Civil Engineering (1st)
These projects are at the midpoint of a two-semester sequence. They are not complete.
C1.01 Airport Futurity
Sponsor: Dr. Feng Hong
Student Team: Nigiel Lozano, Matthew Lancon, David Karr, Bianca Desouza
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Feng Hong
The criterion for the design will be based on the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) which is sponsoring a national competition for universities. We will attempt to address local issues relating to the airport operations and the National Airspace Systems. Our team will be solution driven and goal oriented by focusing on designing an all-encompassing safety management system. Our goal is to create a user-friendly system by using 3D imaging, computer software, and potential artificial intelligence to enhance safety of the airfield and for it's users. Our system will attempt to collect data by using LiDAR technology which can be used to detect foreign object debris (FOD), surface conditions such as skid resistance, cracks, and ultimately compile this data into a management system that can be used to detect any potential safety hazards.
C1.02 San Marcos Affordable Housing Project
Sponsor: Dr. Feng Hong
Student Team: Trevor Meyer, Aaron Gonzalez-Garcia, Carlos Sanchez, Cortland Hughes
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Feng Hong
After identifying 3 affordable housing alternatives, we have proposed an idea that will give local San Marcos individuals who meet specific requirements access to an affordable alternative to expensive San Marcos housing. After analyzing the San Marcos region, we have found a location to build our proposed design that will be able to house 100 local families. Based off of the research we have done, our project has been designed to be both sustainable and an economical complex. The main goal of our design is to provide an affordable housing option that meets all requirements to be the rising star in sustainability and cost effectiveness.
C1.03 Affordable Housing Alternatives
Sponsor: Dr. Felipe Gutierrez
Student Team: Darhen Coryea, Jamie Hand, Rudy Castillo, Mariah Coleman
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Felipe Gutierrez
The goal of our project is to propose and design a solution to the affordable housing crisis. Our proposed affordable housing alternative is a four-story multifamily complex in San Marcos, TX. This town is quickly growing due to the close proximity to Austin and San Antonio, TX. This development will have the ability to comfortably house 100 families of four. The design of the Affordable Housing Alternative will comply with the designated design codes and regulations. Our project will implement sustainable designs and will be proposed in San Marcos, TX, with hopes of improving the insufficient affordable housing in the area.
C1.04 Wastewater Managment
Sponsor: Dr. Feng Hong
Student Team: Barrett Guinn, Jack Butcher, Caden Pugh, Wade Watson
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Feng Hong
With the rate of population growth in the Texas Triangle, infrastructure facilities must be upgraded. For this project, wastewater facilities must be designed for a proposed 2,500 home single family housing development in the San Marcos area. Tasked with finding the solution for the wastewater from this housing development, our team has brainstormed multiple options. These include routing the wastewater from the housing development to the existing San Marcos Wastewater Treatment Plant, designing and constructing a new wastewater treatment plant to service our housing development and any future developments in the area, or designing a state of the art, closed-circuit wastewater recycling system.
C1.05 Rehabilitation of Lake Dunlap Dam
Sponsor: Dr. Feng Hong
Student Team: Richard Kortz, Sydney McKean, Sarah Brooks, Andrew Price
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Feng Hong
Our project consists of analyzing different engineering solutions to repair or rehabilitate the Lake Dunlap (TP-1) dam after its failure in May 2019. The failure occurred as one of the dam's bear trap spill gates collapsed under heavy water flow due to flooding conditions. We will evaluate the feasibility of 3 alternatives: rebuilding the dam, removing the dam completely, or replacing the spill gates. We will present one solution deemed as the "best" solutions under the criteria of state regulations, cost, efficiency, and public opinion.
C1.06 Rehabilitation of Aging Dam Structures
Sponsor: Dr. Felipe Gutierrez
Student Team: Paola Huynh, Catalina Gonsalez, Lauren Graham, Bill LeFranc
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Felipe Gutierrez
We are researching four alternatives to rehabilitate an aging dam. Our team chose the Canyon Lake dam near New Braunfels, Tx. It is an earth dam that is classified as a having high hazard potential. Our four alternatives are integrating modern technology into this older dam, sustainable concrete reinforcements, patching, and preventable measures to take. We hope our research is useful data to rehabilitate this time to avoid reconstruction in itself.
C1.07 Expanding Community Wastewater Collection and Treatment Management
Sponsor: Dr. Felipe Gutierrez
Student Team: Ramon Ojeda, Tyler Watson, Josh Ruiz, Samuel Gadbury
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Felipe Gutierrez
We are in charge of a 50 year old wastewater treatment facility located in the Hays/Comal county area. This facility is going to have to shape up to withstand a planned housing development consisting of 2,500 single family homes. This increase in population is going to test this facility to its maximum capacity. The biggest obstacle for this facility is the age and its near 70% capacity limit. With these factors in mind we came up with 4 unique alternatives to help this community from having their wastewater treatment facility go offline.
C1.08 I-35 Corridor Congestion Relief
Sponsor: Dr. Feng Hong
Student Team: Bryan Brinkman, Skyler Garrett, Andrew Gombac, Mason Holden
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Feng Hong
The goal of our team's design project is to determine and evaluate two solutions to reducing traffic congestion on interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio, TX. By evaluating the solutions using total cost, sustainability, and feasibility, our group was able to determine what would help resolve this issue. One solution is the expansion of Interstate 35 (I-35) through the addition of a one lane toll lane in both directions that would be available to passenger cars only. This additional lane would help reduce traffic congestion by providing another lane of travel and offer commuters the opportunity to travel in a faster lane for a fee. The second solution is to construct of a new commuter rail connecting the major cities of Austin and San Antonio with additional stops in Buda, Kyle, San Marcos, and New Braunfels. This new rail system would help reduce congestion by offering a competitive alternative to vehicle-oriented options of travel.