Bridges consisting of steel plate girders and composite concrete deck slabs are common throughout North America. For a typical highway application, these composite bridges are constructed with a cast-in-place concrete deck; however, some composite bridge designs utilize precast concrete deck panels. For example, bridges built on temporary access roads which service resource industries throughout Western Canada often employ composite bridges that consist of steel plate girders and precast concrete deck panels. For spans between 18- to 36 metres, permanent bridges currently present the best economy; although, portable structures would be preferred on these temporary roads so that the bridge could be relocated after the road is decommissioned. This study proposes a shear connection between steel plate girders and precast concrete deck panels, which allows fastening, and unfastening, of these two components enabling a portable composite bridge. In total, ten connection concepts were developed during this study and a multi-criteria assessment was performed to evaluate each concept respectively. Based on the outcome of this multi-criteria assessment, and subsequent sensitivity analysis, a preferred connection was established and a finite element model was developed for the analysis of composite bridge girders. For the initial development of the finite element model, the test set up and experimental findings of a test program by other researchers was employed so that the finite element analysis results could be compared to those reported from a physical experiment. Following this initial finite element analysis, full scale composite bridge girders were modelled so that the influence of the proposed shear connection on the behaviour of a composite girder could be studied. The model was verified for its ability to capture the possible effects of flange buckling, web buckling, and lateral torsional buckling of the steel plate girder. It was then confirmed that these local responses do not influence the performance of the proposed portable composite bridge system. A parametric study was also performed in which the effect of shear connection stiffness and spacing on the behaviour of the composite girder was investigated. This parametric study allowed the sensitivity of the proposed connection to variations in these two parameters to be assessed and also allowed preliminary study of the performance of composite girders with alternative shear connection designs.

This study aims to investigate various and multiple viewpoints of scholars, textbook editors, elementary school teachers, and student parents on the connection issue between different editions of elementary school textbooks, so as to submit our conclusions and suggestions. The concrete purpose of this study is double: a) What are the multiple voices of the connection issue of different textbooks? b) How are these voices formed? In order to reach the above purpose, the research method is mainly qualitative method, complementing by quantitative method. The study subjects are three scholars, three editors of school textbooks, 18 elementary school teachers, and five student parents. We adopt interview method of qualitative research. According to the introductory interviews, the researchers compile preliminary questionnaire, which is distributed to 160 elementary school teachers in all the 16 counties and cities in the Taiwan area. The last open-end question allows the answerers to write down their opinions, which are then used as one part of data analysis of this study. Finally, we conduct our analysis and discussion by means of incessant comparative analysis and type analysis. Synthetically, we then produce the conclusions and suggestions of this study. The following are the conclusions we reached: 1. The connection between the formal outlines and the temporary ones of the nine-year-through consistent policy causes various connection problems of different editions years ago. Take math course for example. This course is being narrowed and regulated owing to the formal outlines' annual details, which, though brings out a converging agreement, still causes some connection problems, though fewer. Even though connection problems remain, teachers should manage to reduce the problems to the minimum when conducting their teachings, so as to make the teachings more favorably. 2. Because of poor understanding towards the present nine-year-through consistent policy curricula outlines, elementary school teachers can not explain the connection problems to the student parents clearly, which makes the latter take dubious stance towards this issue. The nature of elementary school curricula is of the class of starting point of Burner's spiral curriculum; furthermore, the teaching units are circular through the six years. Thus, the negligent and omitting elements can be redressed to some point. On the other hand, whether students' learning contents are negligent or not will be redressed by the "feedback loop" to rectify the teaching objects and complement the teaching materials. 3. Elementary school teachers with teaching experience less than five years are mostly inexperienced teachers who don't understand the curricula outlines. From our interviews we realize that all kinds of selection tests almost never touch issues concerning curricula outlines. Under this vein, the chance to understand the curricula outlines is relatively meager, which is a warning and chasm for elementary teaching staff cultivation curricula. 4. The connection problems of different elementary textbook editions have something to do with the natures of curricula or fields. Curricula of artistic ability have less connection, which might have something to do with having no tests. "Having tests" tops all the connection issues of different elementary school textbooks. 5. The connection issues of different elementary school textbooks manifest the loose joining of "theory and practice" of teaching, which is the chief cause of the long-term negligence of the outcry of elementary school teachers who really do the teachings. On the one hand, the low professional status and image of elementary school teachers partly contribute to the above phenomenon. On the other hand, many elementary school teachers hold the belief that politics is behind education. In the long run, they feel inactive to all the educational issues. 6. Transfer students have to face horizontal transfer of different editions of their textbooks. Various levels of transfer problems occur because of different transfer times during the semester. But connection problems are not unsolvable. The joint cooperation between elementary school teachers and the publishers of elementary school textbooks still can patch up the chasm of connection.

This dissertation presents the results of experimental and computational investigations on the behavior of steel simple beam end framing connections subjected to fire. While significant progress has been made in understanding the overall structural response of steel buildings subject to fire, the behavior of connections under fire conditions is not well understood. Connections are critical elements for maintaining the integrity of a structure during a fire. Fire can cause large force and deformation demands on connections during both the heating and cooling stages, while reducing connection strength and stiffness. Of particular importance are simple beam end framing connections. These are the most common type of connection found in steel buildings and are used at beam-to-girder and girder-to-column connections in the gravity load resisting system of a building. This dissertation focuses on one particular type of beam end connection: the single plate connection, also known as a shear tab vii connection. This connection is very commonly used in U.S. building construction practice. In this study, material properties of ASTM A992 structural steel at elevated temperatures up to 900°C were investigated by steady state tension coupon tests. Experimental studies on the connection subassemblies at elevated temperatures were conducted to understand and characterize the connection strength and deformation capacities, and to validate predictions of connection capacity developed by computational and design models. In the computational studies, a three-dimensional finite element connection model was developed incorporating contact, geometric and material nonlinearity temperature dependent material properties. The accuracy and limitations of this model were evaluated by comparison with experimental data developed in this research as well as data available in the literature. The computational studies investigated the typical behavior of the connection during heating and cooling phases of fires as well as the connection force and deformation demands. The finite element model was further used to study and understand the effects of several key building design parameters and connection details. Based on the test and analysis results, some important finding and conclusions are drawn, and future work for simple shear connection performance in fire are discussed. / text

Bridges consisting of steel plate girders and composite concrete deck slabs are common throughout North America. For a typical highway application, these composite bridges are constructed with a cast-in-place concrete deck; however, some composite bridge designs utilize precast concrete deck panels. For example, bridges built on temporary access roads which service resource industries throughout Western Canada often employ composite bridges that consist of steel plate girders and precast concrete deck panels. For spans between 18- to 36 metres, permanent bridges currently present the best economy; although, portable structures would be preferred on these temporary roads so that the bridge could be relocated after the road is decommissioned. This study proposes a shear connection between steel plate girders and precast concrete deck panels, which allows fastening, and unfastening, of these two components enabling a portable composite bridge. In total, ten connection concepts were developed during this study and a multi-criteria assessment was performed to evaluate each concept respectively. Based on the outcome of this multi-criteria assessment, and subsequent sensitivity analysis, a preferred connection was established and a finite element model was developed for the analysis of composite bridge girders. For the initial development of the finite element model, the test set up and experimental findings of a test program by other researchers was employed so that the finite element analysis results could be compared to those reported from a physical experiment. Following this initial finite element analysis, full scale composite bridge girders were modelled so that the influence of the proposed shear connection on the behaviour of a composite girder could be studied. The model was verified for its ability to capture the possible effects of flange buckling, web buckling, and lateral torsional buckling of the steel plate girder. It was then confirmed that these local responses do not influence the performance of the proposed portable composite bridge system. A parametric study was also performed in which the effect of shear connection stiffness and spacing on the behaviour of the composite girder was investigated. This parametric study allowed the sensitivity of the proposed connection to variations in these two parameters to be assessed and also allowed preliminary study of the performance of composite girders with alternative shear connection designs.

No description available.

This study explores a model for the creative process to facilitate an honest, individualistic, empowering human experience for the dancers and choreographer in the Higher Ed dance studio. I investigated the role of choreographer as facilitator/collaborator and dancer as creator/co-owner to formulate a model aimed at developing connection. Over the course of eight weeks, I facilitated a creative process workshop. Eight undergraduate dance majors volunteered to be a part of the study. My evaluation was conducted through pre and post workshop interviews, self-journaling, group discussions, as well as video documentation. As a result, three themes and six sub-themes emerged from the data: Self-Realization with sub-themes of self-reflection, self-acceptance, and confidence; Safe Open Environment with sub-themes of group empathy and connection; and Using the Voice with a sub-theme of vulnerability. This model offers a safe environment geared toward using the voice, practicing vulnerability, and making individual artistic decisions.

This thesis describes the methods of communication in the Integrated Rescue System, considering especially its basic components. The theoretical part focuses on the description of the Integrated Rescue System components and the regulations determining the competence and connection of the basic IRS components and between each other. The research part evaluates possibilities of the investigated IRS components, their tools for connection and communication, and the principles which are usually used in their work. All knowledge are summarised at the end of the thesis. Included is also a proposal for particular types of activities of the Integrated Rescue System components as regards joint action - the organization of connection. This part determines the basic communication rules which could be helpful in mutual communication of the Integrated Rescue System components dealing with extraordinary events.

Orientador: Falcondes José Mendes de Seixas / Banca: Carlos Alberto Canesin / Banca: Luiz Carlos de Freitas / Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta o estudo comparativo de diversas topologias de conversores CA-CC trifásicos de múltiplos pulsos, baseados nas conexões especiais de transformadores, principalmente nas conexões diferenciais de autotransformadores. Esta técnica de retificação trifásica apresenta as vantagens do baixo conteúdo harmônico de corrente na rede e da reduzida potência aparente processada pelo núcleo dos autotransformadores. As conexões Y-diferenciais e Delta-diferenciais de 12 e de 18 pulsos são generalizadas através de expressões algébricas únicas que descreve toda a família dos conversores desta natureza, para quaisquer valores de tensão de entrada e de saída. Dentre estes conversores, a topologia Delta-diferencial de 18 pulsos é escolhida para estudo detalhado da distorção harmônica de corrente na rede de alimentação, além do projeto e da implementação de dois protótipos, um de 1 kW e outro de 6 kW. As saídas das estruturas retificadoras são ligadas em paralelo com o uso de transformadores de interfase que absorvem as diferenças instantâneas de tensão entre as saídas dos retificadores, possibilitando assim a operação do conversor com carga única. Desta forma, a proposta principal deste trabalho é gerar múltiplos pulsos de tensão na carga e, como conseqüência, obter conversores que apresentem múltiplos pulsos na forma de onda da corrente na rede de alimentação. Os resultados experimentais dos protótipos implementados são então comparados com a análise matemática desenvolvida e com os resultados de simulação. / Abstract: This work presents a comparative study of several multiple pulse AC-DC three-phase converter topologies, based on the special connections of transformers and differential connections of autotransformers. This three-phase technique presents the advantages of low harmonic current in the mains and the reduced power rated to the magnetic system of the autotransformer. The 12 and 18-pulse differential Y-connections and differential delta-connections are generalized by one algebraic expression. This expression describes the family of these converters for any value of input and output voltages. Among these converters, the 18-pulse delta-connected topology is chosen for a detailed study on the line current harmonic distortion, and two prototypes are designed and experimented on, one with 1 kW and another one with 6 kW. The outputs of the rectifiers structures are connected in parallel with the use of the interphase transformers, reducing this way, the current efforts in each rectifier and making possible the connection from DC outputs of the three rectifiers. In this way, the proposal aim of this work is to generate a multipulse voltage on the load, so that, it has as important result, the multipulse current, with reduced harmonics, in the mains. The experimental results of the prototypes are compared to the simulated circuits and the analytical results. / Mestre

My thesis is about choice of internet connection. In my paper I focus on application methods of multicriterial evaluation of alternatives (VHV) on different types of internet connection. In my paper I want to compare different types of VHV and I want to say if they are convenient or not to use them in choice of internet connection. In this paper I compare different tariffs of internet connection and different types of internet connections between each other. For comparison I chose ADSL connection, connection trough cable TV and wireless connection. In comparison I used next methods: lexicographical method, ORESTE, WSA, TOPSIS and ELECTRE III. For internet connection is the best to use connection trough cable TV, second is ADSL connection and the worst is wireless connection. Lexicographical method is not very good for choice of internet connection. It is usable only in special cases. Other methods are acceptable for choice of internet connection.

Steel tubular structures are becoming more widely used in recent years because of their excellent structural performance as well as appearance. For structures with steel hollow section (SHS) columns and concrete filled tubular (CFT) columns, several types of joint may be used to connect to wide flange beams. The topic of this research is a relatively new type of joint, the 'reverse channel' connection, in which the legs of a channel are welded to the tube thus converting the closed tubular column into an open section for connection purpose. However, since tubular columns have only recently become more popular in frames, there is a lack of research to quantify the moment-rotation characteristics of connections between I beams and tubular columns. A total of eight tests on loaded steel beam to RHS column connections using reverse channel and endplate, up to collapse, were carried out. The objectives of these tests were to investigate the effects of different connection details on connection performance and to provide experimental data for validation of numerical simulations. Validation of numerical modelling was carried out to check accuracy of the numerical simulation model developed using the general finite element package ABAQUS. The validated ABAQUS model was then used to perform various parametric studies to provide insight into structural behaviour. A systematic approach to quantify the load carrying capacity of the reverse channel web and the column face were adopted based on yield line theory. This thesis presents the derivation and validation of the analytical approach. The moment resistance of the whole connection can be obtained by assembling all the components together. A procedure for calculation was proposed to provide feasibility for designer and the analytical results were compared with the test results.