Search results for " Structural"
showing 10 items of 1751 documents
Strengthening of steel-reinforced concrete structural elements by externally bonded FRP sheets and evaluation of their load carrying capacity
2014
Abstract The paper proposes a preliminary design tool for reinforced concrete (RC) elements strengthened by fiber-reinforced-polymer (FRP) sheets to be used in civil engineering applications and in particular in medical buildings. The design strategy is based on limit analysis theory and utilizes a numerical procedure which provides a direct method to determine peak load, failure mode and critical zones of the structural elements of interest.
Monte Carlo simulation for the response analysis of long-span suspended cables under wind loads
2004
This paper presents a time-domain approach for analyzing nonlinear random vibrations of long-span suspended cables under transversal wind. A consistent continuous model of the cable, fully accounting for geometrical nonlinearities inherent in cable behavior, is adopted. The effects of spatial correlation are properly included by modeling wind velocity fluctuation as a random function of time and of a single spatial variable ranging over cable span, namely as a one-variate bi-dimensional (1V-2D) random field. Within the context of a Galerkin`s discretization of the equations governing cable motion, a very efficient Monte Carlo-based technique for second-order analysis of the response is prop…
Thermo-mechanical post-buckling analysis of variable angle tow composite plate assemblies
2017
peer-reviewed The increasing use of composite materials for lightweight structural applications and the extended tailoring capabilities offered by variable stiffness laminates requires rapid and robust analysis tools that adequately describe the mechanical behaviour of such structures. In this work, a Rayleigh–Ritz solution for generally restrained multilayered stiffened variable angle tow plates in the post-buckling regime is presented. The plate model is based on first-order shear deformation theory and accounts for geometrical nonlinearity through von Kármán’s assumptions. General symmetric and unsymmetric stacking sequences are considered and Legendre orthogonal polynomials are employed…
Rear-view mirror use, driver alertness and road type: An empirical study using EEG measures
2006
Abstract The use of rear-view mirrors has been suggested as a good behavioural indicator of driver alertness in traffic situations (Brookhuis, K. A., De Vries, G., & De Waard, D. (1991). The effects of mobile telephoning on driving performance. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 23 (4), 309–316). In general terms, drivers look in the mirrors to find information and adapt their driving to traffic variations. This paper aims to analyse the links between time variations in alertness—measured from EEG activity data—and the frequency of rear-view mirror use in a group of drivers, both on motorways and conventional roads. The results point to a direct relationship between alertness level and mirro…
Combining TMD and TLCD: analytical and experimental studies
2017
Abstract In these years several research efforts have been focused on developing efficient and reliable control devices for mitigating the structural response of tall and lightly damped buildings in case of strong dynamic excitations, such as wind and earthquake ones. In this context, Tuned Mass Dampers (TMDs) represent probably the most common control device due to their high control performances. On the other hand, Tuned Liquid Column Dampers (TLCDs) are increasingly becoming more popular because of some of their attractive features, cost-effectiveness among the others, even though they yield slightly less control performance compared to the classical TMDs. Aiming at combining the benefic…
Effect of climate change on asphalt binder selection for road construction in Italy
2015
This work explores the influence of climate changes on the proper selection of asphalt binder for pavement construction purposes, according to the Performance Grade (PG) defined in the SUPERPAVE specifications. Based on temperature data at national level, it is possible to obtain thematic maps for the whole Italian territory, which is extremely useful for technicians and pavement engineers for selection of asphalt binder for road construction purposes. Furthermore, the statistical significant temperature trends’ knowledge enables deriving thematic maps which allows to include the effects of climate change in the asphalt binder design. It is argued that, due to climate change, the binders to…
Exploring the Potential and the Boundaries of the Rolling Horizon Technique for the Management of Reservoir Systems with over-Year Behaviour
2016
The paper presents a set of experiments on the Rolling Horizon Technique (RHT), applied to the management of a multi-reservoir, multipurpose water resources system with over-year behaviour. In the RHT, decisions on releases from reservoirs are taken for a number of time steps ahead (the Forecasting Horizon – FH) through an optimization model, based on the present water availability in reservoirs and on some forecasts of future inflows over the FH. Only the decision concerning the first time step (the current month) is then implemented, as new information on reservoir levels and forecasts becomes available so that the process can start again with updated information. The paper investigates h…
Life cycle assessment of large scale timber bridges: A case study from the world’s longest timber bridge design in Norway
2018
Abstract This paper seeks to use life cycle assessment to investigate the comparative environmental impacts of two proposed bridge designs for the new Mjosa Bridge over Lake Mjosa in Norway. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has designed one timber and one concrete alternative for the 1650 m 4-lane highway bridge. If the timber bridge design is chosen, it will be the longest timber bridge in the world once constructed. The main motivation for building the timber bridge is to utilize local industry and to reduce environmental impacts in road infrastructure. This study aims to determine the expected emissions from both construction designs by using life cycle assessment. Life cycle as…
Structural behavior of the old masonry bridge in the Gulf of Castellammare
2016
Abstract Masonry arch bridges represent a very significant part of the heritage of road and railway artworks all over the word and especially in the Mediterranean area, both in terms of: numbers; reduced environmental impact; and static efficiency. In these cases, the cost of maintenance is often limited to the content and channeling of surface water and control of vegetation, which can eventually take root on the joints of the masonry at the shoulders. In masonry bridges, there are no expansion joints or hinges with support equipment or trolleys, as in metal bridges and reinforced concrete ones, or paint, or resin surface protection, all items that affect the cost of maintenance. The perma…
Agrigento Cathedral
2015
At present Agrigento Cathedral is affected by extensive damage that seems to be mainly due to partial slumping of the foundation soil. The chapter deals with the state of damage that affects the cathedral and the investigation carried out for the mechanical characterization of the construction, the formulation of an FE model and the assessment of the safety level with respect to the service loads and with respect to exceptional loads like seismic ones. In the chapter the details of the above investigation are discussed, consideration also being given to the monitoring carried out in order to understand whether the phenomenon affecting the cathedral is ongoing. The results of the monitoring …