Unbonded post-tensioned concrete block (UPCB) shear walls are an effective seismic force resisting system due to their ability to contain expected damage attributed to their self-centering capabilities. A few design procedures were proposed to predict the in-plane flexural response of UPCB walls, albeit following only basic mechanics and/or extensive iterative methods. Such procedures, however, may not be capable of capturing the complex nonlinear relationships between different parameters that affect UPCB walls’ behavior or are tedious to be adopted for design practice. In addition, the limited datasets used to validate these procedures may render their accuracy and generalizability questionable, further hindering their adoption by practitioners and design standards. To address these issues, an experimentally-validated nonlinear numerical model was adopted in this study and subsequently employed to simulate 95 UPCB walls with different design parameters to compensate for the lack of relevant experimental data in the current literature. Guided by mechanics and using this database, an evolutionary algorithm, multigene genetic programming (MGGP), was adopted to uncover the relationships controlling the response of UPCB walls, and subsequently develop simplified closed-form wall behavior prediction expressions. Specifically, through integrating MGGP and basic mechanics, a penta-linear backbone model was developed to predict the load-displacement backbone for UPCB walls up to 20% strength degradation. Compared to existing predictive procedures, the prediction accuracy of the developed model and its closed-form nature are expected to enable UPCB wall adoption by seismic design standards and code committees. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

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The heavy use of de-icing salts in the winter to accommodate heavy traffic has been the most detrimental cause of chloride-induced corrosion in Canadian reinforced concrete (RC) bridge infrastructure. In addition, the rise of greenhouse emissions and subsequent increase in the mean surface temperature have increased the potential risk of carbonation-induced corrosion. It is believed that the synergistic effect of multiple deteriorating mechanisms will accelerate the incidence of reinforcement corrosion in Canadian infrastructure. Over time, premature deterioration of RC bridges due to reinforcement corrosion leads to concrete cover cracking and spalling, loss of bond between reinforcement and concrete, and reduction in the structural capacity and ductility of the structure. There is limited research work that has examined the effect of corrosion on the structural performance of RC columns. This research has evaluated the axial and flexural capacity of corroded RC columns exposed to different levels and patterns of reinforcement corrosion. An experimental testing campaign of ten RC columns was conducted in two stages. During the first stage, eight columns were subjected to an accelerated corrosion regime by impressing a constant current for 137 days. In the second stage, all ten columns were subjected to an axial quasi-static load until failure. Five columns were loaded concentrically, while the remaining five were loaded eccentrically. The structural performance (residual strength, ductility, resilience, stiffness, toughness and failure mode) of the columns were analyzed from load-displacement curves of the entire and mid-span length of the columns. The experimental results show that corrosion of the ties directly affects the column's post-peak response even at low corrosion levels. Columns with corroded ties had a brittle failure, and the residual ductility and toughness were significantly reduced. On the other hand, longitudinal reinforcement corrosion primarily affects the residual strength of the columns, which is prominent at a medium level of corrosion. At high levels of both longitudinal and transverse reinforcement corrosion, the residual strength, ductility, and axial stiffness are significantly reduced. This is accompanied by a significant deterioration of the cover and local buckling of the longitudinal rebars, which is attributed to a significant reduction in the confinement pressure of the core concrete. A three-dimensional non-linear finite element model (3D-NLFEM) of the columns was developed using the finite element package DIANA (v.10.4) and validated with the experimental results. The effect of reinforcement corrosion on the structural response of columns was modelled as a change in the mechanical and geometrical properties of concrete and steel materials. This was achieved by integrating constitutive and deteriorating models into the 3D-NLFEM. The model accounts for the bond-slip behaviour between longitudinal bars and concrete (for eccentrically loaded columns), the confinement of the concrete core and strength reduction of the concrete cover, and the buckling potential of longitudinal reinforcement. The validated model was used to conduct a parametric analysis to investigate the effect of several influencing variables such as damage level and patterns and to explore scenarios beyond those tested in a laboratory setting. Finally, an analytical model based on sectional analysis was developed and compared with both the experimental and FEM results. The proposed analytical approach was developed by integrating deteriorating models and incorporating data collected from field investigation. Based on this evaluation, a practical analytical approach is proposed to estimate the nominal residual capacity of corroded columns considering the reduction in confinement effects, bond loss and potential buckling. The results from the experimental, numerical, and analytical studies correlate well. This work's outcome will contribute to a better understanding of the axial and flexural performance in terms of the ultimate capacity, post peak response and failure mode of RC columns affected by the reinforcement corrosion and static loading. Moreover, it provides a simplified analytical tool for practicing engineers to predict the axial and flexural capacity of deteriorated bridges vulnerable to reinforcement corrosion and increased traffic volume.

The research concerns presented in this dissertation addresses aspects of students’ interaction with commonly occurring graphical artefacts in teaching and learning environments. In particular, focus is on how the students make sense of these artefacts in relation to subject specific tools and forms of expression. The dissertation comprises of four studies guided by a semiotics cultural- historical perspective to cognition. The first study which is largely quantitative, analyses the percentage scores from students’ responses to selected items from OECD PISA surveys for items containing graphical elements. The second and the third studies in keeping with a more sociocultural perspective to learning as point of departure, examine the students’ collaborative interaction around tasks containing graphical elements. The fourth study explores the nature of students’ solutions from the Swedish national test in mathematics based on a tools and forms of expression sensitive empirically derived construct of Identification contra Critical-analytical approach to graphicacy. The main outcomes of these studies can be summarised as follows: first there is justification for re-examining the predominant characterisation of students’ interaction with graphical artefacts. Secondly, while it is not uncommon for students to take a more visual-perceptive and intuitive approach to graphicacy, results from task items interactions indicate that a Critical-analytical approach seems to be more reliable and capable of yielding desirable outcomes. The outcomes of these studies call for vigilance on the type of tasks used in relation to graphicacy and how these can be used to foster students’ Critical-analytical disposition.

In the tumultuous political climate following Brexit, a new energy has been given to the idea of establishing transnational lists for the European elections. With the ever-increasing need for democratic legitimacy on the EU stage, the system of transnational lists is viewed by many as a salvation to the problem with democratic deficit within the European Union. The idea of transnational lists was voted in the European Parliament during the plenary session in Strasbourg on February 2018 but rejected after a debate on a clearly divided issue. By analysing the debate from 2018, this study aims to investigate what are the conditions, found in the debate, that could make transnational lists in the European Parliament possible.  When analysing the debate from 2018, five significant conditions for transnational lists were identified. These conditions were democracy, question of federal states, the aspect of spitzenkandidaten, solidarity and the size of Member States. Interestingly, the conditions were observed to be both obstacles and possibilities for transnational lists. Taken together, these results suggest that there is an association between the above-named conditions and the failure of the proposition for transnational lists, alternatively, to a future breakthrough.

L'objectif de cette thèse est d'étudier les mécanismes d'interaction entre une cavité résultant d'un effondrement karstique et une digue fluviale. Il s’agit d'évaluer le rôle potentiel des cavités sous les digues et leurs effets sur ces dernières dans des conditions hydrologiques normales et extrêmes. Par conséquent, le premier point est de proposer une méthode pour évaluer l'influence d'une digue sur la stabilité d’une cavité sous-jacente. Le deuxième point concerne la stabilité de la pente de la digue quand une cavité est présente à proximité, sans prise en compte de l'effondrement de la cavité. Afin d’atteindre les objectifs de la thèse, les influences respectives du positionnement de la cavité par rapport à la digue et des paramètres géométriques et géotechniques ont été étudiées, par des approches analytiques et numériques, pour une meilleure évaluation du risque de rupture de la digue. Une application est proposée, basée sur des observations in situ et des données disponibles pour le secteur du Val d'Orléans (France). Cette zone est protégée des crues de la Loire par 52 km de digues fluviales (les levées), il y a été recensé plus de 600 effondrements karstiques (fontis) de 0,5 à 20 m de diamètre. Les premiers résultats obtenus par la méthode analytique montrent que l'instabilité de la cavité peut augmenter de manière significative lorsqu’elle est se trouve sous le centre de la digue et que cela peut affecter la stabilité de la digue lorsqu'elle en est suffisamment proche. Nous montrons aussi que le risque d'instabilité de la digue augmente en raison de l’apparition des fontis provenant de l’effondrement de cavités karstiques. Ces résultats indiquent qu'il y a un effet significatif de la cavité sur la stabilité de la pente, surtout dans le cas de matériaux saturés (c’est-à-dire en période de forte crue de la Loire) : autrement dit, l’effondrement de la cavité peut contribuer à la rupture de la digue. Une modélisation numérique non linéaire (2D et 3D) a été utilisée pour valider l'approche analytique et permettre la compréhension de l’influence des différents paramètres géométriques et géotechniques de la digue et de la cavité. Les résultats de la modélisation numérique ont confirmé ceux de la méthode analytique. Ces derniers peuvent donc être utilisés dans l’évaluation du risque de rupture de la digue en tenant compte de la probabilité d’existence d'une cavité sous-jacente, de sa position, de son diamètre, mais aussi de l'épaisseur de la couche d'alluvions. Les données numériques prises en compte sont celles du Val d'Orléans / The objective of this thesis is to study the interaction mechanisms between a cavity resulting from a karst collapse and a fluvial dike. The question that arises here is to evaluate the potential role of cavities beneath the dikes and their impact on the dike stability in normal and extreme flood conditions. Therefore, the first main point of the present work is to create a method to assess the influence of a dike on the stability of a cavity beneath it. Thereafter the second main point is to evaluate the stability of the dike slope when a cavity appears underneath without taking into account the collapse of the cavity. To achieve the objectives of the thesis, the dike effect on the cavity stability was investigated by studying the influence of the cavity location relatively to the dike and the interaction mechanisms, in the way to prioritize the geometric and geotechnical parameters for a better evaluation of the risk of dike failure. Numerical and analytical approaches were used. An application is described based on the in situ observations and data for the Val d’Orléans area (France). This area is protected against the Loire’s floods by 52 km of earth dikes (levees), in this area, more than 600 karstic sinkholes from 0.5 to 20 m diameter have been identified. The first results of the analytical method show that the cavity instability can significantly increase when the cavity is located under the centre of the dike, and this can affect the stability of the dike when the cavity is sufficiently close to it. We also show that there is a significant effect of the cavity on the dike slope stability, especially in the saturation state (i.e. during extreme floods): cavity collapse can then contribute to dike collapse. A nonlinear numerical modeling (2D and 3D) was used to validate the analytical approach, and to highlight the influence of the different geometrical and geotechnical parameters of the dike and the cavity. The results of the numerical modeling confirmed those of the analytical method. As operational conclusion, the results of the analytical model can be used to help assessing hazard due to the dike collapse taking into account the likelihood of an existing cavity, its position and diameter, and the thickness of the alluvium layer, regarding the data from the Val d’Orléans area

Clark (2008) analyzed the role of provocation on dating partners’ level of aggression and found they were more aggressive in jealousy-provoking situations. Using the couple-level dataset collected by Clark, we examine the relationship of gender and setting on provoked interpersonal violence, and compare the accuracy of several analytical approaches on interpreting dyadic data. Results indicate some findings from Clark are extremely robust. For instance, consistent with previous findings, the significant role of provocation on aggression in a dating context is further supported in the current study (Bettencourt & Miller, 1996; Jacquin et al., 2006). Clark suggested gender symmetry in levels of aggression. However, results show a significant effect of gender, in that females were more passive aggressive than males. One implication of this study is that when analyzing dyadic data, a multi-level modeling (MLM) approach best represents the relationship between the outcome and predictors when compared to other analytical approaches.

Cette thèse présente les trois approches : analytique, expérimentale et numérique développées pour étudier le comportement d'une hydrolienne à membrane ondulante. Cette technologie, portée par l'entreprise EEL Energy, est basée sur les déformations périodiques d'une structure flexible pré-contrainte. Des convertisseurs d'énergie, positionnés de part et d'autre du système, sont actionnés par le mouvement d'ondulation.Analytiquement, la membrane est représentée par un modèle linéaire de poutre à une dimension et l'écoulement par un fluide potentiel 3D. L'action du fluide sur la membrane est évaluée par la théorie des corps élancés. L'énergie est dissipée de façon continue sur la longueur de la membrane. Expérimentalement, un prototype à l'échelle 1/20ième a été développé, des micro-vérins permettent de simuler l'énergie produite. Les essais avec le prototype1/20ième ont permis de valider le concept d'hydrolienne à membrane ondulante et le mode de récupération d'énergie. Un modèle numérique 2D éléments finis a été mis au point. Chaque élément constitutif de la membrane y est reproduit, la dissipation d'énergie est réalisée par des éléments dissipatifs mais la loi d'amortissement est limitée à un amortissement linéaire en vitesse.La comparaison des résultats issus de ces trois modèles a permis de valider leur bonne capacité à reproduire le comportement de la membrane sans conversion d'énergie. La dissipation d'énergie appliquée avec le modèle analytique se distingue clairement des deux autres modèles de part sa localisation mais aussi par la loi d'amortissement utilisée. Les autres modèles sont cohérents entre eux et si on ne parvient pas à corréler les résultats de puissance dissipée, le comportement du système et la répartition de la puissance dissipée le long de la membrane sont semblables. Ces trois approches ont permis de mettre en avant les paramètres clés dont dépend le comportement de la membrane et l'étude paramétrique démontre la complémentarité et l'intérêt du développement conjoint des modèles dans un souci industriel d'optimisation du système. Le développement d'un prototype à l'échelle supérieure (1/6ème), devant faire le lien entre les essais en bassin et les essais en mer, a permis de travailler sur les effets d'échelle. Des différences de comportements sont observées entre ces deux prototypes mais elles sont dues en partie à des différences de conditions aux limites et en partie à des effets de confinements très importants. Pour évaluer la tenue sur le long terme du prototype, ses composants (composite, élastomère) ont été caractérisés précisément et des essais de vieillissement accéléré par température ainsi que des essais de fatigue ont été mis en place sur des échantillons de matière. / This manuscript presents three approaches : analytical, experimental and numerical, to study the behavior of a flexible membrane tidal energy convertor. This technology, developed by the EEL Energy company, is based on periodic deformations of a pre-stressed flexible structure. Energy convertors, located on each side of the device, are set into motion by the wave-like motion.In the analytical model, the membrane is represented by a linear beam model at one dimension and the flow by a 3 dimensions potential fluid. The fluid forces are evaluated by the elongated body theory. Energy is dissipated all over the length of the membrane. A 20th scale experimental prototype has been designed with micro-dampers to simulate the power take-off. Trials have allowed to validate the undulating membrane energy convertor concept. A numerical model has been developed. Each element of the device is represented and the energy dissipation is done by dampers element with a damping law linear to damper velocity.Comparison of the three approaches validates their ability to represent the membrane behavior without damping. The energy dissipation applied with the analytical model is clearly different from the two other models because of the location (where the energy is dissipated) and damping law. The two others show a similar behavior and the same order of power take off repartition but value of power take off are underestimated by the numerical model. These three approaches have allowed to put forward key-parameters on which depend the behavior of the membrane and the parametric study highlights the complementarity and the advantage of developing three approaches in parallel to answer industrial optimization problems.To make the link between trials in flume tank and sea trials, a 1/6th prototype has been built. To do so, the change of scale was studied. The behavior of both prototypes is compared and differences could be explained by differences of boundary conditions and confinement effects. To evaluated membrane long-term behavior at sea, a method of aging accelerated by temperature and fatigue tests have been carried out on prototype materials samples immerged in sea water.

The general aim of the research is to determine the relationship between personality traits as measured by the Customer Contact Styles Questionnaire (CCSQ 7.2) and work performance as measured by means of internal company data sources, of call centre agents. Recent literature indicates a significant relationship between personality traits and work performance. The emphasis in this research is on the factor analytical or trait approach of personality. The sample consisted of 300 call centre agents. The relationship between personality traits and work performance is discussed in terms of descriptive statistics, correlations and multiple regression analyses. The results indicate a relationship between the personality traits of analytical thinking, detail consciousness, conscientiousness, structuredness and work performance as measured by the level of financial incentives for call centre agents. This finding could be implemented in the selection and performance management of call centre agents. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial Psychology)

Le boulonnage et le câblage à ancrage réparti sont deux techniques de renforcement du terrain couramment utilisées dans l'industrie minière et dans le génie civil. Au fil de cette recherche, on s'intéresse à la réponse de ces éléments sous des sollicitations axiales de traction, en régime statique. Dans ces conditions, l'expérience montre que la rupture se produit le plus fréquemment à l'interface barre-scellement via un processus de décohésion qui commence dès que la force sur la barre atteint une valeur limite. L'objectif est de mieux comprendre le comportement de cette interface, avant et après rupture. Premièrement, on revoit l'état de l'art afin de comprendre le travail effectué et les aspects non maîtrisés à ce jour. Deuxièmement, on décrit des outils analytiques qui permettent de comprendre la réponse d'un boulon ou d'un câble à ancrage réparti soumis à une force de traction. Ensuite, on présente les études expérimentales menées en laboratoire et in situ. Des essais d'arrachement ont été effectués pour déterminer les principaux facteurs qui régissent la réponse de l'interface. Finalement, on analyse les résultats des essais effectués en laboratoire sur les boulons. Après l'obtention des variables nécessaires, on propose un modèle semi-empirique d'interface, qui devra être validé par des essais complémentaires. Cette perspective et d'autres améliorations sont également présentées. / Rockbolting and cablebolting are two ground reinforcement techniques broadly used in civil and mining engineering. This research focuses on the behaviour of fully grouted bolts subjected to tensile axial loads, in static conditions. Under these circumstances, experience throughout the world proves that failure usually takes place at the bolt-grout interface via a decoupling process that starts if the load on the bolt exceeds a critical value. The objective is to gain more insight into the behaviour of this interface, before and after failure. First, the state-of-the-art is presented to understand the existing advances and to identify the lacking aspects. Secondly, analytical tools that help understand the response of a fully grouted bolt subjected to a tensile load are described. Then, the field and laboratory experimental campaigns are exposed. Pull-out tests have been conducted to determine the most influencing parameters on the interface behaviour. Finally, the laboratory results on rockbolts are analyzed. Once the necessary variables are obtained, a semi-empirical interface behaviour model is proposed. The further evaluation of this model and other improvements are suggested as perspectives of evolution.