Hassan Fathy dans son temps

Catalogue d'exposition, 19 décembre 2011 au 21 janvier 2012, Gezira Art Center, Zamalek, Le CaireA l'occasion de l'exposition tenue du 19 décembre 2011 au 21 janvier 2012, au Gezira Art Center à Zamalek, Le Caire, sous le titre Hassan Fathy, une ambition égyptienne, étude de la vie et de l'oeuvre du plus connu des architectures égyptiens contemporains, de renommée internationale, honoré de plusieurs grands prix, dont le Grand Prix de la Fondation Aga Khan pour l'ensemble de son oeuvre, mais dont la fortune critique fut chahutée. L'oeuvre de cet architecte aux multiples facettes, a été trop souvent réduite à un unique haut fait d'armes : l'expérience-pilote de Nouveau Gourna (1945-1949/52)

Time-Fractional KdV Equation for the plasma in auroral zone using Variational Methods

The reductive perturbation method has been employed to derive the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation for small but finite amplitude electrostatic waves. The Lagrangian of the time fractional KdV equation is used in similar form to the Lagrangian of the regular KdV equation. The variation of the functional of this Lagrangian leads to the Euler-Lagrange equation that leads to the time fractional KdV equation. The Riemann-Liouvulle definition of the fractional derivative is used to describe the time fractional operator in the fractional KdV equation. The variational-iteration method given by He is used to solve the derived time fractional KdV equation. The calculations of the solution with initial condition A0*sech(cx)^2 are carried out. Numerical studies have been made using plasma parameters close to those values corresponding to the dayside auroral zone. The effects of the time fractional parameter on the electrostatic solitary structures are presented.Comment: 1 tex file + 5 eps figure

Participatory processes and their outcomes: comparing assembly and popular vote decisions

How do face-to-face, assembly processes, and non-face-to-face, popular vote processes impact the decisions made by citizens? Normative discussions of the comparative merits of these two broad types of participatory decision-making processes partly rely on empirical assumptions concerning this question. In this paper, we test the central assumption that assemblies lead to decisions that are more widely supported by participants than popular votes. We do so by analyzing 1,400 decisions made through these processes on the highly salient issue of municipal mergers in Swiss municipalities since 1999. We find that assembly decisions are consistently made by larger majorities than popular vote decisions and that this relationship is significantly mediated by turnout. This suggests that higher levels of agreement in assemblies mainly result from selection biases – with fewer dissenting citizens participating in assemblies than in popular votes – rather than from internal dynamics in assemblies.publishe

Behavior of laterally loaded small scale barrettes in sand

AbstractThis paper aims to investigate the response of laterally loaded rectangular cross sectional barrettes. Twenty-eight model tests for laterally loaded barrette were investigated to study the effect of sand relative density, aspect ratio of pile cross section, loading direction and load eccentricity. Based on this study, the lateral resistance of the barrette that loaded in the direction of major axis is higher than that loaded in the direction of minor axis. Sand relative density has significant effect on the lateral capacity of the barrettes. The ratio of the lateral capacity of the barrettes loaded in the direction of major axis compared to the barrettes loaded in the direction of minor axis is reduced as the sand relative density increases. Increasing the flexure stiffness of the barrette cross section causes a reduction in the lateral displacement of the barrette head. Increasing load eccentricity causes a significant reduction in the barrette lateral resistance

« Cet homme nous fut envoyé par le ciel pour rénover l’architecture égarée depuis des siècles » Relecture de quelques cas genevois1

Cette contribution cherche à relire l’histoire de l’architecture genevoise à la lumière des apports internationaux. La « procédure d’appel » des architectes étrangers à Genève, ainsi que les relations entretenues par ces derniers et les architectes et corps de métier locaux sont en particulier analysés. Il s’agit souvent de figures d’envergure : le parisien Jean-François Blondel, le comte piémontais Benedetto Alfieri, le florentin Giovanni Salucci, le lyonnais André Miciol, les français Félix-Emmanuel Callet, Jean-Baptiste-Cicéron Lesueur, Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. Les rapports avec les architectes locaux en sont d’autant plus complexes : tantôt auteurs, tantôt exécutants, les Genevois endurent des ruptures de statut ; la plupart s’en accommodent, soumis aux lois d’un marché fluctuant, ainsi qu’au prestige de constructeurs de renom