Structural Performance of a novel Interlocking Glued Solid Timber system

Purpose This paper introduces a novel Mass Timber Construction (MTC) system and presents the results of an initial exploration of its structural performance. This system is called Interlocking Glued Solid Timber (IGST) and employs standard-sized solid timber joists, glued together in overlapping patterns. Diagonal cuts are utilised in order to bond adjoining elements. Methods For the purposes of the tests described in this paper, a total of 70 spruce joists were collected at a sawmill and categorised via dynamic modulus of elasticity measurements. Materials testing provided the compressive strength perpendicular to the grain and the shear strength parallel to the grain. Three different types of IGST prototypes were manufactured and tested to failure in a four-point bending test. An additional two series were tested, one of solid joists and one of a glued joist. Three-dimensional finite element models (FEM) were also developed to perform numerical analyses. Results The results demonstrated that the ultimate capacity of one type of IGST prototype was very similar to that of a solid joist of equal cross-section. Conclusions As the IGST prototype if scalable, it could allow for applications similar to other MTC systems. Finally, the FEMs were generally accurate in predicting the performance of the IGST assemblies, thus allowing them to be used to simulate performance

Towards a homogenization of the long-term surface solar global radiation series over Europe

Póster elaborado para la European Geosciences Union General Assembly, celebrada en Viena del 3 al 8 de abril de 2011This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation project NUCLIERSOL (CGL2010- 18546). The first author was granted by a postdoctoral position funded by the government of Catalonia (2009 BP-A 00035)

MOTEDAS century: A new high-resolution secular monthly maximum and minimum temperature grid for the Spanish mainland (1916–2015)

Information was retrieved from the Annual Climate Summaries (ACS) on average monthly temperatures in Spain for the period 1916–1949, and combined with the digitalized data from the National Climate Data Bank of the Spanish meteorological service (AEMET) to create the new MOTEDAS_century (MOnthly Temperature Dataset of Spain) database of mean monthly maximums (Tmax) and minimums (Tmin). This database was used to calculate a high-resolution (10 × 10 km) grid that allowed to make a detailed analysis of the temporal evolution of temperature in Spain during the period 1916–2015. Over the period, mean Tmax increased by 1.2°C, while Tmin increased by 1.0°C (this ratio is reversed in the second half of the century). In the last 30 years, however, mean annual Tmax and Tmin trends have not been significant. There are some differences between the new mean annual maximum and minimum temperature series and previous versions, which seem to arise from the much higher number of weather stations analysed, their location and the processing used. There is a discussion on the improved spatial representativeness of the new MOTEDAS_century that provides a more detailed representation of the spatial variability of temperatures in continental Spain

Stand structure and anatomical, physical and mechanical characterisation of sessile oak (Quercus petraea Liebl.) wood from central Italy aged coppices.

The present paper aims to implement the knowledge on sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) in Mediterranean area where, although present, for natural or anthropogenic causes, the species is rare. The focus is on two sessile oak stands in Tuscany (central Italy), classified as worthy of protection for their importance both in a local-national and European context. In addition to the environmental and stand structural characteristics, some technological properties of sessile oak wood grown there, comparing the obtained results to the bibliographic data were provided. The examined wood characteristics are anatomical parameters (growth ring thickness, earlywood and latewood thickness, fiber length, earlywood and latewood vessel diameter, amount of earlywood and latewood vessel) and the physical and mechanical parameters (density, modulus of elasticity, strength, hardness). No appreciable technological differences issued between the examined wood in the two stands and the wood from the same species, but from other Italian and French provenances, obtained from literature. Results highlighted, although managed as coppice in the past, the material is suitable for the reforestation of this endangered species in suitable areas, always taking into account that the quality of the wood is determined not only by the basic technological properties of a certain wood, but also, and mostly, by the growing conditions of the trees and particularly by the sylvicultural management of the stand

Updating and extending the “dimming” and “brightening” over Spain

Póster elaborado para la European Geosciences Union General Assembly, celebrada en Viena del 3 al 8 de abril de 2011Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Proyecto NUCLIERSOL (CGL2010- 18546

Elevated 8-isoprostane levels in basal cell carcinoma and in UVA irradiated skin.

Isoprostanes are prostaglandin isomers produced from the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids from the cellular membrane. They have been used as a specific index of cellular lipoperoxidation and as an indirect measure of oxidative stress. However, these molecules also present several biological activities. An oxidative environment measured as the presence of other indirect measurements of reactive oxygen species lipoperoxidation has recently been described in basal cell carcinoma, the most frequent type of non-melanoma skin cancer. This study aims to measure the levels of 8-isoprostaglandin F2α, an isoprostane widely studied in other models as a by-product of ROS-induced lipid peroxidation, in basal cell carcinoma and in UVA irradiated healthy skin. We found that 8-iso-PGF2α is present in higher levels in BCC specimens compared to healthy non sun-exposed skin, confirming previous studies on the production of lipoperoxidation in this tumor. Moreover, we demonstrated that topical pre-treatment with a compound containing vitamin E is capable of reducing 8-iso-PGF2α formation in UV irradiated skin suggesting a role for isoprostanes in UV induced inflammation and eventually carcinogenesis and confirming the function of vitamin E as an antioxidant in this model