Search results for "Structural engineering"
showing 10 items of 1998 documents
Concrete arch bridges built by lattice cantilevers
2013
In this paper a study about concrete arch bridges built by lattice cantilevers is presented. Lattice cantilevers are partial structures composed of deck, arch, piers and provisional steel diagonals, organized as reticular cantilever girders, in order to build arch bridges without the use of centrings, supports or temporary towers. Characteristics of this construction methodology with its variants are explained together with their implications in the erection sequence. Partial elastic scheme method is implemented in order to find initial forces of temporary cables and a forward analysis is carried out to follow the actual sequence of construction, by extending a procedure already applied to …
Phosphorus recovery by struvite crystallization in WWTPs: Influence of the sludge treatment line operation
2010
Phosphorus recovery by struvite (MgNH(4)PO(4).6H(2)O) crystallization is one of the most widely recommended technologies for treating sludge digester liquors especially in wastewater treatments plants (WWTP) with enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). In this paper, phosphorus recovery by struvite crystallization is assessed using the rejected liquors resulting from four different operational strategies of the sludge treatment line. Phosphorus precipitation and recovery efficiencies of between 80-90% and 70-85%, respectively, were achieved in the four experiments. The precipitates formed were mainly struvite, followed by amorphous calcium phosphate and, in some experiments, by calci…
Optimization of the characteristic angles of both front and rear McPherson suspensions on a circular track using multi-body numerical simulation
2009
The research reported in this paper aims to simulate the road-holding of a virtual vehicle using multi-body simulation to estimate both the contact forces between the tyre and ground and the roll motion when cornering. Furthermore, the effect of the characteristic angles on the variation in the forces of the tyre in contact with the ground is studied to determine optimal values for these angles. Emphasis is placed on an average-class vehicle, of which both the external dimensions and mass are chosen appropriately, with a McPherson suspension mounted on both the front and the rear. The characteristic values of the camber and toe-in angles, in both the front and the rear, are optimized for m…
Laboratory Measurements of Flow and Turbulence in Discontinuous Distributions of Ligulate Seagrass
2007
Turbulent flow characteristics were investigated in laboratory flume studies of a ligulate plant canopy interrupted by a gap representing discontinuities observed in seagrass prairies. The reliability of velocity measurements obtained using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter within the canopy was shown using specifically designed experiments. In relatively fast flow (mean velocity 5.5 cm s−1), the mean flow profile was logarithmic above the canopy, had an inflection point near its top, and uniformly low values within it. Within the gap, a recirculation cell formed. Reynolds stress maxima were approximately coincident with the mean flow inflection point. Quadrant analysis revealed an ejection-d…
Determination of Evapotranspiration and Annual Biomass Productivity of a Cactus Pear [Opuntia ficus-indica L. (Mill.)] Orchard in a Semiarid Environm…
2013
A micrometeorological approach based on the surface energy balance was adopted to estimate evapotranspiration fluxes and crop coefficient data from an irrigated cactus pear [Opuntia ficus-indica L. (Mill.)] orchard under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Highfrequency temperature readings were taken above the canopy top to get sensible heat flux values (HSR) using the surface renewal technique. These values were compared against eddy covariance sensible heat fluxes (HEC) for calibration. Latent heat flux (or evapotranspiration, ET) was obtained by solving the daily energy balance equation. Measurements of soil hydraulic components were integrated with the analysis of the surface energy flu…
Construction sequence analysis of long-span cable-stayed bridges
2018
Abstract In cantilever construction of long-span cable-stayed bridges the stressing sequence of stays is fundamental for establishing the final configuration of the bridge. The structural behaviour of these bridges is usually evaluated through a forward staged construction analysis, in which the values of the prestressing forces to be applied to stays are the main unknowns. A unified procedure for determining the initial cable forces and for analyzing the entire sequence is presented here, considering the geometric nonlinearity of stays through the Dischinger equivalent elastic modulus. The target is the simultaneous determination of the initial cable forces with the simulation of the const…
Boundary elements analysis of adhesively bonded piezoelectric active repair
2009
Abstract This paper presents the analysis of active piezoelectric patches for cracked structures by the boundary element method. A two-dimensional boundary integral formulation based on the multidomain technique is used to model cracks and to assemble the multi-layered piezoelectric patches to the host damaged structures. The fracture mechanics behavior of the repaired structures is analyzed for both perfect and imperfect interface between patches and host beams. The imperfect interface, representing the adhesive between two different layers, is modeled by using a “spring model” that involves linear relationships between the interface tractions, in normal and tangential directions, and the …
Numerical and experimental verification of a technique for locating a fatigue crack on beams vibrating under Gaussian excitation
2007
The stationary vibrations of a beam excited by Gaussian noise are strongly affected by the presence of a fatigue crack. Indeed, as soon as the crack arises the system response becomes non-linear due to crack breathing and a non-Gaussian behaviour is encountered. The paper presents both numerical and experimental investigations in order to assess the capability of the non-Gaussianity measures to detect crack presence and position. Monte Carlo method is applied to evaluate in time domain the higher order statistics of a cantilever beam modelled by finite elements. The skewness coefficient of the rotational degrees of freedom appears the most suitable quantity for identification purpose being …
Retrofitting of Existing Steel MR-Frames by Encasing the Columns
2005
Summary The study concerns the behaviour of steel MR-frames subjected to vertical and lateral forces, not properly designed according to capacity design criteria, and upgraded by means of encasing the steel columns with concrete having different grade. The purpose of the paper is to examine if the proposed technique allows one to adequately increase the lateral stiffness and the resistance of the frames. Pushover analyses on multi-storey frames are performed trough a non-linear calculus program, able to take into account of the second order effects. The behaviour of frames with encased columns was compared with those of the bare frames, highlighting that with the proposed technique it is po…
A novel thermoeconomic analysis under dynamic operating conditions for space heating and cooling systems
2019
Abstract Thermoeconomic analysis allows for a deep understanding of the cost formation process within an energy system, providing insights into the possible routes for improvement. Several thermoeconomic approaches are well-established for application in systems with steady operating conditions, such as power plants, while a limited number of applications to air-conditioning systems in buildings have been proposed, due to the difficulties in dealing with very irregular load profiles and unsteady plant operating conditions. This study investigates the potential of Thermoeconomics as a support for decision making in building energy systems, proving its capability to identify trade-offs betwee…