Department of Civil Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad&nbsp;(IIT Palakkad or IIT PKD) is a public autonomous&nbsp;engineering&nbsp;and&nbsp;research&nbsp;institute located in&nbsp;Palakkad,&nbsp;Kerala. It was&nbsp;one of the five new&nbsp;IITs&nbsp;proposed in the&nbsp;2014 Union budget of India. The campus was inaugurated on 3 August 2015. The institute has 94 faculty, 978 students, and 63 non-teaching staffs.

IT Palakkad currently offers four-year Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) and two years MS programmes in 8 different engineering disciplines including&nbsp;Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil among others.

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IIT Palakkad

World University root node

Rubberized Asphalt Rubber 2018 (RAR2018), South Africa

Field Investigations on Asphalt-Rubber Gap-Graded (AR- Gap) Pavements Placed on Highways in India

Proceedings of GeoShanghai 2018 International Conference: Geoenvironment and Geohazard

Evaluation of Hydro-Mechanical Behaviour of Hydraulic Barriers of Landfill Covers

Landform attributes derived from digital elevation models (DEMs) are the most commonly used factors to predict soil depths on hillslopes. However, the selection of an appropriate algorithm to calculate terrain attributes and identify an optimal DEM resolution remains ambiguous. In this study, we propose a method to use high-resolution DEM and spatial soil depth data to obtain terrain attributes and identify the optimal DEM resolution to predict soil depths at hillslope scales. A geophysical method (ground penetrating radar, GPR) was used to investigate the reasons for the optimal DEM resolution findings. Point-scale soil depth from 116 sites and elevation data were collected from two adjacent headwater hillslopes (H1: 0.42 ha and H2: 0.31 ha) at the Hemuqiao hydrological experimental station in Southeast China. The elevation datasets were collected using a total station at a variable spacing level and were then used to derived DEMs at nine spatial resolutions: 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 2.00, 3.50, 5.00, 7.50 and 10.00 m. Nine primary and secondary topographic attributes using the nine spatial resolution DEMs were then derived. Two different algorithms (D8 and D ∞) for calculating contributing areas and related secondary topographic attributes were compared. We used and compared both linear (multiple linear regression, MLR) and non-linear (artificial neural network, ANN) models for soil depth prediction. Results demonstrated that the two models performed well for predicting soil depth. Specifically, MLR performed better than the non-linear model of ANNs. Additionally, we found that the multiple-direction algorithm (D ∞) allowed flow divergence and avoided abrupt changes in soil depth predictions (orphan cells) and should be adopted for model construction. The D ∞ algorithm performed better in divergent areas, such as ridges and side slopes, and the D ∞ algorithm also worked well in convergent areas, such as valleys. Moreover, our results demonstrated that moderate (e.g., 2.00 m) resolution topographic attributes, instead of the finest resolution, achieved the best prediction with the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) and the highest values of the coefficient of determination (R2). Moreover, the GPR results indicated that the valley accumulated more soils than side-slope areas, and a sharp increase in soil depth was found in areas adjacent to the valley. Comparing the optimal DEM resolution and valley width obtained by GPR, we found that average valley width (AVW) should be considered a good measure for choosing the optimal DEM resolution for soil depth prediction. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.

Catena

Selection of optimal scales for soil depth prediction on headwater hillslopes: A modeling approach

This paper proposes a probabilistic approach for the solution of elastic buckling of columns, involving uncertainties, using stochastic element free Galerkin method. In the present work, modulus of elasticity is modeled as a homogeneous random field. Karhunen-Loeve expansion and shape function method are used to represent random field and their effectiveness is compared in modeling the same in a computationally viable manner. Both Gaussian and non-Gaussian field are considered for the present study. The stochastic eigenvalue problem is solved for first and second moment characteristics of buckling load, using perturbation analysis. Numerical examples of columns with different boundary conditions are solved. Monte Carlo simulation is used as a validation tool. The obtained results are found in good agreement with those obtained by Monte Carlo simulation. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Computers and Structures

Stochastic meshfree method for elastic buckling analysis of columns

Extensive studies have been reported on the development of service-life prediction of reinforced concrete structures in the last two decades. Service life of a reinforced concrete structure is dependent on the corrosion process, specifically chloride threshold value. Chloride threshold value is a distinctive property and is dependent on several factors such as the supplementary cementitious material used, presence of surface cracks, water to binder ratio, type of steel reinforcement, exposure conditions, measurement methods, etc. Although chloride threshold value is an influential parameter in service-life prediction, a definitive chloride threshold value considering these factors is not reported in the existing literature and standards. Moreover, values adopted in many analytical tools for service life predictions based on the type of steel reinforcement alone are not appropriate and leads to inaccurate calculations. There is a gap in the available literature in understanding the selection of suitable chloride threshold values to be adopted for a specific system. Therefore, it is imperative to study the variation of chloride threshold value with exposure conditions as well as other influencing parameters, to achieve proper service life prediction. In the paper, several influencing parameters on chloride threshold value and its significance on prediction method are comprehensively reviewed. Moreover, suitable recommendations are highlighted for Indian and international standards at the later part of the study. © 2018, Indian Academy of Sciences.

Sadhana - Academy Proceedings in Engineering Sciences

Influence of chloride threshold value in service life prediction of reinforced concrete structures

8th International Forum on Engineering Education (IFEE2017)

An investigative study on the student performance on multiple choice exams with multiple versions in engineering economics course

At head of title: National Cooperative Highway Research Program. "Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration." "This study developed inspection guidelines to assist bridge owners in selecting the most appropriate nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method for assessing the condition of in-service post-tensioning and stay cable systems. These inspection guidelines describe NDE methods for different condition assessment including corrosion, section loss, breakage, grout conditions, voids, water infiltration and tendon deterioration in the anchorage systems. The NDE methods are ground penetrating radar, infrared thermography, electrical capacitance tomography, magnetic flux leakage, magnetic main flux method, impact echo, ultrasonic tomography, ultrasonic echo, sonic/ultrasonic pulse velocity, low frequency ultrasound, sounding, visual testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The material in this report will be of immediate interest to bridge owners and inspectors"--Https://trid.trb.org/view.aspx?id=1466278. chapter 1. Introduction -- chapter 2. Post-tensioning and stay cable systems -- chapter 3. Deterioration conditions -- chapter 4. Capabilities and limitations of NDE methods -- chapter 5. Condition assessment of post-tensioning and stay cable systems -- References -- appendix A. Condition assessment flowcharts -- appendix B. NDE method flowcharts for identifying defects -- appendix C. Testing procedures -- appendix D. Customizing the decision matrix -- appendix E. Illustrative examples for using the inspection guidelines.

Inspection Guidelines for Bridge Post-Tensioning and Stay Cable Systems Using NDE Methods

Frequent severe droughts in recent years in the humid southeast U.S. have called for pragmatic approaches to better prepare for the consequences of droughts. This article examines how climate change will influence future droughts in Alabama and Georgia. Historic and future droughts were quantified by means of the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), and changes in the frequency, severity, and spatial extent of droughts were examined using severity-area-frequency (SAF) curves. Precipitation and temperature data, regionally downscaled using a regional spectral model (RSM) for the southeast U.S. for the high emission scenario (A2) from three general circulation models (GCM), i.e., Hadley Centre Coupled Model Version 3 (HadCM3), Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), and Community Climate System Model (CCSM), from the Third Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP3) archive were used for this study. Data from 1969 to 1999 were used for historical simulation, and 2039 to 2069 were used for future projections. The results showed that droughts similar to those in the past would be observed frequently in the future as well. The SPI and SPEI from the GFDL and HadCM3 models indicated higher frequency, severity, and spatial extent of droughts in the future. The SPI from the CCSM model did not show drastic changes in drought characteristics in either of the two states. The results of this research can be used by policymakers as a guide to determine how drought characteristics are expected to change in the future, and to develop drought mitigation policies. © 2017 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

Transactions of the ASABE

What do climate change projections say about future droughts in Alabama and Georgia?

Many modern complex building projects in the public and private sectors are characterized by its poor information management which is manifested by time and cost overruns around the world. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is currently being adopted around the world with various countries mandated its implementation. In specific, the implementation of BIM is rapidly growing in developed countries such as USA, UK, Singapore and Australia, with government mandate through devising strategies and initiatives to increase the adoption. The implementation of BIM in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other developing countries lags behind due to the existence of numerous implementation barriers. This study explores the current status of BIM implementation in the UAE municipalities, further explores the people, process and technology readiness towards BIM adoption in the UAE building projects. Further the study also explores the current challenges against the BIM adoption. The study adopts a positivists approach by collecting data through questionnaires, a sample of sixty participants across the UAE municipalities from different states were selected randomly to acquire the data. The collected data is statistically analyzed to obtain the findings. The analysis results showed that there are inadequate people and process related readiness towards BIM adoption whereas the technology readiness does exist. The same also was reflected in further analysis on BIM adoption barriers as the challenges. Further the paper also discusses the possible strategies adopted around the world through literature to address the explored challenges in the study.

Fulltext

MATEC Web of Conferences

An exploratory study on the building information modeling adoption in United Arab Emirates municipal projects- current status and challenges

Building information modelling (BIM) implementation in South Africa, though spanning over a decade, has been neither widespread nor optimal, prompting a need to identify key constraints to achieving this. Data was collected through semi-structured interviewing of purposively selected consultants who have implemented BIM within their organisations and on projects. Key industry level constraints to optimal and widespread implementation of BIM in South Africa include lack of standards and uniform protocols as well as lack of government capacity, buy-in and support. These in turn contribute to varying patterns of implementation methodologies among collaborators along with non-interoperability of technology and business processes. The findings establish a clear demand for countryspecific standards and institutional backing, though current implementers adopt or adapt standards and protocols from other countries. Taking the proliferation of BIM standards into account, rather than recreating such standards for the South African construction industry, it is more efficient to adopt or adapt existing standards from countries already leading in BIM. Therefore, as countries lagging in BIM continue to adopt or adapt existing BIM standards, diverse standards and methodologies across the world may evolve towards a dominant pattern of BIM implementation practice among existing variants and with global collaboration global BIM standards may emerge.