An Historical Perspective of Failures of Civil Engineering Works
The blight of failures has smitten civil engineering works since ancient times. An examination of historic cases reveals relationships to contemporary cases that are useful in guiding...
Failure Classifications
A detailed description of the failure classification with respect to the constructed facilities is presented. Author is of the opinion that most reports of failure even of an extensive...
Data Collection and Information Dissemination: Current Efforts and Challenges
The need for the civil engineering community to collect and disseminate information on failures has been discussed widely. It appears that in recent years our profession's reluctance to...
Quality Assurance/Quality Control: Alternative Approaches to Reduce Failures
Efforts to achieve quality on construction projects usually center around code-compliant design, thorough specifications, and careful inspection. The alarming increase in both the frequency...
Seismic Resistance of an Elevated Water Tank?A Case Study
Current knowledge of earthquake risk and structural response has raised concern about the safety of elevated water storage tanks which were constructed several decades ago. This paper...
Seismic Risk Analysis of LNG Storage Tanks
This paper presents an approach to the seismic safety review of existing LNG storage tanks. The approach considers the seismic hazards from ground motion, surface fault rupture, and soil...
A Case Study of the Behavior of Seaport Facilities During the 1978 Miyagi-Ken-Oki Earthquake
This paper assesses seismic response characteristics of seaport facilities during the 1978 Miyagi-Ken-Oki earthquake by (a) compiling and assessing documented information from post-earthquake...
Attaching Steel Members to Reinforced Concrete Elements
A variety of structural systems have been devised to strengthen existing buildings for improved seismic resistance. Strengthening methods currently in use for reinforced concrete structures...
The 1983 Landslide Dam at Thistle, Utah
The Thistle, Utah, landslide began rapid movement on April 13, 1983. The landslide, a reactivation of an estimated 22 multiplied by 10**6 m**3 of old landslide debris, blocked Spanish...
What is an Expert System
Knowledge-based expert systems (KBES) have created much excitement in the civil engineering computer user community. KBES evoke expectations of full-blown Artificial Intelligence (AI)...
Problem Solving Using Expert System Techniques
There are basically two approaches to problem solving currently used in expert systems: the derivation approach and the formation approach. The derivation approach involves deriving a...
RC Structures Under Severe Loads?An Expert System Approach
The authors propose the application of expert systems to the post-test assessment of specific structural systems. In the study reported, an existing expert system shell was employed and...
DAPS: An Expert System for Damage Assessment of Protective Structures
An automated reasoning code for the damage assessment of protective structures (DAPS) is being developed within the Air Force. Protective structures in this context will be synonymous...
Design of a Knowledge Based System to Convert Airframe Geometric Models to Structural Models
Airframe manufactures who use CAD tools to design airframes and finite element analysis software to analyze them, still generate the finite element models using semi-manual methods. Although...
KBES and Interactive Graphics
Knowledge Based Expert System (KBES) is at research and testing stage at present. Engineers have begun to accept Interactive graphics System (IGS) as a tool in decision making. This paper...
Qualitative Physics and the Prediction of Structural Behavior
A key need in the application of expert systems to structural engineering design is the ability to predict structural deformation and stresses in the absence of a quantitative model. The...
Assessment of Safety Impacts of Highway Projects
In this paper the safety impact of highway improvement and maintenance activities is examined in terms of accident reduction potentials of these activities. There are three causes of accident:...
Delineation Effectiveness for Alcohol Involved Accidents
The approach to the problem of the alcohol impaired drivers to date has been directed at driver education and increased police enforcement. A complementary and parallel approach is presented...
Sighting Safety
This paper examines the interrelation between drivers' visual needs and the road environment. Specific elements of visual limitation and drivers at greatest risk are identified....
Base Isolation in the Design and Construction of Power Plant Structures
This technical paper summarizes the results of some of the recent studies performed to assure technical feasibility in isolating safety-related nuclear power plant structures. The particular...
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