The search for more sustainable construction methods has created a renewed interest in straw bales technology. Straw bales are a composite material that is energy efficient and durable. Rectangular straw bales stacked in a running bond and plastered on the interior and exterior faces have adequate strength to resist typical loads found in two-storey structures. The structural behaviour of a load-bearing plastered straw bale wall subject to uniform loading is well researched. However, door and window voids in the wall redistribute vertical load paths and produce areas of concentrated stress. This thesis describes experiments on small-scale plastered straw bale panels subjected to loading conditions that simulate the loading conditions experienced in areas around door and window voids. Twenty-one specimens were tested under two main types of loading conditions. The specimens were rendered with lime-cement plaster, were one to three bales (0.33 m to 0.99 m) in height, and were either unreinforced, or contained metal diamond lath or chicken wire embedded within the plaster. The specimens were pin-supported at various centre-to-centre distances ranging from 200 mm to 500 mm and were loaded either uniformly or by a point load. Two distinct types of failure were observed. Strut-and-tie models were developed to describe the structural behaviour of panels undergoing vertical cracking of the plaster skin at failure. Bearing models were developed to describe the structural behaviour of panels undergoing crushing of the plaster skin beneath the point of applied load. The models predicted the correct failure mode of 92% of the specimens and had an average ratio of experimental strength to theoretical strength of 0.95 with a standard deviation of 0.17. The results show that the behaviour of plastered straw bale walls can be predicted using common methods of structural analysis. A parametric analysis of door and window voids within plastered straw bale walls is presented. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-09-30 11:32:53.613

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an in-season resistance training program on improving measures of strength in female collegiate triathletes. Nine females (age = 19.2 ± 1.1 years, height = 166.5 ± 12.5 cm, body mass = 61.1 ± 9 kg) with limited resistance training experience were examined for this study. Formal RT intervention was monitored for 7 weeks with the athletes being assigned 6 weeks of independent RT prior to the pre-test. Athletes completed a standardized athlete monitoring program pre and post resistance training intervention. Paired sample t-tests were used to determine differences between conditions with Cohen’s d effect sizes describing the magnitude of change between pre and post-intervention. No significant changes were found between the two testing sessions (p > 0.05). A longer duration of utilizing resistance training adhering to a phase potentiated approach may be necessary for significant changes to occur.

[Truncated abstract] The scaled boundary finite element method is a novel computational method developed by Wolf and Song which reduces partial differential equations to a set of ordinary linear differential equations. The method, which is semi-analytical, is suitable for solving linear elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic partial differential equations. The method has proved to be very efficient in solving various types of problems, including problems of potential flow and diffusion. The method out performs the finite element method when solving unbounded domain problems and problems involving stress singularities and discontinuities. The scaled boundary finite element method involves solution of a quadratic eigenproblem, the computational expense of which increases rapidly as the number of degrees of freedom increases. Consequently, to a greater extent than the finite element method, it is desirable to obtain solutions at a specified level of accuracy while using the minimum number of degrees of freedom necessary. In previous work, no systematic study had been performed so far into the use of elements of higher order, and no consideration made of p adaptivity. . . The primal problem is solved normally using the basic scaled boundary finite element method. The dual problem is solved by the new technique using the fundamental solution. A guaranteed upper error bound based on the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality is derived. A iv goal-oriented p-hierarchical adaptive procedure is proposed and implemented efficiently in the scaled boundary finite element method.

This thesis deals with numerical 3D modeling of reinforced earth block under concentrated wheel load. This is a parametric study, which varies entering face and load position and even his own task. And either by simplification of the CSN 73 0037 or directly. At the beginning briefly describes the construction of reinforced soil in terms of history, application, construction, and properties of materials from which the structure is formed. Attention is also paid to static action and methods of spreading of a concentrated load to earth block. structural design using analytical methods is also part of the thesis