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Owing to the rapid construction and rebuilding activities occurring in the country, huge amount of construction and demolition waste is generated. To cater the needs for disposal of this waste, recycling them for use in road construction has great potential and is important for sustainability. In order to address the same, a study has been carried out to explore the use of waste materials such as recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) in pavements. In this paper, few treatment methods of RCA such as acid treatment, thermal treatment and bituminous emulsion have been compared to adjudge the best treatment of RCA. For purpose of comparison, mixes were made using different treatment techniques with RCA. It was observed that the mixes comply with the standards specified in MoRTH, India in terms of Marshall Characteristics and moisture susceptibility. Bituminous emulsion treated RCA was found to be the most appropriate treatment method.

Fire resistance of Reinforced Concrete (RC) columns is affected by explosive spalling of concrete. Existing models for determining fire resistance of reinforced concrete columns do not generally account for the effects of spalling. The data from tests conducted in this study and other studies available from the literature have been used to develop an empirical model. This study attempts to develop a model for determining fire resistance of reinforced concrete columns by incorporating the influence of various key parameters including pre-mature spalling of concrete during fire. The model also incorporates the effect of local buckling of longitudinal reinforcement triggered by explosive spalling. The model further incorporates the role of reinforcement configuration in determining fire resistance. A standard equation is developed for a full ISO-834 fire scenario in RC columns. The model is seen to predict greater than 75% safe results. These are better predicted for range of influencing parameters.

Response of reinforced concrete structures under chloride induced non-uniform corrosion considering the effect of varying temperature and relative humidity (T-RH) in the environment was studied. Chloride concentration around the reinforcing bars was determined under varying T-RH conditions. The obtained chloride concentrations were then used to model the formation of macro-cell and micro-cell around the reinforcing bars under the same varying environment. The study was applied to two cases; Case 1- to understand the effect of considering T-RH variations on corrosion initiation and corrosion propagation, Case 2: to study in detail the effect of considering real climatic variations on corrosion initiation and corrosion propagation phases. Considering T-RH variations in the environment have a considerable effect on initiation of corrosion, corrosion rate and steel section loss. This effect can further be extended to service life models incorporating concrete damage under different varying environment. Also, use of different temporal schemes i.e., average daily, weekly and monthly values for real exposure data, affects prediction of reinforcement corrosion initiation and propagation.

Background Limited data exist studying the outcomes of the 2 minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (AVR) strategies—mini-sternotomy (AVR-st) and right anterior thoracotomy (AVR-th). We conducted an indirect meta-analysis to compare the outcomes of these minimally invasive approaches with each other and with conventional AVR (cAVR). Methods We Searched Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science in December 2017 for studies comparing AVR-st, AVR-th, and cAVR. Clinical outcomes were compared between cohorts with inverse weighted random effects modeling. Endpoints studied included hospital mortality, stroke, atrial fibrillation, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, and length of stay. Results A total of 19 studies (>10,000 pooled patients) met the inclusion criteria. Mortality (p = 0.06) and stroke (p = 0.15) were comparable between minimally invasive and conventional AVR. CPB times were longer with AVR-th versus cAVR (12.4 minutes [range, 5 to 19]; p Conclusions Minimally invasive approaches to AVR yield excellent outcomes in high-volume centers. They reduce hospital stay and incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation, and therefore should be considered in patients undergoing AVR. The operative approach should be selected according to surgeon’s technical expertise and what is best for specific patient profile, however.

Teachers play a vital role in the implementation of inclusive education, and understanding where they have worries is essential to researchers and policymakers likewise. The Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale (CIES) is a frequently used scale globally to examine teachers’ concerns but yielded mixed results regarding its factor structure. Using a large teacher sample (N1 = 538), we analyzed its factor structure and made modifications informed by our analysis. Results favored a recently proposed factor solution over the original one. Based on this solution, a short form was created, which reduces the CIES length by 42%. It demonstrated excellent model fit in an additional validation sample (N2 = 537), and efficiently and comprehensively assesses teacher concerns about inclusive education.

Concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) columns used in multi-storey buildings are generally designed as continuous members. The fire behaviour is predicted based on the results of experimental standard fire testing of CFST members where the same temperature is applied to the column over the full column height. Over the past 36 years, 238 experimental tests have been reported in the literature on CFST columns; different types of concrete infill have been considered: plain, steel fibre and bar reinforced concrete. In these tests, the columns were loaded axially under either concentric or eccentric load, and subjected to the standard ISO 834 fire or its equivalent in a furnace. This paper has focused on the in-depth analysis of behaviour of a continuous CFST columns in fire and provided a simple design procedure to calculate the axial capacity of the CFST columns at elevated temperature. The examples given in the later section gives a step by step design procedure for practicing engineers to calculate the axial capacity of both concentrically and eccentrically loaded CFST columns in fire.

The study examines secondary school students' perception of the climate in their classrooms with reference to inclusive education. A key objective of the study was also to examine psychometric properties of a newly developed Inclusion Climate Scale (ICS). Data were obtained using a paper-pencil survey in which 699 students (age = 10–17 years) from North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) participated. The results of exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors (Factor I: Teacher Support and Care; Factor II: Emotional Experience). The Inclusion Climate Scale along with the two factors it contains showed satisfactory reliability and validity.

An experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of corrosion for seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) columns confirming to current seismic guidelines. Six real size specimens were cast and tested under this study. Three columns were corroded up to 10% and 15% of degrees of corrosion, while the remaining three columns were left un-corroded. Column specimens were corroded by using a pre-calibrated accelerated corrosion protocol. After completion of corrosion exposure, specimens were tested under quasi-static lateral cyclic loading. An appropriate axial load was applied to the column before the commencement of simulated seismic testing. Key indicators of seismic performance were recorded and computed to characterize seismic response of all the RC columns. Steel reinforcement was observed to have undergone significant loss in its cross section due to corrosion which resulted in losing the effectiveness of confinement in providing desired deformability to the column section. Corroded RC columns failed in a catastrophic manner and indicated significant reduction in load carrying capacity as well. Results of the investigation show that corrosion of reinforcement may defeat the very purpose of providing transverse confinement in hinge regions of RC columns.

The role of confining reinforcement in dissipating a large amount of energy in reinforced concrete (RC) elements at the time of seismic events has been well demonstrated in previous studies. In India, this practice of providing special confinement in RC elements began to be followed after the ductile detailing code came into being in the year 1993. Hence, the structures built before 1990s in seismicaly active areas had no ductile detailing, as the design recommendation of pre 90s era do not consider adequate confinement requirements. The Present experimental study is a part of an ongoing project of upgrading these old reinforced concrete structures, which had no special confinement and are located in seismically active regions. Three full-scale columns with different amount of transverse reinforcement (volumetric ratio of 1.31, 0.33, and 0.22) were tested in a specially made testing setup. One specimen was designed as per the current Indian guidelines for ductile detailing (IS 13920:2016), while the other two specimens were designed as per the guidelines which existed before the Code on ductile detailing was implemented. The response of the columns under quasi-static reverse lateral cyclic loading (at constant axial load) was recorded in terms of lateral load v/s deflection, moment v/s curvature, energy dissipation, stiffness reduction and different ductility parameters. As expected, the results of the study show inferior seismic performance of under-confined columns as indicated by the key strength and ductility parameters. The results have though quantified the strength and ductility deficit of these under confined RC columns, which shall be of great help in designing suitable retrofit for the existing structures constructed with no ductile detailing features.

Over the past 36 years, 238 experimental tests have been reported in the literature on concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) columns; different types of concrete infill have been considered: plain, steel fibre and bar reinforced concrete. In these tests, the columns were loaded axially under either concentric or eccentric load, and subjected to the standard ISO 834 fire or its equivalent in a furnace. In this paper, the experimental tests reported in the literature have been used to propose simple design equations to determine the axial capacity of CFST columns. The proposed equations are compared with that presented in DR AS/NZS 2327 and Albero et al.; it is shown that the proposed equations are more accurate. The proposed design procedure has been used for the Auckland International Airport Phase 4 Pier B Extension Project’s structural fire design, brief details of which are presented.

The most important component of passive fire protection of buildings is fire resistance, which is designed to prevent spread of fire and structural collapse in fire. In this paper, results from fire resistance experiments on eight different types of reinforced columns (RC) are presented. The study was undertaken to study the effect of concrete strength, confining reinforcement and the configuration of confining reinforcement on the fire resistance of RC columns. The results show that these parameters of confinement have a marked role to play in the fire rating of the reinforced concrete columns. The disadvantage of high strength concrete being prone to spalling can be mitigated by the enhanced confinement of the RC columns. A simplified design equation, to determine effect of confinement on fire resistance of RC columns, has been arrived at.

This paper proposes a methodology to determine the printable workspace of a cable robot by taking cable mass and mobile platform orientation into account. This workspace has a characteristic feature of avoiding the collision of lower cables with the previous layers of the structure during 3D printing while maintaining cable tensions inside the prescribed positive tension bounds. Since redundant robot is taken into consideration, the printable workspace possesses multiple solutions and hence, a unique solution needs to be selected based upon a selection criterion. Therefore, to select a unique solution, this paper proposes a selection criterion to minimize cable sagging and compares it with the conventional selection criterion of minimizing cable tension. For comparative analysis, various factors such as printable workspace, cable tensions and platform deflection of the robot are considered. The proposed selection criterion is further utilized to study the impact of variation in the geometric parameters on the printable workspace and the capacity margin of the robot. Finally, an optimal design is proposed using genetic algorithm for the desired printable workspace as well as constraint minimum capacity margin with an objective to minimize the installation space of the cable robot.

The inclusion of all learners in mainstream classrooms is an objective for schools internationally. The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the newly developed Inclusive Practices Scale (IPS) to determine if the intention to use inclusive practices could be predicted from participants' attitudes and efficacy scores. Participants included 390 pre-service educators from four countries (Australia, India, Canada, and Hong Kong). Results suggest that the IPS is both a reliable and valid instrument, with teaching efficacy the strongest predictor of inclusive practice intentions. The IPS could be a meaningful tool in determining pre-service and in-service educators’ intentions to use inclusive practices.

There has been a growing shift towards the use of fire-resistant steel (FRS) in the construction industry as a replacement for conventional structural steel (CSS). However, only limited research has been undertaken in the past on the structural properties of cold-formed FRS, especially at elevated temperatures. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on key mechanical properties of FRS after subjecting to elevated temperatures. The steady-state tensile tests were performed on two different types of FRS and a CSS at different elevated temperatures ranging from 100° to 800 °C with a holding time of 60 min. A total number of 99 tensile coupon test specimens were tested in this study, both at room and elevated temperatures. Important observations have been made in the paper about the performance of FRS at elevated temperatures in terms of stress-strain relationships, mechanical properties, and deformability parameters. The test results indicate the better performance of FRS compared to CSS at elevated temperature greater than 400 °C suggesting a possible application of FRS in steel structures liable to be exposed to fire conditions. Constitutive modeling for steels is also proposed for strength and stiffness properties.

Post-earthquake fire (PEF) can cause a rapid collapse of structures that have been already damaged as a consequence of prior earthquake. It is a matter of concern for all the stake holders that almost all the standards and codes for the design of structures ignore the risk of PEF and thus the designs developed using these codes could be ineffective during the PEF events. This paper represents the results of a major research carried on four full scale RC frames. A novel test setup for fire following earthquake has been developed and tested in the current exercise. A number of sensors were used to monitor the kinematic and thermal fields during the test. The results (in terms of strains, displacements and temperatures) provide valuable information about earthquake-damaged RC structures in fire in fully developed and decay stages. The study investigated the effect of the pre-damage level, the reinforcement detailing and the infill on the performance of RC frames subjected to post earthquake fire. The results show significant variation in structural temperatures within a compartment, demonstrating that the assumption of uniform temperature, which is implicit in many design fires, is incorrect. The RC frames designed with ductile detailing of reinforcement displayed better lateral load carrying capacities before and after fire. The pre-damage level affects the rise in temperatures in the structural elements and also affects the spalling of the members. This paper describes the experimental investigation and serves as a vehicle for dissemination of the key findings and all the important test data to the engineering community which could be used for validating numerical simulations for further advancing the knowledge and understanding in this relatively poorly researched area.

Design recommendations for concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) columns in fire are based on the results of experimental standard fire testing of CFST members where the same temperature is applied to the column over the full column height. However, this is not representative of a CFST column in a typical building, which is continuous between floors and which, in fire, is subjected to severe fire conditions on one floor at a time while the floors above and below remain cooler. In the experimental tests described in this paper, the columns are of 3.2 m height with the fire applied only to the central 2 m. Significant differences are observed between these tests and those previously conducted due to the partial length heating. In total, ten tests are conducted; the tests cover three different types of infill: plain concrete; bar reinforced concrete; and steel fibre reinforced concrete. End restraint conditions of fixed-fixed (F-F) and pinned-fixed (P-F) are considered; the axial load levels are between 0.33 to 0.38 of the squash load. The longitudinal elongation of the steel tube was less than 3 mm. Using the experimentally measured structural fire resistance (R), the axial capacity in fire was calculated in accordance with the codes of practice and are Compared with the experimentally tested structural fire resistance, showing that in some instances current design practice can be un-conservative.

The lithounits constituting the Ladakh Himalaya are exposed along the Indus and Shyok Sutures Zones of northwest Himalaya. The Shyok Suture Zone (SSZ) in northern Ladakh represents a highly tectonized zone of a back-arc basin, which is mainly composed of volcano-sedimentary formations (Shyok and Khardung Formations) intimately, associated with intrusive granitoids. In the Nubra-Shyok valley of the SSZ calc-alkaline granitoids of batholithic dimension are exposed in the Tirit region, referred herein as the Tirit granitoids, which are intrusive evidently into the Shyok volcanic (rhyolite) rocks belonging to the Shyok Formation. In this valley the northern margins of granitoids of the Ladakh batholith can also be found intrusive into the metasediments (shale/slate) and metavolcanics of the Shyok Formation. The compositions and crystallization pressures (~ 66 to 91 MPa) of amphiboles in the intrusive Tirit granitoid corroborate a calc-alkaline nature and solidification of Tirit granitoid melt at subvolcanic level equivalent to a minimum of 2.5 km to a maximum of 3.5 km thick overburden of Shyok volcanics. U–Pb SHRIMP zircons from the Tirit granitoids have yielded mean crystallization ages of 109.4 ± 1.1 Ma and 105.30 ± 0.80 Ma, which strengthen the idea of Early Cretaceous subduction beneath the Karakoram terrain. Inherited older zircon cores (278–393 Ma, 476–519–713–952 Ma and 1933 Ma) suggest a contribution from heterogeneous Palaeozoic and Proterozoic sources in the generation of the Tirit granitoids similar to those observed elsewhere in the Karakoram-Kohistan region. A mean crystallization age (105.30 ± 0.80) of zircons in the Tirit granitoid hosting xenoliths of porphyritic volcanics places a minimum eruption age of ca. 105 Ma for the Shyok volcanics. The Ladakh granitoid, Tirit granitoids and porphyritic volcanic xenolith belong to a calc-alkaline series. A mean crystallization age (67.32 ± 0.66 Ma) for zircon in the Ladakh granitoid implies that the Shyok metasediments (shale/slate) were deposited and metamorphosed prior to ca. 68 Ma. Present and earlier determined ages on Tirit granitoids revealed that the subduction-related calc-alkaline magmatism in the Nubra-Shyok valley of the SSZ prevailed between 110 and 68 Ma, and hence a minimum age of Early Cretaceous can be suggested for development of the SSZ.

The aim of this study was to develop a numerical model for the process of non-uniform corrosion under realistic temperature-relative humidity variations. Non-uniform distribution of corrosion products and their expansion around the steel bar were modeled in 2D. Cohesive elements embedded in the finite element mesh were used to model concrete cracking under corrosion. The proposed model was used to predict crack patterns and crack propagation under tropical marine type and temperate marine type climatic conditions. The climates were characterized by significant variations in temperature and relative humidity that resulted in different crack patterns and crack widths.

Cable mass and elasticity play a prominent role in analyzing large-scale cable-driven parallel robots (CDPR). However, for catenary cables (i.e., cables with mass and elasticity), the inverse kinematics of CDPR becomes a non-linear kineto-static problem. Furthermore, for redundant CDPR, this leads to multiple kineto-static solutions. This paper focuses on investigating various selection criteria to determine a unique kineto-static solution for the redundant over-constrained CDPR. For this investigation, the effect of the proposed selection criteria on sagging, elastic elongations and cable tensions are analyzed. Appropriate selection criteria, according to the application requirements, are proposed. Additionally, a rigorous study is done to analyze the effect of considering conventional cable models (i.e., massless rigid and massless elastic cable model) instead of the catenary cable model for various payloads, cables, and selection criteria. This helps in determining when a massless rigid/elastic cable model can be used as an alternative to the catenary cable model, which in turn, can avoid the additional computational complexity. The proposed analysis is beneficial in appropriate selection of actuators, cables, selection criteria and model complexity for a given redundant CDPR.

This article examines intentions of in-service teachers from India (n = 349) and Australia (n = 253) to teach in inclusive classrooms using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Two new scales were developed to measure participants' attitudes and intentions to teach in inclusive classrooms. Results revealed that a) both scales are reliable and valid, and b) intention to teach in inclusive classrooms is significantly and positively influenced by efficacy and attitude scores. The importance of the cultural contexts of the educational system investigated highlighted the way in which attitudes and teaching efficacy influenced participants' intentions differed slightly across the two samples.

This paper examines the future of IC reporting by offering critical reflection on different forms of reporting, with a particular focus on Integrated Reporting ( ). While, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework for corporate social responsibility disclosures, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), and the various financial reporting regulators appear to be in a contest for supremacy, what does this mean for IC? We examine how IC is reported under each of these frameworks and conclude that is unlikely to subsume traditional financial statement reporting, nor will it be able to provide all the information currently reported in GRI-type reports. The interplay of these reporting frameworks and their future development bodes well for IC, because different kinds of IC information will be reported under each of , GRI-type reports and in financial statements; that is IC does not compete with these forms of reporting forms, but forms an essential part of each.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the confluence of the political and economic interests of the Fijian elite in transforming state assets into private property and financial gain. Drawing on a Habermasian theoretical framework applied to a privatized state monopoly (Telecom Fiji), we demonstrate how the implementation of privatization concealed social and political interests, and how the implementation of privatization provided a ruling elite with a convenient rhetoric and tool to achieve social and political gain. For those within the telecom company, the ethos of public service could not withstand the message of capitalism with its rhetorical call for greater efficiency, effectiveness and consumer awareness. As is the case, however, with many other privatization programmes around the world when state enterprises are privatized, the results of Telecom Fiji's privatization are not reflected in either improved organizational performance or the wellbeing of the ordinary citizen.

As earthquake resistant provisions have been taken for due consideration in recent codes only, the older reinforced concrete structures are, in fact, supposed to be constructed without ductile detailing. With ongoing corrosion of embedded rebars the strength and ductility of the structures get further sacrificed. An experimental investigation was undertaken for observing the effects of continuing corrosion process on the strength and ductility aspects of differently confined reinforced concrete short columns. Effect of subsequent strengthening on these degraded columns was also studied. The experimental program consisted of 53 small scale columns with variably confined sections subjected to accelerated corrosion tests. The structural response of under confined sections was observed to be substantially poorer than the properly confined sections, which further degrades considerably due to corrosion of embedded reinforcement. One set of corroded specimens was strengthened with ferrocement jacketing. On another set of degraded columns the glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) wraps were used for strengthening. Quantification was made for the reduction of structural and ductility aspects of both types of columns having different confinement levels. The study emphasizes the immediate need for proper strengthening measures to be adopted for the existing corrosion experiencing structures for improving their much needed ductility considering any seismic event in the future.

Fire, in the aftermath of an earthquake has evolved as a severely destructive force since the last century [1]. Codes and regulations exist in countries situated in seismically active regions of the world in order to ensure safety of buildings and their occupants in the event of an earthquake; it is however rare to find regulations that also require the consideration of fire following an earthquake, thereby leaving this possibility to be dealt with entirely by emergency responders on an ad-hoc basis with little preparedness. Fire following earthquake (FFE) events in the past, although rare, have sometimes been as destructive as the original earthquake. The aim of this study was to carry out a set of full-scale loading tests on an earthquake damaged, reinforced concrete frame subsequently exposed to fire. The sequential loading was devised in the form of a three phase testing procedure – simulated earthquake loading facilitated by cyclic quasi-static lateral loads; followed by a compartment fire; and finally by subjecting the earthquake and fire damaged frame to a monotonic pushover loading to assess its residual capacity. The reinforced concrete frame was well instrumented with numerous sensors, consisting of thermocouples, strain gauges, linear variable differential transducers (LVDTs) and pressure sensors. A large database of results consisting of temperature profiles, displacements and strains has been generated and salient observations have been made during each stage of loading. This paper describes the experimental investigation and serves as a vehicle for dissemination of the key findings and all the important test data to the engineering community which could be used for validating numerical simulations for further advancing the knowledge and understanding in this relatively poorly researched area.

In recent days many structures are strengthened or restored to make use of the existing structure to the current needs. Upgrading a structure by restoration and strengthening eliminates the need of devastating and reconstruction also saves energy. In repair and retrofitting of a structural elements or a structure, appropriate techniques has to be choose according to the damage level or the requirement. Epoxy or any polymer injection is a kind of method to repair the cracked region. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) wrapping is a kind of external strengthening techniques being in practice to retrofit a reinforced concrete (RC) structure without increasing the dead load. In this study the effectiveness of externally bonded carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (EB-CFRP) system with end anchorage on retrofitting of damaged RC beams has been examined. To represent a severe damage condition, control beams are tested to failure, retrofitted, and then retested to failure for a second time. The test results demonstrated that retrofitting of severely damaged RC T-beams with EB-CFRP composite with proper end anchorage can fully restore the original shear capacity of the beams without increasing the dimension of the structural member. Also this end anchorage system significantly restricts the delamination of FRP during severe loading than EB-CFRP method.

The main aim of the present study was to recommend ways and means to upgrade abrasion resistance of concrete made of low quality aggregates to acceptable levels on the basis of laboratory experimental investigations. The variables of the study were grade of concrete, type & quantity of pozzolana, type of aggregate, cement type and age of concrete. Various mixtures of concrete were designed and cast using different cements and pozzolanas. Three types of aggregates with three different Los Angeles (L.A.) values (less than 30%, between 30% and 50% and more than 50%) were employed in the study. A total of 90 cylindrical specimens were tested as per ASTM C 1138 procedure in this study to evaluate the abrasion resistance of concrete. Several companion cubes were also tested for evaluating the compressive strength of various mixes. The results indicate that while the abrasion resistance of concrete depends upon the properties of aggregates, no direct correlation exists between the L.A. abrasion of aggregates and the abrasion resistance of resulting concrete. The abrasion resistance of concrete degrades considerably once the L.A. value of aggregates goes beyond 30%. Incorporation of pozzolanic admixtures in concrete mix improves the abrasion resistance of resulting concrete with maximum benefits being observed in case of silica fume. Important observations have also been made about the influence of age of concrete and type of cement.

The effect of simulated earthquake-induced damage on the residual mechanical properties of steel bars exposed to elevated temperatures are reported towards understanding the behaviour of such bars in a fire-following-earthquake scenario. Earthquake damage was simulated by inducing two levels of tensile strains in the rebars corresponding to the desired levels of pre-damage. Subsequently, the pre-damaged rebars were tested for residual strength in tension after exposure to a single cycle of heating and cooling for different target temperatures ranging from room temperature to 800 °C. The other variables in the investigation were: yield strength, rebar diameter and the rebar manufacturing process (cold-worked or thermo-mechanically treated). It was observed across all the rebars of this study that the selected pre-damage levels had practically no influence on residual mechanical properties and the effect of heating the rebars was significant only for temperatures greater than or equal to 400 °C. The findings of this investigation have implications for prediction of residual capacity of reinforced concrete structures exposed to fire-following-earthquake scenarios.

In this paper, an optimum design methodology is presented for Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) bridge decks having one way rib core cross section. The ribs are considered to be oriented in the transverse direction only. The behavior of a typical representative bridge panel of dimension 2 m × 1 m is studied in the present investigation. The panel is simply supported in two opposite edges while the other edges are taken as free. The panel is subjected to self weight and imposed live load as per IRC 70R loading for the tracked vehicle. The thicknesses of the top and bottom face plates; thickness, depth and number of ribs in the core are considered as the basic design parameters for the structural optimization. The material properties adopted for different components are treated as invariable. The optimization has been performed by following different criteria based on deflection limit, buckling and failure load. Graphical User Interface (GUI) of ABAQUS CAE has been utilized for the parametric modeling in which the PYTHON scripts are modified. The design parameters are varied to obtain different trial solutions. The optimum dimensions are finalized based on the solutions corresponding to the minimum volume of the FRP materials.

This paper presents results of an experimental study undertaken to optimize the residual compressive strength of heated high performance concrete using the Taguchi off-line method and the utility concept. The design of experiments (DoEs) was first carried out by Taguchi method using a standard L9(34) orthogonal array (OA) of four factors with three material parameter levels. The factors considered in the context of high performance concrete were cement content, fly ash content, super-plasticizer content and fine aggregate content. The cube specimens were cast and heated up to 200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C target temperatures. They were subsequently tested under axial compressive loads in cooled conditions. Based on the results, the material parameter responses were analyzed by utility concept to reduce the multi-characteristic response and to obtain single setting of optimized parameters in order to maximize the post-fire residual compressive strength of concrete. The results indicate that the best level of control factors paid their own contribution for compressive strength at various elevated temperatures. The cement content was found to be the most influencing parameter followed by fine aggregate content and fly ash dosage. The role of chemical admixture dosage was observed to be relatively less marked on the residual compressive strength of high performance concrete. The confirmation tests corroborated the theoretical optimum test conditions.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent and quality of voluntary intellectual capital disclosures by information technology companies of China and India.Research Design/Methodology: The research method adopted for this study is content analysis. The research is limited to the intellectual capital information disclosed in companies’ annual report. The sample for this research is based on 20 information technology (IT) companies listed by market captalisation listed on Shenzhen or Shanghai stock exchange market, and the largest 20 companies listed on Indian stock market.Findings: Indian IT companies tends to perform better than Chinese IT companies in extent and quality of disclosures. The extent of disclosure of both countries is at a relatively high level. The most frequently reported disclosure category in India is external capital, while the least one is human capital. In China, external capital is the most frequently disclosed category, while the internal capital is the least one.Limitations/Implications: The sample size of the study is relatively small. Future research can expand on the sample size to get an overview of the intellectual capital disclosure, and conduct a longitudinal study to capture the trend of reporting practices.Originality: Previous studies of intellectual capital (IC) disclosure have covered little on the relationship between market capitalization and quality of disclosure and cross-country disclosure on IC. This research tends to extend the literature on intellectual capital disclosure.

In this paper, the effects of elevated temperatures on the concentric compressive behavior of confined concrete are presented. An experimental program was designed and carried out involving testing of hoop confined concrete cylindrical specimens exposed to elevated temperatures ranging from room temperature to 800 °C. The test variables included temperature of exposure, concrete strength, amount of confining reinforcement and yield strength of transverse confining steel. A total of 84 confined and 42 unconfined cylindrical specimens of size 150 mm×450 mm were tested in this test program. The effects of various key variables of confinement were studied and quantified with respect to strength and ductility gains. The results indicate that the residual strength, strain corresponding to the peak stress and the post-peak strains of confined concrete are not affected significantly up to an exposure temperature of 400 °C. However, the peak confined stress falls and the corresponding strain increases considerably in the temperature range of 500–800 °C. An increase in the temperature of exposure makes the stress–strain curve of confined concrete flatter. It is shown that an increase in the degree of confinement reinforcement results in an increased residual strength and deformability of confined concrete.

The purpose of this paper is to theorise the changes surrounding the introduction of a management control innovation, total quality management (TQM) techniques, within Telecom Fiji Limited. Using institutional theory and drawing on empirical evidence from multiple sources including interviews, discussions and documents, the paper explicates the institutionalization of these TQM practices. The focus of the paper is the micro-processes and practice changes around TQM implementation, rather than the influence of the macro-level structures that are often linked with institutional theory. The change agents used Quality Action Teams and the National Quality Council to introduce new TQM routines. The present study extends the scope of institutional analysis by explaining how institutional contradictions impact to create and make space for institutional entrepreneurs, who in turn, modify existing routines or introduce new routines in fluid organizational environments which also exhibit evidence of resistance.

This paper reviews the performance of the syringe exchange programmes (SEPs) in Manipur, northeast India, with the objective of identifying good practice, and areas that require improvement. The paper also examines contextual and structural factors in Manipur that inhibit optimal functioning of SEPs and hinder behaviour change, and argues that these factors need to be addressed as part of any endeavour aimed at improving services and programme coverage in the future.

The relative noninvasive nature, easy accessibility, convenience and accuracy of helical CT in the rapid evaluation of not only the aorta and its branches, but the entire thorax/abdomen, makes it the best suited imaging modality for use in evaluation of aortic aneurysms and dissection. Excellent vascular opacification, the advantage of reconstructing overlapping scans without respiratory misregistration, multiplanar reconstruction and 3D rendering of the vessels highlight the benefits of helical CT. Helical CT evaluation combines the advantages of conventional CT, giving true information about the exact transverse and longitudinal extent of the aneurysm, the vessel wall, luminal thrombus and structures around the aorta, and those of aortography in the form 3D volumetric information display. The purpose of this essay is to present a spectrum of aortic aneurysms and dissection to highlight the role of helical CT in their evaluation.

An improved surface potential model describing the erase operation of a FLOTOX EEPROM cell is presented. This model includes the dynamics of hole buildup at the Si surface after an erase pulse is applied at the drain terminal to discharge the stored electrons from the floating gate. We experimentally demonstrate that the Si surface potential within the tunnel region reaches, and is then pinned at, a saturation surface potential which is the surface potential under the adjacent thick oxide of the floating gate transistor. We also demonstrate that the saturation surface potential can be reached within 10 μs when the cell written state threshold voltage is high. Since the saturation surface potential at any given time determines the electric field across the tunnel oxide, it controls the rate of discharge of the floating gate, and thereby, the cell erase characteristics. This model has been qualitatively verified by the cell erase characteristics, and quantitatively verified by the floating gate tunneling current measurements. The surface potential model not only provides physical insights in the erase operation of the device, but also provides guidelines for the optimization of important FLOTOX cell parameters, such as the doping density of the tunnel region, the thickness of the floating gate oxide and the spacing between the tunnel window and the p -substrate.