Cementitious materials, rocks and fibre-reinforced composites commonly termed as "quasibrittle," need a different fracture mechanics approach to model the crack propagation study because of the presence of significant size of fracture process zone ahead of the crack-tip. Recent studies show that concrete structures manifest three important stages in fracture process: crack initiation, stable crack propagation and unstable fracture or failure. Fracture Mechanics concept can better explain the above various stages including the concepts of ductility, size-effect, strain softening and post-cracking behavior of concrete and concrete structures.

The book presents a basic introduction on the various nonlinear concrete fracture models considering the respective fracture parameters. To this end, a thorough state-of-the-art review on various aspects of the material behavior and development of different concrete fracture models is presented. The development of cohesive crack model for standard test geometries using commonly used softening functions is shown and extensive studies on the behavior of cohesive crack fracture parameters are also carried out. The subsequent chapter contains the extensive study on the double-"K" and double-"G" fracture parameters in which some recent developments on the related fracture parameters are illustrated including introduction of weight function method to Double-"K" Fracture Model and formulization of size-effect behavior of the double-"K" fracture parameters. The application of weight function approach for determining of the "KR"-curve associated with cohesive stress distribution in the fracture process zone is also presented. Available test data are used to validate the new approach. Further, effect of specimen geometry, loading condition, size-effect and softening function on various fracture parameters is investigated. Towards the end, a comparative study between different fracture parameters obtained from various models is presented."

By the beginning of the nineteenth century, over ninety-five percent of all the productive land in Ireland was in the hands of Anglo-Irish landowners. They lived in the 'big houses', some of which still exist today, resplendent within their walled estates. Many others are now only gaunt ruins silhouetted against somber Irish skies, victims of 'the troubles' in the 1920s. There is a continuing fascination with the history of the big house in Ireland. Much of this interest stems from the Anglo-Irish living in places apart, in their estates, often in remote areas of an undeveloped and hostile land. Part of the appeal is in the characters, neither wholly English nor Irish, who made up this landowning class in Ireland. However, another part, largely ignored until this study, is how many of these landowners not only met these challenges but achieved remarkable levels of self-sufficiency. It was their exploitation of technology that hugely bolstered their status and independence and enabled them to lead an exotic lifestyle in Ireland. Although much has been written regarding the social and political history of the Anglo-Irish in Ireland, little research has been conducted into the practical problems of living there. At a time when there were few roads, no railways, and sailing ships were the unreliable connection with England, existence might have been very basic indeed. Charles Carson uncovers and explains in simple terms the technologies employed, to not only make life bearable, but in some case to become a triumph over seemingly impossible odds. An appreciation of this background helps to explain the sense of status and independence that emanates from the big house in Ireland until their demise in the late twentieth century. Interdisciplinary investigative methods were used in this work. These included extensive archival research of estate papers throughout Ireland; fieldwork involving examination and photography of still-extant big house technology; and the use of published fictional and biographical big house material. Much additional insight, and suggestions for further research, resulted from visits to various big house locations. Owners, often descendants of the original families, or managers and ground staff, provided important local knowledge. Climbing amongst stored artefacts in cellars, barns, and subterranean tunnels helped to bring the past alive. Something of the ambiance of these explorations informs this book, thus helping towards an understanding of the fundamental importance of technology in underpinning the status and independence of the big house in Ireland. By examining the range, costs, and changing nature of the technologies employed, this book makes an important contribution to a deeper understanding of life in the big house in Ireland circa 1800 to circa 1930. Brief descriptions, accompanied by drawings or photographs, are employed to explain the operation, limitations, and improvements of many of the installations and techniques. These include water closets, pumps, cisterns, boilers, and firefighting equipment; open fires, hot air stoves, and central heating; walled gardens, hot walls and beds, warm air, steam, and hot water heating of glasshouses; the construction, location, stocking, and use of ice houses and ice; daylight enhancement, candle, oil, gas, and electric lighting; an optical telegraph, a church spire, engine driven equipment on the estate farm as well as mapping of bogs and their reclamation by wooden railways. Technology and the Big House in Ireland, c. 1800-c. 1930 is an important reference source for Irish study groups worldwide.

BUDGETING DESIGN TO COST EVALUATION COST REDUCTION PRE-CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES BIDDING / NEGOTIATING GMP CONTRACTS CHANGE ORDER MANAGEMENT IN-HOUSE PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONTROLLED BIDDING POLICY SAMPLE FORMS

Masonry constructions are the great majority of the buildings in Europe's historic centres and the most important monuments of its architectural heritage. Given the age of these constructions, the demand for safety assessments and restoration projects is pressing and constant; still within the broad studies in the subject it is not yet recognised, in particular within the seismic area, a unitary approach to deal with Masonry structures. This successful book contributes to clarify the issues with a rigorous approach offering a comprehensive new Statics of Masonry Constructions. This third edition has been driven by some recent developments of the research in the field, and it gives the fundamentals of Statics with an original and rigorous mathematical formulation, further in-depth inquired in this new version. With many refinements and improvements, the book investigates the static behaviour of many historic monuments, such as the Gothic Cathedrals, the Mycenaean Tholoi, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the domes of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and St Peter's in Rome, as well as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The last chapter - the 11th - regarding the behaviour of masonry buildings under seismic actions, has been modified and integrated in order to take into account the numerous recent achievements of the research in the dynamic and seismic analysis. The focal point is that there's no dissipation of energy during the deformation of masonry structures, even if accompanied by cracks. If properly reinforced, masonry constructions have the sole resource to escape the seismic action developing the rocking without failure, under alternate seismic action. In this context, the rocking of pier walls, the main resistant components of the masonry structure, has been here thoroughly examined. Furthermore, the out of plane and the in-plane seismic strengths of masonry walls with openings has been investigated within the framework of Limit Analysis. Through an interdisciplinary approach, involving Mathematics, Engineering and Architecture, this book highlights the tight connection existing between the Statics of Masonry constructions and the principles that ruled the history of constructions, since the beginnings as far as the Seventeenth century.

The main purpose of this book, Hygrothermal, Building Pathology and Durability, is to provide a collection of recent research works to contribute to the systematization and dissemination of knowledge related to construction pathology, hygrothermal behaviour of buildings, durability and diagnostic techniques and, simultaneously, to show the most recent advances in this domain. It includes a set of new developments in the field of building physics and hygrothermal behaviour, durability approach for historical and old buildings and building pathology vs. durability. The book is divided in several chapters that are a resume of the current state of knowledge for benefit of professional colleagues, scientists, students, practitioners, lecturers and other interested parties to network.

The First African InterQuadrennial ICF Conference "AIQ-ICF2008" on Damage and Fracture Mechanics - Failure Analysis of Engineering Materials and Structures," Algiers, Algeria, June 1-5, 2008 is the first in the series of InterQuadrennial Conferences on Fracture to be held in the continent of Africa. During the conference, African researchers have shown that they merit a strong reputation in international circles and continue to make substantial contributions to the field of fracture mechanics. As in most countries, the research effort in Africa is und- taken at the industrial, academic, private sector and governmental levels, and covers the whole spectrum of fracture and fatigue. The AIQ-ICF2008 has brought together researchers and engineers to review and discuss advances in the development of methods and approaches on Damage and Fracture Mechanics. By bringing together the leading international experts in the field, AIQ-ICF promotes technology transfer and provides a forum for industry and researchers of the host nation to present their accomplishments and to develop new ideas at the highest level. International Conferences have an important role to play in the technology transfer process, especially in terms of the relationships to be established between the participants and the informal exchange of ideas that this ICF offers.

Optimization techniques offer immense potential for the improvement of performance-driven design, since they allow the adoption of an holistic approach. This can lead to great advantages: optimal design solutions can be properly identified only if all criteria are considered at the same time, rather than separately. There are two barriers which obstruct optimization from being applied to building design: a technological barrier (applying the algorithms is not easy and can be quite time-consuming) and a cultural one (architects and engineers are required to change their perspectives as the design process has to be handled in a new way). This book explores these barriers from the perspective of both engineers and architects, and proposes a change in the attitudes of these two "actors": an engineer and an architect develop a dialog which helps them understand each other's perspective; in this way they find how they must both make a step forward.

The book contains proceedings presented at the 9th International Conference on Arch Bridges held in Porto, Portugal on October 2 to 4, 2019. It is addressed to scientists, designers, technicians, stakeholders and contractors, seeking for an up-to-date view of the recent advances in the area of arch bridges.

When Seon (Zen) Buddhism was first introduced to Korea around Korea's late Silla and early Goryeo eras, the function of the "beopdang" (Dharma hall) was transfused to the lecture hall found in ancient Buddhist temples, establishing a pivotal area within the temple compound called the "upper monastic area." By exploring the structural formation and dissolution of the upper monastic area, the author shows how Korea established its own distinctive Seon temples, unlike those of China and Japan, in the course of assimilating a newly-introduced foreign culture as its own. To accomplish this, the author analyzed the inscriptions on stone monuments which recorded the lives of eminent monks and also numerous excavated temple ruins. These analyses give us a new perspective on the evolution of the upper monastic area, which had the beopdang as its center, at a time when early Seon temples were being established under very adverse and unstable circumstances. The exploration of the spatial organization and layout of Korean Seon temple architecture has illuminated the continuity between Korean Buddhist temples of both the ancient and medieval eras.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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. "

This monograph provides a comparative study between failure probabilities and collapse frequencies in structural bridge engineering. The author presents techniques to resolve and extend the limitations of both parameters, taking also into account the time dependency of both parameters. The book includes available data and case studies and thus presents patterns to identify potential weaknesses and challenges in bridge maintenance. The target audience primarily comprises practicing engineers in the field of bridge engineering, but the book may also be beneficial for academic researchers alike.

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.

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.

All about building entrances to the home. Detailed charts for identification of parts and joints, steps for constructing and hanging, exercises for perfecting building skills, and dozens of designs.

This book provides insights into sensor development for structural health monitoring. Current technological advances mean that the field is changing rapidly, making standardization an ongoing challenge. As such, the book gathers several essential contributions in the area of sensor development, including macro-fiber composite sensors for crack detection and optical fiber Bragg gratings for flaw detection. It also discusses the use of the welds in the structure as sensors, and probability estimation of detection for various sensor configurations. In addition, it presents methods based on vibration signal variations to detect small defects in composite components or to monitor large structures. Last but not least, the book includes special structural health monitoring applications in industrial components such as a nuclear boiler support spines and industrial presses as well as in corrosion monitoring of pipes.

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.

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.

RILEM TC 248-MMB was established in 2012 with the main aim to improve and distribute knowledge related to moisture measurement in construction materials in various scientific and industrial applications. Properties and performance of building materials and structures are influenced to a large extent by the moisture conditions in the materials. Obvious examples are heat conductivity, shrinkage and creep, transport properties, most types of deterioration, discoloration etc. For research and applications the moisture conditions must be quantified, by measurements in the laboratory or under field conditions. There is much variation in methods being used, even within the same topic, in different countries, both with regard to materials and to applications. No consensus whatsoever does exist. For the construction industry it is important to be able to quantify the moisture conditions in an accurate way in various applications. This state-of-the-art report is divided into two parts, Principles and Applications, with altogether 28 chapters on various moisture measuring principles and a number of applications.