In spring 2023, two engineering students from Jönköping University collaborated with GBJ Bygg Jönköping to investigate the impact of moisture on cross-laminated timber (CLT) and its drying process. The study aimed to identify potential issues, damages, and propose mitigation methods. Through measurements and investigations, this study generated in-depth knowledge of moisture effects on CLT, ensuring proper material handling to avoid long-term negative consequences.The methodology involved quantitative investigations to obtain credible results. Experiments simulated the application of wet macadam on a CLT floor slab in a natural environment to measure time to reach an acceptable moisture content. Collaboration with GBJ Bygg provided access to information, materials, and simulation facilities. Two tests were conducted: immediate construction after placing washed macadam and a 9-day drying period before reconstruction. Results showed that direct macadam application led to high timber moisture content, while drying according to industry recommendations resulted in low moisture content without negative consequences. The drying process varied depending on reconstruction timing, and methods like extending macadam drying time were proposed to reduce damages and shorten the drying period.The discussion of results demonstrated data relevance with limited room for misinterpretation. However, the study's time frame limited complete results, and the lack of prior research on timber drying affected connections to previous studies. The clearest answer came from the 9-day drying test, showing a decrease in moisture content. Some measured values deviated, possibly due to measurement errors. Facility climate and construction execution posed potential error sources. Despite limitations, the experiment effectively addressed the study's purpose and research questions.

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Parkour är i grunden en konstform som kan utövas i olika miljöer oavsett om det är på enparkouranläggning eller på offentliga platser. Att utföra parkour är konsten att hitta och använda föremålsom hinder eller hjälpmedel för träning och för att utveckla rörelser. Aktiviteten går ut på ta sig frånpunkt A till punkt B på det snabbaste, smidigaste och effektivaste sättet. Bortsett från att parkour idaganses som en laglig idrottslig aktivitet anses den fortfarande som en typ av vandalism. Vad kan det beropå? Det beror främst på att en del parkourister väljer att utföra parkour på offentliga platser istället förspecifikt anpassade platser. Vad är anledningen att välja offentliga platser? Problemet att utföra parkour på specifikt anpassade platser är att de antingen inte är anpassade till enstörre målgrupp eller så är de ensidiga och saknar variation. Med det sagt begränsas aktiviteten till attendast enstaka förmågor kan testas. Projektering av en tvåplans parkourbyggnad i betong med öppningi bjälklaget är ytterligare ett sätt att testa en förmåga inom aktiviteten. Att utföra en sådan byggnad medrätt redskap, utformning och konstruktionslösningar krävde därför vägledning från en arkitekt och enkonstruktör. I rapporten redovisas olika typer av stomplan och studier bakom förstärkningsåtgärder vid öppning ibjälklag, för att besvara frågan: hur kan en öppning förstärkas om den saknar stöd i närheten? Val avstomplan och förstärkningsmetod har tagit hänsyn till dimensionering för böjande moment, men ävenatt projektet handlar om nyproduktion och estetiska aspekter som examensarbetet grundar sig på. Äventekniska och ekonomiska synpunkter är avgörande faktorer för valet. Tre stomplaner analyserades, men endast en stomplan valdes ut för vidare undersökning. Underarbetsgången behandlas olika förstärkningsmetoder som förstärkning med krage i form av armering ochförstärkning för fri kant. Förutom studie av förstärkningsmetoder dimensionerades betongplattan i olikatjocklekar med hänsyn till armeringsbehov. Rapporten grundades på ett finita elementprogram, FEM-Design 3D Structure, som användes förframtagning av moment och tvärkraft för olika modeller. För att underlätta arbetet gjordes ett flertalförenklingar som raka väggar vid hörn, hålet betraktas som rektangulärt, hinder/väggar på plattantolkades som laster m.m. Målet med förenklingar var att minska felmarginal som uppkommer i finitaelementmodell som sedan påverkar resultatet. Den slutsats som kan dras från resultat i FEM-Design, var att öppningen sänkte moment i plattan. Detberodde på att med en projekterad öppning kunde plattan delas upp i två mindre spännvidder. Vidareeftersträvades en förstärkningsåtgärd som inriktas till att förstyva plattan vid de kritiska områden ochsamtidigt uppfylla kraven som examensarbetet grundar sig på. Resultatet visade att det går åt mindrearmering för att öka momentkapacitet än för att minska på dimensionerande moment. Det betyder attdet blir mer ekonomiskt att åstadkomma en högre bärförmåga genom att höja momentkapaciteten än attminska dimensionerande moment med olika förstärkningsmetoder. Det som uppvisade bäst resultat var“stomplan 2” och användning av finita elementstorlek 0,15 m. Med analys av armering m.h.t. plattansolika tjocklekar kunde tjockleken 325 mm säkerställas och valet av 300 mm med förstärkning för frikant kunde visas som det bästa alternativet av de undersökta plattorna. / In general parkour is a form of art that can be performed in many different locations such as parkourparks or public places. The art of parkour is to find and use different objects as obstacles or as asupplement for training and development of different moves. Despite the fact that parkour is a legalactivity, it is still considered to be a type of vandalism. What is the reason for that? It is due to the factthat practitioners of parkour prefer to exercise in public places rather than limiting themselves inspecifically designed ones. Why do practitioners opt for exercising in public places? Firstly, the problem with those places is that they are not adapted for adults or they are ill-equipped andlack variation. Therefore, an activity gets limited because only a few abilities can be worked on.Designing a two-story concrete building intended for parkour with a floor opening is another way totest ability to parkour. In order to design that kind of building with the right appliance, shape andconstructive solutions, assistance from an architect and a constructor is required. This report shows different types of frameworks and studies behind strengthening solutions for a flooropening to find an answer for the following question: how can a floor opening be strengthened withouthaving the support for it in close proximity? Decisions of the framework and strengthening method areprimarily considered by bending moment, but also new productions and aesthetics of the building, whatthis dissertation is based on. The technical and economical aspects are also important for this decision. Three frameworks are analyzed, however only one of them will be chosen for further analysis. Theworking process shows various strengthening methods, for example strengthening by reinforcing theshape of the collar and strengthening the free edges. In addition to the study of strengthening methodsfor the floor opening, the concrete slab is analyzed in different thicknesses by considering the need ofthe reinforcements. The design is based on a finite element software FEM-Design 3D Structure that was used for calculationof moment and shear forces. Some simplifications were made to lighten the work. For example, straightwalls in the corners, floor opening was considered as a square, obstacles/walls on the slab wereinterpreted as a load, and many more. The aim of the simplifications is to reduce the room for errors inthe finite element model which has a potential to affect the results later on. The conclusion on the outcome of the models in FEM-design was that the opening reduces moment inthe slab. As a result of a projected opening, the slab was separated into two smaller spans. It furtherrequired a strengthening method to increase stiffness in the critical area and at the same time archivethe criterium for this dissertation. The results have shown that it requires less reinforcement byincreasing moment of resistance than reducing dimensioning moment on slab. That means that it ismore economical to increase the moment of resistance than to increase stiffness around opening withdifferent strengthening methods. Framework No.2 and usage of mesh size 0,15 m have shown the bestresults in this report. Analysis of reinforcement based on slab thickness gave a result of 325 mm whichled to a choice of slab 300 mm with reinforcement for free edges as the best alternative.

The presented research examined three areas: best practices in high quality dynamic testing of in-situ floor systems, extensive dynamic testing of three bare (non-fit out) in-situ multi-bay steel composite floors to estimate their dynamic parameters/response and to identify trends in dynamic behavior, and development of a set of fundamental finite element (FE) modeling techniques to adequately represent the dynamic response of steel composite floors for the purpose of evaluating vibration serviceability. The measurement, analysis, and computation of a floor's accelerance frequency response function (FRF) is the core premise linking all areas of the presented research. The burst chirp signal using an electrodynamic shaker is recommended as the most accurate and consistent source of excitation for acquiring high quality measurements suitable for use in parameter estimation, operating deflection shape animation, and calibration/validation of FE models. A reduced mid-bay testing scheme is recommended as a time-saving alternative to modal testing over a full coverage area, provided the only desired estimated parameters are frequencies, damping, and mid-bay acceleration response. Accelerance FRFs were measured with an electrodynamic shaker located within 23 unique bays on the three tested floors. Dominant frequencies ranged from 4.85 Hz to 9 Hz and measured estimates of damping varied considerably, ranging from 0.44% to 2.4% of critical (0.5%-1.15% was typical). Testing showed several mode shapes were localized to just a few bays and not all modes were adequately excited by forcing at a single location. The quality of the estimated mode shapes was significantly improved using multi-reference modal testing. FE models for the tested floors were developed based on high quality measured data and were shown to provide adequate representations of measured floor behavior. Fundamental techniques are presented for modeling mass, stiffness, boundary conditions, and performing dynamic analysis. A method of evaluating vibration serviceability was proposed using the FE model's computed accelerance FRF for comparison with a design accelerance curve that represents an acceleration response threshold in the frequency domain. An example design accelerance curve is presented based on current serviceability guidelines for acceleration tolerance and effective harmonic forces due to human activities such as walking. / Ph. D.

Around 80% of women experience vaginal tears during labor when the diameter of the vagina must increase from ~2.5 cm to ~9.5 cm to allow the passage of a full-term baby. Vaginal tears vary from superficial cuts of the mucosal lining to tears propagating through the entire vaginal wall and into the surrounding tissues and organs. Complications associated with vaginal tears include postpartum hemorrhaging, fecal incontinence, urinary incontinence, and dyspareunia. Beyond the agonizing pain, these complications are emotionally and psychologically traumatic for women. Prevention, evaluation, and treatment of vaginal tears and subsequent conditions are limited due to the lack of studies examining the mechanical behavior of the pelvic floor tissues. Therefore, the mechanical response of healthy and torn vaginal tissue is investigated here to establish quantitative metrics for maternal healthcare. Toward this end, swine and rat vaginal tissue is subjected to biaxial loads until tearing to reveal its mechanical properties. The resulting large inhomogeneous deformations are measured by the digital image correlation optical method to calculate material strain. The influence of these strains near to and far from the immediate vicinity of the tears on the tearing behavior is studied. Coupling mechanisms of the mechanical properties in the circumferential and axial directions as well as their effect on the nature of tear resistance is studied. Collagen fibers, the component within tissue responsible for its strength under tension, are imaged using a multiphoton microscopy technique known as second-harmonic generation imaging to investigate the change in organization with mechanical loading. Furthermore, imaging is performed in the near-regions of tears to reveal the relationship between collagen fibers and tearing resistance. The data collected through these studies provide new knowledge on the nonlinear elastic behavior of vaginal tissue, the geometrical and micro-structural characteristics of tears, and the mechanisms that contribute to the formation and propagation of tears. The mechanical properties and tearing mechanisms of vaginal tissue will be crucial in developing new prevention and treatment methods for maternal trauma following childbirth. Episiotomy, late-term stretching, surgical treatment with graft materials and other protocols will all benefit from a mechanically-informed perspective. It is our hope that this work will raise awareness to the serious complexities of pelvic floor trauma and encourage a more refined and systematic approach to the inspection, imaging, and treatment of all vaginal tears following delivery. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation fund #1511603 and the Institute for Critical Technology and Sciences at Virginia Tech. / Doctor of Philosophy / Every year nearly three million women give birth vaginally with 80% experiencing vaginal tears. These injuries sustained during delivery vary with severity and are associated with several conditions, including pelvic floor disorders. These disorders are a set of long-term conditions of the pelvic region presently affecting one-fourth of adult women in the United States. Pelvic floor disorders are: pelvic organ prolapse - a pelvic organ such as the uterus "falls" from its natural position, urinary incontinence - difficulty controlling urination, and fecal incontinence - difficulty controlling bowel movements. Pelvic floor disorders lower the quality of life for women not only physically due to pain and daily discomfort, but also mentally as the disorders are generally perceived as an embarassing and private matter. The pelvic floor represents a complex system of muscles, organs, and support structures that work together to ensure everything stays in place and is functioning properly. Injury to any of these structures poses the risk of developing a disorder. As a central supporting organ, injuries to the vagina may be particularly worrisome. Surprisingly, little is known about the magnitude of forces and/or stretching that is placed on the pelvic floor during delivery, how much force and/or stretching is required for an injury, or how various injuries relate to future complications. The goal of this research is to describe how much the normal, healthy vagina stretches to various forces including forces that will result in injuries. The research further examines the stretching of injured vaginas to quantify any observable differences due to this injury. Finally, the relationships between the biological components of the vagina, such as collagen, and the forces placed on the vagina are examined. The result of this work will provide doctors and engineers with guidelines for understanding the conditions that produce vaginal injuries. The relationships examined between the tissue makeup and forces exerted onto the tissue may also aid in identifying any irregularities that would place a woman at risk for injury. Many of the medical procedures surrounding childbirth as well as surgical treatment for pelvic floor disorders will benefit from knowing how far the vagina can stretch before being injured. It is our hope that this work will raise awareness to the serious complexities of pelvic floor injuries and encourage a more refined and systematic approach to the inspection, imaging, and treatment of all vaginal tears following delivery. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation fund #1511603 and the Institute for Critical Technology and Sciences at Virginia Tech.

<p dir="ltr">Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) cause a burden in acute care hospitals in the United States. HAIs are caused by <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, along with other pathogens found on high-touch and non-high-touch surfaces in hospital environments (e.g., bed rails, blood pressure cuffs, countertops, and floors). To minimize the growth and cross-contamination of pathogens, it is vital to use disinfectants for surface decontamination. In this work, the impact of different application methods and disinfectant active agents was evaluated for use on different healthcare-related surfaces. The first study examined the cross-contamination potential of an auto-scrubber when used to clean and disinfect a 2m² vinyl floor contaminated with <i>S. aureus</i>. Five EPA-registered disinfectants and a cleaner were used with three application methods. Hydrogen peroxide and quaternary ammonium compounds-based disinfectants significantly resulted in less cross-contamination compared to the cleaner. However, there were no significant differences among the application methods used. In the second study, manual floor cleaning and disinfecting on a two-square-meter vinyl floor with three different moping materials were evaluated to assess their ability to prevent cross-contamination. Evidence showed that there were significant differences among the products used, with Hydrogen peroxide and quaternary ammonium compound products being the most effective. The cleaner caused the most cross-contamination, while cotton mops resulted in significant cross-contamination among materials used. Study three investigated the differences among four application methods used with three different wiping cloths (Cotton, microfiber, and nonwoven) on a 2m² Formica board. A spray surface and wipe method was successful in decreasing <i>S. aureus</i> on the surface. A hydrogen peroxide-based product was most effective in reducing bacteria at contamination areas and minimizing cross-contamination. Microfiber cloth picked up significantly more bacteria at contaminated areas. Post disinfection, there was evidence of cross-contamination at sampling areas regardless of product type, wiping cloth, and application methods used, with the cotton cloth causing the most cross-contamination. Viable bacteria were found on the wiping cloths used and on worker's gloves. Together, this work shows that the use of disinfectants is important in hospital environments. The choice of product, wiping material, and application method are principal in the disinfection process as they influence disinfection failure or success.</p>

No / Circular economy is an economic system aimed at minimizing wastes and making the most of the current resources. This regenerative approach contrasts with the traditional linear economy, which has been adopted by the construction industry. Developing new construction technologies for sustainable built environment is a top priority for the construction industry throughout the world. Much of the environmental impact from the construction industry is associated with the consumption of resources and generation of waste. The construction industry in Europe consumes over 70,000 million tonnes of materials each year and generates over 250 million tonnes of waste. Composite flooring formed by connecting the concrete slabs to the supporting steel beams has been widely used for many years and is well established as one of the most efficient floor systems in multi storey steel frame building structures. However, shear connectors are welded through the steel decking to the steel beams and cast into the concrete; this made deconstruction and reuse of these components almost impossible. A new composite flooring system which allows for the reuse of the steel beams and composite floor slabs is developed and tested to assess its potential and suitability for reuse. This paper presents the results of a series of full scale beam tests and demonstrates the reusability of this new form of composite flooring systems. Simplified hand calculations are also provided and compared against beam tests / EPSRC, Structural Metal Deck Ltd.