Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to organize the Sixth International RILEM Symposium on SCC and the Fourth North-American Conference on the Design and Use of SCC, held on Sept 26-29, 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The RILEM series of symposia started in 1999 in Stockholm, followed by Tokyo in 2001, Reykjavik in 2003, Chicago in 2005, and Ghent in 2007 with a steadily increasing number of papers, participants, and interest from across the globe. Due to the growing success of SCC, regional conferences have been organized, such as the North-American Conference on the Design and Use of SCC held in Chicago in 2002, 2005, and 2008; the International Symposium on Design, Performance and Use of SCC held nd in Changsa, China in 2005 and in Beijing, China in 2009; as well as the 2 International Conference on Advances in Concrete Technology in the Middle East: SCC held in Abu Dhabi in 2009. It can be concluded that these regional Conferences and Symposia were highly successful and reached a far more international audience than anticipated. Nearly 100 papers were submitted for these proceedings from which the International Scientific Committee selected 37 contributions covering a wide range of timely and original subjects from around the world. We would like to acknowledge the input of the International Scientific Committee for providing critical input to guarantee high quality of these peer-reviewed proceedings. We invite you to explore a wealth of information in the electronic proceedings.

This book provides a general introduction to the topic of buildings for resistance to the effects of abnormal loadings. The structural design requirements for nuclear facilities are very unique. In no other structural system are extreme loads such as tornadoes, missile and loud interaction, earthquake effects typical in excess of any recorded historical data at a site, and postulated system accident at very low probability range explicitly, considered in design. It covers the whole spectrum of extreme load which has to be considered in the structural design of nuclear facilities and reactor buildings, the safety criteria, the structural design, the analysis of containment. Test case studies are given in a comprehensive treatment. Each major section contains a full explanation which allows the book to be used by students and practicing engineers, particularly those facing formidable task of having to design complicated building structures with unusual boundary conditions.

This book is devoted to two primary objectives. The first is to present the errors, inadaptability and mistakes arising when the current theory on concrete is applied to explaining practical construction of concrete; the second is to put forward viewpoints in modern concrete science. Taking a number of engineering cases as examples, we experimentally studied and theoretically analyzed the errors, inadaptability, and mistakes when the current theory on concrete is applied to explaining practical construction of concrete. Moreover, we investigated the use of mixing ratios, aggregates, cement, high-performance concrete and fibers, as well as the frost resistance, cracking behavior, durability, dry shrinkage and autogenous healing to address and remedy the shortcomings in today's concrete science, put forward new proposals and make a number of innovative achievements in the field, particularly in modern theory on concrete science. The results and topics which will be of particular interest to engineers and researchers include: corrections to several one-sided, even mistaken views on concrete construction in the field and a new theory that can be adopted to improve the durability of concrete projects, to control and improve the implementation quality of concrete projects and to guide teaching in universities. Wenke Yang is a distinguished senior engineer at China Airport Construction Group Corporation, General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).

In this volume scientists from different disciplines present their experience and their scientific work in progress. These concern the properties of a series of stones that have been used for the erection of some of the most important stone monuments of international cultural heritage and are also used today for substitution of missing parts or completion of damaged ones. It deals with the subject globally and contains unpublished research results.

This book describes step-by-step the entire building process of a passive, energy-efficient house in a Mediterranean climate. It chronicles the creation of the Fiorita Passive House in Cesena, Italy, offering designers valuable tips and practical advice for their own projects. Written as a logbook, it not only provides essential technical information but is also an exciting story of the challenges encountered and the solutions that were found. "How and where do I start when building a passive house? Do I need consultants? Will it cost too much? What precautions should I take in a Mediterranean region? What tools do I need? I want to build in wood, but what technical solutions should I use? What must I do regarding plants and equipment? And then, finally, will it really work?" These and many other questions filled the head of the author and designer when he tried his hand at building a passive house in the Mediterranean. The designer, S. Piraccini, had long sought a book that would answer these answers - in vain. So he decided to brave these dangerous waters alone, and after successfully completing his project, he decided to write a book to help others in the same situation. The book is accompanied by detailed information on building physics and HVAC systems by his fellow architect, K. Fabbri.

These proceedings include most of the available information on this major seismic event and its consequences. With an estimated moment magnitude of 7.7 and a heavy toll in terms of human and economic losses, it ranks as the largest intermediate-depth earthquake in Europe in the twentieth century. Nevertheless, because of the difficult conditions in the 1940s, the lessons learnt after the Vrancea earthquake were not extensively shared with the international scientific community and thus, this book fills a gap in the literature discussing the knowledge acquired after major disasters. Past experience together with current understanding of the 1940 Vrancea earthquake are presented along with the latest information on Romanian seismicity, seismic hazard and risk assessment, and seismic evaluation and rehabilitation of buildings and structures. Moreover, it includes excerpts from Romanian post-disaster reports and textbooks concerning the earthquake.

This timely book introduces architects, engineers, builders, and urban planners to a range of contemporary community design concepts and illustrates them with outstanding case studies from around the world. Drawing on successful projects from London, New Mexico, Austria, and the Netherlands, "Innovative Sustainable Communities" presents planning concepts that minimize developments' carbon footprint through compact communities, adaptable and expandable dwellings, edible landscape, and smaller-sized yet quality designed housing.

This book expounds on progress made over the last 35 years in the theory, synthesis, and application of triboluminescence for creating smart structures. It presents in detail the research into utilization of the triboluminescent properties of certain crystals as new sensor systems for smart engineering structures, as well as triboluminescence-based sensor systems that have the potential to enable wireless, in-situ, real time and distributed (WIRD) structural health monitoring of composite structures. The sensor component of any structural health monitoring (SHM) technology - measures the effects of the external load/event and provides the necessary inputs for appropriate preventive/corrective action to be taken in a smart structure - sits at the heart of such a system. This volume explores advances in materials properties and structural behavior underlying creation of smart composite structures and sensor systems for structural health monitoring of critical engineering structures, such as bridges, aircrafts, and wind blades.

This book examines state-of-the-art techniques for using recycled materials for structural concrete production, and explores the use of concrete with metallurgical slag, rheology of fresh recycled concrete, and life-cycle analysis of building materials. It reviews recent codes, guidelines and practices for using recycled materials in structural concrete application, and presents research recently carried out by the authors. Focusing on techniques that limit the environmental impacts of the concrete industry, the text explores the use of recycled components in the place of virgin aggregates and ordinary binders. Chapters focus on topics including processing procedures, mixture proportioning, mechanical properties, durability and structural applications. Providing a valuable resource to engineering postgraduates and researchers, this book is also intended for civil engineers, geologists, and concrete engineers.

Wood is one of the most intriguing structural materials and the only one that is truly renewable. Along with stone, wood is the oldest structural material on the planet and has been extensively used throughout human history. Due to its aesthetical value and positive environmental impact, wood has experienced a renaissance in construction.

As a biodegradable, hygroscopic, non-isotropic material, wood presents special challenges for a professional and requires through knowledge ranging from biology to continuum mechanics.

This state-of-the-art report reflects the current knowledge in the area of in situ assessment of the physical and mechanical properties of wood structures. Nondestructive, semi-destructive and destructive methods are described in a systematic manner where technology, equipment and limitations are discussed. Some of the discussed methods are used in other materials such as masonry and concrete. Most of the methods, however, are specific to wood and special qualifications are required to understand and apply these methods effectively. Existing methods are constantly improved and new methods are being developed. This report includes methods that are used in practice or have shown significant promise and have a body of knowledge that supports statements made in this report.

This is a useable tool for professionals, researchers, educators and students

This new edition provides both theoretical and practical background of security and forensics for mobile phones. The author discusses confidentiality, integrity, and availability threats in mobile telephones to provide background for the rest of the book. Security and secrets of mobile phones are discussed including software and hardware interception, fraud and other malicious techniques used "against" users. The purpose of this book is to raise user awareness in regards to security and privacy threats present in the use of mobile phones while readers will also learn where forensics data reside in the mobile phone and the network and how to conduct a relevant analysis. The information on denial of service attacks has been thoroughly updated for the new edition. Also, a major addition to this edition is a section discussing software defined radio and open source tools for mobile phones.

The aim of this book is to investigate comfort control inside buildings, and how this can be achieved through low energy consumption. It presents a comprehensive exploration of the design, development and implementation of several advanced control systems that maintain users' comfort (thermal and indoor air quality) whilst minimizing energy consumption. The book includes a detailed account of the latest cutting edge developments in this area, and presents several control systems based on Model Predictive Control approaches. Real-life examples are provided, and the book is supplemented by illustrations, tables, all of which facilitate understanding of the text.

Energy consumption in buildings (residential and non-residential) represents almost the half of the total world energy consumption, and they are also responsible for approximately 35% of CO2 emissions. For these reasons, the reduction of energy consumption associated with the construction and use of buildings, and the increase of energy efficiency in their climatic refurbishment are frequently studied topics in academia and industry. As the productivity of users is directly related to their comfort, a middle ground needs to be found between comfort of users and energy efficiency. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to develop innovation and technology which can provide comfortable environments with minimum energy consumption. This book is intended for researchers interested in control engineering, energy and bioclimatic buildings, and for mechanical and process control engineers. It also accessible to postgraduate students embarking on a career in this area, particularly those studying architecture.

This book examines current issues of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in civil infrastructure. The contents of this book are divided into two parts. The first part engages topics related to durability and service life of FRP composites and how they contribute to sustainability. The second part highlights implementation and applications of the FRP composites with an emphasis on bridge structures. An introductory chapter provides an overview of FRP composites and its role in a sustainable built environment highlighting the issues of durability and service life followed by a current review of sustainability in infrastructure design. "

There is a strong need for a comprehensive textbook on construction technology for tall buildings, particularly in reference to land scarce countries and cities. This volume is particularly applicable to the construction industry in the Asean region, where rapid economic development in the last few decades has resulted in an unprecedented explosion in tail building development.

Containing over 200 illustrations, this book describes in detail the latest construction practices and processes for tall buildings from foundation to roof. The construction sequence of the various proprietary systems and their merits and disadvantages are discussed. Comprehensive references for each topic are also provided.

Currently, students and practitioners in the Asean region dealing with construction technology have to rely on textbooks written mainly in the US and UK, many of which are not relevant or not practical for use in the region because of different climate conditions.

This book is written for use as a textbook and reference book by undergraduates as well as practitioners in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, building, quantity surveying, and other related fields.

Safety and reliability are important for the whole expected service duration of an engineering structure. Therefore, prognostical solutions for different building types are needed and uncertainties have to be handled. Life-cycle strategies to control future structural degradations by concepts of appropriate design have to be developed, in case including means of inspection, maintenance, and repair. Aspects of costs and sustainability also matter. The Cooperative Research Center for Lifetime-Oriented Design Concepts (SFB 398) at Ruhr University in Bochum combines the wide range of scientific topics between structural engineering, structural and soil mechanics and material sciences regarding structural lifetime management in this present extraordinary monolithic format. The characterization and modeling of lifetime-related external actions of multiple origin are presented in this book as well as the physical description, the modeling and the validation of material degradation. Adaptive numerical methods and simulation techniques are provided for the lifetime-oriented design concepts to forecast material and structural degradation. Stochastic aspects, mathematical optimization methods and interactions between various influences are included. Thus, a solid basis is provided for future practical use and also for standardization of structural design with respect to lifetime-prediction.

This book discusses the development, types and application principles of portable air purifiers in China. It analyzes the theoretical characteristics of air purifiers under various operational conditions, and points out that the term "Clean Air Delivery Rate" cannot be used to precisely reflect the problems that occur under various operational conditions. By comparing theoretical and measured data, it highlights the mainfeatures of air purifiers and key points in the design process for different applications. Calculation methods for the indoor particle concentration and the self-purification time are also provided. The book describes the conditions for window opening in smog and for selecting air purifiers, and proposes a newmethod for improvingtheir measurement. In closing, it includes a new assessment index.

Advanced Video-Based Surveillance Systems presents second generation surveillance systems that automatically process large sets of signals for performance monitoring tasks. Included is coverage of different architecture designs, customization of surveillance architecture for end-users, advances in the processing of imaging sequences, security systems, sensors, and remote monitoring projects. Examples are provided of surveillance applications in highway traffic control, subway stations, wireless communications, and other areas. This work will be of interest to researchers in image processing, computer vision, digital signal processing, and telecommunications.

This book presents the latest findings on mechanical and materials engineering as applied to the design of modern engineering materials and components. The contributions cover the classical fields of mechanical, civil and materials engineering, as well as bioengineering and advanced materials processing and optimization. The materials and structures discussed can be categorized into modern steels, aluminium and titanium alloys, polymers/composite materials, biological and natural materials, material hybrids and modern nano-based materials. Analytical modelling, numerical simulation, state-of-the-art design tools and advanced experimental techniques are applied to characterize the materials' performance and to design and optimize structures in different fields of engineering applications.

This volume presents new methodologies for the design of dimension stone based on the concepts of structural design while preserving the excellence of stonemasonry practice in facade engineering. Straightforward formulae are provided for computing action on cladding, with special emphasis on the effect of seismic forces, including an extensive general methodology applied to non-structural elements. Based on the Load and Resistance Factor Design Format (LRDF), minimum slab thickness formulae are presented that take into consideration stress concentrations analysis based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) for the most commonly used modern anchorage systems. Calculation examples allow designers to solve several anchorage engineering problems in a detailed and objective manner, underlining the key parameters. The design of the anchorage metal parts, either in stainless steel or aluminum, is also presented.

This book highlights new developments in the field of building pathology and rehabilitation, taking an in-depth look into current approaches to the surveying of buildings and the study of defect diagnosis, prognosis and remediation. Including a number of real-world case studies and a detailed set of references for further reading, the book will appeal to a wide readership of scientists, practitioners, students and lecturers.

Cumulative impacts on construction projects remain largely an ill-defined concept. A more thorough understanding of cumulative impacts as defined by the construction industry and courts and boards will aid the contractor in preparing its damages and proving causation. The information herein provides a blueprint for the contractor seeking to recover costs that result from disruption and the cumulative impact of changes. Conversely, information is also provided that can be used by the owner to identify weaknesses in the contractor's claim submittal to better defend against a cumulative impact claim.

In this book, experts on textile technologies convey both general and specific information on various aspects of textile engineering, ready-made technologies, and textile chemistry. They describe the entire process chain from fiber materials to various yarn constructions, 2D and 3D textile constructions, preforms, and interface layer design. In addition, the authors introduce testing methods, shaping and simulation techniques for the characterization of and structural mechanics calculations on anisotropic, pliable high-performance textiles, including specific examples from the fields of fiber plastic composites, textile concrete and textile membranes. Readers will also be familiarized with the potential offered by increasingly employed textile structures, for instance in the fields of composite technology, construction technology, security technology and membrane technology.

The dissertation investigates the scientific and business factors that have resulted in air-conditioning being a major contributor to climate-change. With his architectural background, the author demonstrates how a design methodology, not commonly adopted in scientific studies, may actually be a suitable way of dealing with a complex problem: the 'business as usual' scenario involving building science, sociological values and consumer behavior. Using his innovations as case studies, the author shows how good ideas cannot be evaluated on scientific merit alone and demonstrates why commercialization may have a pivotal role in deployment of research-based technology. He advances the theory of personalized thermal comfort which can potentially resolve the air-conditioning conundrum.