Modelling, Solving and Applications for Topology Optimization of Continuum Structures: ICM Method Based on Step Function provides an introduction to the history of structural optimization, along with a summary of the existing state-of-the-art research on topology optimization of continuum structures. It systematically introduces basic concepts and principles of ICM method, also including modeling and solutions to complex engineering problems with different constraints and boundary conditions. The book features many numerical examples that are solved by the ICM method, helping researchers and engineers solve their own problems on topology optimization. This valuable reference is ideal for researchers in structural optimization design, teachers and students in colleges and universities working, and majoring in, related engineering fields, and structural engineers.

Porous Rock Failure Mechanics: Hydraulic Fracturing, Drilling and Structural Engineering focuses on the fracture mechanics of porous rocks and modern simulation techniques for progressive quasi-static and dynamic fractures. The topics covered in this volume include a wide range of academic and industrial applications, including petroleum, mining, and civil engineering. Chapters focus on advanced topics in the field of rock's fracture mechanics and address theoretical concepts, experimental characterization, numerical simulation techniques, and their applications as appropriate. Each chapter reflects the current state-of-the-art in terms of the modern use of fracture simulation in industrial and academic sectors. Some of the major contributions in this volume include, but are not limited to: anisotropic elasto-plastic deformation mechanisms in fluid saturated porous rocks, dynamics of fluids transport in fractured rocks and simulation techniques, fracture mechanics and simulation techniques in porous rocks, fluid-structure interaction in hydraulic driven fractures, advanced numerical techniques for simulation of progressive fracture, including multiscale modeling, and micromechanical approaches for porous rocks, and quasi-static versus dynamic fractures in porous rocks. This book will serve as an important resource for petroleum, geomechanics, drilling and structural engineers, R&D managers in industry and academia.

Aeroacoustics of Low Mach Number Flows: Fundamentals, Analysis, and Measurement provides a comprehensive treatment of sound radiation from subsonic flow over moving surfaces, which is the most widespread cause of flow noise in engineering systems. This includes fan noise, rotor noise, wind turbine noise, boundary layer noise, and aircraft noise. Beginning with fluid dynamics, the fundamental equations of aeroacoustics are derived and the key methods of solution are explained, focusing both on the necessary mathematics and physics. Fundamentals of turbulence and turbulent flows, experimental methods and numerous applications are also covered. The book is an ideal source of information on aeroacoustics for researchers and graduate students in engineering, physics, or applied math, as well as for engineers working in this field. Supplementary material for this book is provided by the authors on the website www.aeroacoustics.net. The website provides educational content designed to help students and researchers in understanding some of the principles and applications of aeroacoustics, and includes example problems, data, sample codes, course plans and errata. The website is continuously being reviewed and added to.

An Introduction to Mining Seismology describes comprehensively the modern methods and techniques used to monitor and study seismicity and rockbursts in mines. Key case histories from various worldwide mining districts clearly illustrate and skillfully emphasize the practical aspects of mining seismology. This text is intended as a handbook for geophysicists and mining and rock mechanics engineers working at mines. It will also serve as an essential reference tool for seismologists working at research institutions on local seismicity not necessarily induced by mining.
Key Features
* Presents a comprehensive description of seismicity induced by mining worldwide
* Provides information on optimum network planning and seismic event location procedures in deep mines
* Covers a broad array of topics including focal mechanism, moment tensor, and double-couple versus non-double-couple seismic events in mines
* Includes data on source parameters and scaling relations for seismic events in mines

This book gathers the main research findings on monotonic, cyclic and postcyclic shear behavior of low-plasticity. Drawing on the low-plasticity silt from the Mississippi River Valley, it determines that the silt's critical state line can be changed due to liquefaction, and thus offers valuable insights and reference data for further investigations on soil mechanics and engineering applications to verify the above research findings. Low-plasticity silt with a plasticity index of less than 10, though commonly found around the world, nonetheless differs greatly from sand and clay in terms of its shear behavior. Failure to take into account the differences in shear characteristics between silt, clay and sand will lead to overconservative designs of offshore structures. In particular, dynamic loading from earthquakes, trains and ocean waves can set off the liquefaction of low-plasticity silt, and with it, major disasters and losses of properties. Additionally, some civil infrastructures have failed not only due to cyclic loading during an earthquake, but also due to reduction of shear strength or stiffness after that.

Granular Geomechanics provides a comprehensive exploration of soils as granular materials and the manner in which a soil's engineering properties form grain-scale mechanics. The book focuses on granular composition and packing, grain interactions, discrete granular modeling and continuum constitutive modeling.

This book provides recent developments and improvements in the modeling as well as application examples and is a complementary work to the previous Lecture Notes Vols. 77 and 80. It summarizes the fundamental work from scientists dealing with the development of constitutive models for soils, especially cyclic loading with special attention to the numerical implementation. In this volume the neo-hypoplasticity and the ISA (intergranular strain anisotropy) model in their extended version are presented. Furthermore, new contact elements with non-linear constitutive material laws and examples for their applications are given.Comparisons between the experimental and the numerical results show the effectiveness and the drawbacks and provide a useful and comprehensive pool for all the constitutive model developers and scientists in geotechnical engineering, who like to prove the soundness of new approaches.

The preservation of heritage architecture is a cultural objective rigorously pursued by communities and nations wishing to promote their history, civilisation and aesthetic achievements. Structures built in the remote past by traditional methods have suffered the consequences of extreme loading events, such as earthquakes, over long time periods. Retrofitting is an approach based on recent technological developments and scientific knowledge, whereby modern construction methods and materials are applied to the repair and strengthening of historical structures. This book aims to inform on current retrofitting techniques, their application to various types of historical architecture and their effectiveness to fulfil their purpose. Retrofitted structural forms covered in the book vary widely from age old places of worship, such as churches, mosques and temples, as well as castles and palaces to more modern, distinguished private residences or public buildings, some of them designed by well known architects. Their methods of construction range from traditional, such as stone or brick masonry to more recent textile block systems and even reinforced concrete frameworks.Reference is made to detailed visual inspections of damaged structure providing valuable insight into possible causes of failure; such inspections are usually combined with material characterisation which is an essential input to numerical modelling for assessing the behaviour of the structure before and after retrofitting. The book describes strengthening techniques for masonry walls including re-pointing, injection grouting and the use of steel ties. The use of reinforced concrete is proposed in the form of cast-in-place walls, jackets or tie-beams; that of carbon fibre reinforced laminates for strengthening walls and slabs. Innovative use of materials, such as shape memory alloys, self-compacting concrete or thin lead layers is also suggested. Particular attention is given to methods for moderating the consequences of destructive earthquakes. Seismic energy absorbing devices and base isolation systems are two effective means of providing protection against future seismic events although their application is often met with many technical challenges in practice.Retrofitting of Heritage Structures: Design and evaluation of strengthening techniques will be of interest to members of academic institutions, government or private cultural preservation establishments and specialist consultant engineers. The book contains very practical, technical advice on many issues; this would be of considerable interest to construction companies specialising in repairs and maintenance of historical structures.

The book provides suggestions on how to start using bionic optimization methods, including pseudo-code examples of each of the important approaches and outlines of how to improve them. The most efficient methods for accelerating the studies are discussed. These include the selection of size and generations of a study's parameters, modification of these driving parameters, switching to gradient methods when approaching local maxima, and the use of parallel working hardware. Bionic Optimization means finding the best solution to a problem using methods found in nature. As Evolutionary Strategies and Particle Swarm Optimization seem to be the most important methods for structural optimization, we primarily focus on them. Other methods such as neural nets or ant colonies are more suited to control or process studies, so their basic ideas are outlined in order to motivate readers to start using them. A set of sample applications shows how Bionic Optimization works in practice. From academic studies on simple frames made of rods to earthquake-resistant buildings, readers follow the lessons learned, difficulties encountered and effective strategies for overcoming them. For the problem of tuned mass dampers, which play an important role in dynamic control, changing the goal and restrictions paves the way for Multi-Objective-Optimization. As most structural designers today use commercial software such as FE-Codes or CAE systems with integrated simulation modules, ways of integrating Bionic Optimization into these software packages are outlined and examples of typical systems and typical optimization approaches are presented. The closing section focuses on an overview and outlook on reliable and robust as well as on Multi-Objective-Optimization, including discussions of current and upcoming research topics in the field concerning a unified theory for handling stochastic design processes.

Marine Concrete Structures: Design, Durability and Performance comprehensively examines structures located in, under, or in close proximity to the sea. A major emphasis of the book is on the long-term performance of marine concrete structures that not only represent major infrastructure investment and provision, but are also required to operate with minimal maintenance. Chapters review the design, specification, construction, and operation of marine concrete structures, and examine their performance and durability in the marine environment. A number of case studies of significant marine concrete structures from around the world are included which help to reinforce the principles outlined in earlier chapters and provide useful background to these types of structures. The result is a thorough and up-to-date reference source that engineers, researchers, and postgraduate students in this field will find invaluable.

This book summarizes the technical advances in recent decades and the various theories on rock excavation raised by scholars from different countries, including China and Russia. It not only focuses on rock blasting but also illustrates a number of non-blasting methods, such as mechanical excavation in detail. The book consists of 3 parts: Basic Knowledge, Surface Excavation and Underground Excavation. It presents a variety of technical methods and data from diverse sources in the book, making it a valuable theoretical and practical reference resource for engineers, researchers and postgraduates alike.

Characteristics and Uses of Steel Slag in Building Construction focuses predominantly on the utilization of ferrous slag (blast furnace and steel slag) in building construction. This extensive literature review discusses the worldwide utilization of ferrous slag and applications in all sectors of civil engineering, including structural engineering, road construction, and hydro-technical structures. It presents cutting-edge research on the characteristics and properties of ferrous slag, and its overall impact on the environment.

This book offers valuable insights and provides effective tools useful for imagining, creating, and promoting novel and challenging developments in structural mechanics. It addresses a wide range of topics, such as mechanics and geotechnics, vibration and damping, damage and friction, experimental methods, and advanced structural materials. It also discusses analytical, experimental and numerical findings, focusing on theoretical and practical issues and innovations in the field. Collecting some of the latest results from the Lagrange Laboratory, a European scientific research group, mainly consisting of Italian and French engineers, mechanicians and mathematicians, the book presents the most recent example of the long-term scientific cooperation between well-established French and Italian Mechanics, Mathematics and Engineering Schools. It is a valuable resource for postgraduate students, researchers and practitioners dealing with theoretical and practical issues in structural engineering.

This book provides a snapshot of the research activities of the Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria. The topics are broad ranged including: * Centrifuge model testing * Constitutive model * Granular physics * Numerical simulation * Soil bioengineering The topics reflect our geotechnical research in a changing world. Traditional topics in foundation engineering are fading out and new topics are emerging. The European Commission is gratefully acknowledged for funding the following projects within its program FP7 and Horizon2020: MUMOLADE (Multiscale modelling of landslide and debris flow), REVENUES (Reinforced Vegetation Numerical Evaluation of Slopes) and GEORAMP (Geohazards - Risk Assessment, Mitigation and Prevention).

This volume gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of geotechnical engineering, as presented by leading researchers and engineers at the 7th Italian National Congress of Geotechnical Researchers (CNRIG 2019), entitled "Geotechnical Research for the Protection and Development of the Territory" (Lecco, Italy, July 3-5, 2019). The congress is intended to promote exchanges on the role of geotechnical research and its findings regarding the protection against natural hazards, design criteria for structures and infrastructures, and the definition of sustainable development strategies. The contributions cover a diverse range of topics, including infrastructural challenges, underground space utilization, and sustainable construction in problematic soils and situations, as well as geo-environmental aspects such as landfills, environmental and energy geotechnics, geotechnical monitoring, and risk assessment and mitigation. Selected by means of a rigorous peer-review process, they will spur novel research directions and foster future multidisciplinary collaborations.

A comprehensive approach to building-related deterioration and intervention

This essential technical reference gives building professionals the knowledge and tools they need to better diagnose building-related deterioration, identify sound treatment options and solutions, and design to minimize performance problems on new projects. Combining a clear and accessible explanation of the principles and mechanisms of building deterioration with coverage of a broad array of intervention methods, it is a ready resource for anyone whose work is concerned with improving building performance.

Concrete is the second most used building material in the world after water. The problem is that over time the material becomes weaker. As a response, researchers and designers are developing self-sensing concrete which not only increases longevity but also the strength of the material. Self-Sensing Concrete in Smart Structures provides researchers and designers with a guide to the composition, sensing mechanism, measurement, and sensing properties of self-healing concrete along with their structural applications

The traveling public has no patience for prolonged, high cost construction projects. This puts highway construction contractors under intense pressure to minimize traffic disruptions and construction cost. Actively promoted by the Federal Highway Administration, there are hundreds of accelerated bridge construction (ABC) construction programs in the United States, Europe and Japan. Accelerated Bridge Construction: Best Practices and Techniques provides a wide range of construction techniques, processes and technologies designed to maximize bridge construction or reconstruction operations while minimizing project delays and community disruption.

This important textbook provides an introduction to the concepts of the newly developed extended finite element method (XFEM) for fracture analysis of structures, as well as for other related engineering applications.
One of the main advantages of the method is that it avoids any need for remeshing or geometric crack modelling in numerical simulation, while generating discontinuous fields along a crack and around its tip. The second major advantage of the method is that by a small increase in number of degrees of freedom, far more accurate solutions can be obtained. The method has recently been extended to nonlinear materials and other disciplines such as modelling contact and interface, simulation of inclusions and holes, moving and changing phase problems, and even to multiscale analyses.
The book is self contained, with summaries of both classical and modern computational techniques. The main chapters include a comprehensive range of numerical examples describing various features of XFEM.

The book includes peer-reviewed contributions selected from presentations given at the Istanbul Bridge Conference 2014, held from August 11 - 13 in Istanbul, Turkey. It reports on the current challenges in bridge engineering faced by professionals around the globe, giving a special emphasis to recently developed techniques, innovations and opportunities. The book covers key topics in the field, including modeling and analysis methods; construction and erection techniques; design for extreme events and condition assessment and structural health monitoring. There is a balanced presentation of theory, research and practice. This book, which provides the readers with a comprehensive and timely reference guide on current practices in bridge engineering, is intended for professionals, academic researchers and students alike.

First published in 1968, Jacob Feld's Construction Failure has long been considered the classic text on the subject. Retaining all of the key components of Feld's comprehensive exploration of the root causes of failure, this Second Edition addresses a multitude of important industry developments to bring this landmark work up to date for a new generation of engineers, architects, and students.

In addition to detailed coverage of current design tools, techniques, materials, and construction methods, Construction Failure, Second Edition features an entire chapter on the burgeoning area of construction litigation, including a thorough examination of alternative dispute resolution techniques. Like the original, this edition discusses technical and procedural failures of many different types of structures, but is now supplemented with new case studies to illustrate the dynamics of failure in action today.

Jacob Feld knew thirty years ago that in order to learn from our mistakes, we must first acknowledge and understand them. With this revised volume, Kenneth Carper has ensured that Feld's now-posthumous message will continue to be heard for years to come.

Jacob Feld's comprehensive work on failure analysis has now been skillfully amended to address current design and construction tools, materials, and practices. Building on the first edition's peerless examination of the causes and lessons of failure, Construction Failure, Second Edition provides you with expanded coverage of:

• Technical, procedural, structural, and nonstructural failures
• Natural hazards, earthworks, soil and foundation problems, and more
• Reinforced, precast and prestressed concrete, steel, timber, masonry, and other materials
• Responsibility and litigation concerns, dispute avoidance, and alternative dispute resolution techniques
• Construction safety issues
• Many different types of structures, including dams and bridges

Construction Failure has as much to teach us today as it did thirty years ago. This revised volume is an essential resource for design engineers, architects, construction managers, lawyers, and students in all of these fields.