7 research outputs found
Bearing damage detection and diagnosis by multi-scale PCA and Power quality distribution of rotating machinery
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HyCon: virtual prototyping in hybrid concrete construction frame design
Hybrid concrete construction is a technologically advanced approach to frame construction. It utilizes an optimal mix of structural materials;eg, in situ concrete with precast concrete and steelwork. The process of selecting an hybrid-optimized solution, however, often requires several factors to be considered, eg, “hard”criteria such as time and cost, and “soft” criteria such as safety and aesthetics (to be considered simultaneously) – the complexities of which can often be a core barrier to implementation. This paper introduces the concept of hybrid concrete construction and presents a virtual prototyping tool to assist the decision-making process. This model is able to import computer aided design information into a central database – the details of which are then layered with additional information; eg, hard and soft performance criteria and so on. Solutions can be interrogated and demonstrated through an interactive virtual environment, in which multi-option scenarios can be evaluated against specific user-defined criteria. Findings have identified several core benefits, including the ability to: justify decisions corroborated with detailed data; evaluate options against each other; interrogate objects at a much greater detail than before; and see the effects of changes in a “real-time” environment
Earth construction in Algeria between tradition and modernity
This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Construction Materials and the definitive published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/jcoma.15.00048.In the south of Algeria, many indigenous settlements have been built using local earth construction techniques; in the north, despite the availability of suitable earth, only a few rural contemporary settlements have been built
using ‘improved’ earth construction. This paper adopts a case study approach to examine and compare structural deficiencies of two earth-built housing settlements in different regions in Algeria. In the indigenous earth settlement in the south, where adobe was used in combination with local timber and stones, the dwellings exhibit many structural defects. Stabilisation of the soil and introduction of modern materials in the contemporary rammed earth settlement in the north has not, however, helped produce structurally adequate dwellings. These dwellings also exhibited many cracks and debonding of rendering, and thus did not fulfil the requirements and aspirations of their occupants. The study concludes that for a potentially successful earth building scheme there are inter-related factors that should be considered: selection of an appropriate soil and construction technique, implementation of a suitable structural design, construction and post-completion processes, availability of relevant skills and provision of adequate training on the construction technique