8 research outputs found
Proceedings of the GIS Research UK 18th Annual Conference GISRUK 2010
This volume holds the papers from the 18th annual GIS Research UK (GISRUK). This year the conference, hosted at University College London (UCL), from Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 April 2010. The conference covered the areas of core geographic information science research as well as applications domains such as crime and health and technological developments in LBS and the geoweb.
UCL’s research mission as a global university is based around a series of Grand Challenges that affect us all, and these were accommodated in GISRUK 2010.
The overarching theme this year was “Global Challenges”, with specific focus on the following themes:
* Crime and Place
* Environmental Change
* Intelligent Transport
* Public Health and Epidemiology
* Simulation and Modelling
* London as a global city
* The geoweb and neo-geography
* Open GIS and Volunteered Geographic Information
* Human-Computer Interaction and GIS
Traditionally, GISRUK has provided a platform for early career researchers as well as those with a significant track record of achievement in the area. As such, the conference provides a welcome blend of innovative thinking and mature reflection. GISRUK is the premier academic GIS conference in the UK and we are keen to maintain its outstanding record of achievement in developing GIS in the UK and beyond
Optimal seismic retrofitting of existing RC frames through soft-computing approaches
2016 - 2017Ph.D. Thesis proposes a Soft-Computing approach capable of supporting the engineer judgement in the selection and
design of the cheapest solution for seismic retrofitting of existing RC framed structure. Chapter 1 points out the need for
strengthening the existing buildings as one of the main way of decreasing economic and life losses as direct
consequences of earthquake disasters. Moreover, it proposes a wide, but not-exhaustive, list of the most frequently
observed deficiencies contributing to the vulnerability of concrete buildings. Chapter 2 collects the state of practice on
seismic analysis methods for the assessment the safety of the existing buildings within the framework of a performancebased
design. The most common approaches for modeling the material plasticity in the frame non-linear analysis are
also reviewed. Chapter 3 presents a wide state of practice on the retrofitting strategies, intended as preventive measures
aimed at mitigating the effect of a future earthquake by a) decreasing the seismic hazard demands; b) improving the
dynamic characteristics supplied to the existing building. The chapter presents also a list of retrofitting systems,
intended as technical interventions commonly classified into local intervention (also known “member-level”
techniques) and global intervention (also called “structure-level” techniques) that might be used in synergistic
combination to achieve the adopted strategy. In particular, the available approaches and the common criteria,
respectively for selecting an optimum retrofit strategy and an optimal system are discussed. Chapter 4 highlights the
usefulness of the Soft-Computing methods as efficient tools for providing “objective” answer in reasonable time for
complex situation governed by approximation and imprecision. In particular, Chapter 4 collects the applications found
in the scientific literature for Fuzzy Logic, Artificial Neural Network and Evolutionary Computing in the fields of
structural and earthquake engineering with a taxonomic classification of the problems in modeling, simulation and
optimization. Chapter 5 “translates” the search for the cheapest retrofitting system into a constrained optimization
problem. To this end, the chapter includes a formulation of a novel procedure that assembles a numerical model for
seismic assessment of framed structures within a Soft-Computing-driven optimization algorithm capable to minimize
the objective function defined as the total initial cost of intervention. The main components required to assemble the
procedure are described in the chapter: the optimization algorithm (Genetic Algorithm); the simulation framework
(OpenSees); and the software environment (Matlab). Chapter 6 describes step-by-step the flow-chart of the proposed
procedure and it focuses on the main implementation aspects and working details, ranging from a clever initialization of
the population of candidate solutions up to a proposal of tuning procedure for the genetic parameters. Chapter 7
discusses numerical examples, where the Soft-Computing procedure is applied to the model of multi-storey RC frames
obtained through simulated design. A total of fifteen “scenarios” are studied in order to assess its “robustness” to
changes in input data. Finally, Chapter 8, on the base of the outcomes observed, summarizes the capabilities of the
proposed procedure, yet highlighting its “limitations” at the current state of development. Some possible modifications
are discussed to enhance its efficiency and completeness. [edited by author]XVI n.s
Safety and Reliability - Safe Societies in a Changing World
The contributions cover a wide range of methodologies and application areas for safety and reliability that contribute to safe societies in a changing world. These methodologies and applications include: - foundations of risk and reliability assessment and management
- mathematical methods in reliability and safety
- risk assessment
- risk management
- system reliability
- uncertainty analysis
- digitalization and big data
- prognostics and system health management
- occupational safety
- accident and incident modeling
- maintenance modeling and applications
- simulation for safety and reliability analysis
- dynamic risk and barrier management
- organizational factors and safety culture
- human factors and human reliability
- resilience engineering
- structural reliability
- natural hazards
- security
- economic analysis in risk managemen
Technology 2002: the Third National Technology Transfer Conference and Exposition, Volume 1
The proceedings from the conference are presented. The topics covered include the following: computer technology, advanced manufacturing, materials science, biotechnology, and electronics
Management: A bibliography for NASA managers
This bibliography lists 630 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System in 1991. Items are selected and grouped according to their usefulness to the manager as manager. Citations are grouped into ten subject categories: human factors and personnel issues; management theory and techniques; industrial management and manufacturing; robotics and expert systems; computers and information management; research and development; economics, costs and markets; logistics and operations management; reliability and quality control; and legality, legislation, and policy
Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes
Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1372 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1990 and June 30, 1990. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems
International Conference on Civil Infrastructure and Construction (CIC 2020)
This is the proceedings of the CIC 2020 Conference, which was held under
the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al
Thani in Doha, Qatar from 2 to 5 February 2020. The goal of the conference
was to provide a platform to discuss next-generation infrastructure and its
construction among key players such as researchers, industry professionals
and leaders, local government agencies, clients, construction contractors and
policymakers.
The conference gathered industry and academia to disseminate their research
and field experiences in multiple areas of civil engineering. It was also a unique
opportunity for companies and organizations to show the most recent
advances in the field of civil infrastructure and construction.
The conference covered a wide range of timely topics that address the needs
of the construction industry all over the world and particularly in Qatar. All
papers were peer reviewed by experts in their field and edited for publication.
The conference accepted a total number of 127 papers submitted by authors
from five different continents under the following four themes:
Theme 1: Construction Management and Process
Theme 2: Materials and Transportation Engineering
Theme 3: Geotechnical, Environmental, and Geo-environmental Engineering
Theme 4: Sustainability, Renovation, and Monitoring of Civil InfrastructureThe list of the Sponsors are listed at page 1
Understanding modes of dwelling: A transdisciplinary approach to phenomenology of landscape
This transdisciplinary PhD addresses the research question: Can some form of phenomenology provide an effective over-arching paradigm for transdisciplinary research in ethnophysiography? Ethnophysiography studies the way people within a language community conceptualise natural landscape, including terms for landscape features and toponyms (placenames). Dwelling involves conceptualisations and affects regarding physical, utilitarian, cultural, spiritual and ethical relationships with landscape. A key achievement is development of an enhanced ethnophysiography case study methodology, supporting the Ethnophysiography Descriptive Model (EDM).
Summary phenomenographic tables were prepared from literature reviews of ethnophysiography, transdisciplinarity, phenomenology, concepts of place and relationships with place. The use of tables, summarising key results of literature reviews (via a phenomenographic approach), is integral to the methodology, to operationalize transdisciplinarity. Some tables are utilised in the PTM-ECS, facilitating identification of relevant issues, collection of appropriate data, and hermeneutic analysis processes. To facilitate comparison of landscape terms and toponyms between languages, the EDM was developed and tested.
A key contribution is interpretation of the phenomenological concepts of ‘lifeworld’, ‘topology’ and ‘habitus’. Creation of landscape, as place, involves synergistic integration, in a non-deterministic and emergent manner, of the physical attributes of an area of topographic environment (terrain and ecosystem) with the socio-cultural characteristics of a group of people (including linguistic and spiritual aspects). This produces a particular topo-socio-cultural-spiritual mode-of-dwelling (topology).
A partial trial of the new methodology is provided, via an ethnophysiography case study with Manyjilyjarra Aboriginal people in Australia’s Western Desert (undertaken by this author with linguist Clair Hill). It demonstrates how the adopted approach facilitates understanding of traditional forms of dwelling and how this relates to Jukurrpa (The Dreaming), the law, lore and social structure of their society.
Review of research processes indicates they effectively utilised key features of transdisciplinarity. A summary of the findings, their potential application, a statement of research limitations, and proposals for further research, are provided