While site effects are accounted for in most modern U.S. seismic design codes for building structures, there exist no standardized procedures for the computationally efficient integration of nonlinear ground response analyses in broadband ground motion simulations. In turn, the lack of a unified methodology affects the prediction accuracy of site-specific ground motion intensity measures, the evaluation of site amplification factors when broadband simulations are used for the development of hybrid attenuation relations and the estimation of inelastic structural performance when strong motion records are used as input in aseismic structural design procedures. In this study, a set of criteria is established, which quantifies how strong nonlinear effects are anticipated to manifest at a site by investigating the empirical relation between nonlinear soil response, soil properties, and ground motion characteristics. More specifically, the modeling variability and parametric uncertainty of nonlinear soil response predictions are studied, along with the uncertainty propagation of site response analyses to the estimation of inelastic structural performance. Due to the scarcity of design level ground motion recording, the geotechnical information at 24 downhole arrays is used and the profiles are subjected to broadband ground motion synthetics. For the modeling variability study, the site response models are validated against available downhole array observations. The site and ground motion parameters that govern the intensity of nonlinear effects are next identified, and an empirical relationship is established, which may be used to estimate to a first approximation the error introduced in ground motion predictions if nonlinear effects are not accounted for. The soil parameter uncertainty in site response predictions is next evaluated as a function of the same measures of soil properties and ground motion characteristics. It is shown that the effects of nonlinear soil property uncertainties on the ground-motion variability strongly depend on the seismic motion intensity, and this dependency is more pronounced for soft soil profiles. By contrast, the effects of velocity profile uncertainties are less intensity dependent and more sensitive to the velocity impedance in the near surface that governs the maximum site amplification. Finally, a series of bilinear single degree of freedom oscillators are subjected to the synthetic ground motions computed using the alternative soil models, and evaluate the consequent variability in structural response. Results show high bias and uncertainty of the inelastic structural displacement ratio predicted using the linear site response model for periods close to the fundamental period of the soil profile. The amount of bias and the period range where the structural performance uncertainty manifests are shown to be a function of both input motion and site parameters.

<p>Abstract</p><p>This report describes our ten week long thesis work which is the last task in our education in mechanical engineering at Linköpings University. The project has been performed at Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB’s service department. The company which is located in Finspång produces, sells and provides service for steam and gas turbines around the world.</p><p>The purpose of this project is to help Siemens develop their maintenance programs for two of the auxiliary systems which are a part of the complete steam turbine system. These are lube and control oil systems.</p><p>The project is restricted to two of Siemens maintenance products, No Stop Check (NSC) and the annual Safety Inspection (SI). Some parts of the major and limited overhauls have also been investigated.</p><p>During the work different maintenance concepts have been investigated and evaluated. Focus has been centered on finding possible solutions that allow maintenance work while the steam turbine system is running. The economical consequences are enormous if the turbine has to be shut down. This due to today’s expanded capacity of the plants.</p><p>Many discussions and interviews have taken place during the project. Information has also been obtained from documents, literature and the Internet. A Failure Mode and Effect Criticality Analysis (FMECA) has also been input for the task, especially while maintenance measures and concepts were discussed.</p><p>The present maintenance that Siemens supplies are mostly based on time and experience. We have tried to implement a more condition based maintenance. A lot of time has therefore been spent finding methods for reliable measuring of the machinery condition.</p><p>The work has generated a lot of different recommendations for the future maintenance. These are more or less condition based and tailor-made for Siemens steam turbine systems. We hope that these propositions will be used in the future maintenance work and also to give some new ideas on how to develop the condition based maintenance at Siemens.</p> / <p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Denna rapport beskriver vårt tio veckor långa examensarbete som är den avslutande delen i vår maskiningenjörsutbildning. Arbetet har utförts vid serviceavdelning på Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB (Siemens). Siemens som ligger i Finspång tillverkar, säljer och servar ång - och gasturbinanläggningar över hela världen.</p><p>Syftet med arbetet är att hjälpa Siemens att utveckla sina serviceprogram för två av de kringsystem som ingår i en ångturbinanläggning, dessa är smörj- och hydrauloljesystem.</p><p>Arbetet är avgränsat till två av Siemens serviceprodukter, No Stop Check (NSC) och Säkerhetsinspektion (SI). Även vissa delar av de större revisionerna har undersökts.</p><p>I arbetet har olika underhållsfilosofier undersökts och utvärderats. Fokus har riktats mot att undersöka möjligheter att utföra underhållsåtgärder med turbinanläggningen i drift. I och med den höga kapacitet dagens ångturbinanläggningar har blir de ekonomiska förlusterna enormt stora vid ett eventuellt produktionsbortfall.</p><p>Under arbetets gång har många diskussioner och intervjuer ägt rum. Information har också inhämtats genom dokument, böcker och Internet. En så kallad Failure Mode and Effect Criticality Analysis (FMECA) har också legat till grund för arbetet när metoder och åtgärder för underhållet diskuterats.</p><p>Siemens nuvarande underhåll är till stor del erfarenhets- och tidsbaserat. Vi har försökt att applicera ett mer tillståndsbaserat underhåll och därför har mycket tid ägnats åt att hitta metoder att tillståndskontrollera utrustningen med.</p><p>Arbetet har genererat ett flertal olika rekommendationer på underhållsaktiviteter som är tillståndsbaserade och anpassade för Siemens turbinanläggningar. Tanken är att dessa förslag ska användas i det fortsatta underhållsarbetet och dessutom väcka idéer till fortsatt utveckling av tillståndsbaserat underhåll.</p>

Texte remanié de: Th. doct.--Hist.--Besançon--Université de Franche-Comté, 1993. Titre de soutenance : Les camps de Myard à Vitteaux et du Châtelet d'Étaules, premiers habitats fortifiés de pierre, de bois et de terre en Côte-d'Or, dans leur contexte archéologique : du IVe millénaire au Ve siècle avant J.-C. / En appendice, choix de documents. Bibliogr. p. 240-274. Notes bibliogr. SAE = Société archéologique de l'Est de la France. L'ouvrage porte par erreur : ISSN 0035-0745.

Local soil conditions influence the characteristics of earthquake ground shaking and these effects must be taken into account when specifying ground shaking levels for seismic design. These effects are quantified via site response analysis, which involves the propagation of earthquake motions from the base rock through the overlying soil layers to the ground surface. Site response analysis provides surface acceleration-time series, surface acceleration response spectra, and/or spectral amplification factors based on the dynamic response of the local soil conditions. This dissertation investigates and compares the results from different site response methods. Specifically, equivalent-linear time series analysis, equivalent-linear random vibration theory analysis, and nonlinear time series analysis are considered. In the first portion of this study, hypothetical sites and events are used to compare the various site response methods. The use of hypothetical events at hypothetical sites allowed for the seismic evaluation process used in engineering practice to be mimicked. The hypothetical sites were modeled after sites with characteristics that are representative of sites in the Eastern and Western United States. The input motions selected to represent the hypothetical events were developed using the following methods: stochastically-simulated time series, linearly-scaled recorded time series, and spectrally-matched time series. The random vibration theory input motions were defined using: seismological source theory, averaging of the Fourier amplitude spectra computed from scaled time series, and a response spectrum compatible motion. All of the different input motions were then scaled to varying intensity levels and propagated through the sites to evaluate the relative differences between the methods and explain the differences. Data recorded from borehole arrays, which consist of instrumentation at surface and at depth within the soil deposit, are used to evaluate the absolute bias of the site response methods in the second portion of this study. Borehole array data is extremely useful as it captures both the input motion and the surface motion, and can be used to study solely the wave propagation process within the soil deposit. However, comparisons using the borehole data are complicated by the assumed wavefield at the base of the array. In this study, sites are selected based on site conditions and the availability of high intensity input motions. The site characteristics are then developed based on site specific information and data from laboratory soil testing. Comparisons between the observed and computed response are used to first assess the wavefield at the base of the array, and then to evaluate the accuracy of the site response methods. / text

The influence of salal on tree growth has attained considerable attention in coastal British Columbia. Field observations, surveys, and studies in the CWH zone have indicated poor growth performance of crop tree species in salal-dominated plantations and natural immature and old-growth stands. Where sites have been burned and planted, tree growth has improved; similar effects have been observed for naturally regenerated stands. Immature stands that developed after wind disturbance or harvesting feature rapid growth and nearly complete absence of salal. As studies have shown that ericaceous plants negatively impact tree growth, the salal on potential harvest sites has been considered undesirable. This study examined (1) the possible influence of salal on the stand, soil nutrient status and site index, and (2) the relations between site index, salal, plant communities, and site in disturbed, immature, coastal Douglas-fir ecosystems. We compared vegetation and environmental characteristics of 101 ecosystems, and examined differences in foliar and soil nutrient characteristics and site index between stands with high and low salal cover through analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression analysis.

A silviculturist needs to know how productivity of all tree species under management varies with the ecological determinants of site quality, i.e., the environmental factors that directly affect the growth of plants - light, heat, soil moisture, soil nutrients, and soil aeration. A good understanding of this variation is necessary for making biologically viable, speciesand site specific silvicultural decisions. Productivity of a given species is usually measured by site index (top tree height at 50 years at breast height age). Quantified relationships between site index of a given species and ecological measures of site quality provide predictive models for estimating site index for all sites on which the species may grow. Western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) is an important tree species in southern central and eastern British Columbia. It grows mainly in the IDF, ICH, and MS zones on moderately dry through very moist sites and on poor through very rich sites. In view of this relatively wide ecological amplitude, a large variation in productivity could be expected. In the study summarized here, relationships between larch site index and selected ecological measures of site quality were examined, and a site index model using these measures as predictors was developed.

One of the key factors in the site classification of the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification is soil nutrient regime. Soil nutrient regime (SNR) represents the amount of essential soil nutrients available to plants over a period of several years. SNRs classes are assessed based on field identifiable (qualitative) criteria, not using quantitative measures. There have been several studies that attempted to quantitatively characterize regional soil nutrient gradients in the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) zone. In the study summarized here, the soils are influenced by a perhumid cool mesothermal climate. The objective of the study was to examine relationships between soil chemical properties and field-estimated SNRs.

Site classification of the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification system is based on climatic regime (expressed by biogeoclimatic subzone), soil moisture regime (SMR), and soil nutrient regime (SNR). A SNR represents a segment of a regional soil nutrient gradient, i.e., a population of soils which provide similar levels of plant-available nutrients over a long period. SNR is identified in the field using a number of easily observable soil morphological properties and indicator plant species. However, we do not know the extent to which soil nutrient properties are supported by these indirect field-estimates. There have been several studies that quantitatively characterized regional soil nutrient gradients in different climatic regions (see Sciencia Silvica Number 21 for subalpine coastal forests), but this has not been done in the subalpine interior forest (Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir (ESSF) zone) where soils are influenced by a continental subalpine boreal climate. In the study summarized here, relationships between soil chemical properties and field-estimated SNRs are examined and soil chemical properties and field-identified SNRs are related to the site index of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Dougl. ex Loud.) Forbes) and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelmann) - two major timber crop species in the ESSF zone.

Knowledge of ecological characteristics of sites and growth of trees on different sites is fundamental for silvicultural decision-making and planning. With the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification in place in British Columbia, silvicultural management has been given an ecological foundation; however, relationships between growth and site quality have not yet been fully investigated, particularly for high-elevation tree species and sites. One of the contributing factors for this situation is limited knowledge of forest productivity in the high-elevation Mountain Hemlock (MH) and Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir (ESSF) biogeoclimatic zones. Consequently, the management and planning in the high-elevation forest is fraught with difficulties and uncertainties. Current harvest rates of old-growth forest stands and the method and distribution of cuttings in these zones suggest that there needs to be more recognition of the uppermost elevation limit for harvesting. Subalpine fir (Bl), Engelmann spruce (Se), and lodgepole pine (Pl) are important timber crop species in the interior high-elevation forest which is represented predominantly by the subalpine boreal ESSF zone. This zone extends from 49° to approximately 57° N latitude and from approximately 900 to 1,700 m in the north, from 1,200 to 2,100 m in central BC, and from 1,500 to 2,300 m in the south. In view of this relatively wide climatic and edaphic amplitude, a large variability in productivity is expected. The objective of this study was to quantify relationships between site index (height @ 50 yrs @ bh) of Bl, Se, and Pl, and three ecological determinants of site quality: climate, soil moisture, and soil nutrients. Quantitative relationships between site index and these measures provide predictive models for estimating site index. Additionally, we compared the site indices of the three study species to each other to examine their early height growth performance on the same sites.

Site classification in the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification system is based on three differentiating properties: climatic regimes (expressed by biogeoclimatic subzones or variants), soil moisture regimes (SMRs), and soil nutrient regimes (SNRs). A SNR represents a segment of a regional soil nutrient gradient, i.e., soils which provide similar levels of plant-available nutrients over a long period. SNRs are identified in the field using a number of easily observable soil morphological properties and indicator plant species. However, we need to know to what extent soil nutrient properties support these indirect field-estimates. There have been several studies that quantitatively characterize regional soil nutrient gradients in different climatic regions, but no study has yet been done in the subalpine coastal forest (Mountain Hemlock zone). Influenced by a maritime subalpine boreal climate, high-elevation coastal soils differ from low-elevation soils by having a thicker forest floor and a higher organic matter content. In the study summarized here, relationships between soil chemical properties and field-estimated SNRs are examined and soil chemical properties and field-identified SNRs are related to the site index of Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis (Dougl. ex Loud.) Forbes) - one of the major timber crop species in the Coastal Western Hemlock and Mountain Hemlock zones.