Seismic risk assessment of the selected structural systems with consideration of uncertainties

A simplified method for the probabilistic seismic performance assessment of buildings with\ud consideration of the effects of physical and modelling uncertainties, taking into account the ageing\ud processes of structural materials, was developed. The proposed method utilizes a general analytical\ud method for estimating the seismic risk, whereas the seismic response parameters are determined by\ud using the N2 method, which is applied to the stochastic structural model. This method was used to\ud study the effects of uncertainties on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames and\ud frames with infills. The first part of the results relates to the sensitivity of the seismic response\ud parameters. The results show that the seismic response of RC frames is most sensitive to the\ud uncertainty associated with the model of the rotation capacities of the plastic hinges in the columns\ud and beams, whereas in the case of the infilled frames, the mechanical characteristics of the infills are\ud the parameters which have the greatest impact on the seismic response of such buildings. The second\ud part of the results refers to the study of the effects of physical and modelling uncertainties on the\ud seismic response parameters, as applied to three RC frames. The results of the study show that these\ud uncertainties affect not only the dispersion, but also the median estimates of the response parameters.\ud In almost all cases their influence contributed to a considerable reduction of the median displacement\ud and the acceleration capacity if the latter are compared to those determined by conventional\ud deterministic analysis. Additional uncertainty arises due to the effects of corrosion. In the case of the\ud selected RC frame, where corrosion has been modelled with simplified models, it has been shown that\ud such corrosion can lead to the shear failure of the exposed columns, which may considerably increase\ud the seismic risk. A particular source of uncertainty is represented by simplified nonlinear models. By\ud using the proposed iterative pushover-based procedure it has been shown that the seismic risk may be\ud significantly underestimated if possible shear failures of the columns and the contribution of the\ud masonry infill to the shear forces in the columns are not properly simulated in a nonlinear analysis

ANNUAL INTERVIEW AT PRIMARY SCHOOL VALENTIN VODNIK

Redni letni razgovor je eno izmed najučinkovitejših sredstev za izgradnjo zaupanja med vodjo, posameznikom in delovno skupino. Je osnovni instrument medsebojne komunikacije, preko katere krepimo vezi znotraj kolektiva, kar je ključnega pomena pri uresničevanju ciljev. Slednje je tudi vodilo za nastanek diplomskega dela. V teoretičnem delu so predstavljeni pojmi, povezani z rednim letnim razgovorom: od opredelitve osnovnih pojmov pogovor-razgovor, različnih vrst in oblik, njihovega namena in značilnosti, koristi, vpliva na zadovoljstvo zaposlenih do celoletnih aktivnosti za samo izvedbo. V nadaljevanju je predstavljena Osnovna šola Valentina Vodnika Ljubljana (v nadaljevanju OŠ Valentina Vodnika) kot izobraževalni zavod z dokaj centraliziranim šolskim sistemom, kjer država ureja vprašanja organizacije, njihove vsebine, materialno finančne pogoje delovanja, nadzor nad uresničevanjem zastavljenih ciljev in sprejemanja odgovornosti. Predstavljen je tudi segment dopolnilnega programa storitev šole, kjer ima vodstvo dovolj prostora za samostojno oblikovanje strateškega plana. Sledi raziskava rednih letnih razgovorov, ki se izvajajo na OŠ Valentina Vodnika. Izvedena je bila s pomočjo anketiranja učiteljev in strokovnih delavcev šole ter intervjuja z ravnateljico. Rezultati so prikazani z grafi in tabelami. Ob koncu so podane ugotovitve in predlogi.A regular annual talk is one of the most efficient means for building trust between a leader, an individual and a group. It is the basic instrument of mutual communication by which we strengthen links inside a working collective. That is of crucial importance for achieving goals. The last is also the guiding star of the diploma work. In the theoretical part of the diploma there are presented concepts connected with regular annual talks: from the definition of basic concepts talk-conversation, different forms and types of them, their purpose and characteristics, their benefit, influence on satisfaction of the employed, to the activities needed throughout the year for their realisation. In the sequel Osnovna šola Valentina Vodnika (primary school Valentin Vodnik) is presented as an example of an educational institution with a quite centralized school system where the state regulates the questions of organization, the content, material and financial conditions of working, supervision of the realisation of the goals, and accepting of responsibility. A part of the additional programme of the school service is also presented. At this the management has enough space for shaping of a strategic plan according to their ideas. A survey of regular annual talks which are led at the primary school Valentin Vodnik follows. The survey has been conducted on the basis of a questionnaire carried out among teachers and other experts and an interview with the principal. There is a graphic and tabular presentation of the results. At the end there are presented findings and suggestions

Gift as social and symbolic communication

Izmenjava darov je človeška komunikacija, ki je močno prisotna v našem življenju. Spremlja številne rituale, dogodke in vsakodnevne situacije. Dati, sprejeti in povrniti so dejanja, ki so nam tako lastna, da se jih pogosto niti ne zavedamo. Eden od glavnih pomenov daru je vzpostavljanje in ohranjanje odnosov in vezi med ljudmi. Namen dela je osvetliti eno izmed temeljnih načinov človeške komunikacije – komunikacije daru. Prikazati in razložiti želimo, kako razumeti dar v širšem družbenem kontekstu in nazadnje, kako ga razumeti simbolno, torej onkraj očitno družbenega pomena. Delo je zasnovano kot teoretska refleksija, v kateri argumentiramo naslednji tezo: dar je komunikacija, ki jo moramo razumeti tako družbeno kot tudi simbolnopoteka v skladu z družbenimi normami in pravili v določenem času in prostoru, izraža družbene vloge in odnose ter vzpostavlja družbeni rednadalje, dar je medij, saj izraža sporočilo, ki ga želi obdarovalec prenesti obdarovancu. To sporočilo ni neposredno izraženo, ampak se izraža prek rituala in na simbolen način. Razpeto je med številne dejavnike, kot so identiteta obdarovalca, njegov družbeni status in seveda odnos do obdarovanca, njun medsebojni odnos, kulturno okolje, situacija, priložnost ipd.Gift exchange is a form of human communication which is much present in our lives. It goes together with different rituals, events and everyday situations. To give, to receive and to return are actions so intimately close to us that we are often not even aware of them. One of the most important meanings of the gift is that it forms and keeps human relations. In the thesis we focus on one of the fundamental means of human communication – that is gift communication. We want to show and explain how to understand the gift in the broader social context and how to exceed the question of social area by understanding the gift in consideration of symbolism. The thesis is designed as a theoretical reflection. We want to argue the point that the gift communication is a form of communication that we have to understand in both its social as well as its symbolic dimension. Gift exchange takes place in accordance with social norms and rules in a defined time and space frame, expressing social roles and relations and even creating social order. Furthermore, the gift is a kind of a medium, as it expresses a message which gift giver wants to pass to the gift receiver. That kind of a message is not being directly expressed, but in a ritual in symbolic way. It is influenced by many different factors, such as identity of the gift giver, his or her status and relation to the one to whom it is being given, their relationship, cultural environment, particular situation

Seismic risk assessment of the selected structural systems with consideration of uncertainties

V doktorski disertaciji smo razvili poenostavljeno verjetnostno metodo za oceno potresnega tveganja stavb z upoštevanjem vplivov fizikalnih in modelnih negotovosti ter staranja materiala. Predlagana metoda temelji na splošni analitični metodi za oceno potresnega tveganja, pri čemer se parametri potresnega odziva izračunajo z metodo N2, ki jo uporabimo na stohastičnem modelu. Pri primerih uporabe predlagane metode smo se omejili na armiranobetonske (AB) okvire in okvire s polnili, pri čemer smo raziskovali nezanesljivost določitve potresnega odziva konstrukcije. Prvi sklop ugotovitev se nanaša na rezultate občutljivostne analize. Rezultati kažejo, da imajo negotovosti modela za določitev rotacijske kapacitete stebrov in gred največji vpliv na potresni odziv AB okvirov, medtem ko imajo v primeru okvirov s polnili največji vpliv na potresni odziv mehanske lastnosti opečnih polnil. Drugi sklop ugotovitev se nanaša na rezultate študije vpliva fizikalnih in modelnih negotovosti na parametre potresnega odziva treh AB okvirov. Rezultati te študije kažejo, da fizikalne in modelne negotovosti ne vplivajo le na oceno razpršenosti temveč tudi na oceno mediane parametrov potresnega odziva. Skoraj v vseh primerih se je zaradi upoštevanja fizikalnih in modelnih negotovosti izkazalo, da je ocena mediane pomikov in pospeškov v mejnem stanju blizu porušitve nezanemarljivo manjša v primerjavi s tistimi vrednostmi, ki smo jih določili z običajno deterministično analizo. Dodatno negotovost predstavlja vpliv korozije. Na primeru izbranega AB okvira ter ob upoštevanju poenostavljenega modela korozije smo ugotovili, da korozija povzroči lokalno strižno porušitev izpostavljenih elementov, kar lahko znatno poveča potresno tveganje. Poseben primer negotovosti predstavljajo pomanjkljivosti poenostavljenih nelinearnih modelov. Te vplive smo preučevali na primeru okvira s polnili. Z uporabo predlaganega iterativnega postopka nelinearne statične analize smo pokazali, da potresno tveganje preveč podcenimo, če v nelinearni analizi ne simuliramo strižne porušitve stebrov in vpliva polnila na povečanje prečne sile v stebru.A simplified method for the probabilistic seismic performance assessment of buildings with consideration of the effects of physical and modelling uncertainties, taking into account the ageing processes of structural materials, was developed. The proposed method utilizes a general analytical method for estimating the seismic risk, whereas the seismic response parameters are determined by using the N2 method, which is applied to the stochastic structural model. This method was used to study the effects of uncertainties on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames and frames with infills. The first part of the results relates to the sensitivity of the seismic response parameters. The results show that the seismic response of RC frames is most sensitive to the uncertainty associated with the model of the rotation capacities of the plastic hinges in the columns and beams, whereas in the case of the infilled frames, the mechanical characteristics of the infills are the parameters which have the greatest impact on the seismic response of such buildings. The second part of the results refers to the study of the effects of physical and modelling uncertainties on the seismic response parameters, as applied to three RC frames. The results of the study show that these uncertainties affect not only the dispersion, but also the median estimates of the response parameters. In almost all cases their influence contributed to a considerable reduction of the median displacement and the acceleration capacity if the latter are compared to those determined by conventional deterministic analysis. Additional uncertainty arises due to the effects of corrosion. In the case of the selected RC frame, where corrosion has been modelled with simplified models, it has been shown that such corrosion can lead to the shear failure of the exposed columns, which may considerably increase the seismic risk. A particular source of uncertainty is represented by simplified nonlinear models. By using the proposed iterative pushover-based procedure it has been shown that the seismic risk may be significantly underestimated if possible shear failures of the columns and the contribution of the masonry infill to the shear forces in the columns are not properly simulated in a nonlinear analysis

The simplified version of the program EAVEK

Izdelana je poenostavljena verzija programa EAVEK v programu MATLAB. Teoretične osnove so povzete po prejšnji verziji programa, dodanih pa je nekaj novosti, ki jih zahteva standard Evrokod 8. Te novosti se nanašajo na kontrolo tlorisne nepravilnosti stavbe, upoštevanje slučajne ekscentričnosti mase in vpliv teorije drugega reda. Program je razvit tako, da je mogoče dodajati nove makroelemente. Opisani so algoritem programa, tvorjenje togostnih matrik makroelementov in oblika vhodnih ter izhodnih podatkov. Predstavljeni so ukazi za analizo in prikaz rezultatov. Uporaba programa je prikazana na dveh primerih. Rezultati analize so primerjani z rezultati programov SAP 2000, ETABS in EAVEK.The simplified version of the program EAVEK has been developed in the MATLAB programming language. Theoretical backgrounds of the new program are based on the program EAVEK. However, some new capabilities are added in the program. Therefore, the new program automatically checks the irregularity in plan and considers accidental torsion and second-order effects according to Eurocode 8. In addition, it is also possible to add new macro-elements in the program. The algorithm, the construction of the stiffness matrices of the macro-elements, and the input and output data are described. In the project a list of the commands used for the analysis or post-processing of the results is also presented. The use of the program is demonstrated by the two examples and the results of the analyses are compared with results obtained by the programs SAP 2000, ETABS, and EAVEK