Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology Centre (FireSERT) University of Ulster: Recent Developments

The Institute of Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology Centre (FireSERT) at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland has been a major provider of higher technical fire safety education, fire related research and services to industry for over 20 years. Its internationally recognised research spans the fields of fire dynamics, structural fire engineering, human behaviour in fire and more recently fire (CFD) modelling. Since 1991, it has offered the only PG Dip/MSc Fire Safety Engineering programme in the United Kingdom. In September 2000 FireSERT was the recipient of a £5.7 m Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) Award to build new fire safety engineering laboratories on the University's Jordanstown campus. These new facilities unparallel in the University sector in the UK offer greater scope and depth to the FireSERT's research portfolios. The new facilities will be extensively used in support of FireSERT's suite of MSc Fire Safety Engineering and DPhil programmes. This paper presents a brief history of FireSERT and its achievements, together with an update on the new facility, current research themes, taught programmes, research opportunities and visions for the future.     

体育馆加固工程消能减震技术应用的若干问题探讨

讨论了体育馆结构抗震加固工程中使用消能装置的若干问题。这些问题包括体育馆结构抗震加固的常用方法的优缺点、液体粘滞阻尼器的参数选择、布置方式、与周边构件的连接方法等。对抗震加固中采用消能减震装置提出了有益的建议。     

Heavy metals in maternal and cord blood

Heavy metal concentrations have been determined in maternal and cord blood samples collected from mothers in the age group 20-25 years with full-term neonates (37-40 weeks). The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn were found to be low in cord blood as compared to mother's blood and the ratio between cord blood and maternal blood for the respective elements was found to be approximately 0.80, 0.86, 0.47 and 0.40. On the other hand, the concentrations of Fe and Mg in the mother's blood were found to be lower than those in the cord blood. Prenatal exposure to lead in Mumbai, though low (5.1 microg/dl), is approximately 2-3 times higher than that observed in Canada or Italy. A strong correlation (r = 0.79) between the maternal and cord blood lead levels has been observed during the present study.     

Organochlorines in egg samples from Norwegian birds of prey: congener-, isomer- and enantiomer specific considerations

The content of chlorinated persistent organic pollutants was determined in a total of 44 egg samples from 8 different raptor species collected throughout Norway in the period 1991-1997. The content of 8 chlorinated bornanes, 9 chlorinated pesticides, and 15 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCB) were determined. The highest average concentrations for PCB were found for eggs from White-tailed Sea Eagle and Peregrine Falcon (average sum PCB concentration: 8.9 and 9.1 microg/g wet weight (w.w.), respectively). Merlin and Sparrowhawk eggs were the highest contaminated with chlorinated pesticides (average sum pesticide concentration: 3.0 and 4.3 microg/g w.w.). For the first time, the content of chlorobornanes was determined in Norwegian birds of prey eggs. However, only minor contamination compared to PCBs and conventional chlorinated pesticides was found. The highest sum concentration was determined for White-tailed Sea Eagle eggs (0.09 microg/g w.w.). No chlorobornane contamination was found in Osprey and Merlin eggs. No spatial and regional specific trends or pattern distribution were found for organochlorine contamination in the egg samples analysed. In order to gain information about enantiomer specific bioaccumulation and biotransformation capacity of the organism, enantioselective analyses was performed for the chiral contaminants trans-chlordane, oxy-chlordane and the chlorobornane B9-1679 (Parlar #50). Indications for species-dependent deviation from the racemic distribution (enantiomeric ratio = 1) were found. Peregrine Falcon and Merlin eggs were characterised with an extremely high enantiomeric excess of the (-)-trans-chlordane (enantiomeric ratio (ER) <0.01). For Golden Eagle, Goshawk and Sparrowhawk eggs, the ERs were between 0.1 and 0.22 demonstrating also here that the (-)-trans-chlordane was the most abundant enantiomer. For the distribution of oxy-chlordane and B9-1679 enantiomers no species-dependent differences were found. For all species the ER values between 0.3 and 0.8 were determined. Thus, also for oxy-chlordane and B9-1679, the (-)-enantiomers are the most dominating stereoisomers in the birds of prey eggs analysed.     

Application of GaN-based ultraviolet-C light emitting diodes--UV LEDs--for water disinfection

GaN-based ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light emitting diodes (LEDs) are of great interest for water disinfection. They offer significant advantages compared to conventional mercury lamps due to their compact form factor, low power requirements, high efficiency, non-toxicity, and overall robustness. However, despite the significant progress in the performance of semiconductor based UV LEDs that has been achieved in recent years, these devices still suffer from low emission power and relatively short lifetimes. Even the best UV LEDs exhibit external quantum efficiencies of only 1-2%.The objective of this study was to investigate the suitability of GaN-based UV LEDs for water disinfection. The investigation included the evaluation of the performance characteristics of UV LEDs at different operating conditions as well as the design of a UV LED module in view of the requirements for water treatment applications. Bioanalytical testing was conducted using Bacillus subtilis spores as test organism and UV LED modules with emission wavelengths of 269 nm and 282 nm.The results demonstrate the functionality of the developed UV LED disinfection modules. GaN-based UV LEDs effectively inactivated B. subtilis spores during static and flow-through tests applying varying water qualities. The 269 nm LEDs reached a higher level of inactivation than the 282 nm LEDs for the same applied fluence. The lower inactivation achieved by the 282 nm LEDs was compensated by their higher photon flux. First flow-through tests indicate a linear correlation between inactivation and fluence, demonstrating a well designed flow-through reactor. With improved light output and reduced costs, GaN-based UV LEDs can provide a promising alternative for decentralised and mobile water disinfection systems.     

Job accessibility impacts of intensive and multiple land-use scenarios for the Netherlands’ Randstad Area

This paper examines job accessibility impacts of intensive and multiple land-use scenarios in the Netherlands’ Randstad Area for the period 1996–2030. The scenarios involve a heavy increase in the density and diversity of activities around railway stations. Accessibility impacts are examined using location-based accessibility measures and utility-based accessibility benefit measures within a high-resolution land-use/transport interaction modelling framework, taking into account the regional demand for economic activities and possible market responses. It is concluded that extreme concentrations of economic activities at central urban locations well served by public transport are not to be preferred over less heavy concentrations of economic activities at more locations. Heavy concentrations of new firms may firstly repel existing firms in the neighbourhood and secondly result in decreasing marginal returns of accessibility benefits for public transport users.     

中国尾矿坝地震安全度（5）──大石河尾矿坝现场测试成果及各测试方法间的相关研究

本文基于对中国大石河尾矿坝所完成的现场勘察，给出了三种原位测试数据（ＳＰＴ，ＣＰＲ和ＳＷＶ）的分析结果及其相关性研究成果。     

冬施混凝土防冻剂选用

简述了碱骨料反应及其反应类型。通过对冬施混凝土防冻剂含碱量的计算，指出了防冻剂对碱骨料反应的影响及造成的危害。     

从信义大厦临街立面改造看高层烂尾楼问题

近年来,越来越多的烂尾楼改造工程受到重视,很多成功的经验表明,烂尾楼的再生利用可以取得显著的经济效益和社会效益。本文以重庆市渝中区朝天门地区信义大厦临街立面改造为例,分析烂尾楼改造的各种相关问题。     

人工现浇楼盖的质量控制措施

本文对现浇钢筋砼楼盖施工前、中、后各阶段为控制质量而应采取的检查措施作了较为详尽的论述，其中特别强调了应保护板面负弯筋不受踩压变形和严格控制拆模时间等措施，从而从根本上保证了建筑物结构的施工质量。值得各有关单位借鉴