Experimental Analysis of the Shear Transfer Mechanism in a Composite Bridge Beam Manufactured from Advanced Polymer Composites

In this report we examine the structural interaction between advanced composite materials and reinforced concrete when combined to construct so-called, composite-action structural elements.JRC.G.5-European laboratory for structural assessmen

Impact of Structural Damage on Network Accessibility Following a Disaster: the Case of the Seismically Damaged Port Au Prince Urban Road Network

The catastrophic seismic event that struck Haiti in January 2010 led to an unprecedented effort in collecting and providing geographical information in support of the humanitarian aid. Although most of the compiled datasets and generated maps try to provide specific and detailed information on the location of damage and road interruptions, little or no information was available in terms of accessibility of the urban space. Here we try to offer an alternative method in defining the urban aftermath damage, coupling graph theory and GIS-based spatial analysis to assess how the urban space accessibility decreases when the road network is damaged. We believe there could be important lessons to be learnt from this exercise in the event of the physical failure of critical elements of European infrastructure.JRC.DG.G.5-European laboratory for structural assessmen

Successful language learning in a corporate setting: The role of attribution theory and its relation to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Attribution theory (Weiner, 1985) and self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) have been explored as contributors to L2 motivation (cf. Dörnyei, 2001) but have never been studied quantitatively in concert. In addition, students’ attributions for success in learning a foreign language have never been measured through the use of a questionnaire. The aim of this paper is therefore (a) to develop a questionnaire with reliable constructs that allows to measure adult learners’ attributions for their success in learning English in a corporate setting, (b) to investigate these learners’ attributions, and (c) to investigate the relationship between students’ attributions and the constructs of Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation central to self-determination theory. Our main results show that among the attributions measured, interest, effort and corporate culture seemed to be the main causes that students recognised as directly involved in their success in learning English. Of all the attributional scales, interest and ability appeared to importantly contribute to intrinsic motivation, while corporate culture, encounters with foreign professionals and ability contributed to a lower extent to extrinsic motivation. It must be noted, however, that attributions for success to teacher and task were so consistently high that they could not be reliably measured with the questionnaire

Robustness of Trans-European Gas Networks

Here we uncover the load and fault-tolerant backbones of the trans-European gas pipeline network. Combining topological data with information on inter-country flows, we estimate the global load of the network and its tolerance to failures. To do this, we apply two complementary methods generalized from the betweenness centrality and the maximum flow. We find that the gas pipeline network has grown to satisfy a dual-purpose: on one hand, the major pipelines are crossed by a large number of shortest paths thereby increasing the efficiency of the network; on the other hand, a non-operational pipeline causes only a minimal impact on network capacity, implying that the network is error-tolerant. These findings suggest that the trans-European gas pipeline network is robust, i.e., error tolerant to failures of high load links.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures (minor changes

LANDREC, A Set of Interactive Microcomputer Programs Used as a Help on Land Reclamation Projects

This paper deals with LANDREC software which was built for helping in land reclamation and landscape restoration. This program is compound by three modules: EVALUATION, INTMOREINF and INTEGRATION. The first module provides a optimal solutions for lands to be rehabilitated by considering scenic, topographic and economical aspects, the approach is based on linear programing transport algorithm. The second module allow to enter information from nearby areas in order to quantify the influence of the rehabilitation. The third module, called INTEGRATION, test all model to find the best. The paper includes a case-study located in the valley of Jarama (Madrid, Spain) where gravel extraction for construction has produced a deep deterioration in fluvial landscapes

GIS-based method to assess seismic vulnerability of interconnected infrastructure: A case of EU gas and electricity networks

Our study concerns the interconnected European Electricity and Gas transmission grid where we address two important issues of these interdependent critical infrastructures. First we assessed the response under seismic hazard for each independent network; then we analysed the increased vulnerability due to coupling between these two heterogeneous networks. We developed a probability reliability model that encompasses the spatial distribution of the network structures using a Geographic Information System (GIS). We applied the seismic risk assessment of individual network facilities and presented the results in the form of the system fragility curves of the (independent and dependant) networks in terms of various performance measures - connectivity loss, power loss, and impact on the population. We characterized the coupling behaviour between the two networks as a physical dependency: here the electricity grid, in part, depends on the gas network due to the generation capacity of gas-fired power plants. The dependence of one network on the other is modelled with an interoperability matrix, which is defined in terms of the strength of coupling; additionally we consider how the mechanical-structural fragility of the pipelines of the gas-source supply stream contributes to this dependence. In addition to network-wide assessment, damage was also evaluated at a local level by examining the performance status of each and every electricity distribution substation in the electricity grid. Finally, the comprehensive geographical distributions of performance loss at the European level can be visualized on a GIS tool; showing, as expected, that the highest direct damage in southeast Europe.JRC.DG.G.5-European laboratory for structural assessmen

Purpose and Justification for New Design Standards Regarding the Use of Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Composites in Civil Engineering

The scope of this document concerns the purpose and justification for a new Eurocode for fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials, outlining the specific aims and reasons for standardization in this area, and the main interested parties (industry, consumers, trade, standardisation authorities and distributors) who will benefit from it.JRC.G.5-European laboratory for structural assessmen

Analysis of Intermittent Distributed Connectivity in Urban Areas

Analysis of hypothetical connectivity of wirelessly interconnected networks and infrastructures deployed over a one-square kilometre of the Brussels Metropolitan area is presented. Upper and lower margins of wireless transceiver range are considered with a view to characterise representative interconnectivity profiles. Graph and percolation analyses of intermittent connectivity and its implications for resilience and vulnerability of the network are discussed. Based on these findings the report presents a proposal for the dimensioning of connectivity profiles for generic areas based on intrinsic algebraic network properties.JRC.E.4-Safety and Security of Building

An overview of research programmes and prospective technology in the development of more secure supply chains: The Case of Shipping Containers

The development of new, more secure, container systems should consider the main techno-economic items and devise a solution that, not only provides increased tamper-resistance, but also contains economically beneficial buy-in features that will motivate the adoption of new container models by the shipping trade. This report provides an overview of these aspects within the context of EU policy and R&D programmes in this area.JRC.G.5-European laboratory for structural assessmen

Services Between Video Producers and Broadcasters: Do we need a standard?

Se muestra la necesidad de la creación de un estándar que facilite el intercambio de datos entre empresas productoras de vídeo y cadenas de distribución. Se muestra un posible modelo en la forma de transmisión, modelo de datos y procesado de datos