Straw wattles are common erosion control devices used to trap sediment. This
thesis studies the relationship of straw wattles on slope stability through a case study
demonstrating their use on steep slopes (1.5H:1V) for the US20 highway realignment
project. Several surficial slope failures have occurred on these fill slopes, often...
Three-dimensional laser scanning has revolutionized spatial data acquisition and can be completed from a variety of platforms including airborne (ALS), mobile (MLS), and static terrestrial (TLS) laser scanning. MLS is a rapidly evolving technology that provides increases in efficiency and safety over static TLS, while still providing similar levels of...
With the growing trend in use of 3D laser scanning technology for data collection, it is important to study the various potential applications of this revolutionary technology. One such application is the measurement of road roughness at both large and small scales. At larger extents, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is...
Landslides are an insidious natural hazard, which can result in significant damage to public infrastructure. Limited monitoring tools are available, particularly tools suitable for use in forested environments. These tools often only allow a few locations across the slide to be monitored. Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) shows promise as a...
Landslides are a pervasive hazard that can result in substantial damage to properties and loss of life throughout the world. To understand the nature and scope of the hazard, landslide hazard mapping has been an area of intense research by identifying areas most susceptible to landslides in order to mitigate...
This research explores several novel approaches to improve visualization and segmentation
of point clouds acquired with 3D laser scanning. 3D laser scanning is used
in a wide variety of applications including surveying and mapping, transportation asset
management, facilities management, building information modeling, crime scene investigations,
cultural heritage and geologic instigations....
The overarching objective of this study is to examine and compare the vulnerabilities of bridges combining effects of earthquake-induced ground shaking, ground failure (e.g., landslides and lateral spreading), and tsunami inundation. A parametric study is performed to understand the sensitivity of economic loss and traffic capacity with respect to the...
Real time networks (RTNs) have become popular for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) surveys because highly accurate positions can be derived in seconds to minutes compared to hours as required with static sessions. To evaluate the accuracy of these shorter-duration, RTN GNSS observations and their potential for use as a...
The capabilities of modern three-dimensional (3D) capture technology such as laser scanning and image-based 3D reconstruction are well suited to enhance the practice and research of civil engineering. However, given the often-overwhelming focus placed on the incredible capabilities of these tools and techniques, it is important to investigate the limitations...
The logarithmic-spiral (log-spiral) limit equilibrium procedure for slope stability analysis rigorously satisfies both force and moment equilibrium with a failure surface geometry formulated as a function of the soil’s angle of internal friction. Within the framework of limit equilibrium, this procedure has, in the past, been primarily limited to homogeneous...
This study evaluates the productivity and accuracy of surveys completed with single-base real-time kinematic (RTK) Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) using four different GNSS constellation combinations: (1) GPS-only, (2) GPS+GLONASS, (3) GPS+Galileo+BeiDou, and (4) GPS+GLONASS+Galileo+BeiDou. For this comparison, we set up a test site consisting of 20 stations ranging with...
Landslides are a natural hazard that have major societal, economic, and
environmental impacts. The understanding of landslides begins with the observation that
they are a spatial problem. Spatial relationships have historically been explored with
maps, and landslides are no different. Such maps range in focus from inventory maps,
which identify...