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Full-Text Articles in Other Engineering

Method And System For Optimal Coordination Control And Soft Repair Of Multiple Rooftop Heating And Cooling Units, Haorong Li Jan 2014

Method And System For Optimal Coordination Control And Soft Repair Of Multiple Rooftop Heating And Cooling Units, Haorong Li

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Techniques are described that may be implemented in an adaptive control device to regulate multiple zone environmental units based upon multiple temperature values and multiple airflow values, where each temperature value and each airflow value is related to the temperature and the airflow in a specific zone. In an implementation, the input interface of the adaptive control device is configured to receive multiple temperature values and multiple air flow values from multiple zone sensors. The adaptive control device may calculate multiple operational values based on the multiple temperature values and the multiple air flow values. An operational value indicates a …


Virtual Surface Temperature Sensor For Multi-Zone Commercial Buildings, Yuebin Yu, Denchai Woradechjumroen, Daihong Yu Jan 2014

Virtual Surface Temperature Sensor For Multi-Zone Commercial Buildings, Yuebin Yu, Denchai Woradechjumroen, Daihong Yu

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Multi-zone structure is commonly used in small commercial office buildings, retail stores and supermarket. While there is no adjacent wall between the zones, the impact of a neighbor zone on the current zone can be approximated and analyzed through the application of virtual walls. It is critical to accurately estimate the virtual wall surface temperature in order to evaluate the model uncertainty and apply improved supervisory control on multiple rooftop air-conditioning units (RTUs). We propose an innovative virtual surface temperature sensor based on system-identification to solve this challenge. The validation of the virtual temperature model is processed by the three …


Hybrid Of Natural Element Method (Nem) With Genetic Algorithm (Ga) To Find Critical Slip Surface, Shahriar Shahrokhabadi, Vahid Khoshfahm, Hamed Nabizadeh Rafsanjani Jan 2014

Hybrid Of Natural Element Method (Nem) With Genetic Algorithm (Ga) To Find Critical Slip Surface, Shahriar Shahrokhabadi, Vahid Khoshfahm, Hamed Nabizadeh Rafsanjani

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

One of the most important issues in geotechnical engineering is the slope stability analysis for determination of the factor of safety and the probable slip surface. Finite Element Method (FEM) is well suited for numerical study of advanced geotechnical problems. However, mesh requirements of FEM creates some difficulties for solution processing in certain problems. Recently, motivated by these limitations, several new Meshfree methods such as Natural Element Method (NEM) have been used to analyze engineering problems. This paper presents advantages of using NEM in 2D slope stability analysis and Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization to determine the probable slip surface and …


The Influence Of National Culture On Effectiveness Of Safety Trainings During Postdisaster Reconstruction, Behzad Esmaeili, Kevin Grosskopf, Amy Javernick-Will Jan 2014

The Influence Of National Culture On Effectiveness Of Safety Trainings During Postdisaster Reconstruction, Behzad Esmaeili, Kevin Grosskopf, Amy Javernick-Will

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Non-English speaking workers constitute a disproportionately high number of workers involved in postdisaster reconstruction. Additionally, the rate of fatality among these workers is higher than the industry average. Research shows this population is more prone to unsafe behaviors in the working environment, conceivably because many of these workers are sent into the field prior to any formalized training. Recent studies show that the native culture of construction workers can impact risk-taking behavior. While numerous researchers have attempted to develop training materials for Hispanic workers, the number of studies that consider the impact of native culture on safety behavior is minimal. …


Shallow Flat Soffit Precast Concrete Floor System, George Morcous, Maher Tadros Jan 2014

Shallow Flat Soffit Precast Concrete Floor System, George Morcous, Maher Tadros

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

A precast concrete floor system that eliminates the need for column corbels and beam ledges while being very shallow. The main advantages of the present system include a span to-depth ratio of 30, a flat soffit, economy, consistency with prevailing erection techniques, and fire and corrosion protection. The present system consists of continuous precast columns, prestressed rectangular beams, hollow-core planks, and cast-in-place composite topping. Testing results have indicated that a 12 inch deep flat soffit precast floor system has adequate capacity to carry gravity loads (including 100 psf live load) in a 30 ft x 30 ft bay size. Testing …


Stock Aggregation Model And Virtual Archetype For Large Scale Retrofit Modelling Of Local Authority Housing In Ireland, James Pittam, Paul D. O’Sullivan, Garrett O’Sullivan Jan 2014

Stock Aggregation Model And Virtual Archetype For Large Scale Retrofit Modelling Of Local Authority Housing In Ireland, James Pittam, Paul D. O’Sullivan, Garrett O’Sullivan

Conference Papers

Developing representative archetypes using a bottom up approach for stock modelling is an excellent tool for evaluating the overall performance of the building stock; however it requires detailed analysis of the various building types. Currently there is no detailed housing data base for Local Authority housing in Cork City, Ireland that catalogues the housing stocks geometric properties and thermal characteristics for each typology. This study details a methodology to catalogue the LAH stock and build a detailed housing data base. The GIS web based mapping application Google Street View is used to identify 20 house typologies across 36 LAH developments; …