Unreinforced masonry walls subjected to blast loading are vulnerable to collapse and fragmentation. The objective of this thesis is to conduct experimental and analytical research for developing a blast retrofit methodology that utilizes polyurea. A total of four unreinforced masonry walls were constructed and tested under various shock tube induced blast pressures at the University of Ottawa Shock Tube Testing Facility. Two of the retrofitted walls had surface-sprayed polyurea. The results indicate that the use of polyurea effectively controlled fragmentation while significantly increased the load capacity and stiffness of masonry walls. Polyurea proved to be an excellent retrofit material for dissipating blast induced energy by providing ductility to the system and changing the failure mode from brittle to ductile. Single degree of freedom (SDOF) dynamic analyses were conducted as part of the analytical investigation. The results show that the analytical model provides reasonably accurate predictions of the specimen response.

<p>Masonry infills historically have increased in-plane stiffness and reduced drift demands of reinforced concrete frames. An inherent risk remains during intense ground motions that unreinforced masonry infills can develop shear cracks, fail out-of-plane, or lead to the formation of captive-column conditions. This study explored the use of full-bay, plywood panel infills in non-ductile reinforced concrete frames as a novel seismic retrofit. Wood infills were constructed from layers of APA 3/4” Rated Sheathing plywood panels. Infills were tested using two single-bay, single-story concrete frames at 1/3 scale, with initial periods between 0.1 and 0.3 seconds once infilled. External post-tensioning was provided to the columns during all series to prevent column shear failure and doubled as dowel connections between the concrete frame and wood panel infill. Test series were performed on a uniaxial earthquake simulator with the frame bay parallel to the direction of ground motion. Wood infills were approximately 0.36∗𝑏, 0.18∗𝑏, and 0.09∗𝑏 thick, where b is the column width. Multi-layer infills were screw-laminated via a 6” square grid. Infills were tested in previously damaged and nominally pristine frames.</p> <p>During similar ground motions, masonry infills reduced the effective period of the pristine bare frame by approximately 50%. In nominally pristine frames, one-panel plywood infills reduced the bare frame period by a maximum of 50%, and two-panel infills by 60%. One and two-panel wood infills reduced drift demands in comparison to the pristine bare frame by a factor of 1√2∗𝑛 in previously damaged frames and by 12∗𝑛 in nominally pristine frame, where n is the number of panels of plywood across the infill thickness. There was no extra reduction in drift demands resulting from increasing the wood infill thickness beyond two panels. One-panel wood infills failed via out-of-plane buckling causing splitting at a drift demand of approximately 1.5%.</p> <p>The results of this study confirm that wood panel infill retrofits are structurally viable alternatives to stiffen non-ductile reinforced concrete frames. Plywood panel infills reduced drift demands more efficiently per unit thickness and unit weight than masonry infills; the resilience and ease of construction of wood infills suggest expanded use should be explored. Experimental study of full-scale wood infills is needed before this retrofit method could become field deployable.</p>

No description available.

Asian countries are urbanizing at an unprecedented rate, which has led to significant demand for sand. While sand mining fuels infrastructure development, creates livelihoods, and stimulates local economic activity, it also drives a series of environmental and socio-economic consequences which cannot be ignored. These include erosion, the destruction of habitats and loss of biodiversity, the deterioration of traditional livelihoods, forced displacement of communities, and damage to homes and infrastructure. On the one hand, this thesis uses mixed methods to study the multifaceted impacts of sand mining along the Red River in China, near the Vietnamese border. On the other hand, using qualitative methods, it explores how these impacts unfold along the Mekong River in Cambodia, near Phnom Penh. Using a political ecology approach, it identifies the actors involved in sand mining, their motives, and their impacts on the environment and local communities. The extractivism framework is used to describe sand mining activities and practices. In doing so, this thesis contributes to the literature on the understudied sand mining industry and its far-reaching impacts.

Housing in prosperous American cities is becoming increasingly expensive, forcing many municipal governments to re-evaluate how they will continue to serve lower-income residents and ensure equitable access to housing and resources. In the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Re-Development and Housing Authority (ARHA) has worked in recent years to partner with private developers to convert its existing stock of low-density, designated-affordable housing into more dense, mixed-income communities. This is possible because many of its existing communities sit on land in now-prime locations where the City currently allows the most density, as well as bonus density through a variety of mechanisms. While these projects have succeeded to some extent, the City is unfortunately still seeing a rapid rise in rents accompanied by a rapid decrease in available affordable housing of all types, in both privately-developed and publicly-subsidized communities. Increasing income disparity is also simultaneously driving lower-income to middle-class residents to suburban and exurban sites where limited access to municipal resources and public transportation can be highly detrimental to quality of life. While additional density is the knee-jerk response to many of affordability's challenges, often the resulting built solutions seem incomplete – achieving the basic goal of housing more residents, but failing to build thriving and diverse communities that connect people the way previous communities may have. After all, the pragmatics of building generally point towards maximizing square footage, monetary return, and speed of delivery by using conventional and commonly-accepted solutions, with less energy given to resident outcomes, and how people might be affected by the change to their living environments and communities. As Jan Gehl and Jane Jacobs examined in Cities for People and The Death and Life of Great American Cities respectively, simple pragmatics do not make for livable environments. A truly humanist approach to design for living in cities requires not only good policy, practice, and engagement, but also architectural strategies that respond to how humans relate to each other and their surroundings. Convergence explores how designers can contribute to making urban housing better for everyone by addressing housing affordability, person-to-person interaction, and community engagement in increasingly-dense environments. Its primary objectives are: • Encouraging neighborliness by increasing chance encounters as well as reducing the sharp threshold between private and public space often found in apartment-style buildings. • Increasing the visibility of human activity to the street in a multi-floor, multi-family project. • Using new mass timber methods and modularity to improve initial building construction and cost while also incorporating sustainable practices to reduce resource use and operating cost. • Anticipating that modification and reconfiguration will be required in the future, and offering defined parameters to simplify that process. • Creating a variety of unit sizes while also offering future flexibility to respond to changing community needs. • Combining the familiar with the novel to connect the new community to its surroundings, bridge experiences, and manage change. / Master of Architecture / In the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Re-Development and Housing Authority (ARHA) owns several affordable housing sites in desirable locations that it has been working to convert into more dense, mixed-income housing in partnership with private developers. While these projects have succeeded to some extent, housing in the City continues to become increasingly expensive, and wages for low-income and lower-middle class residents are not keeping pace with the increase in cost of living. This phenomenon is pushing many long-time and/or lower-wage residents to the suburbs and exurbs, limiting access to municipal resources and public transportation, and reducing quality of life. As a result, communities and families with long histories in the City are breaking apart and dispersing. Many advocates, policymakers, designers, and developers have turned to additional density as the most immediate response to these concerns. However, additional density isn’t enough; new buildings may house more people, but fail to address the other aspects of building thriving and diverse communities that connect people the way previous communities may have. Good housing and good communities need more than square footage, so it is time to look beyond conventional solutions. New approaches are needed to respond to how people are affected by changes to their living environments and communities, and create the kinds of positive outcomes that should be part of any new housing project. Therefore, if we want to design for living in cities, we have to have good policies, practices, and engagement, but we also need architectural strategies that respond to how humans relate to each other and their surroundings. Convergence explores how designers can contribute to making urban housing better for everyone by addressing housing affordability, person-to-person interaction, and community engagement in increasingly-dense environments. Its primary objectives are: • Encouraging neighborliness by increasing chance encounters as well as reducing the sharp threshold between private and public space often found in apartment-style buildings. • Increasing the visibility of human activity to the street in a multi-floor, multi-family project. • Using new mass timber methods and modularity to improve initial building construction and cost while also incorporating sustainable practices to reduce resource use and operating cost. • Anticipating that modification and reconfiguration will be required in the future, and offering defined parameters to simplify that process. • Creating a variety of unit sizes while also offering future flexibility to respond to changing community needs. • Combining the familiar with the novel to connect the new community to its surroundings, bridge experiences, and manage change.

The city with its urban density, infrastructure, and cultural, social and educational opportunities can be a desirable place to live for all - regardless of age, income or background. The city of today has changed considerably from the city of the 19th century. Neither is it the city of the future. However, it has great potential to anticipate to the challenges we will face in the future. It is a place that constantly changes. It is a living organism! This constant change is a challenge for architects to develop concepts and design-solutions that can react to shifting uses, zoning requirements, and dweller habits. The constant alteration of lifestyle, residential and commercial use, as well as job-related needs demands a high flexibity and adaptability in architecture and urban planning. Today's life is fast and unpredictable. Other contemporary issues such as sustainabilty or climate change are becoming key issues of today's discussion - in society, in the media and in world policy. Architects - responsible for our built environment - have to find innovative solutions to such ever-changing problems within their profession - within architecture. How can a concept, project or building be designed or constructed to anticipate those future needs, and what are the limits? To explore these questions and many more that followed I chose a site in midtown Washington DC. My thesis project includes 23 townhouses with partial retail, incorporated along an alley in the interior of a city block. The new development is integrated into the existing structure. / Master of Architecture

Idag är den traditionella tillverkningsprocessen för benproteshylsor som främst begränsar amputerade individer i olika länder från protesförsörjning på grund av att processen är både tidskrävande och kostsam för att producera högkvalitativa och anpassade proteshylsor. Syftetmed arbetet är att studera möjligheterna att använda 3D-skanning och additiv tillverkning (3Dprinting) för att skapa benproteshylsor med hjälp av dessa 3D-tekniker. Studien fokuserar på skanningsnoggrannhet och effektivitet samt två olika svarvariabler (ytjämnheten och maximalabelastningen) för 3D-printade benproteshylsor, där två olika processparametrar (lagerhöjd och infilltäthet) testas på två olika nivåer med en centrumpunkt genom att driva printingsprocessen systematiskt med hjälp av experimentell design (22-faktoriell design). Hårdvarorna Artec Eva, Artec Space Spider och Prusa MK4 användes för att utföra skanningsprocessen och printingsprocessen. Ett Polylacitic Acid-filament användes under printingsprocessen.Svarvariablerna togs fram med hjälp av två olika metoder (kompressionstest och ytjämnhetsmätning) som sedan analyserades för att visa variationen och undersöka hur processparametrarna kan påverka ytjämnhet (Artimetisk medelhöjd) och maximal belastninghos den 3D-printade proteshylsan. Artec Eva var snabbare och effektivare och kunde fånga upp 1990 bilder per sekund på cirka 164 sekunder. Testresultaten och analysen av svarvariablerna och processparametrarna visar att en ökning/minskning av lagerhöjden kan påverka ytjämnheten, samt att en ökning/minskning av infilltätheten kan påverka maxlasten.

Examensarbetet utgörs av en sammanfattning av tre genomförda nybyggnadsprojekt. Foton, ritningar och skisser visar hur arkitektoniska koncept omsatts från vision till verklighet. Gemensamt för projekten är att målbilden varit inriktad på nytta, identitet och mervärde.   Kanal 5 i Stockholm är en mindre glasbyggnad som blivit en symbol för omvandlingen av ett helt innerstadskvarter, där verksamheterna ändrats från industri och hantverk till arbetsplats för idéprojekt och mediaproduktion. Byggnaden fungerar som huvudentré till äldre lokaler som renoverats. Stadsutveckling. Kommunikation. Landmärke.   Canon i Solna är ett medelstort kontorshus som i sitt utförande förenar en värdeneutral prefabriceringsestetik med det globala hightech-företagets krav på attraktiv arbetsmiljö, representativitet och profilering. Kontakt, öppenhet och överblick präglar byggnadens inre organisation. Effektivitet. Varumärke. Gränssnitt.   Swedbank Stadion i Malmö är resultatet av en hel regions långsiktiga uppslutning kring det lokala fotbollslaget, Malmö FF. Ett renodlat fotbollsstadion, en teaterscen för utpräglad fankultur, en intäktsmaskin för klubben i dess strävan mot etablering i det internationella finrummet. Interaktivitet. Historia. Intäkter. / The thesis consists of a summary of three completed projects. Photographs, drawings and sketches demonstrate how architectural concepts have been carried through into real buildings. Common to these projects is the clear focus on utility, identity and added value.   Kanal 5 in Stockholm is a small glass building. It has become a symbol of the transformation of an entire city block, where operations have changed from industry and crafts to work on conceptual content and media production. The building serves as the main entrance to the older renovated premises. Urban development. Communications. Landmark.   Canon in Solna is a medium-sized office building. Its design combines the anonymous aesthetics of prefabrication with the global high-tech company's requirement for an attractive working environment, hospitality and profiling. Connection, transparency and visibility characterize the building's interior organization. Efficiency. Branding. Interface.   Swedbank Stadion in Malmö is the result of an entire region's long-term commitment to the local football team, Malmö FF. A genuine football stadium, a theatre for a devoted fan culture, a cash machine for the club in its ambition to establish itself in the international community. Interactivity. History. Revenue.

En utfackningsvägg är en icke bärande väggkonstruktion, ofta av trä som har för syfte att minimera energiförbrukningen för byggnader i betong. Inuti konstruktionen används ibland stålpelare för att bära ovanliggande konstruktioner. Stålpelarna utsätts för laster som de måste dimensioneras för. Över och under pelarna svetsas plåtar fast för att öka den belastade arean och hindra brott i betongen. I detta examensarbete har därför en datormodell i programmet Excel framtagits. Modellen dimensionerar kantpelare i stål enligt Eurokoderna. De brottsfall som ingår i modellen är genomstansning, prägling, spjälkning, avstånd till betongkant, reducering vid håltagning i betong, tryckkraftskapacitet för fot respektive topplåtarna och böjmoment för plåtarna.   Genomstansning är ett koniskt sprött brott som sker i betongen, det spröda brottet sker direkt utan förvarning och betongplattas bärförmåga sjunker snabbt vilket kan leda till ras.  Prägling är en lokal krossning av betongen och spjälkningen innebär att på grund av tryckkraften så uppstår en horisontell dragkraft i betongen vilket kan leda till brott. Då det är svårt att uppfatta i Eurokoderna för hur avståndet mellan plåtarna och betongkanten påverkar hållfastheten har därför en beräkningsmetod framställts, likvärdigt gäller för påverkan av håltagning nära en pelare. Exempel på hål kan vara trappor, hissar eller håltagning för värmestammar till radiatorer. Plåtarna beräknas i tvärsnittsklass tre. Modellen är uppbygg så att olika dimensioner och kvalitéer väljs, hållfastheten för konstruktionen beräknas och sedan redovisa om lasten klaras eller inte. I och med det så kan till exempel olika dimensioner och kvalitéer testas fram för att få en så optimal konstruktionslösning som möjligt. Avgränsningar har gjorts. Modellen beräknar bara de olika brottsfall som ovan nämns och berör endast kvadratiska VKR- profiler och plåtar. Pelare har beräknats som ledat infäst i båda upplagen där endast tryckkrafter dimensionerat betongen och plåtarna. Under det första skedet av arbetet så har fakta inhämtning för det olika brottsfallen gjort. Fakta har hämtats från litteratur, rapporter, undersökningar, forskningar, tidigare lösningar, diskussion med branscherfarna och tidigare respektive nyare regelverk. Därefter har datormodellen gjorts, målet med modellen är att få ett snabbt resultat och en komplett redovisning. Därför är modellen uppbygg så att varje brottsfall har en egen flik och kan redovisas enskilt.  För att modellen ska kunna användas av utomstående har standardbeteckningar, bilder och kommentarer använts. Modellen har kontrollerats med diverse beräkningsexempel och program för att få ett trovärdigt/användbart resultat. Slutsats: En väl fungerande modell har tagits fram och som kan användas av utomstående byggnadsingenjörer med minst gymnasieingenjörsutbildning. / A infill wall is a non-bearing wall construction, often is made af wood, which has the aim of minimizing the energy consumption of buildings in concrete. The inside the construction is sometimes steel designed for supporting the overlyingstructures. Steel studs are subjected to loads that they must be dimensioned to support. Above and below the colums plates are welded to increase the loaded area and prevent damages to the concrete. In this thesis a computer program in Excel has been created, the program dimensions border pillars in steel that follows the Eurocodes. Included in the program is punching, local pressure, splitting, distance to concrete, reduction when drilling in concrete, compression load capacity of foot and top plates, and bending torque the plates. Punching is a conical damage that occurs in the concrete, the damage occurs without warning and the concrete’s bearing capacity decreases rapidly which can lead to collapse. Local pressure is a local damage of the concrete and splitting, meaning that because of the pressure force arising can lead to a horizontal thrust in the concrete, which can lead to injuries. Since it is difficult to perceive the distance between the plates and the concrete edge of structural strength in the Eurocodes a calculation method has been made, equally applies to the consequences when drilling near a pillar. Examples of holes can be stairs, elevators or holes for heat strain for radiators. The plates are calculated in cross-section class three. The program is built so that different dimensions and qualities is selected, then the program calculates the strength of the structure and reports if will support the load. Different dimensions and qualities can be tested to get the optimal structure sollution. Limits have been set, the program only calculates the various injuries mentioned above and applies only to square VKR-sections and plates. Pillar has been calculated as articulated in both secured repository where the only pressure forces dimensioned concrete and plates. During the first phase of the work, gathering facts for the various types of damages has been done. Facts have been gathered from literature, reports, studies, researches, previous solutions, discussions with industry experienced and previous and more recent regulations. Since then, the computer program has been made, the goal of the program is to get a quick result and a complete report. Therefore, the program is made so that all damages is on different tabs and can be reported separately. So that the program can used by third parties standard names, images and comments are used. The program has been checked with various calculation examples and applications to achieve a credible / useful result. Conclusion: A well-functioning model has been developed and can be used by structural engineers with a education at least of technical college.

SEISMIC STRENGTHENING OF A MID-RISE REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME USING CFRPs: AN APPLICATION FROM REAL LIFE Tan, Mustafa T&uuml / mer M.S., Department Of Civil Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. G&uuml / ney &Ouml / zcebe Co-Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. BariS Binici May 2009, 162 pages FRP retrofitting allows the utilization of brick infill walls as lateral load resisting elements. This practical retrofit scheme is a strong alternative to strengthen low to mid-rise deficient reinforced concrete (RC) structures in Turkey. The advantages of the FRP applications, to name a few, are the speed of construction and elimination of the need for building evacuation during construction. In this retrofit scheme, infill walls are adopted to the existing frame system by using FRP tension ties anchored the boundary frame using FRP dowels. Results of experiments have previously shown that FRP strengthened infill walls can enhance lateral load carrying capacity and reduce damage by limiting interstory drift deformations. In previous, analytical studies, a detailed mathematical model and a simplified version of the model for compression struts and tension ties was proposed and verified by comparing model estimations with test results. In this study, an existing 9-storey deficient RC building located in Antakya was chosen to design and apply a hybrid strengthening scheme with FRPs and reduced number of shear walls. Linear elastic analysis procedure was utilized (force based assessment technique) along with the rules of Mode Superposition Method for the reftrofit design. FRP retrofit scheme was employed using the simplified model and design was conducted such that life safety performance criterion is satisfied employing elastic spectrum with 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years according to the Turkish Earthquake Code 2007. Further analytical studies are performed by using Modal Pushover and Nonlinear Time-History Analyses. At the end of these nonlinear analyses, performance check is performed according to Turkish Earthquake Code 2007, using the strains resulting from the sum of yield and plastic rotations at demand in the critical sections. CFRP retrofitting works started at October 2008 and finished at December 2008 for the building mentioned in this study. Eccentric reinforced concrete shearwall installation is still being undertaken. All construction business is carried out without evacuation of the building occupants. This project is one of the first examples of its kind in Turkey. Keywords: CFRP, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers, Masonry Infill Walls, Reinforced Concrete Infill Walls, Mid-Rise Deficient Structures, Turkish Earthquake Code 2007, Modal Pushover Analysis, Nonlinear Time History Analysis, Linear Elastic Building Assessment