Reinforced concrete structures deteriorate throughout their lifetime. This is particularly apparent in structures subjected to aggressive environments, which results in corrosion of reinforcing steel. Designers make allowances for accelerated deterioration in these environments in an attempt to ensure the durability of the structure. To combat corrosion, improved concrete characteristics and additional concrete cover are used to increase the protection provided by concrete to reinforcing. In spite of these measures, cracking of structures in service and from natural hazards can limit the effectiveness that these measures provide. Ultimately, this results in structures suffering from corrosion, which affects their strength, stiffness, and ductility. While strength reduction can be associated directly with a reduction in bar area, impacts on stiffness and ductility are associated with more complex mechanisms, one of which is bond deterioration. A key assumption in reinforced concrete design is that there is perfect bonding between steel reinforcing and surrounding concrete to allow for strain compatibility to be assumed. Perfect bond does not exist and diminished bond performance due to corrosion deterioration further violates this assumption, the effects of which are not fully understood. This thesis investigates the effects of bond deterioration due to corrosion on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete structures. 60 monotonic and cyclic pull-out tests were undertaken on corroded reinforced concrete specimens, with corrosion levels ranging from 0% to 25% reinforcing mass loss. Additional tests were also conducted on specimens with variations in the amount of confining steel to simulate losses in confinement associated with corrosion of confining steel. Experimental results were used to develop corrosion and confinement dependent cyclic bond-slip model. The proposed bond-slip model was then used to modelling pull-out of reinforcing bars detailed in accordance with New Zealand design standard NZS3101. Analyses were performed at a range of corrosion levels, levels of confinement, and uncorroded bond strengths. These showed that pull-out of reinforcement occurred at as little as 8% corrosion in low strength, unconfined conditions. Multi-spring modelling of standard reinforced concrete columns, representing a bridge pier to foundation connection, was performed at the full range of deterioration with allowance for bond slippage. These analyses showed significant reductions in stiffness occurring with increased corrosion levels as well as reduced ductility and possible pull-out of reinforcement.

The North Canterbury tectonic setting involves the southward propagating margin of easterly strike-slip activity intersecting earlier thrust activity propagating east from the Alpine Fault. The resulting tectonics contain a variety of structures caused by the way these patterns overlap, creating complexities on the regional and individual feature scale. An unpublished map by Jongens et al. (1999) shows the Ashley-Loburn Fault System crossing the plains from the east connected with the Springfield Thrust Fault in the western margins, possibly the southern limit of the east-west trending strikeslip activity. Of note are two hill structures inferred to be affected by this fault system. View Hill to the west, is on the south side of this fault junction, and Starvation Hill further east, was shown lying on the north side of a left stepover restraining bend. During thrust uplift and simple tilting of the View Hill structure, at least two uplift events post date last Pleistocene aggradation accounting for variations in scarp morphology. Broad constraints on fault dip and the age of the displacement surface suggest that slip-rates are in the order of 0.5 mm/year. East from View Hill, the strike-slip fault was originally thought to curve northeast, around the southeast of Starvation Hill. But there is neither evidence of a scarp, nor other clear evidence of surface faulting at Starvation Hill, which poses the question of the extent to which folding may reflect both fault geometry and fault activity. Starvation Hill is a triangular shape, with a series of distinctive smooth, semi-planar surfaces, lapping across both sides of the hill at a range of elevations and gradients. These surfaces are thought to be remnants of old river channels, and are indicative of tilting and upwarping of the hill structure. 3D computer modelling of these surfaces, combined with studies of the cover sequence on the hill, resulted in inferences being drawn as to the location of hinge lines of a dual-hinged anticline and an overview of the tectonic history of the hill. This illustrates the potential to apply topographical and geomorphic studies to the evolution of geometrically complex structures Starvation Hill is interpreted to be the result of two fault-generated folds, one fault trending north, the other, more recent fault, trending east. These two faults are thought to be sequentially developed segments of the original fault zone inferred by Jongens et al. (1999) but with reinterpreted location and mechanism detail. The presence of two faults has resulted in overprinted differential uplift of the structure, which has been significantly degraded, especially in the southwest corner of the hill. The majority of the formation of the northerly trending structure of Starvation Hill is inferred to be pre-Otiran, with uplift of the later east trending structure continuing into the late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Processing GPS carrier-phase measurements can provide high positioning accuracy for several navigation applications. However, if not detected, cycle slips in the measured phase can strongly deteriorate the positioning accuracy. Cycle slips frequently occur in areas surrounded by trees, buildings, and other obstacles. The dynamics experienced by the GPS receiver in kinematic mode of navigation also increases the possibility of cycle slips. Detection and correction of these cycle-slips is essential for reliable navigation. One way of detecting and correcting for cycle slips is to use another system to be integrated with GPS. Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), using three-axis accelerometers and three-axis gyroscopes, is integrated with GPS to provide more reliable navigation solution. Moreover, INS was utilized in the past for GPS cycle slip detection and correction. For low cost applications, Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) accelerometers and gyroscopes are used inside INS. For land navigation, reduced inertial sensor system (RISS) utilizing two accelerometers, one gyroscope, and the vehicle odometer was suggested. MEMS-based RISS has the advantage of using less number of MEMS-based gyroscopes and accelerometers thus reducing the overall cost and avoiding the complex error characteristics associated with MEMS sensors. In this thesis, we investigate the use of MEMS – based RISS to aid GPS and detect and correct for cycle slips. The Kalman filter was employed in centralized fashion to integrate the measurements from both GPS and RISS. This thesis research also offers a new threshold selection criterion resulting in a more robust cycle slip detection and correction. The proposed method was tested in different scenarios of road tests in land vehicle. Results show accuracy iii improvement over the conventional double differenced pseudoranges-based integrated system. Moreover, the adaptive selection criterion of the detection threshold proposed in this thesis improves the detection rate, especially in the case of small-sized cycle slips. / Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-05-06 18:11:57.076

Many metals used in modern engineering exhibit anisotropy. A common assumption when modelling anisotropic metals is that the level of anisotropy is fixed throughout the calculation. As it is well understood that processes such as cold rolling, forging or shock loading change the level of anisotropy, it is clear that this assumption is not accurate when dealing with large deformations. The aim of this project was to develop a tool capable to predict large deformations of a single crystal or crystalline aggregate of a metal of interest and able to trace an evolution of anisotropy within the material. The outcome of this project is a verified computational tool capable of predicting large deformations in metals. This computational tool is built on the Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Method (CPFEM). The CPFEM in this project is an implementation of an existing constitutive model, based on the crystal plasticity theory (the single crystal strength model), into the framework of the FEA software DYNA3D® . Accuracy of the new tool was validated for a large deformation of a single crystal of an annealed OFHC copper at room temperature. The implementation was also tested for a large deformation of a polycrystalline aggregate comprised of 512 crystals of an annealed anisotropic OFHC copper in a uniaxial compression and tension test. Here sufficient agreement with the experimental data was not achieved and further investigation was proposed in order to find out the cause of the discrepancy. Moreover, the behaviour of anisotropic metals during a large deformation was modelled and it was demonstrated that this tool is able to trace the evolution of anisotropy. The main benefit of having this computational tool lies in virtual material testing. This testing has the advantage over experiments in time and cost expenses. This tool and its future improvements, which were proposed, will allow studying evolution of anisotropy in FCC and BCC materials during dynamic finite deformations, which can lead to current material models improvement.

This study is aimed at developing modeling methodologies for simulating the flow of air and aerosol particles through fibrous filter media made up of micro- or nano-fibers. The study also deals with modeling particle deposition (due to Brownian diffusion, interception, and inertial impaction) and particle cake formation, on or inside fibrous filters. By computing the air flow field and the trajectory of airborne particles in 3-D virtual geometries that resemble the internal microstructure of fibrous filter media, pressure drop and collection efficiency of micro- or nano-fiber filters are simulated and compared with the available experimental studies. It was demonstrated that the simulations conducted in 3-D disordered fibrous domains, unlike previously reported 2-D cell-model simulations, do not need any empirical correction factors to closely predict experimental observations. This study also reports on the importance of fibers’ cross-sectional shape for filters operating in slip (nano-fiber filters) and no-slip (micro-fiber filters) flow regimes. In particular, it was found that the more streamlined the fiber geometry, the lower the fiber drag caused by a nanofiber relative to that generated by its micron-sized counterpart. This work also presents a methodology for simulating pressure drop and collection efficiency of a filter medium during instantaneous particle loading using the Fluent CFD code, enhanced by using a series of in-house subroutines. These subroutines are developed to allow one to track particles of different sizes, and simulate the formation of 2-D and 3-D dendrite particle deposits in the presence of aerodynamic slip on the surface of the fibers. The deposition of particles on a fiber and the previously deposited particles is made possible by developing additional subroutines, which mark the cells located at the deposition sites and modify their properties to so that they resemble solid or porous particles. Our unsteady-state simulations, in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations reported in the literature, predict the rate of increase of pressure drop and collection efficiency of a filter medium as a function of the mass of the loaded particles.

Master of Science / Department of Architectural Engineering and Construction Sciences / Kimberly Waggle Kramer / Bill Zhang / Cold-formed steel members quickly are becoming a popular material for both commercial and residential construction around the world. Their high strength to weight ratio makes them a viable alternative to timber framing. In most cases cold-formed steel is used as a repetitive member in floor, wall, or roof assemblies. Structural sheathing is used in conjunction with the framing members in order to transfer loads between individual members. This sheathing is connected mechanically to the cold-formed steel through a variety of methods. The most common method uses screws spaced at close intervals, usually between 6 to 12 inches on center. When such assemblies are constructed, load is transferred from the sheathing through the connectors into the cold-formed steel, forming a composite assembly in which load is transferred and shared between two materials, providing a higher strength and stiffness over individual members themselves. The amount of load that can be transferred is dependent on the amount of slip that occurs when the assembly is loaded. This slip value describes the amount of composite action that takes place in the assembly. The amount of slip can be described by a value called the slip modulus. The composite, or effective, bending stiffness can be calculated using the slip modulus. In current design of cold-formed steel composite assemblies this composite action is not being taken into account due to a lack of research and understanding of the composite stiffness present in these assemblies. Taking composite action into account can lead to decreased member sizes or increased spacing of members, thereby economizing design. Furthermore, improved understanding of the effective stiffness can lead to more accurate design for vibrations in floor systems. This thesis tests cold-formed steel plywood composite members in an effort to verify previously established slip modulus values for varying steel thicknesses and establishes new values for varying fastener spacings. The slip modulus values obtained are used to calculate effective bending stiffness values in an effort to prove that composite action should be utilized in design of cold-formed steel composite assemblies.

Master of Science / Civil Engineering / Hani G. Melhem / Bill Zhang / Composite action is the joint behavior of two elements connected or bonded together. It is a phenomenon that is utilized in several applications throughout engineering. Previous studies have shown that cold formed steel (CFS) sheathed with structural wood panels exhibits a degree of partial composite action behavior. However currently in the design process, CFS and wood sheathing systems are considered separately in a non-composite manner due to the absence of sufficient supporting data. These systems can include the floors, roofs, and walls of a building. In order to determine the level of composite action present, the slip modulus is needed. The slip modulus describes the relationship between the shear force and the displacement exhibited by two elements in a composite system. The scope of this research is to determine the influence of fastener spacing on the slip modulus and provide a foundation of information to fully define the composite action between CFS and wood sheathing.

Student Number : 0004041J - MSc dissertation - School of Electrical and Information Engineering - Faculty of Engineering / Slip energy recovery (SER) drives are used extensively in industry as they offer cost effective speed control of large wound rotor induction motors. The biggest disadvantage associated with the use of SER drives is the vulnerability of the rotor circuit converters to power system disturbances such as voltage dips. The failure of converters as a result of voltage dips is a problem associated with the use of these particular drives. The aim of this research is to better understand the stresses on rotor circuit converters as a result of voltage dips at the terminals of the motor. The rotor transients developed by a wound rotor induction motor are investigated for a range of three phase and single phase voltage dips. Simulations conducted in the Alternative Transients Program (ATP) supplement measurements conducted on a simplified SER circuit. The results confirm that voltage dips cause significant stresses on the converters in the rotor circuit. Good correlation was obtained between simulated and measured results. This work allows for a better understanding of the response of wound rotor induction motors to voltage dips and identifies the threat that voltage dips impose on the SER rotor circuit converters.

Interaction of a liquid droplet and a fiber or layer of fibers is ubiquitous in nature and in a variety of industrial applications. It plays a crucial role in fog harvesting, coalescence filtration, membrane desalination, self-cleaning and fiber based microfluidics, among many others. This work presents a quantitative investigation on the interactions of a droplet with a fiber or layers of fibers. More precisely, the present work is focused on 1) predicting the effects of fiber’s size and material on its ability to withhold a droplet against external forces and on the liquid residue left on the fiber after the droplet detachment, 2) predicting the outcome of two fibers competing to attract the same droplet, and 3) predicting the wetting stability of a droplet deposited on a layer of electrospun fibers. This work is comprised of series of computational and experimental studies for mutual validation and/or calibration. The simulations were conducted using the Surface Evolver code and the experiments were devised using a ferrofluid and a magnet. We also investigated the drag reduction performance of fibrous coatings because of its close connection with droplet-fiber interaction. We started by studying the drag reduction performance of a superhydrophobic granular coating because of its geometrical simplicity. We modeled the flow of water over the granular coating and studied the effects of hydrostatic pressure and microstructural properties on the drag reduction performance of the coating. We then examined the drag reduction performance of a lubricant infused surface with trapped air made of layers of parallel fibers (FLISTA). A mathematical model was developed to predict the shape of the water-lubricant interface and lubricant-air interface under a given hydrostatic pressure. This information was used to solve the flow field over the coating in a Couette configuration to find the effects of hydrostatic pressure and microstructural properties of the coating on its drag reduction performance.

The general aim of the thesis is to show how The Situational Language Intervention Programme (SLIP) was formulated in order to include the critical factors of: the cognitive abilities and linguistic characteristics of the intellectually handicapped; pragmatics, semantics and syntax and the four models of language acquisition; the criteria that guide language intervention programme development; the use of precise and systematic teaching methods that stimulate the use of language in the students' environment. The general objective of both SLIP and this thesis is to show how to increase moderately to severely intellectually handicapped adolescents' language-communication through the appropriate use of the forms of language applied to its functions in a specific range of situations. Chapter Two of the thesis is concerned with the cognitive abilities of intellectually handicapped people and the implications of intellectual handicap on communication and language development. In addition it discusses, stage by stage, the positive and negative markers of language acquisition. These markers illustrate to the teacher the signs of linguistic retardation at each stage of language learning. The contents of Chapter Three provide an outline of the four models of language acquisition, i.e. Pragmatic, Semantic/Cognitive, Psycholinguistic/Syntactic and Behavioural. Those models contribute to our understanding of how language develops and illustrate to us the complex nature of language acquisition. In addition, this discussion documents the past and current research viewpoints and draws our attention to the limitations that existing theories have in providing a "full�blown" model of language acquisition. Furthermore, Chapter Three is stating that the recent analysis of language-training for communication disordered and intellectually handicapped students has shown that a more balanced study of the semantic and pragmatic factors in language acquisition is emerging. This chapter is urging teachers to re-analyze, re-evaluate and modify their language intervention programmes by integrating the syntactic, semantic and pragmatic factors. Both the contents of Chapters Two and Three are demonstrating that it is necessary to address the theoretical viewpoint and academic findings both of which are important aspects of the role of the interventionist. They have to be addressed if the teacher is to make judgments concerning the efficacy of different models in attaining certain goals. Such factors govern the utilization and integration of certain approaches and procedures. The contents of Chapters Four and Five discuss how the language interventionist can lead the intellectually handicapped student into increased language usage and communicative competence. Chapter Four is concerned with the current critical issues and developments in: curriculum and programme design for the moderately/severely intellectually handicapped adolescent; criteria to guide programme development and direction of language intervention; direct instruction techniques; augmentative communication systems and their basic programme guidelines. Chapter Five outlines the framework of the Situational Language Intervention Programme (SLIP) which was designed and implemented by the author. The content and procedures utilized by SLIP are greatly influenced by the contents of Chapters Two, Three and Four. This influence is demonstrated in the discussion concerning SLIP's: aims and objectives; content and design decisions; selection of forms to be taught; sequencing; teaching procedures and methods of instruction. Chapter Five also discusses the implementation of SLIP.