Modelling of the internal mechanics in ship collisions

A method for analysis of the structural damage due to ship collisions is developed. The method is based on the idealized structural unit method (ISUM). Longitudinal/transverse webs which connect the outer and the inner hulls are modelled by rectangular plate units. The responses are determined by taking into account yielding, crushing, and rupture. Some plates of the outer and the inner shell subjected to large membrane tensions are modelled by membrane tension triangular/rectangular plate units, while the remaining shell panels are modelled by the usual plate units. The effect of stiffeners on the stiffness and the strength is considered as well. In order to include the coupling effects between local and global failure of the structure, the usual non-linear finite-element technique is applied. In order to deal with the gap and contact conditions between the striking and the struck ships, gap/contact elements are employed. Dynamic effects are considered by inclusion of the influence of strain-rate sensitivity in the material model. On the basis of the theory a computer program has been written. The procedure is verified by a comparison of experimental results obtained from test models of double-skin plated structures in collision/grounding situations with the present solutions. As an illustrative example the procedure has been used for analyses of a side collision of a double-hull tanker. Several factors affecting ship collision response, namely the collision speed and the scantlings/ arrangements of strength members, are discussed.     

Leaching of viruses and other microorganisms naturally occurring in pig slurry to tile drains on a well-structured loamy field in Denmark

The amount of animal manure used in modern agriculture is increasing due to the increase in global animal production. Pig slurry is known to contain zoonotic bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp., and viruses such as hepatitis E virus and group A rotavirus. Coliform bacteria, present in manure, have previously been shown to leach into tile drains. This poses a potential threat to aquatic environments and may also influence the quality of drinking water. As knowledge is especially scarce about the fate of viruses when applied to fields in natural settings, this project sets out to investigate the leaching potential of six different microorganisms: E. coli and Enterococcus spp. (detected by colony assay), somatic coliphages (using plaque assays), and hepatitis E virus, porcine circovirus type 2, and group A rotavirus (by real-time polymerase chain reaction). All six microorganisms leached through the soil entering the tile drains situated at 1-m depth the first day following pig slurry application. The leaching pattern of group A rotavirus differed substantially from the pattern for somatic coliphages, which are otherwise used as indicators for virus contamination. Furthermore, group A rotavirus was detected in monitoring wells at 3.5-m depth up to 2 months after pig slurry application. The detection of viral genomic material in drainage water and shallow groundwater signifies a potential hazard to human health that needs to be investigated further, as water reservoirs used for recreational use and drinking water are potentially contaminated with zoonotic pathogens.