Search results for " technologies."
showing 10 items of 2689 documents
The shear strength of Opalinus Clay shale in the remoulded state
2020
Abstract The Opalinus Clay shale formation is considered as a potential host geomaterial for the Swiss deep geological repository for radioactive waste. It presents different facies and it is characterised by a multi-scale heterogeneous composition, by a typical fissile structure with well-defined bedding planes and by anisotropic hydro-mechanical behaviour. This peculiar complexity makes it difficult to assign a unique set of geomechanical parameters to the material. This paper presents an experimental study aimed at characterising the lowest values of the shear strength parameters. In this sense, the shear behaviour was investigated on remoulded samples where the fabric and the diagenetic…
Transformation of Construction Cement to a Self-Healing Hybrid Binder
2019
A new biomimetic strategy to im prove the self-healing properties of Portland cement is presented that is based on the application of the biogenic inorganic polymer polyphosphate (polyP), which is used as a cement admixture. The data show that synthetic linear polyp, with an average chain length of 40, as well as natural long-chain polyP isolated from soil bacteria, has the ability to support self-healing of this construction material. Furthermore, polyP, used as a water-soluble Na-salt, is subject to Na+/Ca2+ exchange by the Ca2+ from the cement, resulting in the formation of a water-rich coacervate when added to the cement surface, especially to the surface of bacteria-containing cement/c…
Nonlinear statistical retrieval of surface emissivity from IASI data
2017
Emissivity is one of the most important parameters to improve the determination of the troposphere properties (thermodynamic properties, aerosols and trace gases concentration) and it is essential to estimate the radiative budget. With the second generation of infrared sounders, we can estimate emissivity spectra at high spectral resolution, which gives us a global view and long-term monitoring of continental surfaces. Statistically, this is an ill-posed retrieval problem, with as many output variables as inputs. We here propose nonlinear multi-output statistical regression based on kernel methods to estimate spectral emissivity given the radiances. Kernel methods can cope with high-dimensi…
Unexplored alternative use of calcareous sludge from the paper-pulp industry in green geopolymer construction materials
2020
Abstract Calcareous sludge is an alkaline waste produced by the paper pulp industry that is commonly disposed of in land-fill. However, recent studies and the European regulations discourage such practice. This work investigates an alternative and innovative way to recycle and reuse this waste, as filler, in the production of green geopolymeric mortars intended for applications in construction. This is the first time that this calcareous sludge is used to produce novel waste-based materials, in both construction and geopolymer technology. The novel alkali-activated mortar also uses biomass fly ash – another slightly investigated waste stream – to substitute the metakaolin (70 wt% substituti…
Onset of cohesion in cement paste
2004
It is generally agreed that the cohesion of cement paste occurs through the formation of a network of nanoparticles of a calcium-silicate-hydrate ("C-S-H"). However, the mechanism by which these particles develop this cohesion has not been established. Here we propose a dielectric continuum model which includes all ionic interactions within a dispersion of C-S-H particles. It takes into account all co-ions and counterions explicitly (with pure Coulomb interactions between ions and between ions and the surfaces) and makes no further assumptions concerning their hydration or their interactions with the surface sites. At high surface charge densities, the model shows that the surface charge of…
Damage identification of a jacket support structure for offshore wind turbines
2020
Offshore jacket structures are regarded as a suitable type of support structure for offshore wind turbines in immediate water depths. Because of the welded tubular members used and environmental conditions, offshore jackets are often subjected to fatigue damages during their service life. Underwater sensors can provide measurements of the structural vibration signals and provide an efficient way to detect damages at early stages. In this work, simplified forms of the damages are assumed, random damages are imposed on the jacket structure, and damaged indicators are established from combination of modal shapes. Then, a response surface is constructed mapping the damage indicators and damages…
Outward Investments and Productivity: Evidence from European Regions
2016
Castellani D. and Pieri F. Outward investments and productivity: evidence from European regions, Regional Studies. Using a novel data set on international investment projects, this paper builds measures of outward foreign direct investments (FDIs) for 262 regions of the European Union. This allows as estimation to be made of regressions of productivity growth over the 2007–11 period as a function of the number of FDIs. The number of outward FDIs in manufacturing activities is negatively associated with productivity growth in the home region, but investments in sales, distribution and marketing are associated with a boost in local productivity. This is driven especially by investments toward…
A numerical model for pre-monitoring design of historical colonnade courtyards: The case study of chiaramonte palace in palermo
2016
This paper proposes a numerical model that can be used for theoretical and experimental dynamic characterization of historical colonnade courtyards. Such an architectural element appears often in buildings of historical heritage and, especially under seismic excitation, it represents the most vulnerable structural part. Therefore, it is very important to have reliable as well as simple models available for vulnerability analysis, to evaluate different reinforcing systems if needed, or to plan dynamic characterization tests or monitoring campaigns, as in the present case. Chiaramonte Palace, a wonderful example of the historical heritage of Palermo, is investigated as case study. Firstly, a …
The impact of the volumetric swelling behavior on the water uptake of gas shale
2018
Abstract Water uptake of gas shales is commonly considered one of the most important factors responsible for fluid loss during flowback operations after hydraulic fracturing. Imbibition experiments cover a key role in this context to analyze the impact of several factors (such as mineralogical composition, fluids composition, anisotropic structure, volumetric swelling) that contribute to the water uptake in these unconventional reservoirs. The aim of this study is the quantification of the impact of the volumetric response (swelling and shrinkage) of gas shales on the water uptake during imbibition and desiccation processes. An experimental methodology to quantify the volumetric response du…
Practical Calculation Models for Column Footing and Comparison with Experimental Data
2017
In this paper, a simplified calculation model for the prediction of the load-carrying capacity of an RC column footing with a square cross section is presented. A detailed background of available experimental data and existing models for the prediction of the load-carrying capacity of slender and deep footings is presented. Cases of flexural failure and punching shear failures for slender footing and concrete strut crushing and tie yielding in deep members are analyzed. The aim of the paper is to propose a simple design formula for slender and deep footing verified by available experimental data and in agreement with other existing expressions. Expressions of the maximum mechanical ratio of…