Establishing model uncertainty of SLS reinforced concrete crack models applied to load-induced cracking

Although some research has been performed, serviceability limit state (SLS) concrete crack models have yet to be calibrated fully in probabilistic terms in structural design standards. This is partly due to the fact that the SLS is generally not the critical limit state in structural design. However, in some specialist structures such as water retaining structures, the SLS such as cracking is the limiting design criterion, specifically the crack width required to control leakage and thus requires a proper probabilistic analysis. In probabilistic crack models, the reliability of the crack model is determined by the performance function whereby the design limiting crack width is greater than the estimated crack width calculated using the appropriate design crack model. As cracking in concrete is a random mechanism with a high degree of variability and crack models tend to be at least semi-empirical with inherent uncertainty, model uncertainty of the crack model is significant and is applied in the reliability model as a random variable. A database was established of both short and long term cracking experimental data for the tension load case to quantify model uncertainty. However, the data for long term cracking is limited which meant that the model uncertainty in this case was not definitively established. This paper discusses the determination of model uncertainty for tension cracking, which could be extrapolated to other models where data is limited

LIFE: Costing the digital preservation lifecycle

Having confidence in the permanence of a digital resource requires a deep understanding of the preservation activities that will need to be performed throughout its lifetime, and an ability to plan and resource for those activities. The LIFE (Lifecycle Information for E-Literature) Project1 has advanced understanding of the short and long-term costs in this complex area, facilitating better planning, comparison and evaluation of digital lifecycles. The LIFE Project created a digital lifecycle model based on previous work undertaken on the lifecycles of paper-based materials. It applied the model to real-life collections, modelling their lifecycles and studying their constituent processes. The results were then used to estimate the costs of each element of the digital lifecycle. Organisations can now apply this process, enabling evaluation and refinement of their existing lifecycles and facilitating more effective planning for the preservation of newly acquired content. Phase 2 of the LIFE Project began in February 2007. It is evaluating and refining the models and methodology developed in the first phase of the project and developing lifecycle costings for a range of further case studies

Practical implications of research into the client's experience of counselling

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

IT stereotypes in television shows

Despite over 20 years of Information Technology (IT) intervention programs, the proportion of females in the discipline has decreased this century. The depiction of the IT profession on television is a significant source of information about IT careers and may influence student career decisions. In this study, the ways in which male and female IT expert characters were portrayed in five television shows were examined and compared. While many existing stereotypes were challenged, all IT expert characters displayed some stereotypical characteristics, with IT technicians portrayed in the most stereotypical way. Female characters were not as stereotypical as males; but also not well recognised. We posit that the male “geek” technician stereotype overshadows any alternative depictions of IT professionals and reinforces masculinization of the discipline. We suggest that parents and influential adults, the primary audience of these shows, should be included in any future discussions to break down IT media stereotypes

Helen Ward Nunan Correspondence

Entries include brief biographical information, a typed letter with some biographical information, documentation of a newspaper clipping, and typed correspondence from the Maine State Library

Anna Curtis Chandler Correspondence

Entries include a typed letter from Fish on Fred A. Stokes Company Publishers, Canada, stationery, correspondence from the Maine State Library to Chandler at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Library, and handwritten letters from Chandler on personal stationery

Helen Leidy Hamlin Correspondence

Entries include letters, a biography, newspaper clippings including photographic images of Hamlin\u27s family from her first marriage, a publisher advertisement, and notes about a new marriage partne

Alfred Noyes Correspondence

Entries include brief biographical information and typed transcripts of correspondence from the Maine State Library