The majority of research on high strain-rate effects in timber structures has been limited to the study of the load-bearing members in isolation. Limited work has been conducted on timber connections and full-scale timber assemblies under blast loading, and these have generally been constrained to qualitative observations. In North America, the increasing prevalence of mid- and high-rise timber structures makes them susceptible to blast effects. In addition, questions remain on how to design and optimize these timber assemblies, including the connections, against blast loads, due in part to the limitations on comprehensive design provisions. The effects of far-field blast explosions were simulated using the University of Ottawa shock tube. A total of fifty-eight dynamic tests were conducted on connection-level and full-scale specimens. The research program aimed to investigate the behaviour of heavy-timber connections when subjected to simulated blast loads. The experimental results showed that connections with a main failure mechanism consisting of wood crushing experienced significant increases in dynamic peak load when compared to the static peak load. In contrast, connections where steel yielding and rupturing occurred experienced no statistically significant increase in dynamic peak load. Full-scale glulam specimens with bolted connections designed to yield via wood crushing and bolt bending performed better than those with overdesigned connections. Bolted connections which failed in splitting led to premature failure of the glulam assembly. Reinforcement with self-tapping screws allowed these bolted joints to fail in a combination of bolt yielding and wood crushing, and provided more ductility when compared to unreinforced specimens. Specially designed energy-absorbing connections significantly increased the energy dissipation capabilities of the timber assemblies. The basis of these connections was to allow for connection yielding while delaying failure of the wood member. This was achieved via elastoplastic connection behaviour, which effectively limited the load imparted onto the wood member. Based on the experimental results, limitations in the current Canadian blast provisions were highlighted and discussed. A two-degree-of-freedom blast analysis software was developed and validated using full-scale and connection-level experimental results and was found to adequately capture the system response with reasonable accuracy. Sensitivity analyses regarding the applicability of using single-degree-of-freedom analysis were presented and discussed.

The authors closely analyzed 45 children's books featuring characters with refugee backgrounds that had been published since 2013. With the concept of culturally sustaining pedagogy underpinning the review, analysis revealed that these texts are rich and detailed, providing a starting point for discussing the global refugee crisis with students, but they occasionally fall short in providing complex, multidimensional representations of characters’ lives and experiences. A majority of the texts analyzed focus on the journey in search of a safe place to live, whereas very few focus on the complexity of making a life in a new place. The findings highlight the importance of identifying texts that provide complexity, dimension, and specificity in depicting experiences of refugee‐background characters across settings. Opening classrooms to texts about the diversity of refugee experiences invites teachers and their students to critically explore the important global issues of migration, equity, and ways of being human.

Intresset för användning av KL-trä som byggnadsmaterial har ökat kraftigt sedan tekniken introducerades i Sverige under 1990-talet. Med ökande användning av KL-trä i konstruktioner finns behov av att undersöka hur materialet beter sig under längre tid. Förband är generellt sett en svag punkt i en konstruktion, och det är därför viktigt att närmare undersöka långtidsbeteendet hos förband i KL-trä. Syftet med arbetet är att utveckla metoder som kan användas för att ge större insikt i hur effekterna av belastning under lång tid påverkar konstruktioner i KL-trä. I den här studien undersöks vilka tidigare utförda studier som behandlat långtidsbeteende hos trä i allmänhet och hos KL-trä i synnerhet. Utifrån dessa studier har två förslag på testmetoder tagits fram: ett test för förband utsatt i skjuvning, och ett utdragstest. / The interest for the use of CLT as a building material has increased dramatically since the technology was first introduced in Sweden during the 1990s. With increasing use of CLT in constructions there is a need to investigate the material’s long-term behaviour. Connections are generally a weak point in a construction, and it is therefore important to investigate the long-term behaviour of connections in CLT. The purpose of this project is to develop methods that can be used to provide greater insight into how the effects of long-term loading affect the behaviour of CLT designs. This study examines previously conducted studies involving long-term behaviour of wood in general and CLT in particular. Following this investigation, two proposals of test set-ups have been developed: one test for joints subjected to loading in shear, and one withdrawal test.

The population's aging phenomenon is no longer a new topic world wide. "The wlderly", as the term indicates, is labeled as one not obvious marginalized group. Architecture reporter Eric Baldwin also wrote that " Architects and planners must begin moving beyond end of life care and nursing facilities to consider the new design challenges posed by aging adults who desire active, interconnected lifestyles. Embracing networks of family and community, a new generation of Elederly adults are looking to maintain independence and freedom trough nobility, self- governance and third spaces." What I am trying to do is to explore a new life style for the elderly to have fun, freedom, social connections and get the help they need properly in the center of Stockholm. At the same time, this project also has symbolic meaning that the city refill the lost attention of the elderly.

This thesis aims to compare the cost of post-tensioned connection systems with conventional connections for the transferal of uplift forces in CLT stabilising walls. The desire for taller timber buildings has increased over time, in part due to environmental aspects but also to meet demands from an urbanizing population. For taller buildings, the horizontal load from wind increases. Due to timbers low self-weight, the uplifting force caused by the horizontal loading will be relatively large. Post-tensioning within timber structures is a non-conventional method for the transferal of uplifting forces that has been applied in only a few projects. The cost of the post-tensioning method is therefore unclear to the general engineer and has for that reason been investigated within this thesis. To gain information about the different aspects that might be affected by the connection method, interviews were held with different professionals who had worked with the post- tension method in timber structures. A cost comparison was performed for four different connection methods for stabilising walls, where the methods were three versions of the post-tension method and one with the more common angle brackets and hold-downs. The thesis was completed with a cost comparison within a case study, where the financial differences between the different connection methods for stabilising walls in a building were investigated. The case study building was based on a project currently being designed in Uppsala. Several different versions of the building were created, where the number of stories and stabilising walls of the building were changed. The connection costs for the different versions were compared to find the most cost-effective solution. The results from the stabilising wall analysis showed that the conventional connection method, was the cheaper option for stabilising walls of 4-storeys. While the post-tension method had a cheaper material cost for stabilising walls of 8-storeys and above. As the building height increased the post-tension systems became more priceworthy. The largest cost difference found between the conventional and the post-tension systems was for the 20-storey tall wall subjected to an uplift of 100 kN, where the conventional system was 76,5% more expensive than the most economical post-tensioning system. A four- storey interval was used for the analysis of the building heights. The results from the case study cost comparison followed in the same line as the results from the stabilising wall cost comparison. Both indicated that the post-tension systems became more economical compared to the angle brackets for increased building heights. / Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka kostnaden för olika infästningsmetoder för stabiliserande väggar i träkonstruktioner. Fokus ligger på efterspänningsmetoden, som innebär att det monteras stänger i väggarna genom flera våningar som sedan spänns åt. Examensarbetet begränsas i att titta på byggnader uppförda i KL-trä. Det övergripande syftet med arbetet är att avgöra om efterspänningssystem är ett ekonomiskt lönsamt alternativ kontra konventionella infästningsmetoder, för att stabilisera KL-träväggar. KL-trä står för kors-limmat trä och används idag för bärande konstruktioner inom träbyggnader och består av flera lager träskivor som har limmats ihop. Varje lager har vridits med 90 grader i förhållande till det föregående, för att främja komponentens styrka och fuktmotstånd. För att samla information om de olika aspekter som påverkas av valet av infästningsmetod hölls intervjuer med personer som använt sig av efterspänningsmetod i träkonstruktioner. Utöver detta genomfördes även en kostnadsjämförelse mellan olika infästningsalternativ för olika stabiliserande väggar. De alternativ som jämfördes var efterspänningsmetoden och de mer konventionella vinkeljärnen. Resultaten från kostnadsjämförelsen visade att vinkeljärnen var det mest ekonomiska valet för byggnader i 4-våningar, medan materialkostnaden för efterspänningsmetoden var lägre för byggnader med 8-våningar och uppåt. Den största prisskillnaden mellan de två metoderna var för en vägg i en byggnad med 20 våningar och 100 kN i upplyftande krafter, där kostnaden av det konventionella systemet var 76,5% dyrare än det billigaste av de efterspända systemen. Analysen av byggnadshöjderna gjordes i intervaller om fyra våningar. Detta examensarbete avslutades med en fallstudie där de olika aspekterna som påverkar kostnaden av anslutningsmetod, som byggnadshöjd och planlösning, jämfördes. Resultaten från fallstudien följde i samma fotspår, då efterspänningsmetoden blev allt mer kostnadseffektiv med ökat våningsantal.

Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques have resulted in innovative options that save time and money during the construction of bridges. One such group of techniques that has generated considerable interest is the usage of individual precast concrete members. Utilizing precast concrete decks allows for offsite curing, thus eliminating long delays due to formwork and concrete curing time. These precast concrete decks have inherent joints between the individual panels. These joints are locations for potential leakage, which can lead to corrosion or inadequate long-term performance. Post-tensioning the precast deck panels helps to eliminate leakage; however, conventional longitudinal post-tensioning systems require complete deck replacement in the event of a single faulty deck panel. A proposed post-tensioned, curved-strand connection allows for a single panel to be replaced. The capacity of the proposed curved-strand connection was investigated in order to compare its behavior to other systems that are currently in use. Tests were performed in composite negative bending, beam shear, and positive bending. The curved strand connection was found to behave similarly to the standard post-tensioning system in positive bending and shear. The curved-strand connection was found to be comparable to a standard post-tensioning system. The ultimate capacity of the curved-strand connection in negative bending was found to be 97% of the standard post-tensioning. Pre-stress losses were measured and predicted for the service life of the connection and were found to be 6% at the 75- year service life of a bridge.

Corporate political connections have been shown to induce preferential treatment towards connected firms. This thesis evaluates whether the effect of connections is reflected in the composition of public procurement suppliers in Czechia, using municipal procurement awarded between 2006 and 2020. In particular, we hypothesise that changes in municipal mayors affected the rate of new procurement suppliers following the elections in 2014 and 2018. The findings show that the rate of new suppliers increased significantly in municipalities that elected a new mayor in the 2014 elections; however, the effects appeared to be negative in 2018. We further hypothesise that these results can be driven by the major success of new political parties in 2014, with a large share of new politicians being elected to office. We specifically examine the case of ANO, the political movement that dominated both elections. We do not find robust evidence of a surge in new suppliers in municipalities where ANO was notably successful, suggesting that the effect was not driven only by this party and pointing to alternative explanations.

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