A L U M N I R E G I S T R AT I O N & U P D AT E S TheDepartmentofCivil&EnvironmentalEngineeringisalwaysinterestedinhowouralumniaredoing.Wehopeyouwilltakethetimetosendyourupdatestojmueller@lsu.eduor,ifyouprefer,youcan“snailmail”themto:DepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineeringLouisianaStateUniversityAttn:JulieMueller3325PatrickTaylorHallBatonRouge,LA70803‐6405Pleaseincludebasicinformationsuchasyourfullname,yearofgraduation,degree,mailingaddress,emailaddress,telephonenumber,company,andyourtitle/position.Foryourupdate,pleaseincludeinformationonyourrecentprofessionalandpersonaldevelopments,alongwithahigh‐qualityphoto,ifavailable.Thanksforstayingintouch!

Volume 16 Fall 2016

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TheDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineering(CEE)undergoesacontinuousprocessofreevaluationthatleadstodevelopmentandimprovementofourprograms.Aswedevelopourundergraduateandgraduatecurricula,wearecognizantofourmissionofproducingfutureleaderswhoareadequately

preparedattheir irstjobandcancreativelyapplythereaftertheirbasicknowledge.Animportantaspectofthewholecurriculumrevieweffortistomaketheuseofinformationtechnologyanintegralpartoftheteachingandlearningprocesses.Asthecomputerprovidesaddedcapabilityinthehandsofthestudents,weshouldeffectivelyexploititintheirlearningprocess.Thecurriculumreviewprocessinvolvesreexaminingthedisciplinegroupingsthathaveslowlygrownwithincivilandenvironmentalengineeringaswellaswithinotherengineeringbranches.Weneedtocarefullyandcontinuallyassesswhatwewantourgraduatestoknowatthetimeofgraduationandalsoattheendofeachcourse.Ourdepartmenthasexperiencedasizeablegrowthduringthelastdecade.Bringingourcountto28,thissemesterwewelcomedthreenewassistantprofessors:SamuelSnow,ZimengWangandXiupingZhu.Researchfundinginthedepartmenthasdoubled

inthelast iveyearswithourfacultyhavingsecuredover6.0milliondollarsinresearchfundingfromstate,federalandprivateorganizations.ThedepartmenthasthesecondhighestenrollmentofgraduatestudentsintheUniversity.Theobjectiveofourresearch‐orientedprogramsistoindeffectivesolutionstotheproblemscurrentlyfacedbytheprofession,andthentopredicttheissuesthatmaychallengetheprofessioninthefuture.Intheprocess,wewillbeeducatingindividualswhoareequippedtoeffectivelyrespondtosuchchallenges.Ourprogramsarefacedwiththecontinuouschallengeofsecuringadequatelaboratoryandspaceresources,computingfacilities,andbasicinstrumentationtosupportthefaculty’sefforttopursuesponsoredresearchfunding.Ourfacultyaremakingvigorouseffortstoundertakecollaborativeresearchwithinthedepartmentcuttingacrossthedisciplineareas,withinthecollegeacrossdifferent ieldsofengineering,acrossthedifferentdepartments/collegesintheuniversity,andacrossuniversities.Theseeffortsre lecttheinterdisciplinarynatureofpresentdayresearcheffortsandhelptoattractsponsoredresearchproposedbyinterdisciplinaryresearchteamsandindustrialpartnerships.Dr.GeorgeZ.Voyiadjis,BoydProfessor,Chair,BinghamC.StewartDistinguishedProfessor

A F O U N D AT I O N O F E X C E L L E N C E P R O G R A M

I n T h i s I s s u e

F R O M T H E D E P A R T M E N T C H A I R AletterfromGeorgeZ.Voyiadjis

CEEINFOCUS Fall 2016 VOLUME 16

2 VisittheLSUASCEStudentChapteronlineatwww.asce.lsu.edu

Student Highlights

S t e m a c t i v i t i e s Overthesummer,ASCEmembersGabrielleDubroc(President)andDanielGutierrezparticipatedinthe2016BatonRougeSTEMExpo.Also,alongsideCEE

AssistantProfessorDr.Aly‐MousaadAly,GabrielleDubrocandMitchellMayardaidedinalocalsummermathcamp.Atthemostrecentoutreacheventsmembershelpedstudentsbuildgumdropbridgesandstructuresandtestedtheirstrengthusingpenniesandtextbooks.Nextsemester,thechapterplanstoincreaseoutreachatlocalschools.Thesehands‐onactivitiesexposestudentsrangingfrompre‐KtohighschooltoSTEMideas.

A s c e c a r e e r f a i r OnSeptember29,ASCEatLSUheldits irstchapterorganizedcareerfairaimedtowardsLouisianaStateUniversityandSouthernUniversitycivilandenvironmentalengineeringmajorswhoareinterestedinlearning

moreaboutlocalengineeringcompaniesandseekinginternshipsandpotentialjoboffers.Comparedtolargerscaleevents,theChaptersoughttoofferstudentsandemployersamorepersonableevent.Companiesinattendanceincluded:TerraconConsultingEngineers&Scientists,CrestIndustries,GreshamSmithandPartners,Forte&Tablada,GeoEngineers,SigmaEngineers&Constructors,Inc.,Arcadis,CobbFendley,andVolkert.Withover50studentsattending,theeventwasasuccess.TheChapterwouldliketothankallcompaniesandstudentswhoparticipated.

AS C E at LS U S t u d e n t c h a p t e r u p d at e

CURRENT OFFICERS (2016) President GabrielleDubrocVicePresident JeremyVezinaSecretary BreannaBellTreasurer EnricoTargaMeetingCoordinator JadenGillespieCommunityServiceChair WilliamSaundersFundraisingChair MeganCorzoWebmaster MitchEverhardt

OFFICER-ELECT (2017) President JoshOliverVicePresident RonaldSmithSecretary SummerFlowersTreasurer JonathanMaysMeetingCoordinator JaredBlohowiakCommunityServiceChair WilliamSaundersFundraisingChair AnnaStartsevaWebmaster JackCadiganEventCoordinator* DenzelFlores*newposition

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W a s t e h e a t e n e r g y r e c o v e r y : Low‐gradewasteheat(temperatures<130°C)isahugeenergyresourcegeneratedatmanyindustrialsitesandavailablefromgeothermalandsolar‐basedprocesses.Worldwide,~1TWofthislow‐gradethermalenergycouldberecapturedforusefulworkproduction.Convertingwasteheattoelectricalpowerisattractivebecauseitisenvironmentallybenignandinmanycasessustainable.Dr.Zhuhasdevelopedanammonia‐based lowbatteries(AFB)torecoverwasteheatenergybasedonthermally‐regenerativechemicals(ammonia).Sheplanstocontinueworkingonwasteheatenergyrecoverybasedonsalinitygradientcreatedbywasteheat.

B i o e l e c t r o c h e m i c a l s y s t e m s : Microbialelectrosynthesisoforganicproductsisanovelstrategyinwhichmicroorganismsuseelectronsderivedfromanelectrodetoreducecarbondioxidetoorganicchemicals.Byusingthistechnology,thegreenhousegasCO2canbeconvertedintofuels(e.g.,methane)orotherusefulorganiccommoditiessuchasacetate.Whenrenewableenergyfromwastewater,salinitygradient,wasteheat,orthesunisusedtodriveCO2conversion,thisprocessisalsoanattractivemethodforenergystorageanddistribution.Dr.ZhuhassuccessfullyelectrosynthesizedacetatefromCO2byusingmixed‐culturemicroorganisms.Nowsheistryingtosynthesizemorevaluablechemicals(suchasmethanolandethanol)fromCO2basedonbioelectro‐chemicalsystems.

S u s t a i n a b l e e l e c t r o c h e m i c a l w a s t e w a t e r t r e a t m e n t : Electrochemicaloxidation,reduction,andcoagulationareeffectiveforwastewatertreatment,butconsumptionofelectricalenergylimitedtheirpracticalapplication.Throughappropriatelycombiningelectrochemicalenergyrecoverysystemswithelectrochemicalwastewatertreatmentprocesses,sustainablewastewatertreatmenttechnologiescouldbedeveloped.Dr.Zhuhasintegratedmicrobialfuelcells(MFCs)withelectro‐Fentonoxidationandelectro‐coagulationforwastewatertreatmentwithelectricalpowerrecoveredfromwastewaters.Shewillcontinuetodevelopsustainableelectrochemicalwastewatertreatmentprocessesbasedonrenewableenergyrecoveredfromwastedsources.

Fa c u lt y h i g h l i g h t s ( c o n t i n u e d )

Dr.GeorgeZ.Voyiadjis,BoydProfessorandCEEDepartmentChair,receivedthehonorarydoctorateofDoctorHonorisCausaofPoznanUniversityofTechnology(Poland),inOctober2016.CitedforConstitu‐tiveModelingandSimulationofmaterials/structuresunderextremeloadingsduetoimpactloadingathighstrainrates.

Dr.VoyiadjiswashonoredwithadedicatedspecialissueontheMulti‐PhysicalSolutionsforHarshEnvironments:ComputationsandExperiments,inthe

JournalofEngineeringMaterialsandTechnology,ASME,withEditorsTaehyoParkandXiCheninJanuary2017,205pages(inpress).HewasalsohonoredwithadedicatedspecialissueinTheInternationalJournalofDamageMechanics,withEditorLizhiSuninJanuary2017,158pages(inpress),ontheoccasionofreceivingtheInternationalConferenceonDamageMechanics(ICDM)trophy.

CliffordMugnier,ChiefofGeodesyattheLSUCenterforGeoInformatics(C4G),wasakeynotespeakerattheannualfallmeetingoftheAssocia‐tionofPetroleumSurveying&Geo‐maticsinHouston,Texas.

Research Highlights

D r.XiupingZhujoinedtheDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineeringatLouisianaStateUniversi‐tyasanassistantprofessorinAugust2016.PriortojoiningtheCEEfaculty,sheworkedasapost‐doctoralresearcheratPennsylvaniaStateUniversityforalmost iveyears.Dr.ZhureceivedherPh.D.degreeinEnvironmentalEngineeringatPekingUniversity,Beijing,China,inJuly2011,andherB.S.degreefromEnvironmentalEngineeringDepartmentatBeihangUniversity,Beijing,China,inJuly2005.Herresearchfocusesonthedevelopmentofelectrochemicalsystemsforsustainableenvironmentalremediationwithenergyrecoveryfromwastedsources,suchaswastewater,wasteheat,andsalinitygradientbetweenseawaterandriverwater.Shehasinvestigatedbioelectrochemicalsystemsforsimultaneouswastewatertreatmentandelectricitygeneration,reverseelectrodialysiscellsforsalinitygradientandwasteheatenergyrecovery,andelectrochemicaloxidationforwastewaterwatertreatment.Shehaspublished40peer‐reviewedinternationaljournalpapersintheareaofenvironmental/electrochemicalengineering.

S a l i n i t y g r a d i e n t e n e r g y r e c o v e r y : Salinitygradientsnaturallyexistingbetweenriverwaterandseawatercouldprovidealargeandrenewableresourceforcleanenergyproduction.Thepotentialpowerproductionfromestuarinesalinitygradientenergy(SGE)isestimatedtobe1.4−2.6TW,whichissimilartothecurrentworldwidedemandforelectricalpower(∼2TW).SeveralSGEtechnologieshavebeenproposedtocapturethisenergy,includingpressure‐retardedosmosis(PRO),reverseelectrodialy‐sis(RED),capacitivemixing(CapMix),andhydrogelexpansion(HEx).Dr.Zhuhasoptimizedthe lowrateandsolutionconcentrationinREDtoimprovetheenergyrecoveryef iciency.Moreover,sheproposedanewapproachtorecoversalinitygradientenergybasedexpansionandshrinkingofhydrogels.Recently,sheplanstodevelopNa‐ionandCl‐ionbasedbatterysystemstomoreef icientlyrecoversalinitygradientenergy.

D r . X i u p i n g z h u a s s i s t a n t p r o f e s s o r

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TheLSUstudentchapteroftheInstituteofTransportationEngineers(ITE‐LSU)iscommittedtoigniteinterestinthetraf ic/transportationengineeringprofession,andbuildbridgesbetweenstudentsandtheprofessionalcommunityinthis ield.Thechapterholdsregularmeetingsthroughouttheacademicear.Meetingtopicsvaryfromtechnicaldiscussionstoexperiencesofspeakers.ITE‐LSUalsoorganizestoursandpaneldiscussionstoensurethatourmembershaveauniqueopportunitytolearnfrommultipleguestsandnetworkwithmultiplecompanies/institutions.Meetingsthissemesterhaveincludedseveralguestspeakers.Thestudentchapterco‐advisor,Dr.JuliusCodjoe,spokeaboutthepurposeandapplicationsofIntelligentTransportationSystems(ITS)andgavehisperspectiveaboutthefutureofITS.Mr.SteveStrengthfromLouisianaLocalTechnicalAssistanceProgram(LTAP)gaveapresentationabouttraf icsafety.Mr.IngolfPartenheimer,ChiefTraf icEngineerfortheCityofBatonRouge,spokeaboutredlightrunningcameras(thefunctionalityofthecamerasandthecriteriaforselectingintersectionstoinstallthem).Thesearejustafewexamplesoftopicscoveredameetings. Inthefallsemester,thechapteralsoorganizedatourofthetraf icsignandsignalshopoftheCityofBatonRouge.ThetourwasguidedbyMr.IngolfPartenheimer,ChiefTraf icEngineerfortheCityofBatonRouge–ParishofEastBatonRouge,aswellasMrs.SarahEdel,DPWTraf icEngineer.Studentsexperiencedthedesignandproductionoftraf icsignsandlearnedmoreabouttraf icoperationsandcontrol. Formoreinformationaboutthechapter,visithttp://itelsutigers.wixsite.com/itelsu. Chapter Officers: NelidaHerrera,PresidentElenaFarhadi,VicePresidentKelleyKeegan,TreasurerDivyaKolasani,SecretaryPranjalPhaltane,Webmaster/PhotographerGraceAshley,FundraisingChairDr.SherifIshak,AdvisorDr.JuliusCodjoe,Co‐advisor 

Student Highlights

C o p r i s t u d e n t c h a p t e r f i e l d t r i p t o e r d c

I T E at LS U S t u d e n t c h a p t e r u p d at e

GEAUX ENGINEERING

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TheLSUstudentchapterofCoasts,Oceans,Ports,andRiversInstitute (COPRI‐LSU)recentlyorganizeda ieldtriptotheUnitedStatesArmyEngineerResearchandDevelopmentCenter(ERDC)inVicksburg,MS.NineLSUstudents,mostlygraduatestudentsofvarioustechnicalwater‐relatedbackgrounds,wereledbyMr.KeithFlowersandMr.DavidMayoftheUSACE.ThedayconsistedofvisitingtheMississippiRiverMuseumindowntownVicksburg,lunchat10SouthoverlookingtheMississippiRiverandatouroftheERDCfacilities.ThistourincludedpresentationsbyDr.AhmadTavakolyandDr.ChrisMasseyonAutoRAPIDandCSTORM,respectively,ademonstrationoftheShipTowSimulatorbyMr.DennisWebb,athoroughtouroftheSedimentLaboratorybyMr.ThadPratt,ademonstrationoftheDuneOvertoppingPhysicalModelbyDr.DuncanBryantandatouroftheworld’slargestcentrifugeintheCentrifugeResearchFacilitybyMs.WipawiVanadit–Ellis.ERDCaddressesproblemsin“civilandmilitaryengineering,geospatialsciences,waterresources,andenvironmentalsciencesfortheArmy,DepartmentofDefense,civilianagencies,andourNation’spublicgood”withthegoalofbecoming“theworld’spremierpublicengineeringandenvironmentalsciencesresearchanddevelopmentorganization.”TheCOPRI–LSUStudentChapterwillcontinuetoprovideinterestingopportunitieslikethistothestudentsofLSUintheyearstofollow.

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Student Highlights

CongratulationstoCEEdoctoralstudentYasserBigdeli(picturedabove,bottomleft),oneofthreeawardeesattherecentCoastalConnectionscompetition.Yasser,workingwithDr.MicheleBarbato,receiveda$500travelaward.Thecompetitionismodi iedfromtheThreeMinuteThesis(3MT™)approachtoresearchcommunicationcompetitiondevelopedbyTheUniversityofQueensland.Theexercisedevelopsacademic,presentationandresearchcommunicationskillswhilesupportingthedevelopmentofstudents’capacitiestoeffectivelyexplaintheirresearch.Graduatestudentshavethreeminutestopresentacompellingorationontheirresearchtopicanditssigni icanceusinguptotwoslides.CoastalConnectionsfocusesontheabilityofstudentstoconsolidatetheirideasandcrystalizetheirresearchdiscoveries.TheothertwowinnersofthecompetitionwereDevikaBhaleraoandKateAbbott.JudgeswereBeckyCarmichael,LSUCommunicationAcrosstheCurriculumsciencecoordinator;AmyClipp,whohelpedwritebothofthestate’sCoastalMasterPlans;andJayGrymes,chiefmeteorologistforWAFB‐TV.

CongratulationstograduatestudentMoinulMahdionbeingawardedtheB.F.McCulloughAwardforOutstandingStudentPresentationatthe11thInternationalConferenceonConcretePavements.HealsoreceivedtheBestStudentPosterforhisresearchtitled“ConstructionandPerformanceEvaluationofRollerCompacted

ConcreteunderAcceleratedTesting.”Moinulisadoctoralstudentunderthesupervisionofco‐advisorsDrs.ZhongWuandLouayMohammad.

Fa l l 2 0 1 6 c e e u n d e r g r a d u at e s c h o l a rs h i p r e c i p i e n t s A.W.Noland,Jr.EndowedScholarship($900)DavidCapooci Dr.YalcinB.AcardMemorialScholarship($1,000)JasmineBekkayeErinKrielowLahrMemorialScholarship($850each)LisaWeaver RachelDavidElizabethHutchinson CaitlinBullenFrankJ.GermanoMemorialScholarship($1,000each)NoahTaylor MitchellEverhardtLoganBetzerJamesA.Nugent,Jr.Scholarship($1,000each)JarrettLogan JosephBresowarL.Ralph('49)andJacquelineL.DartezScholarship($1,750)EvanLewisRobertE.Watson,Jr.MemorialScholarship($850)CodyEstopinalStanleyM.andHilmaR.CothrenScholarship($900each)HannahPittman RobertDavisUniroyalChemicalEnvironmentalEngineeringScholarship($1,500)KristenAlevizonWilliamF.CrawfordMemorialScholarship($500)MalloryBartow

haveextraordinarilyhighsurfaceareathatcanfacilitateawidespectrumofreactions.HefoundthatMncancatalyzeUreoxidationandremobilizationthroughcomplicatedgeochemicalmechanisms,whichmayalsoexertamajorin luenceonothermetallicandmetalloidcon‐taminantssuchaschromium,neptuniumandselenium.

Figure1.Ge‐nericpro‐ilesofkeyredoxspe‐ciesina

groundwaterplumecontaminatedwithU(WangandGiammar2015).

A q u e o u s a n d I n t e r f a c i a l P r o c e s s e s R e l a t e d t o A g r i c u l t u r e S u s t a i n a b i l i t y Theacquisitionofironbyplantsislimitedbyunfavorablekineticsandthermodynamicsofsoilironmobilization.Asaresult,ironde iciencyincropplantsisoneofthemostprominentplantnutritionaldisordersworld‐wide.Theseissuesseriouslychallengethesustainabilityofironfertilizationmeasures.Themagnitudeoftheproblemofagriculturalironde iciency,thelackofsustainability,andthehighcostsofplantironfertilizationcallfornovelapproachestocorrectironde iciency.Dr.Wangmadesigni icantcontributionstotheknowledgeofmolecularmechanismsofnaturalplantironuptakestrategiesbyproposingandexperimentallyverifyingthesynergismbetweenreductionandcomplexationinpromotingironbioavailability(seeFigure2).Understandinghowtheplantscopewithironde iciencynaturallyoffersusaguidetomoresustainablemethodstocorrectironlimitationandsecureourfoodproductionandecosystemsustainability.

Figure2.Microscopicschematicsofironacquisitionmechanismsofplantroots(Wangetal.Environ.Sci.Technol.2015.

Lsu service awards

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LSUvaluestheimportanceofcommitmenttoitscommunity.ThefacultyandstaffserviceawardprogramrecognizesLSUemployeeswhohavereached10,15,and20yearsofservice.ThefollowingCEEfacultyandstaffwererecognizedthispastspring:

F o r 2 0 y e a rs o f s e rv i c e EllenStevensCEUndergraduateProgramSecretary

F o r 1 5 y e a rs o f s e rv i c e Dr.SteveC.S.CaiEdwinB.andNormaS.McNeilProfessorDr.SherifIshakLloydJ.GuilloryProfessorofCivilEngineeringDr.SureshMoorthyProfessionalinResidenceandCEUndergraduateProgramAdvisor

F o r 1 0 y e a rs o f s e rv i c e Dr.Q.JimChenCSRSDistinguishedProfessorinCoastalEngineeringGraceMasonBusinessManager

C o n n e c t w i t h u s o n Fa c e b o o k !

Searchfor“LSUDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineering”Click“like”andaddustoyourinterestlisttoreceivenewsandupdatesfromthedepartment!

Research Highlights

D r.ZimengWangjoinedtheLSUDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineeringasanassistantprofessorinAugust2016.HeholdsaB.S.degree(2009)withhonorsinEnvironmentalSciencefromFudanUniversityandaM.S.(2012)andaPh.D.(2013)inEnergy,EnvironmentalandChemicalEngineeringatWashingtonUniversityinSt.Louis.PriortoLSU,HeworkedasapostdoctoralresearchfellowatStanfordUniversity.Inhisearlycareer,histeachingandresearchwererecognizedbytheGraduateTeachingAwardfromWashingtonUniversityandtheGraduateStudentAwardfromAmericanChemicalSociety.Dr.Wangandhisgroupwillconductlaboratory, ieldandmodelingresearchtobetterunderstandthechemicalprocessesatcriticalenvironmentalinterfacesinbothnaturalandengineeredaquaticsystems.Hisinterestedtopicsinclude,butarenotlimitedto,subsurfacecontaminantmigrationandremediation,waterqualityandsupply,nitrogenouscontaminantformationandcontrol,anddevelopmentofmodelsforenvironmentalengineeringapplications.

D e c i p h e r i n g B i o g e o c h e m i c a l P r o c e s s e s o f C o n t a m i n a n t s f o r B e t t e r R e m e d i a t i o n Fundamentalunderstandingofthebiogeochemicalprocessesofenvironmentalcontaminantsprovidesthebasisfordesigningtreatmentprocessesandremediationstrategies.Uraniumcontaminationofsoilandgroundwaterisalegacyofnuclearweaponsdevelopmentandisacontinuingconcernassociatedwiththenuclearpowerindustry.Asapromisingin‐situbioremediationstrategy,reductionofsolubleU(VI)toinsolubleU(IV)underanaerobicconditionshasbeenachievedusingdissimilatorymetal‐reducingbac‐teriaandorganicelectrondonors.ThestabilityofthebiologicallyreducedU(IV)productscandeterminethesuccessofremediationstrategies.Inhispreviousresearch,Dr.Wangunraveledseveralcriticalbiogeochemicalmechanismsthatimpacturaniumstabilityinthesubsurface,particularlyhowuraniummobilityismediatedbytheredoxcyclingofmanganese,aubiquitouslypresentelementinsoilandgroundwater.MnredoxcyclesinvolvedavarietyofhighlyreactiveintermediatesandtheoxidizedformsofMn,Moxides,

D r . Z i m e n g wa n g a s s i s t a n t p r o f e s s o r

N e w Fa c u lt y s p o t l i g h t

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Department Highlights

PattersonPumpCompany’sdemonstrationmodelofthepermanentcanalclosuresandpumps(PCCP)drainagepumpstationsinNewOrleanswasgenerouslydonatedtoLSU’sCivilandEnvironmentalEngineeringDepartmentwiththehelpofRonnieHebertofEnvironmentalTechnicalSales(ETEC),Inc.tobeusedintheETECHydraulicsandWaterDistributionLaboratory.ThemodelwillbetemporarilyhousedintheVincentA.ForteRiverandCostalEngineeringResearchLaboratoryuntiltheETECLabinPatrickF.TaylorHalliscompletedin2017.TheCorpsofEngineersawardedtheapproximately$615millioncontracttoconstructthePCCPatthemouthsofthe17thStreet,OrleansAvenueandLondonAvenueoutfallcanalsonApril17,2013,toPCCPConstructorsJV.ThePCCPwillprovideapermanentandmoresustainablemeasureforreducingtheriskofa100‐yearlevelstormsurgeenteringtheoutfallcanals.ThePCCPwillreplacetheinterimclosurestructures,whichwereconstructedin2006.ThenoticetoproceedwasissuedonMay6,2013,andconstructionwillbecompletein44months(2017).Theexistinginterimclosurestructureswillcontinuetoprovide100‐yearlevelofstormsurgeriskdetection.ThePCCPwillbecomposedofpermanentlygatedstormsurgebarriersandbrickfacadepumpstationsatornearthelakefront.Thepumpswillmoverainwateroutofthecanals,aroundthegatesandintoLakePontchartrainduringatropicalweatherevent,andbeequippedwithastand‐aloneemergencypowersupplycapacitysothat

itcanoperateindependentlyofanypubliclyprovidedutility.Whencomplete,thePCCPat17thStreetwillconsistofsix1,800cubicfeetpersecond(cfs)pumpsandtwo900cfspumpsandhaveatotalpumpingcapacityof12,600cfs;thePCCPatOrleansAvenuewillconsistofthree900cfspumpsandhaveatotalpumpingcapacityof2,700cfs;thePCCPatLondonAvenuewillconsistoffour1,800cfspumpsandtwo900cfspumpsandhaveatotalpumpingcapacityof9,000cfs.ThedemonstrationmodeldonatedtoLSUhasoneworkingmodelpumpand lowswater.Uptothreepumpbaysarerepresentedinthemodel.Thebaygeometryisrepresented,includingthetrashrack,vortexbreakerbars,andstoplogslot.Onlytheoutsidepumpbayandpumparevisibleandoperational.ThemodelisonethirtiethofthescaleoftheLondonAvenueoutfallcanal.Themodelweighsmorethan1,500poundsdryanditswaterloadisapproximately400gallons.LSU’sCivilandEnvironmentalEngineeringDepartmentisgratefultothePattersonPumpCompanyforthisgenerousequipmentdonationthatwillenhancetheclassroomandlabexperienceforgenerationsofstudentsstudyinghydraulicsandwaterdistribution.ThisgiftwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouttheaidofRonnieHebertofETEC,Inc.,whomthedepartmentalsothanks.

Pat t e rs o n P u m p C o m pa n y D o n at e s P C C P P r o j e c t D e m o M o d e l t o C E E

6 Tomakeanimpactfulgift,pleasecontactDr.GeorgeZ.Voyiadjis(voyiadjis@eng.lsu.edu)

Department Highlights

ConstructionofthenewCoastalProtectionandRestorationAuthority’s(CPRA)‐fundedLSUCenterforRiverStudies(CRS)buildingisnearlycomplete,andworkisbeginningoninstallationoftheexhibitspaceandconstructionofthephysicalmodel.ThenewfacilityislocatedontheBatonRougeWaterCampus,justsouthoftheI‐10bridgebetweenNicholsonRoadandRiverRoadandisnextdoortothenewCPRAbuilding.AthirdbuildingthatwillhouseTheWaterInstituteoftheGulfiscurrentlyunderconstructionneartheoldcitydock.

Theexhibitspace(picturedleft)willhouserenderingsandinformationthatdescribetheMississippiRiverbasin,theimportanceoftheriverfornavigationandthe

economyaswellastheconsequencesoftheengineeringinfrastructurenecessaryfor loodcontrolmaintainingnavigationon“America’sWaterway”.Inaddition,thespacewillbeusedtoshowcaseanddescribeCPRA’sres‐torationandprotectionprojectplanning,design,andimplementationaswellasthescienceandengineeringthatgoesintotheseprojects.

Thenewmovable‐bedphysicalmodel(picturedabove)willcoverapproximately170milesofthelowerMississippiRiver,fromDonaldsonvilletotheGulfofMexico,andwillbeusedtostudytheimpactofnaturalprocessesandvariousmanagementstrategiesonriverhydraulicsandsedimenttransport.Thephysicalmodelwillbeconstructedof2165ftX10ft,high‐densityfoampanels,eachroutedtopreciselycapturethebathymetryandtopographyoftheregion,andwillhavean

C o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e n e w C e n t e r f o r R i v e r S t u d i e s n e a r ly c o m p l e t e

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practicallyuselessasphotosensitizers.DuringhistimeatGeorgiaTech,Dr.Snowworkedwithseveralsequen‐tiallyfunctionalizedfullerenederivativestodevelopaquantitativeunderstandingofhowthenumberandtypeoffunctionalgroupsonafullereneaffectsthephotochemicalandphoto‐disinfectionproperties.

Duringthisprojectitbecameapparentthatwithinthegroupofderivativesstudied,onlythosewithapositivechargewerecapableofphotosensitizationof1O2andinactivationofvirusesandbacteria(underareasonabletimeframe).Thisresultwasunexpectedandunexplained.Further,thosepositivelychargedfullerenesexertedunprecedentedef iciencies,withsigni icantdisinfectionobservedfornano‐Molarconcentrationrangesundervisiblelight.TheexcitingresultswerepublishedasafeaturearticleinthejournalEnvironmentalScience&TechnologyLettersin2014.Continuingfromthissuccess,themechanismbehindtheinexplicabledifferencebetweenthehighlyef icientderivativesandthenon‐performingmoleculeswasexploredviacollaborationwitharesearchgroupintheMaterialsScienceandEngineeringatGeorgiaTech.Acombinationofhigh‐techsurfacecharacterizationinstruments,includinghighresolutiontransmissionelectronmicroscopyandx‐rayphotoelectronspectroscopy,andadvancedcomputersimulations

wereusedtoprobethedifferentfullerenesforanynoticeabledifferenceinsurfacechemistry.Thechemicalpropertiesrevealedthattheaggregationprocesswasverysimilarchemicallyacrossthefullerenes.Theelectronmicroscopycombinedwiththe

moleculardynamicssimulations,however,revealedthatminutedifferencesinspacingbetweenfullerenesmayhavecausedthesharpdividebetweenpositivelyandnegativelychargedfullerenederivatives.Thisworkprovidedakeypieceofknowledgetotheniche ieldoffullerenephoto‐chemistry,providingatooltopredictwhatclassesoffullereneswillexhibitsigni icantphotoactivityinwater.Later,duringhistimeatMichiganStateUniversity,Dr.Snowinvestigatedthefeasibilityofusingtitaniumdioxide(TiO2),acommonphotocatalyst,inacombinedmembranebio‐photoreactortreatmentsystemforwastewaterdisinfection.Thekineticsofhydroxylradical(OH•)productionandquenchinginthepresenceofnaturalorganicmatterwerestudiedindepth.Membranesofvariousnominalporesizeswereusedtoexcludedifferentamountsandfractionsofthenaturalorganicmatter.AlthoughquenchingoftheOH•wasexpected,theextentofquenchingwasquitesurprising;noteventhesmallestporesizemembranesmitigatedtherapidquenching.Extendingthislineofwork,atriptovisitcollaboratorsinMontpellier,Franceprovedinvaluableforstudyingmultipletypesofmembranebioreactoref luents,includingsamplesfromvariousstagesofthe iltercleaningprocesses.Severalpublicationsfromthisworkarecurrentlyinpreparation.Inspiredbytheseexperiences,Dr.Snow'sresearchaimsincludeachievingabetterunderstandingofthedynamicinteractionsbetweenphotoactivematerials,targetcontaminants,andconstituentsinnaturalwaters.Understandinghowdifferentfractionsofnaturalorganicmatterinteractwithphotocatalystsandphotosensitizerswillallow iltrationorotherremovalprocessestospeci icallytargetcompoundsthatexertthegreatestinterference.Additionally,insightsgainedfromtheexaminationofthephotoactivematerial‐targetinteractionsmayleadtoenhanceddesignsfortargetedremovalofpathogens.Theapplicationofphoto‐chemistryforwatertreatmenthasalwaysbeenseverelylimitedbythequenchingofradicalspeciesbynaturalconstituents.Byaddressingtheseissuesandovercomingdiffusionlimitations,Dr.Snow'sresearchgroupwillpavethewayforthepracticalapplicationofadvancedphotoactivematerialsforsustainable,solar‐drivenwatertreatment.ForDr.Snow,theglobalneedforcleandrinkingwaterisadrivingmotivationforthisresearch,andtheadvancementoffundamentalscienceisthewayforward.

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Research Highlights

N e w Fa c u lt y s p o t l i g h t

D r . Sa m u e l s n o w a s s i s t a n t p r o f e s s o r

O nAugust15,2016Dr.SamuelSnowjoinedthefacultyoftheDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineeringatLouisianaStateUniversityasanassistantprofessor.Dr.SnowhasaB.S.inEarthandAtmosphericScienceandaPh.D.inEnvironmentalEngineering,bothfromtheGeorgiaInstituteofTechnology.Aftergraduationin2014,heworkedbrie lyattheMichiganDepartmentofEnvironmentalQualitypriortohisappointmentasaPostdoctoralResearchAssociateinMichiganStateUniversity'sDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineering.Dr.Snowhasworkedinawidevarietyofresearchprojectswithinthebroad ieldofwaterandtheenvironment,includingieldstudiesonsalmonhabitats,phosphatecyclinginmarinesystems,andevaluatingnewmaterialsfordrinkingandwastewaterdisinfectionapplications.Hiscurrentresearchfocusisonunderstandingtheproductionandquenchingofreactiveoxygenspeciesinphoto‐disinfectionofnaturalwaters.AdrivingthemeinDr.Snow'sresearchgroupistoapproachthepracticalchallengeofdevelopinglow‐cost,sustainable,androbustwatertreatmentsystemsbyinvestigatingtheunderlyingscienceofthetechnologies.ThisresearchambitionextendstoDr.Snow'steachinginterests,wherehehopestoprovideopportunitiesforstudentstoapplytheenvironmentaltechnologytaughtinclasstoreal‐worldchallengesindevelopingcountries.

P h o t o a c t i v i t y a n d T o x i c i t y o f F u n c t i o n a l i z e d F u l l e r e n e s Buckminsterfullerenes,alsoknownasbucky‐ballsorfullerenesforshort,were irstdiscoveredasanovelcarbonallotropebyatrioofscientistsin1985,promptingacascadeofpromisingresearchbasedonthemolecule'suniqueproperties.OneparticularlyinterestingpropertyofC60(themostcommonformofthefullerene)isitsabilitytoef icientlyphotosensitizesingletoxygen(1O2),areactiveformofmolecularoxygencapableofreactingwithanddestroyingvirusesandbacteria.Environmentalengineersandscientistslookedtofullerenesasnovelmaterialsforlight‐mediateddisinfectionstrategies.Whenintroducedtowater,however,fullerenesaggregateandbecome

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automatedwaterandsedimentdeliverysystemaswellasover15sensorstomeasurewaterlevelsalongtheriverandintheGulfofMexico.Whencomplete,themodelwillbeapproximately90ftX120ftinsizeandtherewillbe20high‐resolutionprojectorsthatwillbeusedtoprojectdataandinformation,suchastheloca‐tionofcriticalports,landlossprojections,physicalandnumericalmodelresults,etc.,ontothemodelplatform.TheCRSwillalsohavemultiplespacesthatdesignedforpromotingcollaborationandinteractionsamongacademic,agencyandindustryscientistsandengineers.Therewillberoomsthataredesignedforholdingworkshopsandsmallconferencesandof icespaceforstaff,studentsandcollaboratorsaswellasinformalmeetingandgatheringspaces.Finally,theCRSwillalsohavea~2000sqfthydraulicslabspace(picturedbelow)thatcanbeutilizedbyLSUscientistsandengineersforcoastal‐andriver‐relatedphysicalmodelingexperiments.

Installationandconstructionoftheexhibitspaceandthephysicalmodelisexpectedtotakeapproximately4‐5months,andtheopeningofthefacilityisexpectedtobeinthespringof2017.MoreinformationanddetailsaboutthefacilitycanbeobtainedfromRudySimoneaux,PE,theCPRAProjectManager,orClintWillson,PhD,PE,theCRSDirector.

A m i t e r i v e r f l o o d w o r k s h o p TheLSUCenterforRiverStudies(CRS)andtheAmiteRiverBasicCommissionco‐hostedaworkshopontheAugust2016stormevent.ThisworkshopwaswellattendedbyrepresentativesfromFEMA(Region6),USGSLAWaterScienceCenter,theLowerMississippiRiverForecastCenter,USACE(NewOrleansDistrict),NOAANationalWaterCenter,TheWaterInstitutefortheGulf,theLSUCenterforCoastalResiliency,LASeaGrant,aswellasprivatepracticeandacademicengineersandscientists.Thefocuswasontherainfalland loodevent,datacollectionandanalysis,andcurrentstateofnumericalmodelinginthebasin.

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Department Highlights

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LS U C e n t e r f o r C o as ta l R e s i l i e n cy Awa r d e d $ 1 . 3 m i l l i o n i n G r a n t s

LSUCenterforCoastalResiliency(CCR),ledbyCEEProfessorScottHagen,wasrecentlyawarded$1.3millioningrantstosupportcriticalresearchthatwilladvancethetoolsandprocessestoassessriskstocoastalareas.WiththesupportfromtheNOAANationalCenterforCoastalOceanScience,CCRwillbuildupon

itspreviousNOAA‐fundedeffortsandthosesuccessfuloutcomesandstrategies.Onestrategyhasbeentodirectlyinvolvecoastalresourcemanagersearlyandthroughouttheassessmentprocess.Resourcemanagers’inputhasinformedthedevelopmentandapplicationoflarge‐scale,high‐de initioncomputermodelsthatcanpredictthecoastaldynamicsofsealevelriseandassesshydrodynamicandecologicalimpactsatthecoastallandmargin.Thisresearchexaminestheimpactsfromthecoastaldynamicsofsealevelrisethroughintegrated ieldassessmentsandmodelsrepresentingtides,wind‐wave,stormsurge,coastalmorphology,overlandandbiologicalprocesses.IncollaborationwiththeDauphinIslandSeaLab,theUniversityofCentralFlorida,theUniversityofSouthCarolinaandTexasA&MUniversity‐CorpusChristi,CCRresearchersaimtore ine,enhanceandextendtheirmodelsaswellaslinktheeconomicimpactandvalueofecosystemservicestothecoastaldynamicsofsealevelrise.CCRalsoreceivedagranttoquantifythedynamiceffectsofsealevelriseandprojectedlandscapechangesonstormsurgeinHamptonRoads,Virginia(secondonlytoNewOrleansasthemostvulnerableareatorelativesealevelriseintheUnitedStates).Resultsfromthisprojectwillbecenteredonscenarioprojectionsofnuisance loodingathightide,stormsurgedepthandextendunderasuiteofstormconditions,sealevelriserates,landscapechangesandpossiblemanagementactions.CCRwillpartnerwiththeNorthernGulfInstituteofMississippiStateUniversityonthisproject.

C E E fa c u lt y p e r f o r m r e c o n n a i s sa n c e o f 2 0 1 6 L o u i s i a n a f l o o d i n g InAugust,2016,catastrophic loodinginundatedsouthernLouisianaandresultedindamagetoatleast60,000homes,evacuationofmorethan20,000peopleand13deathsnearBatonRouge.Thisextremeeventwastheresultofprolongedrainfall—exceedingtwofeet,insomelocations—thatoverwhelmedlocal loodcontrolsystemsandpouredintoresidentialandcommercialareas.Dr.NavidJafari,CEEassistantprofessorincoastalengineering,organizedateaminLouisianatosurveythedamageandassesstheperformanceofpublicinfrastructure.TheteamlookedatvarioussitesinLivingstonParish,AscensionParish,andareasalongtheAmiteRiver.Initial indingssuggestthepublicinfrastructureperformedfairlywell,butthereweresomeproblemareas.Forexample,aleveenearSorrentothatovertoppedduringthe looddidnotshowevidenceofsigni icanterosion.However,theteamthinksthewaytheleveewasconstructedhadtheinadvertenteffectofchanneling loodwatersdirectlyintoanearbyhousingdevelopment.Acloserlookatinteractionsbetweenrainfall‐induced loodingandverticalstructures,suchaslevees,isneeded.Inotherlocations,theteamfoundbridgeabutmentsandpiersthatexperiencedsomescour(theremovalofsoilcausedby loodwatersdivertingandacceleratingaroundtheseobstructions).Someresidentialareasexperiencedscouringaswell.

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“Weobservedsigni icantscouranderosionofaresidentialcommunitylocatedontheAmiteRivernearFrenchSettlement,Louisiana.Thecombinationofhighwater,riverbend,andalreadydamagedbulkheadsallowedtherivertoscourbeneaththefoundationofthesehomes,destroyingboathomesandleavingseveralhomesoverhangingtheAmiteRiverincriticalcondition.”saysJafarInspiteofpublicinfrastructureperformingasexpected,theoverallimpactofthis loodwasmoredevastatingthanthe2011 lood.In2011,theMississippiRiverloodedduetoupperMidwestrainfall.In2016,theloodingresultedfromlocalrainfall.Thisdifferenceissigni icantbecausetheoriginoftherainfalldetermineswherethewatergetschanneledintothe loodcontrol

system.“If loodlevelsintheMississippiRiverarehighastheywerein2011,theU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineerscanopentheMorganzaSpillwaytodivert lowtotheAtchafalayaBasin,thusbypassinglowawayfromNewOrleans.”saysJafari.(picturedleft)“TheBonnetCarreSpillwayisanotherdiversion

toLakePontchatrainthatfurtherreducestheMississippi’s lowbeforeNewOrleans.InJanuary2011,thisspillwaywasopenedtodivertthedelugefromtheMidwesttoLakePontchartrainandinallytotheGulfofMexico.Bothstructuresworktorelieveupstreampressuresotheriverlevelsaresuf icientlymanagedbythetimethe loodreachesNewOrleans.The2016 loodwastotallydifferentthan2011.Itdidn’timpacttheMississippiRiveratallsothespillwayswerenotopened.”Instead,local loodcontrolsystems—whichincludeadiversionintothemuchsmallerLakeMaurepas—werequicklyoverwhelmedin2016.Astateofemergencywasdeclaredasthousandsofhomesandbusinesseswereinundatedwithwater.The loodwas,accordingtotheRedCross,theworstnaturaldisastersinceHurricaneSandy.Duringthe2016trip,theresearchteamencounteredanothereffectofthe looding:amassiveamountofwastegenerationfrominundatedhomes.Althoughnotpartoftheiroriginalresearchgoals,thescaleoftheproblemwassuchthatithasbeenaddedtotheirplansforfurtherstudy.

“Wedidn’tgodowntherethinkingwewouldlookatstormrelatedwasteinparticular”saysJafari.“However,justgoingdownthestreetafterstreet,itwasunbelievable.Basically,everyhouseemptiedouteverythingfromthehouseincludingthewalls,appliances,furniture, ixtures,etc.,andplaceditnearthecurbforcollection.Itwaslikeatunnelofdebrisoneachsideofthestreet,allthewaydown.”Thereisaneedtobetterpredictdebrisvolumesfromextremeeventssothatef icientandsustainablemanagementofwastedebriscanbedevelopedandcoordinatedtoacceleratepickup.Theteamplanstodocumentthewastegenerationanddisposalprocesssothatmoreaccurateestimatesofresourcesneededintheaftermathoffuturedisasterscanbemade.Thereconnaissanceteamwillpublishareportwiththeir indingsinthecomingmonths.Othermembersoftheteaminclude:Dr.MuradAbu‐Farsakh,LouisianaTransportationResearchCenter(LTRC);Dr.ShengliChen,CEE;MiladSaghebfar,LTRC;Dr.JeffBeasley,SchoolofPlant,Environmental,andSoilSciences;Dr.KoryKonsoer,DepartmentofGeographyandAnthropology;andBrianHarris,CEEdoctoralstudent.

Fa c u lt y h i g h l i g h t s ( c o n t . p g 1 5 ) CongratulationstoDr.ClintWillsononbeingselectedfortheCollegeofEngineeringAwardforInstructorofExcellence(LongwellAward).ThisawardissetuptorecognizethecontributionofourfacultywhoparticipateintheearlyyearsofastudentjourneyinourCollege.Theseearlyyearsplayacriticalrole

inundergraduateretentionandsetthetoneforourstu‐dents'futuresuccess.

Dr.LouayMohammad,Irma‐LouiseRushStewartProfessor,wasrecentlyelectedChairoftheLouisianaChapteroftheAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineersLouisianaSectionTransportationandDevelopmentInstitute.HewasalsoselectedtoserveasamemberofNationalAcademiesofSciences,Engineering,andMedicine,Transportation

ResearchBoardProjectPanel48‐02on“TackCoatSpeci ications,Materials,andConstructionPractices”inJuly2016.