Reinforced concrete frame corners (that is, knee joints) subjected to closing moments plays an important role of transmitting stress between the two adjoining members. Being categorized as geometric discontinuity regions (D-regions), knee joints cannot be correctly analyzed and designed using traditional sectional analysis procedures. Instead, the strut-and-tie method is particularly suitable for such joints. Although strut-and-tie models provide the means to represent the distribution of stresses within a closing knee joint, questions arise when a curved-bar node is used to model the bar bend of the longitudinal reinforcement at the outer corner. The code-specified design expressions for curved-bar nodes have not been experimentally verified; therefore, the accuracy and conservativeness of the expressions remain unknown. This research project is aimed to provide insights to the proper application of the strut-and-tie method, through the concept of curved-bar nodes, to knee joints under closing moments.<br><br>An experimental program consisting of 24 specimens was conducted to investigate the effect of curved-bar nodes on knee joints under closing moments. An evaluation of the code-specified design expressions was included. The results demonstrate that the minimum code-specified bend radius is appropriate. The current requirements related to bond along the bar bend and clear side cover are shown to be conservative. Based on the test results, a procedure for constructing proper strut-and-tie models for closing knee joints is proposed and verified using an evaluation database consisting of 116 knee joint tests from the literature. Compared to other strength predictive methods and the code-specified strut-and-tie method, the proposed strut-and-tie method mitigates unconservativeness and delivers improved accuracy.<br>In addition to the experimental program and the proposed procedure, non-linear finite element analysis (FEA) using the software ATENA-3D was employed to conduct a parametric analysis as a supplement to the experimental data. Seventy-two numerical models were analyzed to further evaluate the code-specified expressions and the proposed strut-and-tie method. The FEA results are in a good agreement with the experimental observations and corroborate the conclusions from the experimental program regarding current code requirements. Moreover, the parametric analysis further supports the application of the proposed strut-and-tie methodology to knee joints under closing moments.

Falls continue to be a major problem in the residential construction industry and account for a large number of injuries and fatalities each year (US Department of Labor, 2012).  The effects of a fall are catastrophic to the workers and their families as well as the construction company and surrounding community.  Prevention of these incidents has been the primary focus of organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  To reduce the number of falls on residential construction sites, OSHA has put forth several standards that require the use of fall protection.  Although guidelines have been provided, there have been concerns and complaints regarding the standards as well as methods and materials that should be used. The goal of this research was to measure the behavior of a five truss roof system with various anchor points and bracing configurations loaded by a horizontal force.  A lab built roof system was used to test three different anchor types with three forms of temporary bracing.  The materials and methodology used in this testing were based on common materials and practices currently used in the residential construction industry. The results of this research show that anchors must engage multiple trusses to spread the applied load throughout the roof system.  Several forms of temporary bracing such as lateral, diagonal, and sway bracing, are also required to strengthen the roof system allowing it to withstand an applied load. / Master of Science

Bakgrund: Helamning rekommenderas de första sex månaderna och har många hälsomässiga fördelar för både moder och barn. Svårigheter vid amning kan kopplas till tidiga amningsstopp och kort tungband kan vara en orsak till dessa amningssvårigheter. Syfte: Syftet är att belysa mödrars erfarenheter av amningssvårigheter relaterat till kort tungband och av tungbandsklipp. Metod: Kvalitativ studie med induktiv ansats baserades på semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio informanter via video- eller telefonsamtal, strategiskt utvalda utifrån inklusions- och exklusionskriterier. Materialet analyserades med en tematisk innehållsanalys. Resultat: Mödrarnas erfarenheter av amningssvårigheter relaterat till kort tungband och tungbandsklipp kan visa sig som både fysiska eller psykiska symtom så som smärtande bröstvårtor och ångest. Flera av mödrarna upplevde att deras amningssvårigheter inte blev hörda eller uppmärksammade av vårdpersonalen samt att de upplevde ett bristande stöd. Flera upplevde också att det fanns en kunskapsbrist beträffande kort tungband inom vården och ett fåtal av mödrarna visste inte vad kort tungband var eller vad det innebar. Flera av mödrarna upplevde även att informationen kring själva tungbandsklippet var bristfällig samt vad de kunde vänta sig för resultat efteråt. Slutsats: Mödrar och barn med amningssvårigheter relaterat till kort tungband och tungbandsklipp får olika bemötande, bedömningar och åtgärder beroende på vilken kunskap som den vårdkontakt de möter besitter. Det finns ett behov av att arbeta fram en nationell handlingsplan för kort tungband hos barn för att alla ska få tillgång till samma vård. / Background: Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended the first six months of life and has many health benefits for both mother and child. Difficulties during breastfeeding can be associated with early breastfeeding cessation and tongue-tie can be one of the causes leading to breastfeeding difficulties.  Aim: The aim was to elucidate mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding difficulties in relation to tongue-tie and frenotomy.  Method: A qualitative inductive study based on semi-structured interviews with 10 informants via video- or telephone calls was conducted. Purposive sampling with inclusion- and exclusion criteria was chosen. Data was analyzed using a thematic content analysis.  Result: Mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding difficulties in relation to tongue-tie and frenotomy appear as both physical and psychological symptoms such as nipple pain and anxiety. Many of the mothers expressed that their difficulties were not heard or acknowledged by the health care staff and they also experienced a lack of support. Many of the mothers also experienced a lack of knowledge in the health care system regarding tongue-tie and a few of the mothers did not know what tongue-tie was or what it meant. Several of the mothers also experienced a lack of information regarding the frenotomy and what result they may expect afterwards.  Conclusion: Mothers and children with breastfeeding difficulties in relation to tongue-tie and frenotomy are treated and assessed differently depending on the knowledge of the health care staff. There is a need to develop a national careplan for children with tongue-tie so that all children have the same access to equal care

I det här examensarbetet har olika modelleringsantagandens påverkan på plattbroars och lådbalkbroars dynamiska egenskaper vid modellering av 3D-skalmodeller i FEM studerats. Delar av en bro som kan tänkas behöva någon typ av koppling har analyserats, liksom de kopplingar som är passande för sammanlänkningen av dessa delar. Studien har haft fokus på hur broarnas egenfrekvenser påverkas och hur broarna svarar på passage av höghastighetståg med avseende på accelerations- och förskjutningsamplituder för de olika modelleringsantagandena. De delar av en bro som studerats är kantbalk-konsol, konsol-broplatta, broplatta-stöd, lådbalk-broplatta och lastinföringspunkter-broplatta. Dessa delar har modellerats på olika sätt där till exempel förenklingar i modelleringen jämförts med modeller som är mer lika verkligheten. Resultatet visar att vid tågpassage ger vissa förenklingar från fall till fall responser som kan anses vara mer på den konservativa sidan. I övrigt är dock skillnaderna i respons sammantaget inte så stora. Resultatet visar också på att olika inställningar på kopplingar inte har så stor betydelse på studerade broars egenfrekvenser.

Yes / The test results on eight two-span deep beams made of self-compacting concrete (SCC) are presented and discussed in this paper. The main parameters investigated were the shear span-to-depth ratio, and the amount and configuration of steel reinforcement. All beams failed due to a major diagonal crack formed between the applied mid-span load and the intermediate support separating the beam into two blocks: the first one rotated around the end support leaving the other block resting on the other two supports. Both concrete compressive strength and web reinforcement had a major effect in controlling the shear capacity of the beams tested. For the shear span-to-depth ratio considered, the vertical web reinforcement had more influence on the shear capacity of the specimens than the horizontal web reinforcement. The shear provisions of the ACI 318M-11 are unconservative for most of the beams tested. Comparisons of test results with the strut-and-tie model (STM) suggested by ACI 318M-11, EC2 and CSA23.4-04 showed that the predictions are reasonable for continuous deep beams made with low and medium compressive strength. Although the equation suggested by ACI 318M-11 is very simple, its prediction is more accurate than the STM suggested by different design codes. / This research investigation was funded by the Higher Education Ministry in The Libyan Government.

Yes / Experimental study of five full scale masonry wall panels subjected to prescibed pre-compressive vertical loading and increasing in-plane lateral loading is discussed. All five walls were constructed using interlocking mortarless load bearing hollow concrete blocks. The behaviour of wall in term of deflections along the wall height, shear strength, mortarless joint behaviour and local and overall failures under increasing in-plane lateral loading and pre-compressive vertical loading are reported and analysed. Simple strut-and-tie models are also developed to estimate the ultimate in-plane lateral capacity of the panel walls tested. The results indicate that, as the pre-compressive load increases, the in-plane lateral load capacity of walls increases. All walls tested failed due to diagonal shear and/or moderate toe crushing depending on the level of the pre-compressive load. The proposed strut-and-tie models were able to give reasonable predictions of the walls tested.

Yes / Nine continuous concrete deep beams reinforced with glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars were experimentally tested to failure. Three main parameters were investigated, namely, shear span-to-overall depth ratio, web reinforcement and size effect. The experimental results confirmed the impacts of web reinforcement and size effect that were not considered by the strut-and-tie method (STM) of the only code provision, the Canadian S806-12, that addressed such elements. The experimental results were employed to evaluate the applicability of the methods suggested by the American, European and Canadian codes as well as the previous studies to predict the load capacities of continuous deep beams reinforced with GFRP bars. It was found that these methods were unable to reflect the influences of size effect and/or web reinforcement, the impact of which has been confirmed by the current experimental investigation. Therefore, a new effectiveness factor was recommended to be used with the STM. Additionally, an upper-bound analysis was developed to predict the load capacity of the tested specimens considering a reduced bond strength of GFRP bars. A good agreement between the predicted results and the experimental ones was obtained with the mean and coefficient of variation values of 1.02 and 5.9%, respectively, for the STM and 1.03 and 8.6%, respectively, for the upper-bound analysis. / Higher Committee of Education Development in Iraq (HCED)

<p> The Fe-C-Mn phase diagram has been calculated from thermodynamic data. Experimentally determined tie-lines are in good agreement with the calculated diagram. </p> <p> It has been shown that the assumption that the austenite-ferrite interface is in a local equilibrium condition during the late stages of the transformation in highly supersaturated alloys and at all times in alloys in an area of low supersaturation is justified. The approximate solution to the diffusion equations correctly predicts the experimentally determined manganese concentration profiles. </p> <p> Hillert's concept of paraequilibrium has been examined and explicitly defined. The concentration given by a paraequilibrium calculation correctly predicts the experimentally observed growth rates of Kinsman and Aaronson (1967) for very highly supersaturated alloys. </p> <p> A convolution technique for use in the interpretation of strongly localized concentration changes determined by electron beam microanalysis has been developed. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The writing of this thesis was guided·by the question "how does one teach English as a second language through theater?" This thesis.contains the pedagogical research basis for teaching English as second language, a script with supporting materials for teaching English as a second language, and a playwright's.journal detailing the writing process for the dramatic work. Within the pedagogical research, there is a comparison between the different founding fathers of modem TESL methodologies, a comparison between the different methodologies, and a practical exploration of teaching English as a second language through Task Based Instruction. The script itself is the lyrical book for a ten day, episodic musical for Spanish speaking 3rd and 4th graders. The dramatic work was written to be performed in a voluntary extracurricular context, such as an ESL summer camp.

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