scholarly journals Durability-Based Design of Structures Made with Ultra-High-Performance/Ultra-High-Durability Concrete in Extremely Aggressive Scenarios: Application to a Geothermal Water Basin Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Salam Al-Obaidi ◽  
Patrick Bamonte ◽  
Massimo Luchini ◽  
Iacopo Mazzantini ◽  
Liberato Ferrara
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Geothermal Water ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Structural Performance ◽  
Ultimate Limit State ◽  
High Durability ◽  
Line Design

This paper provides the formulation and description of the framework and methodology for a Durability Assessment-based Design approach for structures made of the Ultra-High-Durability Concrete materials conceived, produced and investigated in the project ReSHEALience (Rethinking coastal defence and Green-energy Service infrastructures through enHancEd-durAbiLity high-performance cement-based materials) funded by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme (Call NMBP 2016–2017 topic 06-2017 GA 780624). The project consortium, coordinated by Politecnico di Milano, gathers 13 partners from 7 countries, including 6 academic institutions and 7 industrial partners, covering the whole value chain of the concrete construction industry. The innovative design concept informing the whole approach herein presented has been formulated shifting from a set of prescriptions, mainly referring to material composition and also including, in case, an allowable level of damage defined and quantified in order not to compromise the intended level of “passive” protection of sensitive material and structural parts (deemed-to-satisfy approach; avoidance-of-deterioration approach), to the prediction of the evolution of the serviceability and ultimate limit state performance indicators, as relevant to the application, as a function of scenario-based aging and degradation mechanisms. The new material and design concepts developed in the project are being validated through design, construction and long-term monitoring in six full-scale proofs-of concept, selected as representative of cutting edge economy sectors, such as green energy, Blue Growth and conservation of R/C heritage. As a case study example, in this paper, the approach is applied to a basin for collecting water from a geothermal power plant which has been built using tailored Ultra-High-Durability Concrete (UHDC) mixtures and implementing an innovative precast slab-and-buttress structural concept in order to significantly reduce the thickness of the basin walls. The geothermal water contains a high amount of sulphates and chlorides, hence acting both as static load and chemical aggressive. The main focus of the analysis, and the main novelty of the proposed approach is the prediction of the long-term performance of UHDC structures, combining classical structural design methodologies, including, e.g., cross-section and yield line design approaches, with material degradation laws calibrated through tailored tests. This will allow us to anticipate the evolution of the structural performance, as a function of exposure time to the aggressive environment, which will be validated against continuous monitoring, and pave the way towards a holistic design approach. This moves from the material to the structural durability level, anticipating the evolution of the structural performance and quantifying the remarkable resulting increase in the service life of structures made of UHDC, as compared to companion analogous ones made with ordinary reinforced concrete solutions.

Reframing Finance

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashby Monk ◽  
Rajiv Sharma ◽  
Duncan L. Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Private Equity ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Sovereign Wealth Funds ◽  
Traditional System ◽  
Financial Capitalism

The role of financial intermediaries has come under close scrutiny in recent times as many of the practices of these service firms have been exposed for their opaque, rent-seeking and dishonest behavior. This book questions the traditional system of Financial Capitalism by examining how beneficiary organizations such as pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations can reduce the inefficiencies of intermediaries in the savings-investment channel. This book argues that the large pools of long-term capital held in beneficiary organizations has not been mobilized efficiently enough into the capital-intensive long-term projects such as infrastructure, green energy, agriculture, private equity and real estate development. In particular, the book examines a new ‘collaborative’ form of investing that a large number of beneficiary organizations have started to embark on in order to address the problem of mainstream financial intermediation and achieve their long-term investment objectives. The book conceptualizes the ‘collaborative’ model of investment, drawing upon economic sociology, and emphasizes the importance for investors to build their social capital. By providing case study exemplars of collaborative vehicles such as co-investment platforms, joint ventures, and platform companies that invest in infrastructure, agriculture, private equity and real estate, the book provides useful insights for how long-term investment management might be shaped in the future.

High-performance and high-durability perovskite photovoltaic devices prepared using ethylammonium iodide as an additive

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (17) ◽  
pp. 9271-9277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiang-Lin Hsu ◽  
Ching-Chih Chang ◽  
Chih-Ping Chen ◽  
Bing-Huang Jiang ◽  
Ru-Jong Jeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Perovskite Solar Cells ◽  
Photovoltaic Devices ◽  
High Durability ◽  
Perovskite Photovoltaic

Perovskite solar cells display great commercialization potential. Ethylammonium iodide (EAI) has been used as an additive for perovskite solar cells. The EAI-derived devices displayed enhanced PCEs and long term thermal stability.

scholarly journals Climate change in Carpathian forests: natural logging in Sibiu area Romania case study Identifying the effects of climate change in the forests in the Sibiu area: forest wind damage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iulian Alexandru BRATU
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Information Age ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Individual Perception ◽  
The Social

Abstract Climate change is becoming more acute, including in terms of individual perception. Forest, as an ecosystem, has a special role to play in mitigating climate change, protecting the soil, water and air. There are forests of scientific interest, preservation of the Eco fund and forest Geno fund, as well as recreational forests, so that the ecological functions are fulfilled in the optimum. Also, alongside the social function, green energy generation is one of the main attributes of the forest. In addition to preserving biodiversity, the forestry administration has as objectives the provision of the necessary resources for the short, medium and long-term development of local communities. Forest management that harmoniously combines ecological, economic and social functions cannot be sustained, at least in the information age, without relying on information technology. This article aims to address the issue of information technology in the forest administration, identifying needs and providing viable, high quality, open source solutions.

scholarly journals Case Study on Early Age Shrinkage of Cement-based Composites

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Andina Sprince ◽  
Leonids Pakrastinsh
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Autogenous Shrinkage ◽  
Drying Shrinkage ◽  
Cement Composite ◽  
Early Age ◽  
Thin Walls ◽  
Reinforced Cement ◽  
Pva Fiber

The aim of this paper was to study the behaviour of new high-performance fibre-reinforced cement composite materials (FRCC) that are reinforced with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibres. The shrinkage deformations at early age, the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of the new compositions had been determined. Test results shows that the addition of PVA fiber 1.10% and 0.55% by weight of the cement has negligible influence on concrete drying shrinkage, however, it is affect the concrete plastic and autogenous shrinkage. The results of the experiments permitted the prediction of long-term deformations of the concrete. Wider use of this material permit the construction of sustainable next generation structures with thin walls and large spans that cannot be built using the traditional concrete.

High Performance Concrete Experimental Structure

2014 ◽  
Vol 1000 ◽  
pp. 269-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Fládr ◽  
Alena Kohoutkova
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
High Performance Concrete ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Material Transfer ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
High Durability ◽  
Precast Elements ◽  
Experimental Structure

An experimental structure from high performance concrete was created within the scope of long-term research and development program of the Department of Concrete and Masonry Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, CTU in Prague that is focused on advanced cementitious composites. The intention was to build a structure of so called “CyclePoint” (resting place for bikers) interesting from architectural point of view and made from non-traditional, high durability material. Transfer of high performance concrete composition designed in the laboratory to the mixing plant construction company was accomplished. This required series of confirmation material tests. The technology of casting high performance concrete into the formwork of thin-walled precast elements was optimized. The use of engineered mix of fibres enabled the authors to design structures without main rebar reinforcement. The design was carried out using finite element based software and verified by loading experiments executed on structural elements in full-scale.

scholarly journals Web Based E-Hospital Management System

2018 ◽  
pp. 11-28
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Hospital Management ◽  
Historical Records ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Hospital Management System

Hospital Management System (HMS) is a computerizing scheme used to simplify several efforts of the working in a hospital. The system deals with all the requirements of different hospitals to offer efficient services to patients. In addition, it stores the patients’ information for long term for historical records. In this paper, we design and implement a web based HMS for group of hospitals in Iraq. The system provides an efficient link between the hospital’s departments including the laboratories, radiology, pharmacy and the consultants. The proposed system gives simple access to basic data, thus enabling the management to take better decisions on time. The website is designed using PHP, HTML and CSS environments, while the database is built utilizing MySQL version 5.7.11. As a case study, two hospitals (Margan in Babylon and Ibn-Alnafees in Baghdad) have been considered. The results show that the proposed system has achieved high performance and accuracy in terms of provided health services, data management and time consuming.

scholarly journals Behavioral Therapy and Fluoxetine Treatment in Aggressive Dogs: A Case Study

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 832
Author(s):  
Rosangela Odore ◽  
Diego Rendini ◽  
Paola Badino ◽  
Giulia Gardini ◽  
Giulia Cagnotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Frequency Scale ◽  
Few Data ◽  
Circulating Levels

Canine aggression is a major concern, affecting millions of people worldwide, and treatment can be challenging even for skilled veterinarians. Empiric use of fluoxetine is sometimes attempted, although few data regarding long-term effects in aggressive dogs are available. The aim of the study was to investigate clinical effectiveness of fluoxetine (1.5 mg/kg/die PO) combined with a behavior modification program for treatment of canine dominance-related aggression. Circulating levels of fluoxetine, norfluoxetine, and serotonin (5-HT) were also measured. Eight dogs with a diagnosis of dominance aggression (owner-directed) were enrolled. Before treatment (T0), and after one (T1), two (T2), four (T3), and six (T4) months of fluoxetine administration, clinical outcomes were graded using a five-point frequency scale (0–4), and blood samples were collected to measure fluoxetine/norfluoxetine (high-performance liquid chromatography) and 5-HT (ELISA) levels. Following treatment, a decrease in behavioral test scores was observed at T1–T4. Increasing concentrations of circulating fluoxetine and norfluoxetine were measured throughout the follow-up. Correlation between norfluoxetine levels and clinical scores was observed at T4. Starting from T1, a significant decrease in 5-HT levels was observed. Our data suggest that fluoxetine (1.5 mg/kg/day) when associated with behavior treatment is effective in controlling canine aggression over a six-month period, and that, in dogs norfluoxetine levels seem reliable in predicting clinical efficacy.

scholarly journals The Formation and Evolution of Interorganisational Business Networks in Megaprojects: A Case Study of Chinese Skyscrapers

Complexity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Yujie Lu ◽  
Wei Wei ◽  
Yongkui Li ◽  
Zhilei Wu ◽  
Hao Jin
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Dynamic Network ◽  
Business Networks ◽  
Business Network ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Performance Teams

Megaprojects are implemented by different organisations, such as owners, consultants, and contractors. Gradually, these organisations and their connections can form business networks that influence both the market position of individual organisations and project performance. Previous research on large-scale projects mainly focused on static and homogeneous networks that were constructed by one individual project and/or carried out over one-off collaboration. However, this neglected the consideration of project network diversity, as well as repetitive, dynamic, cross-project coopetition relationship (i.e., collaboration and competition) and long-term business networks formed by key actors. Here, we chose Chinese skyscrapers over 300 meters that were built from 1996 to 2015 as typical megaproject cases and analysed the formation and evolution of megaproject business networks from the perspective of interorganisational coopetition. We identified the key actors involved and empirically studied their dynamic network positions over time. The main contributions of this study are threefold. First, we found that past collaboration experience has direct and dynamic impacts on the formation of megaproject business networks. Second, we identified key actors in the interorganisational business network and unveiled their dynamic positions with clear patterns. Third, we highlighted the temporal-spatial effect on the formation and development of business networks, alongside developments in the megaproject market. The findings of this study also provide practical applications for owners to choose collaboration partners and to build high-performance teams and for suppliers to enter and sustain the business in the megaprojects networks.

Caregivers' Perceptions of Speech-Language Pathologist Talk About Child Language and Literacy Disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 2049-2067
Author(s):  
Karmen L. Porter ◽  
Janna B. Oetting ◽  
Loretta Pecchioni
Keyword(s):  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Collective Case Study ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Therapy Goals ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Types Of Information

Purpose This study examined caregiver perceptions of their child's language and literacy disorder as influenced by communications with their speech-language pathologist. Method The participants were 12 caregivers of 10 school-aged children with language and literacy disorders. Employing qualitative methods, a collective case study approach was utilized in which the caregiver(s) of each child represented one case. The data came from semistructured interviews, codes emerged directly from the caregivers' responses during the interviews, and multiple coding passes using ATLAS.ti software were made until themes were evident. These themes were then further validated by conducting clinical file reviews and follow-up interviews with the caregivers. Results Caregivers' comments focused on the types of information received or not received, as well as the clarity of the information. This included information regarding their child's diagnosis, the long-term consequences of their child's disorder, and the connection between language and reading. Although caregivers were adept at describing their child's difficulties and therapy goals/objectives, their comments indicated that they struggled to understand their child's disorder in a way that was meaningful to them and their child. Conclusions The findings showed the value caregivers place on receiving clear and timely diagnostic information, as well as the complexity associated with caregivers' understanding of language and literacy disorders. The findings are discussed in terms of changes that could be made in clinical practice to better support children with language and literacy disorders and their families.

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