical application of this technology can reduce the accuracy of concrete bridge deck corrosion assessment. Aiming at this problem, this paper proposes a set of automatic data processing procedures for anomaly correction to improve the corrosion assessment accuracy. The feasibility of the proposed algorithms was validated through a case study with GPR data from two in-service bridges. The results show that these algorithms can effectively automatically identify and correct abnormal data. Moreover, the bridge deck corrosion map obtained by these algorithms is also more accurate. It can be concluded that the proposed algorithms can be used in bridge deck corrosion detection and assessment with GPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Journal of Management in Engineering (JME) has introduced a new award, the Decade Award, to recognize the impact of scholarly work in the engineering management domain in civil engineering a decade after its publication. The award selection process goes beyond traditional metrics such as citations and evaluates the depth and quality of impact. The inaugural Decade Award was given to the paper titled "Practical Application for Integrated Performance Measurement of Construction Projects" by Nassar and AbouRizk. The paper has had significant impact within the construction industry and academia, influencing performance measurement systems, project management processes, project due diligence, peer reviews, and project management software companies. It has also sparked related research, been included in project management courses, and influenced project management professional academies and training institutions. The committee aims to refine and enhance the award selection process in the future. [Extracted from the article]

This document discusses a research paper that explores the effects of relative density and particle morphology on the bearing capacity and collapse mechanism of strip footings in sand. The authors observe the development of shear zones during loading and question the behavior of two different sands tested in the study. They also discuss the combined effects of relative density and particle morphology on shear resistance. The document provides valuable insights and suggests further areas of investigation. The article concludes that relative density is not the primary factor influencing performance and suggests using laboratory strength tests to evaluate the effects of various factors on effective friction angles. The data from the study and previous research indicate that correlations between relative density and bearing capacity are not reliable for sands other than those studied. Instead, a more fundamental approach involves correlating foundation performance with mobilized effective friction angles. [Extracted from the article]

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of being involved with the JTE from the beginning, and thought it would be worthwhile to look back and see how the journal has evolved over the years and possibly learn some lessons that can be useful for future directions.

This document is a closure to a previous paper titled "Effects of Movement Induced by Ground Improvement on the Performance of an Excavation Support System in Underconsolidated Clay." The closure addresses comments and requests for additional information made by a discusser. The closure provides construction information, including the layout of ground improvement works and the installation of deep soil mix columns and jet grout piles. It also discusses the selection of jet grout pressures, undrained shear strength properties of marine clays, and field performance observations. The closure concludes by addressing the limitations of the numerical modeling used in the original paper. [Extracted from the article]

In this article the author discusses the rules for writing a case study paper. The author states that case study papers offers documentation of the investigation, analysis, and/or performance of a geotechnical project and it present information that will advance geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering practice.

The article discusses the goal in publishing papers is to make useful contributions to the state of knowledge and practice in transportation engineering. It mentions that the papers receiving at least one award-quality designation in the review process are considered; winners generally have multiple award-quality designations; and the role of the referees in selecting the best papers as well as in enhancing the quality of the journal is absolutely critical.

One of the goals of this paper is to outline the significant problems in the historical urban structure and marginal areas of Baghdad. It is hypothesized these challenges could affect other aspects, such as urban life, urban development, and sustainability. However, before addressing these impacts, it is essential to define the framework of the study to determine a feasible scope, which will guide the development of a research process map (RPM). The paper highlights two urban issues in Baghdad—elementary and ancillary—whereby the historical pattern of the city is perceived as an asset, while the value of the entire urban pattern is compared with that of individual memorials. Based on these two issues, the paper identifies a research problem and applies four critical questions to address it. The study adopted a case study strategy and a mixed-method approach to identify and monitor key urban problems affecting the context. Moreover, variables of the urban parameters were defined, and ethnographical analysis was performed to develop the RPM. The study concludes that four interfaces contribute significantly to the issues and morphological dialectics of Baghdad City, namely, human–edge interface, link–node interface, edge–edge interface, and human–human interface. These interfaces signify the interrelatedness between various attributes of the physical setting and the people within it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rankine theory is restricted to calculating earth pressure on the vertical and smooth back of retaining walls, as well as the horizontal backfill surface. Hence, it is of great significance to research the active earth pressure of cohesive fill in scenarios involving a rough oblique wall back and a nonhorizontal filling surface. The sliding soil mass behind the wall is divided into two parts: elastic zone and plastic zone. Based on the upper-bound theory of limit analysis, an energy conservation equation was established in this paper, deriving analytical formulas for the depth of tensile cracks in cohesive soil and the inclination angle of the slip surface. The analyzed failure plane inclination angle was applied to the thin-layer element method, deriving the expression for active earth pressure by establishing force balance equations and a moment balance equation, which can be degenerated into a Rankine solution. Compared with relevant theories, the proposed theoretical solution in this paper better matches the experimental values, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed formulas. Moreover, the influence of soil cohesion, internal friction angle, wall–soil friction angle, wall–soil adhesion, wall back batter angle, and backfill surface slope angle on crack depth and active soil pressure was explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to microdefects within recycled aggregates, recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) has poor mechanical properties. Researchers have found that RAC's mechanical qualities can be enhanced by the addition of single steel or polypropylene fibers. However, the mechanical properties of RAC containing steel–polypropylene hybrid fibers (SPHFs) have been studied relatively little. In order to assess the influence of SPHFs, this paper analyzes the impact of SPHFs experimentally on the compression performance of the RAC. Additionally, using acoustic emission (AE), the damage variables of recycled aggregate concrete reinforced with steel–polypropylene fibers (SF-PF-RAC) can be quantitatively defined. Then, based on the mesomechanics approach, a constitutive model combining damage and mesomechanics is developed for predicting the mechanical properties of SF-PF-RAC under uniaxial compressive loading. The experimental results show that the bridging effect of SPHFs can greatly enhance the mechanical properties of RAC. According to the AE and experimental phenomena, the damage evolution of SF-PF-RAC under uniaxial compression can be divided into three stages: initiation of damage, stabilization of damage, and accelerated growth of damage and failure. The correctness of the model used in this paper is confirmed by contrasting the model's predictions with those of other classical concrete theory models. Parameter inversion is also used to further validate the reasonability of the present model. Thus, it can be believed that this paper's experimental and theoretical research on SF-PF-RAC can provide some references for the resourceful application of RAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost overruns in transport projects are a problem for governments worldwide. Despite the wealth of research that has sought to explain cost overrun causation, with theories such as the Planning Fallacy and Fifth Hand being propagated, they fall short in being able to substantiate their causal claims. However, a theory's robustness and reliability depend on the quality of evidence used to cultivate its development and scope, which prevailing cost overrun theories propagated in the literature fall short of providing. In this paper, it is suggested that Evidential Pluralism—a theory about the epistemology of causation—whereby the evidence of mechanisms and correlation are treated equally to assess causality, is needed to build a stronger epistemic foundation for prevailing theories of cost overrun causation in transport projects and enable the development of new ones to emerge. Thus, this paper contributes to establishing the need for a comprehensive and well-supported evidence-based theory of cost overrun causation, enabling policymakers to confidentially make better decisions to manage the risk and uncertainty associated with their transport project costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shear strength of sand is important to the design and modeling of shield tunneling, and the tangential adhesion strength is a key parameter when determining the pressure gradient along the screw conveyor, the clogging of soil, and the abrasion of the cutting tools. This paper brings up an accurate vane and plate shear test device, which could increase the accuracy of measurements by quantifying and eliminating the influence of torque fluctuation. The peak and residual values of the shear strength and tangential adhesion strength are measured at atmospheric pressure, with water contents from 0% to 25%, and rotation speeds from 0 to 5 r/min. The test results demonstrate that the peak values increase to a maximum value and then decrease with water content. The water content that corresponds to the maximum peak value was between 5% and 20%; the finer the sand, the higher the water content. The ratio between the tangential adhesion strength and shear strength (ratio α) decreases with water content, from approximately 0.7 at a water content of 0% to approximatley 0.4 at 25%. The vane shear test reaches a peak value within 0.17 rotations, and the plate shear test reaches a peak value between 0.25 and 0.55 rotations. Both tests reach residual values after five full rotations. In addition, finer sands have higher shear strengths and higher ratio α. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and measured response of an instrumented 5.49-m×4.88-m single-story cold-formed steel (CFS)-framed building with CFS gabled roof trusses subjected to open-arena blast testing. Although extensive experimental and numerical research has been conducted on the behavior of CFS stud walls and some limited work has been performed on CFS roof trusses under blast loading, all research conducted to date has been performed on individual components. The experiments described herein document the first tests of a complete CFS-framed building subjected to blast loads. This paper presents the configuration and design of both conventional and hardened aspects of the building specimen, instrumentation for measuring the blast pressure and system-level building responses, and the general test program. System identification results are obtained from experimental modal analysis to document the linear elastic dynamic properties of the constructed building specimen. The response of the building specimen is presented for a blast load with large scaled distance to examine the elastic response and subsequently for a blast load with a small enough scaled distance to cause significant damage to the building. Blast pressures measured across the building walls and windward and leeward sides of the roof, as well as those measured in the free field, are presented to document the blast loading and contribute toward addressing the lack of full-scale experimental blast pressure measurements on gable roofs in the published literature. An established semiempirical procedure is employed to investigate the accuracy of predicting blast pressures across the building using simplified methods and to quantify discrepancies between the measured and predicted blast wave parameters on the leeward side of the roof. The system-level response of the building is then examined and the damage observed following the blast test is documented. The measured response exhibited coupled system-level dynamics that have not been considered in prior studies of CFS components under blast loading. The experiment also highlights the importance of considering the negative phase of the blast pressure when evaluating the response of CFS buildings. Observed damage offers unique insight into various limit states encountered in the building system, including the development of web crippling at the end of studs, which has been previously identified as a potential connection failure mode, but has not been well characterized for CFS stud walls subjected to blast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forum papers are thought-provoking opinion pieces or essays founded in fact, sometimes containing speculation, on a civil engineering topic of general interest and relevance to the readership of the journal. The views expressed in this Forum article do not necessarily reflect the views of ASCE or the Editorial Board of the journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel and efficient method for generating three-dimensional (3D) mesoscale structures of concrete using the discrete element method (DEM). The proposed approach enables the flexible and precise simulation of various aggregate shapes and volume fractions, which is crucial for sensitivity analysis and computational studies. Unlike traditional digitalization methods, this technique focuses on creating adjustable synthetic models to investigate the impact of different parameters on the mechanical properties of concrete. This technique demonstrates significant advantages in generating complex concave aggregates and high aggregate volume fraction models while allowing for flexible control of particle spacing, thus enhancing computational efficiency and model accuracy. Numerical simulations using the proposed method show excellent agreement with laboratory experimental results, validating its reliability. This method not only facilitates deeper sensitivity analysis but also aids in optimizing concrete designs and applications by providing insights into the effects of various parameters on concrete performance. Practical Applications: The method proposed in this paper offers significant advancements for the concrete industry by enabling the precise modeling of the internal structure of concrete, which is crucial for predicting and optimizing its mechanical properties. Practitioners can utilize this method to simulate and analyze the effects of varying aggregate shapes and volume fractions on concrete performance, facilitating better material design and application. The ability to model complex concave aggregates and achieve high aggregate volume fractions with improved computational efficiency means that this method can be applied in real-world scenarios in which the durability and strength of concrete are critical, such as in infrastructure projects and high-performance concrete structures. By providing a deeper understanding of how different parameters influence concrete behavior, this approach helps engineers and material scientists optimize mix designs to meet specific project requirements, potentially leading to more sustainable and cost-effective construction practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a semiempirical method to estimate the rate of scour of earth materials, supplementing existing empirical and semiempirical methods that only quantify maximum scour depth. The premise is that the rate of scour equals the rate of removal of earth material that has already been dislodged by flowing water. A universal relationship between effective energy and the amount of dislodged material removed over a certain period is explored. Energy is defined as the product of stream power and flow duration and effective energy is the energy remaining after the energy required to dislodge the earth material has been consumed. An energy-based equation based on fundamental principles of physics is derived and its potential universality illustrated using laboratory and case study data. Analysis of volumes of gneiss scoured from the Kariba Dam plunge pool over a period of 20 years and analysis of experimental rate of scour data of soils occurring within minutes confirm the essential character of the equation. The ease by which the equation can be applied is demonstrated by an example calculation estimating the rate of scour at a bridge pier. Practical Applications: Designing hydraulic structures to withstand the maximum scour depth can be unnecessarily costly if the time required to reach that depth exceeds the design life of the structure. Most of the empirical methods available to practicing engineers only estimate maximum scour depth and not the rate of scour, thereby hampering efforts to optimize designs. Implementing the energy-based equation presented in this paper offers a solution to this problem by following a two-step procedure. The first step is to estimate the maximum scour depth and the associated volume of material to be removed. This is done using existing empirical methods. Once the volume of material to be removed is known, the second step entails quantifying the rate of removal of the dislodged material. The principal objective of this paper is to enable the second step by offering an equation for calculating the rate of scour. The ease of application of this two-step procedure is illustrated by presenting an example calculation of scour at a bridge pier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control of initial support roughness is crucial to the structural waterproofing, durability, and safety of the drilling and blasting tunnel. The existing manual-based measurement methods and evaluation systems have many shortcomings in terms of efficiency, coverage, accuracy, and reliability, which make it difficult to achieve comprehensive measurement, precise quantification, and reliable evaluation of the initial support roughness. In view of this, this paper proposes a method for measuring the deviation of the initial support surface based on terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technology, which achieves the automated measurement of the longitudinal and circumferential roughness characteristics of the initial support. Through the comparison experiment, it is demonstrated that the deviation measurement method proposed in the paper shows high accuracy, with an average error of 5.4 mm, which is much better than the current criteria and meets the measurement accuracy requirement of tunnel projects. On this basis, we propose a system for quantifying and evaluating the initial support roughness. This paper proposes indicators such as the root-mean square of the deviation (Drms), the skewness of the deviation (Dsk), and the kurtosis of the deviation (Dku) to quantify the roughness from three dimensions, such as the amplitude of the deviation, the degree of surface inclination, and the sharpness of the wave peaks, respectively, which significantly improves the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and richness of the roughness evaluation. Finally, a three-dimensional model of the initial support surface with a color-coded map was used to visualize the multidimensional roughness of the different inspection areas and to accurately locate areas of poor roughness level in the construction coordinate system. The aforementioned work is of great help in identifying, evaluating, locating, and treating initial support surface distresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pavement cracking induced by uneven settlement at the junction of an enlarged levee crest (ELC) is a potential source of risks. The uneven settlement of an enlarged levee crest is nonlinear, and the existing method cannot well depict the nonlinear characteristics. To better predict the uneven settlement, the applicability of the settlement formula for half-excavation and half-filling of the roadbed in pavement widening engineering was modified by the measured and calculated data. To improve the nonlinear characterization ability of the modified settlement formula, the parameter a in the settlement formula was nonlinearized using a new foundation coefficient under the nonlinear elastic foundation beam theory. The rationality of the new foundation coefficient was discussed. The practical nonlinear prediction model for the uneven settlement of the enlarged levee crest was presented. The physical meanings and determination of all parameters were explained. The rationality of the practical nonlinear prediction model was verified through experiments. The practical nonlinear prediction model of this paper can better characterize the nonlinear settlement characteristics compared with the literature formula. Parameter sensitivity analysis shows that under the same uniformly distributed loads, there exists a ratio that maximizes the uneven settlement of the ELC. Practical Applications: Enlargement of the reinforcement of existing levees is widely used in China. This is because it has the advantages of convenient construction, low cost, increased stability of the old levee, and reduced traffic pressure. In 2013, as many as 614.73 km of the enlarged levees were added to the main stream of the Songhua River. For the main stream of the Nenjiang River, the enlarged levees also reached up to 167.5 km. In 2023, there were approximately 117.38 km of enlarged levees in the mainstream of the Yangtze River. Enlargement is likely to cause uneven settlement of the joint region at the levee crest, leading to pavement cracking. Uneven settlement at the levee crest is an objective risk that cannot be eliminated but can only be controlled. This study provides a practical model for predicting uneven settlement of the levee crest. This model can characterize the settlement gradient at the junction, which provides a theoretical basis for explaining the mechanism of pavement cracking at the junction. Moreover, this model establishes a connection between uneven settlement and pavement cracking, which builds a theoretical foundation for the establishment of control standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinematic interaction between piles under seismic loading has been extensively studied from analytical, experimental, and numerical perspectives. Of note, within numerical modeling, the majority of the existing literature relies on simplified approaches for characterizing the soil–pile interaction, which leads to the requirement for more reliable and comprehensive research. In this paper, using FLAC3D, the seismic response of the soil–pile system was investigated with a set of fully nonlinear three-dimensional (3D) numerical analyses in the time domain. This model simulated the soil strength and stiffness dependency on the stress level and soil nonlinear behavior under cyclic loading. The Mohr–Coulomb (M–C) constitutive model described the soil's mechanical behavior, which was used with additional hysteretic damping to suit the dynamic behavior. In the framework of a parametric study, the effects of loading frequency on the response of a soil–pile system that was subjected to seismic loading were studied. The results showed that the pile response and soil characteristics, as well as the natural frequency mode of the system's dynamic behavior, are strongly affected by the frequency of the seismic loading. Therefore, the bending moment and lateral displacement along the length of a pile increase as the loading frequency approaches the natural frequency of the system. In addition, when the loading frequency reaches a threshold value far from the fundamental frequency of the system, the effect of loading frequency on the soil–pile system response becomes negligible. In addition, the relationship between the pile diameter and maximum pile bending moment at different loading frequencies is affected by the soil properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation is evolving rapidly, as the world becomes smarter, faster, and more connected. From self-driving vehicles to e-bikes, electric cars, and other pedestrian hardware, how people move around cities is changing. But high-technology solutions do not impact all travelers equally—and some exacerbate existing inequities, with significant drawbacks for certain populations, including people with disabilities, women, and people from historically oppressed races and ethnicities. It is therefore vital that we develop a methodology to define equity-based performance measures that can help the field ensure that the new technology implementations are inclusive of all potential users. This paper takes a first, crucial step toward this methodology by providing a review of the current body of academic literature and government reports regarding equity issues and opportunities in four selected emerging technologies used in transportation, namely, artificial intelligence-based transportation solutions, electric vehicles, connected and automated vehicles, and shared micromobility. The paper explores the current status of equity practices in development and deployment, summarizes quantitative performance metrics that were used in the literature, and provides recommendations and an evaluation framework for emerging transportation technologies and mobility innovations moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author aims to make potential authors aware of various factors that influence decisions on the suitability of a paper for publication and focuses from the perspective of the review process. He summarizes a review process which can be seen in terms of three stakeholders namely the author, the editor and reviewer with each of them having their rights and responsibilities. He cites the primary responsibility of a reviewer to evaluate the accuracy of the paper's technical content.

Technology provides the capability to automate the collection of commercial vehicle drivers' hours of service (HOS), and this can potentially lead to fewer errors. This study compares the use of paper-based and automated (or electronically recorded) hours of service for three motor carriers using process analysis. Potential errors are categorized by operations within an information-based process, and results demonstrate that a reduction of errors can be achieved with an electronic system. The analysis shows that some of the errors that occur with paper-based systems (e.g., verification of accurate records) still exist with electronic recordings, and there are some additional minor errors. However, data collection, entry, and storage are improved, as the system requires fewer steps and less manual requirements within the process. The study provides a systematic and structured comparison of the two methods, highlighting the error types that occur in both. Policymakers can consider this comparison when making recommended revisions to HOS documentation procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional deicing approaches such as salting pollute the environment and corrode reinforcing steel bars in concrete. Meanwhile, recently emerging carbon nanofiber material has improved electrical conductivity, a large heating capacity at low voltage, high strength, and, in particular, natural immunity to corrosion. This material offers an excellent alternative as the heating element in electrical resistive deicing systems. This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of a deicing system that has embedded carbon nanofiber paper heating elements and to evaluate the effects of several key parameters on the performance of such a deicing system. A physics-based finite-element model was built, validated by test results, and used to assess the performance of such a deicing system when applied to roadway conditions. Factors considered include air temperature, wind speed, pavement and insulation layer thicknesses, and heating input. Results show that the proposed system can be very effective for roadway deicing. Future research is needed to validate its feasibility and effectiveness in a field experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on goal in publishing papers is to make useful contributions to the state of knowledge and practice for transportation engineering. Topics include the papers receiving at least one award quality designation in the review process are considered like winners generally have multiple award quality designations, and the role of the referees in selecting the best papers as well as in enhancing the quality of the Journal is absolutely critical.

With the changing paradigm of the State's functions and the increasing private sector participation in urban planning, public–private partnership (PPP) arrangements gain prominence in the development of cities, whether in the construction and operation of new infrastructures or in interventions in urbanized areas. Regarding urbanized areas, urban regeneration practices constitute an important response in the face of urban degradation observed in different cities, as well as an alternative to the consumption of new land. Despite their use in different contexts, the PPP option in urban regeneration projects encounters many obstacles related to high investment risk, low financial and social return, and the numerous sources of uncertainty generated by these projects. The present work consists of a systematic literature review of papers on PPP in urban regeneration projects, seeking to identify the main research topics addressed so far and what gaps can be identified. It uses a hybrid methodology considering a systematic quantitative review, a semantic analysis, and a narrative analysis. The findings show that the literature on the topic is recent and has been increasing in recent years, with emphasis on Europe, followed by North America and Asia. The literature presents a high variety in terms of journals, authors, and institutions. As for the methodology adopted in the articles, it highlights the use of quantitative methodologies. Five main topics were found: policy, projects, governance, financial and economic issues, and management and contract issues. The topics found show the complexity of PPPs in urban regeneration projects. The gaps observed refer mainly to financial and economic issues, as well as management and contract issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale model houses were built with different masonry products in order to investigate the environmental performance of sustainable construction materials. Three model houses were designed and developed as per the standards one with recycled paper mill waste (RPMW)-cement bricks, another with fly ash bricks and the third with ferrocement wall panels. In order to assess the indoor temperature for these particular sustainable building materials, the temperature inside the model houses was monitored over the study location for the period of a year. The economic viability for the developed model houses was also analyzed. Wall surface temperature readings on the exposed south facade were used to estimate thermal conduction of the wall assembly. Detailed analysis revealed that the developed RPMW-cement brick model house was more thermally resistant and economical than the fly ash brick and ferrocement wall panel model houses. Energy efficient building minimizes energy consumption through the reduction of indoor temperature, making the RPMW-cement brick model house the best choice for construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the review process and the roles of a reviewer and editor within a review process before publishing a paper in a journal. The review process is designed to protect the author, the journal and the readers from publication of fallacious papers because informations are kept in archives that might influence the future generations.