Search results for "Structural engineering"
showing 10 items of 1998 documents
Optimization of Osmotic Desalination Plants for Water Supply Networks
2016
Water scarcity and the poor quality of water resources are leading to a wider diffusion of desalination plants using the Reverse Osmosis (RO) process. Unfortunately, the cost of a cubic meter of fresh water produced by an RO plants is still high and many efforts are in progress to increase the efficiency of the membranes used in osmotic plants and to limit the energy required by the process. A further reduction of the energy cost could be obtained by an optimal operation of the desalination plant so reducing the hourly energy cost, or by coupling the RO plant with an energy production plant based on direct osmosis (Pressure Retarded Osmosis PRO). The economic viability of the desalination p…
Comparison of different uncertainty techniques in urban stormwater quantity and quality modelling
2011
Abstract Urban drainage models are important tools used by both practitioners and scientists in the field of stormwater management. These models are often conceptual and usually require calibration using local datasets. The quantification of the uncertainty associated with the models is a must, although it is rarely practiced. The International Working Group on Data and Models, which works under the IWA/IAHR Joint Committee on Urban Drainage, has been working on the development of a framework for defining and assessing uncertainties in the field of urban drainage modelling. A part of that work is the assessment and comparison of different techniques generally used in the uncertainty assessm…
Experimental test results vs. analytical prediction of welded joint strength in hybrid steel trussed concrete beams (HSTCBs)
2013
The aim of the paper is to provide practical guidelines for the design of welded joints of steel truss for encased composite steel–concrete beams. The results of experimental tests are presented and interpreted. The steel truss is made of a steel plate acting as the bottom chord, made of S355 structural steel, coupled with steel rebars which form the upper chord, and steel inclined web rebars (V-reverse) welded to the two chord elements, both of them made of steel B450C. Butt welded joints of web bar to bottom steel plate and fillet welding joints of inclined web bars to top chord bars were tested, as they are different from the ones which are normally used due to the coupling of different …
Hardware-in-the-loop implementation for an active heave compensated drawworks
2012
Published version of an article published in the journal: Central European Journal of Engineering. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/s13531-011-0062-1 This paper presents the setup and running of a hardware-in-loop (HIL) simulation for an active heave compensated (AHC) draw-works. A simulation model of the draw-works is executed on a PC to simulate the AHC draw-works with a physical PLC. The PLC (ET200S) is configured with a controller architecture that regulates the motor angular displacement and velocity through actuation of the servo valves. Furthermore, a graphical user interface is developed for operation of the AHC system. The HIL test allowed tuning of t…
Erratum to “A fuzzy logic approach to modeling a vehicle crash test” by W. Pawlus, H. Reza, K. G. Robbersmyr
2013
Abstract The original version of the article was published in Central European Journal of Engineering 3, 67–79 (2013), DOI: 10.2478/s13531-012-0032-2. Unfortunately, the original version of this article contains a mistake in Figure 17. Here we display the corrected version of this figure.
Air quality and relative humidity in commercial aircrafts: an experimental investigation on short-haul domestic flights
2013
Abstract Nowadays the achievement of a comfortable environment in aircraft cabins is a factor of paramount importance in air travel business competition; on the other hand, the need of reducing the propulsion fuel cost has driven the airline companies to adopt air handling systems that may reduce the levels of thermal comfort and air quality inside the cabins of commercial airliners. With the aim of contributing to a better knowledge of this matter, this paper reports the results of an experimental study upon the indoor air quality aboard commercial aircrafts for 14 domestic flights less than 1 h and half long. The parameters monitored were temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide …
Mismatches between objective parameters and measured perception assessment in room acoustics: a holistic approach
2014
Psychoacoustic research in the field of concert halls has revealed that many aspects concerning listening perception have yet to be totally understood. On the one hand, the objective room acoustics of performance spaces are reflected in parameters, some standardized and some not, but these are related to a limited number of perceptual attributes of human response. In general, these objective parameters cannot accurately describe the acoustic details due to their inherent simplification. Under these premises, impulse responses (576 receivers) are measured in 16 concert halls, according to standard procedures, and the perception and satisfaction of the occupants of the rooms are evaluated by …
Adjustable prestressing for construction stages of incrementally launched bridges
2014
Incrementally launched bridges, which are generally built with the static scheme of a continuous beam on supports, change their scheme several times during launching. In these different configurations, internal forces vary and bending moments of opposite signs occur in the same sections for different positions of deck during advancement. In these bridges, two different kinds of prestressing are necessary: a temporary one during launching and a definitive one in service life. In this study, the possibility of implementing automatic adjustable prestressing for the launching stages is investigated; the launch prestressing is partially supplied by a system which can change the tension value in …
Lighting in educational environments: An example of a complete analysis of the effects of daylight and electric light on occupants
2013
Abstract Light induces not only visual responses but also non-visual effects, indeed it affects performance, mood, attention and influences the synchronization of the biological clock. Duration, timing, intensity and the spectral power distribution of the light that reaches the eyes can have influence on human circadian rhythm and consequently on health. Given the important impact of the non-visual responses on people wellbeing, developing a model that allows lighting designers to predict them is a fundamental goal. In this paper a case study is reported: a series of measurements were carried out in a University classroom in order to study daylight and electric light characteristics and als…
A fuzzy logic approach to modeling a vehicle crash test
2013
Published version of an article in the journal: Central European Journal of Engineering. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/s13531-012-0032-2 This paper presents an application of fuzzy approach to vehicle crash modeling. A typical vehicle to pole collision is described and kinematics of a car involved in this type of crash event is thoroughly characterized. The basics of fuzzy set theory and modeling principles based on fuzzy logic approach are presented. In particular, exceptional attention is paid to explain the methodology of creation of a fuzzy model of a vehicle collision. Furthermore, the simulation results are presented and compared to the original vehic…