Optimization of Tuned Mass Dampers to Improve the Earthquake Resistance of High Buildings

To prevent high buildings in endangered zones suffering from seismic attack, TMD are applied successfully. In many applications the dampers are placed along the height of the edifice to reduce the damage during the earthquake. The dimensioning of TMD is a multidimensional optimisation problem with many local maxima. To find the absolute best or a very good design, advanced optimization strategies have to be applied. Bionic optimization proposes different methods to deal with such tasks but requires many repeated studies of the buildings and dampers design. To improve the speed of the analysis, the authors propose a reduced model of the building including the dampers. A series of consecutive generations shows a growing capacity to reduce the impact of an earthquake on the building. The proposals found help to dimension the dampers. A detailed analysis of the building under earthquake loading may yield an efficient design.

Seismic Retrofitting for Masonry Historical Buildings

The static and seismic retrofitting design, for masonry historical buildings, has to follow a right hierarchy of interventions, taking into account that to improve the seismic behavior of a masonry structure, it is necessary to guarantee a “closed box” behavior for the whole structural body or, in case of complex buildings, to guarantee a closed box behavior for each building's wing. Thus it is fundamental to distinguish the interventions for the global behavior improvement from those related to local reinforcements. In this chapter is then proposed a scheme of interventions hierarchy and, therefore, a related design process road-map together with the explanation of a correct design philosophy for the static and seismic retrofitting of historical masonry buildings. Moreover it is also reported an example of two distinguished levels of intervention, with numerical analyses supporting that solution.

New Transportation Systems for Smart Cities

Poor traffic management in urban environments is responsible for congestion, unnecessary fuel consumption and pollution. Based on new wireless sensor networks and the advent of battery-powered vehicles, this chapter describes three new systems that affect transportation in Smart Cities. First, a Smart Parking system which assigns and reserves an optimal parking space based on the driver's cost function, combining proximity to destination and parking cost. Second, a system to optimally allocate electric vehicles to charging stations and reserve spaces for them. Finally, we address the traffic light control problem by viewing the operation of an intersection as a stochastic hybrid system. Using Infinitesimal Perturbation Analysis (IPA), we derive on-line gradient estimates of a cost metric with respect to the controllable green and red cycle lengths and iteratively adjust light cycle lengths to improve (and possibly optimize) performance, as well as adapt to changing traffic conditions.

Cyber Attacks on Critical Infrastructure

We are facing the expansion of cyber incidents, and they are becoming more severe. This results in the necessity to improve security, especially in the vulnerable field of critical infrastructure. One of the problems in the security of critical infrastructures is the level of awareness related to the effect of cyberattacks. The threat to critical infrastructure is real, so it is necessary to be aware of it and anticipate, predict, and prepare against a cyber attack. The main reason for the escalation of cyberattacks in the field of Critical Infrastructure (CI) may be that most control systems used for CI do not utilise propriety protocols and software anymore; they instead utilise standard solutions. As a result, critical infrastructure systems are more than ever before becoming vulnerable and exposed to cyber threats. It is important to get an insight into what attack types occur, as this may help direct cyber security efforts. In this chapter, the authors present vulnerabilities of SCADA systems against cyber attack, analyse and classify existing cyber attacks, and give future directions to achieve better security of SCADA systems.

Application of an Online Interactive Simulation Tool to Teach Engineering Concepts Using 3D Spatial Structures

Simulations can be powerful learning tools that allow students to explore and understand concepts in ways that are not possible in typical classroom settings. However, research is lacking as to how to use simulations most effectively in different types of learning environments. To address this need, we designed a study to examine the impact of using online interactive simulations on the learning and motivation of 109 undergraduate architecture students from two large public universities. The simulation tool allowed students to create models of spatial structures and analyze the effects of loads on structural member forces and deflections. The authors incorporated the simulations into our instructional design using an inquiry approach because it was consistent with our goals of teaching students concepts and the process of deriving the concepts. They documented that online interactive simulations delivered through inquiry-based instruction can be an effective means to help students learn and apply concepts.

The Roles of Knowledge Management and Organizational Innovation in Global Business

This chapter explains the roles of Knowledge Management (KM) and organizational innovation in global business, thus describing the theoretical and practical concepts of KM and organizational innovation; the significance of KM in global business; and the significance of organizational innovation in global business. The accomplishment of KM and organizational innovation is vital for modern organizations that seek to serve suppliers and customers, increase business performance, strengthen competitiveness, and attain regular success in global business. Thus, it is necessary for modern organizations to investigate their KM and organizational innovation applications, create a strategic plan to constantly explore their functional advancements, and immediately respond to KM and organizational innovation needs of customers. Applying KM and organizational innovation will significantly enhance organizational performance and achieve strategic goals in the information age.

Seismic Vulnerability of Ancient Colonnade

In this chapter, a numerical study to investigate the seismic vulnerability of the two storey colonnade of the Forum in Pompeii has been conducted. Software based on the Distinct Element Method (DEM) of analysis has been used. The colonnade was represented as an assemblage of distinct blocks connected together by zero thickness interfaces which could open and/or close depending on the magnitude and direction of stresses applied to them. Both static and non-linear static analyses have been undertaken. Also, a sensitivity study has been performed to investigate the effect of frictional resistance of the joints on the structural response of the colonnade. This was to simulate potential joint degradation effects and/or possible water lubrication at the joint.

A Computer-Aided Conceptual Cost Estimating System for Pre-Stressed Concrete Road Bridges

The need for an environmentally friendly design of modern motorways increases the construction of bridges, which has exhibited substantial overruns above estimated costs. Therefore, easy to use, inexpensive and accurate methods for conceptual cost estimating are needed. This paper presents a computer-aided cost estimating system for pre-stressed concrete road bridges that provides estimates of the material quantities and cost of all bridge elements. It relies on a database incorporating actual data collected from recently constructed bridges and exploits material estimating models developed with statistical analysis. Different configurations are devised from short to long-span bridges, accounting for the major deck construction methods and foundation systems. The system can be easily used to provide different cost estimates to the owner, designer and contractor during the project's early stages. By allowing reliable cost estimates in a short time, the proposed computer-aided system represents a useful decision making tool.

An Adaptive Elastic Net Method for Edge Linking of Images

In this chapterr, the authors propose an adaptive Elastic Net method for edge linking of images. Edge linking is a fundamental computer-vision task, which is a constrained optimization problem. In the proposed method, an adaptive dynamic parameter strategy and a stochastic noise strategy are introduced into the Elastic Net, which enables the network to have superior ability for escaping from local minima and converge sooner to optimal or near-optimal solutions. Simulations confirm that the proposed method could produce more meaningful contours than the original Elastic Net in shorter time.

Electrochemical Technologies for Industrial Effluent Treatment

Electrochemical processes are the most adequate tools in the aqueous effluent treatment. The process will not require chemical addition and indeed electrons are the only reactants added to the process to stimulate the reaction. Anodic oxidation of recalcitrant wastewater in a typical electrochemical set-up is particularly interesting because of its ease of operation and scope for scale-up. Nevertheless, electro oxidation in the three-dimensional carbon bed electrodes is a promising process for electrooxidation of effluents containing non-biodegradable organic compounds. The application of three-dimensional carbon bed electrochemical reactor for the degradation of organic pollutant is demonstrated in this chapter. The role of carbon particles in the three-dimensional electrodes reactor is described in this chapter. It has at least two important functions: 1) adsorption of organic compounds from effluents and 2) act as particle electrode. Various operation and design considerations leading to better understanding of carbon bed electrochemical reactors are discussed.