Evaluation of in-situ shrinkage and expansion properties of polymer composite materials for adhesive anchor systems by a novel approach based on digital image correlation

The curing reaction of thermosetting resins is associated with chemical shrinkage which is overlapped with thermal expansion as a result of the exothermal enthalpy. Final material properties of the polymer are determined by this critical process. For adhesive anchor systems the overall shrinkage behavior of the material is very important for the ultimate bond behavior between adhesive and the borehole wall. An approach for the insitu measurement of 3-dimensional shrinkage and thermal expansion with digital image correlation (DIC) is presented, overcoming the common limitation of DIC to solids. Two polymer-based anchor systems (filled epoxy, vinylester) were investigated and models were developed, showing good agreement with experimental results. Additionally, measurements with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) provided supporting information about the curing reaction. The vinylester system showed higher shrinkage but much faster reaction compared to the investigated epoxy

Learning from past Disasters to Improve Crisis Management

In the event of a disaster the coordinated response of emergency services is crucial for saving lives and protecting critical infrastructure. Efficient communication and access to relevant information are essential elements in the immediate aftermath and all phases of the crisis management cycle to maintain public safety. As part of the European Commission funded FP7 project EPISECC (Establish Pan-European Information Space to Enhance Security of Citizens), an inventory of past disasters and critical events was developed. Information was obtained by systematic interviews with experts active in the field of crisis and disaster management on both national and international level. They represent organisations such as first responders, emergency services and civil protection offices from 15 EU (European Union) countries. The paper will outline several aspects such as the quality of information exchange between crisis managers and the analysis of key recommendations for improvement identified during the management of past disasters

Towards a Pan-European Information Space

ABSTRACT When disasters occur, key factors for minimizing damages and loss of lives are access to necessary information and effective communication between emergency services. In cross-border disaster management, further challenges arise: language barriers, uneven know-how, organisational and technical differences in particular concerning communication and data or information exchange. To address those challenges, the FP7-Project EPISECC (Establish Pan-European Information Space to Enhance Security of Citizens) is working on the concept of a common information space to improve interoperability and efficiency while managing cross-border disasters. This involves researching on a common taxonomy and ontology as well as on interoperability functionalities and tools. A first step on this direction is the analysis of how disasters have been and are being managed. This paper reports on an inventory of disasters designed to consolidate such knowledge and aimed at being the basis for this information space. First gaps identified in communication/information management are also presented

Towards a Pan-European Information Space

When disasters occur, key factors for minimizing damages and loss of lives are access to necessary information and effective communication between emergency services. In cross-border disaster management, further challenges arise: language barriers, uneven know-how, organisational and technical differences in particular concerning communication and data or information exchange. To address those challenges, the FP7-Project EPISECC (Establish Pan-European Information Space to Enhance Security of Citizens) is working on the concept of a common information space to improve interoperability and efficiency while managing cross-border disasters. This involves researching on a common taxonomy and ontology as well as on interoperability functionalities and tools. A first step on this direction is the analysis of how disasters have been and are being managed. This paper reports on an inventory of disasters designed to consolidate such knowledge and aimed at being the basis for this information space. First gaps identified in communication/information management are also presented

Vacuum Casting and Mechanical Characterization of Nanocomposites from Epoxy and Oxidized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Sample preparation is an important step when testing the mechanical properties of materials. Especially, when carbon nanotubes (CNT) are added to epoxy resin, the increase in viscosity complicates the casting of testing specimens. We present a vacuum casting approach for different geometries in order to produce specimens from functional nanocomposites that consist of epoxy matrix and oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The nanocomposites were characterized with various mechanical tests that showed improved fracture toughness, bending and tensile properties performance by addition of oxidized MWCNTs. Strengthening mechanisms were analyzed by SEM images of fracture surfaces and in-situ imaging by digital image correlation (DIC)

A METHODOLOGY TO ANALYZE INTEROPERABILITY IN CRISIS AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Interoperability of stakeholders is an im perative requirement of nowadays crisis and disaster management. Within the European Commission funded FP7 project EPISECC a concept of a common information space is developed in order to assist in the improvement of the European crisis and disaster manage ment. A basis of the development of such an information space is the profound analysis of the management of past disasters with specific focus on interoperability and efficiency of applied processes. In order to perform such an analysis an inventory on the management of selected past disasters was developed. The information for the inventory is obtained by systematic expert interviews using online questionnaires. Multiple crisis and disaster managers that are active nationally, internationally or on both levels are interviewed in order to obtain the required information. The methodology behind this inventory is described in frame of this paper

Acid Free Oxidation and Simple Dispersion Method of MWCNT for High-Performance CFRP

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) provide an outstanding property spectrum which can be used to improve a wide range of materials. However, the transfer of properties from the nanoscale to a macroscopic material is a limiting factor. Different approaches of functionalizing the surface of a CNT can improve the interaction with the surrounding matrix but is connected to difficult and expensive treatments, which are usually inconvenient for industrial applications. Here, a simple and eco-friendly method is presented for the oxidation of CNT, where hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the only chemical needed and no toxic emissions are released. Also, the extensive step of the incorporation of CNT to an epoxy matrix is simplified to an ultrasonic dispersion in the liquid hardener component. The effectiveness is proven by mechanical tests of produced CNT/CFRP and compared to a conventional processing route. The combination of those simple and cost efficient strategies can be utilized to produce multiscale composites with improved mechanical performance in an ecological and economical way

Common information space as enabler for collaboration in disaster management:Demonstration of the validity of the EPISECC CIS concept

Interoperability of all actors involved in crisis and disaster management is an imperative pre-requirement for minimizing damage and losses in case of incidents. In order to enhance the opportunities of improved information exchange between involved stakeholders, the EU Commission funded the FP7 project EPISECC. The main objective of EPISECC is to develop a Common Information Space (CIS) designed to enable seamless information exchange between different practitioners involved in European crisis and disaster management. The concept of the CIS ensures that the organizations participating in the information processes can continue to use their proprietary IT solutions applied for crisis management. Unobstructed information exchange between IT solutions of different origin can be realized by developing an adaptor to the CIS only once. Such an approach reduces complexity in a considerable way. For instance, in case of 5 interacting organizations the CIS concept requests to develop 5 adaptors instead of 20 interfaces in case of interfacing each of the 5 tools on a bilateral way. In addition, with the EPISECC CIS, it is possible to semantically annotate exchanged messages as well as to set up subgroups of participating organizations in order to manage different types of incidents in parallel. This ensures that messages are only shared between the organizations involved in the management of a specific event. Within this paper the main features of the EPISECC CIS are illustrated. In addition, the successful Proof of Concept (PoC) of the project that took place in Palmanova, Italy in May 2017 is described