It is commonly accepted that for the analysis of wood beams, the neutral axis coincides with the centroid of the beam. Although this assumption is used in analysis, wood is not an isotropic material, as it has different elastic properties in the tangential, radial and longitudinal directions, nor is it...
In the United States there are currently two different options for providing safety audits to roadway projects. Traditional audits can be conducted using procedures similar to those in the United Kingdom, or those similar to Australia and New Zealand (Austroads). Another option for conducting safety audits is to use the...
Because of the increased need for sustainable construction in an ever urbanizing culture, new
sustainable drainage systems are being developed and implemented. Bioswales are becoming
an increasingly popular form of sustainable urban drainage used for parking lots and
subdivisions. But little is known regarding the effectiveness of bioswales in really...
Because of the increased need for sustainable construction in an ever urbanizing culture, new sustainable drainage systems are being developed and implemented. Bioswales are becoming
an increasingly popular form of sustainable urban drainage used for parking lots and
subdivisions. But little is known regarding the effectiveness of bioswales in really...
The educational environment is filled with different types of students, all with diverse learning styles. The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator and Kolb’s Theory of Experiential Learning are generally accepted methods for determining and assessing a person’s preferred method of information processing. There has been research that suggests learning styles are specific...
While damages due to ponding are common and expensive, provisions for design and
construction of flat roof systems lack guidance regarding these loads. The goal of this research is
to present methods of designing or building flat roofs that are less vulnerable to this condition. An
investigation of the literature,...
Aesthetics should be emphasized as much as possible in a design project without
exceeding scope, budget, or schedule to satisfy the stakeholders involved. There
is a rising trend of increased emphasis on aesthetics. This trend of using various
techniques to help structures blend in or contribute to the surrounding
environment...
Cob is an earthen building material composed of sand, clay and straw. Though cob homes
are presently being built in the Pacific Northwest, there is no applicable building code for this
material. The purpose of this study is to establish estimates for the major engineering parameters,
including both average values...
The intent of this thesi s is to prove whether or not simple moving averages can be
used to predict the future price performance of stocks and outperform the buy-and-hold
method of investing in the stock market. The importance of this research is that if moving
averages can predict future...
Carbonation of Carbon is of concern for reinforced concrete bridges. While long-term environmental deterioration of structures is unavoidable, protective design allows a structure to fulfill its service life without any significant serviceability or strength loss due to deterioration. Understanding the process of concrete carbonation and the effect it has on...
This study considered collision data for Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon
in order to determine whether or not red light cameras are effective in reducing red light
running collisions. Red light running is extremely dangerous and is a leading cause of
urban automobile collisions in the United States. Red light...
In ¬¬¬¬2009 the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducted the “Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Survey” for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The survey found that, nationally, 74% of commercial truck drivers wear their safety belts at all times. In the western region of...
This study explores the influence that the sustainability of hotels has on the choice of hotels. Because of recent concern about global warming and reducing energy consumption, many designers are planning sustainable buildings. But often attractiveness is sacrificed for the goal of making a building sustain in its environment. The...
For wood beams, it is often assumed that the neutral axis is located at the centroid of the
beam. The neutral axis of isotropic, homogeneous materials is located at the centroid of the
material, but wood is neither isotropic nor homogeneous. The varying grain patterns and
knots located throughout wood...
In recent years, tsunami events have caused great devastation and loss of life around the globe. The coast of Oregon is highly vulnerable to a nearfield tsunami event caused by a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, yet lacks a clear plan for evacuation and disaster mitigation. Vertical evacuation is a proposed...
In a homogenous and isotropic material, the location of the neutral axis coincides with the location of the centroid of the beam. Wood is anisotropic, meaning that it has different properties in different directions. It is also non-homogenous, meaning that the beam exhibits different properties at different locations throughout its...
The purpose of this thesis is to examine and compare sustainable design methods used in the United States and Chile, focusing on sustainable materials and certification programs, to see if sustainable design methods used in the United States can be implemented in Chile to further its sustainable development. Through literature...
For centuries wood has served as a primary structural building material in small
dwelling, large communal structures, bridges, and temporary structures. Even
today wood is the dominant material in residential construction. Despite this long
standing use of wood, non-residential multi-story construction in light of the green
building revolution has yet...
This thesis project provides a guiding framework for the structural analysis portion of the National Concrete Canoe Competition (NCCC). Step-by-step instructions on how to 3-dimensionally model a “standard” sized concrete canoe in AutoCAD Civil 3D, import the model into SAP2000, and proceed to analyze the canoe with the SAP2000 finite...
This research effort considers bicyclist’s left-turn behavior at roadway intersections with varying levels of traffic control; specifically, seeking to address the question where do bicyclists look to acquire information. A demographic comparison was made to determine if factors such as gender or experience influence the nature of how a bicyclist...
Recent studies have shown that there is a significant amount of dissatisfaction and
stress associated with finances, job security, and work. There are many health related
consequences that manifest in response to this continual stress that we experience in
our professional lives. These include obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,...
Aggregate piers are a method of ground improvement used to increase the strength and bearing capacity of the native geological soils for the support of new civil infrastructure. The understanding of the bearing failure mechanism of aggregate piers remains largely unstudied. The effects of design variables in the failure mechanisms...
The use of in-vehicle technologies, such as mobile phones, while driving has proliferated in recent years. Most notably, drivers are using mobile phones to send and receive text messages while operating a vehicle with increasing frequency. The act of texting while driving poses a significant threat not only to the...
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) technology has been growing in the EU and Canada
since the early 1990's and utilizes the mechanical properties of structural grade
lumber to create a strong panel product for use in floor, ceiling and wall systems. The
hypothesis of this project was that CLT panels made...
Red Signal Countdown Timers (RSCTs) are devices placed at intersections to inform drivers of the time remaining on a red indication before it turns green, typically to improve intersection efficiency. This study examines the visual attention of Oregon drivers to circular red (CR) indications with RSCTs as compared to standard...
The objective of this study was to provide first order observations of bed level changes occurring in streambed simulated culverts throughout an annual period. To accomplish this, 30 culvert sites were selected in Oregon and Washington, and monitored over, at least, a 2 year period. Streambed scour and redeposition data...
Compacted aggregate trenches are a method of soil improvement that could be substituted for commonly used aggregate piers in certain geometrical arrangements of shallow foundations. However, this type of ground improvement has little research to support the understanding of their contribution to improved strength of an unimproved clay soil. This...
Any work of literature is a product of its time revealing truths about its culture. My thesis explores how pre-selected inspiration, personal experiences, and current events play a role in the devising process of a script. The inspiration for this particular devised play is Letters to a Young Poet by...
This work analyzes the numerical curvature of buckling braces. An existing brace modeling learning tool, which in its current state allows users to change the inputs within a simulated model of a braced element, was modified to display the curvature diagram. The curvature diagram was verified through comparison to existing...
This study focuses specifically on the investigation of a new, inexpensive geophone system and its application to monitor wave activity. Studies of seismic observations of coastal cliffs suggest that ground motions generated from local ocean waves may provide a surrogate to limited wave buoy data to quantify the wave contact...
Design of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Soil Structures (GRSS) require sufficient rear pullout anchoring capacity in order to maintain internal stability. Length requirements are amplified when reinforcement coverage ratios or seismicity is considered, potentially resulting in uneconomical GRSS design lengths. This study describes the influence of reinforcement length, coverage ratio, and pseudostatic seismic...
Reducing the CO2 emitted by the production of cement can greatly reduce the carbon emissions attributable to the built industry. By specifying concrete mixes with lower global warming potentials (GWPs), structural engineers can reduce the carbon emissions of concrete used in the built industry. This thesis uses a cradle-to-gate life...
Knowledge of the pore solution composition and pore solution resistivity can be helpful for determining the durability of concrete structures. Most notably, pore solution resistivity can be used in the calculation of the formation factor of concrete, which is a ratio of the electrical resistivities of concrete and its pore...
Traditional braced frames are an efficient and economic means of resisting seismic demands. However, braced frames are prone to story mechanisms, which can result in concentrations of demands and damage during seismic events. Including steel strongbacks in conjunction with traditional braced frames can mitigate story mechanisms. The SBF results in...
Projects in forestry and civil engineering depend on accurate information, which is often acquired through remote sensing techniques. One of the remote sensing technologies that has gained importance in the last decade is light detection and ranging (lidar), which describes the surveyed area with 3D points, presented as point clouds....
While the use of powered mobility devices for young children with mobility challenges has taken off in recent years following evidence that the use of powered mobility at a young age augments other traditional mobility skill interventions, the research is still limited and focuses on physical impacts more. Recently, the...
In recent decades, the occurrence of large, high severity wildfires has increased substantially in many parts of the world, including the western United States. These fires have the potential to impact water quality, aquatic ecosystems, and downstream communities for many decades. As such, it is increasingly important to understand the...