Influence of soil properties and mat foundation stiffness on the structural design

This thesis analyses soil-structure interaction for different foundation mat thicknesses, soil properties and subgrade models. Dimensions of foundation mat, loads and load combinations were determined based on Eurocode standards. Mat thicknesses of 25, 40, 55, 70 and 100 cm were analyzed for two characteristic types of soil: soil with a higher load-bearing capacity, for which an average settlement of 1 cm was assumed and soil with lower load-bearing capacity, for which an average settlement of 10 cm was assumed. Three different subgrade models were used: two different two-dimensional singleparameter mechanical models (Winkler´s hypothesis with constant coefficient of subgrade reaction model and a pseudo-coupled concept model) and a three-dimensional subgrade model, where the stress and strain conditions in the soil are more accurately modeled. Finite element method was used for all analyzed cases using SAP200 and Plaxis 3D computer programs. By comparing the results, the distribution of settlements, internal forces in the structure and the influence of different soil properties and subgrade models were analyzed. The comparisons show that results for a two-dimensional singleparameter mechanical subgrade model with constant coefficient of subgrade reaction differ substantially from the three-dimensional subgrade model results, whereas the results using a pseudo-coupled concept are comparable to the results from a full three-dimensional subgrade model

New generation web services as an infrastructure for virtual organization management

This PhD dissertation discusses various possibilities for communication and collaboration in virtual organizations with the help of ICT tools and Web 2.0 services. The work defends the thesis that the Web 2.0 services present appropriate grounds for efficient communication and collaboration, but they require additional development in some fields. The dissertation enlightens the problem of communication from the viewpoint of civil engineering and sociology, identifies a model of communication in civil engineering, investigates the effect of organization structure on communication, and presents the difference in the topology of communication links between traditional and ICT approaches to collaboration. It is shown that the existing ICT systems generally do not support the informal communication. Therefore the existing social, technological and business trends in the field of information and communication technologies for collaboration are investigated. Because of the comparison with the existing surveys and the assessment of the impact of technological populism on knowledge workers in civil engineering, a survey focused on our research agenda is conducted. It shows that the barriers for an extensive ICT usage are still represented mainly by the general attitude suggesting that the old ways of performing tasks have worked well throughout the years and changes are not necessary. The final section presents the design of the architecture of the informal and distributed ICT system for collaboration based on theoretic grounds and results obtained from the survey on the ICT usage in the Slovene construction industry. We have created the prototype which indirectly supports the hypothesis

Estimation of human height from video

Namen diplomske naloge je preučiti metode izvajanja meritev za določanje višine predmetov na videoposnetkih iz varnostnih kamer. Tematika je pomembna, saj se na področju računalniške forenzike strokovnjaki redno srečujejo z nalogami določitve značilnosti osumljencev. Določanje neznane višine je v forenzični praksi pogosta dejavnost. Kljub napredni tehnologiji in natančnim metodam za meritve je veliko dejavnikov, ki vplivajo na natančnost meritve. Telesna poza igra veliko vlogo pri določitvi višine. V diplomski nalogi predstavimo različne metode merjenja ter meritve, izmerjene z lastnim programom in opravljene na 20 prostovoljcih v različnih telesnih pozah. Odgovorili bomo na vprašanje, ali so meritve vedno mogoče ali ne, in če ne, v katerih primerih nastanejo težave. Prikazali bomo tudi podatke o resničnih višinah, izmerjenih višinah ter primerjave različnih metod in programske opreme za določanje višine.The goal of my undergraduate thesis is to examine the methods used for estimating human height from footage of security cameras. This area is important in computer forensics and judicial expertise since experts are very often faced with these types of challenges. The desire to estimate an unknown height ranks very high among professionals. Despite the advances in modern technology and the accurate methods of measurement, there are still many issues at play that have an effect on the actual measured heights. Body pose has a defining impact on the final result. In my thesis, I will introduce various methods of measurement, as well as present the results of my own measurements taken by a software that I myself created and used on 20 volunteers performing specific body poses and movements. I will answer the question of whether or not it is possible to carry out measurements at all times, and if not, look into the reasons why that is the case. I will present the data on the actual heights of volunteers and compare them to the heights measured through software analysis. A comparison of several different methods and software will also be made

Development of a software tool for creating integrated models in SketchUp

The present work describes the development of two software tools for creation of 4D and 5D sim- ulations of the building process. One tool is used to create building schedules and is implemented as a web application using Adobe Flex framework. The main focus was to create a program that would be easy to use and available on any computer connected to the internet; this tool also enables a full audit trail of the operations used while creating a building schedule, further more it is possible to add financial data and their analysis. The second tool creates integrated models within Sketchup and is made possible by the connecting 3D model with the building schedule. Thus we connected two seperate tools and created the possi- bility to create simulations of building process within Sketchup; here too the emphasis was on the ease of use and will hopefully broaden the use of integrated models and simulations of building process. The last part of the work is user’s guide that describes how to operate both programs and shows their core functionalities

Integration of E-Learning 2.0 with Web 2.0

A review of studies that have examined the integration of Web 2.0 tools into E-Learning 2.0 within built environment educational programs is undertaken. An analysis of studies undertaken reveals five core themes can be derived: (1) students using Web 2.0 demonstrate the capability for effective learning; (2) Skills learned via Web 2.0 can be transferred to the work and untrained tasks; (3) limited research has compared learning in conventional E-Learning and Web 2.0 environments; (4) E-Learning 2.0 enables social learning process to take place, and (5) the shift from eLearning 1.0 (Web 1.0 based) to E-Learning 2.0 (Web 2.0 based) requires not only a technological shift, but also a fundamental shift in the way knowledge is socially constructed and shared. Future issues and challenges are identified in order to ameliorate the integration of the E-Learning 2.0 experience with Web 2.0 tools