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<p>This study examined the effects of self-controlled and performance-based feedback schedules on the acquisition and retention of a novel motor task. In Experiment 1 participants performed an interception task on a computer using a mouse-controlled cursor. The goal of the task was to intercept the image of a red circle as it passed through a designated area. Each trial received a score based on the speed and accuracy of the interception movement. Participants were randomly assigned to three feedback groups: Best-trial feedback, Worst-trial feedback, and Self-controlled feedback. No differences were found between groups in acquisition, however analysis of no-feedback retention and transfer tests indicated that the Worst-trial group showed the most significant improvements in performance. Experiment 2 examined the potential mechanisms contributing to the advantages of a worst-trial feedback schedule. Participants in the second experiment performed the same interception task utilized in Experiment 1 under two novel feedback conditions: Estimation feedback and Immediate feedback. These new groups were compared to the Worst-trial group from Experiment 1. Analysis of no-feedback retention and transfer tests again indicated that the Worst-trial group showed the most significant improvements in performance. These results suggest that self-controlled schedules may not be ideal when feedback is based on performance; instead, specific error information for the least successful trials appear to be most beneficial, especially when individuals have knowledge of results regarding previous attempts at the task.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Early design is the most critical stage to improve the resiliency and sustainability of buildings. An unaided early design follows the designer's accustomed domain of knowledge and cognitive biases. Given the inherent limitations of human decision-making, such a design process will only explore a small set of alternatives using limited criteria, and most likely, miss high-performing alternatives. Performance-based engineering (PBE) is a probabilistic approach to quantify buildings performance against natural hazards in terms of decision metrics such as repair cost and functionality loss. Therefore, PBE can remarkably improve early design by informing the designer regarding the possible consequences of different decisions. Incorporating PBE in early design is obstructed by several challenges such as time- and effort-intensiveness of performing rigorous PBE assessments, a specific skillset that might not be available, and accrual of aleatoric (associated with innate randomness of physical systems properties and surrounding environment conditions) and epistemic (associated with the incomplete state of knowledge) uncertainties. In addition, a successful early design requires exploring a large number of alternatives, which, when compounded by PBE assessments, will significantly exhaust computational resources and pressure the project timeline. This dissertation proposes a framework to integrate prior knowledge and PBE assessments in early design. The primary workflow in the proposed framework develops a performance inventory to train statistical surrogate models using supervised learning algorithms. This performance inventory comprises PBE assessments consistent with building taxonomy and site, and is supported by a knowledge-based module. The knowledge-based module organizes prior published PBE assessments as a relational database to supplement the performance inventory and aid early design exploration through knowledge-based surrogate models. Lastly, the developed knowledge-based and data-driven surrogate models are implemented in a sequential design exploration scheme to estimate the performance range for a given topology and building system. The proposed framework is then applied for mid-rise concrete office buildings in Charleston, South Carolina, where seismic vulnerability and environmental performance are linked to topology and design parameters. / Doctor of Philosophy / Recent advances in structural engineering aspire to achieve higher societal objectives than focusing solely on safety. Two main current objectives are resiliency (i.e., the built environment's ability to rapidly and equitably recover after an external shock, among other definitions) and sustainability (i.e., the ability to meet current needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs, among other definitions). Therefore, holistic design approaches are needed that can include and explicitly evaluate these objectives at different steps, particularly the earlier stages. The importance of earlier stages stems from the higher freedom to make critical decisions – such as material and building system selection – without incurring higher costs and effort on the designer. Performance-based engineering (PBE) is a quantitative approach to calculating the impact of natural hazards on the built environment. The calculated impacts from PBE can then be communicated through a more easily understood language such as monetary values. However, several challenges should be first addressed to apply PBE in early design. First, PBE assessments are time- and effort-intensive and require expertise that might not be available to the designer. Second, a typical early design exploration evaluates many alternatives, significantly increasing the already high computational and time cost. Third, PBE requires detailed design and building information which is not available at the preliminary stages. This lack of knowledge is coupled with additional uncertainties due to the random nature of natural hazards and building system characteristics (e.g., material strength or other mechanical properties). This dissertation proposes a framework to incorporate PBE in early design, and tests it for concrete mid-rise offices in Charleston, South Carolina. The centerpiece of this framework is to use data-driven modeling to learn directly from assessments. The data-driven modeling treats PBE as a pre-configured data inventory and develops statistical surrogate models (i.e., simplified mathematical models). These models can then relate early design parameters to building seismic and environmental performance. The inventory is also supported by prior knowledge, structured as a database of published literature on PBE assessments. Lastly, the knowledge-based and data-driven models are applied in a specific order to narrow the performance range for given building layout and system.

Liquefaction induced settlement is an earthquake hazard engineers face when developing infrastructure. Current methods for estimating liquefaction induced settlement are done in a free field condition. This assumption is not an accurate way to describe the soil because in most cases the soil will bear some kind of infrastructure. Evaluation of liquefaction induced settlement in a non-free-field condition is a more appropriate way. Using the Bullock et al. CAV model, Bullock et al liquefaction induced settlement model, and probabilistic seismic hazard software from the USGS, a full performance-based procedure for the estimation of liquefaction-induced building settlement in the non-free-field condition was created. To test the validity of the program, various locations, structures, and soil profiles were tested. The output of settlement hazard curves showed results consistent to liquefaction induced settlement trends described in other research. Areas with higher seismicity had higher expected liquefaction induced settlement. Analysis of individual location revealed that soil profile, structure, and foundation all play a role in the estimation of liquefaction induced settlement. Test cases with loose soil predicted higher liquefaction induced settlement than areas with dense soils. Structure and foundation parameters are related through the bearing pressure. These parameters seem to be most influenced by bearing pressure. Test cases with higher bearing pressures showed a higher predicted liquefaction induced settlement than those with smaller bearing pressures.

Das seitliche Kraftwiderstandssystem, in diesem Fall Stahlbetonkernwände eines 10-stöckigen Gebäudes, das aus Schwerkraftstützen und Scherwänden besteht, wurde linear (unter der Annahme eines linearen elastischen Materialverhaltens von Beton) und nichtlinear gerissen (unter Berücksichtigung des Materialverhaltens von Beton) unter seismische Belastung analysiert. Erst wurde die grundlegenden Methode der äquivalenten Seitenkraft zur Schätzung der seismischen Belastungen benutzt, später wurde die aktuelle Methode The Performance Based Seismic Design verwendet, bei der reale seismische Aufzeichnungen verwendet werden und die Beschleunigungen mithilfe der Software ETABS auf das Gebäude angewendet werden. Nach dem Anwenden der Beschleunigungen wurden die maximal resultierenden Kräfte und Verformungen bewertet. Das Gebäude wurde dann für die maximal resultierenden Kräfte ausgelegt.Der Inhalt des Hauptberichts ist: - Allgemeine Beschreibung des Gebäudes, seismische Standortinformationen, Standortantwortspektren, Belastung und seismische Kräfte einschließlich Analyse des modalen Antwortspektrums. - Lineares Design des Modells für Schwerkraft und seismische Belastungen, P-M-Wechselwirkungsdiagramme für den U-Querschnitt aus Stahlbeton, Entwurf einer Längs- und Schubbewehrung der Scherwände und des Koppelbalkens. - Zwei Varianten des nichtlinearen Modells, bei denen die Kernwand (Scherwände) gemäß jeder Variante entworfen wird, wobei der Einfluss des Dämpfungsmodells auf das nichtlineare dynamische Verhalten sowie der Einfluss des Kopplungsstrahlmodells auf das nichtlineare dynamische Verhalten untersucht werden. - Entwurfsüberprüfung, erst mit der Definition der Leistungsobjekte und Modell für die Zeitverlaufsanalyse. Es wurden zwei Leistungsziele untersucht: Vollbetriebs- und Lebenssicherheitsprüfungen. - In zwei Fällen wurde eine zusätzliche Studie zur Reaktion von nicht strukturellen Elementen aufgrund seismischer Belastung durchgeführt: Überprüfung des Vollbetriebs und der Lebenssicherheit. - Die Durchsetzungszeichnungen wurden fertiggestellt und dem Bericht beigefügt. Schlussfolgerung und Empfehlungen waren am Ende des Berichts. Dies ist wichtig für die Gesellschaft, da die verwendete Methode für die seismische Planung jedes Gebäudes verwendet werden kann. Es könnte ein Holzbau oder ein Mauerwerk sein. Die Gestaltung eines Mauerwerksgehäuses wird Gegenstand eines zukünftigen Forschungsprojekts sein. Allgemeine Ziele: Lineare und nichtlineare seismische Bemessung von Stahlbetongebäuden unter Verwendung der 'seismischen Bemessung der Leistungsgrundlagen:Acknowledgement 4 PART I: General Information, Site and Loading 5 1. General Information About the Building 5 1.1. Specified Material Properties: 6 1.2. Site Information: 6 1.3. Geometry (Figure I.1): 7 2. Site Seismicity and Design Coefficients 7 2.1. USGS Results 7 2.2. Site Response Spectra 8 2.3. Design Coefficients And Factors For Seismic Force-Resisting Systems 8 3. Loading 9 3.1. Determination Of Seismic Forces 9 3.2. Modal Response Spectrum Analysis 9 3.3. Seismic Load Effects And Combinations 11 PART II: Core Wall Design - Linear Model 12 4. Model of ETABS 12 4.1. Geometry 12 4.2. Gravity Loads 13 4.3. Seismic Loads 15 4.4. Tabulated Selected Results From ETABS Analysis 16 5. P-M Interaction Diagrams 17 5.1. N-S Direction 17 5.2. E-W Direction 19 6. Lateral Force Resisting System, Linear 20 6.1. Longitudinal Reinforcement 20 6.2. Shear Reinforcement 22 6.3. Boundary Elements 24 6.3.1. Transverse Reinforcement Of Boundary Elements 26 6.4. Coupling Beams 27 7. Detailing 30 PART III: Site Response Spectra and Input Ground Motions 31 8. Performance Levels 31 8.1. ASCE 7-16 Target Spectra 31 8.2. Site Response Spectra 34 8.2.1. Ground Motion Conditioning 34 8.2.2. Amplitude Scaling 37 8.2.3. Pseudo Acceleration and Displacement Response Spectra 38 PART IV: Non-Linear Model 40 9. Variant 1 of Non-Linear Model 40 9.1. Complete Core Wall Design for Combined Axial-Flexure 40 9.2. Modal Analysis 43 9.3. Influence of the Damping Model on the Nonlinear Dynamic Response 49 10. Variant 2 of Non-Linear Model 57 10.1. Influence of the Coupling Beam Model on the Nonlinear Dynamic Response 57 10.2. Estimated Roof Displacement 68 PART V: Design Verification 70 11. General 70 11.1. Performance Objectives 70 11.2. Model For Time-History Analyses 71 11.3. Performance Level Verification 71 11.4. Fully Operational Performance Level Verification 71 11.5. Life Safety Performance Level Verification 78 PART VI: Capacity Design of Force Controlled Elements and Regions and Design of Acceleration-Sensitive Nonstructural Elements 87 12. General 87 12.1. Design Verification 87 12.1.1. Full Occupancy Case 87 12.1.2. Life Safety Case 91 12.1.3. Observations on Plots 93 12.2. Acceleration response spectra at roof level 94 12.2.1. Observations on Plots 95 12.3. Core Wall 97 12.4. Design Detail Comparison 103 12.5. Detailed Drawing 103 12.6. Diaphragm 104 12.7. Fire Sprinkler System 117 12.8. Overhanging Projector 119 PART VII: Conclusion 122 / Lateral Force Resisting System, in this case reinforced concrete core walls of a 10 story building consists of gravity columns and shear walls, has been analyzed in linear (assuming linear elastic material behavior of concrete) and nonlinear cracked (considering plastic material behavior of concrete) case, for seismic loading. Starting with the basic method of equivalent lateral force to estimate the seismic loads, then using the up to date method, The Performance Based Seismic Design, which uses real seismic records and apply the accelerations on the building using the software ETABS. After applying the accelerations, maximum resulted forces and deformations have been evaluated. The building then have been designed for the maximum resulted forces. The contents of the main report are: - General description of the building, site seismic information, site response spectra, loading and seismic forces including modal response spectrum analysis. - Linear design of the model for gravity and seismic loads, P-M interaction diagrams developed for U cross section from reinforced concrete, designing longitudinal and shear reinforcement of the shear walls and coupling beam. - Two variants of Nonlinear model, designing the core wall (shear walls) according to each variant, studying the influence of damping model on the nonlinear dynamic response, as well as the influence of the coupling beam model on the nonlinear dynamic response. - Design verification, starting with defining the performance objects, and model for time history analysis. Two performance objectives have been studied: Fully operational and Life safety level verifications. - Additional study was performed for the response of non-structural elements due to seismic loading in two cases: Fully operational and Life safety level verifications. - Reinforcement Drawings have been finalized and attached to the report. - Conclusion and recommendations was at the end of the report. It is important for the society, because the used method could be used for the seismic design of any building. It could be wood building or masonry building. Designing a masonry building case will be the subject of future research project. Overall objectives: Linear and Nonlinear seismic design of reinforced concrete building using the performance bases seismic design.:Acknowledgement 4 PART I: General Information, Site and Loading 5 1. General Information About the Building 5 1.1. Specified Material Properties: 6 1.2. Site Information: 6 1.3. Geometry (Figure I.1): 7 2. Site Seismicity and Design Coefficients 7 2.1. USGS Results 7 2.2. Site Response Spectra 8 2.3. Design Coefficients And Factors For Seismic Force-Resisting Systems 8 3. Loading 9 3.1. Determination Of Seismic Forces 9 3.2. Modal Response Spectrum Analysis 9 3.3. Seismic Load Effects And Combinations 11 PART II: Core Wall Design - Linear Model 12 4. Model of ETABS 12 4.1. Geometry 12 4.2. Gravity Loads 13 4.3. Seismic Loads 15 4.4. Tabulated Selected Results From ETABS Analysis 16 5. P-M Interaction Diagrams 17 5.1. N-S Direction 17 5.2. E-W Direction 19 6. Lateral Force Resisting System, Linear 20 6.1. Longitudinal Reinforcement 20 6.2. Shear Reinforcement 22 6.3. Boundary Elements 24 6.3.1. Transverse Reinforcement Of Boundary Elements 26 6.4. Coupling Beams 27 7. Detailing 30 PART III: Site Response Spectra and Input Ground Motions 31 8. Performance Levels 31 8.1. ASCE 7-16 Target Spectra 31 8.2. Site Response Spectra 34 8.2.1. Ground Motion Conditioning 34 8.2.2. Amplitude Scaling 37 8.2.3. Pseudo Acceleration and Displacement Response Spectra 38 PART IV: Non-Linear Model 40 9. Variant 1 of Non-Linear Model 40 9.1. Complete Core Wall Design for Combined Axial-Flexure 40 9.2. Modal Analysis 43 9.3. Influence of the Damping Model on the Nonlinear Dynamic Response 49 10. Variant 2 of Non-Linear Model 57 10.1. Influence of the Coupling Beam Model on the Nonlinear Dynamic Response 57 10.2. Estimated Roof Displacement 68 PART V: Design Verification 70 11. General 70 11.1. Performance Objectives 70 11.2. Model For Time-History Analyses 71 11.3. Performance Level Verification 71 11.4. Fully Operational Performance Level Verification 71 11.5. Life Safety Performance Level Verification 78 PART VI: Capacity Design of Force Controlled Elements and Regions and Design of Acceleration-Sensitive Nonstructural Elements 87 12. General 87 12.1. Design Verification 87 12.1.1. Full Occupancy Case 87 12.1.2. Life Safety Case 91 12.1.3. Observations on Plots 93 12.2. Acceleration response spectra at roof level 94 12.2.1. Observations on Plots 95 12.3. Core Wall 97 12.4. Design Detail Comparison 103 12.5. Detailed Drawing 103 12.6. Diaphragm 104 12.7. Fire Sprinkler System 117 12.8. Overhanging Projector 119 PART VII: Conclusion 122

Transportation planning has become increasingly more performance-based over the past several decades. In part due the mandate from the 2012 Federal Surface Transportation Program authorization, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), agencies are adopting performance-based policies and programmatic frameworks to integrate the attainment of national goals into the transportation planning and decision making process. As agencies implement performance-driven decision making as a means to achieve national goals, local goals will become subject to the same framework. Although equity is not a national goal, transportation agencies continue to recognize it within their vision and planning goals. However, it is difficult to determine what constitutes equity, and to quantify and measure it. To plan for equitable outcomes in transportation therefore, it is necessary to develop evaluation methods that support the integration of equity in planning processes. The objectives of this research are to develop recommendations for procedures to formally incorporate equity considerations in transportation planning and program evaluation and to propose methodological revisions to existing analytical processes to enable evaluation of cumulative accessibility outcomes. A literature review -- drawing from the theories of equity, Federal regulations for addressing equity in transportation, performance management, and transportation and sustainability -- and practitioner interviews were used to gather information on the common and effective practices for addressing equity in transportation planning at the regional level. This information was an input in the development of a quantitative research approach to explore methodological limitations and planning gaps related to transportation planning for equitable outcomes. These results informed the development of a comprehensive approach to analyze and characterize cumulative impacts (i.e. accessibility) regionally. The approach is used to develop recommendations for regional transportation planning to influence equitable transportation outcomes for the full range of demographic groups over time. The research contributes to the knowledge base and professional practice of transportation planning by putting forward a construction for approaching equity in transportation planning and decision making based on equity theory, developing analytical methods to evaluate transportation investments for equitable outcomes, and offering a set of recommendations for moving transportation planning practices towards transportation planning for equitable outcomes.

<p>Rekrytering är en viktig komponent för alla organisationer oavsett om det handlar om ett företag, ett fotbollslag, en sekt eller dylikt. Det är i grund och botten rekrytering som skapar en organisation. Ledare är viktiga personer för ett företag, det är de som sammanfogar de anställda, driver företaget framåt och utgör stommen i en organisation. Vi har valt att sammanfoga dessa två genom att undersöka hur företag rekryterar ledare genom platsannonser; dess utformning och hur de har utvecklats över de senaste tio åren. Utifrån befintlig rekryteringsteori har vi, för att underlätta en kvantifiering av platsannonserna, utformat en analysmodell som kategoriserar den teoretiska utvecklingen i tre olika generationer. Generation ett syftar bakåt i tiden och letar efter färdigheter och erfarenheter, annonser som faller under generation två fokuserar mer på relevanta personliga egenskaper medan generation tre blickar framåt och ser vad personen i fråga kan uträtta. I en kvantitativ analys av platsannonser i Dagens Nyheter fann vi först och främst att vår kategorisering var relevant. Vi fann vidare att utvecklingen tenderar att följa vår indelning, från generation ett, mot generation två till generation tre som dock ännu inte fått något större genomslag. Internetboomen i samhället har öppnat upp för en stor del annonser som i princip endast länkar till företagens hemsida.</p>

Performance-based fire engineering design is becoming a more common practice for fire safety design of large complex buildings and modifying existing buildings. However, different engineering assumptions and ambiguous acceptance criteria not only lead to inconsistent level of safety, but also cause inefficient Building Consent process and can result in expensive appeals. In August 2006 the New Zealand Department of Building and Housing (DBH) has been developing a Verification Method (C/VM2) for demonstrating compliance with the Fire Safety requirements of the New Zealand Building Code (C Clauses). This research evaluated the proposed C/VM2 on four complex buildings, including Multi-level Night Club, Hospital, Shopping Mall and Retail Warehouse. It has showed that the C/VM2 successfully implements a systematic and less ambiguous guidance for the future performance-based fire safety designs. However, continued analysis and development is necessary that a solely deterministic method may not be the best solution. A risk-based concept is suggested to be incorporated into the new generation of the C/VM2.

Post-tensioned timber buildings utilise a new construction technique developed largely as part of research undertaken at the University of Canterbury. Timber buildings are constructed using an engineered timber product, such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), and then stressed with post-tensioned unbonded high-strength steel tendons. The tendons apply a compressive stress to timber members to create a ductile moment resisting connection between adjacent timber members. The major benefit of post-tensioned timber buildings is a significantly improved structural performance. As timber is a combustible material there is a perceived high fire risk in timber buildings. While timber buildings can be designed to perform very well in fire, a design guide for the fire safety design of post-tensioned timber buildings has not been previously developed. Furthermore, previous research has found that post-tensioned timber box beams may be susceptible to shear failure in fire conditions. This research investigated the fire performance of post-tensioned timber buildings. A design strategy for the fire performance of post-tensioned timber buildings was developed in conjunction with a simplified calculation method for determining the fire resistance of post-tensioned timber structural members. The fire performance and failure behaviour of post-tensioned timber box beam was also specifically investigated, with special focus given to the shear performance of box beams. A full scale furnace test of a LVL post-tensioned LVL box beam was conducted at the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ). Four further full scale tests of LVL box beams were conducted at ambient temperature at the University of Canterbury structural laboratory. Through this research two distinct strategies for the fire design of post-tensioned timber structures were developed. The first strategy is to rely on the residual timber of the members only. The second strategy considers specific fire protection of the post-tensioning system, which can then be used to contribute to the fire resistance of the member. The results of the full scale tests showed good agreement with the proposed the simplified calculation method. It was also determined that shear failure does not need to be specifically considered other than performing strength checks as for other design actions.

The elderly population is estimated to increase worldwide. One of the major health determinants identified in this population are injuries where one of the most prevalent causes are falls. The overall aim of this thesis was to describe and explore visual impairment and falls of inpatients and independently living elderly in the community and how daily life activities were influenced by visual ability and risk of falling. Methods in the studies were a quantitative retrospective descriptive design for study I followed by two quantitative retrospective and explorative studies where in study II perceived vision related quality of life and in study III performance-based visual ability were investigated. Study IV was a qualitative explorative study using classic grounded theory. In study I all falls of inpatients at a medical clinic 65 years and older (n=68) were registered during one year. In study II and III a random sample (n=212) of independently living elderly between 70 and 85 years of age participated in both studies. In study IV seven women and six men between 73 and 85 years of age from the two previous studies and six visual instructors (n=19) participated. The data in study I was collected during 2004, study II and III between February 2009 to March 2010 and study IV December 2009 to January 2013. The results in study I showed that most falls in five hospital wards occurred at night and those most affected had an established visual impairment. Almost half the population in study II and III fell at least once. Perceived vision when performing daily life activities showed a positive association between visual impairment and falls in men but not in women (II). No associations were found between performance-based measured visual ability and falls (III). Visually impaired elderly did not consider risk of falling as a problem (􀀪􀀷). Their main concern is to remain themselves as who they used to be which is managed by self- preservation while maintaining their residual selves and resisting self decay. Maintaining residual self is done by living in the past mostly driven by inertia while resisting self decay is a proactive and purposeful driven strategy. It is a complex issue to do fall risk assessments and planning fall preventive action where the individual’s entire life situation has to be taken into consideration.