M.Ing. (Civil Engineering) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A precast concrete structural system offers many advantages over in-situ casting. For example, greater control over the quality of materials and workmanship, improved health and safety (with casting carried out at ground level rather than at height) and cost efficiency (with standard forms continually re-used) are all realised through the off-site production of structural elements. As a result, a large body of research has been conducted into their performance, with many national codes of practice also devoting specific sections to design and detailing. However, contemporary design practice has been shown to not always correctly reflect the findings of published experimental studies. Concrete technology is continually evolving, as is the industry s knowledge of how to model and predict the behaviour of the resulting structural components. Using such understanding to design and justify the more efficient, cost-effective or flexible manufacture of precast components can offer a key commercial advantage to a precast manufacturer. In this context, the numerical and experimental investigations undertaken as part of this study have been specifically focussed on quantifying the advantages of utilising beneficial alternatives. Specifically the research has looked at improvements in concrete mixes, lightweight aggregates and reinforcing strategies, for precast structural elements required to transfer loads both vertically and horizontally. However, because of the non-standard solutions considered, different approaches have been used to demonstrate their suitability. Towards this goal, an alternative assessment strategy was devised for slender precast concrete panels with central reinforcement. The procedure was found to lead to design capacities that are in good agreement with actual experimental findings and should thus result in future manufacturing efficiency. The method can also be used for alternative concrete types and reinforcement layouts. Fresh and early-age material characteristics of self-compacting concrete mixes with a partial or complete replacement of traditional gravel and sand constituents with lightweight alternatives were investigated. This was done to demonstrate the feasibility of their use for the manufacture of large scale structural components, with clear benefits in terms of lifting and transportation. A computational push-down procedure was utilised to demonstrate the potential unsuitability of current tying regulations for avoiding a progressive collapse event in precast framed structures. The findings are considered to be of particular significance for these structures due to the segmental nature of the construction and the associated inherent lack of structural continuity.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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This project researches structural floor systems utilized during the late eighteen hundreds and into the early nineteen hundreds. Historical background and general design information is included along with information on materials used in the systems and data sheets for these materials illustrating their properties. The floor systems, which were found to be in use during this time period, are presented individually including a description of the system, its materials and properties associated with the system. Five case studies have been included to illustrate how this project can be utilized to identify the type of floor system used within a historical building and the structural evaluation process that may follow.This creative project was completed in order to serve as a guiding tool in the evaluation process of the floor system of a historical structure. It is intended and formatted to be used by structural engineers, forensic engineers and others with a sufficient understanding of structural issues. The systems discussed are original and often diverse from those utilized in construction today. This in itself is important to understand when preparing to evaluate and renovate a historical structure. / Department of Architecture

The content of this thesis is the design of street furniture using concrete. The work includes a brief summary of marketing, analyzing current trends in design of street furniture and analysis used technical solutions. The main part is devoted to the design process, resulting in the shape of street furniture while respecting the structural and ergonomic requirements in relation to people who use the furniture.

The content of this thesis is the design of street furniture using concrete. The work includes a brief summary of marketing, analyzing current trends in design of street furniture and analysis used technical solutions. The main part is devoted to the design process, resulting in the shape of street furniture while respecting the structural and ergonomic requirements in relation to people who use the furniture.

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A fully automated computer program is developed for the optimum design of steel space trusses acting compositely with a concrete slab placed on top. The program sizes the truss members to meet the requirements of the load and resistance factor design specification of the American Institute of Steel Construction using the load combinations of ANSI. Earthquake loading is not considered. The optimum size is based on minimum cost, regarding the amount of welding required at the joints and of the member itself. The total cost is based on all steel work in the truss. Once the truss configuration has been defined, and it has been ensured that linear elastic behavior exists, the structure is analyzed for the construction process, to make sure that no overstressing will take place in any structural element at any time during construction and service. The analysis and design principles are presented and an actual design case is solved. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)