The expected effect of the euro on the Hungarian monetary transmission

The most important mechanism through which monetary policy affects the real economy in Hungary is the exchange rate channel. With euro adoption, this mechanism will largely disappear and the impact of monetary policy will be transmitted via the interest rate channel, presently seen as rather weak. This has raised concerns that the influence of monetary policy on the real economy in Hungary could be very limited after euro adoption. On top of this, other concerns have been voiced as regards potential asymmetries in the wage-setting behaviour, the exchange rate and credit channels. Based on the experience of today’s euro area participating countries and the structural characteristics of the Hungarian economy, this paper argues that after euro adoption 1) we may expect a broadening of the scope of the interest rate channel of monetary policy after euro adoption, 2) there are no institutional obstacles in the way of the effective functioning of the expectations channel in Hungary 3) substantially different monetary conditions from that in the euro area as a result of a different trade orientation are unlikely, and, finally 4) some asymmetries in the balance sheet channel may continue to exist for some time between Hungary and the core euro area countries but its effect will be significantly smaller after euro zone entry.monetary transmission mechanism, transmission channels, EMU participation.

Part1: Masonry Arch Bridges

This textbook has been written to provide civil and structural engineering students and professionals with background information needed to test and assess masonry arch bridges with the help of non-destructive tools. This textbook focuses on methods of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) for railway masonry arch bridges primarily but the methodology described can be used on highway structures as well. Various NDT methods are shown and compared considering several aspects such as cost efficiency, reliability of measured data, easiness of implementation, level of disturbance to traffic, etc. The principles of the methods and the required equipment for their use are briefly described. Results of field tests are discussed that were performed by the Structural Diagnostics and Analysis Research Group of the University of Pécs in co-operation with Eötvös Loránd Geophysical Institute and ORISOFT Engineering Consulting Ltd., Hungary. The text also includes descriptions of investigations and experiences gained by tests carried out at European railway administrations Special attention is given to and detailed guidance is provided in this document on the following methods: georadar, seismic tomography, infrared thermography and boroscopy. This textbook should be considered as an initial document, as it does not fully explore the full range of possibilities for non-destructive inspection of arch bridges. These techniques constitute a continuously developing topic that still require a great deal of research. It is also recommended therefore that students become thoroughly familiar with the most current recommended practices as well. The author hopes that this textbook will interest a new generation of young people in considering their careers in bridge engineering and non-destructive testing of historical structures

Effects of sub-base surface roughness on shrinkage cracking of industrial floors

Avoiding the formation of shrinkage cracks is one of the most important tasks in construction of concrete industrial floors. Cracks appear on the surface of floors when the nonlinear processes in the structure lead to internal stresses that exceed the actual tensile strength of the concrete. The tensile stresses developed depend on the constrained deformation of the floor during shrinkage and the elastic modulus of the material of the concrete slab. However, on the top surface of the floor, the tensile stresses can be increased, if the shrinkage deformations are constrained by the uneven evaporation and the generated friction between the sub-base and the floor. The value of friction coefficient is depended primarily on the surface roughness of the subbase and the type of polyethylene foil used between the sub-base and the concrete slab. The paper presents the results of experimental investigations on the friction coefficient and the effects of its value on the cracking process of industrial concrete floor slabs

Számítási modellek és diagnosztikai eljárások fejlesztése műemlék jellegű, falazott hídszerkezetek teherbírásának megállapítására és használhatósági követelményeinek ellenőrzésére. = Development of mechanical models and diagnosis procedures for the assessment of the load carrying capacity and serviceability of historical masonry bridges.

A tégla és kőanyagú boltozott hidak igen jelentős részét képezik a hídállománynak hazánkban és világszerte. A boltozatos hidak a hídállomány legrégebbi szerkezetei, terhelési körülményeik az építésük óta eltelt időszakban drasztikus változásokon mentek keresztül. A megnövekedett igénybevételek és azok várható további növekedése számos aggályt vet fel a boltozatos hidak jövőjével kapcsolatban: Mekkora a boltozott hidak biztonsága a mostani igénybevételekkel szemben? Ellenállnak-e majd a jövőbeni igénybevételeknek? Mekkora a várható élettartamuk? Az előbbi kérdések megválaszolása és a problémakör megoldása a hídgazdálkodás egyik legnagyobb gazdasági jelentőséggel bíró feladata. Reményeink szerint kutatásunk eredményei ehhez hasznos és a gyakorlatban alkalmazható segítséget nyújt majd. A kutatás keretében egy olyan eljárás került kifejlesztésre tipikus kialakítású boltozott hidak megbízhatóságának megállapítására, amely magában foglalja a teherbírás és a használhatóság értékelését, valamint segítséget nyújt a várható élettartam meghatározására. Az eljárás elemeinek kidolgozásához statisztikai elemzést hajtottunk végre a hazai és az európai boltozott vasúti hídállományon, numerikus vizsgálatokat hajtottunk végre a hidak szerkezeti viselkedésének elemzésére, új eljárásokat vezettünk le a hidak megbízhatóságának és használhatóságának értékelésére, valamint diagnosztikai eljárásokat fejlesztettünk ki a számításokhoz szükséges bemenő paraméterek meghatározására. | Masonry arch bridges form an integral part of the railway infrastructure in Europe and throughout the world. They are the oldest structure type in the bridge population. Accordingly there is a potential doubt as to the adequacy of masonry bridges to withstand increased axle loads, train speeds and a greater volume of traffic in the future. What are their reliability against current loading effects? Can they resist foreseeable future loads? What are their remaining service life? Answering the above questions and solving the whole range of the problem is considered one of the most important tasks of bridge management. It is hoped that the results of our research will help solving this problem by providing effective practical tools. In the frame of the research a multi-level assessment procedure has been developed for typical masonry arch bridges. The procedure consists the assessment of load carrying capacity and serviceability and helps determine the expected service life. The elements of the procedure are based on the results obtained by the completion of the following tasks: - Statistical analysis on the Hungarian and European masonry arch bridge stock. - Numerical analyses on the structural behaviour. - Development of new approximation methods for the assessment of reliability and serviceability. - Development of non-destrcutive testing procedures for the determination of input parameters for the calculations

Assessing the Reliability of Single and Combined Diagnostic Tools for Testing the Mechanical Properties of Historic Masonry Structures

Diagnostics is an important and challenging task of the structural analysis and condition assessment of historic masonry structures. However the interpretation of the results of the measurements, especially for buildings made from brick and stone, is to be more subjective than that for concrete structures. Therefore improvement of the reliability of the used techniques and finding better correlations between the test results and the mechanical properties of masonry has proven to be of great importance. While several diagnostic procedures are commonly used in practice to test mechanical properties of masonry, e.g. Schmidt hammer test, analysis of drilled samples, penetration tests, etc. the results of these methods are considered reliable under laboratory conditions, several additional factors have to be taken into account in case of an in-situ application of these methods, that may largely affect the obtained results and conclusions. The results of the diagnostic procedures therefore need to be interpreted with a view to these environmental factors. The paper focuses on the practical use of several test methods for historic masonries via a real case study. The presented case study attempts to demonstrate benefits from the combined application of Pendulum Schmidt Hammer, moisture meter and scanning electron microscopy

Salt content analysis of historic masonries with SEM

This paper presents a nonstandard experimental procedure for detection of the presence of salts in building materials. The proposed tests helped modeling the deterioration of specific historical building materials caused by salts. The specimens were subject to visual survey and scanning electron microscope analyses, after submerging them in salt solutions. The results showed the damage of brick, cement based mortar and lime based mortar, caused by various concentrations of sulphate and chloride solutions. By this method various types of salt crystals could be identified. In cement and lime based mortars larger extents of salt deposits were found. A relevant difference between the control samples and the salt treated samples was observed

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

Új rendszerszintű szintézis algoritmusok kutatása a software fejlesztés elveinek és módszertanának kiterjesztése révén = Research for new algorithms in system level synthesis by extending the principles and methodology of software development

Optimális és közelítő algoritmusok a hardver-szoftver partícionálásra Új gráfelméleti modellt dolgoztunk ki, amely az ismert modellekkel szemben matematikailag jól kezelhető és gyakorlatban használható partícionáló algoritmusok készíthetők hozzá. Új komponens alapú hardver-szoftver együttes tervezési módszertan Az új módszertan lehetővé teszi összetett hardver-szoftver rendszerek tervezésének korai szakaszában egy szimulálható prototípus egyszerű létrehozását. Ez a megközelítés a szoftver technológia területén elterjedt komponens alapú tervezést általánosítja hardver komponensekre is, így a tervezőnek csak a funkcionalitásra kell koncentrálnia. Szisztematikus eljárás magas szintű nyelven megirt algoritmusból uniformizált hardver felépítés közvetlen generálására Az eljárással alkalmazás- specifikus hardver képezhető magas szintű (C) nyelven írt forráskód alapján. Kiválasztható szoftver specifikációs részeket hardverré lehet lefordítani anélkül, hogy a forráskódban lényeges változtatást kellene tenni. Új módszer komplex és adaptálható funkcionális egységekből (IP-kből) történő rendszerszintézisre A módszer egyaránt képes kezelni előre megadott és a tervezés során kiadódó IP-ket. Egyaránt lehetséges az időbeli átfedésen alapuló allokáció optimális és közelítő végrehajtása a szükséges IP-k számának minimalizálása mellett, figyelembe véve a költséget és a funkcionális egységek ismételt felhasználását (reuse). | Optimal and approaching algorithms for the hardware-software partitioning A new graph model has been elaborated, which -compared with earlier models in the literature- provides mathematically easy-to-use practical partitioning algorithms. New methodology for component-based hardware-software codesign The new method makes possible to construct an easy-to-simulate prototype on the early design stage of hardware-software systems. This approach generalizes the component-based software design concept to hardware components, as well. Therefore, the designer may focus only on the functionality. Systematic procedure for the direct converting of algorithms described in a high-level programming language into a uniform hardware structure A procedure has been developed which defines an application-specific hardware structure from a source code written in the high-level language C. Parts of the software specification can be selected for converting into hardware without any significant changes in the source code. New method for system-level synthesis applying complex and adaptable functional components (IPs) The method can handle complex functional units (IPs) both given in advance and defined during the design. Based on the time-concurrence, the allocation phase can provide both optimal and approaching solutions for minimizing the number of IPs by considering the cost and reuse