Structural Appraisal of the Florentine Gothic Construction System

The nave of Santa Maria Novella, a Dominican church in Florence Italy is representative of a Florentine Gothic system of construction. This system, consisting of domical rib vaults on square nave bays, high side aisles, and crypto-buttressing, differs substantially from the French high Gothic system of even-level-crown rib vaults on rectangular bays, with flying buttresses over relatively low aisles. An investigation into the structural aspects of the Florentine Gothic construction system reveals that the domical vaults increase the longitudinal thrust and reduce the transverse thrust, which may require additional precautions to be taken during construction, but entails a less elaborate buttressing system. The domical vaults are found to perform well structurally, with an absence of tensile stresses, and are more suitable for a square bay. In general, the structural system of the nave of Santa Maria Novella is found to be the product of carefully considered structural design, which may be accepted as an alternative to the French Gothic construction system.     

Balancing User Priorities for Sustainability versus Security

In these times of global change, many facility emphases are competing for limited resources. Competing factors include, but are not limited to, sustainable design or green buildings; security, hardening or force protection; accessibility; historic preservation; aesthetics; and functionality. Yet, unlimited resources are seldom, if ever, available to fulfill all of these competing requirements in private or public construction. The Georgia Institute of Technology designed a decision matrix to allow owners and planners to balance these competing requirements on a project-by-project basis and to document the rationale.     

Structural Response of Nuclear Containment Shield Buildings with Construction Openings

Steam generator replacement at nuclear power plants requires large construction openings in nuclear containment structures. This study examines the effects of such openings placed in a 61?cm (2?ft) thick dome of a shield building. The dome is cast in two layers, and the limiting cases of the two layers acting as one and the lower layer carrying the entire load are considered. Without openings, the stresses due to dead load in the structure are very low when compared to the material strength. With openings, the loads are easily redistributed around the opening, and the maximum stresses for the conservative case are between three and four and one-half times larger than in the original structure with no openings. The extent of the affected area around the holes is relatively small. Smooth corners in the openings are necessary to avoid high local stress concentrations.     

冬瓜山铜矿初步设计概算编制的几点体会

简述初步设计概算重要性,结合冬瓜山铜矿概算编制的实例,总结了编制初步设计概算的几点体会。     

论当前家庭装修的几个误区

分析了当前家装存在的破坏结构，一味追求奢华，施工质量差等种种误区，提出了搞好家庭装修的关键环节，对促进家装行业健康发展有积极的意义。     

高层建筑地下室人防及通风设计

该文结合工程实例介绍了地下室人防及通风设计的方法及实际运用中的注意事项．     

实用钢筋混凝土梁板结构优化设计

本文比较全面地考虑了钢筋混凝土梁板结构实际设计时的全部必要约束,给出了一套(单跨矩形和T形梁、单向板、按弹性理论计算的双向板和矩形等截面连续梁)简单实用的近优化设计的解析公式,为编制其优化设计的实用程序和图表提供了根据.     

Towards real CAD

Present-day computer-aided design (CAD) packages play only a small part in the area of mechanical engineering design, which involves the synthesis and embodiment of physical components to perform a pre-determined function without unwanted side effects. The computer cannot properly help the designer in this task until it is able to capture and process the function requirements of the design. This paper describes the computer system being developed for this purpose at the Engineering Design Centre at Cambridge University Engineering Department. The paper also explores some of the geometrical and programming implications raised.     

HiSQL: A Front-end Query System for Historical Relational Databases

The paper describes a prototype system called HiSQL (Historical SQL) which extends the functionality of SQL in manipulating historical data, by providing functions for spatial and temporal processing. Conceptually the paper is divided into three parts: the first part deals with the design and architecture of the system; the second part introduces a case study (the defters); and the third part describes specific functions for spatial and temporal processing of serial documents. The paper concludes with a comparison between HiSQL and SQL and suggestions for further work. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

点状屏彩色显示管校正透镜优化设计

本文在条状屏彩色显象管校正透镜设计的基础上，提出了蹼状屏彩色显示管校正透镜的优化设计方法并给出了设计实例，通过计算机模拟电子束轨迹和光线追迹，分析了校正透镜面型修正程序的精度。