Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1997. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-155). Also available electronically via Internet.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 26, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Mian Liu. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-99). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2007. / Principal faculty advisor: Kausik Sarkar, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um software para ser embarcado em um sistema autônomo baseado em arquitetura ARM, como o objetivo de detecção da posição de picos de um espectro refletido por uma rede de Bragg gravada em fibra óptica (FBG) e interrogadas pelo Interrogador comercial I-MON. O software foi desenvolvido para ser embarcado em uma plataforma pcDuino o qual permite o monitoramento em tempo real e os dados podem ser visualizados em uma interface gráfica. Para detecção da posição dos picos foi aplicado um algoritmo que aproxima os dados experimentais por uma função gaussiana através do método dos mínimos quadrados. O sistema foi caracterizado a partir do monitorado da temperatura sobre a superfície de uma célula termoelétrica, as leituras foram realizadas entre 0°C e 100°C. Comparando a posição do pico de Bragg registrada com o sistema desenvolvido e com o software Ext_Evaluation disponibilizado pelo fabricante do interrogador I-MON, verifica-se diferença média de aproximadamente 0,010 nm. A diferença média na posição do pico de Bragg é superior a resolução de 0,5 pm informada pelo fabricante do interrogador I-MON. Contudo, geralmente interessa saber a variação na posição do pico de Bragg e não a sua posição absoluta no espectro. Assim, pode-se concluir que o algoritmo desenvolvido é eficiente na detecção da variação na posição do pico do espectro refletido por um sensor FBG. / This work developed a software to be embedded in an autonomous system based on ARM architecture, as the goal of detecting the peak position of a spectrum reflected by a Bragg grating written to optical fiber (FBG) and interrogated by the commercial Interrogator I-MON 512 E. The software was developed for the ARM architecture using the pcDuino platform which allows real-time monitoring and the data can be viewed in a graphical interface. For detecting the position of the peaks was applied to an algorithm that approximates the experimental data by a Gaussian function by the method of least squares. The system is characterized from the monitored temperature on the surface of a thermoelectric cell readings were made between 0°C and 100°C. Comparing the position of the Bragg peak registered with the system developed and the Ext_Evaluation software provided by the manufacturer of the interrogator I-MON it appears the average difference is approximately 0,010 nm. The mean difference in the position of the Bragg peak is less than 0.5 pm resolution is informed by the manufacturer of the interrogator I-MON. However, usually interested in changes in position of the Bragg peak instead of on absolute position in the spectrum. Thus, it can be concluded that the proposed algorithm is effective detecting the variation in position of Bragg peaks using FBG sensors.

CAPES, CNPq, FINEP, Fundação Araucária / Neste trabalho é apresentado um estudo sobre a aplicabilidade de redes de Bragg na análise de impactos em estruturas planas. Para tanto, os dispositivos foram caracterizados, preliminarmente, quanto à deformação mecânica e temperatura. Nesta abordagem, para a validação experimental, quatro redes de Bragg foram fixadas nos cantos de uma placa de polimetilmetacrilato que, posteriormente, foi submetida a impactos mecânicos. Os efeitos de impactos produzidos na placa foram detectados pelas redes de Bragg, sendo que suas respostas em λ ao longo de 0,3 segundos foram utilizadas para treinar e testar redes neurais artificiais do tipo perceptron multicamadas. As localizações dos impactos nos quadrantes foram, então, fornecidas pela rede neural artificial, a qual demonstrou que a localização pode ser prevista com uma taca de classificação correta de aproximadamente 90% na etapa de validação. Outra RNA foi implementada para localizar coordenadas de posições de impacto, a qual permitiu fazer uma análise quantitativa dos erros, realizando uma comparação do valor desejado e o valor de saída da RNA na localização de um impacto em um plano. O maior erro médio (Em) em relação ao valor alvo foi de 0,401 cm em x, e 0,703 cm em relação à y, sendo que, o maior desvio padrão (σEm) foi de 0,896 cm em x, e 1,572 cm em y considerando cinco diferentes posições de impacto na etapa de teste de RNA. / In this work the applicability of fiber Bragg grantings as tools for the analysis of impacts on planar structures was studied. In a first step, Bragg grantings were characterized and their thermal and strain sensitivities were determined. The experiments were carried out with four fiber Bragg gratings. Being that their responses in λ along 0.3 second were used to train and test a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network. The locations of impacts in quadrants were supplied by the artificial neural network. The results demonstrate that such location can be predicted with correct classification rate of approximately 90.0% in validation step. Another RNA was implemented to locate impact coordinates, wich allowed a quantitative analysis of errors by performing a comparison of the desired value and the output value provided by the RNA on the location of an impact on a plan. The largest mean error (Em) to the target value was 0,401 cm for the coordinate x and 0,703 cm for y, considering five different points of impact in the test step.

La représentation classique d'un chargement tectonique long-terme à vitesse constante produisant une sismicité récurrente est bousculée depuis plusieurs années par de nouvelles observations.Ainsi, des phénomènes transitoires tels que les séismes lents, i.e., des ruptures se caractérisant par des vitesses très inférieures à des ruptures sismiques, ont été découverts principalement au niveau de l'interface de plusieurs zones de subduction.Les méthodes de détection et d'étude actuelles passent par des mesures géodésiques des déformations en surface afin de déterminer les déplacements sur le plan de faille en profondeur. Cependant, ces données se heurtent à des problèmes de résolutions temporelles ou spatiales, ou encore à une connaissance limitée des structures profondes.Dans cette thèse, nous proposons de détecter ces épisodes transitoires via la sismicité. En effet, l'apparition de ces phénomènes suggère une augmentation locale et temporaire du chargement pouvant amener le plan de faille, si celui-ci se situe dans la zone sismogénique, plus fréquemment au seuil limite de rupture des roches et provoquer ainsi une augmentation du taux de sismicité lié à ce chargement.Afin d'étudier cette sismicité, nous présentons un modèle statistique permettant de séparer de manière probabiliste la sismicité en deux termes: un terme de sismicité de fond et un terme d'interaction entre les séismes.À partir de cela, nous pouvons déterminer les niveaux d'augmentations de cette sismicité de fond et mettre en avant les épisodes anormaux de sismicité pouvant correspondre à des épisodes transitoires.Après avoir développé et indiqué les limitations de ce modèle, nous proposons de l'appliquer à deux secteurs en subduction propices à des épisodes de déformation lente: les îles Aléoutiennes et le Japon.Finalement, nous nous intéressons au cas particulier du volcan Kilauea qui dispose également d'épisodes transitoires récurrents et bien caractérisés.Nous montrons, à travers ces cas d'études, qu'il est possible de relier l'augmentation du taux de sismicité avec des informations sur le forçage asismique lors de ces épisodes de glissement lent. Ainsi, la détection des épisodes transitoires de déformation par l'utilisation de la sismicité est une voie possible dans l'étude systématique de ces phénomènes. / The classical representation of constant long-term accumulated stress producing earthquakes is greatly affected by new observations.Transient aseismic phenomena such as slow slips, characterized by low rupture velocities, have been discovered in many subduction areas. Detection methods currently use geodetic measurements of ground deformations to determine displacements on the fault plane in depth. However, these geodetic data encounter many problems as spatial and temporary resolution or limited knowledge of structures at depth, as well as decaying resolving power at depth.In this thesis, we propose another method to detect transient phenomena using seismicity. To do so, we use the fact that these transient episodes increase locally the stress loading on active faults. Episodes of aseismic loading can thus cause changes in seismicity dynamics, if they occur in the proximity of faults close enough to failure.We here develop, and test, a statistical model based on a probabilistic separation of the seismicity rate in two quantities: a background aseismic rate and a term of earthquakes interaction. With these quantities, we produce a method to calculate increases of background seismicity and to discriminate seismic swarms, i.e., seismic sequences that do not obey usual mainshock-aftershock patterns.We make use of this method in two subduction areas, in the Aleutian Arc system and in Japan, where transient phenomena occur. We also investigate how this method could be applied in the context of the Kilauea volcano, where SSEs are known to occur.We show, with these studies, a possible way to relate the seismicity rate of transient episodes with the magnitude of the slow slip. An empirical law is found in the case of the Boso slow slip events, that fully model the activation of the earthquake swarm.

We study certain confluences of equations with two Fuchsian singularities which produce an irregular singularity of Poincaré rank one. We demonstrate a method to understand how to pass from solutions with power-like behavior which are analytic in neighbourhoods to solutions with exponential behavior which are analytic in sectors and have divergent asymptotic behavior. We explicitly calculate the Stokes' matrices of the confluent system in terms of the monodromy data, specifically the connection matrices, of the original system around the merging singularities. The confluence of Gauss' hypergeometric equation gives an excellent opportunity to show our approach with a concrete example. We explicitly show how the Stokes' data arise in the confluences of the isomonodromic deformation problems for the Painlevé equations PVI to PV and PV to PIII(D6).

Dans cette thèse, nous présentons une quantification de la déformation en cours du sud des Balkans et de la Méditerrnée centrale et orientale par GPS. Le champs de vitesses a été déduit de l'analyse de données issues de 225 stations GPS permanentes ou épisodiques pour la période 1996-2009. Ce champs de vitesse est analysé et discuté pour essayer de déterminer si le champ de vitesse est continu ou si, au contraire, des blocs stables peuvent être individualisés. La déformation actuelle du sud-ouest de la Bulgarie et du nord de la Grèce ont été particulièrement étudiés à partir de mesures réalisées de 1996 à 2008. Cette région est particulièrement active comme le montre la sismicité historique et en particulier le séisme de Krupnik en 1904 (sud-ouest de la Bulgarie) qui fut un séisme parmi les plus destructeur en Europe continentale au cours des deux derniers siècles. Le nord de la Grèce est quant à lui caractérisé par des séismes destructeurs de M > 6. Les résultats obtenus montrent l'existence de déplacements vers le sud par rapport à l'Eurasie stable s'accroissant du Nord (2mm/an) vers le sud de la région étudiée (10 mm/an). Les tenseurs de taux de déformation sont présentés et discutés à la lumière de la déformation exprimée lors des séismes. Ces deux types d'information montrent tous deux une prédominance d'une extension Nord-sud en accord avec les données géologiques (présence de grabens Est-Ouest) et les modèle proposés pour la Méditerranée centrale et orientale. A l'ouest des Balkans, la déformation actuelle de l'Albanie s'exprime par des nombreux indices néotectoniques et une sismicité importante présentant de nombreux séismes historiques destructeurs. Données géologiques et sismotectoniques montrent d'une part l'existence d'un raccourcissement dans les Albanides externes et d'autre part une extension Est-Ouest et Nord –Sud dans les Albanides externes. Les vitesses de déplacements ont été quantifiées par GPS continu et épisodiques à partir de 2003. Ces vitesses ainsi que les mécanismes au foyer montrent un raccourcissement en cours à travers l'Adriatique (déplacements des Albanides externes vers l'ouest par rapport à la plaque Apulie), et un déplacement vers le sud des Albanides internes à la fois par rapport à la plaque Apulie et à la plaque Eurasie. La zone de failles Skutar-Pesh entre Albanides et Dinarides semble former la limite nord de la zone affectée par un déplacement vers le sud par rapport à l'Eurasie comprenant l'est de l'Albanie, la Macédoine, la Bulgarie et la Grèce. Les Albanides externes semblent être segmentées par des failles transverses actives (faille de Lezhë et de l'ile d'Othoni et du col de Dhërmi) associées à une importante sismicité historiques. Les Albanides internes sont affectées à la fois par une extension Nord-sud le long de la faille d'Elbasani-Diber, du graben de Korca et par une extension est-ouest de part et d'autre du graben d'Ohrid. Le domaine affecté par un déplacement vers le sud est donc limité à l'ouest par la transition antre les Albanides externes et les Albanides Internes et au nordouest par la faille de Skutar-Pesh qui se poursuit en Macédoine. Sur l'ensemble du domaine étudié, notre analyse du champ de vitesse nous conduit à privilégié l'hypothèse d'une déformation continue au détriment d'une déformation localisée aux frontières de blocs stables. / The investigation in the present thesis is focused on the South Balkan extensional region using Global Positioning System (GPS) technique. The GPS-derived velocity field from 225 episodic and continuous GPS stations covering the territory of Central and East Mediterranean for the period 1996-2009 has been analysed and discussed in the context of present-day tectonics block models. The geodynamic processes in the region of Southwest Bulgaria (SWB) and Northern Greece (NG) are investigated by GPS measurements acquired during a 12-year (1996-2008) period. SWB and NG are recent active tectonic and seismotectonic regions. The SWB is the most active seismic region of the Bulgarian territory - in the Krupnik – Kresna region one of the most catastrophic earthquakes in continental Europe during the last two centuries occurred in 1904. NG is an area with widespread seismic activity ranging from low to high with destructive earthquakes of M≥6.0 from historical to recent times. The obtained velocity field of the Earth's crust is represented by 34 points in SWB and 21 points in NG encompassing the region. The results show southward displacements between 2-10 mm/yr. The strain rates for the region obtained by GPS measurement for the region are presented and discussed together with seismological events. By comparision to the geological and seismotectonic data, the results obtained from the GPS observations confirm the present-day activity of the fault structures and the dominating extension to the north-south. This extension is in agreement with the regional tectonic model of the East Mediterranean. The current tectonics of Albania is documented by neotectonics indices and by a large number of medium size earthquakes. The focal mechanisms suggest the existence of current shortening across the external Albanides whereas the internal Albanides are affected by E-W to N-S extension. To investigate the kinematics of the Albanides, we integrate continuous and episodic GPS measurements with focal mechanisms from the Regional Centroid Moment Tensor catalogue. This study has allowed distinguishing a western Albania affected by westward motions relative to the Apulia microplate, illustrating the ongoing collision of external Albanides, whereas inner Albanides present southward motion relative to both Apulia and stable Eurasia. The Skutar-Pesh Fault Zone, between Dinarides and Albanides, is identified as the possible northern limit of an area including Albania and western Greece, affected by a clockwise rotation relative to Apulia and also the northern limit of the Balkans (inner Albanides, Macedonia, Bulgaria) affected by southward motion relative to Apulia and stable Eurasia. The other transverse fault zone of the Albanides, the Diber-Elbasani fault, appears to be affected mainly by a moderate extension. Compilation of the published GPS data with our data set allows to identify the external-inner Albanides limit as the western border of the domain (inner Albania, northern Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria) affected by southward displacements relative to stable Eurasia, whereas Skutar-Pesh fault probably forms also its northern limit. The analysis of the velocity field for the whole studied area leads to the hypothesis of a continuous deformation to the detriment of local deformation at the borders of stable blocks.

Orientador: Jefferson Sidney Camacho / Banca: Rogério de Oliveira Rodrigues / Banca: Ronaldo Bastos Duarte / Resumo: As estruturas de concreto armado vêm se tornando cada vez mais esbeltas, aliadas ao menor tempo de execução das edificações e aos menores prazos de execução da fixação da alvenaria na estrutura, cada vez com mais freqüência observa-se a formação dos estados patológicos nas alvenarias. As estruturas de concreto armado apresentam progressivamente deformações mais acentuadas, fazendo com que as paredes de vedação trabalhem, oferecendo resistência a esses deslocamentos surgindo assim patologias que se apresentam na forma de fissuras na interface pilar/alvenaria. Desse modo, surge a necessidade de estudos das ligações empregadas na interface pilar/alvenaria, que têm por objetivo "solidarizar" estrutura e alvenaria, distribuindo as deformações excessivas da estrutura que se traduzem na forma de fissuras e com isso diminuir a ocorrência de patologias nas alvenarias de vedação. Para tal, foram desenvolvidos ensaios de diferentes formas de ligação da interface pilar/alvenaria de modo a avaliar a eficiência dos dispositivos empregados no mercado da construção de edifícios de São Paulo atualmente, como a tela metálica eletrosoldada. Numa primeira etapa foram realizados ensaios de arrancamento direto à tração, de modo a se estudar o comportamento do dispositivo quando submetido ao esforço de tração. Foram ensaiados também prismas de alvenaria, com diferentes dispositivos de ligação inseridos de modo a se avaliar as resistências à tração das ancoragens inseridas na junta de argamassa, e numa terceira etapa, foram realizados ensaios em pequenas paredes, para se determinar o desempenho das ancoragens na ligação de paredes e pilares de concreto armado, na situação real. / Abstract: Structures of reinforced concrete are becoming more slender, associated to the short time of building construction and with the lesser periods of masonry fixation in the structure, each time with more frequency can be observed the formation of pathological state in masonry. The structures of reinforced concrete progressively presents more accentuated deformation, making masonry to work, offering strength to these displacements, creating pathology that appears like cracks in the interface of column/masonry. Thus, it is necessary to study the bonds used in the interface column/masonry, wich has as objective "join" the structure and the masonry, spreading the excessive deformations of the structure that comes up as cracks, and diminishing the occurrence of damages in the forbid masonry. In order to do this, different tests in the interface column/masonry were developed in order to evaluate the efficiency of device used in the civil construction in São Paulo, as tela metálica eletrosoldada. In the first step, pull-out tests were done to sutdy the behavior of the device when submitted to a tensile strength. Prisms were also tested, with different kinds of bond gadgets inserted in order to evaluate the resistance in a traction of devices in the anchorages inserted in the grouts, and in a third step, small walls were tested to analyze the behavior of anchorages in the bond of wall and column, in the real situation. / Mestre