Validation of a Discrete Model for Flow Distribution in Dividing-Flow Manifolds: Numerical and Experimental Studies

A novel discrete model with variable flow coefficients is developed for dividing-flow manifold design. The applicability and accuracy of the new model is also investigated, and a validation procedure is performed. Dimensionless volume flow rate distributions along a simple dividing-flow manifold are calculated with two different approaches: the discrete model and a three-dimensional CFD model are applied. In order to validate the calculated results, laboratory experiments are carried out. Results of the discrete model compare favourably with high resolution CFD results and also with experimental data, which underlines the applicability of the new loss coefficient parametrisation used in the discrete model

Construction coefficient in the settlements of Gllogoc Municipality (Republic of Kosova)

Subject discussed in this paper focuses mainly on the importance of using spatial data for analysis and monitoring of social and economic development in the municipal land surface area, with the purpose of getting results, which will help in making important decisions in regards to the direction of spatial development in the future.Use of land surface must be in full compliance with spatial plans, both at national and local levels. This is the reason why the municipality of Gllogoc has also approved the Municipal Development Plan for the time period 2010 - 2020.In the case of Gllogoc execution of numerous projects in infrastructure, education, culture, sports and other economic and housing buildings have contributed to the rapid transformation of the land surface area. However, lack of political power and will to implement the rules set by development plans still continue to be destructive elements for land surface areas.Over the past decade, namely the period after 1999, there has been considerable increase in construction activities. Although the local plan gives property owners the right to develop and use the property in accordance with their interests, these regulations do not give them the right to work outside the legal provisions of the local plan.As a result of the deficiency of astringent administrative and legal regulations, as well as disregard of urban regulations, settlements of the municipality of Gllogoc continue to further expand land surface areas where construction is performed in a wild manner, without plans and with disturbing effects on the environment and the land surface area.The results obtained in this paper will help in making important decisions to constrain the construction zone, as well as to provide the necessary recommendations for steps to be taken in function of the land use for common interest

Citizens in the Smart City: What is Actually Happening? An In-Depth Case Study from Utrecht, the Netherlands

While the role of citizens in smart cities is hotly debated, there is a dearth of empirical research on the subject. This in-depth study of a European city, selected for its typical smart city ambitions, explores the roles that citizens actually play in smart city projects. The study examines twelve initiatives in the City of Utrecht (NL) using a framework that differentiates between types of citizen participation. The findings show that technology-enabled citizen participation in Utrecht is highly diverse and embraces all types of participation rather than simply taking the form of either ‘’citizen empowerment’’ (as the advocates argue) or ‘’citizen subjugation’ (as the critics stress). The diversity found in the study highlights the need to conceptualize the role of the smart citizen at the micro (project) level rather than at the level of the city as a whole. The study shows that citizen participation in the smart city should not be understood as a technological utopia or dystopia but as an evolving, technologically mediated practice that is shaped by a variety of factors

Experimental evaluation of changes in strain under compressive fatigue loading of brick masonry

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd Assessing the long-term performance of masonry structures and their response to increased loading conditions are critical to safety and maintenance. A series of laboratory tests have been carried out on brick masonry to assess its performance under long-term fatigue loading. The relationship between stress levels and number of cycles to failure was identified under compressive loading, together with stress-strain evolution at various stress levels. Strain evolution shows distinctive characteristics for the three stages of deterioration and increased strain for increased number of cycles. Experimental results provide useful data for developing analytical prediction models for the fatigue deterioration of masonry structures

Stone arch bridges make a comeback

Bridge Design and Engineering: Stone arch bridges make a comeback Planning permission has been granted for the construction of what is believed to be Europe’s first multi-span stone arch bridge in around 100 years

A review on acoustic emission monitoring for damage detection in masonry structures

Acoustic emission monitoring is widely used for damage detection in materials research and for site monitoring. Its use for masonry structures is however challenging due to the highly heterogenic nature of masonry and rapid signal attenuation. However, the non-invasive nature and high sensitivity of the technique also provide interesting opportunities, especially for historical masonry structures, to locate damage, identify severity of damage and rate of deterioration. Aim of this paper is to provide an extensive literature review on the application of the acoustic emission technique for masonry structures, addressing specific challenges and recent findings. AE-based methods for damage assessment in masonry are discussed in view of monitoring approaches, wave propagation, source location and crack development under static, fatigue and creep loading. Site applications are discussed for identifying crack location and crack propagation in historical masonry towers, buildings and masonry arch bridges. The paper concludes with future challenges identified in this research field

Evaluation of the Loss of Uniaxial Compressive Strength of Sandstones Due to Moisture

The reduction in uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) was investigated for sandstones under various moisture levels. Thirty-four UK Darney sandstone samples were tested under six different moisture conditions. The time-dependent moisture gain and loss were also evaluated. For 77 sandstones identified in the literature, the loss of UCS between oven-dry and saturated conditions was up to 45%, with an average of 20%. For Darney stone, the average loss of UCS was around 20%, with UCS around 72 N/mm2 when oven-dry and 58 N/mm2 when fully saturated. During saturation, significant loss of UCS occurred soon after exposure to water with 80% of UCS being lost within the first 2.5–6 hours. For Darney stone 50% of UCS was lost at air-dry conditions. Results from the 78 sandstone types were compared with the equivalent compressive strength defined by BS EN 772–1:2011 for oven-dry, air-dry, and saturated conditions. The estimated values by BS EN 772–1:2011 for dry and saturated UCS agreed well with the available test data and indicated a lower-bound solution. For immersed conditions, BS EN 772–1:2011, however, overestimates the reduction in UCS for a large number of samples and provides an average, instead of a lower-bound solution

Classification of Herbaceous Vegetation Using Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery

L

Strain evolution of brick masonry under cyclic compressive loading

Long-term fatigue tests in compression were performed on low-strength brick masonry prisms under laboratory conditions at different maximum stress levels. The maximum and minimum total longitudinal deformations with the loading cycles were recorded. The experimental results revealed that fatigue life is divided into three distinct stages. The recordings were further analysed to develop an analytical expression for the prediction of the development of strain during the fatigue life of masonry. A set of three mathematical equations were proposed to predict the three characteristic stages of fatigue. The developed expressions, related the normalised total longitudinal strain with the normalised maximum applied stress. The proposed model provides good agreement with the mean available data at any maximum stress level and could be used to to evaluate the remaining service life, plan maintenance works minimising life-cycle costs and prevent premature failures Continuity of the curves at the intersection points in terms of slope and numerical values ensures accuracy of the method and results to a differentiable function