Search results for "Civil engineering"
showing 10 items of 1216 documents
SiPM as miniaturised optical biosensor for DNA-microarray applications
2015
A miniaturized optical biosensor for low-level fluorescence emitted by DNA strands labelled with CY5 is showed. Aim of this work is to demonstrate that a Si-based photodetector, having a low noise and a high sensitivity, can replace traditional detection systems in DNA-microarray applications. The photodetector used is a photomultiplier (SiPM), with 25 pixels. It exhibits a higher sensitivity than commercial optical readers and we experimentally found a detection limit for spotted dried samples of ∼1 nM. We measured the fluorescence signal in different operating conditions (angle of analysis, fluorophores concentrations, solution volumes and support). Once fixed the angle of analysis, for s…
Combined proton NMR wideline and NMR relaxometry to study SOM-water interactions of cation-treated soils
2013
Abstract Focusing on the idea that multivalent cations affect SOM matrix and surface, we treated peat and soil samples by solutions of NaCl, CaCl2 or AlCl3. Water binding was characterized with low field 1H-NMR-relaxometry (20 MHz) and 1H wideline NMR spectroscopy (400 MHz) and compared to contact angles. From 1H wideline, we distinguished mobile water and water involved in water molecule bridges (WaMB). Large part of cation bridges (CaB) between SOM functional groups are associated with WaMB. Unexpectedly, 1H NMRrelaxometry relaxation rates suggest that cross-linking in the Al-containing peat is not stronger than that by Ca. The relation between percentage of mobile water and WaMB water in…
Microstructural analysis (Voigt function method) of mullite in whiteware triaxial porcelains
2020
Triaxial porcelains were produced of two whiteware blends containing kaolin B (of “high-crystallinity” kaolinite) or halloysitic kaolin M (also with “low-crystallinity” kaolinite) in two different industrial firing cycles (fast or slow) with final temperatures 1270 °C, 1300 °C, 1320 °C and 1340 °C. The crystalline microstructure of mullite in all porcelain samples was studied by X-ray diffraction through analysing 110 and 001 reflections using the Voigt function method and by optical and electron microscopy. Mean crystallite sizes were determined independently for both 110 and 001 diffraction directions as principal semi-quantitative characteristics for all sixteen specimens. They illustrat…
Experimental Study Regarding PA and PE Sheets on Single Point Incremental Forming Process
2021
The present paper aims to present an experimental study on the behaviour of PA and PE sheets during the single point incremental forming. Due to the fact that the purpose of this research is to study the behaviour of PA and PE sheets during the single point incremental process both in terms of process forces and in terms of major and minor strain and thickness reduction, a Kuka Kr210 robot was chosen as an alternative to using a universal milling machine. The specimens were made of 3 mm PA and PE sheets. The size of the sheets was 250 mm x 250 mm. The forces measured on the three directions of the coordinate axes were compared. To measure the major strain, minor strain and thickness reducti…
Mechanical Behavior of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Beams Bonded with External Carbon Fiber Sheets
2017
This study investigates the mechanical behavior of steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams internally reinforced with steel bars and externally bonded with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets fixed by adhesive and hybrid jointing techniques. In particular, attention is paid to the load resistance and failure modes of composite beams. The steel fibers were used to avoiding the rip-off failure of the concrete cover. The CFRP sheets were fixed to the concrete surface by epoxy adhesive as well as combined with various configurations of small-diameter steel pins for mechanical fastening to form a hybrid connection. Such hybrid jointing techniques were found to be particularly adva…
Experimental application of digital image correlation for the tensile characterization of basalt FRCM composites
2021
Abstract Composites made with inorganic matrix, namely fabric reinforced cementitious mortar (FRCM) composites are becoming widespread as strengthening materials for existing masonry structures. These composites are made of a dry grid of fibres embedded in an inorganic matrix. FRCMs can be considered a valid alternative to traditional organic composites such as fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs) because of their better compatibility with the masonry support. This work presents an experimental study for the tensile characterization of a basalt fabric reinforced cementitious mortar (BFRCM) composite. Tensile tests were carried out on coupons reinforced with one, two or three layers of grid to i…
ETP/GDOP Behavior Study for N-Sensors Arrays ina Multilateration Radar System
2009
In this paper, we evaluated the ETP (Expected Theoretical Precision) and GDOP (Geometric Dilution Of Precision) enhancement related to the number of sensors in a Multilateration radar system. An introduction about the principles of the Multilateration radar system basis operation is described, then, the formulation for evaluation the ETP/GDOP of the 3D positioning is shown. We observed that the ETP and GDOP enhance with the increase of the number of sensors. A substantial improvement was obtained until nine sensors but, for more sensors that improvement is reduced. Results for a 75km×75km area are shown, including LAM (Local Area Multilateration) and WAM (Wide Area Multilateration) settings…
Ultrasonic Guided Waves-Based Monitoring of Rail Head: Laboratory and Field Tests
2010
Recent train accidents have reaffirmed the need for developing a rail defect detection system more effective than that currently used. One of the most promising techniques in rail inspection is the use of ultrasonic guided waves and noncontact probes. A rail inspection prototype based on these concepts and devoted to the automatic damage detection of defects in rail head is the focus of this paper. The prototype includes an algorithm based on wavelet transform and outlier analysis. The discrete wavelet transform is utilized to denoise ultrasonic signals and to generate a set of relevant damage sensitive data. These data are combined into a damage index vector fed to an unsupervised learning…
The role of an innovative disinfection system based on silver and hydrogen peroxide in infection prevention
2021
Due to the current pandemic situation caused by SARS-CoV-2 the need of effective precautionary methods is increasing. Besides the transmission of this virus by aerosols induced to air, it is assumed that the transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 is mainly by contaminated surfaces. It has been demonstrated that viruses can contaminate dry surfaces and can be further transmitted to the host even after extended time. The amount of disinfection and hygiene systems has increased drastically over the recent year. Although, the conventional disinfection method via spraying and wiping is labour intensive and efficacy is dependent on the application. Aim of this study was to improve conventional disinfec…
Targeted steel frames by means of innovative moment resisting connections
2021
Abstract The present paper proposes the use of stepped cross section devices on steel frames aiming at reproducing a pre-established target push-over curve. To this aim a Limited Resistance Plastic Device (LRPD) to be inserted along selected structural members is proposed. The following two main specific features for LRPD are required: any elastic flexural stiffness variation of the original selected member must be avoided; an ultimate plastic bending moment value equal to an assigned percentage of the original limit resistance value must be ensured. Steel frames equipped with LRPD are modeled by means of an extension of a recently proposed Fibre Smart Displacement Based (FSDB) beam element…