This thesis investigates full-scale pipe stem reinforced cob walls under in-plane cyclic shear loads. Cob is the combination of clay subsoils, sand, straw and water that is built in lifts to produce monolithic walls. There is insufficient amount of information on cob as a building material in today’s age. The prior research that exists has examined varying straw content and type, water content, and mixture ratios to determine their effect on strength. There is currently one report that analyzes full-scale cob walls under in-plane loading. This thesis looks to iterate the full-scale tests and specifically studies the effect of reinforcement on cob walls. Concurrent to this research, another thesis was written that investigates a full-scale wire mesh reinforced cob wall under in-plane cyclic shear loads. From the data collected, a shear failure was suggested for the stem pipe wall. There appeared to be a large amount of ductility from the data and the cracks formed. Ductility, a seismic response modification factor (R-Factor) and stiffness were calculated using the yield point and ultimate loads.Iterations of this research and those performed in the past can be helpful in integrating cob in to the California Building Code.

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O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o desempenho físico-mecânico e de durabilidade de chapas homogêneas de partículas de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar e resina poliuretana à base de óleo de mamona; avaliação do comportamento mecânico de painéis modulares de chapas de partículas e madeira de reflorestamento, por meio de simulação numérica, pelo teste de impacto de corpo mole e aplicado em curral para manejo de bovinos; estudo de parâmetros de comportamento de bovinos manejados na instalação edificada com painéis modulares, por meio da mensuração da temperatura de superfície corporal e da reatividade dos animais. Foram determinadas as propriedades físico-químicas e microestruturais das partículas de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar. Para as chapas homogêneas de partículas sem e com revestimento superficial foram avaliadas as propriedades físico-mecânicas antes e após o envelhecimento natural. A avaliação do desempenho mecânico dos painéis modulares foi realizada por meio de uma simulação numérica, em laboratório pelo teste de impacto de corpo mole e, em loco, aplicado em seringa de um curral para manejo de bovinos. Os animais manejados tiveram sua temperatura de superfície corporal aferida por meio método da termografia de infravermelho e a reatividade mensurada por meio dos parâmetros de tempo de saída da seringa e do escore de comportamento na seringa. As chapas homogêneas de partículas de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar atenderam aos requisitos normativos para aplicação do material como componente estrutural. Os painéis modulares apresentaram deslocamento transversal experimental inferior aos valores aferidos pelo modelo numérico. Os animais manejados na seringa de painéis modulares e convencional, de tábuas de madeira, não apresentaram diferença nos parâmetros de reatividade, mas as temperaturas corporais superficiais média e máxima foram inferiores nos animais manejados na seringa com painéis modulares. / This study aimed to evaluate the physical-mechanical performance and durability of homogeneous sugarcane bagasse particleboards and polyurethane resin based on castor oil; to evaluation of the mechanical behavior of both modular panels of particleboards and reforestation wood by numerical simulation, soft body impact test and application in cattle handling facilities; to study bovine behavior parameters managed in the facility built with modular panels, by measuring body surface temperature and the reactivity of animals. The physicochemical properties and microstructure of the particles of sugarcane bagasse were determined. For homogeneous particleboards both without and with surface coating, the physical and mechanical properties were evaluated before and after natural aging. The evaluation of the mechanical performance of modular panels was performed by means of a numerical simulation, under laboratory conditions by soft body impact test and, in situ, applied to a crowding pen of corral for cattle management. The handled animals had their body surface temperature measured by infrared thermography and their reactivity was measured by the parameters of flight time in crowding pen and behavior score in crowding pen. The homogeneous particleboards of sugarcane bagasse met the regulatory requirements for applications as a structural component. The modular panels showed lower experimental transverse displacement values when measured by the numerical model. The animals handled in the crowding pen of modular panels and conventional wooden boards showed no difference in reactivity parameters, but the average and maximum superficial body temperatures were lower in animals handled the crowding pen with modular panels.

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o desempenho físico-mecânico e de durabilidade de chapas homogêneas de partículas de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar e resina poliuretana à base de óleo de mamona; avaliação do comportamento mecânico de painéis modulares de chapas de partículas e madeira de reflorestamento, por meio de simulação numérica, pelo teste de impacto de corpo mole e aplicado em curral para manejo de bovinos; estudo de parâmetros de comportamento de bovinos manejados na instalação edificada com painéis modulares, por meio da mensuração da temperatura de superfície corporal e da reatividade dos animais. Foram determinadas as propriedades físico-químicas e microestruturais das partículas de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar. Para as chapas homogêneas de partículas sem e com revestimento superficial foram avaliadas as propriedades físico-mecânicas antes e após o envelhecimento natural. A avaliação do desempenho mecânico dos painéis modulares foi realizada por meio de uma simulação numérica, em laboratório pelo teste de impacto de corpo mole e, em loco, aplicado em seringa de um curral para manejo de bovinos. Os animais manejados tiveram sua temperatura de superfície corporal aferida por meio método da termografia de infravermelho e a reatividade mensurada por meio dos parâmetros de tempo de saída da seringa e do escore de comportamento na seringa. As chapas homogêneas de partículas de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar atenderam aos requisitos normativos para aplicação do material como componente estrutural. Os painéis modulares apresentaram deslocamento transversal experimental inferior aos valores aferidos pelo modelo numérico. Os animais manejados na seringa de painéis modulares e convencional, de tábuas de madeira, não apresentaram diferença nos parâmetros de reatividade, mas as temperaturas corporais superficiais média e máxima foram inferiores nos animais manejados na seringa com painéis modulares. / This study aimed to evaluate the physical-mechanical performance and durability of homogeneous sugarcane bagasse particleboards and polyurethane resin based on castor oil; to evaluation of the mechanical behavior of both modular panels of particleboards and reforestation wood by numerical simulation, soft body impact test and application in cattle handling facilities; to study bovine behavior parameters managed in the facility built with modular panels, by measuring body surface temperature and the reactivity of animals. The physicochemical properties and microstructure of the particles of sugarcane bagasse were determined. For homogeneous particleboards both without and with surface coating, the physical and mechanical properties were evaluated before and after natural aging. The evaluation of the mechanical performance of modular panels was performed by means of a numerical simulation, under laboratory conditions by soft body impact test and, in situ, applied to a crowding pen of corral for cattle management. The handled animals had their body surface temperature measured by infrared thermography and their reactivity was measured by the parameters of flight time in crowding pen and behavior score in crowding pen. The homogeneous particleboards of sugarcane bagasse met the regulatory requirements for applications as a structural component. The modular panels showed lower experimental transverse displacement values when measured by the numerical model. The animals handled in the crowding pen of modular panels and conventional wooden boards showed no difference in reactivity parameters, but the average and maximum superficial body temperatures were lower in animals handled the crowding pen with modular panels.

Over the last decades, wood has encountered increasing competition from other building materials. Hence, it is relevant to study the underlying factors of material substitution. The market for repair and remodelling (R&R) is growing in importance. The end-consumer´s, or the household?s, assessments as to material selection are generally more crucial in R&R than in construction of new houses, a circumstance highlighting the importance of the end-consumer. Consequently, this thesis deals with material substitution within an end-consumer context. Proper market segmentation and targeting presuppose an understanding of why households differ as to material preferences. Prioritising customer needs in quality improvement and/or product development requires information as to the importance of different customer requirements or needs as well as the performance of wood, relative substitutes, in providing for these needs. The thesis proposes a coherent approach for market segmentation and for prioritising customer needs: (i) how to provide a basis for market segmentation and targeting, i.e., to extract the distinguishing features of different material preferences; (ii) how to extract information enabling the prioritising of customer needs, i.e., importance and performance information. Identifying prominent discriminating factors of building application material preference, in order to subsequently explain why households differ within and between samples/cultures as to material preferences, and finally assessing customer requirements or needs as to the importance and the performance of wood relative substitutes in fulfilling them, presuppose an approach for data collection and analysis, which in turn requires a theoretical frame of reference. Hence, in the thesis a theoretical framework and different methods, for extracting decisive preferential predictors and assessing customer needs respectively, are suggested and evaluated. A pronounced design profile and distinct material alternatives make floorcovering a good illustrative example. The results indicate that material substitution with an end-consumer focus should be studied within a contextual framework. Hence, the usage context, the type of room refloored and whether the dwelling is owned or not, seems to define the types of materials actively considered. Further, households obviously differ in how they perceive the concept of floorcovering in a given usage context, depending on the general life situation and individual experience. Data collection, with the aim of identifying distinguishing factors of building application material preferences, must thus handle the collection of data related to usage context as well as the general life situation and individual experience. To obtain a deeper understanding of the underlying motives open-ended questions are called for. Performance benchmarking as to customer requirements or needs should be relative competitors in the same market segment, i.e., close substitutes. The assessment of customer needs should allow analysis on benefit levels, as alternatives in material substitution most readily can be compared in terms of the more abstract benefits/consequences they provide rather than concrete attributes. The apparent causal complexity, resulting from contextual influences, severely limits the usefulness and adequacy of traditional, additive, statistical analysis. Multivariate projection methods like partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA); in coping with collinear variables, as well as the Boolean approach of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA); enabling data reduction in a theoretically guided manner, have potential for handling multiple conjunctural causation when analysing material preferences. Furthermore, both methods are able to handle binary variables resulting from open-ended questions, dependent as well as independent. PLS-DA can, however, more readily than Boolean algebra capture contextual influences. Analysis by means of PLS-DA thus seem to provide the information necessary for market segmentation and targeting, i.e., the causes of preferential differences both between and within cultures: evaluative criteria and variables related to the context. The output from the analysis of material preferences serve as input to the subsequent assessment of customer needs, as to the make-up of customer needs and as to which materials constitute close substitutes, i.e., share usage context. Customer satisfaction modelling (CSM) using partial least squares (PLS) seems well adapted for extracting the information necessary for prioritising customer needs: the impact on customer satisfaction of the fulfilment of different customer requirements or needs, and the performance of wood, relative substitutes, in providing for these needs. A valuable asset of CSM is the ability to allow analysis on customer benefit as well as attribute level. Usage context and data connected with the life situation provide instruments for market segmentation and targeting. For example: according to the present results, users of wooden flooring in the Netherlands are house owners to a greater extent and generally have a higher household income than users of laminated flooring. One of the apparently salient reasons for choosing wood, the natural material property, is part of the intrinsic nature, character, of the material. This quality of wood could provide an edge on the close substitute, laminated flooring. The results presented in the thesis further indicate that practical, functional, benefits exert the greatest impact on customer satisfaction, for wooden flooring as well as its closest substitutes laminate and carpet. This is noteworthy, as the salient evaluative criteria for choosing wooden flooring, unlike the other materials studied, were of a non-practical nature. This circumstance highlights the necessity of considering substitutes to identify latent needs. A low cost over the life cycle and hygiene are apparently the most important benefits to improve for wooden flooring manufacturers, as importance is high and performance relatively low.

This thesis examines the tubulus, a ceramic heating pipe developed by the Romans to create wall cavities through which hot air could circulate. An extension of the hypocaust system, tubuli systems were one of the most advanced heating systems used in antiquity, and were employed throughout the Roman Empire. This thesis focuses on the tubuli from Roman Arabia and particularly those from the site of Humayma, in modern Jordan, where a large corpus of this material has been found. This thesis represents the first study specifically on tubuli in Roman Arabia, and as such, it presents an initial examination of the material and lays the foundation for future studies on the topic. The first chapter of this thesis introduces tubuli, the region of Roman Arabia, and the history of baths in Roman Arabia. In the second chapter, tubuli and their use at Humayma are discussed in detail, and a chronological tubulus typology is presented. The Humayma tubuli are put into their regional context in the third chapter, which looks at tubuli found at sites throughout Roman Arabia. This final chapter also examines the regional trade and reuse of this material. Although this study only scratches the surface of this topic, it is able to reach several conclusions regarding tubuli and their use in Roman Arabia. These findings include revelations about the Nabataeans’ adoption and adaption of the tubulus before the Roman annexation of their territory and insights into the production and trade of this previously poorly understood material. / Graduate / 0324 / 0333 / 0579 / caharvey@uvic.ca

Materiality has been one of the most frequent topics of discussion for generations of architecture researchers, and also in the area of architectural history study. Numerous researchers are fascinated by the idea of development (or evolution) of architecture in order to understand how architecture has changed from ancient to “contemporary” for them. This discussion can trace back from Vitruvius, through Marc-Antoine Laugier, Banister Fletcher, Auguste Choisy, Karl Bötticher, John Ruskin, Viollet-le-Duc, Gottfried Semper, and it is still a meaningful topic for contemporary scholars to study architectural history. As the basic substance of architecture, the issue of building materials has been an unavoidable question in the evolution of architecture. This thesis approaches Taiwanese architecture from the perspective of one building material – brick. It explores the development of brick and its tectonics in Taiwan, between 1624 and 1945, through four different architectural culture periods - Dutch (1624-1662), Min-nan Chinese (1662-1895), Western (1860-1895), and Japanese culture period (1895-1945) -to understand the process of brick from being an “imported” building material to becoming a “local’ one. This thesis adopted the perspective that both building materials and tectonics are the products of human thought. With this perspective, this study started by identifying the relative “agents”, including material manufacturers, builders, designers, patrons, and ruling authorities The thesis showed that often the ruling authority played an important role, even as the game changer. Thus, it argued that the evolution of architecture tectonics and building materials was not a process but rather the result of actions of key participants in the case of Taiwan. Otherwise, this thesis is also the first research to construct a Taiwanese architectural history by connecting the building material – brick -, the tectonics of architecture, and identifying key influencing events and persons in a relatively large time scope, between 1624 and 1945, passing through four architectural cultural periods. It attempts to present a coherent overview approach to Taiwanese architectural history starting from a single building material, and aims to contribute to enhancing our understanding of the development of architecture and construction history up to the modern period, especially in the context of East Asia.

This dissertation has as general objective to identify the buildings of the Cooperativa de Consumo dos Empregados da Viação Férrea do Rio Grande do Sul producing an inventory of the main built properties occupied by the institution in the city of Santa Maria - RS. The Cooperativa de Consumo dos Empregados da Viação Férrea do RS was founded in 1913, locating its office in Santa Maria. The project aimed the social, economic and cultural life of its members, forming a kind of network that covered much of the state, locating its subsidiaries in several cities. Through the buildings occupied with its business operations, health and education, it was responsible for the transformation of spaces in urban and regional scale. In Santa Maria - RS the main buildings of the institution were located, such as the Men's and Women s Arts and Crafts Schools, Health House, the head office as well as an apparatus of Stores, Pharmacies, Butchers, Bakeries and small factories distributed in three different areas of the city, always linked to the core railway workers. From the top of its management until its complete decay influenced by different factors, the Cooperativa de Consumo dos Empregados da Viação Férrea do Rio Grande do Sul built a vast patrimony that was gradually being degraded. In the special case of Santa Maria, some buildings were expropriated via lawsuits and others sold to end debts. The proposed inventory has as one of its objectives the organization of data currently scattered about its built environment contributing to the discussion of its value as symbols of the railway workers mainly in Santa Maria. To construct this inventory, this dissertation rescued the history of organization and decay of the institution in Santa Maria and in the state, still addressing aspects of the city's development and its relation to rail transport. In order to base this paper it is presented theoretical references on topics such as culture, memory and cultural heritage as well as issues raised about preservationist policies. This study points the existence of 18 buildings occupied by the Cooperativa de Consumo dos Empregados da Viação Férrea do Rio Grande do Sul in Santa Maria, of which only 15 are identified as adopting registration methodology to producing an inventory using as reference models of the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul and the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional, producing an amount of 10 files. / Esta dissertação tem como objetivo geral identificar os edifícios da Cooperativa de Consumo dos Empregados da Viação Férrea do Rio Grande do Sul produzindo um inventário dos principais bens edificados ocupados por essa instituição na cidade de Santa Maria RS. A Cooperativa de Consumo dos Empregados da Viação Férrea do RS foi fundada em 1913, localizando sua sede em Santa Maria. Com um projeto que visava o desenvolvimento social, econômico e cultural de seus associados, formou uma espécie de rede que abrangia grande parte do estado, localizando filiais em diversas cidades. Por meio dos prédios que ocupou com suas atividades de comércio, saúde e educação, foi responsável pela transformação de espaços em escala urbana e regional. Em Santa Maria RS foram localizados os principais edifícios da instituição, como as Escolas de Artes e Ofícios Masculina e Feminina, a Casa de Saúde, a sede da instituição bem como um aparato de Armazéns, Farmácia, Açougue, Padaria e pequenas Fábricas distribuídos em três diferentes pontos da cidade, sempre atrelados à núcleos de trabalhadores ferroviários. Do ápice de sua gestão até sua completa decadência influenciada por diferentes fatores, a Cooperativa de Consumo dos Empregados da Viação Férrea do RS construiu um vasto patrimônio edificado que aos poucos foi sendo degradado. No caso especial de Santa Maria, alguns prédios foram desapropriados via ações judiciais e outros vendidos para sanar dívidas. A proposta de um inventário tem como um de seus objetivos a organização de dados atualmente esparsos sobre o seu patrimônio edificado colaborando para a discussão de sua valorização como símbolos da classe ferroviária principalmente em Santa Maria. Para a construção desse inventário, essa dissertação resgatou a história de organização e decadência da instituição em Santa Maria e no estado, abordando ainda aspectos do desenvolvimento do município e sua relação com o transporte ferroviário. Com o objetivo de embasar o trabalho, são apresentados referenciais teóricos sobre temas como cultura, memória e patrimônio cultural além de abordadas questões acerca de políticas preservacionistas. Este estudo aponta a existência de 18 edifícios ocupados pela Cooperativa de Consumo dos Empregados da Viação Férrea do RS em Santa Maria, dos quais apenas 15 são identificados adotando-se como metodologia de cadastro a produção de um inventário. Esse inventário usou como referência modelos do Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul e do Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional, produzindo um total de 10 fichas.

Main concerns in the building industry includes the development of alternative building materials that reduces the amount of energy spent during manufacturing process and easier to work with. Wood-crete is a composite material developed in this study, made up of wood waste (sawdust), paper, tradical lime and water. Wood-crete is developed to provide an alternative material in construction solving problems associated with the delivery of low-cost housing across all income earners, reducing the amount of energy spent during manufacturing process of construction materials and the ease with which these construction materials are developed and solve issues related to waste management. This thesis presents the processing technologies, factors which affect the performance and properties of wood-crete. Wood-crete properties were found to be closely related to the composition of the constituent elements though compressive strength and modulus of elasticity were low when compared to other building materials like concrete and steel. In a bid to improve the strength of the developed wood-crete, the properties were investigated based on the modification of sawdust by hot water boiling and alkaline treatments which help to modify cellulose fibre surface to reduce the hydrophilic nature of sawdust thereby improving the sawdust-matrix bonding. It was found that the surface modification, processing of cellulosic fibril and the extraction of lignin and hemi-cellulosic compounds with alkali had an effect on the compressive strength of wood-crete, with treating sawdust with 4% NaOH at 140mins of boiling time achieving the highest compressive strength and boiling sawdust from 100mins to 140mins had a gradual increase in compressive strength but reduced at higher boiling time. Furthermore, treating sawdust with NaOH more than 4% weakened the individual wood particles thus leading to poor strength of wood-crete. Additionally, the properties of wood-crete were investigated based on the type of wood sawdust – hardwood (beech and oak) and softwood (pine and cedar). Apart from individual wood density having a significant effect on the density of wood-crete, other factors such as lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose contents including fibre length of individual wood species affect the strength properties of wood-crete. The compressive strength of wood-crete was closely related to the wood species, with highest compressive strength of 3.93MPa recorded for hardwood wood-crete compared to 1.37MPa and 0.26MPa of wood-crete from softwood and mixed wood respectively. Results from thermal conductivity tests on wood-crete also show that wood-crete blocks can be produced with good insulating properties for building construction. Addition of different types of paper fibres to reduce the density of wood-crete and improve the insulating properties of composite developed also had a dominant influence on both strength and thermal conductivity, reflecting its effect on the structure of composite and contribution of self strength of paper fibres. The addition of various percentages of waste paper (de-fibred) had a significant influence on the thermal conductivity of wood-crete with 75% addition of waste paper achieving a thermal conductivity value of 0.046W/mK performed with the TCi thermal conductivity analyser. Thermal conductivity results for wood-crete made from hardwood and softwood sawdust was closely related to the chemical composition of various wood species, with softwood wood-crete having about 20% lower thermal conductivity compared to hardwood wood-crete. The developed wood-crete was able to withstand impact load and considered, like hempcrete, most suitable for wall panelling or other non- and semi-structural applications with good thermal insulating properties. Findings of this study provides an alternative new material for the construction industry and an important background for achieving better strength of wood-crete, choosing what type of sawdust to be used for development of wood-crete and for directing a better use of this potential material with very small embodied energy and carbon negative.

The electromagnetic wave absorption characteristics of composite cement-based building material have attracted much interest in recent times. Researchers have mainly focused on the 2 GHz to 12 GHz frequency range. Mobile and wireless communication systems use frequencies from 800 MHz upwards. The determination of characteristics such as reflection loss, absorption, attenuation and shielding effectiveness are crucial in the evaluation and development of these materials for the building industry. Absorption is an indication of how much of the EMW energy enters the material. Attenuation indicates how much of the absorbed energy is converted into other forms of energy by the material. Shielding effectiveness (SE) is a combination of reflection loss, attenuation and multiple internal reflections and attenuations. This research determined these characteristics by measuring the S11 and S21 parameters of the composite cement-based material in the GSM and WiFi frequency bands. The time domain gating function of a vector network analyser is applied to measure the reflection from the material. The data was then used to obtain the reflection and absorption losses in the frequency bands. The transmission loss was measured by placing the sample in the propagation path between two antennas. MnZn-ferrite and electrolytic manganese dioxide in powder form were evaluated as absorber material to increase the permeability of the cement-based material to improve absorption and attenuation capabilities to create a cost-effective practical electromagnetic wave absorber. The compound of the cement-based material was cement, sifted river sand and filler powder. The results achieved in the research showed the uniqueness of electrolytic manganese dioxide as filler in composite cement based material for electromagnetic wave shielding effectiveness improvement. The combined measurement techniques used in this research were uniquely used to determine the required electromagnetic wave absorption characteristics and shielding effectiveness of 10 dB was measured in the GSM850 and GSM900 frequency bands. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted