This dissertation is an analytical study that compares the South African Transport Services (SATS) and Eurocode (EC) live load models for railway bridges. The study is specifically concerned with the critical load effects of shear and bending moment. The load models are simulated as moving loads over the full length of simply supported and continuous railway systems with speeds not exceeding 180km/h. The study is limited to short to medium spans ranging from 5m – 40m analysed in increments of 5m. The position of the maximum load effects for simply supported systems was determined using the frame analysis module in Prokon. Maximum load effects were determined using the influence line method. Maximum load effects for the continuous systems were determined using the moving load option in STRAP. It was found that SATS live load models imposed on single span railway bridges, produce conservative load effects for short span bridges but become over conservative with an increase in span, when compared with characteristic values of the EC load model 71 (LM71). For heavy loads (α = 1,10) in LM71, there is a good comparison with that of the EC for static and design moment (for a track with standard maintenance) with values of 5% lower at 10m but become moderately conservative (2% - 5%) with an increase in span. In the case of design bending moment (for a carefully maintained track) the SATS code is moderately conservative (6% - 8%) over the full range of spans for a carefully maintained track. For heavy loads (α = 1,10) in LM71, there is a good comparison with that of the Eurocode for static and design shear (for a carefully maintained track) with values of 4% lower at 10m but becoming moderately conservative (1% - 5%) with an increase in span. In the case of design shear (for a track with standard maintenance) the SATS code compares well with that of the EC, with values of 5% lower at 10m but becoming moderately conservative (4% - 13%) with an increase in span. Live traffic loads imposed on equal span (limited to 2) continuous railway bridges, produce conservative static and design shear load effects (for a carefully maintained track) in the mid-range of spans but become moderately conservative with increase in span for heavy loads (α = 1,10) for load model SW/0. There is a good comparison with that of the EC for design shear force (for a carefully maintained track) with moderately conservative (1% - 9%) for short span and long span systems for heavy loads (α = 1,10) for load model SW/0. A similar comparison occurs for heavy loads (α = 1,21) for SW/0 for static and design shear for a carefully maintained track. Live traffic loads imposed on equal span (limited to 2) continuous railway bridges produce over conservative static bending moment load effects for short span and long span bridges (2 x 30m – 2 x 40m) for characteristic values and heavy loads (α = 1,10 and α = 1,21) for load model SW/0. Generally, there is not a good comparison with that of the EC for static and design bending moment, for two span continuous railway bridges. Live traffic loads imposed on equal span (limited to 3) continuous railway bridges produce moderately conservative static shear force effects for heavy loads (α = 1,10 and α = 1,21) for load model SW/0. The only significant value is at the 3 x 5m span (21% higher) and the 3 x 15 – 3 x 20m range of spans (9% - 10% lower) for heavy loads (α = 1,10) and (α = 1,21) respectively. A similar comparison is observed for design shear effects for both types of track for heavy loads (α = 1,10) and (α = 1,21) for a carefully maintained track. Generally, there is not a good comparison with that of the Eurocode for static and design bending moment, for three span continuous railway bridges.

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Les méthodologies actuelles permettant d’évaluer les effets d’ébranlement d’une structure de génie civil reposent sur des analyses EF transitoires par intégration directe ou projection sur la base modale, rarement non linéaires. L’aspect linéaire n’est pas remis en question dès lors que l’on se place hors de la zone de choc, néanmoins la non linéarité de la partie de la structure impactée peut avoir une influence non négligeable. Les méthodologies actuelles permettant d’évaluer les effets d’ébranlement d’une structure de génie civil reposent sur des analyses EF transitoires par intégration directe ou projection sur la base modale, rarement non linéaires. Les accélérations induites servent à établir les spectres de réponse d’oscillateurs simples. L’aspect linéaire n’est pas remis en question dès lors que l’on se place hors de la zone de choc, néanmoins la non linéarité de la partie de la structure impactée peut avoir une influence non négligeable. Une démarche découplée d’analyse, consistant à traiter dans une première phase les aspects non linéaires de la zone de choc doit faire dans un premier l’objet d’une étude paramétrique visant à déceler l’influence des non linéarités dans le signal d’ébranlement.Cette première analyse a pour but de déterminer la modification du signal source de l’ébranlement en amplitude et en fréquence. En conclusion de cette première phase la quantification des modifications apportées au signal d’entrée par la nature de la cible doit pouvoir être estimée. Pour cela, différentes modélisations non linéaires de la zone d’impact seront testées en s’appuyant sur les travaux déjà réalisés. A l’issue de cette première étape, la mise en œuvre d’une méthode de traitement de l’ébranlement par l’utilisation de la TVRC (Théorie Vibrationnelle des Rayons Complexes) sera entreprise. Cette méthode consiste en une première décomposition FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) du signal de chargement. La TVRC assure le transfert du signal décomposé dans la structure. Les signaux obtenus sont ensuite traités en FFT inverse (IFFT) pour reconstituer un signal temporel puis un spectre de réponse. Les verrous scientifiques et points à résoudre susceptibles d’apparaître dans cette phase portent essentiellement sur : -la caractérisation de l’amortissement en fonction de la fréquence, donnée nécessaire à la bonne application de la TVRC - la caractérisation de la discrétisation de l’IFFT de sortie afin de reconstituer un signal juste. Cette démarche reposera sur des solutions analytiques connues sur des gammes de fréquence variées, -l’adaptabilité au GCN des « éléments » de TVRC disponibles actuellement dans la littérature: plaques, coques, tronc de cône. L’usage d’un spectre de sortie en pseudo-accélération doit être mis en question au regard des recommandations NRC vis-à-vis de son contenu corrélé aux pseudo-déplacements correspondants. / In the design of nuclear engineering structures security and safety present a crucial aspect. Civil engineering design and the qualification of materials to dynamic loads must consider the accelerations which they undergo. These accelerations could integrate seismic activity and shaking movements consecutive to aircraft impact with higher cut-off frequency. Current methodologies for assessing this shock are based on transient analyses using classical finite element method associated with explicit numerical schemes or projection on modal basis, often linear. In both cases, to represent in meaningful way a medium -frequency content, it should implement a mesh refinement which is hardly compatible with the size of models of the civil engineering structures. In order to extend industrial methodologies used and to allow a better representation of the behavior of the structure in medium-frequency, an approach coupling a temporal and non-linear analysis for shock area with a frequency approach to treatment of shaking with VTCR (Variational Theory of Complex Rays) has been used. The aim is to use the computational efficiency of the implemented strategy, including medium frequency to describe the nuclear structures to aircraft impact.

Der Wandel des Erhaltungsmanagements von Ingenieurbauwerken von einem reaktiven Vorgehen zu einem prädiktiven Lebenszyklusmanagement kann zur Erreichung einer zuverlässigen und verfügbaren Infrastruktur beitragen. Mit dem Einsatz von Monitoring besteht die Möglichkeit, zusätzliche Informationen zum Bauwerk und dessen zukünftiger Entwicklung abzuleiten. Der Einsatz von Monitoring ist komplex und kann daher über die Realisierung von Anwendungsfällen gestärkt werden. In Deutschland weit verbreitete Anwendungsfälle werden mit konkreten Beispielen dargestellt. Zusätzlich werden Anwendungsfälle mit ersten Umsetzungsbeispielen und mögliche zukünftige Anwendungen mit ihren Potenzialen skizziert. Die Möglichkeit der Zusammenführung der Anwendungsfälle in digitalen Zwillingen ist ein Zukunftsbild, welches im Rahmen des Artikels beschrieben wird.

Magistrantūros studijų baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjami teisiniai aspektai registruojant infrastruktūros objektus kaip atskirus nekilnojamojo turto daiktus. Analizuojamos susidarančios esminės problemos teisiškai valdyti inžinerinius statinius. Patirtis ir anketinė apklausa specialistų, atliekančių inžinerinių objektų matavimus ir registravimą parodo, kad šiuo metu intensyviai Lietuvoje vyksta naujų bei senų infrastruktūros objektų rekonstravimas, panaudojant ir Europos sąjungos (ES) lėšas. Pagal atliktą apklausą nustatyti faktoriai, kurie turi neigiamą įtaką inžinerinių statinių kadastrinių matavimų kokybei ir registravimui. Nagrinėjami žemės ir kito nekilnojamojo turto teisės šaltiniai bei jų reguliuojamieji teisiniai santykiai, nekilnojamojo turto kadastras, registras, jo perleidimo sandoriai, valdymas naudojimasis, disponavimas juo, servitutas. / Graduate Studies final examined the work of the legal aspects of registration facilities as separate property items. Analyze the fundamental problems arising in the management of buildings and civil engineering works legally. Experience and questionnaire survey of specialists to carry out the objects of engineering measurements and record shows that at present Lithuania is intensely new and old infrastructure reconstruction, and the use of EU funds. According to a survey carried out to identify factors that have a negative impact on the engineering and cadastral measurements of the quality of registration. Description of sources of Land and Real estate Law; relations regalement by Land and Real estate Law, Cadastre of Real Estate, Register, agreements of its alienation, management, usage, disposition, servitute.

<p>U postupku praćenja stanja građevinskih struktura vr&scaron;i se nadzor nad fizičkim (mehaničkim), meteorolo&scaron;kim i hemijskim parametrima. U praksi se za merenje navedenih parametara koristi veliki broj instrumenata-senzora. Na osnovu uvida u aktuelno stanje iz oblasti istraživanja, zatim evidentne potrebe za istraživanjima o potencijalu postojećih i novih instrumenata i senzora za merenje geometrijskih deformacija i ekspanziji kori&scaron;ćenja fiber optičke senzorske tehnologije definisana je oblast istraživanja ove doktorske disertacije. U doktorskoj disertaciji izvr&scaron;eno je teorijsko i eksperimentalno istraživanje postojećih metoda za praćenje geometrijskih deformacija i razvoj sistema baziranog na fiber optičkom senzoru zakrivljenosti (eng. Fiber Optic Curvature Sensor &ndash; FOCS).</p> / <p>In the process of structural health monitoring (SHM) inspection of physical (mechanical), meteorological and chemical parameters is performed. In practice, a large number of instruments-sensors are used to measure these parameters. The field of research of this doctoral dissertation is based on the insight into the current state in the field of research, then the evident need for research on the potential of existing and new instruments and sensors for measuring geometric deformations and the usage expansion of fiber optic sensor technology. In the doctoral dissertation, theoretical and experimental study of the existing methods for monitoring geometric deformations and the development of a fiber optic curvature sensor (FOCS) system is performed.</p>

La thèse comprend 8 chapitres, 3 annexes, 191 figures, 43 tableaux, 13 photos et 181 références bibliographiques. Le corps du texte totalise 135 pages et les annexes 120 pages. Le chapitre 1 constitue lintroduction dans laquelle le contexte et les objectifs de la recherche sont définis. Le chapitre 2 présente létat de la question concernant les colonnes faites de tubes en acier remplis de béton (CFSHS columns - concrete filled steel hollow section columns). Leur comportement à température ordinaire et sous conditions dincendie est analysé ainsi que les paramètres significatifs qui guident leur comportement. Les propriétés du béton auto-plaçant sont aussi examinées dans ce chapitre. Le chapitre 3 est consacré à la présentation du code de calcul SAFIR développé à lUniversité de Liège pour la simulation du comportement structural à température ordinaire et sous conditions dincendie. Le logiciel a été utilisé pour simuler des résultats dessais expérimentaux présentés dans la littérature, et quelques calibrations sont proposées. En utilisant le modèle décrit au chapitre 3, la charge ultime à température ordinaire des colonnes CFSHS est calculée en considérant différents paramètres. On considère essentiellement des tubes de petites dimensions avec un pourcentage élevé darmatures ou contenant un autre profilé métallique. Ce type délément nest pas couvert par les Eurocodes. Des simulations ont été réalisées en vue dexaminer si les méthodes classiques de lEurocode 4 (EN1994-1-1) sont applicables à ce type de section et de voir quelle courbe de flambement est la plus appropriée. Le chapitre 5 décrit la recherche expérimentale réalisée à lUniversité de Liège relative au comportement au feu des colonnes CFSHS. Les essais expérimentaux ont été simulés par SAFIR, tant en ce qui concerne la répartition de la température à lintérieur des éléments que le comportement structural. Un des objectifs de ces calculs était de vérifier si les propriétés thermiques et mécaniques du béton auto-plaçant sont proches de celles du béton ordinaire. En vue de fournir aux bureaux détudes des outils pratiques de dimensionnement, une formule permettant dévaluer la résistance au feu des colonnes CFSHS est proposée dans le chapitre 6. Le domaine dapplicabilité a été étendu par rapport aux études précédentes. Une formule pour colonnes courtes de section carrée a dabord été établie sur base de simulations effectuées à laide de SAFIR en considérant linfluence des paramètres principaux. On examine ensuite si cette formule est aussi applicable à dautres types de profilés. La formule a été étendue en cas des colonnes élancées et à celui des colonnes chargées excentriquement. Létude expérimentale du chapitre 5 est limitée à des sections dassez petites dimensions (< 300 mm), essentiellement pour des problèmes de capacité de mise en charge des laboratoires. En vue de recueillir des informations pratiques pour des profilés de plus grandes dimensions pour lesquels on peut atteindre des résistances au feu de 2 heures et plus, des simulations numériques additionnelles sont présentées dans le chapitre 7, avec des résultats utilisables en bureau détudes. Le chapitre 8 donne les conclusions de létude et présente des suggestions pour des recherches futures.

Probabilistic methods have been widely used in structural engineering to model uncertainties in loads and structural properties. The subjects of structural reliability analysis, random vibrations, and structural system identification have been extensively developed and provide the basic framework for developing rational design and maintenance procedures for engineering structures. One of the crucial requirements for successful application of probabilistic methods in these contexts is that one must have access to adequate amount of empirical data to form acceptable probabilistic models for the uncertain variables. When this requirement is not met, it becomes necessary to explore alternative methods for uncertainty modeling. Such efforts have indeed been made in structural engineering, albeit to a much lesser extent as compared to efforts expended in developing probabilistic methods. The alternative frameworks for uncertainty modeling include methods based on the use of interval analysis, convex function representations, theory of fuzzy variables, polymorphic models for uncertainties, and hybrid models which combine two or more of alternative modeling frameworks within the context of a given problem. The work reported in this thesis lies in the broad area of research of modeling uncertainties using non-probabilistic and combined non-probabilistic and probabilistic methods. The thesis document is organized into 5 chapters and 6 annexures. A brief overview of alternative frameworks for uncertainty modeling and their mathematical basis are provided in chapter 1. This includes discussion on modeling of uncertainties using intervals and issues related to uncertainty propagation using interval algebra; details of convex function models and relevance of optimization tools in characterizing uncertainty propagation; discussion on fuzzy variables and their relation to intervals and convex functions; and, issues arising out of treating uncertainties using combined probabilistic and non-probabilistic methods. The notion of aleatoric and epistemic uncertainties is also introduced and a brief mention of polymorphic models for uncertainty, which aim to accommodate alternative forms of uncertainty within a single mathematical model, is made. A review of literature pertaining to applications of non-probabilistic and combined probabilistic and non-probabilistic methods for uncertainty modeling in structural engineering applications is presented in chapter 2. The topics covered include: (a) solutions of simultaneous algebraic equations, eigenvalue problems, ordinary differential equations, and the extension of finite element models to include non-probabilistic uncertainties, (b) issues related to methods for arriving at uncertainty models based on empirical data, and (c) applications to problems of structural safety and structural optimization. The review identifies scope for further research into the following aspects: (a) development of methods for arriving at optimal convex function models for uncertain variables based on limited data and embedding the models thus developed into problems of structural safety assessment, and (b) treatment of inverse problems arising in structural safety based design and optimization which takes into account possible use of combined probabilistic and non-probabilistic modeling frameworks. Chapter 3 considers situations when adequate empirical data on uncertain variables is lacking thereby necessitating the use of non-probabilistic approaches to quantify uncertainties. The study discusses such situations in the context of structural safety assessment. The problem of developing convex function and fuzzy set models for uncertain variables based on limited data and subsequent application in structural safety assessment is considered. Strategies to develop convex set models for limited data based on super-ellipsoids with minimum volume and Nataf’s transformation based method are proposed. These models are shown to be fairly general (for instance, approximations to interval based models emerge as special cases). Furthermore, the proposed convex functions are mapped to a unit multi-dimensional sphere. This enables the evaluation of a unified measure of safety, defined as the shortest distance from the origin to the limit surface in the transformed standard space, akin to the notion used in defining the Hasofer- Lind reliability index. Also discussed are issues related to safety assessment when mixed uncertainty modeling approach is used. Illustrative examples include safety assessment of an inelastic frame with uncertain properties. The study reported in chapter 4 considers a few inverse problems of structural safety analysis aimed at the determination of system parameters to ensure a target level of safety and (or) to minimize a cost function for problems involving combined probabilistic and non-probabilistic uncertainty modeling. Development of load and resistance factor design format, in problems with combined uncertainty models, is also presented. We employ super-ellipsoid based convex function/fuzzy variable models for representing non-probabilistic uncertainties. The target safety levels are taken to be specified in terms of indices defined in standard space of uncertain variables involving standard normal random variables and (or) unit hyper-spheres. A class of problems amenable for exact solutions is identified and a general procedure for dealing with more general problems involving nonlinear performance functions is developed. Illustrations include studies on inelastic frame with uncertain properties. A summary of contributions made in the thesis, along with a few suggestions for future research, are presented in chapter 5. Annexure A-F contain the details of derivation of alternative forms of safety measures, Newton Raphson’s based methods for optimization used in solutions to inverse problems, and details of combining Matlab based programs for uncertainty modeling with Abaqus based models for structural analysis.