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Increasing structural robustness is the goal which is of interest for structural engineering community. The partial collapse of RC buildings is subject of this dissertation. Understanding the robustness of RC buildings will guide the development of safer structures against abnormal loading scenarios such as; explosions, earthquakes, fine, and/or long-term accumulation effects leading to deterioration or fatigue. Any of these may result in local immediate structural damage, that can propagate to the rest of the structure causing what is known by the disproportionate collapse.
This work handels collapse propagation through various analytical approaches which simplifies the mechanical description of damaged reinfoced concrete structures due to extreme acidental event.
Environmental and operational variables and their impact on structural responses have been acknowledged as one of the most important challenges for the application of the ambient vibration-based damage identification in structures. The damage detection procedures may yield poor results, if the impacts of loading and environmental conditions of the structures are not considered.
The reference-surface-based method, which is proposed in this thesis, is addressed to overcome this problem. In the proposed method, meta-models are used to take into account significant effects of the environmental and operational variables. The usage of the approximation models, allows the proposed method to simply handle multiple non-damaged variable effects simultaneously, which for other methods seems to be very complex. The input of the meta-model are the multiple non-damaged variables while the output is a damage indicator.
The reference-surface-based method diminishes the effect of the non-damaged variables to the vibration based damage detection results. Hence, the structure condition that is assessed by using ambient vibration data at any time would be more reliable. Immediate reliable information regarding the structure condition is required to quickly respond to the event, by means to take necessary actions concerning the future use or further investigation of the structures, for instance shortly after extreme events such as earthquakes.
The critical part of the proposed damage detection method is the learning phase, where the meta-models are trained by using input-output relation of observation data. Significant problems that may encounter during the learning phase are outlined and some remedies to overcome the problems are suggested.
The proposed damage identification method is applied to numerical and experimental models. In addition to the natural frequencies, wavelet energy and stochastic subspace damage indicators are used.
The construction and operation of a sanitary landfill (SLF) in the Philippines presents concerns on the regulation of the activities of the informal sector in the area. In anticipation of these directives, an association of informal waste reclaimers group called Uswag Calajunan Livelihood Association, Inc. (UCLA) was formed in May 2009. One option identified was the waste-to-energy activity through the production of fuel briquettes. With the availability of raw materials in the area, what was lacking then was an appropriate technology that would cater to their needs. This study, therefore, presented the case of UCLA on how socio-economic and technical aspects was integrated for the development and improvement of a briquetting technology needed in the production of quality briquettes as part of their income generating activities. A non-experimental posttest only design was utilized for the collection of descriptive information. Descriptions and discussions were also made on the enhancement of the briquetting machine from the first hand-press molder developed until the finalized design was attained.
Results revealed that the improved briquetting technology withstood the wear and tear of operation showing a significant (P<0.01) increase on the production rate (220 pcs/hr; 4 kg/hr) and bulk density (444.83 kg/m3) of briquettes produced. The quality of cylindrical briquettes produced in terms of bulk density, heating value (15.13 MJ/kg), moisture (6.2%), N and S closely met or has met the requirements of DIN 51731. Based on the operating expenses, the briquettes may be marked-up to Php0.25/pc (USD0.006) or Php15.00/kg (USD0.34) for profit generation. The potential daily earnings of Php130.00 (USD2.95) to Php288.56 (USD6.56) generated in producing briquettes are higher when compared to the majority of waste reclaimers’ daily income of Php124.00 (USD2.82). The high positive response (93%) on the usability of briquettes and the willingness of the respondents (81%) to buy them when sold in the market indicates its promising potential as fuel in the nearby communities. Results of briquette production citing the case of UCLA could be considered as potential source of income given the social, technical, economic and environmental feasibility of the experiment. This method of utilizing wastes in an urban setting of a developing country with similar socio-economic and physical set-ups may also be recommended for testing or replication.
This research represents an effort made towards contribute to the critical thinking from an analysis of the hegemonic neoliberal ideology, which supports the idea of the end of history and the technocratic universalism which in turn implies the imposition of a single model of life, denying, in the name of realism and the end of utopias, any other alternative possibility.
This makes it necessary to recover the critical thinking to analyze and understand the reality, thus overcoming the ideological barrier towards claiming that things can be otherwise.
It is clear from this research that the discourse of sustainable development has unquestionably transformed the context and content of political activity in Europe. This discourse has exercised and obvious influence in the Governance processes, mainly because it has contributed to the introduction of a new political field, which was then promoted, either explicitly or implicitly by policy-makers, researchers on the field and practitioners during the last three decades. Though it may be bold to affirm that the discourse of sustainable development is the sole driver of these whole set of changes, there is no doubt that it has played a key part in the way in which the governance priorities have been handled in the European continent.
The underlying goal of this work is to reduce the uncertainty related to thermally induced stress prediction. This is accomplished by considering use of non-linear material behavior, notably path dependent thermal hysteresis behavior in the elastic properties.
Primary novel factors of this work center on two aspects.
1. Broad material characterization and mechanistic material understanding, giving insight into why this class of material behaves in characteristic manners.
2. Development and implementation of a thermal hysteresis material model and its use to determine impact on overall macroscopic stress predictions.
Results highlight microcracking evolution and behavior as the dominant mechanism for material property complexity in this class of materials. Additionally, it was found that for the cases studied, thermal hysteresis behavior impacts relevant peak stress predictions of a heavy-duty diesel particulate filter undergoing a drop-to-idle regeneration by less than ~15% for all conditions tested. It is also found that path independent heating curves may be utilized for a linear solution assumption to simplify analysis.
This work brings forth a newly conceived concept of a 3 state, 4 path, thermally induced microcrack evolution process; demonstrates experimental behavior that is consistent with the proposed mechanisms, develops a mathematical framework that describes the process and quantifies the impact in a real world application space.
This study permits a reliability analysis to solve the mechanical behaviour issues existing in the current structural design of fabric structures. Purely predictive material models are highly desirable to facilitate an optimized design scheme and to significantly reduce time and cost at the design stage, such as experimental characterization.
The present study examined the role of three major tasks; a) single-objective optimization, b) sensitivity analyses and c) multi-objective optimization on proposed weave structures for woven fabric composites. For single-objective optimization task, the first goal is to optimize the elastic properties of proposed complex weave structure under unit cells basis based on periodic boundary conditions.
We predict the geometric characteristics towards skewness of woven fabric composites via Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) and a parametric study. We also demonstrate the effect of complex weave structures on the fray tendency in woven fabric composites via tightness evaluation. We utilize a procedure which does not require a numerical averaging process for evaluating the elastic properties of woven fabric composites. The fray tendency and skewness of woven fabrics depends upon the behaviour of the floats which is related to the factor of weave. Results of this study may suggest a broader view for further research into the effects of complex weave structures or may provide an alternative to the fray and skewness problems of current weave structure in woven fabric composites.
A comprehensive study is developed on the complex weave structure model which adopts the dry woven fabric of the most potential pattern in singleobjective optimization incorporating the uncertainties parameters of woven fabric composites. The comprehensive study covers the regression-based and variance-based sensitivity analyses. The second task goal is to introduce the fabric uncertainties parameters and elaborate how they can be incorporated into finite element models on macroscopic material parameters such as elastic modulus and shear modulus of dry woven fabric subjected to uni-axial and biaxial deformations. Significant correlations in the study, would indicate the need for a thorough investigation of woven fabric composites under uncertainties parameters. The study describes here could serve as an alternative to identify effective material properties without prolonged time consumption and expensive experimental tests.
The last part focuses on a hierarchical stochastic multi-scale optimization approach (fine-scale and coarse-scale optimizations) under geometrical uncertainties parameters for hybrid composites considering complex weave structure. The fine-scale optimization is to determine the best lamina pattern that maximizes its macroscopic elastic properties, conducted by EA under the following uncertain mesoscopic parameters: yarn spacing, yarn height, yarn width and misalignment of yarn angle. The coarse-scale optimization has been carried out to optimize the stacking sequences of symmetric hybrid laminated composite plate with uncertain mesoscopic parameters by employing the Ant Colony Algorithm (ACO). The objective functions of the coarse-scale optimization are to minimize the cost (C) and weight (W) of the hybrid laminated composite plate considering the fundamental frequency and the buckling load factor as the design constraints.
Based on the uncertainty criteria of the design parameters, the appropriate variation required for the structural design standards can be evaluated using the reliability tool, and then an optimized design decision in consideration of cost can be subsequently determined.
As human thought was developing, likewise, the technology used for illumination was growing. But a haul through history, reviewing its pages and analyzing it, inherently brings up old and new question, like: Is it possible to alter negatively the image of historic buildings and monuments through inadequate lighting to the degree of distorting the perception that people have of the work? and if so, what are the causes that generate it? Do the light designers take into consideration criteria to protect not only historic buildings and monuments, but also the environment? What are the consequences that may generate the inadequate lighting of urban heritage to the environment? What are the factors to consider for a proper illumination of urban heritage? The answers to these questions will help lay the foundation for proper illumination of the urban heritage, avoiding at the maximum the light pollution and the effects that it generates, seeking a balance and harmonious reconciliation between the technology, urban heritage and environment, taking as a framework and the case study the urban heritage of a city from the colonial era in southern Mexico, with pre-Hispanic roots and where today you can still see through its streets and buildings an atmosphere of mysticism reflection of their folklore and traditions, this city is known as Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas.
Die Einflüsse polymerer Zusätze auf die Ausbildung der Mikrostruktur im frühen Stadium der Erhärtung und auf die Eigenschaften, insbesondere die Dauerhaftigkeit der modifizierten Mörtel wurden erforscht. Es sollte die Frage beantwortet werden, ob durch die Modifizierung die Dauerhaftigkeit von Mörteln mehr verbessert werden kann, als dies durch übliche betontechnologische Maßnahmen möglich ist. Die Ausbildung der Mikrostruktur in den ersten 24 Stunden der Erhärtung wurde mit verschiedenen Methoden, u.a. mittels ESEM, untersucht. Es wurden Modellvorstellungen zur Ausbildung der organischen Matrix und der anorganischen Matrix entwickelt: Interaktionen sind Adsorptionsreaktionen, Agglomerationen und Behinderung der Hydratation. Es wurden Frisch- und Festmörteluntersuchungen beschrieben und interpretiert. Unterschiedliche Dauerhaftigkeitsuntersuchungen wurden durchgeführt und bewertet. Die Mikrostruktur der Festmörtel wurde hinsichtlich ihres Einflusses auf die Dauerhaftigkeit betrachtet.
This dissertation is devoted to the theoretical development and experimental laboratory verification of a new damage localization method: The state projection estimation error (SP2E). This method is based on the subspace identification of mechanical structures, Krein space based H-infinity estimation and oblique projections. To explain method SP2E, several theories are discussed and laboratory experiments have been conducted and analysed.
A fundamental approach of structural dynamics is outlined first by explaining mechanical systems based on first principles. Following that, a fundamentally different approach, subspace identification, is comprehensively explained. While both theories, first principle and subspace identification based mechanical systems, may be seen as widespread methods, barely known and new techniques follow up. Therefore, the indefinite quadratic estimation theory is explained. Based on a Popov function approach, this leads to the Krein space based H-infinity theory. Subsequently, a new method for damage identification, namely SP2E, is proposed. Here, the introduction of a difference process, the analysis by its average process power and the application of oblique projections is discussed in depth.
Finally, the new method is verified in laboratory experiments. Therefore, the identification of a laboratory structure at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences is elaborated. Then structural alterations are experimentally applied, which were localized by SP2E afterwards. In the end four experimental sensitivity studies are shown and discussed. For each measurement series the structural alteration was increased, which was successfully tracked by SP2E. The experimental results are plausible and in accordance with the developed theories. By repeating these experiments, the applicability of SP2E for damage localization is experimentally proven.
The task-based view of web search implies that retrieval should take the user perspective into account. Going beyond merely retrieving the most relevant result set for the current query, the retrieval system should aim to surface results that are actually useful to the task that motivated the query.
This dissertation explores how retrieval systems can better understand and support their users’ tasks from three main angles: First, we study and quantify search engine user behavior during complex writing tasks, and how task success and behavior are associated in such settings. Second, we investigate search engine queries formulated as questions, and explore patterns in a large query log that may help search engines to better support this increasingly prevalent interaction pattern. Third, we propose a novel approach to reranking the search result lists produced by web search engines, taking into account retrieval axioms that formally specify properties of a good ranking.
In this work, practice-based research is conducted to rethink the understanding of aesthetics, especially in relation to current media art. Granted, we live in times when technologies merge with living organisms, but we also live in times that provide unlimited resources of knowledge and maker tools. I raise the question: In what way does the hybridization of living organisms and non-living technologies affect art audiences in the culture that may be defined as Maker culture? My hypothesis is that active participation of an audience in an artwork is inevitable for experiencing the artwork itself, while also suggesting that the impact of the umwelt changes the perception of an artwork. I emphasize artistic projects that unfold through mutual interaction among diverse peers, including humans, non-human organisms, and machines. In my thesis, I pursue collaborative scenarios that lead to the realization of artistic ideas: (1) the development of ideas by others influenced by me and (2) the materialization of my own ideas influenced by others. By developing the scenarios of collaborative work as an artistic experience, I conclude that the role of an artist in Maker culture is to mediate different types of knowledge and different positions, whereas the role of the audience is to actively engage in the artwork itself. At the same time, aesthetics as experience is triggered by the other, including living and non-living actors. It is intended that the developed methodologies could be further adapted in artistic practices, philosophy, anthropology, and environmental studies.
Die vorliegende Dissertation zeigt am Beispiel der Entwicklung eines modernen geriatrischen Zentrums, dass Architektur einen eigenständigen Beitrag dazu leisten kann, die Probleme des Alters in der heutigen Gesellschaft anzunehmen und zu bewältigen. Die Arbeit setzt zum einen an stadtplanerischen Defiziten der vergangenen Jahrzehnte an und verdeutlicht, wie ein bedürfnisgerechtes, innerstädtisches geriatrisches Zentrum dem Leitbild der „humanen Stadt“ zu entsprechen vermag, um damit die Stadt wieder zu einem multifunktionalen Erlebnisraum für alle Bevölkerungsgruppen werden zu lassen. Zum anderen greift sie die aktuelle gesundheitspolitische Debatte auf und weist nach, dass ein solches Zentrum als integrierte Verbundlösung, die alle Versorgungsstrukturen unter einem Dach anbietet, ideal dazu geeignet ist, die Anforderungen unserer Zeit auf geriatrischem und pflegerischem Gebiet zu erfüllen. Die Anforderungen an eine derartige Einrichtung sind umfangreich und differenziert. Sie werden unter Heranziehung aktueller Forschungsergebnisse aus stadtsoziologischer, psychologischer, gerontologischer und sozialökologischer Sicht hergeleitet und in praktische architektonische bzw. baukonstruktive Handlungsanweisungen umgesetzt. Als zentrale, übergeordnete Anforderungen neben optimaler medizinischer und pflegerischer Betreuung werden herausgearbeitet: 1. Erhöhung der Lebenszufriedenheit der Bewohner 2. Stärkung der Autonomie und Selbstständigkeit der älteren Menschen 3. Befolgung des Grundsatzes >Prävention vor Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation vor Pflege< 4. Förderung eines selbstbestimmten Lebens in vertrauter Umgebung bis ins hohe Alter 5. Gewährung von Geborgenheits- und Heimatgefühlen 6. Gemeinwesenorientierung und enge Anbindung an die Strukturen des Quartiers 7. Erhaltung bzw. Stärkung der sozialen Integration der älteren und kranken Menschen 8. Förderung eines hohen Aktivitätsniveaus und einer anspruchsvollen Freizeitgestaltung 9. Bereitstellung einer anregenden sowie sicheren, weil Orientierung gebenden Umgebung Das vorgestellte geriatrische Zentrum bildet die architektonische Entsprechung zum gesellschaftlichen Strukturwandel des Alters und zu den gesundheits- und pflegepolitischen Entwicklungen unserer Zeit und leistet damit einen eigenständigen Beitrag, die gesundheitlichen und sozialen Probleme alter Menschen in unserer Gesellschaft zu lindern, in dem nutzerorientierte Gebäudestrukturen geschaffen werden, die einem integrativen Netzwerk aus Wohn-, Therapie- und Pflegeformen Raum geben. Damit steht das geriatrische Zentrum beispielhaft für eine Architektur, die stets von den Bedürfnissen der Menschen ausgeht und mit baulichen Lösungen auf die sozialen Herausforderungen unserer Zeit reagiert.
The Gated Community (GC) phenomenon in Latin American cities has become an inherent element of their urban development, despite academical debate, their approach thrives within the housing market; not surprisingly, as some of the premises on which GCs are based, namely safety, control and supervision intersperse seamlessly with the insecure conditions of the contexts from which they arise. The current security crisis in Mexico, triggered in 2006 by the so-called war on drugs, has reached its peak with the highest insecurity rates in decades, representing a unique chance to study these interactions. Although the leading term of this research, Urban Agoraphobia, implies a causal dichotomy between the rise in the sense of fear amongst citizens and housing confinement as lineal consequence, I acknowledge that GCs represent a complex phenomenon, a hub of diverse factors and multidimensional processes held on four fundamental levels: global, social, individual and state-related. The focus of this dissertation is set on the individual plane and contributes, from the analysis of the GC’s resident’s perspective, experiences and perceptions, to a debate that has usually been limited to the scrutiny of other drivers, disregarding the role of dweller’s underlying fears, motivations and concerns. Assuming that the current ruling security model in Mexico tends to empower its commodification rather than its collective quality, this research draws upon the use of a methodological triangulation, along conceptual and contextual analyses, to test the hypothesis that insecurity plays an increasingly major role, leading citizens into the belief that acquiring a household in a controlled and surveilled community represents a counterweight against the feared environment of the open city. The focus of the analysis lies on the internal hatch of community ties as potential palliative for the provision of a sense of security, aiming to transcend the unidimensional discourse of GCs as defined mainly by their defensive apparatus. Residents’ perspectives acquired through ethnographical analyses may provide the chance to gain an essential view into a phenomenon that further consolidates without a critical study of its actual implications, not only for Mexican cities, but also for the Latin American and global contexts.
Audiovisuelles Cut-Up
(2023)
Diese Forschungsarbeit bezeichnet und analysiert ein ästhetisches Phänomen audiovisueller Arbeiten mit sehr schnellen Schnitten. Der Begriff „Audiovisuelles Cut-Up“ wird vorgeschlagen um dieses Phänomen zu bezeichnen. Verschiedenste audiovisuelle Arbeiten aus unterschiedlichen Kontexten werden analysiert, welche das formale Kriterium von extrem kurzen Einstellungen erfüllen – einschließlich der eigenen Forschungsbeiträge des Autors. Die Werkzeuge und Technologien, welche die neuartige Ästhetik ermöglichten werden vorgestellt. Oftmals wurden diese von den Künstlern selbst geschaffen, da fertige Lösungen nicht verfügbar waren. Audiovisuelle Cut-Ups werden nach Kontext und Medium systematisiert und verortet. Es schließen sich Beobachtungen an, in wie fern Audio und Video sich in ihrem Charakter unterscheiden, was die kleinste wahrnehmbare Einheit ist und welche Rolle Latenzen und Antizipation bei der Wahrnehmung von audiovisuellen Medien spielen.
Drei Hauptthesen werden Aufgestellt: 1. Audiovisuelles Cut-Up hat die Kraft winzige, vormals überdeckte Details deutlich zu machen. Damit kann es das Quellmaterial verdichten aber auch den Inhalt manipulieren. 2. Technische Entwicklungen haben das audiovisuelle Cut-Up hervorgerufen. 3. Heute ist die Ästhetik als ein Stilmittel im Werkzeugkasten audiovisueller Gestaltung etabliert.
Bauablaufplänen kommt bei der Realisierung von Bauprojekten eine zentrale Rolle zu. Sie dienen der Koordination von Schnittstellen und bilden für die am Projekt Beteiligten die Grundlage für ihre individuelle Planung. Eine verlässliche Terminplanung ist daher von großer Bedeutung, tatsächlich sind aber gerade Bauablaufpläne für ihre Unzuverlässigkeit bekannt.
Aufgrund der langen Vorlaufzeiten bei der Planung von Bauprojekten sind zum Zeitpunkt der Planung viele Informationen nur als Schätzwerte bekannt. Auf der Grundlage dieser geschätzten und damit mit Unsicherheiten behafteten Daten werden im Bauwesen deterministische Terminpläne erstellt. Kommt es während der Realisierung zu Diskrepanzen zwischen Schätzungen und Realität, erfordert dies die Anpassung der Pläne. Aufgrund zahlreicher Abhängigkeiten zwischen den geplanten Aktivitäten können einzelne Planänderungen vielfältige weitere Änderungen und Anpassungen nach sich ziehen und damit einen reibungslosen Projektablauf gefährden.
In dieser Arbeit wird ein Vorgehen entwickelt, welches Bauablaufpläne erzeugt, die im Rahmen der durch das Projekt definierten Abhängigkeiten und Randbedingungen in der Lage sind, Änderungen möglichst gut zu absorbieren. Solche Pläne, die bei auftretenden Änderungen vergleichsweise geringe Anpassungen des Terminplans erfordern, werden hier als robust bezeichnet.
Ausgehend von Verfahren der Projektplanung und Methoden zur Berücksichtigung von Unsicherheiten werden deterministische Terminpläne bezüglich ihres Verhaltens bei eintretenden Änderungen betrachtet. Hierfür werden zunächst mögliche Unsicherheiten als Ursachen für Änderungen benannt und mathematisch abgebildet. Damit kann das Verhalten von Abläufen für mögliche Änderungen betrachtet werden, indem die durch Änderungen erzwungenen angepassten Terminpläne simuliert werden. Für diese Monte-Carlo-Simulationen der angepassten Terminpläne wird sichergestellt, dass die angepassten Terminpläne logische Weiterentwicklungen des deterministischen Terminplans darstellen. Auf der Grundlage dieser Untersuchungen wird ein stochastisches Maß zur Quantifizierung der Robustheit erarbeitet, welches die Fähigkeit eines Planes, Änderungen zu absorbieren, beschreibt. Damit ist es möglich, Terminpläne bezüglich ihrer Robustheit zu vergleichen.
Das entwickelte Verfahren zur Quantifizierung der Robustheit wird in einem Optimierungsverfahren auf Basis Genetischer Algorithmen angewendet, um gezielt robuste Terminpläne zu erzeugen. An Beispielen werden die Methoden demonstriert und ihre Wirksamkeit nachgewiesen.
There is a continuous exacerbation of environmental problems in big cities of today’s world, thereby, diminishing the quality of life in them. Of particular concern is the fact that today’s megacities are evolving in the developing world without corresponding growth in the economy, infrastructure and other human development indices. As urban population continues to grow in these cities of the Global South, governing institutions are usually unable to keep pace with their social responsibilities, thus, making the issue of urban governance very critical. This is because effective and efficient urban governance is highly essential for the creation, strengthening and sustenance of governing institutions.
Lagos, a mega-city of over 15.45 million people and the most populous metropolitan area on the African continent epitomizes the fundamental grave characteristics of the emerging megacities of the Global South, thereby, constituting an apt choice in understanding the emerging megacities of the next generation. Two out of every three Lagos residents live in slums and de-humanizing physical and social conditions. Many of them sleep, work, eat and cook under highway bridges, at the mercy of weather elements.
This research, therefore, evaluated urban governance through housing administration in Africa’s largest megacity. It examines the extent of housing problems in the city, the causal factors and the culpability of government agencies statutorily responsible for the provision, control and management of housing development in Lagos - the tenth largest city in the world. A representative geographic part of the city which manifests classic characteristics of slum life, listed by Mike Davis as the largest slum in Africa and the 6th largest in the world – Ajegunle - was adopted for case study. The research design combined rigorous literature search (desk research) with quantitative and, especially, qualitative approaches to data collection. The qualitative approach was more intensely adopted because government officials often respond to enquiries with ‘official answers and data’ which may not be reliable and the study had to rely on keen observation of physical traces, social interaction and personal investigation. The cross-sectional research method was adopted. Information was solicited from house-owners, building industry professionals, sociologists and officials of relevant government agencies, through research tools like questionnaires, interviews, focused group discussions and personal observations.
The analysis and discussion of these field data, in conjunction with the information from the desk research gave a better understanding of the status-quo, which informed the recommendations proposed in the dissertation for mitigating the problems. The research discovered that many of the statutory housing agencies have the capacity to effectively discharge their responsibilities. However, it was also shown that corruption and abdication of responsibilities by the staff of these agencies constitute primary causes of the chasm between the anticipated lofty outcome from the laudable building regulations/bye-laws and the appalling reality. It also discovered that lack of political will and apathy on the part of successive Governments of Lagos State to the improvement of housing conditions of the poor masses are major causes of the housing debacle in Lagos.
Several germane and realistic recommendations for redressing the situation were subsequently proffered. These include amongst others, the conduction of an accurate census for Lagos, in conjunction with credible international agencies, as a requisite basis for effective planning of any sort. The process of obtaining legal titles for land should also be made less cumbersome, while the housing administration process should be computerized; in order to reduce inter-personal contacts between applicants and government officials to the barest minimum, as a means of curbing the wide spread corruption in the system.
Piezoelectric materials are used in several applications as sensors and actuators where they experience high stress and electric field concentrations as a result of which they may fail due to fracture. Though there are many analytical and experimental works on piezoelectric fracture mechanics. There are very few studies about damage detection, which is an interesting way to prevent the failure of these ceramics.
An iterative method to treat the inverse problem of detecting cracks and voids in piezoelectric structures is proposed. Extended finite element method (XFEM) is employed for solving the inverse problem as it allows the use of a single regular mesh for large number of iterations with different flaw geometries.
Firstly, minimization of cost function is performed by Multilevel Coordinate Search (MCS) method. The XFEM-MCS methodology is applied to two dimensional electromechanical problems where flaws considered are straight cracks and elliptical voids. Then a numerical method based on combination of classical shape derivative and level set method for front propagation used in structural optimization is utilized to minimize the cost function. The results obtained show that the XFEM-level set methodology is effectively able to determine the number of voids in a piezoelectric structure and its corresponding locations.
The XFEM-level set methodology is improved to solve the inverse problem of detecting inclusion interfaces in a piezoelectric structure. The material interfaces are implicitly represented by level sets which are identified by applying regularisation using total variation penalty terms. The formulation is presented for three dimensional structures and inclusions made of different materials are detected by using multiple level sets. The results obtained prove that the iterative procedure proposed can determine the location and approximate shape of material subdomains in the presence of higher noise levels.
Piezoelectric nanostructures exhibit size dependent properties because of surface elasticity and surface piezoelectricity. Initially a study to understand the influence of surface elasticity on optimization of nano elastic beams is performed. The boundary of the nano structure is implicitly represented by a level set function, which is considered as the design variable in the optimization process. Two objective functions, minimizing the total potential energy of a nanostructure subjected to a material volume constraint and minimizing the least square error compared to a target
displacement, are chosen for the numerical examples. The numerical examples demonstrate the importance of size and aspect ratio in determining how surface effects impact the optimized topology of nanobeams.
Finally a conventional cantilever energy harvester with a piezoelectric nano layer is analysed. The presence of surface piezoelectricity in nano beams and nano plates leads to increase in electromechanical coupling coefficient. Topology optimization of these piezoelectric structures in an energy harvesting device to further increase energy conversion using appropriately modified XFEM-level set algorithm is performed .
This thesis addresses an adaptive higher-order method based on a Geometry Independent Field approximatTion(GIFT) of polynomial/rationals plines over hierarchical T-meshes(PHT/RHT-splines).
In isogeometric analysis, basis functions used for constructing geometric models in computer-aided design(CAD) are also employed to discretize the partial differential equations(PDEs) for numerical analysis. Non-uniform rational B-Splines(NURBS) are the most commonly used basis functions in CAD. However, they may not be ideal for numerical analysis where local refinement is required.
The alternative method GIFT deploys different splines for geometry and numerical analysis. NURBS are utilized for the geometry representation, while for the field solution, PHT/RHT-splines are used. PHT-splines not only inherit the useful properties of B-splines and NURBS, but also possess the capabilities of local refinement and hierarchical structure. The smooth basis function properties of PHT-splines make them suitable for analysis purposes. While most problems considered in isogeometric analysis can be solved efficiently when the solution is smooth, many non-trivial problems have rough solutions. For example, this can be caused by the presence of re-entrant corners in the domain. For such problems, a tensor-product basis (as in the case of NURBS) is less suitable for resolving the singularities that appear since refinement propagates throughout the computational domain. Hierarchical bases and local refinement (as in the case of PHT-splines) allow for a more efficient way to resolve these singularities by adding more degrees of freedom where they are necessary. In order to drive the adaptive refinement, an efficient recovery-based error estimator is proposed in this thesis. The estimator produces a recovery solution which is a more accurate approximation than the computed numerical solution. Several two- and three-dimensional numerical investigations with PHT-splines of higher order and continuity prove that the proposed method is capable of obtaining results with higher accuracy, better convergence, fewer degrees of freedom and less computational cost than NURBS for smooth solution problems. The adaptive GIFT method utilizing PHT-splines with the recovery-based error estimator is used for solutions with discontinuities or singularities where adaptive local refinement in particular domains of interest achieves higher accuracy with fewer degrees of freedom. This method also proves that it can handle complicated multi-patch domains for two- and three-dimensional problems outperforming uniform refinement in terms of degrees of freedom and computational cost.
Container sind nicht nur das bei weitem wichtigste Transportmittel für die allermeisten Waren, mit denen wir tagtäglich zu tun haben. Container sind, vielleicht wegen ihrer schlichten, klaren Ausdruckskraft, zu dem Symbol der Globalisierung geworden und vieler Phänomene, die man mit dieser Entwicklung in Zusammenhang bringt. Dabei handelt es sich um ein durch und durch ambivalentes Symbol. Container stehen genauso für die beeindruckende Dynamik des modernen Kapitalismus und den ihm trotz aller Krisen zugrunde liegenden Optimismus wie für die Ängste und Einwände dagegen; gegen die Indifferenz eines rein auf Optimierung ausgelegten logistischen Organisationshandelns und gegen die zwangsweise Annäherung und Angleichung ehedem entfernter Weltgegenden durch die exponentielle Vermehrung der Transport- und Kommunikationsvorgänge. Der Schwerpunkt der Arbeit liegt im 20. Jahrhundert. Sie untersucht die (Vor)Geschichte und Theorie des Containers als moderner Kulturtechnik und zentralem Bestandteil eines weltumspannenden logistischen Systems. Und sie zeigt ihn als Element eines Denkens und Organisationshandelns in modularen, beweglichen Raumeinheiten, das sich auch auf viele andere Bereiche außerhalb des Warentransports übertragen lässt. Dafür beschreibt und analysiert sie "Containersituationen" in so unterschiedlichen Feldern wie Handel und Transport, Architektur, Wissenschaften, Kunst und den sozialen Realitäten von Migranten und Seeleuten.
Gaze based human-computer-interaction has been a research topic for over a quarter century. Since then, the main scenario for gaze interaction has been helping handicapped people to communicate an interact with their environment. With the rapid development of mobile and wearable display technologies, a new application field for gaze interaction has appeared, opening new research questions.
This thesis investigates the feasibility of mobile gaze based interaction, studying deeply the use of pie menus as a generic and robust widget for gaze interaction as well as visual and perceptual issues on head mounted (wearable) optical see-through displays.
It reviews conventional gaze-based selection methods and investigates in detail the use of pie menus for gaze control. It studies and discusses layout issues, selection methods and applications. Results show that pie menus can allocate up to six items in width and multiple depth layers, allowing a fast and accurate navigation through hierarchical levels by using or combining multiple selection methods. Based on these results, several text entry methods based on pie menus are proposed. Character-by-character text entry, text entry with bigrams and with text entry with bigrams derived by word prediction, as well as possible selection methods, are examined in a longitudinal study. Data showed large advantages of the bigram entry methods over single character text entry in speed and accuracy. Participants preferred the novel selection method based on saccades (selecting by borders) over the conventional and well established dwell time method.
On the one hand, pie menus showed to be a feasible and robust widget, which may enable the efficient use of mobile eye tracking systems that may not be accurate enough for controlling elements on conventional interface. On the other hand, visual perception on mobile displays technologies need to be examined in order to deduce if the mentioned results can be transported to mobile devices.
Optical see-through devices enable observers to see additional information embedded in real environments. There is already some evidence of increasing visual load on the respective systems. We investigated visual performance on participants with a visual search tasks and dual tasks presenting visual stimuli on the optical see-through device, only on a computer screen, and simultaneously on both devices. Results showed that switching between the presentation devices (i.e. perceiving information simultaneously from both devices) produced costs in visual performance. The implications of these costs and of further perceptual and technical factors for mobile gaze-based interaction are discussed and solutions are proposed.