Behaviour of Grade 8.8 bolts under natural fire conditions—Tests and model

Recent full-scale experimental tests performed on steel and composite structures have demonstrated that the presence of tensile forces in axially-restrained beams during the cooling phase of a fire could lead to bolt failures. In order to understand this observation and design structures that are not prone to such a failure mode, it is essential to have a deep knowledge of the material behaviour of all the components, including bolts, during both the heating and cooling phase.In the present article, the test set-ups and the results of the tensile and shear tests performed at the Centro Sviluppo Materiali (Italy) on Grade 8.8 bolts under heating-cooling cycles are described.Then, material laws are defined for characterising the mechanical behaviour of Grade 8.8 bolts under heating and cooling phases. These laws account for the non-reversibility of the mechanical properties of Grade 8.8 bolts.     

Toxicity, accumulation and elimination studies of α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH) with freshwater organisms of different trophic levels

A short- and long-term toxicity study with α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH) was carried out with freshwater organisms of different trophic levels (algae, crustaceae and fishes). In this study mortality, immobilization, growth, reproduction, histopathologic changes and enzyme activities were chosen as criteria.Furthermore accumulation and elimination processes were investigated in separate organisms as well as the uptake of α-HCH by one organism and through a food-chain.Finally a tentative method for deriving an “ecological limit” for χ-HCH in surface water is described.     

Numerical simulations on fire spread and smoke movement in an underground car park

The Fire Dynamic Simulator code is used to investigate fire spread and smoke movement in a large underground car park under different fire scenarios. Initially, by comparing with experimental results of heat release rate of a single car fire, the development of car fire is designed by letting surface densities of the fuel over the car. Fire spread and movement of smoke are then investigated under different ventilation conditions. Simulated results show that the development of car fire in the underground car park can be classified into four stages; namely an initial stage, a developed stage, an extinction and re-burning stage and another fast-developed stage. Affected by ventilation systems, fire develops rapidly resulting in consuming most oxygen quickly followed by early extinction of the fire. After extinction of the fire, with more ambient air drawn into the car park due to ventilation, re-ignition takes place with accelerated development. In addition, detailed field distributions of temperature and velocity vectors are given. It is found that the smoke layer decent to the top of the car after 15 min and the hot smoke flows in a disorderly manner resulting in the spread of fire more rapidly.     

香港花岗岩单轴压缩时的操作演化

An investigation is reported on the characteristics of progressive failure of Hong Kong granite. Uniaxial compression tests are performed on a number of Hong Kong granite specimens with the MTS 815.04 testing machine.Acoustic emission signals are recorded to trace the evolution of damages. Parametric studies on the effect of grain size are attempted. The results show that the increase in grain size will reduce the brittleness during failure. In addition, discussion is extended to the grain size effect on the stress thresholds of crack closure, crack initiation and crack damage. The RFPA^2D code is also used to observe the failure characteristics of brittle rocks such as granite. Microscopic tensile failure is dominant in the ultimate failure of all the uniaxially compressed models. The crack initiation threshold is also determined by the numerical approach. The failure of coarse-grained models seems more ductile.     

Determination of Co,Cu, Fe,Hg, Mn,Sb, Se and Zn in milk samples

Concentrations of Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Sb, Se and Zn in IAEA milk (dry) standard A-11 were re-evaluated with the help of instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analysis (NAA). The results show reasonably good agreement for Co (5.1 ± 0.55 ng/g) and Zn (34 ± 2.5 μg/g), in relation to the recommended values. For Cu (374 ± 15 ng/g), Fe (2.4 ± 0.34 μg/g) and Mn (250 ± 20 ng/g); the results obtained are lower than the reported values.Cu, Mn, and Zn were cross-checked by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The results, Cu = 331 ± 27 ng/g, Mn = 302 ± 62 ng/g, and Zn = 35 ± 1 μg/g, fall within the range of mean values obtained by NAA.For Hg and Se, using instrumental NAA, only upper limits could be indicated; because of the low levels of concentrations of Hg and Se on one hand, and high content of P (9100 μg/g) in A-11 milk standard on the other, NAA coupled with radiochemistry is to be preferred for these two elements.In pooled human milk, in addition to Cu and Mn (radiochemical) and Co, Fe, Sb and Zn (instrumental), Hg and Se could also be determined non-destructively because of the favourable Hg/P and Se/P ratios in this matrix.     

The calibration of an aspirating conductivity-probe for thermal pollution experiments

This paper discusses the calibration and use of the Thermo-Systems Inc. aspirating probe in a particular application where temperatures of a hot gas plume are estimated from measurements on a dynamically similar helium—air plume. The probe is used as a constant-temperature hot-film anemometer but, being enclosed in series with a choked orifice, it responds primarily to variations in gas conductivity and temperature. T theoretical analysis of the response of the instrument in a helium—air mixture shows that a normalised calibration curve can be found, in which temperature effects are isolated at the all-helium and all-air reference points. The experimental calibration curves are similar to the theoretical form. The aspiring probe has poor resolution compared with more conventional gas-sampling instruments and is therefore not sufficiently sensitive for measurements of chemical pollution. Nevertheless, in the present application it is capable of resolving temperature differences of 0.3°C with a high frequency response and is therefore a valuable tool in the exploration of plume trajectories near the source in a turbulent wind.     

The effect of temperature on the removal of non-ionic surfactants during small-scale activated-sludge sewage treatment—I. Comparison of alcohol ethoxylates with a branched-chain alkyl phenol ethoxylate

The degree of biodegradability of three non-ionic surfactants has been assessed using small-scale activated-sludge sewage treatment plants. The effect of temperature on biodegradability was studied by operation at 15°, 11° and 8°C.The two alcohol ethoxylate surfactants tested were well degraded at all three operating temperatures. The alkyl phenol ethoxylate surfactant tested was well degraded at 15°C but at lower temperatures the biodegradability was dependent on concentration. At 5 mg 1⁻¹, greater than 90 per cent removal was achieved but at 20 mg 1⁻¹ the degree of removal fluctuated between 40 and 95 per cent at 11°C and between 20 and 80 per cent at 8°C.The present results have been compared with those obtained using the same surfactants in community trials at a small sewage works employing biological filtration. Although a similar temperature effect was observed with the alkyl phenol ethoxylate, the biodegradabilities obtained in the laboratory were consistently greater than those obtained at the sewage works, perhaps because of the constant conditions of the laboratory test.     

蓄水期库岸古滑坡的水动力学响应监测——以三峡库区泄滩滑坡为例

水库岸坡失稳是伴随水电工程建设而产生的一种地质灾害，一般认为主要是由于水库蓄水或运营导致岸坡水动力条件的不利演化造成的。国内外水库岸坡失稳的实例很多，但是岸坡的水动力条件演化过程主要以渗流计算所获得的渗流场作为依据，缺乏系统完整的现场监测资料。以三峡水库蓄水为契机，在湖北秭归县泄滩古滑坡体上建立了一套自动水文监测系统，监测内容包括水库水位、滑坡体水位、渗压与降雨量等。从监测成果来看，岸坡的水位(或渗压)上升速度明显滞后于库水位上升速度，滞后时间与岸坡的渗透性有关，滑带、滑坡影响带和基岩的渗透性相对较弱，滞后时间较长，但是滑坡体的渗透性良好，滞后时间较短；水位观测井的观测成果存在误导，需要结合观测井结构进行分析，建议尽可能使用标准管结构；降雨引起的滑坡体水位上升量和滞后时间与降雨强度关系密切，降雨强度越大水位上升量越大，水位开始上涨的时间越短。因此，对降雨的影响分析有必要考虑雨型，确定合适的基准时间单位。就泄滩滑坡而言，以小时为基本时间单位较为合适。     

Intensification of the Activated-Sludge Process (Abridged)

During the last thirty years, attempts have been made to increase the rate of treatment of wastewater in compact activated-sludge systems whilst ensuring (a) an adequate supply of dissolved oxygen, (b) good settleability of activated sludge, and (c) consistently high-quality effluents.
This paper describes two successful systems, i.e. oxygenated activated sludge and the deep-shaft process, which are used to intensify the rate of treatment in relatively compact aeration tanks. Data are presented of full-scale oxygen activated-sludge systems, including Vitox and Unox, together with information on the operation and performance of the deep-shaft process.     

Occurrence and distribution of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates and sulfophenylcarboxylic acids in several Iberian littoral ecosystems

The distribution of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) and sulfophenylcarboxylic acids (SPC) has been characterized in water and sediment of five Iberian estuaries and a saltmarsh channel. The highest concentrations of LAS and SPC were detected in shallow zones close to discharge points of untreated urban effluent, and decreased sharply with increasing distance from these. SPC homologues of between 3 and 12 carbon atoms were detected, although their concentrations were several orders of magnitude lower than the corresponding LAS. The highest SPC concentrations found were of medium carboxylic chain lengths (C6-C8) in water, and of longer chain lengths (C9-C11) in particulate material. LAS homologues were associated preferentially with the particulate material. The vertical distribution of LAS in the water column was not homogeneous, in contrast to that presented by the SPC homologues. In the case of the Sancti Petri Channel, there was a net flow of LAS exportation into the Bay of Cádiz, of -38.6 kg day(-1), and a net flow for SPC of -6.0 kg day(-1). The daily mass input of LAS and their biodegradation intermediates from the Sancti Petri Channel to Cadiz Bay was 44.6 kg.