Feasibility of pre-earthquake strengthening of buildings based on cost-benefit and life-cycle cost analysis, with the aid of fragility curves

There are two fundamental questions this article aims to deal with. First, whether a pre-earthquake strengthening of a large and heterogeneous building stock (the emphasis here is on building types common in S. Europe), is economically feasible or not, and second what is the optimal retrofit level for mitigating the seismic risk. To this purpose contemporary decision making tools, namely cost-benefit and life-cycle cost analyses, are tailored to the needs of the present study, and implemented with the aid of an ad-hoc developed new software application (COBE06). A method for estimating the reduction in structural vulnerability due to retrofit is proposed, as well as a methodology to determine the optimum retrofit level using the fragility curve approach. Finally, the proposed methodology is used in a pilot application that concerns the city of Thessaloniki, and results are drawn for the feasibility of strengthening the reinforced concrete building stock in this city.     

Diurnal changes in the bio-optical properties of the phytoplankton in the Alborán Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

The changes in the phytoplankton absorption properties during a diurnal cycle were investigated at one station located in the north-western area of the Alborán Sea. The experiment was performed in spring when the water column was strongly stratified. This hydrological situation permitted the establishment of a deep chlorophyll a (chl a) fluorescence maximum (DFM) which was located on average close to the lower limit of the mixed layer and the nutricline. The relative abundance of pico-phytoplankton (estimated as its contribution to the total chl a) was higher in the surface, however, micro-phytoplankton dominated the community at the DFM level. Chl a specific absorption coefficient (a*(λ)) also varied with optical depth, with a* (the spectrally average specific absorption coefficient) decreasing by 30% at the DFM depth with respect to the surface. A significant negative correlation between the contribution of the micro-phytoplankton to the total chl a and a* was obtained indicating that a* reduction was due to changes in the packaging effect. Below the euphotic layer, a* increased three-fold with respect to the DFM, which agrees with the expected accumulation of accessory pigments relative to chl a as an acclimation response to the low available irradiance. The most conspicuous change during the diurnal cycle was produced in the euphotic layer where the chl a concentration decreased significantly in the afternoon (from a mean concentration of 1.1 μg L⁻¹ to 0.7 μg L⁻¹) and increased at dusk when it averaged 1.4 μg L⁻¹. In addition, a* and the blue-to-red absorption band ratio increased in the afternoon. These results suggest that a*(λ) diurnal variability was due to increase in photo-protective and accessory pigments relative to chl a. The variation ranges of a*(λ) at 675 and 440 nm (the absorption peaks in the red and blue spectral bands, respectively) in the euphotic layer were 0.01–0.04 and 0.02–0.10 m² mg⁻¹ chl a, respectively. Approximately 30% out of this variability can be attributed to the diurnal cycle. This factor should therefore be taken into account in refining primary production models based on phytoplankton light absorption.     

钢筋混凝土梁结构断裂损伤诊断方法

提出一种基于BP神经网络的结构破损诊断方法,该方法以结构破损前后柔度的变化作为破损诊断网络输入,为了解决由于系统响应样本数据空间分布不均匀对网络收敛速度及网络诊断影响问题,对网络训练样本采用广义空间格点进行了交换,模拟算例及应用实例均表明,本文方法能准确诊断结构破损位置与破坏程度,是一种有效的结构破损诊断方法.     

Full-range nonlinear analysis of fatigue behaviors of reinforced concrete structures by finite element method

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海洋钢筋混凝土结构牺牲阳极保护系统电极行为的研究

于１９８９－１９９０年在室内条件下，用牺牲阳极保护浸泡于海水中的多种钢筋凝土试件测试不同试件中钢筋极化与阳极布局、涂层质量，涂层厚度及试件浸水情况的关系。结果表明，牺牲阳极能有效地保护全浸海水中的混凝土试件，对间断浸淋海水的试件也有一定的保护作用，通过改善阳极安装工艺，保护作用可望提高；电偶电流在各阴阳极上的分布将随涂层质量，涂层厚度和试件浸水情况不同而异，回路中电阻和电极极化情况是影响电流分布的     

偏振激光散斑的相关性研究

采用发送一束线偏振激光产生散斑的方法，研究线偏振激光散斑、＂平均椭圆偏振＂激光散斑以及非偏振激光散斑的相关性和精细结构。指出：当漫射器为一片毛玻璃时，散斑激光是线偏振的．其方向与入射激光束相同；当漫射器为涂无光白漆的毛玻璃时，散斑激光是部分或全部退偏的，涂层越厚，退偏越甚。对于强线偏振散斑场，当偏振方向改变时，散斑的精细结构无明显变化，即使是两个正交方向上的散斑图，也保持良好的相关性。对于非偏振散斑场，当照明激光束的偏振方向改变时．散斑精细结构有明显变化。     

Fatigue Behavior of Plain Concrete Under Biaxial Compression: Experiments and Theoretical Model

The effects of different lateral confinement stress on the fatigue behavior of and cumulative damage to plain concrete are investigated experimentally. Eighty 100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm specimens of ordinary strength concrete are tested under constant- or variable-amplitude fatigue loading and lateral confinement pressure in two orthogonal directions. A fatigue equation is developed by modifying the classical Aas-Jakobsen S-N equation for taking into account the effect of the confined stress on fatigue strength of plain concrete. The results of variable-amplitude fatigue tests indicate that the linear damage theory proposed by Palmgren and Miner is unreasonable in the biaxial stress state. A nonlinear cumulative damage model that could model the effects of the magnitude and sequence of variable-amplitude fatigue loading and lateral confinement pressure is proposed on the basis of the evolution laws of the residual strains in the longitudinal direction during fatigue tests. The residual fatigue life predic     

Calibration of LRFD Format for Steel Jacket Offshore Platforms in China Offshore Area （ 1 ） ： Statistical Parameters of Loads and Resistances

1 .IntroductionThe structural design method has evolvedfromthe workingstress method,damage stage methodtolimit state method.The more recent probabilisticlimit state design method,whichis based onreliabili-tytheory,has beengenerallyacceptedinthe designcode…     

混凝土的渗透性与耐久性

渗透性是混凝土耐久性中最重要的内容。论述了混凝土耐久性的影响因素、研究方法 ,以及混凝土渗透机理和渗透性与耐久性的关系。     

Long-range underwater photography in the deep ocean

Although the optical properties of seawater at extreme depths are more suitable for underwater photography than those at the surface or on continental shelves, they still impose severe limitations on long-range wide area bottom photography. Additionally, deep ocean operations impose technical limitations on control, power and bandwidth. This chapter reviews the approaches contemplated or made towards improving the camerato-target range in underwater photography in the deep ocean. Further significant improvements await advances in control, power/light sources and bandwidth reduction. With the developments now contemplated, TV and video systems will eventually present a strong challenge to emulsion film techniques.