Tracer methods are commonly used for estimation of soil water and groundwater recharge flux especially in arid and semiarid regions. These tracer methods are based on the solute profile shape (distribution of concentration with depth) and peak position. For soils of semi-arid to sub-humid climates, vertical water movement may seasonally vary in direction due to climate conditions and vegetative demands. The first objective of this thesis was to show that TDR (time domain reflectometry) can be a useful tool for estimation of soil water fluxes using tracer methods. The second objective was to study the effects of repeated cycles of directionally-varying flow upon solute profile shape and position used by tracer methods under controlled laboratory conditions. Three soil columns with a KCl tracer and Beaver Creek sand were used for this study. Rain and evaporative systems were used to cause the downward and upward soil water movements in the column, respectively. Soil moisture content and solute concentration were measured using TDR.<p> The result for the first objective was that the peak migration and the soil water balance methods gave similar average upward and downward soil water fluxes. This result indicates that the TDR method can be recommended for determination of soil water fluxes with tracer methods in fields or in laboratory studies for sufficient time and depth.<p> In the second objective, three different seasonal flow regimes were studied using the sand columns, and each flow regime simulated climatic seasons that might occur in the field. Several apparent and statistical parameters were used to evaluate the change of the solute profile shape and position under cycling conditions of the three different flow regimes. These parameters showed that the solute profile shape and position clearly changed under the three different repeated regimes of downward and upward seasonal flows. It was concluded that climate (seasonality) can have significant impacts on the estimation of soil water fluxes using tracer methods. The result from this investigation shows that the profile shape and position after a number of cycles (years of fluctuations) can provide a description of the previous climatic effects on the concentration profile. Therefore, the profile shape can be used as an indicator of the flow regime that has affected the solute profile shape. Moreover, if a reference of a solute profile is available (a solute profile before a period of time), it is easier to determine the flow regime affected the profile shape and position by determining the change of the profile shape and position using statistical parameters presented in this thesis.

A high resolution speedy delivery time domain reflectometer (SD/TDR) has been developed in the Electrical Engineering department at The University of Texas at Austin. The SD/TDR uses a novel non-sinusoidal signal that does not undergo dispersion during transmission in a lossy media. SD/TDR is used to estimate the length and detect the location of faults in the transmission lines. Time of flight (TOF) is one of the critical parameters of SD/TDR and a function of several temperature dependent factors. Given the TOF and length of a transmission line, signal delay can be computed. This research presents an empirical study of the effect of temperature on the TOF in a plenum grade coaxial cable for temperatures ranging from -3 °C to 60 °C. We also study the effect of temperature on characteristic impedance of the coaxial cable. Finally, a SD double exponential waveform is used to estimate TOF for calibrated short and open terminations. / text

Derivation of an electromagnetic model, regarding the wave propagation in a very long (10 km or more) High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) power cable, is the central part of this thesis. With an existing “perfect” electromagnetic model there are potentially a wide range of applications.The electromagnetic model is focused on frequencies between 0 and 100 kHz since higher frequencies essentially will be attenuated. An exact dispersion relation is formulated and the propagation constant is computed numerically. The dominating mode is the first Transversal Magnetic (TM) mode of order zero, denoted TM01, which is also referred to as the quasi-TEM mode. A comparison is made with the second propagating TM mode of order zero denoted TM02. The electromagnetic model is verified against real time data from Time Domain Reflection (TDR) measurements on a HVDC power cable. A mismatch calibration procedure is performed due to matching difficulties between the TDR measurement equipment and the power cable regarding the single-mode transmission line model.An example of power cable length measurements is addressed, which reveals that with a “perfect” model the length of an 80 km long power cable could be estimated to an accuracy of a few centimeters. With the present model the accuracy can be estimated to approximately 100 m.In order to understand the low-frequency wave propagation characteristics, an exact asymptotic analysis is performed. It is shown that the behavior of the propagation constant is governed by a square root of the complex frequency in the lowfrequency domain. This thesis also focuses on an analysis regarding the sensitivity of the propagation constant with respect to some of the electric parameters in the model. Variables of interest when performing the parameter sensitivity study are the real relative permittivityand the conductivity.

No description available.

No description available.

A majority of the primary roadways in the United States are constructed using hot-mix asphalt (HMA) placed over a granular base material. The strength of this pavement system is strongly influenced by the local environmental conditions. Excessive moisture in a granular base layer can cause that layer to lose its structural contribution by reducing the area over which loading may be distributed. Excessive moisture and fine particles can be transported by hydrostatic pressure to the surface layers, thus reducing the strength of the overlying HMA by contamination. Moisture in the surface HMA layers can cause deterioration through stripping and raveling. In addition, as HMA is a viscoelastic material, it behaves more as a viscous fluid at high temperatures and as an elastic solid at low temperatures. Between these two temperature extremes, a combination of these properties is evident. Thus, understanding the environmental effects on flexible pavements allows better prediction of pavement performance and behavior under different environmental conditions. As part of the ongoing pavement research at the Virginia Smart Road, instrumentation was embedded during construction to monitor pavement response to loading and environment; moisture content of the granular base layers and temperature of the HMA layers were among the responses monitored. The Virginia Smart Road, constructed in Blacksburg, Virginia, is a pavement test facility is approximately 2.5km in length, of which 1.3km is flexible pavement that is divided into 12 sections of approximately 100m each. Each flexible pavement section is comprised of a multi-layer pavement system and possesses a unique structural configuration. The moisture content of aggregate subbase layers was measured utilizing two types of Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) probes that differed in their mode of operation. The temperature profile of the pavement was measured using thermocouples. Data for the moisture content determination was collected and results from two probe types were evaluated. In addition, the differences in the moisture content within the aggregate subbase layer due to pavement structural configuration and presence of a moisture barrier were investigated. It was shown that the two TDR probe types gave similar results following a calibration procedure. In addition to effects due to pavement structure and subgrade type, the presence of a moisture barrier appeared to reduce the variability in the moisture content caused by precipitation. Temperature profile data was collected on a continuous basis for the purpose of developing a pavement temperature prediction model. A linear relationship was observed between the temperature given by a thermocouple near the ground surface and the pavement temperature at various depths. Following this, multiple-linear regression models were developed to predict the daily maximum or minimum pavement temperature in the HMA layers regardless of binder type or nominal maximum particle size. In addition, the measured ambient temperature and calculated received daily solar radiation were incorporated into an additional set of models to predict daily pavement temperatures at any location. The predicted temperatures from all developed models were found to be in agreement with in-situ measured temperatures. / Ph. D.

O trabalho é uma análise comparada de cinco mecanismos de política urbana praticados em quatro países diferentes: EUA, França, Colômbia e Brasil. Esses mecanismos têm como característica principal o financiamento de melhorias na infraestrutura urbana, com recursos gerados por parte da valorização imobiliária, e apropriados por meio desses mecanismos. São eles: Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) nos EUA, Leyes de la Plusvalia na Colômbia, Zones d´Aménagement Concertée (ZAC) na França, CEPACs e Outorga Onerosa em São Paulo, Brasil. O objetivo do trabalho é identificar princípios e regras comuns entre eles, e analisar suas diferenças mais significativas, e as razões para isso. Os mecanismos são apresentados individualmente e, em seguida, comparados quanto a suas características principais: histórico e objetivos de sua implantação, estrutura legal, método de formação do preço ou valor a ser pago, momento do pagamento e eficácia na geração de benefícios urbanísticos. / This work is a comparative analysis of five different mechanisms or urban policy as they are practiced in four different countries: the USA, France, Colombia and Brazil. The main characteristic these mechanisms have in common is the financing of improvements in the urban infrastructure with resources generated by the increase in value or real estate, and the corresponding capture part of that increase in value. The mechanisms analyzed are: Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) in the USA, Leyes de la Plusvalia, in Colombia, Zones d\'Aménagement Concertée (ZAC) in France, Certificados de Potencial Adicional de Construção (CEPACs) and Outorga Onerosa do Direito de Construir, São Paulo, Brazil. The objective of this work is to identify the principles and rules that they share, analyze the most relevant differences and the reasons for those differences. Each of the mechanisms is presented individually, followed by a comparison of their main characteristics: its objective and history, legal structure, price or value formation, moment of payment, and its effectiveness in generating urban improvement.

A reflectometria no domínio do tempo permite estimar o teor de umidade de um meio através da sua correlação com a constante dielétrica. Uma sonda helicoidal TDR, que pode ser cravada em conjunto outros ensaios de penetração in situ para a estimativa do teor de umidade em diversas profundidades, tem aplicação interessante para a investigação geotécnica do subsolo. No presente trabalho, uma sonda TDR foi adaptada e utilizada em conjunto ao ensaio CPT para caracterização de um perfil de solo arenoso não saturado que ocorre na região de Bauru (SP). A calibração dessa sonda foi feita em laboratório especificamente para esse solo. As equações de calibração que mostraram os melhores resultados foram definidas correlacionando a constante dielétrica, condutividade elétrica aparente e a massa específica seca com o teor de umidade. Com o intuito de melhorar a acurácia na determinação do teor de umidade em campo e eliminar possíveis interferências no registro da onda eletromagnética, foram efetuadas modificações em algumas características do projeto original dessa sonda. Tais modificações consistiram em separar os eletrodos condutores e as partes metálicas da sonda, e eliminar o cabo coaxial de extensão, conectando a sonda diretamente a um cabo coaxial de 12 m de comprimento. Tais mudanças levaram a uma melhoria significativa na determinação do perfil de teor de umidade do local estudado. Os valores de teor de umidade de campo determinados usando o TDR ao longo de 8 m de profundidade foram comparados com os valores de referência obtidos de amostras deformadas retiradas com trado mecânico. O erro médio na estimativa do perfil de teor de umidade gravimétrico utilizando a sonda TDR helicoidal foi de 1.61%, na última campanha de ensaios realizados. Os resultados dessa pesquisa indicam que esta ferramenta é adequada para estimar do perfil de teor de umidade para uso em conjunto com o ensaio CPT. / The time domain reflectometry allows estimating the moisture content of a medium by means of its correlation with the dielectric constant. A coil TDR probe, which can be driven into the ground together with others in situ penetration tests, can be used to estimate the moisture content at different depths. It is an interesting approach for geotechnical site characterization. In this work, a coil TDR probe was adapted and used in combination with the CPT test for the site characterization of an unsaturated sandy soil profile which occurs in the region of Bauru (SP). The probe calibration was performed in laboratory specifically for that soil. The calibration equation, which presented the best results, were defined correlating the dielectric constant, electrical conductivity and dry density with the moisture content. In order to improve the accuracy for determining the water content in the field and to eliminate possible interference on the electromagnetic wave registration, modifications were made in some characteristics of the original design of this probe. Such modifications consisted in separating the conductive electrodes from the metal parts of the probe, and eliminating the coaxial extension cable, connecting the probe directly to a coaxial cable 12 m long. Such changes have led to a significant improvement in the determination of the moisture content profile of the studied site. The moisture content values determined in situ by using the TDR along 8 m depth were compared with reference values obtained from disturbed soil samples collected using mechanical augers. The root mean square error of the gravimetric water content profile using the TDR coil probe was 1.61% in the last test campaign. The results of this research indicate that this tool is suitable to estimate the gravimetric moisture content together with the CPT test.

The achievable accuracy of hygrothermal building component simulation is significantly dependent on the applied material functions. These functions are determined by the material modelling marking the connection between the basic storage and transport parameters which are obtained from basic measurements, and the storage and transport coefficients which are defined within the balance and flow equations. It is the aim of the present study to develop a flexible and widely applicable material model which is not restricted to the current level of the transport theory. Furthermore, limits and options of this model are to be validated by means of four building materials on the basis of special transient moisture profile measurements. The study’s starting point is a comprehensive investigation of both, the different existing modelling approaches and the available experimental methods to determine basic hygrothermal material parameters. On this basis, the material modelling is set into the context of the heat and moisture transport theory derived from thermodynamics. The involved limits and restrictions are highlighted and options as well as requirements for further developments are pointed out. The developments this study focuses on comprise three fields: experiments for basic property determination, material modelling, and experiments for material model validation. The set of basic material investigation methods has been extended by the drying experiment under defined conditions. The different influences on the drying as well as its application to hygrothermal material model calibration are pointed out and appraised. On this basis, a drying apparatus is designed, built and applied. Ultimately, standardisation criteria and the derivation of a single-value drying coefficient are evaluated. Appropriate extensions are indicated. Based on the bundle of tubes approach, an own material model is developed. It is coupled with a mechanistical approach accounting for serial and parallel structured moisture transport phenomena. The derived liquid water conductivity is adjusted by the help of measured conductivity data close to saturation as well as within the hygroscopic moisture range. Subsequently, two internal modelling parameters are calibrated which is done by numerical simulation of the water uptake and the drying experiment under consideration of the hysteresis of moisture storage. Facilitating its application to the obtained laboratory data, the material model has been implemented into a computer program. It is applied to the four building materials brick, lime-sand brick, aerated concrete and calcium silicate. The adjusted material functions are shown and discussed. In all four cases, the calibration provides an excellent agreement between measured and calculated material behaviour. As experimental basis of the material model validation, the instantaneous profile measurement technique (IPM) has been extended to be applied in Building Physics. Special equipment is developed and measurement procedures are designed. Different models to derive the water content from dielectric data obtained by Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) measurements are evaluated and implemented. Ultimately, an extensive program of transient moisture profile measurements within the hygroscopic and the overhygroscopic moisture content range is conducted and evaluated. Within the frame of validation, the developments on the experimental as well as on the modelling fields are combined. The IPM experiments are recalculated on the basis of the measured initial and boundary conditions applying the adjusted and calibrated material functions. The comparison of measured and calculated data reveals the power of the developed material modelling just as the consequences of the simplifications made on the transport theory level. The distinct influences of the hysteresis of moisture storage consisting of effects depending on the process history and effects depending on the process dynamics, are proven. By the presented study, the material modelling has been decisively further developed, the set of basic measurement methods has been extended by a substantial experiment and the instantaneous profile measurement technique has been made applicable to Building Physics. Moreover, the influences of the process history and the process dynamics on the moisture transport and the resulting moisture profiles could be shown and proven. By that, not only a material model is now available which perfectly applies to the requirements of flexibility, applicability and extendability. The obtained data provides also a powerful basis for further research and development. / Die Genauigkeit hygrothermischer Bauteilsimulation hängt maßgeblich von den verwendeten Materialfunktionen ab. Sie werden durch die Materialmodellierung bestimmt, welche die Verbindung zwischen den aus Basisexperimenten gewonnenen Speicher- und Transportparametern sowie den innerhalb der Bilanz- und Flussgleichungen definierten Speicher- und Transportkoeffizienten herstellt. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist zum einen die Entwicklung eines flexiblen, breit anwendbaren und gleichzeitig nicht auf den gegenwärtigen Stand der Transporttheorie beschränkten Materialmodells. Dessen Grenzen und Möglichkeiten sollen zum anderen auf der Grundlage spezieller instationärer Feuchteprofilmessungen anhand von vier Baustoffen untersucht und aufgezeigt werden. Ausgangspunkt der Arbeit ist eine ausführliche Beleuchtung sowohl der vorhandenen Modellansätze als auch der zur Verfügung stehenden experimentellen Methoden zur Bestimmung hygrothermischer Basisparameter. Auf dieser Grundlage wird die Materialmodellierung in den Kontext der aus der Thermodynamik abgeleiteten Wärmeund Feuchtetransporttheorie eingeordnet. Die damit verbundenen Grenzen und Einschränkungen werden hervorgehoben und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten sowie weiterer Entwicklungsbedarf aufgezeigt. Dieser umfasst drei Bereiche: die Experimente zur Bestimmung von Basisparametern, die Materialmodellierung, sowie Experimente zur Modellvalidierung. Die Reihe der Basisexperimente wird um den Trocknungsversuch unter definierten Bedingungen erweitert. Die verschiedenen Einflüsse auf die Trocknung und deren Anwendung in der Kalibrierung hygrothermischer Materialmodellierung werden herausgestellt und bewertet. Darauf aufbauend wird eine Apparatur entworfen, gebaut und angewendet. Schließlich werden Kriterien zur Standardisierung und Ableitung eines Einzahlenkennwertes evaluiert. Sinnvolle Erweiterungen werden aufgezeigt. Es wird ein eigenes Materialmodell auf der Grundlage eines Porenbündelansatzes hergeleitet, welches mit einem mechanistischen Ansatz gekoppelt wird, der den Feuchtetransport in seriell und parallel strukturierte Bereiche untergliedert. Die abgeleitete Flüssigwasserleitfähigkeit wird anhand von Leitfähigkeitsmessdaten im nahe gesättigten sowie im hygroskopischen Feuchtebereich justiert. Zwei interne Modellparameter werden anschließend unter Berücksichtigung der Hysterese der Feuchtespeicherung anhand des Aufsaug- und des Trocknungsversuches kalibriert. Das Materialmodell ist zur Erleichterung der Anwendung in ein Computerprogramm zur Anpassung an die Labordaten implementiert worden. Das Programm wird auf die vier Baustoffe Ziegel, Kalksandstein, Porenbeton und Calciumsilikat angewendet. Die entsprechend angepassten Materialfunktionen werden gezeigt und diskutiert. Im Rahmen der Kalibrierung wird eine hervorragende Übereinstimmung zwischen gemessenem und berechnetem Materialverhalten erreicht. Zur Modellvalidierung wird die Augenblicksprofilmethode (IPM) für die bauphysikalische Anwendung erweitert. Spezielle Apparaturen werden entwickelt und Versuchsabläufe entworfen. Modelle zur Ableitung des Wassergehaltes aus mit Hilfe der Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) gewonnenen Dielektrizitätsmessdaten werden evaluiert und implementiert. Schließlich wird ein umfangreiches Programm an Feuchteprofilmessungen im hygroskopischen und überhygroskopischen Feuchtebereich umgesetzt und ausgewertet. Im Rahmen der Validierung werden die Entwicklungen auf experimenteller sowie auf Modellierungsebene zusammengeführt. Die IPM Experimente werden anhand der gemessenen Anfangs- und Randbedingungen und auf der Grundlage der angepassten und kalibrierten Materialfunktionen nachgerechnet. Der Vergleich zwischen Messung und Rechnung offenbart die Stärke der entwickelten Materialmodellierung ebenso, wie den Einfluss der auf Ebene der Transporttheorie getroffenen Vereinfachungen. Ein deutlicher Einfluss der sich aus der Prozessgeschichte sowie der Prozessdynamik zusammensetzenden Hysterese der Feuchtespeicherung kann nachgewiesen werden. Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit ist somit nicht nur die Materialmodellierung entscheidend weiterentwickelt, die Reihe der einfachen Basisexperimente um einen wesentlichen Versuch erweitert und die Augenblicksprofilmethode für bauphysikalische Belange anwendbar gemacht worden, es wurden auch die Einflüsse der Prozessgeschichte, und erstmals auch der Prozessdynamik, auf den Feuchtetransport sowie die sich einstellenden Feuchteprofile deutlich aufgezeigt und nachgewiesen. Es ist demnach nicht nur ein Materialmodell, welches den gestellten Anforderungen an Flexibilität, breite Anwendbarkeit und Erweiterbarkeit genügt, entwickelt worden, es wird mit den gewonnenen Messdaten auch die Grundlage weiterer Forschung zur Verfügung gestellt.

[pt] O trabalho foi motivado pela grande incidência de descargas atmosféricas no desastre ocorrido na Região Serrana do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, em 2011. No episódio foram contabilizados mais de 900 óbitos e até o presente momento, as causas dos escorregamentos ainda não foram completamente encontradas. Esta pesquisa apresenta o desenvolvimento de um modelo físico para avaliar os efeitos das ondas sonoras, oriundas dos trovões, em solos. Para o alcance do referido objetivo, foi desenvolvida uma câmara à qual um bloco indeformado de solo foi instrumentado com tensiômetros, TDR s e acelerômetros. Os materiais utilizados nos ensaios são provenientes da encosta situada nos domínios da PUC-Rio e do condomínio localizado no bairro de Conquista - Nova Friburgo. Os solos foram dispostos em blocos livres ou confinados em uma caixa de compensado naval de 19 mm e a seguir os mesmo foram submetidos às ondas de sonoras replicadas da modelagem dos trovões. Os resultados abrangem o desenvolvimento de ensaios com umidades diferentes, para os dois tipos de materiais, nas condições livre e confinada, e foram satisfatórios. / [en] The work was motivated by the high incidence of lightning in the disaster occurred in the mountainous region of the State of Rio de Janeiro in 2011. In the episode was recorded more than 900 deaths and up to the present time, the causes of landslides have not been fully met. This research presents the development of a physical model to assess the effects of sound waves coming from the thunder in soils. To achieve the above goal, we developed a camera to which an undisturbed block of soil, instrumented with tensiometers and TDR s accelerometers was tested on a table. The materials used in the tests are from hillside located in the areas of PUC-Rio and condo located in the Conquista, Nova Friburgo. Soils were willing blocks free or confined in a box of 19mm plywood and then were subjected to the sound waves replicated modeling of thunder. The results include the development of assays with different humidities for both types of materials and conditions, free and confined.