Search

Microbially influenced concrete corrosion (MICC) in sewers is caused by the activity of sulfide-oxidizing microorganisms (SOMs) on concrete surfaces, which greatly deteriorates the integrity of sewers. Surface treatment of corroded concrete by spraying chemicals is a low-cost and non-intrusive strategy. This study systematically evaluated the spray of nitrite solution in corrosion mitigation and re-establishment in a real sewer manhole. Two types of concrete were exposed at three heights within the sewer manhole for 21 months. Nitrite spray was applied at the 6th month for half of the coupons which had developed active corrosion. The corrosion development was monitored by measuring the surface pH, corrosion product composition, sulfide uptake rate, concrete corrosion loss, and the microbial community on the corrosion layer. Free nitrous acid (FNA, i.e. HNO2), formed by spraying a nitrite solution on acidic corrosion surfaces, was shown to inhibit the activity of SOMs. The nitrite spray reduced the corrosion loss of concrete at all heights by 40-90% for six months. The sulfide uptake rate of sprayed coupons was also reduced by about 35%, leading to 1-2 units higher surface pH, comparing to the control coupons. The microbial community analysis revealed a reduced abundance of SOMs on nitrite sprayed coupons. The long-term monitoring also showed that the corrosion mitigation effect became negligible in 15 months after the spray. The results consistently demonstrated the effectiveness of nitrite spray on the MICC mitigation and identified the re-application frequencies for full scale applications.

This paper outlines an application called Metascore that provides a visual interface for the control and synchronising of parameters for generative film music scores. Metascore is part of a project under development at the Australasian CRC for Interaction Design (ACID), the aim of which is to create a real-time automatic film scoring system. Metascore allows the user to compose music, using high-level descriptions of compositional intent, in synchronisation with video. Metascore allows control of constant parameters within sections that demarcate film cues, and control of continually varying parameters through free-form break point envelopes. Parameter values in Metascore can themselves be expressions or functions, enabling extensive flexibility for adaptive control of the algorithmic score. This paper will describe the Metascore interface design and illustrate its use in the context of producing an orchestral score for a documentary film.

This paper presents a survey of some key experimental electronic music scenes in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s that were situated outside the frame of music institutions and the electro-acoustic music tradition. Specifically it focuses on experimentalism in the popular music field in this period, outlining the 'little bands' scene in Melbourne and the scene around the Terse Tapes and M Squared labels in Sydney, It locates a set of international reference points in No Wave, industrial music and Krautrock and discusses the work of some individuals who traversed the popular music and experimental music scenes, acting as a nexus for musical ideas. The paper proposes that experimental practices in popular music exert a significant force on experimental electronic music practices in a wider sense and the links to more academic forms of music experimentation need to be better understood. In doing so the paper calls for a more expanded and complete view of the historical development of electronic music as a way of better understanding current experimental electronic music scenes in Australia.

In this article we report on progress at the Australian CRC for Interac-tion Design investigating the computational generation of orchestral music based in the Germanic Symphonic tradition. We present an introduction to the project including a brief overview of our intended methods and some guiding principles for the project. We then outline the current state of the project and introduce our initial algorithmic system with a special emphasis on an implementation of Paul Hin-demith’s harmonic system. We conclude with some initial findings and future goals. We provide an extensive selection of audio examples on-line that accompany, verify and enhance information provided in this report.

In this paper we present software designed to help address problems encountered by beginning guItarists, using interactive software to find effective solutions to enhance the learning process. Software can be utilised to improve a player's ability tdhear mistakes in theIr performance, as well as to create a fun and entertaining learning environment 'to motivate the player to practice. A software prototype ~~s been developed, which served as a basIs for usabllzty testmg, to highlight the usefulness of vari~us methods of feedback and provide a way forward in developing valuable software for guitar tuition.

This paper provides an overview and evaluation of the author's use of voice and electronics in a theatrical production of 'The Mill on the Floss'. Traditionally, voice is the central instrument in theatre, It is a primary means for expressing the ideas and emotional content of the script and it's use as a sound source therefore, provides a fertile playing field for the electroacoustic composer. The compositional materials for 'the Mill on the Floss' focus on the use of voice as a primary sound source and where possible, the voices of the actors in the production have been used. The voice is explored not only for its emotive qualities, but also as a signifier of identity and identity theory forms an important framework for the compositional structure. This paper presents a case study for the various ways in which electro-acoustic treatment of voice can be used to enhance expression of the ideas and themes in a production of 'The Mill on the Floss'.

Studio Report for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music

This paper outlines a system for machine improvisation with a human performer where the focus is limited to the provision of rhythmic complementarity. Complementarity is achieved through the real-time measurement of metrical coherence in currently playing rhythmic material that informs the generation of subsequent material. A robust computational approach building on recent theories of improvisational intelligence and situated cognition is described. This algorithm can be effective across a range of musical styles.

This paper discusses our experiments with a method of creating visual representations of music using a graphical library for Impromptu that emulates and builds on Logo’s turtle graphics. We explore the potential and limitations of this library for visualising music, and describe some ways in which this simple system can be utilised to assist the musician by revealing musical structure are demonstrated.

This report summarizes the progress made in the first year of a collaborative project between researchers at Kajima and two CUREe institutions, Caltech and Stanford University. The project is part of Year 2 and Year 3 of Phase ill of the CUREe-Kajima Joint Research Program. The goal of this two-year CUREe-Kajima project is to develop quantitative methodologies and a prototype software package to implement a decision support system (DSS) which can be used by corporate management to enhance the recovery of their business after a disruptive earthquake. In developing this DSS, it is necessary to specify the type of business to which it is to be applied. In the first-year of this project, the focus was on a corporation which owns multiple leased office buildings that have suffered, or may suffer, damage during an earthquake. The core problem that was addressed of determining an optimal strategy for repairing the buildings is also relevant to any company that owns facilities. The basic objective of the project is to show how a DSS can be developed which could be used by management to make better decisions in restoring the state, or health, of their business after an earthquake. It is envisaged that the DSS could be used by the managers of a company to perform complex "what if" analyses to evaluate alternative recovery strategies and to determine the best one, based on post-earthquake information and economic and other constraints. In addition to its use after a damaging earthquake, the DSS could also be used prior to any earthquake to investigate which mitigation actions and planning efforts should be more effective in enhancing the business recovery process.

This report describes the results of a project titled Decision Support Tools f or Earthquake Recovery of Businesses funded under Years 2 and 3 of Phase ill of the CUREe-Kajima Joint Research Program. CUREe (California Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering) is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 by eight California universities to collaborate on scientific research and applications that advance our understanding of how earthquakes affect the built environment-structures, bridges, roads and other infrastructure. Kajima Corporation is a prominent international engineering and construction firm based in Japan. Two CUREe members, California Institute of Technology and Stanford University, partnered with Kajima to develop the concept and methodologies for a decision-support system (DSS) to assist business managers in determining how to mitigate or to recover from earthquake damage to company facilities.