Balanced mix design (BMD) is an alternative concept for designing asphalt mixtures that mainly focuses on performance of mixtures rather than only volumetric analysis. Using this concept, it would be possible to account for the incorporation of recycled asphalt mixtures, warm technology, polymers, rejuvenators, and other foreign additives, as well as external effective factors on the mix design such as environmental effects. This project sought to investigate performance-based methodologies for the asphalt mix design by taking a step to develop a preliminary Nebraska BMD framework. With that, selection of appropriate performance tests, finding a functional laboratory aging protocol, and defining performance test criteria were the main long-term goals developed in this phase of study. To this end, three main types of distresses were taken into consideration (rutting, fatigue cracking, and moisture susceptibility), and a set of performance tests including well-established tests (Hamburg Wheel Track (HWT), Illinois Flexibility Index Test (I-FIT), Tensile Strength Ration (TSR)) and surrogate tests (IDEAL-RT, HT-IDT, G-stability, IDEAL-CT) were selected to capture these distresses on two types of high-performance commonly used asphalt mixtures in Nebraska (SLX and SPR). For the fatigue cracking analysis, long-term aging conditioning was conducted using two common aging protocols (NCHRP 09-54 and NCAT). Three types of data were utilized in this study including laboratory performance test results for the lab-compacted and field core specimens, as well as field data based on pavement surface condition monitoring. The validity of the surrogate performance tests was accomplished not only by correlating the field core results with field condition data, but also with correlating every individual surrogate test result to that of a well-established test. Further, the sensitivity, practicality, cost-effectiveness, and variability of different tests were assessed using statistical

Written by two of the most prolific and respected chemical engineers in the world, this groundbreaking two-volume set is the “new standard” in the industry, offering engineers and students alike the most up-do-date, comprehensive, and state-of-the-art coverage of processes and best practices in the field today. This first new volume in a two-volume set explores and describes integrating new tools for engineering education and practice for better utilization of the existing knowledge on process design. Useful not only for students, professors, scientists and practitioners, especially process, chemical, mechanical and metallurgical engineers, it is also a valuable reference for other engineers, consultants, technicians and scientists concerned about various aspects of industrial design. The text can be considered as a complementary text to process design for senior and graduate students as well as a hands-on reference work or refresher for engineers at entry level. The contents of the book can also be taught in intensive workshops in the oil, gas, petrochemical, biochemical and process industries. The book provides a detailed description and hands-on experience on process design in chemical engineering, and it is an integrated text that focuses on practical design with new tools, such as Excel spreadsheets and UniSim simulation software. Written by two industry and university’s most trustworthy and well-known authors, this book is the new standard in chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and petroleum refining. Covering design, analysis, simulation, integration, and, perhaps most importantly, the practical application of Microsoft Excel-UniSim software, this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of all of the latest developments in the industry. It is a must-have for any engineer or student’s library.

This best-selling text pioneered the comparison of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design. For all three approaches, John W. Creswell and new co-author J. David Creswell include a preliminary consideration of philosophical assumptions, key elements of the research process, a review of the literature, an assessment of the use of theory in research applications, and reflections about the importance of writing and ethics in scholarly inquiry. The Fifth Edition includes more coverage of: epistemological and ontological positioning in relation to the research question and chosen methodology; case study, PAR, visual and online methods in qualitative research; qualitative and quantitative data analysis software; and in quantitative methods more on power analysis to determine sample size, and more coverage of experimental and survey designs; and updated with the latest thinking and research in mixed methods.