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Effects of the axial force eccentricity on the time-variant structural reliability of aging r.c. cross-sections subjected to chloride-induced corrosion
No full textReinforced concrete structures are generally affected by degradation phenomena, which may include changes in strength and stiffness beyond the baseline conditions which are assumed in structural design. Some of these aging effects may cause component or system strengths to degrade over time, particularly when the concrete is exposed to an aggressive environment which may increase the risk of structural failure. For r.c. structures, due to the uncertainties in material and geometrical properties, in the magnitude and distribution of the loads, in the physical parameters which define the deterioration process, the structural safety should realistically be considered time-variant. In this context, this paper implements a computational probabilistic approach to predict the time-evolution of the mechanical and geometrical properties of a r.c. structural element (i.e., bridge pier) subjected to corrosion-induced deterioration as a consequence of the diffusive attack of chlorides in order to evaluate its service life. Adopting appropriate degradation models of the material properties, concrete and reinforcing steel, as well as assuming appropriate probability density functions related to mechanical and deterioration parameters, the proposed sectional approach is based on Monte Carlo simulations in order to evaluate time-variant axial force-bending moment resistance domains, with the aim to estimate the time-variant reliability index β for different axial force eccentricity values. Finally, an application of the proposed methodology to estimate the expected lifetime of a deteriorating r.c. bridge pier is described and discussed
A Residual A Posteriori error estimate for the Virtual Element Method
No full textA residual based a posteriori error estimate for the Poisson problem with discontinuous diffusivity coefficient is derived in the case of a Virtual Element discretization. The error is measured considering a suitable polynomial projection of the discrete solution to prove an equivalence between the defined error and a computable residual based error estimator that does not involve any term related to the Virtual Element stabilization. Numerical results display a very good behaviour of the ratio between the error and the error estimator, resulting independent of the meshsize and element distortion
Automazione efficiente per l'industria alimentare
No full textSono introdotte le problematiche delle macchine per l'industria alimentare e viene presentato il ruolo svolto dai dispositivi e dai sistemi di automazione pneumatica. Seguono alcuni esempi di applicazioni industriali
La resilienza nell'ottica territorialista
No full textNella letteratura recente, il concetto di "resilienza" si è prestato ad interpretazioni ed usi diversi, rischiando di trasformarlo in una parola ambigua, che dal campo scientifico si diffonde anche nel linguaggio politico e mediatico. In particolare, l'idea di "resilienza" giunge alla sociologia attraverso una lunga trasmigrazione fra ambiti disciplinari eterogenei (dalla tecnologia dei materiali, alla ecologia, alla psicologia), ciascuno dei quali ha prodotto risonanze semantiche che la rendono adatta a molteplici usi metaforici e che in molti casi vi aggiungono anche tratti valoriali. E' dunque, necessario un approfondimento ulteriore del concetto, che porti anche a restringerne i campi di applicazione: tra questi rientra indubbiamente anche la sociologia dei disastri
Thermal bridges in vacuum insulation panels at building scale
No full textIn this paper a numerical analysis aimed at evaluating the thermal performance of vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) at the building scale is presented. This technology has seen considerable development over the past few years, gaining increasing penetration in the building insulation market. However, it is important to evaluate correctly the thermal bridging effect that occurs when the VIPs are coupled with joints at the building scale. To this purpose, the linear thermal transmittances of different VIP assemblies inserted in several wall configurations were assessed through a bidimensional numerical analysis. Moreover, to evaluate the influence of thermal bridges on the building energy need, quasi-steady-state simulations for a parametric building module were performed. A simple empirical model was finally built to estimate the linear thermal transmittance from basic input variables. The study demonstrates that thermal bridging effects that occur when VIPs are jointed are never negligible and they could have an important impact on the building heating energy need
Elasto-kinematics design of an innovative composite material suspension system
No full textIn this paper, a lightweight suspension system for small urban personal transportation vehicle is presented. A CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforce polymer) beam spring has been used to efficiently integrate the functions of suspension control arm and anti-roll bar. Composites materials were chosen to tailor the required behavior of the beam spring and to reduce the weight. Furthermore, larger space for engine compartment has been provided thanks to the compact arrangement of beam suspension components. This suspension could be installed on electric/hybrid vehicles and conventional automobiles
The use of GIS for the application of the phenomenological approach to the seismic risk analysis: the case of the italian fortified architecture
No full textThe present paper proposes the use of GIS for the application of the so-called phenomenological approach to the analysis of the seismic behaviour of historical buildings. This approach is based on the awareness that the different masonry building typologies are characterized by different, recurring vulnerabilities. Thus, the observation and classification of the real damage is seen as the first step for recognizing and classifying these vulnerabilities, in order to plan focused preventive interventions. For these purposes, the GIS has proven to be a powerful instrument to collect and manage this type of information on a large number of cases. This paper specifically focuses on the application of the phenomenological approach to the analysis of the seismic behaviour of fortified buildings, including castles, fortresses, citadels, and all the typical historical constructions characterized by the presence of massive towers and defensive walls. The main earthquakes which struck Italy in the last 40 years (up to the recent Central Italy seismic swarm) were taken into consideration and described by means of shake maps. A previously published work has been continued with the addition of new data and some improvements, including a specific symbology for the description of building typologies and conservation status on the maps, the indications of damage levels and the comparison between shake maps in terms of pga and in terms of pseudo-acceleration. The increase in knowledge obtained and the broader frame given by the analysis of the data are here directed to the primary aim of cultural heritage preservation
Cultural heritage in context: the temples of Nubia, digital technologies and the future of conservation
No full textThe conservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage is a well-developed field. However, cultural heritage is only ever partially preserved if its context is lost. This contribution argues that the future of conservation should include context as an integral and inalienable part of all forms of cultural heritage. As such, this will require an increase in cross-disciplinary collaborations with, among others, archaeologists, historians and archivists involved in efforts aimed at restoring cultural heritage to the contexts from which it has become disengaged. Based on theoretical frameworks from the digital humanities, cultural theory, history of the built environment and archaeology, the authors outline a method of re-contextualisation using the drowned landscape of Nubia as a case study. Aside from the landscape in which the Nubian monuments once stood and the vernacular of historical Nubian cultures, we argue that the history and socio-political nature of the decisions made in the name of preservation itself should also be incorporated as part of this context. The contribution argues that digital representations coupled with digital archiving provides one means of incorporating such heterogeneous and diverse information to present the contexts in which descriptions, texts, photographs, letters, videos and oral history can be better understood, interpreted and distributed