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With the rise in hazards that structures are potentially subjected to these days, ranging from pre-contemplated terror attacks to accidental and natural disasters, safeguarding structures against such hazards has increasingly become a common design requirement. The extreme loading conditions associated with these hazards renders the concept of imposing generalized codes and standards guidelines for structural design unfeasible. Therefore, a general shift towards performance-based design is starting to dominate the structural design field. This study introduces a powerful structural analysis tool for reinforced concrete structures, possessing a high level of reliability in handling a wide range of typical and extreme loading conditions in a sophisticated structural framework. VecTor3, a finite element computer program previously developed at the University of Toronto for nonlinear analysis of three-dimensional reinforced concrete structures employing the well-established Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT), has been further developed to serve as the desired tool. VecTor3 is extended to include analysis capabilities for extreme loading conditions, advanced reinforced concrete mechanisms, and new material types. For extreme loading conditions, an advanced coupled heat and moisture transfer algorithm is implemented in VecTor3 for the analysis of reinforced concrete structures subjected to fire. This algorithm not only calculates the transient temperature through the depth of concrete members, but also calculates the elevated pore pressure in concrete, which enables the prediction of the occurrence of localized thermally-induced spalling. Dynamic loading conditions are also extended to include seismic loading, in addition to blast and impact loading. Advancing the mechanisms considered, VecTor3 is developed to include the Disturbed Stress Field Model (DSFM), dowel action and buckling of steel reinforcement bars, geometric nonlinearity effects, strain rate effects for dynamic loading conditions, and the deterioration of mechanical properties at elevated temperatures for fire loading conditions. Finally, the newly-developed Simplified Diverse Embedment Model (SDEM) is implemented in VecTor3 to add analysis capability for steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC). Various analyses covering a wide range of different structural members and loading conditions are carried out using VecTor3, showing good agreement with experimental results available in the literature. These analyses verify the reliability of the models, mechanisms, and algorithms incorporated in VecTor3.

With the rise in hazards that structures are potentially subjected to these days, ranging from pre-contemplated terror attacks to accidental and natural disasters, safeguarding structures against such hazards has increasingly become a common design requirement. The extreme loading conditions associated with these hazards renders the concept of imposing generalized codes and standards guidelines for structural design unfeasible. Therefore, a general shift towards performance-based design is starting to dominate the structural design field. This study introduces a powerful structural analysis tool for reinforced concrete structures, possessing a high level of reliability in handling a wide range of typical and extreme loading conditions in a sophisticated structural framework. VecTor3, a finite element computer program previously developed at the University of Toronto for nonlinear analysis of three-dimensional reinforced concrete structures employing the well-established Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT), has been further developed to serve as the desired tool. VecTor3 is extended to include analysis capabilities for extreme loading conditions, advanced reinforced concrete mechanisms, and new material types. For extreme loading conditions, an advanced coupled heat and moisture transfer algorithm is implemented in VecTor3 for the analysis of reinforced concrete structures subjected to fire. This algorithm not only calculates the transient temperature through the depth of concrete members, but also calculates the elevated pore pressure in concrete, which enables the prediction of the occurrence of localized thermally-induced spalling. Dynamic loading conditions are also extended to include seismic loading, in addition to blast and impact loading. Advancing the mechanisms considered, VecTor3 is developed to include the Disturbed Stress Field Model (DSFM), dowel action and buckling of steel reinforcement bars, geometric nonlinearity effects, strain rate effects for dynamic loading conditions, and the deterioration of mechanical properties at elevated temperatures for fire loading conditions. Finally, the newly-developed Simplified Diverse Embedment Model (SDEM) is implemented in VecTor3 to add analysis capability for steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC). Various analyses covering a wide range of different structural members and loading conditions are carried out using VecTor3, showing good agreement with experimental results available in the literature. These analyses verify the reliability of the models, mechanisms, and algorithms incorporated in VecTor3.

Although Voltage Varying (VV) strategies like Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) are widely used by utilities to reduce the overall energy consumption and peak power demand of distribution feeders, it is aberrant among industrial customers. This research proposes a Voltage Varying (VV) strategy for industrial customers that takes into account their complex characteristics and unique set of constraints. Unlike VV strategies for Local Distribution Companies (LDC), those for an industrial customers are far more complex, and require specific c load modelling and process estimation to infer the optimal operating voltage for the industrial load. The proposed VV technique referred to as Voltage Optimization (VO), is a generic and comprehensive framework that seeks to reduce the energy consumption of the industrial load vis-~a-vis the bus voltage. It utilizes a Neural Network (NN) model of the industrial load, trained using historical operating data, to estimate the real power consumption of the load, based on the bus voltage and overall plant process. This load model, is incorporated into the proposed VO model, whose objective is the minimization of the energy drawn from the substation and the switching operations of Load Tap Changers (LTC). The proposed VO framework is tested on load models developed using simulated and real data. Results suggest that the proposed technique can be successfully implemented by industrial customers or plant operators to improve their energy savings, in comparison to existing VV techniques.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2006. / "August, 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-45). Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2006]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, March, 2001. / Title from PDF t.p.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2004. / "November 2004" Bibliography: p.167-179.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2005.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2007.