Precast industrial buildings in Southern Europe: loss of support at frictional beam-to-column connections under seismic actions

This paper presents the evaluation of the loss-of-support conditions in frictional beam-to-column connections of industrial precast concrete buildings under seismic actions. This type of connection is widespread throughout Southern Europe in non-seismically designed industrial precast buildings. First, geometric properties of industrial precast buildings and of the frictional beam-to-column connections, together with reference values for the friction coefficient, are reviewed. Then, earthquake time histories taken from the European Strong-Motion sets and recordings of the two major shocks of the 2012 Emilia-Romagna events are presented and discussed showing the importance of the vertical component. Two dynamic models of increasing complexity are used to ascertain loss-of-support conditions under seismic action. The first model is an elastic one, representing a single frame of the industrial buildings. Results are obtained according to: (1) 2D analyses, disregarding the time correlation between the response peaks along the horizontal and vertical directions, (2) 2D analyses taking into account time correlation, and (3) 3D analyses to evaluate also directionality effects. The second model is a 2D non-linear planar frame developed within the OpenSees framework. Results show that simplified (linear) models are a good proxy to more refined (non-linear) ones. However, one must resort to non-linear models if differential displacements between beam and column are of interest. The non-linear numerical investigations show that friction coefficient, horizontal and vertical periods and damping, and column reinforcement ratio are the key variables in estimating the loss-of-support conditions.     

Glacial Isostatic Adjustment and Contemporary Sea Level Rise: An Overview

Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) encompasses a suite of geophysical phenomena accompanying the waxing and waning of continental-scale ice sheets. These involve the solid Earth, the oceans and the cryosphere both on short (decade to century) and on long (millennia) timescales. In the framework of contemporary sea-level change, the role of GIA is particular. In fact, among the processes significantly contributing to contemporary sea-level change, GIA is the only one for which deformational, gravitational and rotational effects are simultaneously operating, and for which the rheology of the solid Earth is essential. Here, I review the basic elements of the GIA theory, emphasizing the connections with current sea-level changes observed by tide gauges and altimetry. This purpose is met discussing the nature of the “sea-level equation” (SLE), which represents the basis for modeling the sea-level variations of glacial isostatic origin, also giving access to a full set of geodetic variations associated with GIA. Here, the SLE is employed to characterize the remarkable geographical variability of the GIA-induced sea-level variations, which are often expressed in terms of “fingerprints”. Using harmonic analysis, the spatial variability of the GIA fingerprints is compared to that of other components of contemporary sea-level change. In closing, some attention is devoted to the importance of the “GIA corrections” in the context of modern sea-level observations, based on tide gauges or satellite altimeters.     

An incentive mechanism for reducing emissions from conversion of intact and non-intact forests

This paper presents a new accounting mechanism in the context of the UNFCCC issue on reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries, including technical options for determining baselines of forest conversions. This proposal builds on the recent scientific achievements related to the estimation of tropical deforestation rates and to the assessment of ‘intact’ forest areas. The distinction between ‘intact’ and ‘non intact’ forests used here arises from experience with satellite-based deforestation measurements and allows accounting for carbon losses from forest degradation. The proposed accounting system would use forest area conversion rates as input data. An optimal technical solution to set baselines would be to use historical average figures during the time period from 1990 to 2005. The system introduces two different schemes to account for preserved carbon: one for countries with high forest conversion rates where the desired outcome would be a reduction in their rates, and another for countries with low rates. A ‘global’ baseline rate would be used to discriminate between these two country categories (high and low rates). For the hypothetical accounting period 2013–2017 and considering 72% of the total tropical forest domain for which data are available, the scenario of a 10% reduction of the high rates and of the preservation of low rates would result in approximately 1.6 billion tCO₂ of avoided emissions. The resulting benefits of this reduction would be shared between those high-rate countries which reduced deforestation and those low-rate countries which did not increase their deforestation over an agreed threshold (e.g., half of “global” baseline rate).     

Die Eigenschwingungen der durch den Kanal im Damm von Melide gekoppelten Becken des Luganersees

The northern and the southern basin of Lake Lugano, Switzerland, are separated by an artificial dam. The flow of the water is not only influenced by the outflow of the northern basin but also by gravitational oscillations (seiches) of both basins. A longperiodic peak around 100 minutes can be explained by a mathematical model. The interaction of the internal waves is a coupled oscillation with a period of 74 hours.      

Surface heat fluxes and thermohaline variability in the Ross Sea and in Terra Nova Bay polynya

The Ross Sea is an important area for the ventilation of the deep layers of the Southern Ocean (e.g. [Jacobs, S.S., Fairbanks, R.G., Horibe, Y., 1985. Origin and evolution of water masses near the Antarctic continental margin: evidence from H218O/H216O ratios in seawater. In: Jacobs, S.S. (Ed.), Oceanology of the Antarctic Continental Shelf. Antarctic Research Series, vol. 43. pp. 59–85; Orsi, A.H., Johnson, G.C., Bullister, J.L., 1999. Circulation, mixing, and the production of Antarctic bottom water. Progress in Oceanography 109, 43–55]). These processes are driven by the atmospheric forcing which, at high latitude, plays a key role in the formation and thickness of sea ice. In order to investigate the effect of the atmospheric forcing variability at different time scales, we analysed the surface heat budget over the Ross Sea continental shelf and in Terra Nova Bay (TNB) polynya, using analyses for the period 1990–2006 provided by European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF). This study was also performed using thermohaline data collected within the activities of Climatic Long-term Interaction for the mass-balance in Antarctica project of the Italian National Programme for Antarctic Research for the summer periods from 1994 until 2001.The annual average of the heat budget over the continental shelf of the Ross Sea estimated in the period 1990–2006 shows an interannual variability ranging between −97 and −123 W m⁻². Assuming that the heat loss must be compensated by the sensible heat carried by the Circumpolar Deep Water we estimated its transport (3.1 Sv) and its variability (0.2 Sv). Similarly in the TNB polynya the heat loss reaches its maximum in 2003 (−313 W m⁻²) and its minimum (−58 W m⁻²) in 1996. The related production of sea ice and the High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW) were also estimated. The HSSW production switched from the lowest values during the first 10 years of the investigated period (1990–2000) to the highest values for the remaining period (2001–2006).The thermohaline characteristics of the water column in TNB show a general decrease in salinity with a superimposed variability. Comparison between the estimated HSSW production and the salinity observed within the TNB water column show similar tendency in the last years after 2002, while during the period 1995–1998 the behaviour is different. Our hypothesis concern a possible role of the CDW inflow in the TNB area and our results could be explained by a different contribution of CDW transport and HSSW production to the salt content within the water column.     

Integrated approach to choosing suitable areas for the realization of productive wells in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Comprehensive geological, hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical investigations were carried out in the south of Hodh El Chargui (southeast Mauritania). Obtaining a hydrogeological conceptual model is crucial for groundwater resources development and management. This is especially true in developing countries and in the rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The chosen areas are represented by lithologies referring to a long geological time frame, dating from the Upper Neoproterozoic to the Quaternary age. We developed a methodology in order to identify sites that were suitable for the realization of productive, protected and correct wells to supply safe water to the rural community. A multicriteria approach to studying hydrogeology was used in the project area. In order to identify some main areas in which to carry out pilot interventions, criteria relating to water accessibility and availability, and to hydrogeological and water quality, were considered. Moreover, during the project, it was possible to transfer know-how and hand over responsibilities to the local population and bodies.

Citation Ghiglieri, G. & Carletti, A. (2010 Ghiglieri, G., Balia, R., Oggiano, G. and Pittalis, D. 2010. Prospecting for safe (low fluoride) groundwater in the Eastern African Rift: the Arumeru District (Northern Tanzania). Hydrol. Earth System Sci., 14: 1081–1091.  [Google Scholar]) Integrated approach to choosing suitable areas for the realization of productive wells in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(8), 1357–1370.     

Fourier spectrum of the seiches of an ideal rectangular basin with sinusoidally varying level

Summary If the level of an ideal rectangular water basin varies sinusoidally with amplitude 2h ₁ and angular frequency ₀ the modes of the free oscillations of the basin split into multiplets with spacing ₀: the shape and the height of the peaks are given as functions of the mean levelh ₀ and of the lengthl of the basin and of the amplitude 2h ₁.Istituto di Geodesia e Geofisica, Universita' di Trieste, Italy.- This research has been supported by E.R.O.-U.S. Army, under contract DA-91-591-3538.     

Über einen Zusammenhang zwischen atmosphärischen und kosmischen Phänomenen und physikalisch-chemischen Prozessen

Zusammenfassung Sei langer Zeit wird ein Zusammenhang zwischen atmosphärischen und kosmischen Vorgängen und physikalisch-chemischen biochemischen und biologischen Prozessen angenommen. Für Forschungen auf diesem Gebiete hat der Verfasser eine ganz einfache, differentialle Methode ausgearbeitet. Es werden Serien-Fällungen von BiOCl gleichzeitig mit normalem und mit physikalisch aktiviertem Wasser bei identischen Bedingungen gemacht; dabei wird die Anzahl der schnelleren und die Anzahl der langsameren Fällungen im aktivierten Wasser gezählt. Die zeitlichen Änderungen des Prozentsatzes der schnelleren Fällungen werden verfolgt. Die Experimente wurden unter zwei verschiedenen Bedingungen ausgeführt: 1. in einem ganz metallfreien Raum und 2. in einem mit Metall abgeschirmten Raum. Die Unterschiede der Ergebnisse beweisen, daß die registrierten Variationen tatsächlich auf Einwirkungen äußerer Faktoren zurückzuführen sind.Es wurde festgestellt: eine säkuläre Variation, die möglicherweise in Zusammenhang mit der Sonnenaktivität steht; eine jährliche Variation, die man vielleicht mit der Erdbewegung in Verbindung bringen kann; und mehrere kleinere Variationen, die mit verschiedenen Elementen in Zusammenhang stehen können. Es werden Korrelationen mit dem Luftdruck, mit dem luftelektrischen Potentialgefälle und mit der kosmischen Strahlungsintensität festgestellt. Ferner zeigt sich, daß die Beschaffenheit des Metallschirmes von Bedeutung ist. Aus in Florenz, Brüssel und Wien durchgeführten Beobachtungen ließ sich ein Breiteneffekt feststellen. Die Untersuchung der Wirkung der Metallabschirmungan sich mit einem vereinfachten Test ohne Aktivierung ergab, daß im Allgemeinen die BiOCl-Fällung unter Abschirmung schneller erfolgt und daß ein Zusammenhang zwischen der spezifischen elektrischen Leitfähigkeit der verwendeten Metalle und dem Abschirmungseffekt besteht.

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Summary It is commonly believed for a long time that there exists a relation between atmospheric and cosmic phenomena and physico-chemical, biochemical and biological processes. The author has developed a simple and differential method for researches in this field. Series of precipitations with BiOCl are simultaneously made with normal and with activated water at identical conditions, whereby is counted the number of the faster and of the slower precipitations in the activated water; the temporal variations of the percentage of the faster precipitations are studied. The experiments have been carried out with the following two conditions: (1) in a room free of any metal, (2) in a room isolated with metal. The differences in the results prove that the variations obtained are due in fact to the influence of exterior factors.Has been ascertained: a secular variation which might be in connexion with the sunspot activity, an annual variation which might be in connexion with the earth's rotation, and several smaller variations which may be in relation with different elements. There are found correlations with the atmospheric pressure, with the potential gradient of atmospheric electricity and with the intensity of cosmic radiation. Is found, in addition, that the nature of the metal screen is of importance. It was determined also an effect of latitude from observations carried out at Florence, Brussels and Vienna. The investigation of the effect of the metal screen, by a simplified test without activation, has shown that in general the BiOCl precipitation is going on more rapidly when using the screen, and that there is a relation between the specific electrical conductivity of the metals used and the effect of screening.

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Résumé Depuis longtemps on a envisagé une relation entre les phénomènes atmosphériques, solaires et cosmiques et les phénomènes physicochimiques, biochimique set biologiques L'auteur a développé un test inorganique pour l'étude de cette relation. Il fait simplement précipiter par séries dans des conditions identiques, du BiOCl avec de l'eau normale et avec de l'eau activée. Le pourcentage des cas dans lesquels la précipitation marche plus vite dans l'eau activée (T%) est la réponse du test inorganique. L'auteur a conduit ses essais contemporairement au-dehors et au-dedans d'une chambre de cuivre. Les différences dans les résultats obtenus prouvent que les variations observées sont vraiment dûes aux influences exercées par des facteurs extérieurs.On a constaté qu'il existe a) une variation séculaire qui est probablement en rapport avec l'activité solaire, b) une variation annuelle qui peut être due au mouvement de la terre, c) plusieurs autres variations plus petites qui peuvent dépendre de différents éléments. On remarque des corrélations avec la pression atmosphérique, le gradient du potentiel électrique de l'air et l'intensité du rayonnement cosmique. D'autre part, on constate qu'il est important de tenir compte de la nature de l'écran métallique. On a aussi constaté qu'il existait un effet de latitude en comparant les observations faites à Florence, Bruxelles et Vienne. En utilisant un test simplifié sans activation (Test P) l'auteur a montré qu'en général la précipitation se produit plus rapidement au-dessous de l'écran et qu'il existe une relation entre la conductibilité électrique spécifique des métaux employés et l'effet observé.

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Mit 10 Textabbildungen.     

Stresses and velocities in orogenic wedges with power-law rheology and linearly varying longitudinal strain rate

A two-dimensional analytical solution for stress, strain rate, and velocity is obtained for parallel-sided and wedge-shaped blocks with generalized viscous rheology (linearly viscous and power-law) deforming in plane strain. The main assumptions used in the derivation of the solution are that the material is incompressible, the longitudinal gradient in shear stress is much less than the vertical gradient of vertical normal stress, and the longitudinal strain rate varies linearly in the horizontal direction. Velocity boundary conditions are specified at the top of the block, and shear stress boundary conditions at the base of the block. In the one-dimensional case (where stress and strain rate do not vary in the longitudinal direction), the solution reduces to a well-known solution for the deformation of parallel-sided ice sheets [Nye, J. F. (1957) The distribution of stress and velocity in glaciers and ice sheets. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London A-239, 113–133]. The stress equilibrium for tapered wedges [Platt, J. P. (1986) Dynamics of orogenic wedges and the uplift of high-pressure metamorphic rocks. Geological Society of America Bulletin 97, 1037–1053] is a special case of the present stress solution. Implementation of the solution requires the subdivision of the wedge into vertical segments, and yields the tectonic normal and shear stresses that must be applied to the rear of a block with specified rheology in order to maintain a given longitudinal strain rate. The solution makes it possible to model deformation patterns analytically with longitudinally varying strain rate (including coeval compression and extension) and with vertical components of velocity reflecting the effects of underplating.     

The relationship between websterite and peridotite in the Balmuccia peridotite massif (NW Italy) as revealed by trace element variations in clinopyroxene

 Field, mineralogical and petrological data are presented on a newly found carbonatite occurrence associated with “kamafugite” lava at Cupaello, central Italy. This carbonatite occurrence is part of the Late Pleistocene Umbria-Latium ultra-alkaline district (ULUD) which extends southwards within the Apennines to Mount Vulture, delineating an important magmatic province along the most peripheral belt of the Tyrrhenian extensional tectonic system. This province is distinct, but probably related genetically with the more abundant and common leucite-bearing assemblages of the Roman Comagmatic Region and represents the first reported occurrence of carbonatite assemblages in the Mediterranean Basin. The Cupaello suite indicates that primary or near-primary mantle silicate melts of “kamafugitic” composition are transitional with Ca-carbonatite liquid and provides direct evidence of immiscibility of carbonatite from “kamafugite” magma. It is inferred that a primary mantle origin of Ca-carbonatites is conditional upon a potential silicate magma that may be coupled with the carbonatite, but may not have reached the surface. The data indicate a strong genetic link between ULUD Ca-carbonatites and some African analogues, supporting the view that their genesis depends on similar source and associated tectonic conditions. Received: 17 January 1995 / Accepted: 14 June 1995