bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of 55Mn(n,γ)56Mn reaction cross-section at the neutron energies of 1.12, 2.12, 3.12 and 4.12 MeV
Authors: Vansola Vibha , Mukherjee Surjit , Naik Haladhara , Suryanarayana Saraswatula Venkata , Ghosh Reetuparna , Badwar Sylvia , Lawriniang Bioletty Mary , Sheela Yerraguntla Santhi
Published: July 2016

The 55Mn(n,γ)56Mn reaction cross-sections at the neutron energies of 1.12, 2.12, 3.12 and 4.12 MeV were determined by using activation and off-line γ-ray spectrometric technique. The neutron energies of 1.12 and 2.12 MeV were generated from the 7Li(p,n) reaction by using the proton energies of 3 and 4 MeV from the folded tandem ion beam accelerator (FOTIA) at BARC. For the neutron energies of 3.12 and 4.12 MeV, the proton energies used were 5 and 6 MeV from the Pelletron facility at TIFR, Mumbai. The 115In(n,γ)116mIn reaction cross-section was used as the neutron flux monitor. The 55Mn(n,γ)56Mn reaction cross-section at the neutron energies of 4.12 MeV are reported for the first time, whereas at 1.12, 2.12 and 3.12 MeV, they are in between the literature data. The 55Mn(n,γ)56Mn reaction cross-section was also calculated theoretically by using the computer code TALYS 1.6 and EMPIRE 3.2.2. The experimental data of present work are found to be in between the theoretical values of TALYS and EMPIRE.
Love, Sex and the Gods: Why things have divine names in Empedocles’ poem, and why they come in pairs
Authors: Rowett Catherine
Published: July 2016

When Empedocles uses a divine name for one of the items in his ontology, does this serve merely
On Systematicity. How to Write (Ancient Greek) Science
Authors: Asper Markus
Published: July 2016

This article asks what it takes to make the treatment of a given topic and thus a scientific or scholarly text ‘systematic’. After some remarks upon systems theory, the paper illustrates systematicity, the quality of being systematic, by readings of the Hippocratic
Zu den memphitischen Grabreliefs in der Sammlung des Ägyptischen Museums – Georg Steindorff – der Universität Leipzig
Authors: Herzberg Anne
Published: July 2016

Durch erste archäologische Unternehmungen sowie zahllose Raubgrabungen sind bereits im frühen 19. Jahrhundert zahlreiche Bauteile und eine Vielzahl unterschiedlichster Grabbeigaben ursprünglich memphitischer Herkunft in verschiedene Museen und Sammlungen auf der ganzen Welt gelangt. Die Aufarbeitung der dort deponierten und teilweise kontextlosen Objekte weist einen übergeordneten Stellenwert für die Erstellung einer regionalen Prosopographie des Neuen Reiches auf, da Grabbesitzer auf diese Weise auch unabhängig von der archäologischen Wiederauffindung ihrer Grabanlage identifiziert und prosopographisch kontextualisiert werden können. Die im Folgenden vorgestellten Objekte gehören zur Sammlung des Ägyptischen Museums – Georg Steindorff – der Universität Leipzig und wurden nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg von Georg Steindorff im ägyptischen Antikenhandel erworben. Die Untersuchung der vier Leipziger Reliefblöcke nach prosopographischen und ikonographisch-stilistischen Gesichtspunkten soll sowohl zur Klärung ihrer ursprünglich memphitischen Provenienz beitragen als auch eine Verortung der Grabbesitzer innerhalb des lokalen Gesellschaftsgefüges ermöglichen.
Once More Unto the Breach
Authors: Wernick Nicholas
Published: July 2016

Recently, Susan Cohen composed an article entitled, “Interpretative Uses and Abuses of the Beni Hasan Tomb Painting” (JNES 74–1 (2015):19–38), in which she re-evaluated scholars’ claims derived from the famous depiction of Asiatic foreigners arriving in the Oryx Nome. Cohen persuasively argued that, although this depiction can be informative, we should be wary of constructing elaborate conclusions as it appears that there is an inherent temptation to over-emphasize this scene’s importance in reconstructing pharaonic history. In a similar vein, academics have misconstrued the siege practices involving battering ram technology and the purpose of a glacis from three tombs at Beni Hasan (Baqt (BH15), Khety (BH17), and Amenemhat (BH2)). Generally, Egyptologists and ancient Near Eastern scholars have long applied the Beni Hasan siege scenes as an example of the first Egyptian representational evidence of the battering ram. However, there have been virtually no attempts to place the Beni Hasan siege device into its Egyptian and ancient Near Eastern context. A comprehensive examination of textual and archaeological information regarding battering rams will be conducted herein to re-evaluate the siege scenes of Beni Hasan. From this, we can carefully assess if the scenes suggest the proliferation of battering-ram technology used by the pharaonic military. After discussing the Beni Hasan battering ram, we will also re-examine the sloped sides of the fortress representations misidentified by many as a “glacis” and deduced that this architecture feature was specifically designed to counter battering ram deployment.
Generalized Klein-Gordon and Dirac Equations from Nonlocal Kinetic Approach
Authors: El-Nabulsi Rami Ahmad
Published: July 2016

In this note, I generalized the Klein-Gordon and the Dirac equations by using Suykens’s nonlocal-in-time kinetic energy approach, which is motivated from Feynman’s kinetic energy functional formalism where the position differences are shifted with respect to one another. I proved that these generalized equations are similar to those obtained in literature in the presence of minimal length based on the Quesne-Tkachuk algebra.
Synthesis and characterization of the lead borate Pb6B12O21(OH)6
Authors: Schönegger Sandra , Ortner Teresa S. , Wurst Klaus , Heymann Gunter , Huppertz Hubert
Published: July 2016

A lead borate with the composition Pb6B12O21(OH)6 was synthesized through a hydrothermal synthesis, using lead metaborate in combination with sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. The compound crystallizes in the trigonal, non-centrosymmetric space group P32 (no. 145) with the lattice parameters a = 1176.0(4), c = 1333.0(4) pm, and V = 0.1596(2) nm3. Interestingly, the data of Pb6B12O21(OH)6 correct the structure of a literature known lead borate with the composition “Pb6B11O18(OH)9”. For the latter compound, nearly identical lattice parameters of a = 1176.91(7) and c = 1333.62(12) pm were reported, possessing a crystal structure, in which the localization and refinement of one boron atom was obviously overlooked. The structure of Pb6B12O21(OH)6 is built up from trigonal planar BO3 and tetrahedral BO4 groups forming complex chains. The Pb2+ cations are located between neighboring polyborate chains. The here reported compound Pb6B12O21(OH)6 and “Pb6B11O18(OH)9” were, however, produced under different synthesis conditions. While “Pb6B11O18(OH)9” was synthesized via a hydrothermal synthesis including ethylenediamine and acetic acid, the here reported lead borate Pb6B12O21(OH)6 could be obtained under moderate hydrothermal conditions (240°C) without the addition of organic reagents.
La publicidad de Youtube en los contenidos infantiles / A advertising in the cartoons in youtube
Authors: Pellicer Jordá María Teresa
Published: July 2016

En muchas ocasiones, hasta que uno no tiene hijos, no se detiene a analizar los contenidos que ven los niños en los distintos medios de comunicación que están a su alcance. Estos son básicamente la televisión e Internet. En la televisión hay canales temáticos dirigidos a niños que permiten a los padres tenerlos distraídos un rato. En Internet también podemos encontrar muchas web con dibujos animados. Algunas de ellas son de las propias televisiones, pero hay otras, como Youtube, en las que podemos encontrar todos los dibujos animados y contenidos infantiles que queramos. La cuestión es que en Youtube, los niños no sólo ven los dibujos animados o similares, sino que también ven publicidad, insertada en ellos. Eso es lo que vamos a analizar a lo largo de este artículo.
APP Overexpression Causes Aβ-Independent Neuronal Death through Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway
Authors: Cheng Ning , Jiao Song , Gumaste Ankita , Bai Li , Belluscio Leonardo
Published: July 2016

Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in the brain is a central hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is thought to be the cause of the observed neurodegeneration. Many animal models have been generated that overproduce Aβ yet do not exhibit clear neuronal loss, questioning this Aβ hypothesis. We previously developed anin vivomouse model that expresses a humanized amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) showing robust apoptosis and olfactory dysfunction by 3 weeks of age, which is consistent with early OSN loss and smell deficits, as observed in AD patients. Here we show, by deleting the β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) in two distinct transgenic mouse models, that hAPP-induced apoptosis of OSNs is Aβ independent and remains cell autonomous. In addition, we reveal that the intrinsic apoptosis pathway is responsible for hAPP-induced OSN death, as marked by mitochondrial damage and caspase-9 activation. Given that hAPP expression causes OSN apoptosis despite the absence of BACE1, we propose that Aβ is not the sole cause of hAPP-induced neurodegeneration and that the early loss of olfactory function in AD may be based on a cell-autonomous mechanism, which could mark an early phase of AD, prior to Aβ accumulation. Thus, the olfactory system could serve as an important new platform to study the development of AD, providing unique insight for both early diagnosis and intervention.
GPR88 in A2AR Neurons Enhances Anxiety-Like Behaviors
Authors: Meirsman Aura Carole , Robé Anne , de Kerchove d’Exaerde Alban , Kieffer Brigitte Lina
Published: July 2016

GPR88 is an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor highly expressed in striatal dopamine D1(receptor) R- and D2R-expressing medium spiny neurons. This receptor is involved in activity and motor responses, and we previously showed that this receptor also regulates anxiety-like behaviors. To determine whether GPR88 in D2R-expressing neurons contributes to this emotional phenotype, we generated conditionalGpr88knock-out mice using adenosine A2AR (A2AR)-Cre-driven recombination, and compared anxiety-related responses in both total andA2AR-Gpr88KO mice.A2AR-Gpr88KO mice showed a selective reduction ofGpr88mRNA in D2R-expressing, but not D1R-expressing, neurons. These mutant mice showed increased locomotor activity and decreased anxiety-like behaviors in light/dark and elevated plus maze tests. These phenotypes were superimposable on those observed in totalGpr88KO mice, demonstrating that the previously reported anxiogenic activity of GPR88 operates at the level of A2AR-expressing neurons. Further,A2AR-Gpr88KO mice showed no change in novelty preference and novelty-suppressed feeding, while these responses were increased and decreased, respectively, in the totalGpr88KO mice. Also,A2AR-Gpr88KO mice showed intact fear conditioning, while the fear responses were decreased in totalGpr88KO. We therefore also show for the first time that GPR88 activity regulates approach behaviors and conditional fear; however, these behaviors do not seem mediated by receptors in A2AR neurons. We conclude thatGpr88expressed in A2AR neurons enhances ethological anxiety-like behaviors without affecting conflict anxiety and fear responses.
Effect of Niobium on the Microstructure of High Chromium White Cast Iron
Authors: Oliveira Cláudio. G. , Pinheiro Ivete.P.
Published: July 2016

Equipment wear is caused by the disintegration of material due to the contact between the machines components and the ore, resulting in stress to the surface of the material. Wear causes loss of efficiency, vibration, misalignment and, in severe cases, cracks that may lead to fracture and damage to the equipment. In mining, wear is caused by operational problems in which generate high costs. Some researchers studied white cast iron alloys with high chromium and the addition of niobium for wear plates manufacturing and therefore, plates to protect structural parts of the equipment have been developed. This study presents the characterization of the microstructure of two alloys of white cast iron with high chromium containing 3.8 wt.% C and 27.1 wt.% Cr and the addition of 0.9 wt.% Nb (alloy 1) and 1.6 wt.% Nb (alloy 2), respectively. Samples of the two alloys were subjected to metallographic tests, microhardness and abrasion type rubber wheel tests, according to the ASTM: G65-91 standard. Complexes carbides have been identified in both alloys. The results of microhardness and wear resistance tests were correlated and identified the effect of niobium addition. The findings suggest that the addition of niobium in these alloys contributes to the formation of NbC and increase of Cr in the matrix; consequently increase in the hardenability of the material. The wear resistance of alloy 2 was 47.95% higher than alloy 1 in abrasion type rubber wheel tests. It demonstrates that the increase of niobium in the alloy has contributed to improve wear resistance due to the substantial change in the microstructure and distribution of NbC carbides.
Preparation and characterization of UV-cured epoxy/clay nanocomposite coatings on carbon steel
Authors: Varela Caselis Jenaro L. , Sánchez Marco Morales , Galicia Aguilar José A. , Rosas Efraín Rubio
Published: July 2016

Polymer-clay nanocomposites are compounds in which nanoclay particles are distributed in a polymer matrix. Epoxy-clay nanocomposites have become a very interesting topic among researchers in the past two decades because nanoclays have a positive effect on the mechanical, thermal and especially barrier anticorrosive performance of the polymers. In this study, epoxy-montmorillonite organoclay (OMMT) nanocomposite coatings were prepared and deposited on carbon steel substrates. The coatings were prepared through in situ polymerization and by UV-curing technique. The OMMT was added to epoxy resin at loadings between 0 wt.% and 5 wt.%, the particles of OMMT were dispersed using forced agitation-sonication and deposited on carbon steel coupons. The nanocomposite coatings obtained have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), spectroscopy Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and evaluated their corrosion protection effect on cold rolled carbon steel coupons by performing visual analysis. The X-ray analysis showed that exfoliation occurred for the OMMT in the polymer matrix, the SEM analysis showed that OMMT was homogenous dispersed in the polymer matrix and the coatings were uniform. The FTIR analysis showed the characteristic bands of epoxy resin and OMMT in the composite. The results showed that 1 wt.% OMMT coating exhibit better anticorrosive properties than pure epoxy.
Jason Toynbee, Catherine Tackley and Mark Doffman, eds. 2014. Black British Jazz: Routes, Ownership and Performance
Authors: Davies Lawrence
Published: July 2016

Jason Toynbee, Catherine Tackley and Mark Doffman, eds. 2014. Black British Jazz: Routes, Ownership and Performance. Farnham: Ashgate. 244pp. ISBN 978-1-4724-1756-5 (hbk)
Thomas R. Hilder. 2014. Sámi Musical Performance and the Politics of Indigeneity in Northern Europe
Authors: Arvidsson Alf
Published: July 2016

Thomas R. Hilder. 2014. Sámi Musical Performance and the Politics of Indigeneity in Northern Europe. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 262pp. ISBN 978-0-8108-8895-1 (hbk)
Not Just Boys and Rock ’n’ Roll
Authors: Giuffre Liz
Published: July 2016

Histories of early Australian music television, like histories of early music television from around the world, tend to focus on performances by young men and the development of rock 'n' roll. This article seeks to add to these histories by drawing attention to the women who participated in these music television programmes during the formative years of the genre in Australia. Unfortunately there is very little remaining footage of the actual programmes left, so the "rediscovery" offered here is based on the written archives and photographs that remain from the production files of the 1950s television programme Six O'Clock Rock. However, even remaining publicity photos for the programme can reveal how much women were involved with the show as performers and presenters, and the inclusion of a wider variety of musical styles and collaborations than historical accounts have suggested. The visual styling of these women and their promotion in women's magazines suggests they were used to bring a more domestic audience to the programme, indicating an important place for women in the early audience for rock 'n' roll in Australia. The presence of these women in 1950s and 60s Australian television suggests that this was a time that was more diverse than contemporary audiences and producers may otherwise remember.
VARIATION OF WATER QUALITY IN NHA TRANG BAY
Authors: Thu Phan Minh , Hieu Nguyen Trinh Duc , Thao Pham Thi Phuong
Published: July 2016

Based on survey data in the period of 2013 - 2015 and historical data between 1996 - 1998, the paper showed the variation of water quality parameters by time. The concentration of total suspended sediment, chlorophyll-a, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus and ratio of N:P changed significantly by season. The results of assessing water quality by UNTRIX (integrated concentration of Chlorophyll-a, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus and level of saturated oxygen) indicated the quality levels were increased from meso-eutrophication in 1996 (average UNTRIX: 4.54 ± 0.76) to oligo-eutrophication in the period of 2013 - 2015 (average UNTRIX from 2.62 ± 0.66 to 3.81 ± 0.45).
The Changing Context of Providing Inclusive Health Care in the 21st Century: New Directions for Cultural Competence Training
Authors: Berger Gabriela Elfriede , Peerson Anita
Published: July 2016

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. In the 21st century, cultural competence training of the clinical workforce has become a key approach in English-speaking countries to improve the health outcomes of its culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations. Health care delivery has rests upon the shifting sands of migration, globalisation, environment, demography, morbidity and mortality. Core cultural competence training approaches from the disciplines of public health, allied health, nursing, medicine, psychology and psychiatry were reviewed. A new cultural competence model was developed due to these models: i) using numerous definitions; ii) describing different segments of the cross-cultural interaction between patients and health professionals; iii) lacking description, content and depth; and iv) conflating culture with race and ethnicity. The innovative Continuum Model advocates a 3-step approach to training the clinical health workforce that can be applied in any health care setting. The dynamics of health and ethnicity in the local CALD context are explored, then the mediating influences within and outside culture are examined, and finally strategies to achieving cultural competencies in the clinic are provided. This practical model, implemented since 2010, ultimately demonstrates on how providing patient-centred, culturally sensitive care at a health service in Queensland, Australia can be achieved in other cultural contexts and settings.
The “Wicked” Nature of the Herbicide Resistance Problem
Authors: Shaw David R.
Published: July 2016

Sociologists define a wicked problem as one without clear causes or solutions, and thus difficult or impossible to solve. Herbicide resistance is the epitome of a wicked problem: the causes are convoluted by myriad biological and technological factors, and are fundamentally driven by the vagaries of human decision-making. Weed scientists for decades have conducted research and developed educational programs to prevent or mitigate evolution of herbicide resistance, yet resistance is more prevalent today than ever before. If we expect to achieve success in herbicide resistance management, different approaches will be essential. The second Herbicide Resistance Summit focused on “doing something different,” bringing in rural sociologists, agricultural economists, weed scientists, and crop consultants to discuss the decision-making process itself, community-based approaches to resistance management, economics of resistance management, potential regulatory and incentive programs, new approaches to educational programs, diversification of weed management, and a call to action for everyone involved in the decision-making process.
Economic Barriers to Herbicide-Resistance Management
Authors: Hurley Terrance M. , Frisvold George
Published: July 2016

Herbicide-resistant weeds are the result of evolutionary processes that make it easy to think about the problem from a purely biological perspective. Yet, the act of weed management, guided by human production of food and fiber, drives this biological process. Thus, the problem is socioeconomic as well as biological. The purpose of this article is to explain how well-known socioeconomic phenomena create barriers to herbicide-resistance management and highlight important considerations for knocking down these barriers. The key message is that the multidimensional problem requires a multifaceted approach that recognizes differences among farmers; engages the regulatory, academic, extension, seed and chemical suppliers, and farmer communities; and aligns the diverse interests of the members of these communities with a common goal that benefits all—more sustainable weed management. It also requires an adaptive approach that transitions from moreuniform and costly standards and incentives, which can be effective in the near-term but are unsustainable, to more-targeted and less-costly approaches that are sustainable in the long term.
Repair of two riveted steel plate girder railway bridges
Authors: Sreeves John Courtenay
Published: July 2016

This paper describes repairs to two 1906-built riveted steel plate girder bridges owned and maintained by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR). Stanton Bridge carries the de-trunked former A46 main road over the railway on a 57·38° skew, and had extensive corrosion to the main and secondary girders. Gretton Bridge, which carries the railway over a minor road, needed repairs to the bottom flange and a web stiffener as a result of impact from an over-height road vehicle. GWSR is a volunteer-run organisation operating passenger trains hauled by restored steam locomotives.
Railway bridge over Södertälje Canal, Sweden
Authors: Thulstrup Michael , Nielsen Jens Praest , Nilsson Mattias , Hällmark Robert
Published: July 2016

The new railway bridge project over Södertälje Canal comprises the replacement of the 80 year old bridge, which has reached the end of its useful life. The new bridge consists of a main lifting span section spanning 57 m over the canal and two 70 m approach spans, one on each side of the main bridge. In total, the bridge is 229·5 m long. The main lifting section is a steel truss bridge structure and is capable of opening when large ships pass under. Normal elevation free height is 26·7 m and the top elevation is approximately 40·5 m. The approach spans are composite bridges with a main steel box girder and an in situ cast concrete top plate.
The innovative use of concrete by the LMS railway
Authors: Gould M.
Published: July 2016

The various railway companies in Britain and Ireland were very reluctant to use reinforced concrete in bridge decks that carried trains before about 1950. This paper looks at a remarkable exception to the rule, the railway north of Belfast that became part of the English LMS. To run it, a body called the Northern Counties Committee (NCC) was set up that operated with considerable independence. As early as 1911, the engineers of the NCC were replacing timber bridge decks with precast concrete slabs. As spans increased, they next used slabs with two attached beams and then individual T beams that became larger as their experience in the use of reinforced concrete grew. Once the use of concrete was accepted, it was used for a variety of other purposes, notably for precast buildings. In 1933, a cut-off line was constructed that included a massive viaduct at Greenisland; this has been claimed as constituting the largest concrete work in Britain or Ireland to that time. The paper ends with some indications as to how this experience was brought to the parent LMS Railway Company as the Irish engineers were successively moved to London after 1930.
John Rennie and Waterloo Bridge, London, UK
Authors: Ruddock Ted
Published: July 2016

Among the wide range of civil engineering works undertaken by John Rennie were a number of elegant masonry arch bridges, the finest of which being Waterloo Bridge in London, UK. This paper looks briefly at some of the significant masonry bridges in Rennie’s earlier career, to indicate his experience up to 1809 when he became involved with Waterloo Bridge. It then describes in more detail the design and construction of the bridge, and the constraints and problems that Rennie had to deal with in the process.
Investigating nineteenth century dock construction disasters
Authors: Jarvis Adrian
Published: July 2016

After a brief consideration of the special problems facing nineteenth century dock engineers, the paper moves on to examine the importance of the managerial problems they had to confront. These could cause financial or physical disasters and could hinder or even prevent investigation of their causes. At a micro-level, mistakes were investigated and remedial measures adopted only for the mistakes to be repeated. There were only two dock construction accidents (excluding one on the Manchester Ship Canal) in the period considered, at Birkenhead and Newport, but both caused deaths in double figures. Both involved the failure of large temporary timber structures and the worse of the two occurred just 4 months after the first had passed effectively un-investigated. The inquiry into the second showed that the principal cause in each case was senior management delegating crucial decisions to semi-skilled men. The forms of inquiry employed seem archaic, but in fact they generally succeeded in providing explanations in cases where explanations were genuinely wanted. Furthermore, on the main project at Liverpool docks, which was in hand at the time of the Newport inquiry, the accident rate was remarkably low.
Building damage and repair due to leakage in a deep excavation
Authors: Korff Mandy , Mair Robert J. , Van Tol A. Frits , Kaalberg Frank
Published: July 2016

The north–south line in Amsterdam is being built underneath the historic centre of the city. Three deep stations are being constructed in deep excavations supported by diaphragm walls. During the excavation for Vijzelgracht station, leakage through the wall resulted in large settlements and damage to historic buildings, which threatened continuation of the project. The authors analysed the cause of the leakage and the damage to the buildings. With the application of robust preventative measures at two of the deep excavations it was possible to continue the project. This paper reports on the cause of the events, the damage to the buildings and the counter-measures taken. It includes lessons learned for the project and for the foundations industry.
Can technology improve routine visual bridge inspections?
Authors: McRobbie Stuart G. , Wright M. Alex , Chan Andrew
Published: July 2016

This paper discusses the role of visual inspections in the UK highways bridge inspection regime, and how current practice results in inspection data that are less reliable than they could, and should, be. Evidence that visual inspections in general are not totally reliable is discussed. Similar problems have been overcome in other areas, such as pavement inspection, by using technological aids during the data collection and inspection process. It is hoped that better bridge condition data could be obtained by making use of technology to assist the visual inspection process on bridges. Some of the ways in which images could be recorded to make the inspection process more reliable and reproducible are discussed, and a prototype system that has been developed with the aim of providing a full, high-resolution image record of the visual condition of a bridge, which is suitable for use, is presented.
Structural analysis and design of a multispan network arch bridge
Authors: Pipinato Alessio
Published: July 2016

This paper presents a study of a typical 1·1 km bridge in the north of Italy against a background of new infrastructure development. The bridge is composed of five network steel arches. The design solution represents a lightweight alternative if compared to traditional arch bridges. Every network arch spans 130 m, is 17 m wide and has a maximum height of 25·5 m. The deck is a steel–concrete composite section resting on precast slabs. Hangers have a variable inclination according to the geometric optimisation analysis performed. Before the final structural design, parametric studies were developed in order to optimise the material grade, the structural shape and the structural detailing.
The two largest Polish concrete bridges – design and construction
Authors: Biliszczuk Jan , Barcik Wojciech , Onysyk Jerzy , Toczkiewicz Robert , Tukendorf Artur
Published: July 2016

The road infrastructure in Poland has been intensively developed and modernised over the last years. During the past decade more than 2500 new bridges have been built along the main roads and motorways, including several large multi-span structures with a length of more than 500 m. This paper describes the design and construction of the cable-stayed bridge in Wrocław and the extradosed bridge in Kwidzyn. Both structures are the largest concrete bridges built in Poland and are also among world leaders in their class. They can presently be considered to be the greatest achievements of Polish civil engineering. The Rędziński Bridge over the Odra River in Wrocław is a 612 m long cable-stayed bridge with two spans of 256 m suspended to a single 122 m high concrete pylon. The bridge in Kwidzyn is a 808 m long six-span extradosed bridge with two longest spans of 204 m. The paper concludes with a brief comparison of both structures including consumption of materials and costs.
Performance of bitumen protective coatings for buried concrete
Authors: Abubaker Farhat , Cripps John C. , Lynsdale Cyril J. , Pouya Homayoon S.
Published: July 2016

Following the discovery in the late 1990s of seriously damaged M5 motorway bridge foundations due to thaumasite formation, the standards for buried concrete were changed. Binder types and mix designs to resist aggressive ground conditions are specified; however, in highly aggressive conditions it may be necessary to utilise additional protective measures including surface coatings to ensure the survival of buried concrete structures. Such measures may also be used to prevent deterioration of concrete of lesser specification than would be required for a particular ground aggressivity. The paper presents results from a long-term laboratory-based study in which concrete cubes of high susceptibility to thaumasite attack, with and without bitumen coatings, were exposed to sulfate-rich solutions at 4·5°C for 5 years. Moreover, concrete prisms of the same concrete and three others of different susceptibilities to attack, each with one bitumen-coated face, were buried in pyrite-bearing clay for 9 years, at 4·5°C. All types of concrete tested suffered significant attack, whereas the bitumen coating, even if damaged, proved successful in preventing deterioration of even the most vulnerable concretes. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the potential benefits of using coatings for the protection of buried concrete.
Swell–shrink properties of stabilised earth products
Authors: Latha M. S. , Venkatarama Reddy Byrasandra Venkataramanappa
Published: July 2016

Clay minerals undergo swelling and shrinkage upon wetting and drying. Cement-stabilised earth products such as soil blocks, adobe and rammed earth are therefore prone to swelling and shrinkage, leading to cracks and thereby affecting durability. This paper presents the results of investigations of the swelling and shrinkage characteristics of cement-stabilised earth products considering cement content and moulding moisture content as variables. The results show that stabilised soil products shrink after casting, swell during the curing process, shrink again during drying but swell again upon saturation. Moulding moisture content affects the shrinkage values, such that stabilised adobe shows a considerably higher shrinkage value when compared with the shrinkage values of blocks and rammed earth.
Appropriate structural unfired earth masonry units
Authors: Maskell Daniel , Heath Andrew , Walker Pete
Published: July 2016

Modern earth masonry utilises conventional methods of extruded fired brick manufacturing for the manufacture of unfired earth bricks. However, the bricks produced currently are not generally recommended for structural applications due to their loss of strength under elevated moisture content. In response to this loss in strength, bricks can be chemically stabilised, typically by the addition of cement or lime. However, the use of such binders typically negates the reduced environmental impact of using unfired brick, which is often the initial driver. The research presented in this paper considers the improvement in compressive strength that can be achieved through the addition of a range of pozzolanic binders as well as their associated embodied energy and carbon dioxide. This allows for a holistic comparison of material selection based on meeting the minimum structural requirements of the masonry units, while improving the embodied impact of equivalent units currently used. The study shows that an unfired brick with the addition of lime and metakaolin achieves a compressive strength of more than 6 MPa when dry and more than 1 MPa following complete saturation, while reducing the global warming potential by more than 30%. This paper demonstrates that stabilised unfired bricks can be practically viable, structurally suitable and environmentally beneficial.
Simulating thermal behaviour of concrete by FEA: state-of-the-art review
Authors: Sfikas Ioannis P. , Ingham Jeremy , Baber Jonathan
Published: July 2016

Simulation of temperature and thermal stress has become an increasingly important factor in ensuring the durability of concrete. This paper reviews the use of finite-element analysis (FEA) in engineering practice for evaluating thermal dynamics (and associated stresses) in concrete structures, both for new design and forensic engineering applications. The analysis process for crack control is introduced, with a focus on early age; modelling considerations are summarised and a range of practical applications are presented. Other major applications discussed include prevention of delayed ettringite formation, design of concrete cooling pipe systems and fire design, as well as geothermal, concrete slab and overlay system applications. In addition, the challenges associated with applying FEA to thermal modelling in forensic engineering investigations are discussed. It is concluded that the 20-year history of successful application to date clearly demonstrates the benefit of thermal simulation by the FEA approach in improving concrete durability and sustainability. The authors recommend a wider adoption of these techniques, backed by further research and improved standardisation.
Briefing: Experimental and theoretical bending stiffness of cross-laminated timber panels
Authors: O'Dowd Bernard , Cunningham Lee Scott , Nedwell Paul
Published: July 2016

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is an engineered timber product comprising boards of strength-graded timber glued together in laminae to form large plane sections. CLT sections are used to create structural elements including walls, floors and roofs. This briefing paper presents the results of a series of stiffness tests, including both composite sections and their constituent individual component boards. The composite results are compared with the output of three widely used design calculation methods: the shear analogy method, the gamma method and the K-method. This comparison demonstrates the sensitivity of the calculated stiffness to the variation in component stiffness between recorded and graded values. As there is a lack of readily available in-depth test data linking recorded component stiffness to recorded composite stiffness, this paper aims to improve the understanding of the link between these two values. The results have shown that the gamma method was the only design calculation that remained conservative, whether using characteristic properties or true recorded stiffnesses.
The enigma of the ‘so-called’ alkali–carbonate reaction
Authors: Katayama Tetsuya , Jensen Viggo , Rogers Christopher A.
Published: July 2016

The so-called alkali–carbonate reaction (ACR) consists of two distinct reactions: the non-expansive dedolomitisation reaction and deleteriously expansive alkali–silica reaction of cryptocrystalline quartz hidden in the dolomitic limestone aggregate. In the past, dedolomitisation was confused with ACR and regarded as associated with the expansion mechanism, whereas alkali–silica gel was not observed using conventional optical microscopy. This led to a long-standing controversy, but the enigma has been resolved by careful petrographic examination of typical ACR concretes made with the type aggregate from the Pittsburg quarry, Ontario, including an experimental sidewalk in Kingston. This paper introduces the historical background of this issue and the essence of recent studies from the petrographic viewpoint by the authors who actually examined the typical ACR in Ontario.
Physically based models to study the alkali–silica reaction
Authors: Dunant Cyrille F. , Scrivener Karen L.
Published: July 2016

The Laboratory of Construction Materials in Lausanne has been studying the alkali–silica reaction for more than 10 years, advancing the understanding of the reaction, and also producing microstructural models which can be used to predict quantitatively the degradation of affected concrete. This paper provides an overview of these developments. The authors present experimental evidence of the link between aggregate degradation and expansion, a formulation of the microstructural model and a proposition for a macrostructural model derived from their computations.
Book review
Authors: Aiken Timothy
Published: July 2016

Concrete Durability
Sugarcane bagasse ash brick as a novel insulator for dwellings
Authors: Madurwar Mangesh , Ralegaonkar Rahul
Published: July 2016

Sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA), which is generally landfilled, was characterised on the basis of its physico-chemical properties. The characterisation proved its suitability as a pozzolanic material. SBA bricks were then fabricated incorporating quarry dust as fine aggregate and lime as a binder. The developed SBA bricks were tested for their physico-mechanical and thermo-physical properties in accordance with Indian standards. The physico-mechanical results showed that the SBA bricks were light in weight and met the necessary strength requirements. To analyse the indoor temperature of the developed material over conventional commercially available material, building simulation models were developed using TRNSYS software. The building simulation models were created by providing the thermo-physical properties of the developed SBA bricks and commercially available fly ash (FA) bricks. The simulated model was executed for annual hourly indoor air temperature against hourly outdoor ambient temperature. The temperature analysis revealed that the simulated model house constructed with FA bricks was 13% cooler than the ambient temperature, whereas the simulated model house constructed with SBA bricks was 22% and 10% cooler than the ambient temperature and the FA brick model, respectively. The obtained results prove that the developed SBA brick is a novel thermally insulated masonry construction material as compared with the commercially available masonry product.
Numerical stability analysis of an embankment on reinforced soils
Authors: Gueguin Maxime , Hassen Ghazi , de Buhan Patrick
Published: July 2016

This contribution addresses the stability analysis of an embankment resting on a purely cohesive clay layer, which has been previously reinforced by a group of either columnar or cross-trench inclusions, making use of the yield design homogenisation technique and more specifically of the static approach. Lower bound estimates are first derived numerically for the reinforced soil macroscopic strength condition, from solving a non-linear optimisation problem attached to the reinforced soil's unit cell. A lower bound approximation of the criterion formulated as the sum of convex ellipsoidal sets is then derived, which allows performing a finite-element static approach on the homogenised structure as a whole, and thus produces a rigorous lower bound estimate for the stability factor, as a result of a non-linear optimisation problem solved by a dedicated software. The analysis, which is notably focused on the seldom examined situation where the native clay cannot withstand any tensile stresses (tension cut-off condition), leads to relevant conclusions as regards the relative performances of the stone column and cross-trench reinforcement techniques.
Using strip theory to model vibrations in offshore risers
Authors: Madani Seyed Hossein , Wissink Jan , Bahai Hamid
Published: July 2016

This paper presents an algorithm for the coupled time-domain solution of flow and structure equations using strip theory. The approach is then adopted for numerical simulation of the multi-mode response of flexible long risers used in the offshore energy industry for vortex-induced vibrations. The various models currently used to solve the problem of vortex-induced vibrations in marine risers are briefly studied and compared. The work reported here initially includes calculation of eigenvalues and eigenmodes of risers, the results of which are subsequently used to predict the response of risers based on a modal analysis. The two-dimensional flow simulations used in the strip theory are validated using experimental and numerical results presented in the literature. The root mean square of the amplitude of the riser movement in the cross-flow direction for various top tensions are studied and compared with similar cases reported in the literature.
Perforated tunnel exit regions and micro-pressure waves: geometrical influence
Authors: Wang Honglin , Vardy Alan E. , Pokrajac Dubravka
Published: July 2016

The effectiveness of long, perforated exit regions in reducing the radiation of micro-pressure waves (MPWs) from railway tunnels is assessed. Such disturbances always occur, but their amplitudes are usually small. For the particular case of high-speed trains, they can reach levels that would cause annoyance in the absence of suitable countermeasures. This risk is especially large in the case of long tunnels. The general behaviour of wave reflection/transmission/radiation at a perforated exit region has been explored in previous papers that have (a) quantified the dependence on the characteristics of the incident wavefront reaching the exit region from further upstream in the tunnel and (b) validated the numerical methodology in a searching manner. Some notable differences have been found in comparison with the criteria that have long been known for unperforated exit regions. In particular, the resulting MPW amplitudes depend on the amplitudes of incident wavefronts as well as on their steepnesses. This paper summarises these outcomes and uses the methodology to explore important practical design issues, namely the dependence of the effectiveness of perforated exit regions on their length and cross-sectional area. Once again, differences are found from the behaviour of unperforated regions.
Tidal energy from the Severn estuary, UK
Authors: Binnie Chris
Published: July 2016

The Severn estuary in Britain has the second highest tidal range in the world. However, the estuary and much of the adjoining Bristol Channel are too shallow for current commercial tidal stream arrays of the horizontal-axis type. The most successful tidal range scheme is the La Rance scheme in Brittany, France, which has operated for 45 years and produces the cheapest electricity in Europe. Tidal range schemes in the Severn estuary have been studied several times. The Department of Energy and Climate Change study in 2008–2010 showed a Cardiff/Weston ebb-only barrage (15·6 TWh/year) and the Bridgwater Bay ebb/flood lagoon (6·2 TWh/year) to be feasible, but with appreciable environmental issues. More detailed environmental and planning studies would be needed to demonstrate compliance with the EU Habitats Directive. Several smaller lagoon schemes have also been proposed and the Swansea Bay scheme is 0·4 TWh/year currently seeking planning permission. Thus, the total energy output from tidal range in the Severn could be about 25 TWh/year, about 7% of the UK energy needs. The energy available would be predictable and, if aligned with tidal lagoons on the North Wales coast and elsewhere, continuous, although varying with the spring and neap tidal cycles.
Comparison of large-scale energy storage technologies
Authors: Klumpp Florian
Published: July 2016

In this paper, technologies are analysed that exhibit potential for mechanical and chemical energy storage on a grid scale. Those considered here are pumped storage hydropower plants, compressed air energy storage and hydrogen storage facilities. These are assessed and compared under economic criteria to answer the question of which technology is to be favoured. For this purpose, the levelised electricity cost for various dispatch scenarios – short-, medium- and long-term storage – are calculated for the present and for 2030. Fundamental indicators considered are their respective efficiencies, capital expenditure and operational expenditure, and technical service lives. From an economic point of view, today pumped hydro is the most cost-efficient short- and medium-term storage technology, closely followed by compressed air energy storage. In the future, too, there will be no fundamental change in this result, even with optimistic assumptions for the development of hydrogen storage. However, hydrogen storage is becoming more competitive and represents the most economic option in the future for long-term energy storage.
Improving energy savings in the South Korean apartment housing sector
Authors: Lee Jong Sung , Kim Hyo Jin
Published: July 2016

Since ‘Low Carbon and Green Growth’ was published in 2008, the South Korean government has attempted to achieve fuel energy savings and carbon dioxide reduction for the housing sector. The green housing regulation established in 2009 required all construction companies to build new housing with 15% total energy savings compared with housing built before 2008. The authors surveyed the annual heating and hot water consumption data for 795 housing units with 84 m2 net area in two estates to determine the energy savings gap between design performance and actual performance. After adjustment for outside temperature influence, the thermal energy (heating and hot water) savings gap was calculated to be about 17% in both the middle and south areas of South Korea. The analysed data in this study will be used with feedback data to design future green housing and will serve to amend the government policy of energy savings of 40% in 2015 and 70% in 2018, and to analyse the cost benefit for residents.