In this work we recast some design principles commonly used in software engineering and adapt them to the design and analysis of domain descriptions in reasoning about actions. We show how the informal requirements of cohesion and coupling can be turned into consistency tests of several different arrangements of modules. This gives us new criteria for domain description evaluation and clarifies...

In this paper the control algorithm for controlled civil structures subjected to earthquake excitation is thoroughly investigated. The objective of this work is the control of structures by means of the pole placement algorithm, in order to improve their response against earthquake actions. Successful application of the algorithm requires judicious placement of the closed-loop eigenvalues from ...

This paper presents several advancements in the use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials for the precast concrete industry. Precast concrete members are commonly selected for reasons such as the high level of quality control used in their production, the durability of the finished structure, reduced labor costs and shorter construction schedules, and the economics of scale achieved with ...

Structural engineering design is replete with uncertainties, some of which are obvious and some of which many engineers may never have considered. This paper is an examination of the uncertainties facing structural engineers and the ways that engineers have developed to handle those uncertainties. Uncertainty can be separated into two categories: Aleatory, related to luck or chance, and epistem...