This state of the art report from an international task group (TG44) of CIB, the International Council of Building Research Organizations, presents a highly authoritative guide to the application of innovative technologies on response control and seismic isolation of buildings to practice worldwide. Many countries and cities are located in earthquake-prone areas making effective seismic design a major issue in structural engineering. Reassuringly, structural response control and seismic isolation have advanced remarkably in recent years following numerous studies internationally. Several major conferences have been held and reports have been written but little has been issued on the application of the technologies to good structural engineering practice. Plugging that gap, Response Control and Seismic Isolation of Buildings presents researchers in structural engineering (dynamics) and construction management with up-to-date applications of the latest technologies.

Presenting an analysis of different approaches for predicting the service life of buildings, this monograph discusses various statistical tools and mathematical models, some of which have rarely been applied to the field. It explores methods including deterministic, factorial, stochastic and computational models and applies these to facade claddings. The models allow (i) identification of patterns of degradation, (ii) estimation of service life, (iii) analysis of loss of performance using probability functions, and (iv) estimation of service life using a probability distribution. The final chapter discusses the differences between the different methodologies and their advantages and limitations. The authors also argue that a better understanding of the service life of buildings results in more efficient building maintenance and reduced environmental costs. It not only provides an invaluable resource to students, researchers and industry professionals interested in service life prediction and sustainable construction, but is also of interest to environmental and materials scientists.

This book presents the proceedings of the International Conference on Health, Safety, Fire, Environment, and Allied Sciences (HSFEA 2018). The book highlights the latest developments in the field of science and technology aimed at improving health and safety in the workplace. The volume comprises content from leading scientists, engineers, and policy makers, discussing the effect of vehicular pollution, process, engineering, construction and other industrial activities on air quality and the impact these have on health and the environment. The contents of this volume will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers alike.

As usage of the NEC (formerly the New Engineering Contract) family of contracts continues to grow worldwide, so does the importance of understanding its clauses and nuances to everyone working in the built environment. This set of contracts, currently in the third edition, is different to others in concept as well as format, so users may well find themselves needing a helping hand along the way. Understanding the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Short Contract uses plain English to lead the reader through the contract's key features, including: the use of early warnings programme provisions payment compensation events preparing and assessing tenders Common problems are signalled to the reader throughout, and the correct way of reading each clause explained. In addition, the things to consider when deciding between the ECSC and the longer Engineering and Construction Contract are discussed in detail. Written for professionals without legal backgrounds, by a practicing construction contract consultant, this handbook is the most straightforward, balanced and practical guide to the NEC3 ECSC available. An ideal companion for Employers, Contractors, Project Managers, Supervisors, Engineers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Subcontractors, and anyone else interested in working successfully with the NEC3 ECSC.

This book, about international contracting and contract management, is written from the angle of the contractor and discussed from an international perspective. It comments on real-life cases, taken from various kinds of projects: infrastructural works (roads, bridges, tunnels, rail roads), wind- and sunfarms, oil and gas installations, such as platforms, pipe lines, power generating works, and large buildings. The book is structured around the contracting cycle. Chapters include dealing with the role of the contractor in international contracting, the tender process, landing and negotiating the contract, types of contract, problems that may occur during project execution, project delivery, and handling guarantee claims. Written primarily for business practitioners operating in the international contracting industry, the title assumes that the reader will have a basic understanding and knowledge of theories related to project management, construction engineering, business law and economics. Though not an academic book, due to its unique blend of practitioners' insight and academic theory, it can be taught in courses at institutes at the master level.As most engineers are going to deal with contracts, this book is specifically recommended for engineering programs both at the graduate and postgraduate level. Lawyers will find the book useful to understand the business context in which their customers and/or colleagues work.

This book deals with the energy footprints of biorefineries and the hotel and buildings sector. It presents footprint case studies, which include background information, methodological frameworks, assessment checklists, calculation tools and techniques, applications, challenges and limitations. It also discusses the application of each indicator/framework in various industrial sectors and the associated challenges, along with outlooks for the future. Consumption and conservation of energy are key elements in any industry's sustainability strategy.

This book contains research contributions from leading cyber security scholars from around the world. The authors provide comprehensive coverage of various cyber security topics, while highlighting recent trends. The book also contains a compendium of definitions and explanations of concepts, processes, acronyms, and comprehensive references on existing literature and research on cyber security and analytics, information sciences, decision systems, digital forensics, and related fields. As a whole, the book is a solid reference for dynamic and innovative research in the field, with a focus on design and development of future-ready cyber security measures. Topics include defenses against ransomware, phishing, malware, botnets, insider threats, and many others.

This book is about the Ultra-high Performance Cementitious Composites (UHPCC), which is a relativity new type of cementitious materials. UHPCC has very low water-to-binder ratio, high amount of high-range water reducer, fine aggregates and high-strength steel or organic fibers. With the prominent mechanical properties, e.g., high compressive and tensile strength, high ductility, and high fracture energy, UHPCC has been becoming the most prospective construction cement-based material for both civil and military structures to resist high-speed projectile penetration, low-velocity impact and blast loadings. In this book, the related work conducted by authors on the static and dynamic mechanical properties, as well as the impact and blast resistance of UHPCC are presented. This book is written for the researchers, engineers and graduate students in the fields of protective structures and terminal ballistics.

The present book gathers a large amount of the recent research results on this topic to provide a better understanding of the size effect by giving a quantitative description of the relationship between the properties of engineering concrete-making material (e.g. the nominal strength) and the corresponding structure size. To be precise, this is about to explore the new static and dynamic unified size effect laws for concrete materials, as well as size effect laws for concrete components. Besides presenting clear and accurate descriptions that further deepen our fundamental knowledge, this book provides additionally useful tools for the scientific design of concrete structures in practical engineering applications.

This book presents advanced technologies used in practice to enable early recognition and tracking of various threats to national security. It discusses practical applications, examples and recent challenges in the application fields using sophisticated sensory devices, embedded designs and airborne and ground unmanned vehicles. Undeniably rapid advances in the development of sophisticated sensory devices, significant increases of computing power available to embedded designs and the development of airborne and ground unmanned vehicles offer almost unlimited possibilities for fighting various types of pathologies affecting our societies. The book provides scientists, researchers, engineers and graduate students involved in computer vision, image processing, data fusion, control algorithms, mechanics, data mining, navigation and integrated circuit (IC) with numerous valuable, useful and practical suggestions and solutions.

The book encodes a vision for the actively sustainable management and development of the built environment by referring to the application of timber-based construction systems as additive solutions for the multi-purpose improvement of existing buildings. It translates this vision into an innovative methodology for the management of the entire building process - from design to production, operation, and maintenance - and the assessment of timber-based construction performances across the whole building life-cycle. This approach is based on a multi-dimensional analysis, which starts from the structure of the Active House (AH) protocol, improved through information-integrated digital environments and multi-criteria evaluation methods, such as BIM and Design Optioneering. During the design stage, indeed, it analyzes and compares different design choices, according to the DO method, until the definition and validation of the "As-Built" step, while in the operational phase, it refers to sensors-retrieved data to show the evolution of the building behaviour, accounting for real users' interaction, building performances decay and needs of maintenance, defining the digital twin of the building: a real Cognitive Building. Finally, the application of this methodology identifies innovative models of processes, products, and design of wood-based construction technologies, suitable to satisfy the needs of the 2D/3D construction layering for the sustainable transformation of the built environment.

This book provides information on data-driven infrastructure design, analytical approaches, and technological solutions with case studies for smart cities. This book aims to attract works on multidisciplinary research spanning across the computer science and engineering, environmental studies, services, urban planning and development, social sciences and industrial engineering on technologies, case studies, novel approaches, and visionary ideas related to data-driven innovative solutions and big data-powered applications to cope with the real world challenges for building smart cities.

This volume constitutes the state-of-the-art in active interrogation, widely recognized as indispensable methods for addressing current and future nuclear security needs. Written by a leading group of science and technology experts, this comprehensive reference presents technologies and systems in the context of the fundamental physics challenges and practical requirements. It compares the features, limitations, technologies, and impact of passive and active measurement techniques; describes radiation sources for active interrogation including electron and ion accelerators, intense lasers, and radioisotope-based sources; and it describes radiation detectors used for active interrogation. Entire chapters are devoted to data acquisition and processing systems, modeling and simulation, data interpretation and algorithms, and a survey of working active measurement systems. Active Interrogation in Nuclear Security is structured to appeal to a range of audiences, including graduate students, active researchers in the field, and policy analysts. The first book devoted entirely to active interrogation Presents a focused review of the relevant physics Surveys available technology Analyzes scientific and technology trends Provides historical and policy context Igor Jovanovic is a Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan and has previously also taught at Penn State University and Purdue University. He received his Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley and worked as physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Dr. Jovanovic has made numerous contributions to the science and technology of radiation detection, as well as the radiation sources for use in active interrogation in nuclear security. He has taught numerous undergraduate and graduate courses in areas that include radiation detection, nuclear physics, and nuclear security. At University of Michigan Dr. Jovanovic is the director of Neutron Science Laboratory and is also associated with the Center for Ultrafast Optical Science. Anna Erickson is an Assistant Professor in the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Program of the G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. Previously, she was a postdoctoral researcher in the Advanced Detectors Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Dr. Erickson received her PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a focus on radiation detection for active interrogation applications. Her research interests focus on nuclear non-proliferation including antineutrino analysis and non-traditional detector design and characterization. She teaches courses in advanced experimental detection for reactor and nuclear nonproliferation applications, radiation dosimetry and fast reactor analysis.

This book focuses on a wide range of innovations related to Cybersecurity Education which include: curriculum development, faculty and professional development, laboratory enhancements, community outreach, and student learning. The book includes topics such as: Network Security, Biometric Security, Data Security, Operating Systems Security, Security Countermeasures, Database Security, Cloud Computing Security, Industrial Control and Embedded Systems Security, Cryptography, and Hardware and Supply Chain Security. The book introduces the concepts, techniques, methods, approaches and trends needed by cybersecurity specialists and educators for keeping current their security knowledge. Further, it provides a glimpse of future directions where cybersecurity techniques, policies, applications, and theories are headed. The book is a rich collection of carefully selected and reviewed manuscripts written by diverse cybersecurity experts in the listed fields and edited by prominent cybersecurity researchers and specialists.

This book explores creative solutions to the unique challenges inherent in crafting livable spaces in extra-terrestrial environments. The goal is to foster a constructive dialogue between the researchers and planners of future (space) habitats. The authors explore the diverse concepts of the term Habitability from the perspectives of the inhabitants as well as the planners and social sciences. The book provides an overview of the evolution and advancements of designed living spaces for manned space craft, as well as analogue research and simulation facilities in extreme environments on Earth. It highlights how various current and future concepts of Habitability have been translated into design and which ones are still missing. The main emphasis of this book is to identify the important factors that will provide for well-being in our future space environments and promote creative solutions to achieving living spaces where humans can thrive. Selected aspects are discussed from a socio-spatial professional background and possible applications are illustrated. Human factors and habitability design are important topics for all working and living spaces. For space exploration, they are vital. While human factors and certain habitability issues have been integrated into the design process of manned spacecraft, there is a crucial need to move from mere survivability to factors that support thriving. As of today, the risk of an incompatible vehicle or habitat design has already been identified by NASA as recognized key risk to human health and performance in space. Habitability and human factors will become even more important determinants for the design of future long-term and commercial space facilities as larger and more diverse groups occupy off-earth habitats. The book will not only benefit individuals and organizations responsible for manned space missions and mission simulators, but also provides relevant information to designers of terrestrial austere environments (e.g., remote operational and research facilities, hospitals, prisons, manufacturing). In addition it presents general insights on the socio-spatial relationship which is of interest to researchers of social sciences, engineers and architects.

This practical guide to the assessment and repair of historic buildings is invaluable for structural engineers, architects, surveyors and builders working in all aspects of building conservation. Taking a practical step-by-step approach, the authors discuss the appraisal of buildings and the differences in structural behaviour between new and existing structures. Each stage in the appraisal is explained, using examples from the authors' own work.
Each major construction material is assessed in detail, with separate sections on masonry, concrete, timber and the particularly complex issues of iron and steel framed buildings. Techniques for testing the ability of a building to continue its existing use or to be converted to a new use are explained.
.Detailed guide to appraisal and repair of historic buildings
.Analyses the key differences between new and existing structures
.Written by practitioners and illustrated with examples from their direct experience

This book focuses on how machine learning techniques can be used to analyze and make use of one particular category of behavioral biometrics known as the gait biometric. A comprehensive Ground Reaction Force (GRF)-based Gait Biometrics Recognition framework is proposed and validated by experiments. In addition, an in-depth analysis of existing recognition techniques that are best suited for performing footstep GRF-based person recognition is also proposed, as well as a comparison of feature extractors, normalizers, and classifiers configurations that were never directly compared with one another in any previous GRF recognition research. Finally, a detailed theoretical overview of many existing machine learning techniques is presented, leading to a proposal of two novel data processing techniques developed specifically for the purpose of gait biometric recognition using GRF. This book * introduces novel machine-learning-based temporal normalization techniques * bridges research gaps concerning the effect of footwear and stepping speed on footstep GRF-based person recognition * provides detailed discussions of key research challenges and open research issues in gait biometrics recognition* compares biometrics systems trained and tested with the same footwear against those trained and tested with different footwear

This leading-edge volume on advances in photovoltaic technology features diverse contributions from experts in every major geographic PV market. It examines emerging applications such as electricity grid load-balancing and demand- response, PV storage systems, photovoltaic/thermal solar collectors and carbon-offset in buildings. Engineers, researchers, developers and students alike will find new avenues for exploration and fresh insights into this continually evolving field. Highlights the most recent advances in Photovoltaics, from Next-Gen Storage Systems to Bifacial PV/T Solar Collectors; Provides expert insights on the recent evolution and near future of PV markets around the globe; Covers applications from grid-tied storage and power generation to green buildings.

This book primarily focuses on methodologies to enable marine structures to resist high velocity impact loadings. It is based on invited talks presented at the recent India-USA workshop on "Recent Advances in Blast Mitigation Strategies in Civil and Marine Composite Structures" The book comprises content from top researchers from India and the USA and covers various aspects of the topic, including modeling and simulation, design aspects, experimentation and various challenges. These failure modes significantly reduce the structural integrity of the marine structures unless they are designed to resist such harsh loadings. Understanding the mechanics of these structures under harsh loadings is still an open area of research, and the behavior of these structures is not fully understood. The book highlights efforts to reduce the effects of blast loadings on marine composite structures. Intended for researchers/scientists and practicing engineers, the book focuses not only the design and analysis challenges of marine composite structures under such harsh loading conditions, but also provides new design guidelines.

Heating and Cooling with Ground-Source Heat Pumps in Moderate and Cold Climates, Two-Volume Set focuses on the use of very low-temperature geothermal energy for heating and cooling residential, institutional, and industrial buildings, and aims to increase the design community's awareness and knowledge of the benefits, design, and installation requirements of commercial/institutional building ground-source heat pumps (GSHP). This set helps readers assess applicability, select a GSHP system type, and estimate building thermal load to ensure proper size for ground-source subsystems, appropriate brine and groundwater flow rates, and apt design of building closed-loops with distributed or central geothermal heat pumps. The first volume addresses fundamentals and design principles of vertical and horizontal indirect and direct expansion closed-loop, as well as ground- and surface-water ground-source heat pump systems. It explains the thermodynamic aspects of mechanical and thermochemical compression cycles of geothermal heat pumps, as well as the energetic, economic, and environmental aspects associated with the use of ground-source heat pump systems for heating and cooling residential and commercial/institutional buildings in moderate and cold climates. The second volume focuses on applications and cases studies of ground-source heat pumps in moderate and cold climates. It details technical aspects, as well as the most common and uncommon application fields of basic system configurations. The principles of system integrations and applications in moderate and cold climates are also presented, each followed by case studies. This comprehensive work is aimed at designers of HVAC systems, as well as geological, mechanical, and chemical engineers implementing environmentally-friendly heating and cooling technologies for buildings.

This book provides the reader with a review of the most relevant research on the structural characterization and seismic retrofitting of adobe construction. It offers a complete review of the latest research developments, and hence the relevance of the field. The book starts with an introductory discussion on adobe construction and its use throughout the world over time, highlighting characteristics and performance of adobe masonry structures as well as different contributions for cultural heritage conservation (Chapter 1). Then, the seismic behaviour of adobe masonry buildings is addressed, including examples of real performance during recent earthquakes (Chapter 2). In the following chapters, key research investigations on seismic response assessment and retrofitting of adobe constructions are reviewed. The review deals with the following issues: mechanical characterization of adobe bricks and adobe masonry (Chapters 3 and 4); quasi-static and shaking table testing of adobe masonry walls and structures (Chapters 5 and 6); non-destructive and minor-destructive testing for characterization of adobe constructions (Chapter 7); seismic strengthening techniques for adobe constructions (Chapter 8); and numerical modelling of adobe structures (Chapter 9). The book ends with Chapter 10, where some general conclusions are drawn and research needs are identified. Each chapter is co-authored by a group of experts from different countries to comprehensively address all issues of adobe constructions from a worldwide perspective. The information covered in this book is fundamental to support civil engineers and architects in the rehabilitation and strengthening of existing adobe constructions and also in the design of new adobe buildings. This information is also of interest to researchers, by providing a summary of existing research and suggesting possible directions for future research efforts.

This volume comprises select peer reviewed papers presented at the international conference - Advanced Research and Innovations in Civil Engineering (ARICE 2019). It brings together a wide variety of innovative topics and current developments in various branches of civil engineering. Some of the major topics covered include structural engineering, water resources engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, and remote sensing. The book also looks at emerging topics such as green building technologies, zero-energy buildings, smart materials, and intelligent transportation systems. Given its contents, the book will prove useful to students, researchers, and professionals working in the field of civil engineering.

This book is for everyone who wonders why fire engines are red, why a chief has five "bugles" while a captain has two, why fire hydrants are sometimes called "fire plugs" and why we toll bells and play bagpipes at firefighter funerals.

A smart building is the state-of-art in building with features that facilitates informed decision making based on the available data through smart metering and IoT sensors. This set provides useful information for developing smart buildings including significant improvement of energy efficiency, implementation of operational improvements and targeting sustainable environment to create an effective customer experience. It includes case studies from industrial results which provide cost effective solutions and integrates the digital SCADE solution. Describes complete implication of smart buildings via industrial, commercial and community platforms Systematically defines energy-efficient buildings, employing power consumption optimization techniques with inclusion of renewable energy sources Covers data centre and cyber security with excellent data storage features for smart buildings Includes systematic and detailed strategies for building air conditioning and lighting Details smart building security propulsion. This set is aimed at graduate students, researchers and professionals in building systems, architectural, and electrical engineering.

This book presents both the fundamental theory and numerical calculations and field experiments used in a range of practical engineering projects. It not only provides theoretical formulations and various solutions, but also offers concrete methods to extend the life of existing bridge structures and presents a guide to the rational design of new bridges, such as high-speed railway bridges and long-span bridges. Further, it offers a reference resource for solving vehicle-structure dynamic interaction problems in the research on and design of all types of highways, railways and other transport structures.