ArcDrain: A GIS Add-In for Automated Determination of Surface Runoff in Urban Catchments

ABSTRACT: Surface runoff determination in urban areas is crucial to facilitate ex ante water planning, especially in the context of climate and land cover changes, which are increasing the frequency of floods, due to a combination of violent storms and increased imperviousness. To this end, the spatial identification of urban areas prone to runoff accumulation is essential, to guarantee effective water management in the future. Under these premises, this work sought to produce a tool for automated determination of urban surface runoff using a geographic information systems (GIS). This tool, which was designed as an ArcGIS add-in called ArcDrain, consists of the discretization of urban areas into subcatchments and the subsequent application of the rational method for runoff depth estimation. The formulation of this method directly depends on land cover type and soil permeability, thereby enabling the identification of areas with a low infiltration capacity. ArcDrain was tested using the city of Santander (northern Spain) as a case study. The results achieved demonstrated the accuracy of the tool for detecting high runoff rates and how the inclusion of mitigation measures in the form of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and green infrastructure (GI) can help reduce flood hazards in critical zonesThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, with funds from the State General Budget (PGE) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), grant number RTI2018-094217-B-C32 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE)

Vulnerability to urban flooding assessed based on spatial demographic, socio-economic and infrastructure inequalities

Urban flooding is a priority in natural risk management and mitigation because it is the most frequent natural disaster in densely urbanised environments. This research explores flood vulnerability in cities by developing an index that can be easily implemented across the world. Our methodology is based on the arrangement of a series variables into three different classes (demography, socioeconomics and infrastructure) and the determination of their spatial variability through a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We tested the proposed approach in the city of Santander (Spain) where a vulnerability index map was generated based on the combination of the proposed classes. The analysis show that we can reduce complexity from an initially identified 159 relevant variables to 16 representative and impactful variables in terms of spatial variance. Classification of the variables into three different classes made it possible to quantify the main causes of vulnerability to flooding across space. We produce a flood risk map by integrating our findings with a flood hazard map for the same area. This flood risk map gives urban planners detailed information about the most affected areas and allows them to design measures that mitigate the severity and effects of floods optimising available resources

GomJau-Hogg´s Notation for Automatic Generation of k-Uniform Tessellations with ANTWERP v3.0

ABSTRACT: Euclidean tilings are constantly applied to many fields of engineering (mechanical, civil, chemical, etc.). These tessellations are usually named after Cundy & Rollett’s notation. However, this notation has two main problems related to ambiguous conformation and uniqueness. This communication explains the GomJau-Hogg’s notation for generating all the regular, semi-regular (uniform) and demi-regular (k-uniform, up to at least k = 3) in a consistent, unique and unequivocal manner. Moreover, it presents Antwerp v3.0, a free online application, which is publicly shared to prove that all the basic tilings can be obtained directly from the GomJau-Hogg’s notation

Novel Technique for Obtaining Double-Layer Tensegrity Grids

Double-layer tensegrity grids (DLTGs) may be defined as tensegrity spatial systems containing two parallel horizontal networks of members in tension forming the top and bottom layers, whose nodes are linked by vertical and/or inclined bracing members in compression and/or tension. In this paper, a new approach is described. Conventional double-layer grids (DLGs) are composed of three layers: top, bottom and bracing members. This paper shows new rules for generating original DLGs following a recent methodology for their composition, from the mosaic of the bracing members and additional laws. Finally, from them, a new technique, known as Rot- Umbela manipulation, is applied to obtain their tensegrity form, opening and endless catalogue of DLTGs

Information Management and Improvement of Citation Indices

Bibliometrics and citation analysis have become an important set of methods for library and information science, as well as an exceptional source of information and knowledge for many other areas. Their main sources are citation indices, which are bibliographic databases like Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, etc. However, bibliographical databases lack perfection and standardization. There are several software tools that perform useful information management and bibliometric analysis importing data from them. A comparison has been carried out to identify which of them perform certain pre-processing tasks. Usually, they are not strong enough to detect all the duplications, mistakes, misspellings and variant names, leaving to the user the tedious and time-consuming task of correcting the data. Furthermore, some of them do not import datasets from different citation indices, but mainly from Web of Science (WoS). A new software tool, called STICCI.eu (Software Tool for Improving and Converting Citation Indices - enhancing uniformity), which is freely available online, has been created to solve these problems. STICCI.eu is able to do conversions between bibliographical citation formats (WoS, Scopus, CSV, BibTex, RIS), correct the usual mistakes appearing in those databases, detect duplications, misspellings, etc., identify and transform the full or abbreviated titles of the journals, homogenize toponymical names of countries and relevant cities or regions and list the processed data in terms of the most cited authors, journals, references, etc

Structural analysis of a deployable double-layer tensegrity grid

Congreso celebrado en la Escuela de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Sevilla desde el 24 hasta el 26 de junio de 2015.Different methods have been used recently to discover new families of a type of space frame: Double- Layer Tensegrity Grids (DLTGs). The main objective of this work is analyzing the process for the design and calculation of a specific deployable DLTG (DDLTG) at full scale (4x4x1 m) composed by 16 modules of 1x1x1 m. Three CAD/CAE tools were used for these purposes: ToyGL, Matlab/Octave, and Midas Civil. It was necessary to create an intermediate platform to exchange data and information between both tools, the ToyGL Processor, based on user-defined functions written in VBA for Microsoft Excel. The methodology was validated by comparing the results obtained by the first two software tools with those provided by Midas Civil. As a conclusion, ToyGL is reliable and accurate in terms of the definition of geometry, distribution of stresses and forces, reactions, states of self-stress, mechanisms, etc

Quantitative evaluation of overlaying discrepancies in mobile augmented reality applications for AEC/FM

Augmented Reality (AR) is a trending technology that provides a live view of the real and physical environment augmented by virtual elements, enhancing the information of the scene with digital information (sound, video, graphics, text or geo-location). Its application to architecture, engineering and construction, and facility management (AEC/FM) is straightforward and can be very useful to improve the on-site work at different stages of the projects. However, one of the most important limitations of Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) is the lack of accuracy when the screen overlays the virtual models on the real images captured by the camera. The main reasons are errors related to tracking (positioning and orientation of the mobile device) and image capture and processing (projection and distortion issues). This paper shows a new methodology to mathematically perform a quantitative evaluation, in world coordinates, of those overlaying discrepancies on the screen, obtaining the real-scale distances from any real point to the sightlines of its virtual projections for any AR application. Additionally, a new utility for filtering built-in sensor signals in mobile devices is presented: the Drift-Vibration-Threshold function (DVT), a straightforward tool to filter the drift suffered by most sensor-based tracking systems

Método de mitigación de impacto visual.

Un método para mitigar el impacto visual de una obra de infraestructura, en el que, a partir de un modelo digital del terreno, de una representación geométrica de la intrusión visual causada por una obra de infraestructura en una zona de observación, de una representación geométrica de dicha zona de observación desde la que se visualiza dicha intrusión visual y de una altura de una posible barrera de mitigación a levantar, se realizan las siguientes etapas: calcular numéricamente una superficie del lugar geométrico de los rayos visuales trazados desde dicha zona de observación hasta dicha representación geométrica de la intrusión visual; calcular numéricamente una superficie desplazada de dicho modelo digital del terreno una distancia definida por dicha altura; encontrar todas las curvas de intersección de ambas superficies; de toda la superficie abarcada por dichas curvas de intersección, delimitar la o las regiones en donde dicha superficie desplazada queda por encima de dicha superficie del lugar geométrico de los rayos visuales, siendo dicha región o regiones las zonas donde se consigue mitigar el impacto visual de dicha obra de infraestructura con barreras de altura.Solicitud: 201001331 (13.10.2010)Nº Pub. de Solicitud: ES2353103A1 (25.02.2011)Nº de Patente: ES2353103B2 (02.08.2011

Torres Quevedo's mechanical calculator for second-degree equations with complex coefficients

Leonardo Torres Quevedo worked intensively in analogue calculating machines during the last years of the 19th century. The algebraic calculators were calculating machines in which numbers are represented by quantities of a given physical magnitude(s). The physical result is a magnitude of a physical quantity whose measurement in the coherent unit is the result of the algebraic equation. This article shows the three-dimensional (3D) modelling, virtual reconstruction and simulation of the first mechanical calculating machine for solving second-degree equations with complex coefficients, to prove that the functionality was correct and the machine could be built. Sketches of said machine provide enough information on the shape and mechanisms of the machine. By means of the simulation, it has been possible to prove its operation and feasibility of construction so that it is possible to replicate it as a real physical model. The mechanical calculator for second-degree equations with complex coefficients constituted a major milestone in the technological development of the time and helped to originate and improve the design of other algebraic calculators like the machine for solving eighth-degree equations