Research of the Critical Capitalization Rate in Building Damage Appraisal

From the perspective of building health monitoring and property management, this research proposes some parametric measures of the capitalization rate, in order to define a range of significant values to be used in a cash flow analysis intended for monetary evaluation in partial building damage assessment. If criteria and methods for appraising partial damage to buildings are widely shared in the scientific and professional communities, the identification of the most appropriate capitalization rate is rather more controversial, and certainly more complex. The proposed approach borrows the logical principles of cash flow analysis based on the yield capitalization approach, considering both recovery costs and loss of incomes when building partial damage occurs. The procedure is a differential valuation that considers a situation before and a situation after the damage, basing on the cost approach and the income approach. In particular, two distinct conditions are considered: the case of recovery interventions and that of improvement.

Experimental Approach for the Failure Mode of Small Laminated Rubber Bearings for Seismic Isolation of Nuclear Components

Response characteristics of small-sized laminated rubber bearings (LRBs) with partial damage and total failure were investigated. For nuclear component seismic isolation, ultimate response characteristics are mainly reviewed using a beyond design basis earthquake (BDBE). Static tests, 3D shaking table tests, and verification analyses were performed using optional LRB design prototypes. During the static test, the hysteresis curve behavior from buckling to potential damage was observed by applying excessive shear deformation. The damaged rubber surface of the laminated section inside the LRB was checked through water jet cutting. A stress review by response spectrum analysis was performed to simulate the dynamic tests and predict seismic inputs’ intensity level that triggers LRB damage. Shaking table tests were executed to determine seismic response characteristics with partial damage and to confirm the stability of the superstructure when the supporting LRBs completely fail. Shear buckling in LRBs by high levels of BDBE may be quickly initiated via partial damage or total failure by the addition of torsional or rotational behavior caused by a change in the dynamic characteristics. Furthermore, the maximum seismic displacement can be limited within the range of the design interface due to the successive slip behavior, even during total LRB failure.

Preliminary Study of Nondestructive Testing of the Polymer Cutoff Wall Based on Vibration Theory

The polymer cutoff wall offers the benefits of causing little disturbance to the dam body, being convenient and economical to construct and practical to use, and possessing good resistance to seismic shocks and cracks. It has been widely used to prevent seepage and to reinforce dikes and dams. However, the polymer cutoff wall is a concealed underground structure, and nondestructive testing methods to ensure its integrity are not yet mature. This paper describes a modal analysis of polymer cutoff wall models with different damage scenarios to investigate the feasibility of nondestructive testing of the polymer cutoff wall based on vibration theory. The dynamic characteristics of the first three natural frequencies of the wall and their mode shapes show that horizontal direction damage and centrally located partial damage have a noticeable impact on the dynamic characteristics of the wall, indicating that nondestructive testing based on vibration theory is useful to test for horizontal damage and moderate damage located centrally in the wall.

Inactivation of Algae and Plankton by Ultrasonic Cavitation

Microbial treatment by ultrasonic waves has been attracting attention as a useful water treatment technology because it does not use special chemicals and the equipment is simple. In addition, because microbial cells are destroyed during treatment, it can be applied to ingredient extraction technology. Although ultrasonic cavitation bubbles are thought to be involved in the processing mechanism, the details of the mechanism remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the destruction mechanism of algae, microcapsules, and plankton by ultrasonic waves. Each sample was irradiated with ultrasonic waves over a wide range of frequencies, and frequency dependence was observed in all the samples. For algae and microcapsules, we matched the frequencies against the resonance frequency calculated based on the mechanical resonance model using adjacent ultrasonic cavitation bubbles. As a result, a good match was found. For plankton, partial damage to the shape was observed after ultrasonic irradiation, suggesting that shear stress, which is a local action caused by bubbles, was involved. By estimating the shear stress value based on the vibration equation of bubble, it was confirmed that the tendencies match.

Impact of mechanized clam dredging on the discarded megabenthic fauna on the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean)

There is an important small-scale fishery using mechanized dredges and targeting clams (mainly wedge clam Donax trunculus and striped venus clam Chamelea gallina) along the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean Sea). This study evaluated for the first time the discards and impact of mechanized clam dredging on the Catalan coast. To this end, three surveys were performed on board standard clam vessels (September and November 2016 and January 2017). Surveys were conducted in the three main clam fishing areas (Rosas Bay, South Barcelona and Ebro Delta). The composition of discards and the impact caused to discarded species was assessed using a three-level scale (undamaged; minor or partial damage; and lethal damage). Our study revealed that a large proportion of the catch (between 67–82% weight) is discarded. Even though about 63% of the discarded species were undamaged, 11% showed minor or partial damage and 26% lethal damage. Infaunal and epifaunal species with soft-body or fragile shells were the most impacted by the fishing activity (e.g. the sea urchin Echinocardium mediterraneum (~89%) and the bivalve Ensis minor (~74%)). Our results showed different levels of impact by target species and fishing area.

FRAGMENT OR BROKEN? IMPROVING THE PLANKTONIC FORAMINIFERA FRAGMENTATION ASSESSMENT

ABSTRACT Planktonic foraminifera tests can suffer dissolution, which usually involves partial damage, weight loss, and fragmentation. Since planktonic foraminifera assemblages, consisting of different resistant/susceptible species, can be strongly modified by dissolution, it is imperative to quantify its effect. The fragmentation index proposed 50 years ago has been used widely to measure preservation of planktonic foraminifera tests, but calibrations to this method are necessary. Some revisions are based on assumptions, like a certain number of fragments produced by a unique test, which is then used to compare whole tests with the dissolution remains. Likewise, researchers do not agree on what they count and how they identify what they count. Here we present a standardized and less subjective method, called fragmentation intensity (FI), to better assess the fragmentation of planktonic foraminifera through image software analysis, which includes both fragmentation remains (fragments and broken tests) and their measured area and perimeter. When compared to calcium carbonate content, grain sand content, and planktonic foraminifera tests per gram of dry sediment, the FI method derived better correlation values than the broken and fragments indexes. Future studies, in varying oceanographic contexts, can test this method to improve confidence, and eventually possibly adapt the index into a proxy for calcium carbonate undersaturation.

Secured wired BPL voice transmission system

Designing a secured voice transmission system is not a trivial task. Wired media, thanks to their reliability and resistance to mechanical damage, seem an ideal solution. The BPL (Broadband over Power Line) cable is resistant to electricity stoppage and partial damage of phase conductors, ensuring continuity of transmission in case of an emergency. It seems an appropriate tool for delivering critical data, mostly clear and understandable voice messages. This paper describes such a system that was designed and evaluated in real-time operating conditions. It involved a two-way transmission of speech samples in American English and Polish. The efficiency of the designed solution was evaluated in the subjective study on a group of 15 people.