Flanged shear walls are used extensively in moderate- and high-rise buildings to resist lateral loads induced by earthquakes. The seismic performance of many buildings is, therefore, closely linked to the behavior of the reinforced concrete walls. They must be carefully designed to provide not only adequate strength, but also sufficient ductility to avoid brittle failure under strong lateral lo...

Demand for business intelligence solutions continues to grow in the industry at record rates to combat competitive pressures and to attain business agility. Still organizations continue to struggle on how to implement successful business intelligence solutions. Despite its growing popularity and maturity as a field, it appears that organizations follow key guidelines that ensure the failure of ...

An optimization technique is coupled with crystal plasticity based finite element (CPFE) computations to aid the microstructural design of a wrought magnesium alloy for improved strength and ductility. The initial microstructure consists of a collection of sub-micron sized grains containing deformation twins. The variables used in the simulations are crystallographic texture, and twin spacing w...

The present study examines the new generation of concrete. Concrete has long been a major problem, is its ductility. Traditionally, remembering the words of concrete, compressive strength also comes to mind. Compressive strength is not only parameter of necessary and sufficient for a material. Concrete is basically brittle material. By adding the steel in this material is an attempt to ductile ...

Focusing on nanocrystalline (nc) pure face-centered cubic metals, where systematic experimental data are available, this paper presents a brief overview of the recent progress made in improving mechanical properties of nc materials, and in quantitatively and mechanistically understanding the underlying mechanisms. The mechanical properties reviewed include strength, ductility, strain rate and t...

The Ti41Cu31Zr10Pd13 (at.%) metallic glasses are promising for bone-implantation applications due to their exceptional bio-compatibility. However, Pd, as a noble element, keeps the fabrication cost high and prevents the industrial sale production of these alloys. Searching for replacements with comparable glass-forming ability and ductility but lower cost turns out to be imperative. In this art...

A pilot scale wastewater treatment plant was designed, constructed and operated on site to treat wastewater from a combined effluent drain. The activated sludge process (ASP) was used at three different hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 12, 10 and 8 hrs at an average MLSS concentration of 3500 mg/L. Under each HRT, the pilot plant was operated for a period of 10-12 weeks. Chemical oxygen deman...

The efforts of modern civilization to create an environment to meet human aspirations have successfully resulted in constant improvements of our lifestyle, but it has increased risks to human and ecological health. This situation has motivated many scientists throughout the world to analyze the environmental factors that can affect our health or ecology and to calculate the levels of risk. In B...

Without significant intervention, demand for crude oil could rise by a further 25% by 2035, stemming from its use for transportation, particularly road transport. Many technologies for alternative fuels and substitute transport energy carriers are being researched, but successful implementation of these technologies at scale will require attention to consumer-behavioural and policy challenges a...

OBJECTIVE to evaluate the association between psychological demands, control over the work and the reduction of work ability of nursing professionals. METHOD this cross-sectional study involved 498 nursing professionals of a university hospital in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data collection was carried out in 2009 using the Brazilian versions of the Work Ability Index and Job Stre...