Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

A Comparative Technological Review Of Hybrid Csp-Biomass Chp Systems In Europe, C. M. Iftekhar Hussain, Aidan Duffy, Brian Norton

Conference Papers

This paper aims to explore different solar technologies and its suitability for hybridization with biomass for combined heat and power (CHP) generation in Europe. Although hybrid solar-biomass research and demonstration is in its infancy, it has the potential to provide dispatchable renewable energy at a significant scale over many areas in Europe. Therefore, this review examines the technical and economic reported performances on hybrid systems in order to assess the technical and economic viabilities of newly-emerging projects. Three different combinations of solar and biomass technologies are discussed in this paper: solar tower (ST) - biomass, parabolic trough (PT) - biomass …

Thermal Energy Storage In Building Integrated Thermal Systems: A Review. Part 2. Integration As Passive System, Dervilla Niall, Sarah Mccormack, Philip Griffiths, Luisa Cabeza, Lidia Navarro, Albert Castell, Alvaro De Grazia, Maria Brown

Articles

Energy consumption trends in residential and commercial buildings show a significant increase in recent decades. One of the key points for reducing energy consumption in buildings is to decrease the energy demand. Buildings envelopes are not just a structure they also provide protection from outdoor weather conditions always taking into account the local climate. Thermal energy storage has been used and applied to the building structure by taking advantage of sensible heat storage of materials with high thermal mass. But in recent years, researchers have focused their studies on the implementation of latent heat storage materials that if well incorporated …

Using Theory To Improve Design Instruction In A New Common First-Year Programme For Engineers, Una Beagon, Ted Burke, Shannon Chance, Fionnuala Farrell, John Mcgrory

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Bs News July/August

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

The Development Of Key Performance Indicators To Monitor Early Facilities Management Performance Through The Use Of Bim Technologies In Public Sector Projects, Barry Mcauley, Alan Hore, Roger West

Conference papers

One of the biggest threats faced by governments in delivering greater efficiency on public works is the need for the public sector to have an enhanced physical environment to operate from. The physical environment can either enhance or impede worker productivity, therefore contributing to its bottom line profits and success of the organisation. This has now resulted in the AEC sector witnessing the development and adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM), so as to ensure a new level of functionality for the management of buildings. Despite enhanced Facilities Management (FM) being the goal of BIM, there is still reluctance and …

Research Methodology: A Novice Researcher’S Approach, Cormac Flood, Lloyd Scott

Other resources

ABSTRACT

This research is a detailed study on the performance of external walls aimed at providing a guidance tool which will enable designers to determine the appropriate thermal upgrade system for a housing retrofit, particularly in Ireland; taking into account wall type, climatic conditions and orientation. This paper explains the steps taken to establish a research design and methodological approach suited to the topic at hand.

The choice of research methodology is a difficult step for the researcher to decide upon in the research process. When it comes down to an architectural technologist, the process becomes even more difficult. Throughout …

An Examination Of The Potential For Distributed Wind Generation (Dwg) In Urban Distribution Networks, Keith Sunderland, Thomas Woolmington, Michael Conlon, Gerald Mills

Conference papers

In a sustainable economy, smarter cities need energy networks that can deliver consistent electricity while maximising the use of intermittent renewables. Therefore an understanding of the available resource and a means for viable integration of distributed generation (DG) is required. In this research, energy harvesting of the wind climate is considered in the context of distributed wind generation (DwG) as an integral component of a smarter electricity network. The approach combines wind climate modeling of the resource at the urban scale with enhanced electricity network simulation. The former considers energy harvesting potential while the latter investigates the opportunities for this …

Lightening Strikes Twice For Dit Geomatics, Audrey Martin

Articles

The Technological University Dublin (DIT) is rapidly becoming known as an international centre for excellence for all things geospatial. In September 2014, Kevin O'Mahony, a final-year BSc Geomatics student, won the international Trimble Geospatial Student Competition. Kevin is the second consecutive DIT student to win this prestigious award, following on from the success of David Hyland (BSc Geomatics) in 2012. Both students submitted their papers under the supervision of Dr Audrey Martin FSCSI FRICS, Chair of the recently accredited (by SCSI) DIT MSc in Geospatial Engineering. The worldwide student competition is held every two years and is open to all …

Bs News March/April

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Risk Management In Motorway Ppp Projects: Empirical-Based Guidelines, Nunzia Carbonara, Nicola Costantino, Louis Gunnigan, Roberta Pellegrino

Articles

This paper deals with the topic of risk management in Public–Private Partnership (PPP). The analysis of the related literature reveals that risks must be analyzed and managed on a context-specific approach, and that there is a lack of a comprehensive study on the appropriate risk mitigation strategies for each risk embedded in PPP projects. Focusing on the transport sector, based on the results of a Delphi survey, the paper provides guidelines for both public and private parties in defining a list of significant risks in PPP motorway projects, and identifying for them both the effective allocation and the suitable mitigation …

Assessing The Water Quality Response To An Alternative Sewage Disposal Strategy At Bathing Sites On The East Coast Of Ireland, Zeinab Bedri, John O'Sullivan, Louise Deering, Katalin Demeter, Bartholomew Masterson, Wim Meijer, Gregory O'Hare

Articles

A three-dimensional model is used to assess the bathing water quality of Bray and Killiney bathing sites in Ireland following changes to the sewage management system. The model, firstly calibrated to hydrodynamic and water quality data from the period prior to the upgrade of the Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), was then used to simulate Escherichia coli (E. coli) distributions for discharge scenarios of the periods prior to and following the upgrade of the WwTW under dry and wet weather conditions. E. coli distributions under dry weather conditions demonstrate that the upgrade in the WwTW has remarkably improved the bathing water …

Online Resource Platform For Mathematics Education, Marisa Llorens, Edmund Nevin, Eileen Mageean

Other resources

No abstract provided.

Spatial Time-Dependent Reliability Analysis Of Reinforced Concrete Slab Bridges Subject To Realistic Traffic Loading, Donya Hajializadeh, Mark Stewart, Bernard Enright, Eugene J. Obrien

Articles

Resistance and loads are often correlated in time and space. The paper assesses the influence of these correlations on structural reliability/probability of failure for a typical two-lane RC slab bridge under realistic traffic loading. Spatial variables for structural resistance are cover and concrete compressive strength, which in turn affect the strength and chloride-induced corrosion of RC elements. Random variables include pit depth and model error. Correlation of weights between trucks in adjacent lanes and inter-vehicle gaps are also included and are calibrated against Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) data. Reliability analysis of deteriorating bridges needs to incorporate uncertainties associated with parameters governing the …

Identifying And Modelling Permit Trucks For Bridge Loading, Bernard Enright, Eugene J. Obrien, Cathal Leahy

Articles

Accurate estimates of characteristic traffic load effects are essential in order to optimize bridge safety assessment. Permit trucks dominate the extreme upper tail of the truck loading distribution and as a result need careful examination. This paper proposes rules for filtering these trucks from Weigh-In-Motion data for both the US and Europe. The importance of these trucks in critical bridge loading events is then examined for both regions. A Monte Carlo traffic simulation model is developed which focuses on the accurate simulation of permit trucks.

Structural Properties Of Concrete Materials Containing Roadcem, Niall Holmes

Articles

This paper presents findings from a preliminary study to assess the structural and material properties of a nonstandard, concrete type mix containing RoadCem, a traditional soil stabilising additive. Two different mixes determined the effect of adding RoadCem in terms of compressive and flexural strengths, breaking strain, thermal expansion and contraction behaviour, permeability using a falling head, and Young’s modulus. RoadCem is a fine powder containing alkali metals and synthetic zeolites which are complemented with a complex activator. RoadCem modifies the dynamics and chemistry of cement hydration by enhancing the crystallisation process and forming longer needle crystalline structures. It reduces the …

A Review Of Probabilistic Methods Of Assessment Of Load Effects In Bridges, Eugene J. Obrien, F Schmidt, Donya Hajializadeh, X-Y Zhou, Bernard Enright, Colin C. Caprani, Simon Wilson, Emma Sheils

Articles

This paper reviews a range of statistical approaches to illustrate the influence of data quality and quantity on the probabilistic modelling of traffic load effects. It also aims to demonstrate the importance of long-run simulations in calculating characteristic traffic load effects. The popular methods of Peaks Over Threshold and Generalized Extreme Value are considered but also other methods including the Box-Cox approach, fitting to a Normal distribution and the Rice formula. For these five methods, curves are fitted to the tails of the daily maximum data. Bayesian Updating and Predictive Likelihood are also assessed, which require the entire data for …

Lighting Design In Europe: Aligning The Demands For Lower Energy Usage With Better Quality., Kevin Kelly, James Duff

Articles

Lighting design is one of the fastest changing areas in building engineering. It has evolved significantly in recent years due to changing technology and demands for improved quality, better control, reduced energy and sustainability. This paper is an overview of what is happening in Europe and elsewhere and examines the literature to find that latest recommendations in the Code for Lighting issued by the SLL (Society of Light and Lighting) in the UK change previous demands for equal illuminance across a working plane to more specific and demanding criteria. There are recommendations for qualitative metrics and better distribution of light …

Bs News January/February

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Posttensioning Slippage On 2-Way Spanning Concrete Slabs, Niall Holmes, Eoin Byrne

Articles

This paper investigates the effect of improper posttensioning of a 2-way spanning concrete slab subject to a central point load. Due to plate slippage alone, the support conditions only offered a 1-way spanning action which could have led to premature failure with dangerous consequences. Posttensioning can strengthen a flat slab against punching shear by controlling deflections and cracking under service loads compared with traditional punching shear reinforcing methods leading to more slender structures and economic solutions for longer spans. However, if the method is not properly applied, these thinner floor plates can fail in a brittle and sudden manner by …

Nonlinear Analysis Of Isotropic Slab Bridges Under Extreme Traffic Loading, Donya Hajializadeh, A. Salam Al-Sabah, Eugene J. Obrien, Debra F. Laefer, Bernard Enright

Articles

Probabilistic analysis of traffic loading on a bridge traditionally involves an extrapolation from measured or simulated load effects to a characteristic maximum value. In recent years, Long Run Simulation, whereby thousands of years of traffic are simulated, has allowed researchers to gain new insights into the nature of the traffic scenarios that govern at the limit state. For example, mobile cranes and low-loaders, sometimes accompanied by a common articulated truck, have been shown to govern in most cases. In this paper, the extreme loading scenarios identified in the Long Run Simulation are applied to a non-linear, two-dimensional (2D) plate finite …

The Design Of A Modelling, Monitoring And Validation Method For A Solid Wall Structure, Timothy O'Leary, Gillian Menzies, Aidan Duffy

Conference Papers

Hygrothermal assessment is the combined analysis of heat, air and moisture transfer through the building fabric. The two approaches are covered by conventions known as the IS EN 5250:2011 (Glaser method) and IS EN 15026:2007 which differs from Glaser by solving the equations numerically using computer software. Results for hygrothermal analysis provide valuable information for surface and interstitial condensation risk assessment and the impact of energy upgrades. For traditional solid walled structures, conditions such as wind driven rain (WDR) and rising ground water can have a significant impact on the environmental behaviour and in particular the moisture behaviour of the …

First Steps In Developing Cement-Based Batteries To Power Cathodic Protection Of Embedded Steel In Concrete, Niall Holmes, Aimee Byrne, Brian Norton

Articles

This paper presents the first steps in developing innovative cement-based batteries to power cathodic protection in reinforced concrete structures. Initial electrical outputs of 1.55V and 23mA have been found to be sufficient to polarise prescribed corrosion currents of 20mA per m2 of embedded steel. Cathodic protection is a well-developed and powerful technique to limit the effects of steel reinforcement corrosion. However, as it requires an electrical supply day and night, it is often powered by non-environmentally friendly diesel generators or connected to the electrical grid. This paper focuses on increasing the ionic conductivity of the solution in the cement pores, …

Conceptualization Of A Photovoltaic Powered Electrochromic Switching Of A Multifunctional Glazing, Aritra Ghosh, Brian Norton, Aidan Duffy

Conference papers

A multifunctional glazing system has the potential to reduce the heat loss through a window with control of solar heat gain and daylight. Thus it can reduce both the cooling load and heating load depending on weather, occupancy and building construction. A photovoltaic (PV) panel can be used to generate energy to change the colour of the electrochromic (EC) material. Battery storage system has been included to activate the EC behaviour using stored solar electricity. PV area and cost can thus be smaller. As a window can be placed in different sides of a building, incident solar irradiation on a …

Bs News November/December

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

An Optimal Calibration Procedure For A Telemac-2d Model Of The Eastern Coast Of Ireland, Garrett Keane, Andrew Stokes, Zeinab Bedri, John O'Sullivan

Conference papers

A review of the literature shows that most model calibrations involve the adjustment of the bottom friction coefficient to minimise the error between predicted and measured tidal elevations. In this study, an alternative procedure is adopted when calibrating a Telemac2D model covering an area on the Eastern coast of Ireland. The model is forced with eight principal tidal constituents derived from the MIKE 21 global model. It is calibrated separately for the two principal constituents, M2 and S2. The field data comprises tidal elevations recorded at five locations over a full lunar cycle in October 1998 and Spring and Neap …

Bs News September/October

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Semantic Model Alignment For Business Process Integration, Janina Fengel

Doctoral

Business process models describe an enterprise’s way of conducting business and in this form the basis for shaping the organization and engineering the appropriate supporting or even enabling IT. Thereby, a major task in working with models is their analysis and comparison for the purpose of aligning them. As models can differ semantically not only concerning the modeling languages used, but even more so in the way in which the natural language for labeling the model elements has been applied, the correct identification of the intended meaning of a legacy model is a non-trivial task that thus far has only …

Bs News July/August

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Aligning Bim And Lean Methodologies Within Capital Works Management Framework In Ireland, Barry Mcauley, Alan Hore, Muiris O'Loingsigh, John Deeney

Conference papers

In 2007, following continued dissatisfaction with the lack of cost certainty on publicly funded projects, the Irish Government introduced the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF). This framework had stated strategic objectives of achieving greater cost certainty at contract award stage; better value for money at all stages during project delivery and, more efficient end-user delivery. The framework, in particular, sought to rebalance risk, so that there was an optimal transfer of risk to the contracting authority and the contractor through the implementation of fixed price contracts. Coinciding with the introduction of the CWMF, there was significant debate around the introduction …