The effects of three environmental factors on building evacuation time

Building fires can be considered a risk to the health and safety of occupants. Environmental factors in building fires might affect the speed of an evacuation. Therefore, in this study participants (N = 153) were tested in an experimental design for the effects of (1) a fire alarm, (2) darkness and (3) the use of emergency exit signs on...

Experimental and numerical investigation of the thermal inertia of sugar-beet-pulp/starch based bricks enhanced with phase change materials

Due to environmental concerns, bio-based materials are being increasingly investigated and used in buildings. In general, the density of these materials, and thus their thermal inertia, is low. Thermal inertia can be beneficial for reducing the energy use of buildings by damping indoor temperature fluctuations or by reducing and delaying...

Mechanical responses of a fiberglass flexible pipe subject to tension & internal pressure

Composite structures, such as the fiberglass reinforced structure studied in this paper, have been normally treated in previous research as homogeneous anisotropic laminated plates regarding the investigation of their mechanical properties. Throughout this paper, this specific structure is considered in a different way in which the fiberglass...

Deformation and strain limits for IPB-loaded high strength steel CHS joints

In this study, existing deformation limits are first re-examined to investigate if they can be rationally extended to high strength steel circular hollow section (CHS) joints that are subjected to in-plane bending (IPB) moment. It is pointed out that existing deformation limits, which have been developed and validated primarily for mild steel...

Amass: Advanced manufacturing for the assembly of structural steel

This paper describes an investigation into the use of advanced manufacturing techniques for the creation of a new class of intermeshed steel connections that rely on neither welding nor bolting. The project detailed herein lays the groundwork to transform the steel building construction industry by advancing the underlying science and...

Mechanical behavior of metallic strip flexible pipes during reeling operation

Metallic strip flexible pipes (MSFP), a relatively new style of unbonded flexible pipes, are considered as an attractive alternative to traditional submarine pipes. During its reeling operation, it will inevitably confront various complicated loads, which may affect the integrity and safety of MSFP's utilization. In this paper, the tension...

Controlling dynamic stall using vortex generators on a wind turbine airfoil

Vortex generators (VGs) have proven their capabilities in wind turbine applications to delay stall in steady flow conditions. However, their behaviour in unsteady conditions is insufficiently understood. This paper presents an experimental study that demonstrates the effect of VGs in unsteady flow, including controlling and suppressing the...

Exploratory study of a mobile location-based real-time notification system for frontline police officers

The police organization is highly dependent on information. Frontline police officers are working on the streets and need the right information at the right time. Mobile technology can provide location-based information and could be of great assistance to them. We developed a mobile location-based real-time notification system and conducted...

The Half-Life of MOOC Knowledge: A Randomized Trial Evaluating the Testing Effect in MOOCs

Retrieval practice has been established in the learning sciences as one of the most effective strategies to facilitate robust learning in traditional classroom contexts. The cognitive theory underpinning the "testing effect" states that actively recalling information is more effective than passively revisiting materials for storing information...

Distribution of peak shear stress in finite element models of reinforced concrete slabs

Existing reinforced concrete solid slab bridges in the Netherlands are re-assessed for shear based on a Unity Check: the ratio of the shear stress caused by the applied loads to the shear capacity of the concrete cross-section. The governing shear stress resulting from the self-weight, weight of the wearing surface, distributed and concentrated...

Experimental investigation of multi-span post-tensioned glass beams

This paper presents a study on post-tensioned glass beams in a statically indeterminate system. In order to increase the safety of structural glass beams, ductile reinforcement can be added to glass beam sections providing secondary load carrying mechanism in case of glass breakage. In the here investigated post-tensioned system, the...

An Ethical Framework for Evaluating Experimental Technology

How are we to appraise new technological developments that may bring revolutionary social changes? Currently this is often done by trying to predict or anticipate social consequences and to use these as a basis for moral and regulatory appraisal. Such an approach can, however, not deal with the uncertainties and unknowns that are inherent in...

Quantifying the Encapsulation of Implemented Software Architectures

In the evaluation of implemented software architectures, metrics can be used to provide an indication of the degree of encapsulation within a system and to serve as a basis for an informed discussion about how well-suited the system is for expected changes. Current literature shows that over 40 different architecture-level metrics are available...

Experimental investigation of the temperature effect on the structural response of SG-laminated reinforced glass beams

A Review of External Pressure Testing Techniques for Shells including a Novel Volume-Control Method

A review of conventional testing methods for applying external hydrostatic pressure to buckling-critical shells is presented. A new “volume-control” pressure testing method, aimed at preventing catastrophic specimen failures and improving control of specimen deformation near the critical load, is also introduced. The implementation of...