Fracture Mechanics: An Engineering Primer

In this second edition, which is the result of numerous revisions, updates and additions, the authors cover the basic concepts of fracture mechanics for both the linear elastic and elastic-plastic regimes. The fracture mechanics parameters K, G, J and CTOD are treated in a basic manner along with the test methods to determine critical values....

Government in the metaverse: Requirements and suitability for providing digital public services

Digital government comprises all means to enable governments to interact with their constituents digitally. The metaverse provides a virtual reality environment where various activities can be carried out without physically visiting the places of interest, including the public authorities. Yet, how governments can use the metaverse is unknown...

Exploring solutions to the privacy paradox in the context of e-assessment: informed consent revisited

Personal data use is increasingly permeating our everyday life. Informed consent for personal data use is a central instrument for ensuring the protection of personal data. However, current informed consent practices often fail to actually inform data subjects about the use of personal data. This article presents the results of a requirements...

Agent-based Security and Efficiency Estimation in Airport Terminals

We investigate the use of an Agent-based framework to identify and quantify the relationship between security and efficiency within airport terminals. In this framework, we define a novel Security Risk Assessment methodology that explicitly models attacker and defender behavior in a security scenario. It produces a security risk vector,...

An integrated approach for financial and environmental cost optimisation of heating services

A four-year project has started in 2007 to develop a methodology that can be applied to optimize the Belgian dwelling stock. The aim of the project is to optimise buildings concerning their environmental impact, their financial cost and the quality they offer over the whole life cycle, from the production of primary raw materials to the final...

Defining Uncertainty: A Conceptual Basis for Uncertainty Management in Model-Based Decision Support

The aim of this paper is to provide a conceptual basis for the systematic treatment of uncertainty in model-based decision support activities such as policy analysis, integrated assessment and risk assessment. It focuses on the uncertainty perceived from the point of view of those providing information to support policy decisions (i.e., the...