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Pavement rehabilitation in congested urban areas is a serious challenge for highway agencies because of construction-related traffic congestion and safety issues. Transportation agencies have investigated strategies for pavement rehabilitation and reconstruction that are faster but can still produce durable pavements. The use of modular pavement technologies, such as precast concrete pavement (PCP) systems, is gaining wider acceptance in recent years for rapid repair and rehabilitation of concrete pavements as well as for heavily trafficked asphalt concrete pavements and intersections. Under the SHRP 2 program, an extensive study on Precast Concrete Pavements was conducted. The SHRP2 PCP solution offers a series of guidelines and model specifications to help agencies effectively select projects for PCP, and to design, fabricate, and install long-life jointed and prestressed PCP systems. PCP systems consist of high-quality, prefabricated concrete panels that are formed offsite under controlled conditions and installed during off-peak travel times.

The 1995 Kobe earthquake, the 2011 Tohoku offshore earthquake, and the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake stroked bridges and caused extensive damages and collapse. All these earthquakes were unexpectedly large, and the design codes were forced to be revised to cover these earthquakes. To prevent further catastrophic disasters in future, seismic design covering all levels of ground motion intensity, and not just a few selected levels such as the design-based level or the most considered level, should be considered. Recently, incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) is becoming a normally acceptable tool for seismic design. Using the fragility from IDA, risk assessment can be conducted with consideration of probability of hazard cost of restoring functions of damaged members. Key structural components like isolation and damping devices can be optimized by using the seismic risk analysis, and retrofitting plans can be evaluated by seismic life cycle cost (LCC) to choose the most economical solution. Basic concept of IDA, fragility, risk analysis, and LCC for seismic design of bridge is introduced. Application benchmarks are also introduced in this chapter.

The Municipal Theater is one of the main artistic symbols of Bologna. Although it is recognized worldwide for its musical history, its construction peculiarities are less known. The original building was designed by the architect Antonio Galli Bibiena in 1763 in a masonry and wood structure. Then, the stage tower, burnt away in 1931, was rebuilt with a reinforced concrete structure, which currently is a significant landmark in the heart of the University district with about 35 m height. The reconstruction project, designed by engineer Armando Villa, had to face complex issues for the emerging but still inexperienced Italian reinforced concrete technique, such as the installation of a large span roof at considerable heights. The archival research and the digital documentation made it possible to analyze the structural concept of this construction, a significant example of the building culture of the '30s, tracing the evolution of this specific construction system and contextualizing it on the international scene.

The present paper discusses several difficulties associated with the erection of barrel vaults. Although it may seem rather straightforward to build a barrel vault, the task gets increasingly difficult as thickness of the vault and height above ground increase. This is particularly true for barrel vaults constructed in brick, the standard material of most early modern vaults. With the difficulties and possible remedies in mind, the paper attempts a reassessment of the sources concerning the most important monumental early modern brick barrel vaults; namely, those of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome.

Swiss architect David Vogel (1744–1808) enjoyed a thorough theoretical training compared to his compatriots. His most important commission after his education was the transversely oriented “oval” reformed church at Embrach ZH (1779–80). Vogel’s designs show distinct Italian influences from three years of studies with Winckelmann in Rome in the 1760s. He integrated these ideas into the designs for the church at Embrach, where both the architectural layout and the construction were innovative for the German-speaking part of Switzerland, including the comparatively flat roof pitch with a Mediterranean roof truss. This paper focuses on the preserved construction, which adapts the Italian standard to local conditions. The roof structure at Embrach is pioneering since the type of roof truss employed was later generally adopted in the 19th century throughout the German-speaking world for constructions with a lower roof pitch., History of Construction Cultures, ISBN:978-1-003-17335-9

This chapter provides an overview on the mold and bacteria sampling processes. It describes how one interprets mold results and how one interprets bacteria results. The chapter addresses other biological contaminants that one may encounter while performing forensic inspections. Wood framing is the method predominantly utilized for building residential structures in the United States and is increasingly being used in light commercial construction. Wood-framed structures are economical to build and maintain. National design standards and state building codes require residential roof framing systems to be designed to withstand forces generated from specific vertical and lateral loads without incurring damage. Unfortunately, events occur that result in roof framing members becoming damaged structurally. A ridge board may be present, but it has no load-carrying capacity; it is merely there to provide a surface for the rafters to bear against and to create a straight ridgeline.

The construction of the vaults in stone masonry in Notre-Dame in Paris, which are an essential feature in the cathedral’s architecture, was a challenging task for the medieval builders, and certainly can be seen as a milestone in technical and artistic innovation. Not only the ribs, but also the shells are made of dressed stone: their double-curved surfaces are built in exposed masonry with a remarkably regular texture. During the devastating fire, the vaulted ceiling stood for good part to its task in confining the flames to the roof structure. Even though some portions were destroyed by heavy impact, it nevertheless played a key role in avoiding major damage to the interior of the cathedral. This study aims to clarify the historic position of this construction and to understand the builders’ technical knowledge. We also hope to contribute valid information for repairing the damaged vaults and integrating the destroyed portions.

The article focuses on the reconstruction of old buildings belonging to cultural heritage sites, as a rule, plastering works are carried out to restore and restore the facades. In the process of operation of the plaster coating experiencing different weather conditions, which influence and eventually reduce their protective function and appearance. Violations of the technology of plastering the facades of old buildings in the process of repair and restoration work further exacerbate their impact and significantly accelerate the process of destruction of the facade finish. Conducting a full-scale survey allows you to identify the degree of preservation of the materials used in the decoration of the facade in the course of repair and restoration work, the presence of defects, and identifying the causes of their appearance. The correction of poorly executed plaster works with a violation of the technology of their production, the restoration of brickwork using a harder mortar with foreign inclusions, poorly mixed, etc. will require significant additional labor and economic costs.