1,720,963 research outputs found
Development of a holistic parametric framework for multi-performance evaluation of post-tensioned timber buildings
No full textCatastrophic events and climate change represent major challenges for modern society, which calls for new
solutions able to provide acceptable performances with low carbon footprint. In the European Union (EU),
the building and construction sector accounts for 36% of the total EU operational energy, and 39% of
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions (GlobalABC, IEA, UN Environment Programme, 2019). This aspect
becomes much more important in seismic-prone areas, where buildings are vulnerable to extensive damage
which significantly impacts the sustainability of the environment as well as the resilience of the entire
community (Menna et al., 2013). Indeed, recent catastrophic earthquakes have once again emphasized the
mismatch between social expectations over the seismic performance of modern buildings, proving the need
for a shift towards a damage-control approach using low-damage technologies.
Post-tensioned engineered timber structural system, also known as Pres-Lam (Prestressed Laminated
timber), meets the need for an outstanding seismic structural performance using sustainable materials
(Palermo et al., 2005, Granello et al., 2020). Besides the material choice, the design phase has a strong
influence over the environmental impact along the life-cycle of buildings; hence, the decision-making
process has to take into account multiple aspects related to the proposed solution that has to be combined
into a comprehensive framework.
To date, numerous procedures have been proposed to evaluate the seismic performance and environmental
impact in the construction sector (the second, using Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) regulated by ISO 14040
and ISO 14044 (Caruso et al., 2017)), but these are rarely considered simultaneously. Thus, this paper
proposes a holistic parametric approach able to assess those different aspects, developing an integrated
model in Rhino-Grasshopper environment using independently developed packages.
Seismic and environmental performance are evaluated for three different Pres-Lam case studies. The
seismic response is assessed through a probabilistic approach, whereas the carbon footprint is estimated
using the extensive environmental database of the Grasshopper plugin One Click LCA. Given the parametric
nature of the framework, a wide range of solutions can be analyzed in order to make the optimal choice,
with the possibility to include also energy simulations and combine all of the results within a Multi-Criteria
Decision Analysis to guide the decisional process
Simplified Analytical/Mechanical Procedure for the Residual Capacity Assessment of Earthquake-Damaged Reinforced Concrete Frames
No full textThe series of recent catastrophic earthquakes worldwide have further emphasized the evident complexity and difficulty related to the evaluation of the post-earthquake seismic residual capacity of buildings. In the aftermath of a major seismic event, a fast, yet effective, safety evaluation procedure for earthquake-damaged buildings is critical to speed up and support the definition of emergency planning strategies, as well as to provide useful intel to the stakeholders and aid the decision-making process to enhance community resilience. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the possible implementations of a procedure based on SLaMA (Simple Lateral Mechanism Analysis) methodology for the seismic assessment of damaged Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame buildings. The proposed procedure is based on the use of reduction coefficients for damaged structural members, in line with the FEMA 306 approach, and an update of the “hierarchy of strength” at the subassembly level by accounting for the earthquake-related damage. Results are compared against a numerical model in terms of a Capacity vs. Demand Safety Index” (IS-V or %New Building Standard, %NBS) and Expected Annual Losses (EAL). Moreover, the simplified procedure can be used to assess the feasibility and effects of a repair/retrofit solution. Results show that the proposed analytical procedure is able to estimate with reasonable accuracy, considering its simplified nature, and the performance of the building when compared to numerical analyses. Finally, the effect of the use of low-damage exoskeletons based on the PRESSS low-damage technology has been evaluated via the application of the Displacement-Based Retrofit procedure
Advances in SLaMA-based pre-/post-earthquake safety, risk, loss assessment and mitigation strategies.
No full textThe severe/unacceptable socio-economic and environmental impacts of recent major earthquakes have prompted attention to the crucial need to implement a medium-to-long-term national plan for seismic risk mitigation. The remarkable growth in technology and computation power in recent years is signalling an increased focus toward the goal of creating digital models of the built environment for an enhanced monitoring, control and management. Although the potential advantages of such an approach are evident, there is still a need for adaptive and updatable frameworks and tools for a step-by-step seismic assessment to control, support and drive the data collection process and gain a holistic understanding of the problem prior to conducting often semi-“black-box” numerical simulations. To reach the ambitious goal of seismic risk reduction at national level, a radical improvement of the reliability of the diagnosis-prognosis protocols is required, followed by standardized, low-invasive and cost-effective rehabilitation solutions. In this context, simplified analytical-mechanical procedures can offer fundamental support to the seismic vulnerability assessment process, possibly integrated and powered by artificial-intelligence approaches. One notable example is the SLaMA (Simple Lateral Mechanism Analysis) method, extensively refined and validated in the literature. This method enables the identification of critical structural weaknesses at the component level and the assessment of the overall building capacity, thereby supporting the definition of suitable retrofitting strategies. This paper provides an overview of recent advancements and ongoing continuous refinements of SLaMA-based procedures for seismic risk assessment, loss modelling and retrofit decision-making. Originally conceived for reinforced concrete structures, the SLaMA method has been further improved in recent years and extended to other building material and typologies. Moreover, the mechanical nature of the method makes it effective in accounting for potential local degradation capacity due to either corrosion phenomena or earthquake-related damage. Finally, owing to its inherent simplicity, the procedure can be easily implemented in a knowledge-based risk assessment framework, directly considering uncertainties in building knowledge. The paper will present the potential of SLaMA-based approaches for pre- and post-earthquake safety evaluations, risk and loss assessments, and retrofitting selection
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
- …
