The work comprises a critical commentary and a portfolio of ten published major texts by the author, presented in whole or part. It represents a set of related themes and approaches to the subject of culture, technology and being. The portfolio critiques and develops theories of technology in response to significant examples within cultural contexts, in order to address and interrogate contradictions and assumptions pertaining to technologically led readings of images, objects and environments. The publications range from critical approaches to major theorists of technology and culture, including Baudrillard, McLuhan and Heidegger; artists who have utilised technology within performative contexts (Warhol, Duchamp, Gorgerous): and phenomenological studies of network-based culture. The commentary focuses on dominant theoretical concepts in order to connect the texts. These include Baudrillard's principle of 'reversibility', McLuhan's reading of disembodiment, Heidegger's 'standing reserve' and Jarry's 'pataphysics'. The work concludes with a critical obituary of Jean Baudrillard, and shows how the portfolio of publications (1999-2011) has had an impact within academe and for a more general readership, and how it informs current research and future publications.

<p>The studio model of education incorporated in to many design-oriented HCI programs in the past two decades brings a number of objectives to programs implementing it. One objective is the building of a “bridge” between pedagogy and practice, preparing students for the differing realities between academia, and the constraints imposed in an organizational setting. The bridge also encourages the development of a student’s design philosophy, allowing them to acknowledge and understand their conceptions of design which influence decisions in project-processes, and the projected communities they may navigate towards in practice. This study addresses the dimensions of design philosophy held by students educated in these programs, and how such philosophies are engaged and shaped further in practice. Through a qualitative interview approach, this study presents 9 dimensions of design philosophy through the accounts of 10 students and practitioners, reflecting on their education and practice. Using existing work studying the flow of competence between practitioners and organizations, the discussion of the dimensions presented provides four ways in which the philosophies of practitioners may encounter tensions in practice. This research proposes future work on how the studio model in HCI pedagogy may better prepare students for enacting their philosophies, and further reflecting on the shaping of that philosophy through felt contrasts between education and practice. </p>

Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the seismic risk to highway bridges is crucial in pre-earthquake planning, and post-earthquake response of transportation systems. Such assessments provide valuable knowledge about a number of principal effects of earthquakes such as traffic disruption of the overall highway system, impact on the regions' economy and post-earthquake response and recovery, and more recently serve as measures to quantify resilience. Unlike previous work, this study captures unique bridge design attributes specific to California bridge classes along with their evolution over three significant design eras, separated by the historic 1971 San Fernando and 1989 Loma Prieta earthquakes (these events affected changes in bridge seismic design philosophy). This research developed next-generation fragility curves for four multispan concrete bridge classes by synthesizing new knowledge and emerging modeling capabilities, and by closely coordinating new and ongoing national research initiatives with expertise from bridge designers. A multi-phase framework was developed for generating fragility curves, which provides decision makers with essential tools for emergency response, design, planning, policy support, and maximizing investments in bridge retrofit. This framework encompasses generational changes in bridge design and construction details. Parameterized high-fidelity three-dimensional nonlinear analytical models are developed for the portfolios of bridge classes within different design eras. These models incorporate a wide range of geometric and material uncertainties, and their responses are characterized under seismic loadings. Fragility curves were then developed considering the vulnerability of multiple components and thereby help to quantify the performance of highway bridge networks and to study the impact of seismic design principles on the performance within a bridge class. This not only leads to the development of fragility relations that are unique and better suited for bridges in California, but also leads to the creation of better bridge classes and sub-bins that have more consistent performance characteristics than those currently provided by the National Bridge Inventory. Another important feature of this research is associated with the development of damage state definitions and grouping of bridge components in a way that they have similar consequences in terms of repair and traffic implications following a seismic event. These definitions are in alignment with the California Department of Transportation's design and operational experience, thereby enabling better performance assessment, emergency response, and management in the aftermath of a seismic event. The fragility curves developed as a part of this research will be employed in ShakeCast, a web-based post-earthquake situational awareness application that automatically retrieves earthquake shaking data and generates potential damage assessment notifications for emergency managers and responders. / Errata added at request of advisor and approved by Graduate Office, March 15 2016.

[ES] El objetivo de la tesis es proponer una metodología que permita la definición de pasarelas de un único vano a partir de unas condiciones de contorno determinadas, utilizando unos diseños estéticamente atractivos. Se desarrolla el diseño y la formulación geométrica de tres pasarelas paramétricas, denominadas Von Mises, Monocontentio y Bicontentio, cuyo diseño se basa en cinco fundamentos básicos: integración en la geometría del terreno, búsqueda continua de la sencillez, siluetas que emanan del comportamiento estructural, formas unitarias y detalles perdurables. La silueta de la pasarela Von Mises se basa en la gráfica del criterio de comparación de Von Mises de una viga biapoyada, la del prototipo Monocontentio en la ley de momentos de una viga empotrada-apoyada y la de la pasarela Bicontentio en la gráfica de flectores de una viga biempotrada. El trabajo incluye una metodología de formulación, que permite obtener las expresiones matemáticas que gobiernan las principales dimensiones y espesores de las pasarelas, en función de su anchura y su luz. Un análisis comparativo de diferentes tipologías de pasarelas viga permite constatar la eficiencia de los prototipos Von Mises, Monocontentio y Bicontentio. Esta se debe a su canto variable adaptado a los esfuerzos de solicitación y al empotramiento en estribos. Asimismo, se realiza un análisis que liga el enfoque de diseño y el pensamiento ingenieril con la expresión estética de los puentes. La tesis supone la puesta en orden de una particular filosofía de diseño utilizada por el autor en una treintena de puentes proyectados durante los últimos 25 años, para poder ser aplicada de manera sistemática por otros profesionales. / [CA] L'objectiu de la tesi és proposar una metodologia que permeta la definició de passarel·les d'un únic tram a partir d'unes condicions de contorn determinades, utilitzant uns dissenys estèticament atractius. Es desenvolupa el disseny i la formulació geomètrica de tres passarel·les paramètriques, denominades Von Mises, Monocontentio i Bicontentio, el disseny de les quals es basa en cinc fonaments bàsics: integració en la geometria del terreny, cerca contínua de la senzillesa, siluetes que emanen del comportament estructural, formes unitàries i detalls perdurables. La silueta de la passarel·la Von Mises es basa en la gràfica del criteri de comparació de Von Mises d'una biga bi- recolzada, la del prototip Monocontentio en la llei de moments d'una biga encastada-recolzada i la de la passarel·la Bicontentio en la gràfica de flectors d'una biga bi-encastada. El treball inclou una metodologia de formulació, que permet obtindre les expressions matemàtiques que governen les principals dimensions i grossàries de les passarel·les, en funció de la seua amplària i la seua llum. Una anàlisi comparativa de diferents tipologies de passarel·les biga permet constatar l'eficiència dels prototips Von Mises, Monocontentio i Bicontentio. Aquesta es deu al seu cant variable adaptat als esforços de sol·licitació i a l'encast en estreps. Així mateix es realitza una anàlisi que lliga l'enfocament de disseny i el pensament de l'enginyer amb l'expressió estètica dels ponts. / [EN] The purpose of this thesis is to propose a methodology for single-span, pedestrian bridges, based on specific conditions, using an attractive design.This thesis explains the design and geometric formulation of three types of pedestrian bridges, namely Von Mises, Monocontentio and Bicontentio. Their designs are based on five basic principles: (1) integration into the geometry of the environment; (2) permanent search for simplicity; (3) design based on a geometry that emanates from structural behavior; (4) uniform shapes; and (5) enduring details. The silhouette of the Von Mises bridge is inspired by the Von Mises criterion graph, corresponding to a simply- supported beam.The Monocontentio prototype is inspired by the bending moment diagram of a beam fixed at one end and simply supported at the other end. The Bicontentio bridge is inspired by the bending moment diagram of a beam fixed at both ends. This thesis includes a formulation methodology that defines mathematical expressions that govern the main dimensions and thickness of a pedestrian bridge, depending on its respective width and span. A comparative analysis demonstrates the efficiency of these three particular prototypes, due to their variable depth, adapted to the internal forces, and due to fix the structure in abutments. Likewise, this paper analyses and links the design and engineering with the aesthetic expression of the bridges.The author has used this design philosophy in thirty bridge projects over the last 25 years, and such philosophy may be applied in a systematic way by other professionals. / Guisasola Ron, M. (2022). Desarrollo de nuevas formas parametrizadas para pasarelas eficientes y elegantes [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/180776 / TESIS

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