Construction project management activity in the Republic of Croatia: analysis of the current situation

U radu se analizira stanje područja primjene djelatnosti upravljanja projektom gradnje u RH (DUPG) koje, iako u primjeni već sedmu godinu, još uvijek nije rezultiralo ujednačenim pristupom javnih i sektorskih naručitelja. Identificirana su sljedeća ograničenja i nedorečenosti u zakonskoj platformi za DUPG: neusklađena terminologija, međusobna neusklađenost propisa, preklapanja u ovlastima i dužnostima nadzora/(FIDIC) inženjera i voditelja projekta (VP), nedovoljno precizne prekršajne odredbe te izostanak pravodobnog uključivanja VP-a u projekt kao posljedica nerazumijevanja njegovog utjecaja na uspješnost graditeljskog projekta od strane javnih i sektorskih naručitelja. Međutim, kroz prikaz dobrih praksi i uvida u međunarodne norme, obrazlaže se način za dodatnim standardiziranjem zasad neusklađene i u određenim dijelovima podregulirane materije kao i potreba za njezinim dereguliranjem. Zaključno su u radu obrazložene smjernice za daljnje standardiziranje DUPG-a i usklađivanje postojećih propisa s ciljem održivosti i učinkovitosti projekata.This study analyses the current state of the activities of construction project management in the Republic of Croatia (CPM), which, although in the seventh year of existence, still does not have a uniform approach for public contracting authorities/entities. Limitations and ambiguities in the legal platform for CPM have been identified: inconsistent terminology, mutual inconsistency of regulations, overlap of authority and duties of the supervision/(FIDIC) Engineer and project manager (PM), insufficient precision of misdemeanour provisions, and lack of timely involvement of PM in the project as a consequence of misunderstanding, by the public contracting authorities/entities, of the importance of the influence of PM on the success of the construction project. However, the presentation of good practices and insight into international standards illustrates the need for additional standardisation of currently certain aspects of uncoordinated and sub-regulated areas, and the simultaneous need for deregulation. In conclusion, this study provides guidelines for the further standardisation of DUPG and harmonisation of existing regulations for sustainable and efficient projects

Variational Foundations and Generalized Unified Theory of RVE-Based Multiscale Models

A unified variational theory is proposed for a general class of multiscale models based on the concept of Representative Volume Element. The entire theory lies on three fundamental principles: (1) kinematical admissibility, whereby the macro- and micro-scale kinematics are defined and linked in a physically meaningful way; (2) duality, through which the natures of the force- and stress-like quantities are uniquely identified as the duals (power-conjugates) of the adopted kinematical variables; and (3) the Principle of Multiscale Virtual Power, a generalization of the well-known Hill-Mandel Principle of Macrohomogeneity, from which equilibrium equations and homogenization relations for the force- and stress-like quantities are unequivocally obtained by straightforward variational arguments. The proposed theory provides a clear, logically-structured framework within which existing formulations can be rationally justified and new, more general multiscale models can be rigorously derived in well-defined steps. Its generality allows the treatment of problems involving phenomena as diverse as dynamics, higher order strain effects, material failure with kinematical discontinuities, fluid mechanics and coupled multi-physics. This is illustrated in a number of examples where a range of models is systematically derived by following the same steps. Due to the variational basis of the theory, the format in which derived models are presented is naturally well suited for discretization by finite element-based or related methods of numerical approximation. Numerical examples illustrate the use of resulting models, including a non-conventional failure-oriented model with discontinuous kinematics, in practical computations

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) - 2018 Summary Report

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) is a TeV-scale high-luminosity linear $e^+e^-$ collider under development at CERN. Following the CLIC conceptual design published in 2012, this report provides an overview of the CLIC project, its current status, and future developments. It presents the CLIC physics potential and reports on design, technology, and implementation aspects of the accelerator and the detector. CLIC is foreseen to be built and operated in stages, at centre-of-mass energies of 380 GeV, 1.5 TeV and 3 TeV, respectively. CLIC uses a two-beam acceleration scheme, in which 12 GHz accelerating structures are powered via a high-current drive beam. For the first stage, an alternative with X-band klystron powering is also considered. CLIC accelerator optimisation, technical developments and system tests have resulted in an increased energy efficiency (power around 170 MW) for the 380 GeV stage, together with a reduced cost estimate at the level of 6 billion CHF. The detector concept has been refined using improved software tools. Significant progress has been made on detector technology developments for the tracking and calorimetry systems. A wide range of CLIC physics studies has been conducted, both through full detector simulations and parametric studies, together providing a broad overview of the CLIC physics potential. Each of the three energy stages adds cornerstones of the full CLIC physics programme, such as Higgs width and couplings, top-quark properties, Higgs self-coupling, direct searches, and many precision electroweak measurements. The interpretation of the combined results gives crucial and accurate insight into new physics, largely complementary to LHC and HL-LHC. The construction of the first CLIC energy stage could start by 2026. First beams would be available by 2035, marking the beginning of a broad CLIC physics programme spanning 25-30 years