A modified Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) system is used to determine the mechanical properties of soft and ultra-soft materials. An aluminum bar is introduced to reduce the impedance mismatch between the test system and sample. The small signal of the forces was measured by a quartz crystal gauge system. The high precision Laser gap gauge (LGG) system was used to measure the deformation of samples. The compressive tests of Cemented Paste Backfill (CPB), fresh CPB and Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and the fracture toughness tests of PMMA were conducted to approve the legitimacy of our modified SHPB system. From these experiments, the efficiency and economy of the modified SHPB system were attested.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) include a wide range of applications that aim to use state-of-the-art communication and information technologies to enhance and control the flow of traffic. The ability to communicate with cars while travelling on the road is crucial to the success of these systems and thus requires careful studying. This research aims to study the feasibility of deploying wireless communication networks that are capable of collecting data from cars as well as providing them with information about the current traffic situation. We present a platform that integrates a microscopic traffic simulation, Paramics, and a communication network simulator, Omnet++. The integration of both simulators is a key solution to several research problems both on the communications side and on the transportation side. The combined simulator will allow designing and testing ITS Applications, which rely on communication between vehicles, before they are implemented on the streets.

Three weather sensitive multinomial logit models are estimated using the 2001 Transportation Tomorrow Survey in order explore the relationship between weather and home-based work trips within the City of Toronto, focusing on active modes of transportation. The data is restricted to non-captive commuters who have the option of alternating between all five basic modes of auto driver, auto passenger, transit, bike and walk with change in weather. Daily trip rates in various weather conditions are assessed. The combined effect of the daily trip rate and mode choice analysis is applied to several climate change scenarios. A 6oC increase in temperature can increase cycling trips by 17%, and reduce auto-passenger trips by 7%. A 20% increase or decrease in precipitation, however, is found to have much smaller impacts on all modes. Overall, the results confirm that impact of weather on active modes of transportation is significant enough to deserve attention at the research, data collection and planning levels.

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as organic chloramines, THMs, HAAs, and nitrosamines, are formed during mandatory disinfection processes in drinking water treatment. Many of these DBPs have been shown to be potentially carcinogenic. Extensive research has been conducted on the occurrence and formation of these DBPs. However, there has been limited research on their relationships with each other, which may be important for the understanding of their formation mechanisms, and the nature of their precursors is still relatively unknown. Ultimately, this information will be key for the development of possible improvements in treatment technologies. Results of this study improve the understanding of DBP formation in swimming pool water. Some BFAs and PCP additives were identified as potential DBP precursors. Influence of BFAs and PCP additives on DBP formation in swimming pool water was also illustrated. Results provided feasible strategies to minimize DBP formation while maintaining the efficiency of disinfection.

In this thesis finite element analyses were performed to investigate the behavior of fill fences installed in underground mines to retain Cemented Paste Backfill (CPB) pressure. For this purpose, two fill fences installed and tested in the Cayeli mine in Turkey were modeled using a 2-D nonlinear finite element analysis program, Augustus-2, and a 3-D nonlinear finite element analysis program VecTor4, and the results were compared with measured field data. Different models were employed representing the material properties, boundary conditions, reinforcement ratio, and geometric properties, and it was found that boundary conditions (stiffness of surrounding rocks) has the highest influence on the pressure capacity of the fence among the other factors. The accuracy of the Augustus-2 program was investigated by modeling and comparing the analytical response with test results of 12 axially restrained beams tested by Su et al. (2009).

Highway lane closures cause reductions in the traffic throughput which lead to premature queuing. To minimize user delays, contractors are required to keep highway lanes open during the peak traffic hours and work at nights. However, these limitations can reduce the quality of the work and extend project duration. Finding a right balance between the times that the lanes can be closed and the times they should be kept open can increase the efficiency of the contractors’ work. Over 100 hours of throughput data were collected in two phases from 2007 to 2010 from Southern Ontario highways. Using regression analysis, a generic and a highway specific model were developed predicting the mean throughput in approximately 50% of cases within one hundred vehicles per hour per lane of the actual mean. Also the Simplified Work Zone User Delay Analysis model, developed in Phase 1, was refined to investigate the resulting queues.

As infrastructure networks grow more complex, regulatory requirements become greater, populations grow, budgets become more limited, and the expectations of customers increase, municipalities are progressively being required to provide more for less. This is presenting some particular challenges to the long-term sustainability of buried water and wastewater infrastructure in Ontario. In response, municipalities are increasingly seeking to improve their business processes and asset management capabilities as a path to optimize the lifecycle of their infrastructure assets and ensure public safety, community development, and financial sustainability. This thesis presents an organizational performance measurement framework for municipal infrastructure asset management which was validated through interviews and surveys with international discipline experts. The resultant framework provides a high-level outline and suggestions for implementation of key objectives, 11 core critical success factors, and 135 quantitative performance indicators for municipal water and wastewater asset management organizations.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) include a wide range of applications that aim to use state-of-the-art communication and information technologies to enhance and control the flow of traffic. The ability to communicate with cars while travelling on the road is crucial to the success of these systems and thus requires careful studying. This research aims to study the feasibility of deploying wireless communication networks that are capable of collecting data from cars as well as providing them with information about the current traffic situation. We present a platform that integrates a microscopic traffic simulation, Paramics, and a communication network simulator, Omnet++. The integration of both simulators is a key solution to several research problems both on the communications side and on the transportation side. The combined simulator will allow designing and testing ITS Applications, which rely on communication between vehicles, before they are implemented on the streets.

Three weather sensitive multinomial logit models are estimated using the 2001 Transportation Tomorrow Survey in order explore the relationship between weather and home-based work trips within the City of Toronto, focusing on active modes of transportation. The data is restricted to non-captive commuters who have the option of alternating between all five basic modes of auto driver, auto passenger, transit, bike and walk with change in weather. Daily trip rates in various weather conditions are assessed. The combined effect of the daily trip rate and mode choice analysis is applied to several climate change scenarios. A 6oC increase in temperature can increase cycling trips by 17%, and reduce auto-passenger trips by 7%. A 20% increase or decrease in precipitation, however, is found to have much smaller impacts on all modes. Overall, the results confirm that impact of weather on active modes of transportation is significant enough to deserve attention at the research, data collection and planning levels.

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as organic chloramines, THMs, HAAs, and nitrosamines, are formed during mandatory disinfection processes in drinking water treatment. Many of these DBPs have been shown to be potentially carcinogenic. Extensive research has been conducted on the occurrence and formation of these DBPs. However, there has been limited research on their relationships with each other, which may be important for the understanding of their formation mechanisms, and the nature of their precursors is still relatively unknown. Ultimately, this information will be key for the development of possible improvements in treatment technologies. Results of this study improve the understanding of DBP formation in swimming pool water. Some BFAs and PCP additives were identified as potential DBP precursors. Influence of BFAs and PCP additives on DBP formation in swimming pool water was also illustrated. Results provided feasible strategies to minimize DBP formation while maintaining the efficiency of disinfection.