Experiences With a Supercomputer
The advent of ever faster and ever larger computers is opening new areas of scientific study. Within this computational revolution, however, are real people trying to cope with the vagaries...
Structural FRP Composites
Fiber-reinforced plastics are only just being discovered by civil engineers. Long used in expensive military and aerospace applications, they are beginning to find their way into structures....
Optimal Depth for Nearshore Wave Power Extractors of Fixed Type
An approach to find the water depth which brings the minimum cost of energy extracted with the wave power extractors of nearshore fixed type is proposed. A case study with Pendulor wave...
OTEC Sea Water Systems Technology Status
A workshop was conducted in April 1988 to provide an expert critique of the fabrication and deployment options for the seawater systems (all piping required to draw the seawater) of land-based...
OTEC Seawater Pipe Cost Comparisons
Describes a material which can substantially reduce the cost of seawater pipes and two methods for building and deploying such pipes for use in land-based OTEC installations, outfall sewers,...
Water Sensitivity of Asphalt Paving Mixtures
There are two mechanisms by which moisture can degrade the integrity of an asphalt concrete matrix: (a) loss of cohesive strength and stiffness in the asphalt film and (b) the failure...
Properties of a New Polymer Concrete
A new polymer concrete was developed by adding unsaturated polyester resin and emulsifier into concrete. The new polymer concrete exhibits high strength of up to 69 MPa (10,000 psi) for...
Detection of Small Voids by Impact-Echo and Signal Processing
The Impact-Echo method was used to detect slab thickness, presence of small voids and reinforcement locations in a concrete slab. Studying the frequency response of the slab, it is possible...
Dallas Rediscovers the Trolley
In 1982, a Dallas businessman and a group of trolley enthusiasts formed the Trolley Task Force to restore trolley service along McKinney Avenue in Dallas. Eventually, they established...
Cleaning Up Coal
Coal, which fueled the industrial revolution in the 19th century and two wars in the 20th, should continue to be a major power source well into the 21st century. Its abundance keeps the...
Designing in Circles
Round buildings are a popular�but sometimes expensively perceived�design choice. With careful engineering and planning, they can offer a creative, cost-competitive option. They add another...
Setting Sights on Safety
Despite enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 20 years ago, annual construction fatalities still number in the thousands. Various agencies and institutions have their own...
People Movers Move Downtown
Although the people mover has become a common sight at major airports in the U.S. and abroad, the sleek high tech vehicles have yet to establish themselves as a cost effective mode of...
Stress Computations for Nearly Incompressible Materials
Computation of stresses by the finite element method (FEM) in the case of nearly incompressible isotropic elastic materials is discussed. It is shown that for moderately high Poisson's...
Automated Design of Reinforced Concrete Components
This paper presents strategies for automating the design of reinforcement in two types of concrete components, namely T-beams and circular columns. These strategies may serve as examples...
Optimization of Structures Subjected to Vibrations
A minimum cost optimization procedure is presented for the analysis of multi-degree freedom structures subjected to steady, transient and random vibration environment. The procedure is...
Natural Aggregates in Structural Lightweight Concrete
Pumice and scoria have been used in structural concrete since the days of the Roman Empire. Records for the past five decades show minimal use of these materials in structural concrete...
Production of Masonry Blocks for Developing Countries
The need for nuturing of low cost building materials industry in developing countries has long been recognized throughout the world. costs of building materials. Therefore, construction...
Seismic Resistant Low-Cost Masonry Buildings in Peru
Future housing in developing countries will be provided mainly in medium rise, four to six stories, bearing wall masonry buildings. This paper reports on the rationality behind this political...
Earthquake Damage Estimates of Conventional and Isolated Structures
The philosophy inherent in current seismic design codes for buildings accepts the premise that there will be both structural and non-structural damage but that life safety will be preserved....
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