In recent years, home modification has played an increasingly important role in the housing industry. Expenditures on renovation have consistently exceeded those spent on new home construction during the 1990s. And it has huge potential to continuously increase in the years to come. Renovators' do-it-yourself activities are efficient ways to fulfill homeowners' psychological and physical needs and save expensive labour costs. / This research investigates not only the technology evolution of ten products and the installation processes that are frequently used by renovators, but also the fundamental reasons that drive the development of these innovations. It covers the technology from the beginning of this century to the latest innovations developed by manufactures in the 1990s. Additionally, it documents recent national and Quebec renovation market trends, together with three post-occupancy studies which had been conducted in the Montreal Area. / The study reveals that many of the products and installation process have been greatly simplified and innovations in the renovation market could benefit renovators by allowing them to undertake modifications themselves. Also, the author suggests certain guidelines for increasing housing affordability and new products development.

No description available.

No description available.

Following Carslaw [1] and as discussed by Becker et al [2], the diffusion of ultrasonic energy in cement-based aggregates follow the heat diffusion equation. However, due to the finite size of the discs used in experiments by Becker, ultrasound energy is contained within the body for a longer period of time, as compared to [2]. Though the energy content of the disc in reality would eventually decay to zero, due to leaks and other mechanisms, a theoretical study of perfectly adiabatic case is useful to compare the residual energy values to material properties. As a particular example, the input energy sees multiple phenomena inside the material during propagation. The residual energy is this a combined effect of the multiple scattering, dissipative and diffusive processes. This objective of this thesis is to study the relationship between the residual spectral density and specimen geometry. The effort further aims to attribute the difference in the residual spectral energy density values in materials of similar geometry to the varying material properties of the heterogeneous materials. Finally, a study of the error propagation in the estimation is presented, along-with an analytical relationship showing the value of spectral energy density for discs of finite radius and height. Ref: 1. H. S. Carslaw, J.C.J., Conduction of Heat in Solids. 2nd ed ed. 1986: Oxford University Press, USA. 520 2. Becker, J., L.J. Jacobs, and J. Qu, Characterization of cement-based materials using diffuse ultrasound. Journal of Engineering Mechanics, 2003. 129(12): p. 1478-1484.

Testing of asphalt binders and asphalt-aggregate mixtures using dynamic mechanical analysis is becoming popular with improvements in high-speed computers, precision equipment, and computer software. Researchers are trying to describe the behavior of asphalt binders and asphalt-aggregate mixtures in terms of their time- and temperature-dependent linear viscoelastic behavior. The objectives of this thesis were to develop a simplified pneumatic test to perform dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), to evaluate the performance of the pneumatic and hydraulic test systems using the computer software developed to perform DMA tests, and, to develop a simplified method to evaluate the experimental data obtained from DMA tests on aged asphalt-aggregate mixtures. A simplified pneumatic test system was developed to perform DMA. Computer software was also developed to perform DMA testing on both the simplified pneumatic and hydraulic test systems. DMA was performed on both test systems to compare their performance, and on aged asphalt-aggregate mixtures to evaluate the application of the simplified method. The results from the pneumatic and hydraulic test systems show that there is about a 20 percent difference in the complex modulus, especially at high loading frequencies. This is due to the compressibility of the air used in the pneumatic test system. The compressibility of air is greater at warmer temperatures than at cooler temperatures. Therefore, the application of the pneumatic test system to perform dynamic testing should be limited to low frequencies ( < 2 Hz), low temperatures ( < 25°C), and low load ( < 454 kg (1000 lbs.)) applications unless a modification can be made to increase the pneumatic cylinder's response time to match the hydraulic cylinder's response time. The simplified analysis method developed in this thesis divides the DMA results into four complex modulus and five phase angle parameters. These parameters describe the shapes of the master stiffness and phase angle curves and distinguished between the different asphalt-aggregate mixtures and the aging methods performed on the aged asphalt-aggregate mixtures. The phase angle parameters were reduced into two variables, peak frequency and peak angle, which vary with the aging of each asphalt-aggregate mixture. The peak frequency and peak angle decrease as the aging severity increases and the change of peak frequency and peak angle vary with the asphalt-aggregate mixture and aging treatment. Therefore, the complex modulus parameters and peak frequency and peak angle may be good indicators to describe how a master curve's shape varies with asphalt, aggregate, and aging type. / Graduation date: 1993

The meaning of the architectural surface was thoroughly reconsidered by architects and historians in England and Europe between early and mid-nineteenth century. There were two major trends. The first one was historicist. Ornament and colour was considered important because it represented the origins of architecture. The second approach was rational and tectonic. It suggested that an honest surface had to be created by emphasizing the structure and by truthfully expressing materials. An unusual response to these debates was John Ruskin??s history of medieval and Renaissance architecture. This was published as The seven lamps of architecture (1849), and the three volume study, The stones of Venice (1851-1853). Ruskin??s writings were difficult to grasp. On the one hand, they were fragmented, historically inaccurate, and lacking in explanatory power. On the other hand, they emphasized surface ornament, without ever indicating its architectural ??use??. As a result, nineteenth and twentieth century historians and architects declared Ruskin??s writings as being irrelevant to architectural theory and practice. By examining Ruskin??s writings on architecture through the theoretical lens of dress, body, and gender, the thesis demonstrates that he proposed the theory of the adorned ??wall veil??.This was a two-part theory. Firstly, architecture was defined by the presence of planar walls. The masonry structure of these walls was masked and decorated by a seamless dress-like surface, consisting of relief and polychromatic ornaments. Secondly, Ruskin distinguished between the ideal and the corrupt dress. The ideal dress celebrated the spiritual aspects of the body (surface, skin, and colour). The corrupt dress represented the scientific image of the body (depth, bones and muscles, and form). The ideal dress was reflected by the surfaces of medieval buildings, and the corrupt dress was mirrored by the Renaissance architectural surface. Through these arguments, the thesis makes two major contributions. Firstly, it shows that Ruskin??s views were consistent with the architectural modernism of the twentieth century, in which the free fa??ade and the atectonic surface were key concerns. Secondly, it establishes that Gottfried Semper??s writings were not the sole origin of the debates on dress and architecture. It shows that Ruskin developed a critical theory of dress by synthesizing debates on gender, science, and spirituality. He used this theory to suggest a new approach towards architecture.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Detroit Mercy, 2007. / "30 April 2007". Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-151).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Forest Products. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-249). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.