Project Sponsor: Appalachia Community Health & Disaster Readiness Project
Team Members: Aaron Sheppard (lead), Trevor Cloar, Alex Kiser, Matt McCarter, Cody Stephens, Colin Szklarski
The Appalachia Community Health & Disaster Readiness Project is a grant-funded project which seeks to improve the quality of life for the rural residents in the eastern Kentucky Appalachian region. As part of the project, the student design team, in conjunction with local community members of Clay County, Kentucky, sought to improve an evacuation plan for residents for use in the event of an emergency at Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky.
A pedestrian bridge spanning over 200 feet was recommended as a second egress option as the current campus only contains a single exit point. The design team recommended the bridge be capable of supporting not only pedestrian egress, but access of a small medical ATV. Students completed geotechnical analyses at the site, structural calculations, and a preliminary flood mitigation analysis.
Project Sponsor: UT Smart Communities Initiative, Southeastern Tennessee Development District & City of Athens
Team Members: Austin Martin (co-lead), Joe Neuzil (co-lead), Brad Kreceman, Jacob Lampley, James Lawson, Jeff Mason, Matt McClain, Brian Peek, Logan Ross, Tyler Short, Ryan Signorin, Luke Turner
The design team was enlisted to further develop the Eureka Trail, a 4.9-mile trail that connects the City of Athens to the town of Englewood. The team designed a trailhead parking area with the ability to support a 250-person per day use. In order to accommodate various types of users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, passenger cars, and horse trailers, a 60,000-square-foot parking lot was designed with safety, usability, aesthetics, and longevity in mind. Another aspect of the project was to improve existing infrastructure on Central Avenue for improved use as an urban pedestrian route connecting Downtown Athens to the Eureka Trail trailhead. This segment of roadway is about 0.8 miles in length and lacked infrastructure to safely support both pedestrian and high motorized traffic speeds.
Project Sponsor: UT Smart Communities Initiative, Southeastern Tennessee Development District & City of Athens
Team Members: Liam Weaver (lead), Mark Nichols, Trenton Smith, Brian Walker, Marquise Webb, Bailee Young
Through the UT SCI project partnership program, a team of engineering students were solicited to address sidewalk improvement needs for the city of Calhoun, Tennessee. While city engineers and planners have worked diligently to improve transportation networks within the city center, the terrain and existing infrastructure hinder pedestrian and cyclist traffic through the city.
The project is separated into components to address three primary needs: a connectivity loop within Calhoun, a feasibility analysis for a railway underpass, and a link to Charleston, Tennessee. Priority was given to safety, cost, and accessibility as indicated by the client.
Project Sponsor: UT Smart Communities Initiative, Southeastern Tennessee Development District & City of Athens
Team Members: Brandy Manka (lead), Robert Forster, John Keyser, David Layhew, Melanie Smith, Andrew Tilton
Denso Manufacturing has partnered with the City of Athens Parks and Recreation and the McMinn County Economic Development Authority to develop a park for employees and the community. The vision for the completed park is to provide a safe, aesthetic atmosphere for local community members to learn about the environment and ways to protect it.
The students on this team contributed to the Denso Eco Park master plan, choosing to focus on design components that support the phases already planned while aiding in the creation of an aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly park. The team focused on four major efforts: 1) collection and analysis of site-specific geotechnical and water-related conditions, 2) redesign of an existing channel system, 3) engineered alternative design solutions for a pedestrian footbridge, and 4) exploration into green parking lot designs.
Project Sponsor: Electric Power Research Institute
Team Members: Hannah Hankins (lead), Blake Braden, Jonathan Holt, Michael Kelso, Steven Shuman
This Spring 2016 Senior Design Team was tasked with continuing experimental work and testing on samples of the Novel Integrated Desulfurization™ (NID) byproduct. A Fall 2015 Senior Design Team focused on comparing the chemical, physical, and cementing properties of NID byproduct to traditional fly ash. Additional research was necessary to focus on testing the NID byproduct in a number of diverse cementitious applications.
A design of experiments was developed by the student design team, identifying a series of experiments and material applications suitable for a thorough analysis. Laboratory testing of the NID byproduct was necessary in providing data to support its recommended uses. A preliminary feasibility study and optimization analysis were also performed to provide design engineers the necessary information in determining the final use(s) and allowances of NID byproduct for each cementitious application considered.
Project Sponsor: Project Sponsor: UT Smart Communities Initiative, Southeastern Tennessee Development District
Team Members: Kristina King (lead), Andrew Fulkerson, Seth Gilliland, Brooklyn Isom, Jaylyn Johnson, Catherine Lowe, Chris Royer
The objective of this project is to apply engineering analysis to evaluate the Nickajack Port Authority’s property for industrial development potential through coordination with the Southeast Tennessee Development District. The site under consideration consists of 92 acres and is located in South Pittsburg, a city within Marion County, Tennessee.
This project aims to use engineering analysis to determine the most efficient site development and layout. A grading plan was created for 44 acres to accommodate the development of all infrastructure. Structural design and analyses were performed for a 150,000 square foot manufacturing facility of steel frame construction and a 30,000 square foot concrete office facility. Spread footings were designed for both buildings. A parking lot and access road design, including all striping and signing plans, was developed. Stormwater infrastructure was designed to manage the necessary levels of runoff, and water infrastructure was sized to tie into existing water and sewer lines. After all design and analysis, a cost estimate and project schedule were created using RSMeans Cost Data.