A comparative study of the design spectra defined by Eurocode 8, UBC, IBC and Turkish Earthquake Code on R/C sample buildings

Earthquake codes have been revised and updated depending on the improvements in the representation of ground motions, soils and structures. These revisions have been more frequently seen in recent years. One of the key changes in earthquake codes has been performed on the design spectra. In this paper, the design spectra recommended by Turkish Earthquake Code and three other well known codes (Uniform Building Code, Eurocode 8, and International Building Code) are considered for comparison. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the differences caused by the use of different codes in the dynamic analysis and seismic verification of given types of buildings located at code defined different sites. The differences in expressions and some important points for elastic and inelastic spectra defined by the codes are briefly illustrated in tables and figures. Periods, base shears, lateral displacements and interstory drifts for the analyzed buildings located at code defined ground type are comparatively presented.     

Rescue Operations and Demolition Works: Automating the Pneumatic Removal of Small Pieces of Rubble and Combination of Suction Plants with Demolition Machines

The main problem in the rescue of people buried alive in damaged buildings are pieces of rubble with a diameter less than 150 mm. Since they cover the whole site, it is neither possible to scrutinize the structure of the rubble nor to estimate the dimensions of beams, columns, and parts of ceilings. The central idea of a project at the University of Karlsruhe, Institute for Technology and Management in Construction, is the automatic removal of small pieces of rubble by a suction unit. The computer-controlled pipe which is fastened to the boom of an excavator automatically follows the structure of the heap of rubble. Therefore, it can also work in areas which are out of the driver’s visible range. The suction plant replaces the dangerous manual removal which is current standard. Furthermore, a pneumatic extraction system has been designed and constructed in combination with demolition machinery, e.g. crushers and dry wire-saw technologies, to immediately suck off the crushed material (reinforced concrete, masonry).     

含粉煤灰与伊利石的高吸水复合材料性能测试

粉煤灰具有一定的吸水能力,且含多种营养元素,对土壤有很好的改良效果;伊利石也具有吸水性,且含钾量高。采用溶液聚合法首次合成的粉煤灰-伊利石/丙烯酸-丙烯酰胺高吸水复合材料,其吸蒸馏水、自来水、生理盐水倍率分别为1 782,450,117,而国家“863计划”关于高吸水材料的技术指标分别为300,150,50;同时对复合材料的保水性、热稳定性、耐寒性及其二次吸液性能进行测试,结果表明:复合材料具有优越的保水性,25℃条件下干燥8 d,吸水凝胶还可以保持50%的吸水量;在0～120℃范围性能稳定;具有较高的二次吸液能力,可以多次使用。     

宝鸡石油机械厂34#高层住宅楼工程降水方案设计

根据拟建场地的地层结构及地下水条件,结合周边环境和基坑支护、降水要求,确定合理的降水模型及基本设计计算参数,进行降水井设计计算。本设计采用管井方案,设计中最重要的是确定管井数量,先预设一个滤水管进水部分长度,计算出管井数量,然后进行反算、验算,遵循技术可行、节约费用的原则,最终确定出合理的井点数量。降水井投入使用后,基坑内侧的少量渗水,运用集水明排的方法排泄,取得了良好的效果。管井与集水明排相结合进行降水的方法在宝鸡市区得到了广泛应用。     

International Association of Geoanalysts' Protocol for the Certification of Geological and Environmental Reference Materials: A Supplement

The International Association of Geoanalysts (IAG) published a protocol for the certification of reference materials in close accord with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) guidelines (Kane et al. 2003). This article supplements that protocol, providing additional discussion of best approaches for pre-selecting laboratories for participation in certification projects. This discussion also makes a distinction between inter-laboratory certifications, where n = 15 is the general standard, and expert laboratory certifications, where a much smaller number of laboratories will be deemed qualified to provide data of the quality needed for certification.     

Homogeneity of the Geochemical Reference Material BRP-1 (Paraná Basin Basalt) and Assessment of Minimum Mass

Reference materials (RM) are required for quantitative analyses and their successful use is associated with the degree of homogeneity, and the traceability and confidence limits of the values established by characterisation. During the production of a RM, the chemical characterisation can only commence after it has been demonstrated that the material has the required level of homogeneity. Here we describe the preparation of BRP-1, a proposed geochemical reference material, and the results of the tests to evaluate its degree of homogeneity between and within bottles. BRP-1 is the first of two geochemical RM being produced by Brazilian institutions in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the International Association of Geoanalysts (IAG). Two test portions of twenty bottles of BRP-1 were analysed by wavelength dispersive-XRF spectrometry and major, minor and eighteen trace elements were determined. The results show that for most of the investigated elements, the units of BRP-1 were homogeneous at conditions approximately three times more rigorous than those strived for by the test of "sufficient homogeneity". Furthermore, the within bottle homogeneity of BRP-1 was evaluated using small beam (1 mm²) synchrotron radiation XRF spectrometry and, for comparison, the USGS reference materials BCR-2 and GSP-2 were also evaluated. From our data, it has been possible to assign representative minimum masses for some major constituents (1 mg) and for some trace elements (1-13 mg), except Zr in GSP-2, for which test portions of 74 mg are recommended.     

On-going orogeny in the outer-arc of the Timor–Tanimbar region, eastern Indonesia

The Timor–Tanimbar islands of eastern Indonesia form a non-volcanic arc in front of a 7 km deep fore-arc basin that separates it from a volcanic inner arc. The Timor–Tanimbar Islands expose one of the youngest high P/T metamorphic belts in the world, providing us with an excellent opportunity to study the inception of orogenic processes, undisturbed by later tectonic events.Structural and petrological studies of the high P/T metamorphic belt show that both deformation and metamorphic grade increase towards the centre of the 1 km thick crystalline belt. Kinematic indicators exhibit top-to-the-north sense of shear along the subhorizontal upper boundaries and top-to-the-south sense in the bottom boundaries of the high P/T metamorphic belt. Overall configuration suggests that the high P/T metamorphic rocks extruded as a thin sheet into a space between overlying ophiolites and underlying continental shelf sediments. Petrological study further illustrates that the central crystalline unit underwent a Barrovian-type overprint of the original high P/T metamorphic assemblages during wedge extrusion, and the metamorphic grade ranged from pumpellyite-actinolite to upper amphibolite facies.Quaternary uplift, marked by elevation of recent reefs, was estimated to be about 1260 m in Timor in the west and decreases toward Tanimbar in the east. In contrast, radiometric ages for the high P/T metamorphic rocks suggest that the exhumation of the high P/T metamorphic belt started in western Timor in Late Miocene time and migrated toward the east. Thus, the tectonic evolution of this region is diachronous and youngs to the east. We conclude that the deep-seated high P/T metamorphic belt extrudes into shallow crustal levels as a first step, followed by doming at a later stage. The so-called ‘mountain building’ process is restricted to the second stage. We attribute this Quaternary rapid uplift to rebound of the subducting Australian continental crust beneath Timor after it achieved positive buoyancy, due to break-off of the oceanic slab fringing the continental crust. In contrast, Tanimbar in the east has not yet been affected by later doming. A wide spectrum of processes, starting from extrusion of the high P/T metamorphic rocks and ending with the later doming due to slab break-off, can be observed in the Timor–Tanimbar region.     

JMD型滤池双层滤料的净水试验及比较

大量的试验数据表明石英砂和陶粒组成的双层滤料，其净水处理性能明显好于石英砂和无烟煤双层滤料以及单层石英砂滤料，特别是出水浊度、微絮凝作用，反冲洗周期、藻类的去除、絮凝剂的使用量等指标上具有明显优势，陶粒做为一种新的水处理滤料，正被应用于净水和污水处理。     

高层建筑竖直度控制

介绍高层建筑施工中竖直度控制的方法;精度估算;分段投测,分段锁定,分段控制,竖直度计算等具体问题,经高层建筑工程验证及部、省级技术鉴定,工程成果达到国内领先水平。     

元素地球化学场及其地学意义

有关岩浆花岗岩成因的原地重熔说,揭示了各种化学元素在内生过程中的迁移规律。据此并结合元素在周期表中的位置,得出了元素地球化学场的概念,元素地球化学场不但总结了元素在原地重熔过程中的聚散趋势,而且揭示了元素自身组构与其空间分布规律的关系,展示出三个不同层次的地质断面,即花岗岩体上部和顶部盖层断面,大陆地壳断面及地球球体断面。