This thesis represents a study of textile-impressed ceramics from Slack Farm, a Late Mississippian Caborn-Welborn phase site in Union County, Kentucky. The goal of this study was to use the textile impressions to provide additional insight into Caborn-Welborn social organization. The Caborn-Welborn phase represents the reconfiguration of communities in the Lower Ohio River Valley after the collapse of the Angel chiefdom and other nearby Mississippian polities. Results indicate that there was an increase in textile structural variation in the fabric used for the impressions at Slack Farm and other Caborn-Welborn sites from earlier Mississippian assemblages. Increased textile structural variation may be associated with the reconfiguring of the Caborn-Welborn social organization during this phase. Textile types associated with Oneota tribal groups were also identified at Slack Farm and suggest Oneota women were in residence at the site. Textile patterns assumed to be associated with an elite status were not identified in this study. Overall, the textile-impressed assemblage reflects the response of weavers to changes in the Caborn-Welborn social organization.

An investigation has been carried out to reduce the deformation behavior of polyethylene (PE) woven geotextile fabric by making PE fabric-glass yarn composite structure using stitching and laminating. The results showed that reinforcement significantly reduced the creep and IED as long as the tensile stress is lower than the total load bearing capacity of the glass yarns in the composite structure. However, the strength of PE-glass composite fabric was solely dependent on the strength of the glass yarns. The strength from PE yarns only contributes when all glass yarns are broken. Cast result of concrete columns using the glass yarn reinforced PE fabric by stitching method suggested that the glass yarn must face outside of the fabric formwork to avoid damage of both fabric surface and column surface.

With the introduction of fragment protective fabrics into combat clothing, there was a need to understand the effect of laundering on the performance of these fabrics. This thesis investigated the effect of typical laundering regimes on selected ballistic protective fabrics representative of those suitable for clothing applications. This study presents evidence that knitted silk and felted ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene retained their ballistic protective performance after laundering. The para-aramid fabrics showed significant improvement from laundering. The dimensional stability of the selected fabrics was affected by laundering and the effect was cumulative. The damage imparted to the fibres was determined to be due to mechanical wear. This mechanical wear was significantly increased when the fabrics were wet. This was due to the water increasing the friction between fibres during the laundering process. The fabrics investigated were shown to be suitable for use in fragment protective clothing, and were more robust than was generally considered.

The Heart Mountain Detachment (HMD) in Wyoming constitutes one of the largest known rock slides (3400 km2) on Earth. This detachment took place along the stratigraphic boundary between the Bighorn Dolomite at the hanging-wall and the Snowy Range Formation at the footwall. The slide resulted in the formation of an up to 3 m-thick carbonate ultracataclasite (CUC) at the base of the slide. The origin of the CUC and the nature of the triggering mechanism responsible for the initiation of the catastrophic movement have long been controversial. The most widely accepted theory is a mid-Eocene eruption in the Absaroka volcanic province that triggered rupture and subsequent detachment of Paleozoic rocks. Rapid sliding was facilitated by basal fluidization generated by thermo-mechanical decomposition of carbonate rocks. Here I present a proof of concept study addressing the question of the consistent magnetic fabrics observed in the CUC, as well as new observations indicating the discovery of mineral grains of volcanic origin within the CUC. Additionally, some constraints are placed on the thermo-chemical conditions operating at the base of this catastrophic landslide. Overall, the CUC displays an average magnetic susceptibility one order of magnitude higher (1803 . -6 [SI]) than the overlying Bighorn Dolomite (148 . -6 [SI]) and underlying Snowy Range Fm (636 . -6 [SI]). Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data, field observations and microstructural analysis suggest that ferromagnetic (s.l) minerals in the CUC originate from the Bighorn Dolomite, the Tertiary volcanics and synkinematic thermal decomposition of pyrite into pyrrhotite and magnetite. Thermomagnetic investigations revealed a Curie temperature of 525 °C which suggests that magnetite is the dominant magnetic carrier mineral in the CUC. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy analyses confirm that this magnetite has a relatively low ulvöspinel content. Magnetic hysteresis properties point to an average pseudo-single domain magnetic grain size or, alternatively, a mixture of single domain and multi-domain grains. The origin of AMS is magnetostatic, elucidated by a high degree of consistency between AMS directions and 3–D SPO directions. The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) directional data displays two dominant fabric orientations suggesting possible strain partitioning in the CUC. The consistency of magnetic fabrics suggests that the CUC followed a dominantly transpressive regime. The deformation mechanism causing the consistent AMS is a homogeneous passive rotation of magnetite grains. Microstructural analysis of iron bearing minerals suggests that a high oxygen fugacity was present in the CUC at the onset of the slide. Evidence for elevated temperatures in the CUC is shown by broken twins in calcite which form as result of dynamic recrystallization. High pore fluid in the CUC is indicated by CUC dikes intruding the hanging wall and by accretionary grains (lapilli). Finally, the presence of unserpentinized and a few weakly serpentinized olivine clasts in the CUC brings the "hot water" weakening mechanism proposed by Ahranov and Anders (2006) into question.

Ingeniera Civil, Mención Estructuras / Las tecnologías para la rehabilitación de estructuras dañadas resultan de especial relevancia en países sísmicos. En el caso de estructuras frágiles de hormigón armado y de albañilería se han estudiado diferentes sistemas de reparación estructural, en busca de un refuerzo cuyas propiedades sean compatibles con las del sustrato y que restituyan la integridad y recuperen o aumenten de buena manera la capacidad portante de los elementos. El objetivo principal del presente trabajo de título consiste en el estudio de la metodología de diseño de uno de estos sistemas de refuerzo, sistema conocido como FRCM*. Este tipo de refuerzo es un material compuesto, constituido por aglomerante cementíceo como matriz y malla de fibras minerales como refuerzo, el cual se adhiere externamente a los elementos de hormigón armado, con mínima alteración arquitectónica. Este sistema de refuerzo es considerado como una solución prometedora para la recuperación de estructuras dañadas. En este trabajo se realiza primeramente una revisión bibliográfica de manera de contextualizar los avances y las principales características del refuerzo y comparar con el método actualmente en uso, refuerzo conocido como FRP**, variante del cual surge el desarrollo del FRCM. Uno de los objetivos de esta memoria es el estudio la precisión del método de diseño, que se realiza a partir de las disposiciones que establece el manual de diseño ACI 549, para elementos representativos de vigas y columnas a partir de resultados experimentales obtenidos de estudios de laboratorios de otros autores. De estos análisis comparativos se concluye que la norma de diseño cuantifica de manera conservadora los aumentos de capacidad de los elementos. Como aplicación de la metodología a un caso práctico, se estudia el diseño del refuerzo FRCM para una estructura real, que ha sufrido deterioro en su manto, con agrietamiento y deslaminación. Se trata de una chimenea de hormigón armado perteneciente a una termoeléctrica de carbón, ubicada en Ventanas, V región. Se propone realizar la consolidación del manto exterior, lo que permite llevar la estructura a su estado original, recuperando la capacidad estructural y prolongando su período de servicio. *FRCM: Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Matrix **FRP: Fiber Reinforced Polymer

This dissertation exists in relation to the exhibition of design practice at the RCA, November 7th 2014 (documented in photographs accompanying the text); it is structured according to my construction of the exhibition. It therefore integrates the question of describing my practice-based research methods along with the descriptions of my research context, and case studies of other contemporary designers; the history of the Arts and Crafts ethos, as a precursor of modernity, is also reconsidered as of potential use for a crafts approach to textile sustainability. The methods used are a compound of the workshop method of experiments at the desk, drawing board, computer screen, loom and print room, along with a search for existing cases of similar textile-weave practice in current production, some historical research and some autoethnography, which documents the subjective experience of researching sustainability in one aspect of textile design. The thesis explores aspects of emotional durability through textile design. The meaning of emotionally durable textiles, particularly those using a Jacquard weave design, was encoded in the form of QR code (Quick Response code) patterns, which, when scanned by a smartphone, lead users through the digital portal to digital platforms which inform and network users. Considering the origins of the computer in the digital binary logic of weave and its mechanisation in the Jacquard loom, the use of the weave process as a medium for encoding the meaning of the material is especially interesting for the designer as a means of activating the agency of the maker and the user. The use of textiles in all aspects of everyday life ensures the proximity of textile as an interface between the familiarity and comfort of the material and the designer’s addition of the function of rationality in relation to others and to the world of knowledge, networking and activism. The research concludes with a range of prototype Jacquard designs, which activate the relationship between designer and user through the medium of encoded messages. Using the Jacquard code as a part of new digital media of twenty-first-century technology is a way for design practice to celebrate the industrial innovation of mechanised weave and to apply this to the challenges of sustainability.

The thesis challenges how the existing fabric can be adapted and transformed to generate similar benefits to that of a new construction. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Architecture / unrestricted

Immobilisation has been one of the common forms of treatments for orthopaedic injuries and diseases. Immobilisation of injured limbs using dynamic splinting is routinely recommended by clinicians for fast healing as it promotes blood flow and provides the require stability. There are several dynamic splints available in the market that make use of different materials and mechanical elements. This research was set out to investigate the applicability of Magneto-Rheological(MR) fluids for the development of a smart fabric for orthopaedic splints. The fabric would be woven with hollow fibres containing MR fluid, which will change stiffness in an applied magnetic field. The concept was tested by measuring changes in the stiffness of silicone tubings in two different diameters filled with MR fluid, under different magnetic flux densities. The corresponding changes in stiffness of a preliminary fabric specimen built with woven tubings and cast liner was also investigated. The magnetic field was created after a set of detailed experimental and numerical analyses (Finite Element Method). It was found that although the electromagnets are much more versatile and easier to control for a required magnitude of magnetic flux density, they were found to be unsatisfactory due to their weight, bulk, and substantial requirement of batterie power. Permanent magnets offered a much better solution. After detailed preliminary analyses, an array of 21 neodymium magnets was chose for the experiments, which provided the required magnitude and uniformity of the magnetic field. The specimens were loaded in steps by small weights, and the resulting deflection was measured using an optical deformation analysis system. The equivalent Young’s modulus was found to increase from 16 MPa to 122 MPa under an average magnetic flux density of 0.0139 Tesla, which is an in- crease of 70%. A finite-element (FE) model of the single tubing test set up was developed and validated against the experimental results. The FE analysis was extended to the fabric specimens. The difference between the experimental and numerical results for the single tubing was as small as 2.5%, and 9.2% for the fabric. Furthermore, a preliminary numerical model and analysis of the hand was developed, which set the basis in the development of a further numerical analysis in the final development of the fabric. Upon the completion of the tests and simulation, it was concluded that a woven fabric made up of hollow fibres containing MR fluid can be an effective dynamic splint over a small area such as the wrist. However a fully functional product would require further research.

The development of station design provided new dimensions to both the sense and sensation of space. This is to be recaptured in the design of the museum, which requires obtaining an understanding of the influence, implications and impact railway stations and their supporting infrastructure had on architecture, the cityscape and the urban fabric, due to their large size, area and enclosed volume. Station design has contributed to modern design through the need to satisfy the uninterrupted, free-space enclosure of large volumes, necessitating progress in the knowledge of the structural application of the new materials discovered during the Industrial Revolution from which the modern architect is still benefiting. The impact of stations in these three mentioned fields furthermore had an indirect impact on society. The determination of all these influences by stations and their design will form the research subject of this dissertation. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Architecture / unrestricted

Architecture around the world has been very influential for determining the historical background of many cities. The architecture of the city of Havana in Cuba is etched with unique historical forces and signature buildings. This architecture embodies local reproductions of Western and European styles. The superimposing of Western and European styles led to the formation of a "strange baroquism" that defined the "lasting features of the overall idiosyncrasy of the city." Since Cuba's change of government in the 1950s, architecture has progressed very little. From the day Castro took power, Havana's skyline has hardly altered. After the fall of the former Soviet Union, Cuba had to rely heavily on its own resources and many projects begun in the 1980s had to be halted and still remain unfinished today. Many new buildings in Havana suffer from under investment, lack of resources and little vision. Of the one third of architects who stayed in Cuba after the Revolution their work is mostly limited to tourist hotels or restaurants, catering for the 1 million visitors every year. Most of them do not reflect or adhere to Cuba's rich historical past. Historical preservationists all over the world decided to inscribe La Habana Vieja into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982. They launched a safeguarding campaign a year later to restore the authentic x character of the buildings. While it is important to keep Havana's old charm, it is also imminently necessary to revitalize and meet the needs and functions of a modern society. The dilemma faced by architectural designers is best stated by Paul Ricoeur when he said that the challenge lies in ''how to become modern and to return to sources (while) reviving an old, dormant civilization (in order for it to) take part in a universal civilization." My project will focus on the integration of current needs, functions and modern architecture with the city's old architecture. The desirable site will be located on a public destination in Old Havana. It will focus on how the old and the new architecture will physically connect while meeting the characteristics of new uses and adaptive reuses of existing buildings. This research will be conducted by analyzing the site's existing conditions, by choosing contemporary uses that are missing within the city's structure, by analyzing other projects with similar conditions, and by doing an overall research on existing architectural, economic, and social issues that are related to Old Havana's development. This revitalization will create a new Havana that will preserve its value while meeting modern standards and architectural functionality.