This paper focuses on the innovative use of portable water purification units to introduce concep... more This paper focuses on the innovative use of portable water purification units to introduce concepts of reverse engineering to a freshman class. All engineering students from the four engineering disciplines namely Civil, Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical share a common engineering clinic class. This class is a major hallmark of the Rowan engineering program. The theme of the Freshman Clinic class in the spring semester is reverse engineering of commercial products. Students in teams of four or five spend an entire semester learning about engineering fundamentals such as fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, thermodynamics and engineering materials. They are also exposed to intellectual property rights, safety and ethics, ergonomics and environmental considerations in engineering design.
The research project described in this paper is titled “Rethinking Engineering Diversity, Transfo... more The research project described in this paper is titled “Rethinking Engineering Diversity, Transforming Engineering Diversity (REDTED),” which is part of the National Science Foundation, Revolutionizing Engineering Department (RED) grants. The project is in its first year and therefore what is described in this paper will be a brief overview of the project and some of the work done during the first year. The proposed research is to explore how the representation of women and Underrepresented Minority (URM) students and historically underserved groups will be increased in an engineering department by deploying a multi-pronged approach. Our definition of diverse student populations includes both visible differences such as gender and racial minorities, but also includes invisible differences such as poor, LGBTQ, disabled, veterans, and others. The approach includes curricular and extra-curricular reform, which is targeted at the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department at R...
While there is an overwhelming evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of seat belts in r... more While there is an overwhelming evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of seat belts in reducing the severity of passenger injuries in accidents involving automobiles, very little, if any, is known on the possible safety implications of seat belts in transit buses. The objecyive of this work was to assess the possible safety implications of seat belt usage in transit buses relative to reductions of severity of injury resulting from traffic accidents, and to determine if major changes in the structural elements of the bus frame may be warranted to enable the frame to withstand the instantaneous stress build-up resulting from sudden activation of seat belts. The report includes a thorough review of the state of the art on various aspects of seat belts, including legislation, effectiveness, compliance and enforcement. The results of two comprehensive surveys among major transit operators and bus manufacturers are presented. The development of a computer-based finite element model to study the structural implications of seat belt installation is discussed, along with conclusions from its application.
is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA). ... more is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA). Prior to 2016 she was a faculty member in Chemical Engineering at Rowan for eighteen years. Dr. Farrell has contributed to engineering education through her work in inductive pedagogy, spatial skills, and inclusion and diversity. She has been honored by the American Society of Engineering Education with several teaching awards such as the 2004 National Outstanding Teaching Medal and the 2005 Quinn Award for experiential learning, and she was 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar in Engineering Education at Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland)tephanie Farrell is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA) and was 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar in Engineering Education at Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland).
is Interim Dean of the College of Engineering and Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential En... more is Interim Dean of the College of Engineering and Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA). Dr. Farrell has contributed to engineering education through her work in inductive pedagogy, spatial skills, and inclusion and diversity. She has been honored by the American Society of Engineering Education with several teaching awards such as the 2004 National Outstanding Teaching Medal and the 2005 Quinn Award for experiential learning, and she was 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar in Engineering Education at Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland).
The results of a study funded by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the National Earthquake Ha... more The results of a study funded by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program are presented. The first objective of this study was the development of a database for all 211 highway bridges along I-55 in the New Madrid region of southeastern Missouri. Profiles for five key dimension parameters (which are stored in the database) were developed, and the results for concrete highway bridges are presented. The second objective was to perform field ambient vibration analyses on 25 typical highway bridge spans along the I-55 corridor to determine the fundamental vertical and lateral frequencies of the bridge spans measured. These 25 spans included six reinforced concrete slab spans and two reinforced concrete box-girder spans. The third objective was to use these bridge frequency results in conjunction with the dimension parameters stored in the database to develop empirical formulas for estimating bridge fundamental natural frequencies. These formulas were applied to all 211 Interstate highway bridges in southeastern Missouri. Profiles for both fundamental vertical and lateral frequencies were then developed, and the results for concrete highway bridges are presented.
is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA) a... more is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA) and was 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar in Engineering Education at Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland). From 1998-2016, Stephanie was a faculty member in Chemical Engineering at Rowan. Dr. Farrell has contributed to engineering education through her work in experiential learning, focusing on areas of pharmaceutical, biomedical and food engineering. She has been honored by the American Society of Engineering Education with several teaching awards such as the 2004 National Outstanding Teaching Medal and the 2005 Quinn Award for experiential learning.
Journal of transportation engineering, Nov 1, 1995
The objectives of this engineering investigation were to determine the structural responses of ty... more The objectives of this engineering investigation were to determine the structural responses of typical transit buses under various combinations of seat-belt use and seat type, as well as the changes in these responses from one bus design to the next. To this end, finite-element computer models were developed for two 7.6-m transit buses designed in 1989 and 1992. These models were each analyzed under bus deceleration with full and partial seat-belt use, with seats attached to the bus floor only, and with seats attached to the bus sidewall and floor. The study concluded the following with respect to the structural responses of these typical transit buses to bus deceleration: (1) Maximum member stresses should be lower with full versus partial seat-belt use; (2) maximum member stresses should be higher with wall-mounted versus floor-mounted seats; and (3) small to moderate changes in the number, size, and location of structural members from one bus design to the next can have a substantial impact on the maximum member stresses.
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, Apr 1, 2019
AbstractThe Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department at Rowan University is part of a... more AbstractThe Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department at Rowan University is part of a growing and expanding college at Rowan University. The overwhelming majority of CEE students are wh...
Laboratories have been designed for the ultimate flexibility to serve the new Engineering School ... more Laboratories have been designed for the ultimate flexibility to serve the new Engineering School at Rowan College. A special feature of the new Henry M. Rowan Hall will be flexible laboratory modules that will allow for future modifications. The new engineering programs will be hands-on and team oriented and thus rely heavily on laboratory space to meet program objectives. Several examples of multifunctional laboratory spaces are those that can be utilized for clinic projects, multiple disciplines, teaching/research, and those that accommodate multiple course instruction.
All freshmen engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering experiments a... more All freshmen engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering experiments and calculations through a series of modules in measurements. The primary goal of this course is to expose freshmen engineering students to multidisciplinary projects that teach engineering principles using the theme of engineering measurements in both laboratory and realworld settings. This concept is an inversion of the traditional laboratory curriculum paradigm. The current situation is that freshman programs focus either on a design project or disciplinespecific experiments that may not be cohesively integrated. In real-world settings engineers work in multidisciplinary teams on a variety of complex problems. The fundamental principles of measurement and their application are crucial to the solution of these problems.
All freshmen engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering experiments a... more All freshmen engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering experiments and calculations through a series of integrated laboratories. These laboratories have the student examine the facets of engineering through fabrication, reverse engineering, engineering measurements, experiment and prototype design.
Freshman engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering design through a ... more Freshman engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering design through a series of hands-on engineering laboratories and design projects. The objective is to involve them in incrementally progressive design experiences. For example, students design a modified flashlight switch, a complete flashlight, undertake the design of proof-of-concept experiments, and finish with a system-level design of an environmentally friendly coffee machine. Thus, the freshman design experience at Rowan specifically avoids "gimmicky" competitions and focuses instead on the design of real engineering devices such as flashlights and coffee machines. In order to achieve this focus, freshman students must be exposed to a variety of engineering principles, experimental methods, and design tools not typically encountered at the freshman level. The challenge is to achieve this ambitious focus while maintaining an atmosphere conducive to retention.
This investigation had three primary tasks: 1) to perform laboratory tests to determine the ultim... more This investigation had three primary tasks: 1) to perform laboratory tests to determine the ultimate shear strength capacity of the frame-to-chassis U-bolt connections (both with and without shear tabs) that are used in the 1992 CTS bus design, 2) to develop and analyze computer models of the 7.6-meter version of the 1992 CTS bus to determine the impact of seat belts and seat type on the bus structure, and, 3) to develop and analyze additional computer models of the 7.6-meter version of the 1992 CTS bus to determine the impact of wheelchairs, wheelchair lifts, and wheelchair restraints on the bus structure. This report presents the laboratory test results for the frame-to-chassis connections in the 1992 CTS buses.
The dynamic responses of three deck-type arch bridges, with main spans of 59,213 and 518m, are pr... more The dynamic responses of three deck-type arch bridges, with main spans of 59,213 and 518m, are presented. The ratios of natural period to arch span were found to be quite close for all three bridges. Artificial ground motions were applied separately in three directions to finite-element models of each bridge. Three acceleration levels were considered—0.09g, 0.22g and 0.50g—corresponding to the AASHTO Seismic Risk Zones I, II and III, respectively. Responses to uniform lateral motion were generally the largest, while the responses to vertical motion were generally lower than those due to lateral or longitudinal motion. In all cases considered, none of the total stresses in the main members exceeded the yield stress. Connection and secondary member responses were also calculated and are presented. In addition, the effects of unequal motions at the supports were sampled by various deterministic inputs. While the effects of such motions in the vertical and lateral directions were less than the responses to uniform motion, the effects of unequal longitudinal motions at the supports were substantial.
While there is an overwhelming evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of seat belts in r... more While there is an overwhelming evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of seat belts in reducing the severity of passenger injuries in accidents involving automobiles, very little, if any, is known on the possible safety implications of seat belts on transit buses. The objectives of this work were to assess the possible safety implications of seat belt usage in transit buses relative to reductions of severity of injury resulting from traffic accidents, and to determine if major changes in the structural elements of the bus frame may be warranted to enable the frame to withstand the instantaneous stress build-up resulting from sudden activation of seat belts.
This paper focuses on the innovative use of portable water purification units to introduce concep... more This paper focuses on the innovative use of portable water purification units to introduce concepts of reverse engineering to a freshman class. All engineering students from the four engineering disciplines namely Civil, Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical share a common engineering clinic class. This class is a major hallmark of the Rowan engineering program. The theme of the Freshman Clinic class in the spring semester is reverse engineering of commercial products. Students in teams of four or five spend an entire semester learning about engineering fundamentals such as fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, thermodynamics and engineering materials. They are also exposed to intellectual property rights, safety and ethics, ergonomics and environmental considerations in engineering design.
The research project described in this paper is titled “Rethinking Engineering Diversity, Transfo... more The research project described in this paper is titled “Rethinking Engineering Diversity, Transforming Engineering Diversity (REDTED),” which is part of the National Science Foundation, Revolutionizing Engineering Department (RED) grants. The project is in its first year and therefore what is described in this paper will be a brief overview of the project and some of the work done during the first year. The proposed research is to explore how the representation of women and Underrepresented Minority (URM) students and historically underserved groups will be increased in an engineering department by deploying a multi-pronged approach. Our definition of diverse student populations includes both visible differences such as gender and racial minorities, but also includes invisible differences such as poor, LGBTQ, disabled, veterans, and others. The approach includes curricular and extra-curricular reform, which is targeted at the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department at R...
While there is an overwhelming evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of seat belts in r... more While there is an overwhelming evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of seat belts in reducing the severity of passenger injuries in accidents involving automobiles, very little, if any, is known on the possible safety implications of seat belts in transit buses. The objecyive of this work was to assess the possible safety implications of seat belt usage in transit buses relative to reductions of severity of injury resulting from traffic accidents, and to determine if major changes in the structural elements of the bus frame may be warranted to enable the frame to withstand the instantaneous stress build-up resulting from sudden activation of seat belts. The report includes a thorough review of the state of the art on various aspects of seat belts, including legislation, effectiveness, compliance and enforcement. The results of two comprehensive surveys among major transit operators and bus manufacturers are presented. The development of a computer-based finite element model to study the structural implications of seat belt installation is discussed, along with conclusions from its application.
is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA). ... more is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA). Prior to 2016 she was a faculty member in Chemical Engineering at Rowan for eighteen years. Dr. Farrell has contributed to engineering education through her work in inductive pedagogy, spatial skills, and inclusion and diversity. She has been honored by the American Society of Engineering Education with several teaching awards such as the 2004 National Outstanding Teaching Medal and the 2005 Quinn Award for experiential learning, and she was 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar in Engineering Education at Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland)tephanie Farrell is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA) and was 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar in Engineering Education at Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland).
is Interim Dean of the College of Engineering and Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential En... more is Interim Dean of the College of Engineering and Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA). Dr. Farrell has contributed to engineering education through her work in inductive pedagogy, spatial skills, and inclusion and diversity. She has been honored by the American Society of Engineering Education with several teaching awards such as the 2004 National Outstanding Teaching Medal and the 2005 Quinn Award for experiential learning, and she was 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar in Engineering Education at Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland).
The results of a study funded by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the National Earthquake Ha... more The results of a study funded by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program are presented. The first objective of this study was the development of a database for all 211 highway bridges along I-55 in the New Madrid region of southeastern Missouri. Profiles for five key dimension parameters (which are stored in the database) were developed, and the results for concrete highway bridges are presented. The second objective was to perform field ambient vibration analyses on 25 typical highway bridge spans along the I-55 corridor to determine the fundamental vertical and lateral frequencies of the bridge spans measured. These 25 spans included six reinforced concrete slab spans and two reinforced concrete box-girder spans. The third objective was to use these bridge frequency results in conjunction with the dimension parameters stored in the database to develop empirical formulas for estimating bridge fundamental natural frequencies. These formulas were applied to all 211 Interstate highway bridges in southeastern Missouri. Profiles for both fundamental vertical and lateral frequencies were then developed, and the results for concrete highway bridges are presented.
is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA) a... more is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA) and was 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar in Engineering Education at Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland). From 1998-2016, Stephanie was a faculty member in Chemical Engineering at Rowan. Dr. Farrell has contributed to engineering education through her work in experiential learning, focusing on areas of pharmaceutical, biomedical and food engineering. She has been honored by the American Society of Engineering Education with several teaching awards such as the 2004 National Outstanding Teaching Medal and the 2005 Quinn Award for experiential learning.
Journal of transportation engineering, Nov 1, 1995
The objectives of this engineering investigation were to determine the structural responses of ty... more The objectives of this engineering investigation were to determine the structural responses of typical transit buses under various combinations of seat-belt use and seat type, as well as the changes in these responses from one bus design to the next. To this end, finite-element computer models were developed for two 7.6-m transit buses designed in 1989 and 1992. These models were each analyzed under bus deceleration with full and partial seat-belt use, with seats attached to the bus floor only, and with seats attached to the bus sidewall and floor. The study concluded the following with respect to the structural responses of these typical transit buses to bus deceleration: (1) Maximum member stresses should be lower with full versus partial seat-belt use; (2) maximum member stresses should be higher with wall-mounted versus floor-mounted seats; and (3) small to moderate changes in the number, size, and location of structural members from one bus design to the next can have a substantial impact on the maximum member stresses.
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, Apr 1, 2019
AbstractThe Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department at Rowan University is part of a... more AbstractThe Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department at Rowan University is part of a growing and expanding college at Rowan University. The overwhelming majority of CEE students are wh...
Laboratories have been designed for the ultimate flexibility to serve the new Engineering School ... more Laboratories have been designed for the ultimate flexibility to serve the new Engineering School at Rowan College. A special feature of the new Henry M. Rowan Hall will be flexible laboratory modules that will allow for future modifications. The new engineering programs will be hands-on and team oriented and thus rely heavily on laboratory space to meet program objectives. Several examples of multifunctional laboratory spaces are those that can be utilized for clinic projects, multiple disciplines, teaching/research, and those that accommodate multiple course instruction.
All freshmen engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering experiments a... more All freshmen engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering experiments and calculations through a series of modules in measurements. The primary goal of this course is to expose freshmen engineering students to multidisciplinary projects that teach engineering principles using the theme of engineering measurements in both laboratory and realworld settings. This concept is an inversion of the traditional laboratory curriculum paradigm. The current situation is that freshman programs focus either on a design project or disciplinespecific experiments that may not be cohesively integrated. In real-world settings engineers work in multidisciplinary teams on a variety of complex problems. The fundamental principles of measurement and their application are crucial to the solution of these problems.
All freshmen engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering experiments a... more All freshmen engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering experiments and calculations through a series of integrated laboratories. These laboratories have the student examine the facets of engineering through fabrication, reverse engineering, engineering measurements, experiment and prototype design.
Freshman engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering design through a ... more Freshman engineering students at Rowan University are introduced to engineering design through a series of hands-on engineering laboratories and design projects. The objective is to involve them in incrementally progressive design experiences. For example, students design a modified flashlight switch, a complete flashlight, undertake the design of proof-of-concept experiments, and finish with a system-level design of an environmentally friendly coffee machine. Thus, the freshman design experience at Rowan specifically avoids "gimmicky" competitions and focuses instead on the design of real engineering devices such as flashlights and coffee machines. In order to achieve this focus, freshman students must be exposed to a variety of engineering principles, experimental methods, and design tools not typically encountered at the freshman level. The challenge is to achieve this ambitious focus while maintaining an atmosphere conducive to retention.
This investigation had three primary tasks: 1) to perform laboratory tests to determine the ultim... more This investigation had three primary tasks: 1) to perform laboratory tests to determine the ultimate shear strength capacity of the frame-to-chassis U-bolt connections (both with and without shear tabs) that are used in the 1992 CTS bus design, 2) to develop and analyze computer models of the 7.6-meter version of the 1992 CTS bus to determine the impact of seat belts and seat type on the bus structure, and, 3) to develop and analyze additional computer models of the 7.6-meter version of the 1992 CTS bus to determine the impact of wheelchairs, wheelchair lifts, and wheelchair restraints on the bus structure. This report presents the laboratory test results for the frame-to-chassis connections in the 1992 CTS buses.
The dynamic responses of three deck-type arch bridges, with main spans of 59,213 and 518m, are pr... more The dynamic responses of three deck-type arch bridges, with main spans of 59,213 and 518m, are presented. The ratios of natural period to arch span were found to be quite close for all three bridges. Artificial ground motions were applied separately in three directions to finite-element models of each bridge. Three acceleration levels were considered—0.09g, 0.22g and 0.50g—corresponding to the AASHTO Seismic Risk Zones I, II and III, respectively. Responses to uniform lateral motion were generally the largest, while the responses to vertical motion were generally lower than those due to lateral or longitudinal motion. In all cases considered, none of the total stresses in the main members exceeded the yield stress. Connection and secondary member responses were also calculated and are presented. In addition, the effects of unequal motions at the supports were sampled by various deterministic inputs. While the effects of such motions in the vertical and lateral directions were less than the responses to uniform motion, the effects of unequal longitudinal motions at the supports were substantial.
While there is an overwhelming evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of seat belts in r... more While there is an overwhelming evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of seat belts in reducing the severity of passenger injuries in accidents involving automobiles, very little, if any, is known on the possible safety implications of seat belts on transit buses. The objectives of this work were to assess the possible safety implications of seat belt usage in transit buses relative to reductions of severity of injury resulting from traffic accidents, and to determine if major changes in the structural elements of the bus frame may be warranted to enable the frame to withstand the instantaneous stress build-up resulting from sudden activation of seat belts.
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Papers by Ralph Dusseau