Instrumented Trains As A Probe For Structural Health Monitoring Of Railway Infrastructure,
2020
Dynamical Systems and Risk Laboratory, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin
Instrumented Trains As A Probe For Structural Health Monitoring Of Railway Infrastructure, Vikram Pakrashi, Claire Mcgeown, Rohit Chawla, David Hester, Alexandra Micu, Eugene O'Brien
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Railway infrastructure throughout the world is degrading and the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of this infrastructure can be effective. As a part of INTERREG project SIRMA, it is being investigated in instrumented trains can be used as a moving sensor for SHM of bridges and rail lines. Off-the-shelf calibrated sensors will be connected to trains and the instrumentation regime will be decided based on each SHM need. Output-only algorithms for anomaly detection and system identification will be implemented. Damage Sensitive Features (DSF) will be investigated to assess the best markers for the proposed SHM. A combined set of instrumentation and …
Implementation Of A Low-Cost Rtk Positioning System For Drone-Assisted Structural Inspections,
2020
Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
Implementation Of A Low-Cost Rtk Positioning System For Drone-Assisted Structural Inspections, Aidan Keaveney, Patrick Mcgetrick
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Technological developments of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been rapid and significant in recent years, and thus the scope of use has increased across a broad spectrum of industries, including the fields of structural and civil engineering. A key part of structural engineering is ensuring that a structure can be inspected during its service life to determine if there is any defect that could diminish its structural integrity. In practice, the procedures involved in such inspections to locate defects can be dangerous, time consuming and expensive to conduct. The aim of this study is to establish a system that is …
Potential Of A Low-Calcium Fly Ash (Fa) For The Production Of Alkali-Activated Materials.,
2020
Dept of Civil Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Potential Of A Low-Calcium Fly Ash (Fa) For The Production Of Alkali-Activated Materials., Omar Alelweet, Sara Pavia
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Coal-FA from power stations is an industrial waste abundantly produced in the world. FA can be used as a silicate precursor, and activated with an alkali-metal source to produce alkali-activated materials (AAMs). AAMs are more sustainable than other traditional products, as the use of waste for their production, reduces carbon emissions, and raw materials and energy consumption. This paper studies the properties, composition and reactivity of an Irish FA to establish its potential for the production of AAMs. The results clearly evidenced that the FA is reactive. It is ultrafine, it has a high specific surface area and is partially …
Preliminary Investigation On The Use Of Dolomitic Quarry By-Product Powders In Grout For Self-Compacting Concrete Applications,
2020
School of Natural and Built Environment, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland; Tracey Concrete Ltd, Old Rossorry, Sligo Road, Enniskillen BT74 7LF, Northern Ireland
Preliminary Investigation On The Use Of Dolomitic Quarry By-Product Powders In Grout For Self-Compacting Concrete Applications, Ahmed Abdalqader, Katrina Wilson, Neil Thornton, Kieran Mchugh, Mohammed Sonebi, Su Taylor
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Self-compacting concrete (SCC) flows under its own weight without requiring external vibration for compaction. This is very useful in applications where normal vibrated concrete cannot be used such as narrow forms and reinforcement congested members. To attain the self-compacting property, it is required that the concrete have adequate viscosity, high deformability and high resistance to segregation. This is can be achieved by adding mineral admixtures (fillers) and/or viscosity modifying agents (VMAs). The former is the main practice in Europe and processed limestone powder is the most commonly used filler in the production of SCC. However, the quarrying process of the …
Durability And Sustainability Of Pavement Quality Concrete In Airfields,
2020
Ecocem Ireland Limited, Block F1, Eastpoint Business Part, Dublin 3, D03 E0C0, Ireland
Durability And Sustainability Of Pavement Quality Concrete In Airfields, Aidan Fogarty, Mark Richardson
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Direct emissions from the aviation industry accounts for 2% of global emissions. If global aviation was a country it would be in the top 10 emitters. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) forecasts that emissions could grow by a further 300-700% by 2050. In 2010 global cement manufacture released 3270 million metric tonnes of CO2 into our atmosphere. In 2020 that amount is estimated to be 4370 million metric tonnes of CO2. This will account for around 8% of global CO2. Replacing Portland cement with 70% GGBS in concrete reduces the carbon footprint associated with the cement content in concrete. …
Maximising The Potential Use Of Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (Ggbs) In Cement: An Irish Investigation,
2020
School of Engineering, Schrodinger Building, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Maximising The Potential Use Of Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (Ggbs) In Cement: An Irish Investigation, Brendan Higgins, Michael Curran, John P. Spillane
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
The production of cement is estimated to account for around 8% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide, and the Irish construction industry yields fifteen million tonnes of CO2 annually. Measures must be employed to reduce these emissions by incorporating less CO2 intensive admixtures such as blast-furnace slag, however, the Irish construction industry can often be resistant to change. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the potential implementation of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) into the use of cement in Ireland, on the basis of maximisation over optimisation. This research is based on the hypothesis that if GGBS produces drastically less …
Predicting Mortar Compressive Strength Using Hydcem,
2020
School of Civil & Structural Engineering, Technological University Dublin, Ireland
Predicting Mortar Compressive Strength Using Hydcem, Ewoma Ogoro, Niall Holmes, Denis Kelliher, Mark Tyrer
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
The compressive strength of mortar is a significant property that will influence its performance in concrete or masonry. Being able to accurately model and predict the mortar compressive strength would be of great benefit to suppliers and end users alike that could possibly reduce the need for multiple physical testing.
Environmental Impact On Corrosion Rates Of Steel Piles Employed In Marine Environment,
2020
Malachy Walsh and Partners, Park House, Bessboro Rd, Mahon, Cork, Ireland; Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland
Environmental Impact On Corrosion Rates Of Steel Piles Employed In Marine Environment, Rebecca Galvin, Ciaran Hanley, Kieran Ruane, John J. Murphy, Vesna Jaksic
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Steel piles employed in a marine environment will deteriorate over their lifetime owing to corrosive effects of the sea. The focus of this research are the causes, effects, and magnitude of the corrosion of steel piles, supporting an on shore jetty. The governing codes of practice in Ireland for designing steel piles are: (i) European Standard I.S. EN 1993-5 – Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures - Part 5: Piling, and (ii) I.S. EN 1993-1-1 – Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures - Part 1-1: General rules and rules for buildings. These codes are discussed, including all aspects of the …
Developing A Common Framework For A Bridge Management System At National Level,
2020
Department for Infrastructure, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Developing A Common Framework For A Bridge Management System At National Level, Thomas Neeson, Myra Lydon, Kristopher Campbell, Nicola Ann Stevens, Adelle Marshall, Aleksander Novakovic
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Transport infrastructure is directly impacted by climate change as extreme weather conditions account for 10-35% of delays/service interruptions to road and rail infrastructure. The current reactive method of maintaining bridges within these infrastructure systems results in a lack of contingency capacity and ultimately a reduced ability to adapt to uncertain future needs. To allow infrastructure providers to prepare for future events, there is a need to develop asset management systems (AMS) with embedded decision-making support which considers factors such as climate change and population growth. A National approach would enable strategic risk assessment to mitigate the consequences of climate change …
Hydraulics Of Scour In The Vicinity Of A Flexiarch Bridge,
2020
School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfas
Hydraulics Of Scour In The Vicinity Of A Flexiarch Bridge, Prabuddha Sathurusinghe, Gerard Hamill, Su Taylor, Desmond Robinson
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Floods and scour are major causes of failure of bridges and with the increase in short-duration and high intensity rainfall events the occurrence of such failures is increasing. While standard free flow scour at bridge piers is an extensively researched area, the increased scour that occurs when the upstream water level is at or above the crown of an arch bridge (pressure-flow scour) is comparatively less well studied. As the frequency and magnitudes of floods increase, more bridges may be at a higher risk of being subject to pressure-flow scour. A modern masonry arch bridge system called the ‘FlexiArch’, that …
A Novel Solution For Preventing Leading Edge Erosion In Wind Turbine Blades,
2020
Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland; MaREI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
A Novel Solution For Preventing Leading Edge Erosion In Wind Turbine Blades, William Finnegan, Michael Flanagan, Róisín Ó Coistealbha, Priya Dasan Keeryadath, Tomas Flanagan, Jamie Goggins
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
As the world shifts to using renewable sources of energy, wind energy has been established as one of the leading forms of renewable energy. However, as wind turbines get increasingly larger, new challenges within the design, manufacture and operation of the turbine are presented. One such challenge is leading edge erosion on wind turbine blades. With larger wind turbine blades, tip speed begin to reach over 500 km per hour. As water droplets impact along the leading edge of the blade, rain erosion begins to occur, increasing maintenance costs and reducing the design life of the blade. In response to …
Natural Frequency Measurement Of A 13-Meter Wind Turbine Blade Using Different Techniques,
2020
School of Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway;Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway; SFI MaREI Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
Natural Frequency Measurement Of A 13-Meter Wind Turbine Blade Using Different Techniques, Yadong Jiang, William Finnegan, Afrooz Kazemi Vanhari, Patrick Meier, Edward Fagan, Jamie Goggins
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Nowadays the wind energy markets continue to grow to accommodate the current demands of renewable energy. As the wind turbine blades are susceptible to suffer damage from complex and irregular loading caused by catastrophes, development of quick and reliable ways for wind turbine health monitoring is becoming crucial. Natural frequency testing is one of the most commonly used non-destructive health monitoring methods, as any damages could lead to changes in the structural vibration characteristics. In this paper, a series of tests were carried out to measure the natural frequencies of a 13 m wind turbine blade. Various testing techniques and …
Temperature Profiles Of Private Rental Housing Occupied By Third Level Students In Ireland,
2020
Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Science & Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway
Temperature Profiles Of Private Rental Housing Occupied By Third Level Students In Ireland, Ailbhe Ryan, Eimear Walsh, Paul Moran, Jamie Goggins
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
The Irish Government published a National Student Accommodation Strategy to tackle issues surrounding the availability of accommodation for students in higher education. 23,634 students could not be accommodated with a bed space supplied by a Higher Education Institution in 2017. Therefore, many students live in private rental accommodation during the academic year. This paper examines the indoor temperature profiles of private rental housing occupied by third level students in Ireland. From the results, the temperature levels across the majority of the 16 cases were found to have temperatures below the recommended 18°C. At least 90% of the recorded temperature data …
Impact Of Occupant Behaviour On Indoor Environment Of A-Rated Dwellings,
2020
Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College, College Green, Dublin 2
Impact Of Occupant Behaviour On Indoor Environment Of A-Rated Dwellings, Niti Saini, Patrick Shiel, Roger P. West, Ruth Kerrigan, Ian Pyburn
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
An increase in energy efficiency and airtightness in the absence of adequate ventilation in A-rated houses has brought about an increase in indoor environment quality (IEQ) issues which can lead to health hazards, such as mould formation due to high humidity levels, or the sustained presence of Carbon Dioxide, both generated by human activities. Relative humidity above 80% for prolonged periods can result in mould growth on any cold unventilated surfaces, such as behind curtains, blinds, wardrobes, etc. Levels of humidity can also affect an occupant’s feeling of well-being, for example, low levels of humidity can lead to drying of …
Key Considerations In The Design Of A One-Stop-Shop Retrofit Model,
2020
Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Science & Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway; SFI MaREI Centre, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland; ERBE Centre for Doctoral Training, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
Key Considerations In The Design Of A One-Stop-Shop Retrofit Model, Orlaith Mcginley, Paul Moran, Jamie Goggins
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
The Irish Government’s Climate Action Plan emphasizes the need for increased retrofit activity within the built environment. As such, the plan has set targets for the completion of 500,000 energy efficient retrofits by 2030 at a rate of 50,000 per annum. Ireland’s current retrofit uptake rate is considered relatively low, at approximately 23,000 primarily shallow retrofits per annum. Thus, a significant step change is required to drive retrofit investment at a national scale, however, there are various barriers existing to such. Considering these targets, the establishment of a One-Stop-Shop (OSS) retrofit model has been identified in the Climate Action Plan …
The Use Of Three-Dimensional Conjugate Cfd To Enhance Understanding Of, And To Verify, Multi-Modal Heat Transfer In Dynamic Laboratory Test Walls,
2020
Department of Civil& Structural Engineering, Technological University, Dublin, Ireland
The Use Of Three-Dimensional Conjugate Cfd To Enhance Understanding Of, And To Verify, Multi-Modal Heat Transfer In Dynamic Laboratory Test Walls, Rakshit D. M, Tim O'Leary, Ronan Hogan, Anthony James Robinson, Aimee Byrne
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
This work describes the use of conjugate computational fluid dynamics (C-CFD) to simulate controlled laboratory based dynamic heat transfer tests on building components. This study proposes that conjugate CFD simulation can be used to evaluate the influence of combined convective and conductive heat transfer in multi-state building components. To this end, a solid wall and cavity wall were tested with a Calibrated Hotbox and subject to variable temperature conditions leading to combined convective and conductive heat transfer. The varying temperature of the heat source was monitored and used as the input boundary condition in the simulation model, which included a …
Characterization And Performance Of Cement-Based Thermoelectric Materials,
2020
School of Civil and Structural Engineering, Technological University Dublin, Ireland
Characterization And Performance Of Cement-Based Thermoelectric Materials, Ruchita Jani, Niall Holmes, Roger P. West, Kevin Gaughan, Xiaoli Liu, Esther Orisakwe, Conrad Johnston, Ming Qu, Jorge Kohanoff, Lorenzo Stella, Hongxi Yin
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Thermoelectric materials enable direct conversion of thermal energy to electricity. Ambient heat energy harvesting could be an effective route to convert buildings from being energy consumers to energy harvesters, thus making them more sustainable. There exists a relatively stable temperature gradient (storing energy) between the internal and external walls of buildings which can be utilized to generate meaningful energy (that is, electricity) using the thermoelectric principle. This could ultimately help reduce the surface temperatures and energy consumption of buildings, especially in urban areas.
Conversion Of Legacy Inspection Data To Bridge Condition Index (Bci) To Establish Baseline Deterioration Condition History For Predictive Maintenance Models.,
2020
School of Natural and Built Environment, Queens University, Belfast
Conversion Of Legacy Inspection Data To Bridge Condition Index (Bci) To Establish Baseline Deterioration Condition History For Predictive Maintenance Models., Nicola Ann Stevens, Myra Lydon, Kristopher Campbell, Thomas Neeson, Adelle Marshall, S. E. Taylor
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Bridge Management Systems (BMS) have been introduced across the world with the goal of aiding the decisions regarding maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement (MR&R) of bridges. Deterioration modelling is the most important part of the BMS because the ability to predict the future condition is vital as it will determine the quality of the decisions made. Markovian-based models are the most common predictive maintenance tool utilised in existing BMS, by obtaining probabilities of transition of bridge condition from one state to another based on historic bridge inspection data. Prior to the introduction of the Bridge Condition Index (BCI) the use of …
A Review Of The Data Held On 3,437 Masonry Arch Bridges In Northern Ireland,
2020
Department for Infrastructure, Belfast, Northern Ireland
A Review Of The Data Held On 3,437 Masonry Arch Bridges In Northern Ireland, Kristopher Campbell, Nicola Ann Stevens, Myra Lydon, Thomas Neeson, Su Taylor, Alan O'Connor
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
Queens University of Belfast and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), who are the local road authority in Northern Ireland, have undertaken a joint project to develop a new bridge management system to cover the inspection and maintenance of DfI bridges and associated structures. An initial review of the asset data held by DfI, including bridge properties and current and legacy inspection data has been undertaken for the entire network. This paper primarily focuses on 3,437 masonry arch bridges which make up nearly 53% of the total bridge stock in NI. It presents data which has been classified into groups in …
Caha Tunnel Rock Repairs And Improvements Including Non-Destructive Testing,
2020
RPS Group Ltd., Innishmore, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
Caha Tunnel Rock Repairs And Improvements Including Non-Destructive Testing, Roy Costello, Liam Duffy
Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020
This paper describes Caha Tunnel, a 180m long rock tunnel of siltstone and sandstone formation located along the N71 between Kenmare, Co. Kerry and Glengarriff Co. Cork. The tunnel was formed in the mid-19th century through blasting methods, thus giving it its inhomogeneous cross-sectional shape throughout and exposing the natural face of the rock. In recent years there has been numerous reports of rock falls within the tunnel which is causing uncertainty of the safety of the tunnel amongst road users. Calls for rehabilitation works are sought amongst the public to ensure the long-term safety of the tunnel is provided …
