scholarly journals Aerial Robotic Technologies for Civil Engineering: Established and Emerging Practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madelaine Freeman ◽  
Mohammad Mehdi Kashani ◽  
P. J. Vardanega
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Response ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Engineering Industry ◽  
Civil Infrastructure ◽  
Robotic Technology ◽  
Engineering Applications ◽  
Measurement Capability ◽  
Robotic Construction

Aerial robotic technology has potential for use in a wide variety of civil engineering applications. Such technology potentially offers low-cost methods to replace expensive structural health monitoring activities such as visual inspection. Aerial robots also have potential uses in civil construction and for regional surveys. This paper presents the results of a review on the applications of aerial robotic technology in civil engineering. Such civil engineering applications can be classified into three broad areas: (i) monitoring and inspection of civil infrastructure; (ii) site management, robotic construction, and maintenance and (iii) post-disaster response surveys and rapid damage assessments. The motivations for uptake of aerial robotics in the civil engineering industry generally fall into the following categories: (i) cost savings, (ii) improved measurement capability and (iii) safety improvements. The categories of aerial robotic use in civil engineering are then classified as either ‘established’ or ‘emerging’ uses.

Fast and Flexible Visualization Using an Enhanced Scene Graph

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Gebert ◽  
Wolfgang Steger ◽  
Ralph Stelzer
Keyword(s):  
User Interfaces ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Engineering Industry ◽  
Product Development Process ◽  
Engineering Applications ◽  
Product Data ◽  
Scene Graph ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Visualization Process ◽  
Game Engines

Virtual Reality (VR) visualization of product data in engineering applications requires a largely manual process of translating various product data into a 3D representation. Modern game engines allow low-cost, high-end visualization using latest stereoscopic Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) and input controllers. Thus, using them for VR tasks in the engineering industry is especially appealing. As standardized formats for 3D product representations do not currently meet the requirements that arise from engineering applications, the presented paper suggests an Enhanced Scene Graph (ESG) that carries arbitrary product data derived from various engineering tools. The ESG contains formal descriptions of geometric and non-geometric data that are functionally structured. A VR visualization may be derived from the formal description in the ESG immediately. The generic elements of the ESG offer flexibility in the choice of both engineering tools and renderers that create the virtual scene. Furthermore, the ESG allows storing user annotations, thereby sending feedback from the visualization directly to the engineers involved in the product development process. Individual user interfaces for VR controllers can be assigned and their controls mapped, guaranteeing intuitive scene interaction. The use of the ESG promises significant value to the visualization process as particular tasks are being automated and greatly simplified.

Mobile, Low-Cost, and Large-Scale Immersive Data Visualization Environment for Civil Engineering Applications

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 05014011
Author(s):  
Shane Hayden ◽  
Daniel P. Ames ◽  
Derrick Turner ◽  
Thomas Keene ◽  
David Andrus
Keyword(s):  
Data Visualization ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Engineering Applications

scholarly journals Encapsulation of Fiber Optic Sensors in 3D Printed Packages for Use in Civil Engineering Applications: A Preliminary Study

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Scott ◽  
Miodrag Vidakovic ◽  
Sanjay Chikermane ◽  
Brett McKinley ◽  
Tong Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fiber Optic ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fiber Optic Sensors ◽  
Engineering Applications ◽  
Considerable Potential ◽  
Challenging Environment ◽  
3D Printed

Fiber optic sensors have considerable potential for measuring strains in the challenging environment posed by today’s civil engineering applications. Their long-term reliability and stability are particularly important attributes for assessing, with confidence, effects such as cracking and response to normal (and abnormal) loads. However, given the fragile nature of the bare fiber, the sensors must be packaged to achieve adequate robustness but the resulting increased cost of installation can frequently limit the number of sensors which can be installed or their use may have to be ruled out altogether due to these financial constraints. There is thus potential for the development of a more affordable type of packaging and this paper describes work undertaken to produce a cost-effective and easy-to-use technique for encapsulating fiber optic sensors in resin, taking advantage of 3D printing techniques which are widely available and at low cost. This approach can be used to produce a robust, inexpensive packaged sensor system which is seen as being suitable to be extended to a wider range of uses including installation in concrete structures prior to casting. To evaluate this approach, several such 3D printed package types and geometries are described and their behavior is assessed from a programme of laboratory trials, the results of which are presented in this paper. This proof-of-concept testing has demonstrated the considerable potential which 3D printed packages have and the scope for further development and consequent use in civil engineering applications. Areas showing promise and potential, which have been identified from the work undertaken, are discussed.

scholarly journals Effects of Cement and Polycarboxylate Ether on the Performance Concrete with High Sludge Content

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1311-1314
Keyword(s):  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Precast Concrete ◽  
Concrete Specimen ◽  
Engineering Industry ◽  
Natural Sand ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
Polycarboxylate Ether

The use of precast concrete structural systems in civil engineering industry in Indonesia will still increase due to the needs of buildings and infrastructure for social and economic development continuously increase from the year to year. In spite of the use of sand accompanied with its suitable sludge content has been widely used as one of the important raw materials for fabricating a precast concrete, the availability of low cost method to obtain a good quality of sand with its sludge content of less than 5% is difficult to find in many regions in the country. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of four cylindrical concrete specimen (CCS) samples by conducting the experiments of testing the natural sand with its high sludge content of 12.7% with using the different ordinary Portland cement (OPC) compositions of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0% and the super-plasticizer of polycarboxylate ether. Two CCS samples of the same composition (1) using the washed sand with its sludge content of 3.7% and (2) without addition of OPC were used as control. The results of compressive strength and slump test verified that the addition of OPC at least by 2.5% into concrete slurry to ensure optimal performance of the CCS samples can be recommended using the natural sand accompanied with its sludge content of 12.7%. This study concluded that the use of local natural sand with its high sludge content as long as the other material compositions used properly could be safe in the fabrication of precast concrete structure for the future civil engineering applications.

scholarly journals Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of User-Testing of Health Professionals’ Guidelines to Reduce the Frequency of Intravenous Medicines Administration Errors by Nurses in the United Kingdom: A Probabilistic Model Based on Voriconazole Administration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Jones ◽  
Bryony Dean Franklin ◽  
D. K. Raynor ◽  
Howard Thom ◽  
Margaret C. Watson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Medication Error ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Credible Interval ◽  
Probability Of Detection ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Decision Analytic Model ◽  
Published Data ◽  
User Testing

Abstract Aim In the UK, injectable medicines are often prepared and administered by nurses following the Injectable Medicines Guide (IMG). Our earlier study confirmed a higher frequency of correct administration with user-tested versus standard IMG guidelines. This current study aimed to model the cost-effectiveness of user-testing. Methods The costs and cost-effectiveness of user-testing were explored by modifying an existing probabilistic decision-analytic model. The adapted model considered administration of intravenous voriconazole to hospital inpatients by nurses. It included 11 error types, their probability of detection and level of harm. Model inputs (including costs) were derived from our previous study and other published data. Monte Carlo simulation using 20,000 samples (sufficient for convergence) was performed with a 5-year time horizon from the perspective of the 121 NHS trusts and health boards that use the IMG. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken for the risk of a medication error and other sources of uncertainty. Results The net monetary benefit at £20,000/quality-adjusted life year was £3,190,064 (95% credible interval (CrI): −346,709 to 8,480,665), favouring user-testing with a 96% chance of cost-effectiveness. Incremental cost-savings were £240,943 (95% CrI 43,527–491,576), also favouring user-tested guidelines with a 99% chance of cost-saving. The total user testing cost was £6317 (95% CrI 6012–6627). These findings were robust to assumptions about a range of input parameters, but greater uncertainty was seen with a lower medication error risk. Conclusions User-testing of injectable medicines guidelines is a low-cost intervention that is highly likely to be cost-effective, especially for high-risk medicines.

Civil engineering applications of the Asymptotic Expansion Load Decomposition beam model: an overview

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lebée ◽  
G. Corre ◽  
M. K. Ferradi ◽  
K. Sab ◽  
X. Cespedes
Keyword(s):  
Asymptotic Expansion ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Beam Model ◽  
Engineering Applications ◽  
Load Decomposition ◽  
Expansion Load

scholarly journals Automated Residential Energy Audits Using a Smart WiFi Thermostat-Enabled Data Mining Approach

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2500
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman Alanezi ◽  
Kevin P. Hallinan ◽  
Kefan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Measured Temperature ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Furnace Efficiency ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Data Mining Approach ◽  
Energy Auditing ◽  
Energy Audits

Smart WiFi thermostats, when they first reached the market, were touted as a means for achieving substantial heating and cooling energy cost savings. These savings did not materialize until additional features, such as geofencing, were added. Today, average savings from these thermostats of 10–12% in heating and 15% in cooling for a single-family residence have been reported. This research aims to demonstrate additional potential benefit of these thermostats, namely as a potential instrument for conducting virtual energy audits on residences. In this study, archived smart WiFi thermostat measured temperature data in the form of a power spectrum, corresponding historical weather and energy consumption data, building geometry characteristics, and occupancy data were integrated in order to train a machine learning model to predict attic and wall R-Values, furnace efficiency, and air conditioning seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER), all of which were known for all residences in this study. The developed model was validated on residences not used for model development. Validation R-squared values of 0.9408, 0.9421, 0.9536, and 0.9053 for predicting attic and wall R-values, furnace efficiency, and AC SEER, respectively, were realized. This research demonstrates promise for low-cost data-based energy auditing of residences reliant upon smart WiFi thermostats.

scholarly journals Bond between Concrete and Multi-Directional CFRP Laminates

2010 ◽  
Vol 133-134 ◽  
pp. 917-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Sena-Cruz ◽  
Joaquim Barros ◽  
Mário Coelho
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Fiber ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Fiber Reinforced Polymers ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Engineering Applications ◽  
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers ◽  
Reinforced Polymers ◽  
Cfrp Laminate ◽  
Cfrp Laminates ◽  
Pullout Tests

Recently, laminates of multi-directional carbon fiber reinforced polymers (MDL-CFRP) have been developed for Civil Engineering applications. A MDL-CFRP laminate has fibers in distinct directions that can be arranged in order to optimize stiffness and/or strength requisites. These laminates can be conceived in order to be fixed to structural elements with anchors, resulting high effective strengthening systems. To evaluate the strengthening potentialities of this type of laminates, pullout tests were carried out. The influence of the number of anchors, their geometric location and the applied pre-stress are analyzed. The present work describes the carried-out tests and presents and analyzes the most significant obtained results.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document