<p>A majority of the experimental research on masonry shear wall behaviour has been done on single storey walls and on piers in many cases due to physical and equipment limitations in laboratories or time and cost constraints. Although full scale testing of multi-storey masonry shear walls has been carried out at McMaster University where the laboratory could accommodate walls up to about 8 m high, such testing is indeed very time consuming, costly, and even somewhat dangerous as the result of working at significant heights above the laboratory floor. Therefore, a decision was made to make use of scaled concrete blocks and proportionately scaled walls to conduct shear wall research over a range of wall sizes representative of walls in buildings. Half scale units have been used at McMaster University for the past 6 years and the research presented in this thesis represents the initiation of shear wall research using one-third scale concrete blocks. Therefore, one of the important and unavoidable focuses of this research is to provide a solid basis for future research on scaled shear walls.</p> <p>In terms of shear wall behaviour, the focus of this study is the flexural response of ductile reinforced masonry shear walls of various sizes and configurations. In addition to this documentation of basic shear wall response, an added objective is to initiate study of the interaction of various sizes and configurations of shear walls on the seismic performance of representative shear wall buildings as the next logical step beyond response of individual walls. To this end, an objective is to assess the results of using combinations of the tested walls contained within a conceptual structure.</p> <p>In terms of practical output, the experimental testing of shear walls will concentrate on inducing large displacements and examining the responses as they pertain to seismic parameters. The primary objective is to augment existing research focused on the displacement ductility of reinforced masonry shear walls and the force modification factor, Rd, as well as to provide a comparison between observed performance and the current design practices within the National Building Code of Canada (2005) and the masonry design standard, CSA S304.1 (2004).</p> <p>Overall, the results obtained from this study provide positive feedback for the use of fully grouted reinforced one third scale concrete block shear wall testing. The observed ductility was below the expected level, however, these results are an indicator that the current Rd value is a lower bound value. Although the relatively brittle steel presented complications and prevented full value from being achieved from the tests, when considered as lower bound results, they provide a positive indication of the resistance of ductile reinforced masonry shear walls subjected to seismic forces.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

<p>Dynamic absorbers, including the tuned mass damper (TMD) and the tuned liquid damper (TLD) , have been widely used in buildings to attenuate dynamic response. As the complexity of buildings increases, their response may become susceptible to torsional motion. The induced torsional motion can be suppressed by utilizing TMDs or TLDs. As such, the performance of different absorber arrangements are important for torsionally coupled structures. Also, a rapid design tool to reduce the computational effort for the design of the absorbers optimal parameters in torsionally coupled system is essential.</p> <p>In this study, the performance of different TMD/TLD configurations under both random and harmonic excitation are studied and evaluated. The effectiveness of the absorber configurations considered is accessed by the response reduction factor, which is defined as the ratio of the response of structure equipped with absorber(s) to the response of structure without absorber(s). Also, a preliminary design tool to determine optimal TMD parameters is developed by introducing the concept of a generalized structure-TMD system.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

<p>A computer program has been developed to compute water hammer transients in pump-discharge lines (forcemains), resulting from power failure at the pumps. The program incorporates various boundary conditions as subroutines. Hence the pump(s) can be placed anywhere in the pipeline, with or without discharge valves (or check valves), and the program can accept a large number of surge-control devices, similarly placed anywhere in the pipeline. Such devices include valves, check valves, surge tanks, one-way surge tanks, and pressure vessels. An explicit finite-differences scheme employing the method of characteristics is used throughout. It proved to be accurate and stable. The program is written in a dimensionless and general form. Several checks were made to prove the validity of the computer model. Comparisons with field observations, graphical analysis, and/or water hammer design charts were made, depending on the data available in the literature for each boundary condition. An exhaustive search through the literature was made. Computer plots are developed which proved valuable in presenting the results. The computer model was applied to the water hammer problem in the Ancaster forcemain, and a "best" protective device is suggested.</p> / Master of Engineering (ME)

<p>A mathematical model to compute the dynamic response of asymmetric shear wall-frame building structures is presented. The formulation is developed in detail for the case of one axis of symmetry. Also, the method is derived for the case of relatively uniform stiffining element with respect to height and it is based on the continuous approach. The lateral load resisting elements, as elastic continua, are combined by using the equilibrium and compatibility conditions to yield a coupled set of partial differential equations. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors are determined using numerical procedures and results are presented to show the natural periods and mode shapes for several practical structures. The total dynamic response of such structures subjected to earthquake ground motions is determined and results are presented for excitation due to several different earthquakes. The response results are compared with those obtained by using a static analysis with the objective of evaluating the adequacy of such static loading provisions and developing guidelines to define situations for which a detailed dynamic response computation is required.</p> / Master of Engineering (ME)

<p>A procedure based on the finite element method was developed for simulating the excavation of underground openings in rock for the actual initial state of stress in the field for various K conditions. This procedure can also incorporate orthotropic behaviour due to rock bedding, and other directional variations in the elastic properties of rock. This excavation simulation was then coupled into the time-dependent analysis of underground openings to study the influence of rock squeezing using the incremental initial strain method. Appropriate stress-strain-time relationships and strain accumulation methods are readily incorporated into this finite element program. (A survey of time-dependent constitutive relationships for rock is given to guide in the selection of appropriate creep laws.) The excavation and creep simulation aspects were then extended to model underground linings and lining placement strategies. This includes the ability to consider the lining and the rock as two different materials with rough or jointed interfaces between them. Further, this simulation allows for creep of the rock before lining installation, and creep of the rock and concrete lining after its construction for appropriate rock and concrete constitutive relationships. The full simulation procedure (excavation, creep and lining) was used to study an actual tunnel constructed in squeezing rock. There is reasonable agreement between the predicted performance and measured performance to date, and this comparison with monitored field information is continuing.</p> / Master of Engineering (ME)

<p>An experimental programme was carried out involving both plane strain and triaxial compression tests on a dry sand. A comparison between both methods is presented to show the influence of the intermediate principal stress on the angle of shearing resistance of failure, the shear characteristics and the failure criterion. The Mohr-Coulomb theory was used as a failure criterion. The angle of shearing resistance at failure in plane strain tests was higher than in triaxial tests. Shear strength values at failure were higher in plane strain tests than in triaxial tests. All stress-strain curves in both plane strain and triaxial test have a similar shape.</p> / Master of Engineering (ME)

<p>The purpose of this research is to simulate the state of stress on soil element in the field under the action of moving wheel loads. The behaviour of an over-consolidated soil subjected to the action of repeated vertical stresses with concurrent repeated horizontal stresses (cell pressure) is compared to the behaviour of soil under the action of repeated vertical stresses with constant horizontal stress. Attention is given to the axial strains and pore water pressures generated under different loading conditions.</p> / Master of Engineering (ME)

<p>A technique for in situ sample solidification using gelatin injection has been developed that allows the recovery of relatively undisturbed samples of saturated cohesionless soil. This involved the development of design guidelines for gelatin selection and the design and construction of a prototype field sampler. Gelatin has an important advantage over the conventional chemical grouts previously used for this purpose in that it can be readily removed from the sample when required. The intact solidified sample can be visually examined for stratigraphic information, and the gelatin can be washed out for determination of void ratio, liquefaction potential, shear strength paramaters etc. Unfortunately, gelatin solutions maintain a relatively low viscosity for a much smaller proportion of their setting times than do other chemical grouts. Therefore care must be taken during the selection of the gelatin concentration to be used in the field. This will ensure that sufficient grout is injected to solidify the proposed sample before the setting time is reached.</p> / Master of Engineering (ME)

<p>The Lake Erie net basin supply (NBS) is defined as the net volume of water entering or exiting the lake from its own drainage basin over a specified period of time. NBS can be computed using either the component or residual method. In this research, an uncertainty analysis was performed on the residual method of computing Lake Erie NBS using both the First-Order Second Moment (FOSM) method and a Monte Carlo simulation approach. Uncertainties in each of the various inputs, including the inflows, outflows, and change in storage, among other sources, were first defined through analysis of data, when available, or with alternative methods when necessary. Estimating the unce11ainty in each of the NBS model inputs was found to be the most difficult and time consuming component of this study, and also the component prone to the most subjectivity. The results obtained using the FOSM and Monte Carlo approaches were found to be nearly identical when applied to the residual method of computing Lake Erie NBS. Comparison of the results of this study to the results from other research showed that the overall uncertainties in NBS are of similar magnitude. However, the uncertainty in the change in storage was found to be greater than estimates given in previous studies, and greater than perhaps generally believed, being of a similar magnitude to the uncertainty in the Lake Erie inflows and outflows, which have normally been cited as the greatest sources of uncertainty in Lake Erie residual NBS.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

<p>A satisfactory base stabilization process utilizing ground pelletized blast furnace slag as the cementing material has been developed. A number of aspects of pelletized slag base stabilization such as energy utilization, type of ground fines, catalysis effects, glass content, fly ash utilization, etc. are considered. The setting problems associated with the high lime content of steel slags in emulsified asphalt slurry seals were overcome by using blends of quick and slow set anionic emulsions. A large amount of information on waste and secondary product utilization is integrated throughout. Recommendations for future studies are given.</p> / Master of Engineering (ME)