A direct method to detect and localise damage using longitudinal data of ends-of-span rotations under live traffic loading

Existing work on rotation-based bridge monitoring has focused on indirect methods, such as bridge weigh-in-motion or influence line approaches. However, these approaches require increased instrumentation complexity, and require calibration, necessitating bridge closures. In this paper, we explore the potential of using rotation measurements to create a more practical and cost-effective monitoring system. To this end, we present a damage detection method which directly analyses bridge rotation data measured under live, free-flow traffic loading. We show how the Earth Mover’s Distance, typically used in statistics and image processing, can be applied directly on end-of-span rotation measurement data to achieve effective damage detection and localisation. Numerical simulation results demonstrate the approach’s robustness to the confounding effects of temperature variation and traffic diversity (vehicle type, loading, and velocity). The direct rotation measurement approach is applied to data from an in-service short-span bridge to demonstrate the technique’s capability with free-flow traffic loading.

Comparative study on acceptance criteria for non-ductile reinforced concrete columns

Poor seismic performance of older reinforced concrete buildings in past seismic events has frequently been attributed to failure of non-ductile columns not detailed for seismic demands. The Seismic Assessment of Existing Buildings Guidelines developed in New Zealand (NZ Guideline) provides a performance-based engineering framework for assessment of existing buildings, with concrete buildings covered in section C5. This study compares the probable failure mode and deformation capacity assessed based on NZ Guideline, ASCE/SEI 41-13, and ASCE/SEI 41-17 with the results from quasi-static cyclic tests conducted on 52 rectangular and 13 circular reinforced concrete columns with reinforcement details similar to those of non-ductile columns. Results indicate that the general curvature-based method of the NZ Guideline was not able to identify the observed failure mode but generally provides a conservative estimate of deformation capacity in comparison with ASCE/SEI 41-17. Based on the results of this study, a direct rotation-based acceptance criteria is proposed for NZ Guidelines. Also, slight modifications, to reduce conservatism, have been proposed for the curvature-based method.

Frequency Domain based Digital Down Conversion Architecture for Software Defined Radio and Cognitive Radio

This paper presents a sampling rate digital down converter that is totally based on frequency domain processing. The proposed DDC is targeted for Software Defined Radio and Cognitive Radio architectures. The proposed architecture is based on replacement of the complex multiplication with direct rotation of the spectrum. Different aspects of frequency domain filtering are also discussed. The Xilinx Virtex-6 family FPGA, XC6VLX240T is used for the implementation and synthesis of the proposed FFT-IFFT based architecture. The overlapping in time domain at the output of the IFFT block is avoided using overlap and add method. In terms area, highly optimized implementation is observed in the proposed architecture when compared to the conventional DDC. The synthesis results have shown that the developed core works at a maximum clock rate of 250 MHz and at the same time occupies only 10% of the slices of FPGA.

Directional Image Filtering Based on the Fourier Transform

An algorithm to design the small size 2-D filter masks with arbitrarily selected rotation angle has been proposed. The classical filter mask of size 3 × 3 is obtained from the reference Fourier space characteristics, rotated in the Fourier domain. The efficiency of the suggested method was illustrated with examples based on the Sobel gradient mask and two test images. Comparative computations indicated that the accuracy of the filtering result with use of the small size filters is noticeably better when the filter has been designed with use of the Fourier characteristics rotation than after direct rotation of the mask in the pixel domain.

Extra-solar planets: from direct rotation into reverse rotation

We investigate the equation describing the evolution of the kinetic momentum vector for the case of non-resonance rotation of dynamically symmetrical planets by action of gravitational and magnetic interaction with the central star. The obtained gallery of more twenty phase portraits of kinetic momentum evolution illustrates the various regimes of the planetary systems evolution. The analyses of obtained portraits has shown that a direct rotation of the planet may be passed into reverse rotation and vice versa for a rather broad range of the parameters.

The dynamical history of comet Halley

The history of the attempts to predict the motion of comet Halley is outlined and the importance of the so-called nongravitational forces acting upon this comet is emphasized. Recent orbital work of the International Halley Watch Astrometry Network is reviewed. Comet Halley’s transverse nongravitational parameter is positive and nearly constant with time suggesting that the comet is in direct rotation without precession of the spin pole. The nongravitational effects are consistent with the vaporization of water ice from the comet’s nucleus and long term integrations suggest that the comet has been in its present orbit for at least 16,000 years and probably much longer.