Search and rescue in collapsed structures: engineering and social science aspects

This paper discusses the social science and engineering dimensions of search and rescue (SAR) in collapsed buildings. First, existing information is presented on factors that influence the behaviour of trapped victims, particularly human, physical, socioeconomic and circumstantial factors. Trapped victims are most often discussed in the context of structural collapse and injuries sustained. Most studies in this area focus on earthquakes as the type of disaster that produces the most extensive structural damage. Second, information is set out on the engineering aspects of urban search and rescue (USAR) in the United States, including the role of structural engineers in USAR operations, training and certification of structural specialists, and safety and general procedures. The use of computational simulation to link the engineering and social science aspects of USAR is discussed. This could supplement training of local SAR groups and USAR teams, allowing them to understand better the collapse process and how voids form in a rubble pile. A preliminary simulation tool developed for this purpose is described.     

海啸波近岸共振响应的数值模拟及分析

应用有限差分方法求解非线性浅水长波方程,建立了海啸波产生和传播的二维数值模型;对太平洋地震引起的夏威夷群岛海啸波进行模拟,并将模拟结果和测站实测值进行比较,验证了模型的正确性。利用快速傅里叶变换对数值模拟结果进行谱分析,得到整个计算区域的能量谱分布,并给出了发生能量聚集的位置及相应的谱峰周期。讨论了海啸波传播到近岸时可能产生的共振响应现象,发现海啸波和近岸的共振响应不仅与近岸复杂地形有关,还与海啸波传播到近岸时的波浪入射方向有关。     

汶川地震后绵竹、都江堰市房屋震害调查与分析

依据笔者在四川省绵竹市、都江堰市参加建设部组织的汶川地震震后房屋应急评估所取得的资料,对该次地震造成的建筑结构破坏进行了分析,从砖砌体结构、混凝土框架结构、构造问题以及设计与施工缺陷4个方面,论述了各种破坏的形态与成因,讨论了现行设计方法中存在的问题,提出了相应的改进建议。主要结论有:砌体结构的底层墙体强度不足、开间过大、形体复杂是导致其破坏的重要原因,在设计中,应适当提高砌体结构底层墙体的强度,控制房屋的开间,加强形体变化部位;砌体结构的窗下墙应作为连接墙肢的连梁考虑,可以将其设计成抗震设防的第一道防线;框架结构设计中,应考虑框架与填充墙的相互作用,考虑楼梯斜梁或斜板参与结构的整体受力;在现行规范要求的基础上,要适当增加框架柱的截面,节点附近的箍筋应采用焊接封闭箍或螺旋箍;应加强非结构构件的连接与锚固;对乡村房屋建设应予以监管,杜绝结构体系不明确的房屋出现。     

声发射技术在桥梁结构健康监测中的应用研究进展

声发射技术作为一种被动的、动态的监测手段,在工程和材料领域得到了广泛的应用,正日益受到桥梁结构健康监测研究者的关注。本文回顾了近年来国内外基于声发射技术的桥梁结构健康监测研究状况。首先,简要介绍了声发射的基本原理和声发射信号处理方法;其次,详细分析了声发射技术在桥梁结构健康监测中的研究成果,包括钢筋混凝土桥、钢结构桥、桥梁结构关键构件和无线声发射传感器及其网络等;最后,分析了声发射技术在桥梁结构健康监测领域应用中存在的一些问题,并对声发射技术的应用前景进行了探讨。     

A European model for waste and material flows

The use of materials and the generation of waste are linked to economic activities and in many projections these are assumed to be a constant ratio of the economic activities. This may be the case considering detailed economic activities and unchanged technology. However, the assumption of constant coefficients is questionable when linking material use and waste generation to aggregated economic activities. Therefore, in this paper, econometrics is used to test the assumption of constant waste coefficients empirically. The analyses show that an assumption of constant waste coefficients is not supported, generally, and a model allowing for trendwise changing coefficients is developed and used for projections of waste and material flows in 25 European countries.     

Seismic monitoring and modelling of supercritical CO2 injection into a water-saturated sandstone: Interpretation of P-wave velocity data

This paper reports on an integrated laboratory and numerical simulation study of ultrasonic P-wave velocity response to supercritical CO₂ displacement of pore water in Tako sandstone. The analysis of dynamic velocity data recorded using an array of piezoelectric transducers mounted on a core sample showed that the P-wave velocities at different positions displayed a similar trend in time, i.e., an initial sharp fall followed by a more gradual decline. Considerable variations observed in the measured P-wave velocity reductions across the sandstone core could largely be attributed to the final state of saturation (e.g. uniform, patchy or in-between) attained by the two-phase fluids. Numerical simulation of the injection test using a simple 1D model was carried out to provide an estimation of the phase saturation changes underlying the measured P-wave velocity reductions. A second order polynomial correlation between the measured ultrasonic P-wave velocity reductions and the estimated CO₂ saturation was established. Comparison with the Gassmann velocities showed that the empirically established relationship marks a clear deviation from both the patchy and uniform saturation velocity curves.     

基于车桥耦合振动分析的桥梁损伤诊断方法评述

车辆通过桥梁时,桥梁和车辆的动力响应都包含桥梁结构模态或者几何参数信息,对它们进行分析能识别桥梁的模态参数和损伤。结合国内外最新研究成果,综述基于车桥耦合振动分析的桥梁结构损伤识别技术,并与传统识别方法进行比较。指出其优缺点;详细介绍基于灵敏度分析和模型修正的方法、基于结构刚度搜索的方法、利用车辆响应傅立叶变换识别桥梁频率的方法、利用车激桥梁响应的小波变换识别桥梁模态参数的方法以及综合利用车辆和桥梁响应识别桥梁损伤的方法等5种参数识别与损伤诊断方法的基本原理,并总结上述方法的实施步骤和应用时应该注意的问题;指出了该领域的关键问题和进一步的研究方向。     

Critical Loads and Dynamic Modelling to Assess European Areas at Risk of Acidification and Eutrophication

European critical loads and novel dynamic modelling data have been compiled under the LRTAP Convention by the Coordination Centre for Effects. In 2000 9.8% of the pan-European and 20.8% of the EU25 ecosystem area were at risk of acidification. For eutrophication (nutrient N) the areas at risk were 30.1 and 71.2%, respectively. Dynamic modelling results reveal that 95% of the area at risk of acidification could recover by 2030 provided acid deposition is reduced according to present legislation. Insight into the timing of effects of exceedances of critical loads for nutrient N necessitates the further development of dynamic models.     

On the Calculation and Interpretation of Target Load Functions

In this study critical load functions and target load functions of nitrogen and sulphur deposition with respect to acidity and minimum base cation to aluminium ratio were calculated with the SAFE model using three different averaging strategies: (1) averaging based on current forest generation, (2) averaging based on next generation and (3) averaging based on the entire simulation period. From the results it is evident that although target load calculation and indeed critical load calculation is straight forward, there is a problem in translating a predicted recovery according to the target load calculation back to a site-specific condition. We conclude that a policy strategy for emission reductions that ensures recovery, according to calculated target load functions, is likely to be beneficial from an ecosystem point of view. However, such a strategy may not be sufficient to achieve actual non-violation of the chemical criteria throughout the seasonal or rotational variations. To address this issue we propose a method for calculating dynamic critical loads which ensures that the chosen criteria is not violated.     

Modelling Seasonal Dynamics from Temporal Variation in Agricultural Practices in the UK Ammonia Emission Inventory

Most ammonia (NH₃) emission inventories have been calculated on an annual basis and do not take into account the seasonal variability of emissions that occur as a consequence of climate and agricultural practices that change throughout the year. When used as input to atmospheric transport models to simulate concentration fields, these models therefore fail to capture seasonal variations in ammonia concentration and dry and wet deposition. In this study, seasonal NH₃ emissions from agriculture were modelled on a monthly basis for the year 2000, by incorporating temporal aspects of farming practice. These monthly emissions were then spatially distributed using the AENEID model (Atmospheric Emissions for National Environmental Impacts Determination). The monthly model took the temporal variation in the magnitude of the ammonia emissions, as well as the fine scale (1-km) spatial variation of those temporal changes into account to provide improved outputs at 5-km resolution. The resulting NH₃ emission maps showed a strong seasonal emission pattern, with the highest emissions during springtime (March and April) and the lowest emissions during summer (May to July). This emission pattern was mainly influenced by whether cattle were outside grazing or housed and by the application of manures and fertilizers to the land. When the modelled emissions were compared with measured NH₃ concentrations, the comparison suggested that the modelled emission trend corresponds fairly well with the seasonal trend in the measurements. The remaining discrepancies point to the need to develop functional parametrisations of the interactions with climatic seasonal variation.