Bond behaviour of NSM FRP systems in concrete

Doctorate Thesis in Civil EngineeringIn the context of strengthening concrete structures, the Near-Surface Mounted (NSM) technique using Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP) has been shown as a sound solution. This technique consists on inserting the FRP into grooves opened on the concrete elements to be strengthened. Epoxy adhesives are the most commonly used binders. The crucial aspect regarding the NSM FRP technique is related with the way the stresses are transferred from the existing concrete to the added FRP, i.e. the bond behaviour. This thesis principal objective was to add a contribution to the existing knowledge on the bond behaviour of NSM FRP systems in concrete. Considering that the bond behaviour is studied through bond tests, those were the basis of the entire research presented in this document. Hence, a bibliographic survey was conducted in order to obtain a database with the majority of the existing experimental works on bond tests. Whenever available there were also collected the analytical bond laws and the numerical strategies adopted by the authors to simulate their tests. With all this information, three different tasks were defined, each addressing one important and complementary aspect regarding the bond behaviour of NSM FRP systems in concrete: an analytical, an experimental and a numerical task. The analytical task was composed by the following three steps: (i) assess the accuracy of the existing bond laws, calibrate them and/or propose improvements; (ii) introduce data mining algorithms as alternative bond laws; (iii) calibrate the necessary safety factors in order to allow using the bond laws in the design of NSM FRP systems in concrete. In the experimental task, a campaign of direct pullout tests was defined in order to allow, in the near future, the establishment of a standard direct pullout test. In addition, parameters which were not yet used for studying the bond behaviour were included in this experimental campaign. Finally, the numerical task consisted on the development of an interface constitutive model based on the plasticity theory to allow 3D numerical simulations of NSM FRP systems. This constitutive model was implemented in FEMIX software and validated using pullout test’s results.No âmbito do reforço de estruturas de betão, a técnica de NSM com recurso a polímeros reforçados com fibras (FRP) tem-se revelado uma boa solução. Esta técnica consiste em inserir FRP em entalhes abertos nos elementos de betão a reforçar. Adesivos epóxi são os ligantes mais frequentemente utilizados. O aspeto crucial da técnica NSM FRP está relacionado com a forma como as tensões são transferidas do betão existente para o FRP adicionado, i.e., o comportamento da ligação. O principal objetivo desta tese foi contribuir para o conhecimento sobre o comportamento da ligação em sistemas NSM FRP no betão. Considerando que o comportamento da ligação é estudado através de ensaios de arranque, estes foram a base de toda a pesquisa apresentada neste documento. Assim, foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica de modo a obter uma base de dados com a maioria dos trabalhos experimentais existentes sobre ensaios de arranque. Sempre que existissem, também foram coletadas as leis analíticas de aderência e as estratégicas numéricas adotadas pelos autores para simular os seus ensaios. Com toda esta informação, três tarefas diferentes foram definidas, cada uma abordando um aspeto importante e complementar sobre o comportamento da ligação de sistemas NSM FRP no betão: uma tarefa analítica, uma experimental e uma numérica. A tarefa analítica era composta pelas seguintes três etapas: (i) avaliar a precisão das leis de aderência existentes, calibrá-las e/ou propor melhorias; (ii) introduzir os algoritmos de data mining como leis de aderência alternativas; (iii) calibrar os fatores de segurança necessários de modo a permitir o uso das leis de aderência no dimensionamento de sistemas NSM FRP no betão. Na tarefa experimental, foi definida uma campanha de ensaios de arranque de modo a permitir, num futuro próximo, o estabelecimento de um ensaio de arranque direto standard. Adicionalmente, foram adicionados nesta campanha experimental parâmetros que ainda não foram utilizados no estudo do comportamento da ligação. Finalmente, a tarefa numérica consistiu no desenvolvimento de uma lei constitutiva de interface baseada na teoria da plasticidade para permitir simulações numéricas 3D de sistemas NSM FRP. Esta lei constitutiva foi implementada no software FEMIX e validada usando resultados de ensaios de arranque

Sport Policy and Sports Development: Study of Demographic, Organizational, Financial and Political Dimensions to the Local Level in Portugal

This research aims to understand the effects of public policies on sports for people in local level, through the study of factors influencing the process of regional sport development in Portugal. The chosen framework presented here considers to sever-al variables such as the demographic dimensions, organizational levels, financial resources, political parties through the num-ber of athletes variable. This applied methodology studies the development of sports for 2000-2009, using spatial economet-rics to explain the variables in the database. The results obtained, indicate an increasing number of athletes who were fa-voured and recruited by sports leaders (sporting director), the expenditure and investment on culture and sport as well as the politics of sports are influenced by prevailing political parties. We conclude that the growth policies for sports should include 1: promote an active demography, 2: prioritize deprived areas, 3: invest in the human factors, 4: increase spending on culture and sport, and 5: preferably choosing a municipal Social Democrat or Independent management team

Statistical classification of road pavements using near field vehicle rolling noise measurements

Low noise surfaces have been increasingly considered as a viable and cost-effective alternative to acoustical barriers. However, road planners and administrators frequently lack information on the correlation between the type of road surface and the resulting noise emission profile. To address this problem, a method to identify and classify different types of road pavements was developed, whereby near field road noise is analyzed using statistical learning methods. The vehicle rolling sound signal near the tires and close to the road surface was acquired by two microphones in a special arrangement which implements the Close-Proximity method. A set of features, characterizing the properties of the road pavement, was extracted from the corresponding sound profiles. A feature selection method was used to automatically select those that are most relevant in predicting the type of pavement, while reducing the computational cost. A set of different types of road pavement segments were tested and the performance of the classifier was evaluated. Results of pavement classification performed during a road journey are presented on a map, together with geographical data. This procedure leads to a considerable improvement in the quality of road pavement noise data, thereby increasing the accuracy of road traffic noise prediction models

Measuring the legacies of sports mega events: a systematic review

Problem Statement: The legacies left by Sports Mega Events (SMEs) have been the object of research, studies, and analyses in different fields of science, generating conflicting views on whether they are beneficial or not for the host country or city. Considering this, science emphasizes its scope of research with the intention of understanding, investigating, analyzing, and/or developing proposals that can measure the legacies left behind by SMEs. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review with mixed literature of qualitative convergence regarding the measurement of legacies from SMEs. Approach: A mixed systematic review of qualitative convergence, which aims to transform results from qualitative and quantitative studies into qualitative findings, was conducted on three scientific databases in Portuguese, Spanish, and English languages, in accordance with the PRISMA protocol. Results: In total, 147 publications were found by the search. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 articles were included in the review. Content analysis using two analytical categories (theoretical implications and practical applications) was used to conduct the discussion. The theoretical implications category reveals articles that formulate concepts and express conceptual proposals for measuring legacies. The practical applications category contains articles with empirical studies that seek to somehow measure legacies. Conclusions: The data reveals that there are theoretical and practical studies about measuring the legacies of SMEs, especially in the fields of sports management and tourism. However, there is a lack of empirical studies that measure or demonstrate the positive and negative results stemming from SME legacies

New framework for infrastructure risk management affected by extreme natural events

The present presentation aims at showing an overview of the project Strengthening Infrastructure Risk Management in the Atlantic Area (SIRMA). In fact, most of the transportation of people and goods in this region is made through rail and road infrastructures. Their performance is directly affected by extreme natural events and by the strong corrosion processes that result from proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. SIRMA project aims to develop a robust framework for the management and mitigation of such risks, by implementing immediate, medium and long-term measures, and therefore to increase the resilience of transportation infrastructure. The project core is on long-term recovery and risk mitigation to reduce maintenance and retrofitting costs. This objective will be obtained by adjusting existing deterministic models of infrastructure resilience under the current climate, with probabilistic models considering the uncertainties of future climate and change on the land use and how it affects hazard impact on individual mode components. Thus, probabilistic models will allow for a better adaptation of infrastructure to climate change and consider the uncertainties to develop adequate predictive policies and planning tools to reduce risks of hazards

Specific Language Impairment: A neuropsychological characterization

This study’s objective was to characterize the neuropsychological functioning of children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI), in the areas of visual and verbal memory, attention/executive functions, and visual-perceptual functions. The sample consisted of 28 children with SLI and 28 children without SLI. Both groups were comparable in terms of age, gender, school grade and socioeconomic level. The assessment instruments used are part of Coimbra's Neuropsychological Assessment Battery and data were analyzed through parametric and nonparametric statistical tests. In general, the results differentiate the performances of children with SLI from those observed in children without SLI. In comparison to the control group, the group of children with SLI obtained poorer results in visual memory and verbal memory, selective and sustained attention, executive functions, semantic verbal fluency, visual-perceptual functions and processing speed

Artistas viajantes e acadêmicos

Studying some images from Brazil's nineteen century landscape, we investigated their relations and ruptures in the artits and academicians voyagers context. In this century, pictorial representations of natural landscapes as well as the representations of growing cities emerge. Some of these landscapes are rare and peculiar how in Rio de Janeiro. So, these artists can keep a privileges panoramic vision. This article emphasizes Victor Meirelles as the panoramic painter whom deals with academic mode

A system for coarse-grained location-based synchronisation

This paper describes a system for supporting coarse-grained location-based synchronisation. This type of synchronisation may occur when people need only some awareness about the location of others within the specific context of an on-going activity. We have identified a number of reference scenarios for this type of synchronisation and we have implemented and deployed a prototype to evaluate the type of support provided. The results of the evaluation suggest a good acceptance of the overall concept, indicating that this might be a valuable approach for many of the indicated scenarios, possibly replacing or complementing existing synchronisation practices.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, INForum 2010 - II Simp\'osio de Inform\'atica, Lu\'is S. Barbosa, Miguel P. Correia (eds), 9-10 Setembro, 2010, pp. 367-37

Motivations and Expectations of Olympic Volunteers: Building a Legacy of Personal Development as a Key Factor for the Success of Sports Mega-Events

The scientific breakthrough in understanding the role of sports volunteers, as well as the importance of motivation and expectations management in decision-making, has boosted several studies, helping to reinforce the conceptual idea of a sports legacy, especially in relation to the participation and involvement of Olympic volunteers. In this sense, and reinforcing this idea, this study aimed to analyse and measure the perception of sports volunteers regarding the motivations and expectations arising from their participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The study followed a quantitative-descriptive and inferential methodology, with a validated sample of 828 responses collected through a semi-structured questionnaire adapted from the original VMS-ISE motivation scale. The results point to a reinforcement of the perceived importance and value associated with participation in the Olympic Games that translate into high levels of motivation and satisfaction by most of the volunteers involved. The most valued factors were the feeling of pleasure promoted by the experience, the possibility of personal and professional development, the passion for the Olympic Games, and the passion for sport. The majority of the candidates validated the post-event expectations as having exceeded their initial ones, and 92.0% of the volunteers would participate in a similar event again. The study allows the reinforcement of sports volunteers intentions and expectations, while validating and confirming previous studies on the importance of motivation and personal development in a successful recruitment strategy that fosters regular and consolidated participation of previous volunteers