The principal research for this study is into the invention and use of Solomit, a compressed straw building plate, which became available when a fibre bale building method also sought to ease the European post-Great War housing shortage. Both methods were patented in France in the early 1920s. Solomit patents registered by Serge Tchayeff in France, Australia, and Britain, and patents for bale building by Emile Feuillette registered in France and the US, are analysed. The vernacular precedents of both are argued. The South Australian patents connected to Solomit and registered during the later 1930s are discussed. This study broadly establishes the history of the initial South Australian venture (1935-1937) to manufacture Solomit under licence from Germany and to establish widespread Solomit construction; it notes Solomit's admission (in principle) to the Building Act 1940 (SA); and identifies examples of government building tenders won by the company. Although certain evidence establishes the naivety of the South Australian enterprise about German socio-political realities of 1933-1937, I consider the possibility that Australian Solomit manufacture may have held political promise for the NSDAP (German Nazi Party) in Australia, and follow an assumption that in South America, strongly influenced by NSDAP Germany, the aggressor exploited Solomit for import-export advantages tenuously connected to building projects. / The study suggests that a likely model for Australian Solomit demonstration building was the artisans' housing proposed in the early 1920s by the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965); and it brings forward Tchayeff and Le Corbusier's collaboration in use of Solomit, particularly in building the Pavillon de L'Esprit Nouveau (1924-1925), thereby emphasising an aspect of this exhibition prototype house previously inadequately exposed. Solomit was manufactured at Berlin from 1929 and was used for urban dwelling extensions and improved thermal insulation. The much wider use of Solomit during the inter-war years, and particularly with the onset of the Great Depression, for German city-peripheral settlements, and in the Weimar Republic and later NSDAP governments' push for Eastlands settlement, is explored. It is probable that in Germany Solomit was overtaken by concurrent and energetically improved efficiencies in building materials and that by the late 1930s little purpose was seen for a material then viewed as regressive. The fate of the South Australian Solomit company showed certain parallels. The relationship of German austerity building of the 1920s to the existing vernacular building methods which were encouraged by government as economical substitutes is explored. These vernacular methods, encouraged by the Republic immediately before Solomit's first production in Germany, are related to Solomit's adoption. Surviving South Australian Solomit houses (built from 1938 to 1961) and other local Solomit constructions (some demolished) are identified. Contrary to some original Australian perceptions, existing Solomit buildings - the walls of which several owners describe as 'hollow' - have generally proved durable. This study maps the extent of South Australian Solomit building; and the penultimate chapter gives to it a pictorial overview. Non-constructional thermal and acoustic Solomit sheeting is currently manufactured in Victoria. Recent Canadian interest in Australian Solomit for its use in fibre bale building suggests a possibly wider future use of Solomit. This study rediscovers Solomit's invention and aspects of its European and Australian use and assessments, and provides a part of the history of a largely forgotten building material. / Thesis (PhDArchitectureandDesign)--University of South Australia, 1998.

The use of plastered straw bale walls in residential construction is growing as builders and owners seek environmentally friendly alternatives to typical timber construction practices. Straw has excellent insulation properties and is an agricultural bi-product which is annually renewable, and is often considered a waste product of grain production. This thesis presents new models for predicting the compressive strength of plastered straw bale assemblies subjected to concentric and eccentric load. A constitutive model for lime-cement plaster is adapted from a stress-strain model for concrete, available in the literature. Twenty-two cylinder tests on plasters typically used for straw bale construction were used to verify the constitutive model. The models for plastered straw bale assemblies were verified by testing plastered straw bale assemblies under concentric and eccentric compressive loads. An innovative steel frame test jig was designed to facilitate fabrication and testing of the specimens. Using this jig, 18 specimens of height 0.33 m, 0.99 m, 1.05 m or 2.31 m were subjected to concentric or eccentric compressive load until failure. The experimental strengths of the assemblies ranged from 23 kN/m to 61 kN/m, depending on the eccentricity of the load, the plaster strength, and the plaster thickness. Results indicated that the specimen height did not significantly influence the strengths of the specimens. The models predicted the ultimate strength of the assemblies to be, on average, 6% less than the experimentally determined strengths, with a standard deviation of 13%. The models were also used to predict the theoretical ultimate strengths for a number of plastered straw bale wall assemblies described in the literature. The fabrication techniques for these specimens were more representative of conventional straw bale construction techniques, and it was found that the experimental results were 30% of the theoretical strengths for assemblies with plaster strength less than 10 MPa and 6% of the theoretical strengths for assemblies with plaster strength greater than 10 MPa. Thus, to account for construction imperfections and potential alternative failure mechanisms, a reduction factor of no more than 0.3 for plaster less than 10 MPa is suggested in order to predict the strength of plastered straw bale walls constructed using conventional construction techniques. The results presented herein provide support for the use of plastered straw bale walls in residential construction and indicate the applicability of models based on the compressive behaviour of lime-cement plaster for modelling the behaviour of plastered straw bale walls under eccentric and concentric compression. / Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-05-29 13:34:53.867

Le thème central de ma thèse de doctorat est le Règlement sous de multiples formes. Plus précisément, je me concentre sur les paramètres affectés par obligatoire, facultatif ou en auto-développés le règlement. Les trois chapitres de l'actuel document utilisent comme paramètre l'industrie bancaire dans les pays de l'Union européenne (UE). Au cours de la dernière décennie, le secteur bancaire a subi plusieurs transformations de réglementation qui ont influé sur la quantité et la qualité de l'information divulguée. En outre, la récente crise financière avait les banques dans le projecteur, compte tenu de leur rôle central dans la chute des marchés.Dans le premier chapitre, "Ne Bâle II affectent le marché Évaluation des provisions pour pertes sur prêts discrétionnaires?", j'étudie l'impact de l'Accord de capitaux lI de Bâle 2008 mise en oeuvre dans l'Union européenne. Bâle II était destiné à mettre un niveau accru de transparence concernant les opérations des banques. Par conséquent, Bâle II introduit une incitation pour les banques à (1) accroître leur approvisionnement prospectives et (2) de réduire leur approvisionnement opportunistes.Dans notre établissement, Bâle II introduit des mesures d'incitation pour les gestionnaires de reconnaître moins de revenu discrétionnaire croissant des provisions pour pertes sur prêts (DLLPs). Le revenu-DLLPs croissante sont importants puisqu'ils sont reconnus dans la littérature comme surtout opportuniste. Ces conclusions sont d'une importance particulière compte tenu de l'évolution réglementaire récentes et à venir dans le secteur bancaire. Je veux parler de l'introduction des IFRS 9 en 2018 et celui de Bâle III en 2019. Nos résultats soulignent la nécessité pour la comptabilité et les autorités de réglementation bancaire de coordonner leurs efforts avec mépris à leur façon innée des objectifs différents.Pour ma deuxième chapitre, "A Bâle II induit le conservatisme a réduit le niveau de la gestion des revenus des banques de l'UE?" Bâle II réduit le pouvoir discrétionnaire des provisions qui est utilisé dans la période de pré-adoption de rapports opportunistes (à reconnaître les recettes croissantes pour atteindre les gains gestion DLLPs objectifs).Le troisième chapitre, " l'impact de la Banque de l'UE 2010 Test de stress La divulgation des résultats sur les banques " gains " gestion analyse l'impact que la divulgation de la Prospective 2010 Test de stress macroéconomique (ST) a sur le niveau des banques participantes opportuniste reporting. Plus précisément, il teste si la divulgation diminue et par conséquent l'opacité de la banque gains (établie de façon approximative par gestion et régularisation du revenu de référence pour le battre) testé les banques par rapport aux non-banques testées.Nous constatons que les banques qui entrent dans l'ère de réduire le niveau de leurs coups de référence. Dans la corroboration avec les résultats précédents, nous documentons que la divulgation de la ST réduit probablement les résultats de l'opacité des banques et gestionnaires de réduire les rapports opportunistes en raison du renforcement l'examen public. Ce document est le premier d'analyser l'impact que la divulgation de la ST Résultats a sur le niveau des gains des banques des pratiques de gestion et qu'elle ajoute à la littérature ST émergents.Dans l'ensemble, ma thèse jette de la lumière sur les questions actuelles et pertinentes qui concernent l'un des plus minutieusement examiné et critiqué les industries dans le monde. En analysant l'effet de différents ensembles de règlements sur les rapports financiers et sur l'évaluation des nombres de comptabilité, cette thèse apporte de nombreuses contributions à la littérature académique et jette de la lumière sur les effets pratiques de chevauchement des règlements dans l'UE. / The central theme of my PhD thesis is regulation under multiple forms. Specifically, I focus on settings impacted by mandatory, optional or self-developed regulation. All three chapters in the current document use as setting the banking industry in countries from the European Union (EU). In the last decade, the banking industry has faced several regulatory transformations that impacted the quantity and quality of the disclosed information. Moreover, the recent financial crisis had banks in the spotlight, given their central role in the fall of the markets.In the first chapter, "Does Basel II affect the Market Valuation of Discretionary Loan Loss Provisions?", I study the impact of the 2008 Basel lI Capital Accord implementation in the European Union. Basel II was intended to bring an enhanced level of transparency regarding banks' operations. Consequently, Basel II introduces an incentive for banks to (1) increase their forward-looking provisioning and (2) to reduce their opportunistic provisioning.In our setting, Basel II introduces incentives for managers to recognize less income-increasing discretionary loan loss provisions (DLLPs). The income-increasing DLLPs are important as they are recognized in the literature as especially opportunistic. These findings are of particular importance given the recent and forthcoming regulatory developments in the banking industry. I refer to the introduction of IFRS 9 in 2018 and that of Basel III in 2019. Our results highlight the need for accounting and banking regulators to coordinate their efforts with disregard to their innately different objectives.For my second chapter, "Has Basel II Induced Conservatism Reduced the Level of EU Banks' Earnings Management?" Basel II reduces discretion in provisioning that is used in the pre-adoption period for opportunistic reporting (to recognize income-increasing DLLPs for reaching earnings management objectives).The third chapter, "The Impact of the 2010 EU Bank Stress-test Results Disclosure on Banks' Earnings Management" analyzes the impact that the disclosure of the forward-looking 2010 macroeconomic stress-test (ST) has on the level of participating banks’ opportunistic reporting. Specifically, it tests if the disclosure reduces bank opacity and consequently earnings management (proxied by income smoothing and benchmark beating) for the tested banks relative to non-tested banks.We find that the banks which enter the ST reduce the level of their benchmark beating. In corroboration with the previous results, we document that the disclosure of the ST's results likely reduces banks' opacity and managers reduce the opportunistic reporting due to enhanced public scrutiny. This paper is the first to analyze the impact that the disclosure of the ST results has on the level of banks' earnings management practices and it adds to the emerging ST literature.Overall, my thesis sheds light on current and relevant issues that concern one of the most scrutinized and criticised industries in the world. By analyzing the effect of different sets of regulations on financial reporting and on the valuation of accounting numbers, this thesis brings numerous contributions to the academic literature and sheds light over the practical effects of overlapping regulations in the EU.

Thesis advisor: Christopher Constas / Thesis advisor: Brian Braman / The literary character of Batman, first introduced by Action Comics in 1939, has been reincarnated several times in popular culture through graphic novels, radio, video games, television shows, and movies (Boxer). Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, however, portray only a fraction of the episodes and villains presented in the comic books, while reflecting on universal cultural, psychological, mythological, and social themes, archetypes, and conflicts. In an interview with the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Nolan explains that he was trying to portray Batman as an extraordinary character in the fabric of an ordinary city with familiar traits that would be recognizable to the audience. The theatrical Batman, with high-tech devices and powerful combat tactics, creates a stunning contrast against the dismal background of Gotham. Nolan designed Gotham in this way to remind the public that “[i]n America we take for granted a stability to our class and social structure that has never been sustained elsewhere in the world. In other words, this sort of thing has happened in countries all over the world, why not here? And why not now” (Foundas)? While he acknowledges that his movies are open to numerous political, religious, philosophical, and economical interpretations, on a deeper level, Nolan seems to have wanted to create these movies as a response to this eternal struggle of society against the forces of chaos and injustice, part of the inherent conflict of the human condition. Nolan also addresses the numerous factors that contribute to the incitement of such chaos, including government censorship, lying, and covert violence, which, paradoxically, are often used as justifications for preserving the social order. Several of the aspects of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises are applicable to modern society; others are influenced by monumental historical events. One of the crucial themes of Nolan’s trilogy is the search to understand what it truly means to fulfill the role of the Batman, that is, the role of a guardian of order and justice against the forces of chaos and injustice. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy Honors Program. / Discipline: Philosophy.

There is a growing interest in straw bale construction for its low embodied energy and insulation value. Early studies of its structural behaviour and fire resistance have shown it to be a viable alternative to traditional building techniques. However, the biggest remaining obstacle to widespread acceptance is the moisture behaviour within the straw bale walls, especially as it concerns mould growth. The uncertainty of this behaviour leads to the hesitation of building officials and insurance providers to freely accept straw bale construction. Therefore, this study investigates the moisture, temperature and mould growth in straw bale walls, through a combination of analysis, dynamic modeling and field studies. A study of mould is presented along with the current methods available for predicting mould growth. Moisture is the primary controllable factor to mould growth in buildings. Therefore, an understanding of moisture accumulation within straw bale walls is necessary to provide a safe design that precludes mould growth. This study compiles the current state of knowledge of the hygrothermal properties of the materials used in straw bale walls. Then a parametric steady-state analysis is conducted to show the expected behaviour of vapour diffusion and the effects of the material properties. Two 14”thick x 6’ wide x 8’ high straw bale test walls were constructed: one was rendered with a typical cement-lime plaster and the other with a clay plaster. Temperature and moisture were monitored throughout the walls for over a year. These test walls provide more information on the macro behaviour of the walls to both vapour diffusion and, more importantly, rain. Hygrothermal computer modeling was conducted and compared to the test data to assess its accuracy. Thermal modeling was successful, while moisture modeling was found to be more difficult due to a lack of accurate rain data. With better climate data it is expected that accurate hygrothermal modeling of straw bale walls is possible. The result of this work is a general starting point for more detailed studies of the hygrothermal behaviour of straw bale walls with the ultimate goal of assessing the mould risk for various construction techniques and locations.

There is a growing interest in straw bale construction for its low embodied energy and insulation value. Early studies of its structural behaviour and fire resistance have shown it to be a viable alternative to traditional building techniques. However, the biggest remaining obstacle to widespread acceptance is the moisture behaviour within the straw bale walls, especially as it concerns mould growth. The uncertainty of this behaviour leads to the hesitation of building officials and insurance providers to freely accept straw bale construction. Therefore, this study investigates the moisture, temperature and mould growth in straw bale walls, through a combination of analysis, dynamic modeling and field studies. A study of mould is presented along with the current methods available for predicting mould growth. Moisture is the primary controllable factor to mould growth in buildings. Therefore, an understanding of moisture accumulation within straw bale walls is necessary to provide a safe design that precludes mould growth. This study compiles the current state of knowledge of the hygrothermal properties of the materials used in straw bale walls. Then a parametric steady-state analysis is conducted to show the expected behaviour of vapour diffusion and the effects of the material properties. Two 14”thick x 6’ wide x 8’ high straw bale test walls were constructed: one was rendered with a typical cement-lime plaster and the other with a clay plaster. Temperature and moisture were monitored throughout the walls for over a year. These test walls provide more information on the macro behaviour of the walls to both vapour diffusion and, more importantly, rain. Hygrothermal computer modeling was conducted and compared to the test data to assess its accuracy. Thermal modeling was successful, while moisture modeling was found to be more difficult due to a lack of accurate rain data. With better climate data it is expected that accurate hygrothermal modeling of straw bale walls is possible. The result of this work is a general starting point for more detailed studies of the hygrothermal behaviour of straw bale walls with the ultimate goal of assessing the mould risk for various construction techniques and locations.

The search for more sustainable construction methods has created a renewed interest in straw bales technology. Straw bales are a composite material that is energy efficient and durable. Rectangular straw bales stacked in a running bond and plastered on the interior and exterior faces have adequate strength to resist typical loads found in two-storey structures. The structural behaviour of a load-bearing plastered straw bale wall subject to uniform loading is well researched. However, door and window voids in the wall redistribute vertical load paths and produce areas of concentrated stress. This thesis describes experiments on small-scale plastered straw bale panels subjected to loading conditions that simulate the loading conditions experienced in areas around door and window voids. Twenty-one specimens were tested under two main types of loading conditions. The specimens were rendered with lime-cement plaster, were one to three bales (0.33 m to 0.99 m) in height, and were either unreinforced, or contained metal diamond lath or chicken wire embedded within the plaster. The specimens were pin-supported at various centre-to-centre distances ranging from 200 mm to 500 mm and were loaded either uniformly or by a point load. Two distinct types of failure were observed. Strut-and-tie models were developed to describe the structural behaviour of panels undergoing vertical cracking of the plaster skin at failure. Bearing models were developed to describe the structural behaviour of panels undergoing crushing of the plaster skin beneath the point of applied load. The models predicted the correct failure mode of 92% of the specimens and had an average ratio of experimental strength to theoretical strength of 0.95 with a standard deviation of 0.17. The results show that the behaviour of plastered straw bale walls can be predicted using common methods of structural analysis. A parametric analysis of door and window voids within plastered straw bale walls is presented. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-09-30 11:32:53.613

The performance of plastered straw bale walls with respect to wind-driven rainfall was investigated in this thesis. The absorption coefficient, which describes the rate of water infiltration, was measured for 14 plaster types, twelve different earth plasters and cement and lime plasters. The absorption coefficient was measured during uptake of water from a free reservoir. The effective porosity of these plasters, which describes the moisture storage capacity and the degree of protection that a plaster offers to straw bales, was also determined by submersion in water. An analytical model employing the absorption coefficient, the effective porosity, and climatic data was used to predict and compare plaster performance and to demonstrate the usefulness of this type of data. Simulated wind-driven rainfall experiments were also conducted on two plaster types. The results indicate that the static test used to measure the absorption coefficient can reasonably be used to predict actual wind-driven rainfall infiltration.

The performance of plastered straw bale walls with respect to wind-driven rainfall was investigated in this thesis. The absorption coefficient, which describes the rate of water infiltration, was measured for 14 plaster types, twelve different earth plasters and cement and lime plasters. The absorption coefficient was measured during uptake of water from a free reservoir. The effective porosity of these plasters, which describes the moisture storage capacity and the degree of protection that a plaster offers to straw bales, was also determined by submersion in water. An analytical model employing the absorption coefficient, the effective porosity, and climatic data was used to predict and compare plaster performance and to demonstrate the usefulness of this type of data. Simulated wind-driven rainfall experiments were also conducted on two plaster types. The results indicate that the static test used to measure the absorption coefficient can reasonably be used to predict actual wind-driven rainfall infiltration.

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção. / Made available in DSpace on 2012-10-21T08:04:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 191224.pdf: 1512010 bytes, checksum: b6702ece6849b2c844420b4277353bd2 (MD5) / O programa de Avaliação Postural é uma ferramenta que vem para auxiliar os professores de Educação Física da Rede Municipal de Ensino de Joinville na realização de teste para pré-indicação de alunos da Rede Municipal de Ensino de Joinville à seleção classificatória de alunos bolsistas para a Escola do Teatro Bolshoi no Brasil. Para a realização desse estudo utilizou-se uma metodologia eclética baseada em métodos de avaliação postural tradicionais. No primeiro momento, este trabalho ateve-se à pesquisa bibliográfica quando se buscou embasamento teórico para dar sustentação às discussões acerca da avaliação postural, realizada em aulas de Educação Física, com alunos do ensino fundamental. De acordo com a Proposta de Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais o trabalho na área de Educação Física tem seus fundamentos nas concepções de corpo e movimento concebidos em dimensões cultural, social, política, afetiva, fisiológico e técnico, o que permite ao professor de ensino fundamental agregar valor ao seu trabalho através da realização de avaliação postural. O programa de avaliação postural possibilita a melhoria na qualidade dos resultados oferecidos à Escola de Teatro Bolshoi do Brasil, pois, deixa de avaliar empiricamente para proceder com maior precisão técnica à Escola do Teatro Bolshoi de Joinville.