Non-linear time history modeling of damage initiation and development in an unreinforced masonry cavity wall under out-of-plane loading

The light and frequent earthquakes in the north of the Netherlands, particularly in the province of Groningen, have recently exposed the unreinforced masonry structures to seismic activities. Since these structures do not adhere to seismic regulations, they are considered vulnerable to seismicity. The ultimate state capacity of the structures is...

Load bearing capacity of existing concrete half-joints

Concrete half-joints are a specific support detail in reinforced concrete structures, which reduce the construction height of the total structure. The use of concrete half-joints became popular around 1950s, but decreased its interest as a result of new insights on structural behaviour and collapses of these structures. Typical issues regarding...

From least-weight to least-environmental-impacting truss structures: A method to minimize the total environmental cost with the Ground Structure Method for the welding, coating and construction material

Climate change is changing the world. Where previously efficient use of materials was mainly applied to realize cost savings, this can also help to reduce the footprint of a construction. There is a rather direct and obvious relationship between the amount of material required in a construction and its environmental impact. Of course, the...

Structural Utilization of Reclaimed Timber in a Reciprocal Frame Canopy: A Sustainable Design Strategy for the Reuse of Timber

The buildings construction industry is demanded to reduce its ecological footprint to mitigate its contribution to climate change. In this context, a novel sustainable design strategy for the reuse of timber was developed in this Master thesis. The design strategy focuses on the utilization of the material “reclaimed timber” (RT) in the...

Design and optimization of FRP traffic decks considering uplift bolt forces: Based on analytical and numerical approaches

This research is about which geometry of FRP slabs is the most optimal, in terms of costs, to use for a given load and boundary conditions taking the occurring uplift bolt forces into account. The first part of the report focuses on the calculation of the uplift forces in the bolted connections caused by the moving loads. For this, first a...

Topological Stereotomic Design of System of Interlocking Stackable Modular Blocks for Constructing Multi-Storey Masonry Buildings

With the advent of Computer-Aided Design, the design and fabrication of complex free-form shells have become easier to achieve. However, this results in extensive usage of custom-made formworks for the production of shell components and falseworks which provide support for the shell during the construction process. Therefore, a modular design...

Experimental and numerical validation of an innovative OSD strengthening with a bonded and bolted plate

For the renovation of the Suurhoff bridge, Arup decided to design and propose a new, innovative strengthening scheme, which improves the fatigue performance of the bridge deck and extends the design life of the bridge by at least 15 years. In this strengthening scheme, a steel plate is placed on top of the existing deck plate with a layer of...

Structural monitoring of a church influenced by mining settlements using spaceborne remote sensing

Structural health monitoring of buildings is useful for a few reasons. It provides information on the usage and cause of damage to a building. This can result in targeted maintenance or allow for potential improvements.<br/><br/>Traditionally, a building can be monitored by installing sensors during construction or maintenance work. These can be...

Analyzing reconstruction scenarios for dolmen D14 using non-destructive, digital methods: With a focus on the dislocated capstone

The lack of insight regarding the stability of many dolmen in the Netherlands is problematic. In 2019, a capstone fell down dolmen D14, greatly damaging this cultural heritage. In order to decide on whether it would be wise to reconstruct this dolmen, it is useful to understand the stability of potential reconstruction scenarios without having...