Civil and Environmental Engineering
Recent Submissions
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Aqueous-Processed, High-Capacity Electrodes for Membrane Capacitive Deionization
(2018)Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is a low-cost technology for desalination. Typically, MCDI electrodes are fabricated using a slurry of nanoparticles in an organic solvent along with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ... -
Incorporating GOES Satellite Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Retrievals to Improve Biogenic Emission Estimates in Texas
(2018)This study examines the influence of insolation and cloud retrieval products from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) system on biogenic emission estimates and ozone simulations in Texas. Compared ... -
Insights on synergy of materials and structures in biomimetic platelet-matrix composites
(2018)Hybrid materials such as biomimetic platelet-matrix composites are in high demand to confer low weight and multifunctional mechanical properties. This letter reports interfacial-bond regulated assembly of polymers on ... -
A general condition for the existence of unconnected equilibria for symmetric arches
(2018)This paper presents a semi-analytical study of unconnected equilibrium states for symmetric curved beams. Using the Fourier series approximation, a general condition for the existence of unconnected equilibria for symmetric ... -
Exploratory study of atmospheric methane enhancements derived from natural gas use in the Houston urban area
(2018)The extensive use of natural gas (NG) in urban areas for heating and cooking and as a vehicular fuel is associated with potentially significant emissions of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. Methane, a potent greenhouse ... -
Simulated sensitivity of secondary organic aerosol in the South Coast Air Basin of California to nitrogen oxides and other chemical parameters
(2018)Sensitivity of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) concentrations in the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) of California to nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission is simulated using gas-phase chemistry and gas-particle partitioning modules. ... -
Overview of surface measurements and spatial characterization of submicrometer particulate matter during the DISCOVER-AQ 2013 campaign in Houston, TX
(2017)The sources of submicrometer particulate matter (PM1) remain poorly characterized in the industrialized city of Houston, TX. A mobile sampling approach was used to characterize PM1 composition and concentration across ... -
Fuel cycle emissions and life cycle costs of alternative fuel vehicle policy options for the City of Houston municipal fleet
(2017)Municipal fleet vehicle purchase decisions provide a direct opportunity for cities to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and air pollutants. However, cities typically lack comprehensive data on total life cycle ... -
Valuing the Air Quality Effects of Biochar Reductions on Soil NO Emissions
(2017)While it is clear that biochar can alter soil N2O emissions, data on NO impacts are scarce. Reports range from 0 to 67% soil NO emission reductions postbiochar amendment. We use regional air quality and health cost models ... -
Source apportionment of biogenic contributions to ozone formation over the United States
(2017)Vegetation is the leading emitter of volatile organic compounds (VOC), a key ingredient for ozone formation. The contribution of biogenic VOC (BVOC) emissions to regional ozone formation needs better quantification so that ... -
1,4-Dioxane-degrading consortia can be enriched from uncontaminated soils: prevalence of Mycobacterium and soluble di-iron monooxygenase genes
(2017)Two bacterial consortia were enriched from uncontaminated soil by virtue of their ability to grow on 1,4-dioxane (dioxane) as a sole carbon and energy source. Their specific dioxane degradation rates at 30°C, pH = 7 (i.e. ... -
Sparse and low-rank methods in structural system identification and monitoring
(2017)This paper presents sparse and low-rank methods for explicit modeling and harnessing the data structure to address the inverse problems in structural dynamics, identification, and data-driven health monitoring. In particular, ... -
Whole-Genome Sequence of the 1,4-Dioxane-Degrading Bacterium Mycobacterium dioxanotrophicus PH-06
(2017)We report here the complete genome sequence of Mycobacterium dioxanotrophicus PH-06, which is capable of using 1,4-dioxane as a sole source of carbon and energy. The reported sequence will enable the elucidation of this ... -
Diffusive, Displacive Deformations and Local Phase Transformation Govern the Mechanics of Layered Crystals: The Case Study of Tobermorite
(2017)Understanding the deformation mechanisms underlying the mechanical behavior of materials is the key to fundamental and engineering advances in materials' performance. Herein, we focus on crystalline calcium-silicate-hydrates ... -
Interannual Variability and Seasonal Predictability of Wind and Solar Resources
(2017)Solar and wind resources available for power generation are subject to variability due to meteorological factors. Here, we use a new global climate reanalysis product, Version 2 of the NASA Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis ... -
Sunlight Promotes Fast Release of Hazardous Cadmium from Widely-Used Commercial Cadmium Pigment
(2017)Cadmium pigments are widely used in the polymer and ceramic industry. Their potential environmental risk is under debate, being the major barrier for appropriate regulation. We show that 83.0 ± 0.2% of hazardous cadmium ... -
Fast approximations of dynamic stability boundaries of slender curved structures
(2017)Curved beams and panels can often be found as structural components in aerospace, mechanical and civil engineering systems. When curved structures are subjected to dynamic loads, they are susceptible to dynamic instabilities ... -
Relationship between Euler buckling and unstable equilibria of buckled beams
(2017)Classic snap-through of curved beams, plates, and shells has long been an object of attention in structural engineering. Euler buckling under axial loading is perhaps an even more entrenched part of the canon of engineering ... -
Hydrogen peroxide detection with quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy using a distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser
(2014)A quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy sensor system was developed for the sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) using its absorption transitions in the v6 fundamental band at ∼7.73 μm. The recent availability ... -
Regional background O3 and NOx in the Houston–Galveston–Brazoria (TX) region: a decadal-scale perspective
(2017)Ozone (O3) in the lower troposphere is harmful to people and plants, particularly during summer, when photochemistry is most active and higher temperatures favor local chemistry. Local precursor emissions, such as those ...
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