Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2000-2025
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://theses-dissertations.princeton.edu/handle/88435/dsp014m90dv552
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Browsing Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2000-2025 by Author "Hackl, Jurgen"
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Balancing Enjoyment and Efficiency: Sensory Cognizant Queueing in the Happiest Place on Earth
(2025-04-14) Michicich, Morgan M.; Shkuda, Aaron Peter; Hackl, JurgenThe aim of this project is to create a queueing framework to be implemented in Walt Disney World that maximizes guest enjoyment and efficiency of movement, while also taking into consideration sensory needs of guests with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). To achieve these goals, this project explores the idea of a “second story” being added to Disney World in the form of queueing spaces to both maximize perceived efficiency and utilize verticality that is currently being wasted. The results from this research include observations from spatial ethnography conducted in Disney World, survey data regarding queueing systems in general and in Disney World, and a framework for a queueing system that meets all of the requirements for efficiency, enjoyment, and accessibility as defined by the survey and spatial ethnography. Drawings of two queueing systems that implement this framework are included to better conceptualize how these queues fit into the space, as well as a representative structural analysis of the typical building an attraction queue adhering to this frame- work would be housed in. This new queueing framework, if implemented and found successful, could be replicated in other facets of life to improve queueing experience for all people, regardless of ability.
Weathering the Storm: How Network Design Shapes Airline Resilience in Extreme Weather
(2025-04-14) Blohm, Emeline B.; Hackl, JurgenExtreme weather events pose significant challenges to the reliability and efficiency of commercial air travel in the United States. As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of these events, it is essential to understand how airline networks are able to manage their responses and which structural features improve operational resilience. This thesis investigates the impact of Hurricane Helene (September 2024) on U.S. airline operations by modeling airline networks as graphs and analyzing changes in flight activity and connectivity.
Using historic flight data from Flightradar24, the study compares airline networks during a control period and during Hurricane Helene, quantifying disruptions through changes in flight volume and network structure. Airline performance is evaluated using both standard centrality metrics and measures such as percent change in number of flights and network distance, a measure of the dissimilarity edge structure between two networks. Additionally, a series of ridge regressions are performed across different scales to assess how airline-specific structural characteristics, including number of destinations, number of routes, number of hubs, low-cost status, and partnership status, relate to observed changes in performance.
The findings reveal that network disruptions were uneven across airlines, and that structural features such as redundancy, connectivity, and decentralized operations contributed to greater performance. Airlines with more routes and without extensive partnerships tended to perform better during Hurricane Helene. The study also finds that the effects of the hurricane propagated beyond directly impacted areas, influencing distant parts of the network. The results highlight the importance of network design in disruption management and support the use of network science as a practical tool for understanding and improving airline robustness and resilience. This case study provides a foundation for integrating empirical data with theoretical models to inform strategic planning in aviation systems.