Using electronic repositories as a student resource for MSE applications

In the majority of engineering disciplines, MSE provides resources and applications with many other areas of engineering, e.g., design, structures, mechanics, and manufacturing. For the students to transfer and implement their MSE knowledge, they must have easy access to all their information. The eportfolio is a repository of the student's entire academic MSE content and provides a wealth of knowledge applicable to all engineering disciplines. This repository combines not only lecture and textbook material, but also every assignment (in assessed format), all quizzes (with answers) laboratory activities (in audiovisual format), student oral presentations (podcast), and lectures in asynchronous format. This allows all of the data and information accumulated by students throughout their varying MSE course collected in one place, and is able to act as a quick resource and information kit for future use as the eportfolio is quickly accessed. Student and graduate responses have been positive especially for those in the workforce who require immediate and correct information

Erratum: On the relationship between two-body and three-body interactions from nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation [J. Chem. Phys. 115, 9410 (2001)]

Corrects an error in: Marcelli, G., Todd, B. D., & Sadus, R. J. (2001). On the relationship between two-body and three-body interactions from nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation. Journal of Chemical Physics, 115 (20), 9410-9413. For the original article, see: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/5015

Statnamic load testing of an instrumented borepile

Abstract not available

Field instrumentation monitoring of soft soil in an offshore land reclamation project

The Changi East Reclamation Project in the Republic of Singapore necessitated offshore land reclamation for the future airport and associated facilities. Ground improvement works in the project comprises the installation of prefabricated vertical drains and the subsequent placement of sand surcharge to accelerate the consolidation of the underlying soft marine clay. In such ground improvement projects in soft soil, the degree of improvement attained by the marine clay has to be ascertained to confirm whether the soil has achieved the required degree of consolidation to enable surcharge removal. This analysis can be carried out by means of observational methods for which continuous records of ground behavior can be monitored from the date of instrument installation. A Pilot Test Site was conducted in the reclamation site comprising of a vertical drains installation as well as a control site where no drains were installed. At the Pilot Test Site the areas with vertical drain were fully instrumented and monitored to compare the degree of consolidation of the areas close to the surcharge removal period. Instruments installed, monitored and analyzed in the Case Study Area include settlement plates, deep settlement gauges, pneumatic piezometers, electric piezometers and water-standpipes. Assessment of the field instrumentation data from vertical drain areas in the Pilot Tests Site were back-analysed by the Asaoka, Hyperbolic methods and also using pore pressure data from piezometers

Geotechnical testing to determine the suitability of biosolids for embankment fill

Biosolids are an end product of municipal wastewater treatment and contain many of the constituents removed from the influent wastewater. The use of biosolids and other waste materials in a sustainable manner is currently being investigated in several countries around the world. A series of field tests were undertaken on biosolids stockpiles at Western Treatment Plant in Victoria. Following the field tests and sampling geotechnical laboratory tests were undertaken to assess the viability of using biosolids as fill material for embankment fills. Geotechnical properties of untreated biosolids and stabilised biosolids with 1%, 3% and 5% of cement were obtained from the laboratory tests. The field and laboratory test results were compared with the existing local road authority specification for fill material

Extended stellar kinematics of elliptical galaxies in the Fornax cluster

We present extended stellar kinematics for a sample of elliptical galaxies in the Fornax cluster. Out of the 13 galaxies presented here, five (FCC 119, FCC 136, NGC 1373, NGC 1428, FCC 335) have no previously published kinematical data. Major-axis velocity dispersion profiles (VDPs) and rotation curves (RCs) are given for 12 of the galaxies. A major feature of this data is the spatial extension: for 8 galaxies the data extends beyond 1 R-e, and for 5 it extends beyond 2 R-e. Compared to the previously available data, this corresponds to an increase in spatial coverage by a factor from 1 to 5. The present sample represents 86% of the ellipticals in Fornax blighter than B-T = 15 mag. Five of the ellipticals in the sample turn out to be rotationally-supported systems, having positive rotation parameter log (V/sigma)*. One of these five, and another 3 galaxies from the remaining sample, display evidence for bar-like kinematics. The data indicate that the true number of 'dynamically hot' stellar systems, is much lower than previously thought: of the Es in the present sample only 1/4 are confirmed as 'pressure-supported' systems. The data reveal a host of individual peculiarities, like: wiggles, strong gradients, and asymmetries in the rotation curve and/or in the velocity dispersion profile, thus showing that the presence of kinematically distinct components and/or triaxiality is a common characteristic of this class of object

The Millennium Galaxy Catalogue: the nearby supermassive black hole mass function

We highlight the correlation between a galaxy's supermassive black hole mass and the Sersic-index of the host spheroid or bulge component. From our bulge-disk decompositions of 10 095 galaxies, drawn from the Millennium Galaxy Catalogue, we construct the local (z < 0.18) mass function of supermassive black holes. We compare our results to those of McLure & Dunlop (2004) and conclude that the mass density of supermassive black holes may be marginally higher than previously supposed. This increase is predominantly due to the inclusion of low mass and later-type bulges. More details will be presented in a forthcoming paper

Should broadband be part of universal service obligations

There is growing concern that some groups without access to high-speed broadband networks, e.g. those residing in rural and remote areas, will be unable to benefit from online education, health and government services, etc. Such concerns have led to arguments that universal service obligations (USOs) should be upgraded to include access to broadband. This paper reviews the arguments and concludes that, at this stage of broadband development and diffusion, there is no convincing case for USO-type mandates. Since the case for broadband USOs should be intermittently revisited, the paper proceeds, nevertheless, to explore what would be involved in a systematic review of this issue

Fault-based testing without the need of oracles

There are two fundamental limitations in software testing, known as the reliable test set problem and the oracle problem. Fault-based testing is an attempt by Morell to alleviate the reliable test set problem. In this paper, we propose to enhance fault-based testing to alleviate the oracle problem as well. We present an integrated method that combines metamorphic testing with fault-based testing using real and symbolic inputs

Globular clusters and galaxy formation

I summarize the known properties of globular cluster systems. Often the globular cluster systems of spirals and ellipticals are remarkably similar. Photometry, and the limited spectra available, are consistent with metal-poor clusters forming before the main spheroid component is established and the metal-rich ones forming at the same time as the spheroid in a burst of star formation. These observations are compared to a model for globular cluster formation in a Lambda CDM hierarchical universe. One model result reported here is that S[N] is determined at early times and little affected by late epoch mergers