[pt] Este trabalho estuda problemas geotécnicos e de interação solo-estrutura utilizando o método dos elementos finitos acoplado com a transformada de Fourier. Pela aplicação da transformada de Fourier, as equações diferenciais que governam o problema elástico linear, com as correspondentes condições de contorno, são reescritas no plano de Fourier, permitindo que um problema de natureza tridimensional possa ser numericamente analisado por uma discretização bidimensional. Esta técnica foi empregada neste trabalho para certos problemas de engenharia, como dutovias, túneis e fundações tipo radier, onde a geometria e os parâmetros dos materiais mantêm-se constantes ao longo do eixo longitudinal do corpo, porém admitindo-se variações espaciais no carregamento imposto ao sistema, gerando , assim, um estado tridimensional de tensões. Alguns elementos de interface, com formulação publicada na literatura, foram também considerados na implementação computacional, visto que em problemas de interação solo- estrutura o comportamento do sistema é bastante influenciado pelas propriedades e características mecânicas do solo imediatamente vizinho à estrutura. Os exemplos numéricos apresentados são comparados, sempre que possível, com os resultados obtidos por outra solução analítica ou numérica, procurando discutir as vantagens e limitações do acoplamento da transformada de Fourier com o método dos elementos finitos para a análise de determinada classe de problemas geotécnicos tridimensionais. / [en] In this work some geotechnical and soil-structure interaction problems are studied using the finite element method coupled with a Fourier transform technique. For linear elastic problems, Fourier transforms are applied to the governing field equations, thus enabling that some specific tridimensional problems can be analyzed using a 2D finite element mesh. In conventional finite element applications, a 3D discretization is usually required, but difficulties associated with the preparation of the finite element mesh and the involved computational efforts prevent, in general, the use of a true 3D model. The integral transform method is used in this research for the analysis of some very common problems in geotechnical engineering, such as piping systems, raft foundations and tunnels, where the geometry and the soil profile may be considered constant along a coordinate direction. The applied loading, however, can assume any possible surface distribution, which does not allow to treat the problem under the plane strain assumptions. Some special finite elements presented in the literature, called joint or interface elements, are also incorporated into the finite element computational program written in this research, given that for soil-structure interaction problems the material behavior at the common interface may greatly affect the entire system results. Some numerical examples are presented, and their numerical results are compared, whenever possible, with other solutions obtained using analytical or other numerical technique. Advantages and limitations of the integral transform method to solve tridimensional geomechanics problems are also discussed in this work. / [es] Este trabajo estudia problemas geotécnicos y de interacción suelo-extructura utilizando el método de los elementos finitos acoplado con la transformada de Fourier. Por la aplicación de la transformada de Fourier, las ecuaciones diferenciales que goviernan el problema elástico lineal, con las correspondentes condiciones de contorno, son reescritas en el plano de Fourier, permitiendo que un problema de naturaleza tridimensional pueda ser numericamente analizado por una discretización bidimensional. Esta técnica fue utilizada en este trabajo para ciertos problemas de Ingeniería, como canales, túneles y fundaciones tipo radier, donde la geometría y los parámetros de los materiales se mantienen constantes a lo largo del eje longitudinal del cuerpo, aunque se admiten variaciones espaciales en la carga impuesta al sistema, generando , así, un estado tridimensional de tensiones. En la implementación computacional fueron considerados algunos elementos de la interfaz, con formulación publicada en la literatura, ya que en problemas de interacción suelo-extructura, el comportamiento del sistema está bastante influenciado por las propiedades y características mecánicas del suelo imediatamente vecino a la extructura. Los ejemplos numéricos presentados se compararon, siempre que fue posible, con los resultados obtenidos por otra solución analítica o numérica, discutiendo las ventajas y limitaciones del acoplamiento de la transformada de Fourier con el método de los elementos finitos para el análisis de determinada clase de problemas geotécnicos tridimensionales.

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Yes / Because of the recent worldwide construction expansion, new roads and buildings may be constructed over already existing buried infrastructures e.g. buried utility pipes, leading to excessive loads threatening their stability and longevity. Limited research studies are available to assess the effect of geogrid reinforcing layers inclusion on mitigating the additional stresses on buried structures due to cyclic loadings. In this research, large-scale fully instrumented laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the behaviour of flexible High-Density Polyethylene pipes (HDPE), in unreinforced and geogrid-reinforced sand, subjected to incrementally increasing cyclic loading, e.g. due to different vehicles capacities or load increase with passing time. Results illustrated that deformation rate in pipe and footing, strain generation rate in pipe and reinforcing layers are rapidly increased in the initial loading cycles, in particular during the first 300 cycles, and then the rate of change decreases significantly, as more cycles are applied. In the unreinforced case, increasing the pipe burial depth significantly reduced the generated deformation and strain in the pipe; however, it has a situational effect on the footing settlement, where it increased after pipe burial depth to its diameter ratio (H/D) of 2.5. In reinforced cases, deformation and strain significantly reduced with the increase in pipe burial depth and number of reinforcing layers. Measurement of strain illustrated that strain generated in the lower reinforcing layer is always higher than that recorded in the upper one, regardless pipe burial depth and value of applied load.

The multi-utility tunnel has received increased attention as an alternative method for the installation of subsurface infrastructure for the distribution of electricity, water, sewage and district heating. In previous research, the multi-utility tunnel (MUT) has been described as a more sustainable technology compared to the conventionally used technique where the cables and pipes are placed with open-cut excavation (OCE), especially when the entire life cycle is taken into account. This thesis aims to contribute to an improved understanding of MUT's sustainability performance in relation to conventional installation using open-cut excavation. This is done by using literature study, interview study and quantitative sustainability assessments to gain an understanding of the current state of knowledge. Furthermore, this thesis also focuses on how knowledge can be deepened with the help of quantitative sustainability assessments and the challenges of conducting this type of assessment. This thesis shows that the state of knowledge regarding MUT's sustainability performance is low and scattered, with a lack of a holistic approach. Direct economic performance has gained the most attention, followed by indirect and social impact, and the environmental impact has so far barely been assessed. The sustainability performance depends to a large extent on the conditions of the specific case, and these should be considered when assessing the technology. Quantitative assessments have the potential to help deepen the knowledge of the sustainability implications of using MUT. The characteristics of MUT have some similarities with other types of physical infrastructure. Similarities are that the systems are long-lived, have project conditions that affect sustainability performance, and impact a broad spectrum of actors. One difference to typical infrastructure systems is that the owner and management structure of MUT is, by design, more complex as several types of utility systems are in use. The characteristics of MUT give some practical considerations that need to be addressed: data availability, including practitioners; detailed data; transparency; and flexibility. This thesis highlights the complexity of assessing MUT´s sustainability performance and advocates that future studies should have a learning-oriented approach so that the knowledge level can collectively and gradually improve over time rather than focusing on decision-oriented studies. / <p><strong>Funding agencies:</strong> Kampradstiftelsen</p>

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The solution of the undergoing climate and energy crises requires a radical transformation of the energy system, in which sustainability, no carbon emissions and energy efficiency ought to play a paramount role.  This revolution should extend to all areas of the energy system, including the space heating and cooling sector, which accounts for a third of the European final energy demand and, in the European continent, it is still mostly supplied by fossil fuels. District heating is a simple but powerful technology that can contribute to tackle this challenge. As a network infrastructure, it is characterised by the flexibility of the heat production, allowing the incorporation of a wide range of heat sources over time. Furthermore, it enables the recycling of heat that would otherwise be wasted and the use of local heat sources in a more cost-effective manner. Moreover, its coupling with the electricity sector can facilitate the increase of intermittent electric renewable energy sources.  Nevertheless, at the moment, district heating only covers a tenth of the European space heating and cooling needs, albeit with significant differences among countries. In addition, the development of new district heating networks is capital intensive and can only be justified in those areas where the concentration of the heat demand is sufficiently high to deliver a lower cost to society than an individual alternative.  Therefore, it is crucial to assess the potential of district heating and to identify the target areas for in-depth investigations. This necessity demands easy and straightforward tools, which can provide a first order approximation of the construction cost of new networks.  One of these tools is the capital cost model developed by Persson &amp; Werner, which is based on, among others, the effective width parameter. This is an indicator of the required trench length in an area supplied by district heating and has been related to the building density.  This work has contributed to the understanding of the effective width parameter in a wide range of building densities, taking advantage of one of the largest district heating networks in Denmark, and provided new equations that relate it to various indicators of building density.  Furthermore, the average pipe diameter of district heating pipes has been linked to another crucial parameter in district heating technology, the linear heat density, extending prior work conducted by Persson and Werner.  In addition, Persson and Werner's model and the newly found empirical expressions have been validated in various Danish district heating networks, showing that the model provides relatively accurate results on an aggregate level and large areas but dismally fails in low-extension areas.  Finally, the model has been applied to the European Union showing that district heating networks could potentially supply a third of the heat demand in 2050. / Lösningen av de pågående klimat- och energikriserna kräver en radikal omvandling av energisystemet, där hållbarhet, inga koldioxidutsläpp och energieffektivitet bör spela en avgörande roll. Denna revolution bör sträcka sig till alla delar av energisystemet, inklusive sektorn för uppvärmning och kylning av byggnader, som står för en tredjedel av Europas slutliga energibehov och på den europeiska kontinenten fortfarande till största delen försörjs av fossila bränslen. Fjärrvärme är en enkel men kraftfull teknik som kan bidra till denna utmaning. Som nätverksinfrastruktur kännetecknas den av flexibilitet i värmeproduktionen, vilket möjliggör inkorporering av ett brett utbud av värmekällor över tid. Dessutom möjliggör det återvinning av värme som annars skulle gå till spillo och användning av lokala värmekällor på ett mer kostnadseffektivt sätt. Dessutom kan dess koppling till elsektorn underlätta ökningen av intermittenta elektriska förnybara energikällor. Detta till trots täcker fjärrvärme för närvarande bara en tiondel av det europeiska behovet av uppvärmning och kylning av byggnader, om än med betydande skillnader mellan länderna. Utbyggnaden av nya fjärrvärmenät är dessutom kapitalkrävande och kan endast motiveras i de områden där koncentrationen av värmebehovet är tillräckligt hög för att ge en lägre kostnad för samhället än ett individuellt alternativ. Därför är det avgörande att bedöma potentialen för fjärrvärme och att identifiera målområdena för fördjupade utredningar. Denna nödvändighet kräver enkla och okomplicerade verktyg, som kan ge en första ordningens uppskattning av investeringskostnader för nya nätverk. Ett av dessa verktyg är kapitalkostnadsmodellen utvecklad av Persson &amp; Werner, som bygger på bland annat parametern effektiv bredd. Detta är en indikator på den erforderliga dikeslängden i ett område som försörjs av fjärrvärme och har relaterats till byggnadstätheten. Detta arbete har bidragit till förståelsen av effektiv bredd-parametern i ett vitt spektrum av byggnadstätheter, vars studium drar fördel av ett av de största fjärrvärmenäten i Danmark, och har gett nya ekvationer som relaterar den till olika indikatorer på byggnadstäthet. Vidare har den genomsnittliga rördiametern för fjärrvärmerör kopplats till en annan avgörande parameter inom fjärrvärmetekniken, den linjära värmedensiteten, vilket utökar tidigare arbete utfört av Persson och Werner. Dessutom har Persson och Werners modell och de nyfunna empiriska uttrycken validerats i olika danska fjärrvärmenät, vilket visar att modellen ger relativt exakta resultat på aggregerad nivå och stora ytor men mindre så i lågutbyggnadsområden. Slutligen har modellen tillämpats på EU som visar att fjärrvärmenät potentiellt kan tillgodose en tredjedel av värmebehovet år 2050. / Quantification of synergies between Energy Efficiency first principle and renewable energy systems

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A desirable feature of concentrated solar power (CSP) with integrated thermal energy storage (TES) unit is to provide electricity in a dispatchable manner during cloud transient and non-daylight hours. Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) offers many advantages such as higher energy storage density, wider range of operating temperature and nearly isothermal heat transfer relative to sensible heat thermal energy storage (SHTES), which is the current standard for trough and tower CSP systems. Despite the advantages mentioned above, LHTES systems performance is often limited by low thermal conductivity of commonly used, low cost phase change materials (PCMs). Research and development of passive heat transfer devices, such as heat pipes (HPs) to enhance the heat transfer in the PCM has received considerable attention. Due to its high effective thermal conductivity, heat pipe can transport large amounts of heat with relatively small temperature difference. The objective of this research is to study the charging and discharging processes of heat pipe-assisted LHTES systems using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental testing to develop a method for more efficient energy storage system design. The results revealed that the heat pipe network configurations and the quantities of heat pipes integrated in a thermal energy storage system have a profound effect on the thermal response of the system. The optimal placement of heat pipes in the system can significantly enhance the thermal performance. It was also found that the inclusion of natural convection heat transfer in the CFD simulation of the system is necessary to have a realistic prediction of a latent heat thermal storage system performance. In addition, the effects of geometrical features and quantity of fins attached to the HPs have been studied. / Mechanical Engineering